Trees Speak - PostHuman

Taking a step outside the Heavy Metal realms, Trees Speak is an Arizonian project which claims to align its tone with the 1970's Krautrock movement and groups such as Kraftwerk, Tangerine Dream, Cluster, etc. The duo does a good job capturing the textures of the scene however less organic synths and snappy electronic drums create the type of dichotomy which gives PostHuman a more modern coating and separates it from those seminal works of the early to mid 70's movement. This modern jacket aids Trees Speak achieve their aim of creating sci-fi futuristic music, however over the course of numerous listens, I can't help but find less and less to bring me back to a lot of the material. Whereas an album such as Autobahn proceeds with an almost classical sense of composition or Music for Airports idles with the architecture of intellectual reflection, it's difficult to find deeper 'external' inspiration in PostHuman's structures. Appearing on Soul Jazz Records, the gatefold vinyl presentation is beautifully done, with minimalist artwork and golden-age of sci-fi type text choices that fit the album perfectly.

A third of the songs are developed around individual rhythmic phrases where drums and bass work in tandem.  Another third are display lone instrumental motifs top-dressed with slick layering choices. More than half of the album relies on rudimentary compositional foundations. Tracks like opener "Double Slit", the five-spot "Elements of Matter", or "Healing Rods" appearing in the album's third quarter all fall into what become trap-points in the albums flow. Some songs are simply interesting enough to overwhelm this tendency towards repetitiveness, like the chromatic and panoramic "Magic Transistor" or the hard-hitting "Machine Vision" that tags along on the accompanying 7". "Scheinwelt" is another track which supersedes the rhythmic clause that the album abides by as it immerses the listener in a robotic sullenness, the depressed circuitry of hyperconnected post-human beings which we are surely streamlining head over heels towards becoming. 

And so "Scheinwelt" is one of the tracks which best represents Trees Speak's theme of approaching the soundscapes of futurism and post-human existence. The digitized vocal effects of "Quantize Humanize" are obvious and kitsch but, being as sparingly used on the album as they are, introduce voice as a textural element that has it's intended effect. I find the title track, "Post Human", the most subtle of efforts towards futurism, coming across as a somber ode to the artificial beauty of the unforeseeable eons ahead and so is particularly reflective. All of this effort however is overshadowed by the album's longest, most expansive, structurally complex, and visionary creation, "Amnesia Transmitter".  The spacey cinematic narration succeeds as a singular song, but carries the album's defining moment as the synthesizer melody reaches it's zenith just short of the four minute mark.

One of the other aspects of PostHuman which deserves mention and which almost slipped past my radar, even after at least twenty or thirty full listens to this record, was the melodic similarity to a lot of 70's and 80's Afro-jazz and golden age Ethiopian popular music. To what extent this influence is real is to be cited by Daniel and Damian Diaz, the project's masterminds, but I am convinced that the duo has listened to their fair share of Hailu Mergia and Teshome Wolde. The swings of cadence between songs, from uplifting to downtrodden, from Western-music sensible to Western-music offensive, may be a key to obtaining the 'post-human' sound they seek, as global exchange of music and art continues to break down niche pockets and movements. In much the same way that Hip-Hop has influenced and continues to influence popular music - even genres which are polar opposite in many ways such as Country music - it is only expected that in hundreds of years the distant influence of long-gone genres will somehow linger as figments in tiny corners of future art.

Ultimately, the question PostHuman poses is whether or not these tracks produce atmospheres which the listener believes represent what the future holds for mankind; whatever - and whenever - that future is. Obviously, this task is not as easy as attributing an atmosphere to something known, like is often the case in Black Metal as artists seek natural atmospheres of the frigid, the arboreal, or the defiant. Trees Speak do seem to achieve this on several tracks throughout the album, smartly offering a multitude of vistas. While half of PostHuman comes across to my ears as too close to modern euro-trance/electronic dance best suited to posh pool parties and urban cocktail hours, I am yet intrigued by the project's capability to achieve difficult cinematic quality set-piece moments. I'd like to see a higher-minded approach to the underlying compositions as accomplished in "Post Human" and especially "Amnesia Transmitter" across a full album. 

Åskog - Varþnaþer

Solid Black Metal with an old school vibe, Åskog's debut full length, Varþnaþer, should be more than a blip on the black metal radar. In much the same way as Ordinul Negru's Faustian Nights really surprised me with it's strong songwriting Åskog have done much the same. In fact, the two projects, though thousands of miles apart, really are perfect examples of contemporary Black Metal which remains firmly rooted in Second Wave influences yet still feels fresh and vibrant. Åskog offer something a little more primal, primitive, and aggressive compared to the Romanians, though both utilize melody to an exceptional degree. The strength of the album is likely due to the long-time collaboration of it's creators Adam Chapman and Lars Hansson in their previous band Murdryk. Adam explained the genesis to me. "We wanted to do something new where we shared 100% of the band from the get-go and try slightly different styles of music. There are obviously similarities in the music between the two bands but Åskog has a stronger identity. Originally, the Åskog album would have been the third Murdryck album if we did not decide to start over. However, this album was written from scratch as Åskog and had no songs or music over from Murdryck."

Varþnaþer is a recognizable conglomeration; a song like "Vinter" sounds entirely unique compared to even the next track on the album, "Tid," which itself sounds unique from tracks like "Mane" or "Varg." Each song is built around memorable themes which helps delineate each morsel, while the shared textures of the tracks - thick bass-heavy riffs, powerful full bodied black metal vocals, a dash of experimentation here and there - accumulate into a recognizable entity. And so even though "Vinter", "Tid", and "Mane" are all unique, they are clearly a part of something larger.  According to Chapman. "'Vinter' is quite accomplished but started off with very simple riffs. I wanted to keep it simple to create a bleak atmosphere. It's got some weird textures in there but I like how it develops and the hooks that got added along the way. I particularly enjoy the second half and the abrupt ending! 'Tid' is something that started off as drum beat and hook on the guitar but really came alive once Lars put his vocals down and created the prechorus/chorus melodic layers with his vocals. Probably the simplest song but also one of the strongest. 'Måne' is a bit of a throwback to the early Murdryck material with very fast tremolo riffs and tempos." When all is said and done, everything conglomerates into a singular whole.

Thematically, the primitive elements are emphasized through content rooted in black-and-white explorations of 'good' and 'evil', set against natural vistas and imagery. While Hansson wrote all the lyrics for the album, Chapman was able to give some further background on the headspace the albums exists within. "I would say our ideas are more about subjective reality of what we describe as good and evil albeit from a perspective without human interference. Does nature "see" things in terms of good or evil or is it just the way things are? There is no moral conscience at work in nature." The content itself apparently came naturally as well. "We talked about what we should write about. I always said to Lars to write about what you know as he was struggling to come up with ideas. He knew nature so that's what he wrote about it. I think it worked, as he became inspired and wrote text as fast as I could write songs." The Swedish lyrics do not disrupt my enjoyment of the record, however I did have to copy them into a translation website to read them.

The short song titles, and naturalist element gives the album a sense of finality and matter-of-factness. In much the same way as Von was keen to use singular words to help impress a sense of minimalism and primitivism, Åskog use the same technique to focus on the elemental and singular themes of the album. "Vinter" should sound as cold and bleak as it actually does. "Tid" should invoke the gargantuan tolling of some clocktower bell that symbolizes mortality. "Eld" should sound like the lapping flames of a fire licking at dry timber. This ability to create images and a visualization of something specific is a key characteristic of upper echelon Black Metal. Great Death metal doesn't need to create images in the mind and doesn't need to have transcendent underpinnings to be effective, however the best Black Metal always has these attributes. Hopefully, Åskog gift us another album to follow Varþnaþer soon, but Adam is on the fence. "We might do a demo again; we might do an EP or we might do an album. Right now, I don't really know. Lars wants to get going but I am not motivated and kind of tired after working solidly for nearly a year on the demo and album. I am always fluctuating between quitting music for good and writing a new album."

Flyers: THRASHBACK RECORDS

 THRASHBACK RECORDS

Skorbvstr - Hedensk

The second release from Skorbvstr, Hedensk, is perfectly in line with the high standard set by the one man project's debut, Sakte Fort Veldig Kraftig, released just nine months back. To my ears, Hedensk is somehow angrier and carries a heavier dosage of vitriol than it's prototype. While there was a heavy sense of discomfort and bleakness to last year's debut, Hedensk is simply one step further emotionally. It truly continues the progression of this project as well. If the singular aim of ...Kraftig was to channel the demons which overwhelmed us all during the early and mid-Covid era - the feelings of confinement, loneliness, and frustration - then Hedensk could be said to be the natural progression into the now lingering emotional and political repercussions of anger, confusion, and distrust. It just so happens that these tracks were recorded at practically the same time as the national political fiasco associated with President Trump's final days in office. I make no claims as to the politics of Skorbvstr's mastermind. None need to be made; this year's election was a powder-keg both figuratively and literally. Frustration was felt through the whole body politic. This has seeped into the art of that moment as well.

Musically, Skorbvstr has retained all the singular elements which made the first demo so effective. Songs still open with the reverberating siren's call of ebbing feedback. Singularity is still the foundational principle, with songs offering melodies built off singular root notes. The overall impression is that of a lo-fi recording, but Hedensk is not lo-fi production wise; there is a clarity somewhere between the highs and lows in the mix, but the rawness and roughness of it all, the ill-defined tonality of individual elements in favor of textural highlights gives it a mystique reserved for an elite cohort who understand Black Metal on a deeper plane. This is clear from the (in)tense - as N. Birk would pen - opening salvo "Seer" which allows momentary audible snare and cymbals to cut through the pitchy atonality. The metallic ringing guitar which punctuates and supplies a lot of the hooks is an arrow through the heart of the mix in the best ways possible and at the right moments.

One of the most interesting tracks is the awkward and bizarre melodic experimentation of "Arroganse Med Lite Liv." It might be the most uncomfortable harmonic combination of the year... or decade... maybe ever. A pounding harangue of monotonous auditory displeasure, an off-color spotlight on the listener exposing their shame, the abduction of security and safety that we crawl to when confronted with unwelcome troubles. It's these kinds of emotions which are often misrepresented but which Skorbvster capture with their noisy eloquence. Skorbvster has truly been something to appreciate for me as a Black Metal fan. It's not something which can be appreciated as an outsider or surface-dweller to my ears; a context of some strange sort is required to get to the bottom of the project. Imagine yourself as a child and your house has a dark basement. First, you muster the courage to go down the stairs, then to look behind the boxes and objects creeping over you. Eventually, shivering, you struggle your way to the back, farthest corner of what must surely feel like a demons cave. The noises from the furnace bellow at you like a thundering hell. And you find nothing but you understand your fear. Skorbvster requires that understanding, maybe, to appreciate. 

Ischemic - All Paths Lead Nowhere

Often during war, scientific and engineering breakthroughs come at a breakneck pace. Within only a few years during World War II, for example, scientists on both sides of the conflict moved from rudimentary theoretical concepts of atomics to the Americans producing a nuclear weapon and the Germans not far behind them - only stymied in their quest for their chosen moderator, heavy water, by Norwegian saboteurs under the command of Leif Tronstad. Ischemic must be under similar self-inflicted stress because in the three years between 2013's Frigid Descent and 2016's All Paths Lead Nowhere, a similar breakthrough has seemingly occurred. Ischemic sent me their recent albums, from All Paths Lead Nowhere to their recent eponymous full length but for context, I decided to start at Frigid Descent, an interesting and audacious yet merely formative release to my ears. I was not sure whether there could be a significant ascent in the albums to follow but All Paths Lead Nowhere has been in my stereo for several weeks now and I've enjoyed it each time. 

It's clear that Ischemic has moved on from their 'rudimentary theoretical concepts' to effective practical theory. Not only are the individual songs better defined as lone entities, the album has a more mature and thoughtful gait, even though the songs are all mid-paced. Also evident is a great overall confidence amongst the band, especially vocalist Isa, who is truly impressive across all the tracks. The playback through my tape offers a bottom-end loaded pounding affair that captures the gut of the listener, but the higher frequency scratchiness of the guitar renders the important melodic themes with clarity and atmosphere. Where Frigid Descent could be described as shooting at something which had already been accomplished by Evoken or especially Ataraxie to a high degree of precision, All Paths Lead Nowhere is closer to something Ischemic could call their own. This shift in style brings them closer to a band like Hivelords than doom death genre progenitors and masters. 

The improved flow of All Paths Lead Nowhere is a major key for the EP's success. Opening track, "Nowhere", has the intent of an introduction and sets the overall plaintive mood of the record with a slow clean twanging guitar melody before launching into the only slightly faster, but more aggressive  "Black Mass Metastasis." While Frigid Descent's first two tracks ran a marathon twenty-three minutes and demanded the listener carve out time in their day to partake, All Paths Lead Nowhere covers just a few minutes more than this as an entirety, proving to be a more sizeable portion. "Into Oceans Unknown" highlights Isa's vocal range with searing black metal inspired screeches during the tracks' faster moments, and deeper death metal growls during the slower pre-historic vibed transitional moments. "Barren" is the album's biggest surprise and my favorite track. It is the most emotive track on the album, coming across stoically as guitars weave beautiful leads behind the long drawn out chords which would be at home on masterpieces like Morgion's Solinari or Disembowelment's Transcendence into The Peripheral. When Isa enters with her massive vocals along with drummer Chris and the huge low end of Anthony's bass, rare power is unleashed. "Barren", though, is truly just a lead in to the EP's final eponymous track, but is more than the following ten minute long album closer in it's two minute run-time. The albums longest track is placed ideally as the final song, resolving the album's pacing nicely with an tense fatalism similar to "Black Mass Metastasis." 

Ischemic have taken a great leap forward with All Paths Lead Nowhere and it is evident throughout each track. The overall impression is that All Paths Lead Nowhere is the progeny of a band who, during the creation and recording, were open to the rare energy that manifests in dank sweaty rehearsal caves amongst an inspired group of briefly connected intellects. Decisions about letting notes ring, letting the floor tom be the percussive glue across numerous tracks, the powerful two-voice approach of Isa, and the smooth movement from start to finish sound natural and intrinsic. Breakthroughs in every component elevate All Paths Lead Nowhere and leave me salivating instead of sickened to move into Ischemic's full length albums.

 

Contaminated Tones 2022

Recently announced via the Contaminated Tones Newsletter, I will be offering a physical version of Contaminated Tones. 

This physical installment will include copies of the full interviews conducted for Contaminated Tones, cut and paste layout of all reviews for this year as well as select review of previous years, as well as other articles. Also included will be an annual best-of compilation tape with hand picked tracks, interview snippets, live recordings from the past fifteen years of show-going, and miscellaneous sounds and screams. This is another step in pressing forward with my goal of pushing back against digitization of media and art, keeping the underground tradition of physical interaction alive, and allowing the open-minded unfettered flow of ideas to reach those who want to hear them. I will distribute flyers, advertisements, and demo material within this package when available as well and all are welcome to contact me if interested in having promotional materials mailed. Anyone interested in submitting interview material, written letters, articles, rants, conspiracy theories, recommendations, etc, can reach out to me directly. 

CTP VOL 1: RELEASE CONTENTS:

INTERVIEWS:

- Askog (2021)

- Feretro (2021)

- Ireful (2022)

- Ischemic (2022)

- Sarmat (2022)

- Skorbvster (2021)

ARTICLES / REPRINTS:

- Morbid Faith Underground Newsletter #9

- Reprint of CTP #1 From 2008

- Thoughts on all New Jersey Releases of 2021 and 2022

MISCELLANEOUS:

- All Contaminated tones Reviews from 2021 and 2022

Radiation - The Gift of Doom

Four years after their Plutonium Overdose 7" EP, a solid German Thrash influenced attack, Slovakians Radiation offer their full length, The Gift Of Doom, under similar command, though with a greater proficiency and accuracy. In fact, the two releases give credence to the perspective that a band can offer stylistically the same material with no recognizable overall change and yet put out a substantially stronger release. Radiation didn't need to change in any way from the EP with "Sword of Damocles" still holding a revered spot on my best of playlist, but where Plutonium Overdose offered one truly stand out song, The Gift of Doom offers several noteworthy tracks to build a more solid repertoire overall. It's this type of expanding repertoire which is key to maintain consistent fan interest and yet, paradoxically, for long-running projects with storied careers, is seemingly an impossible feat to achieve. Naturally, the artists and their die-hard fans will immediately love new material, but for less zealous listeners, it becomes increasingly difficult to find worthy new additions to storied careers. 

Obviously Radiation are not Sodom, or Slayer, or Kreator. As such, Radiation does not have a laundry list of classic tracks by which new material continuously fails to live up to. The Gift of Doom does definitively add several cuts which I would consider necessary in Radiation's setlist, a setlist which I would pick over seeing washed up out-of-touch old thrash bands go through the motions. Radiation excel when guitarists Mraz and Riso discover memorable tails to their riffs, and repurpose those motifs throughout their tracks. "Praise The God of Nuclear Fusion" is one such example with a memorable opening riff that introduces a descending frill that is reintroduced throughout the song. "Eternal Toxic Fields" showcases this usage of strong reusable guitar licks as well, introducing a lower register element that is picked up again in the first half of solo and then repeating again.  "Thrash The Bastards" does the same though replaces the guitar motifs with staccato pounding on the floor tom to give a savage barbarism to the album's tertiary cut. It's through these morsels that Radiation offer burn songs into the listener's psyche. 

The Gift of Doom is likely one of the better underground thrash releases I've heard these past few years. Even though a surface reading of the lyrics might appear petulant due to the rough usage of the English language, the actual content offers some variety with songs like "Yperite" focusing on effects of the usage of mustard gas during World War I, and "Eternal Toxic Fields'" opening lyrics of "Poisons, drugs, smog and scums. We are consuming it every day. Municipal waste, garbage and scrap, but for good health we pray," pointing out the hypocrisy of personal health in a polluted world. It's all very dystopian. It's all very thrash at it's core. The rhythm production is genuine and natural; buzzsaw guitars, a tight clunky audible bass from Vrana, and a strong performance from drummer Janci who is full of energy and fire, though does not always find the most creative patterns. Along with guitars, Mroz handles vocals as well. His are quite harsh and raspy. I liken them to Van Drunen's vocals on Consuming Impulse.

This is still underground Teutonic influenced Thrash at its foundation and that will be a major consideration when deciding to give listening time to the record. Radiation is not going to make a person who gravitates away from the grittier German thrash into a fan. There are better historical releases for this, however, Radiation - and similar quality underground bands - will inevitably fill the boots of their forefathers as the aging 80's old guard moves on. Radiation offer a reverent type of banner then, which is evident in albums such as The Gift of Doom. It is their ilk who will still be marching onto stage one or two decades from now and inserting "Outbreak of Evil" or "Ausgebombt" into their setlist when Angel Ripper needs a walker and cane to get to and fro following fifty years of headbanging. Someone will be there to perform underground thrash equivalents to Rock and Roll standards, and having worthwhile original material to go along with the Old Hymns. I love the blinding highlighter yellow tapes with this packaging as well. 

Nightshadow - Strike Them Dead

A product of California, Nightshadow have embraced an almost purely homogenous European Power Metal foundation in their debut album Strike Them Dead. The quintet, featuring guitarists Nick Harrington (who courageously sent a copy of the album to me) and Danny Fang, drummer Sean Woodman, bassist Chris Bader, and vocalist Brian Dell, are offering a professional product, with the 'I's dotted and the 'T's crossed, but ultimately, Nightshadow's contract is typeset, and not written in blood. For me, European Power Metal doesn't draw my interest over our domestic product often. The best albums rely on melodically memorable anthemic and crowd engaging choruses, impressively talented vocalists who send the neighborhood dogs into convulsions, and virtuoso-level musicianship from all involved. Nightshadow does their best with what they have, which is quite a bit, but they will need to push their talent to the next level to match the big dogs.

Otherwise, Nightshadow has succeeded were you to pull out a checklist of expected attributes you'd look for in a Power Metal album. The production of Strike Them Dead, for example, is strong. The guitars are crisp and solos, rhythm tracks, and harmony sections are easily distinguishable. Bader's bass playing occupies the lower frequencies with room, evidence of the record getting a proper mixing and mastering treatment, and Woodman's percussion responsibilities are recreated with an industry standard treatment that gets little criticism - though at the expense of claiming zero accolades; safe and indiscriminate if you will. Song structures offer some variety but are not progressive - either unintentionally or due to mature-self actualization - enough to push Nightshadow into a category they can't compete in with Progressive titans. Dell's vocals are capable enough to fill the role of the average Power Metal vocalist but he can't seem to cross the proverbial threshold. 

Nightshadow has a solid foundation in the twin guitar duo of Harrington and Fang who are impressive in their lead work and who invoke thoughts of Dragonforce's Li and Totman, but on codeine; Harrington and Fang are incapable of matching the British duo's ostentatiousness at this point, but maybe in the future with bionic augmentations they could get there. Still, they are the Nightshadow's best asset and support Harrington's founding of the project and persistence to get his music to listeners. One area which they do not excel is in the rhythm department, not in terms of performance, but in terms of creativity. There isn't a single rhythm on the album which is a standout; the band needs to develop a more substantial style in this department to set them apart. This could come in the form of a loose and reckless speed-metal inspired abandon, something slightly more aggressive such as the rhythmic section of Primal Fear or Grave Digger circa The Reaper, or an angle which would exaggerate the melodicism with more memorable chord progressions and drive more experimentation with the leads and harmonies.

Dell is at his best when he is not screaming or incorporating anything which resembles influence from a  Metalcore point of origin, elements which pop up from time to time and which sound whiney and spoiled. For example, were the whole album to be as melodic and lofty as during the bridge before "Children of the Night"'s middling petulant sounding chorus, Nightshadow would gain the type of melodic overtones and memorability that would serve them like a court jester fettered with a Running Man-styled exploding neck bracelet. But it's the lyrical content which is the biggest detractor, content which Nick himself admitted in a recent interview with The Bone Yard is out of his hands. "Lyrically, I can not write lyrics to save my life. As far as the lyrics go, our vocalist Brian writes all the lyrics." Though Dell shows to be a strong vocalist, a poet he is not. I struggled to find any lyrics which roused my interest. A lot of thought seemingly goes into fashioning easy-to-engage crowd moments, such as the endless rousing calls to "Kill Kill Kill Kill Kill Kill The Witch Queen" in, you guessed it, "Witch Queen." Most songs have this typical attempt at anthemics but only Manowar gets a pass for it.

Furthermore, there isn't much intellectual stimulation on the lyrical front. Songs are very typical. "Love and Vengeance" is notable for creating a narrative between the music and literature that is effective, with the 'love' portion of the song's lyrics encompassing the track's clean opening half and the 'vengeance' portion the overdriven second half, but it's so obvious to developed ears that it wouldn't even require mentioning if there were at least a single more interesting moment on the record lyrically. Remember above mentioned Primal Fear's "Formula One?" I think that's the only song I've ever heard which was so obviously about formula one racing. How many songs (and classic legendary songs) are there about Jack the Ripper? Taking the first four song's lyrics and putting them in an online resource which generates literacy levels yields a measurement of no higher than tenth grade. Comparatively, inputting this review, which is nearly identical in word count, yields a reading level of college graduate. In Nightshadow's defense, both Hammerfall's Renegade and Edguy's Savage Poetry yield the same reading level so it's possible this is an algorithm-related inaccuracy with putting in song lyrics, but when I put in the first four songs off Awaken the Guardian, that also yielded a college graduate reading level. Maybe European Power Metal, then, is just geared to those with GED's and lower back tattoos.

For me, however, there isn't much that would draw me back to Strike Them Dead over any number of other options in the same genre which are timeless examples of what makes the truly great rare European Power Metal albums stand taller and prouder than their brood companions. Hammerfall's Renegade, once again, is a prime example of what could have been as generic as what Nightshadow are offering but just has enough grit, enough masculine inspired (and Manowar) kitsch, and imaginative set design to march past the ranks. Edguy's Savage Poetry, also again, falls in line with such description. There is no correlation to US Power Metal to my ears, as the album lacks the dystopian/epic/occult influences of that scene and the thrash-inspired riffing so anyone hoping to find something even poking at the dirt Vicious Rumors or Liege Lord or Helstar or any number of others tread on can unpack their carry-ons right now. Fans of the heyday German Heavy Metal or NWOBHM will also be at a loss as Nightshadow will not push your Balls to the Wall or provide any Power or Glory. There's some intrinsic Iron Maiden influence as there is in everything. It's likely that plenty of Europeans who are rooted in their regional Power Metal exports could find some legroom under Nightshadow's dashboard and Strike Them Dead might travel well for them, but any European Power Metal albums have to offer me first class seats and accommodations, which Nightshadow doesn't, yet.

Note: The band should change their logo. The current logo just doesn't fit with the band's Power Metal style. 

Betrayed - The Unbeliever

Betrayed were not Chile's first thrash band, forming in the late 80's, though they are surely veterans of a long-running scene in the South American nation. At least sole original member, drummer, Claudio Tapia, is. It doesn't take a one sheet for discerning listeners to find that The Unbeliever delivers solid if derivative thrash closely in line with the early 90's Bay Area bands. If Victims of Deception is a must-own album in your mind (I prefer the more Heavy Metal sounding Breaking The Silence personally) then you could do far worse. Containing five completely new tracks and re-recordings of seven-tenths of the 1990 full length, 1879 Tales of War, there's something enjoyable here for most blue-collar metal fans. Testament's The Ritual is also a noteworthy reference point, though Betrayed never quite achieve the timelessness of "Electric Crown" or "Deadline." Betrayed are not as rigid in their playing as Heathen, and not as rockin' as Testament. Betrayed don't quite find pockets of space for leads and harmonies the way Skolnick or Peterson do, but the lead guitar playing of JL Olmos and Mauricio Castro is a highlight. 

The five tracks from The Unbeliever EP are well paced, well produced, and professional. The production is not overly sapped of energy through post production; vibrant yet full guitars are natural and genuine revealing subtleties such as pick noise and string scrapes throughout. That this honesty and passion comes through in the production is a major hurdle crossed. "Looters Will Be Shot" is a key track from these five songs, with a super memorable - and wholesome - Thrash Metal chorus warning a response of force towards rioters and looters. "They are greedy, the Bastard Sons... Hey You! Looters will be shot! They are my Enemies, and I will crush them One By One..." This is followed by the similarly politically oriented "Constitution (Of The Oppressors)" which happens to be my personal favorite of the five tracks with it's shift towards a dramatic lead section with big melodic chords juxtaposed between the chug-heavy and staccato body. While the lyrical content suffers slightly, as it is clear that English is a second language for these men, the content is hard-nosed and serious in it's real-world universalism. 

The seven re-recorded tracks, here titled as 'Back to Tales of War' constitute a sizeable portion (three-fifths) of the play time of the disc. These are apparently rehearsal or studio recordings of the tracks from the original release of 1879 Tales of War, which has not seen any international release since it's debut. Interestingly, these tracks, especially opener "Fight For Your Land" and "The First Desillusion" remind me of Coroner and not the Bay Area bands. It is possibly mostly due to Erik Flores' vocal performance here, but some of the riff phrasing is just off-kilter enough to nod towards the Swiss trio. "Human Madness" is a bit of an odd track compared to the others. An instrumental, and significantly more upbeat... I would have chosen one of the other available tracks or omitted. "The Real Me" is equally melodic, but dark enough and containing enough of the band's thrash foundation to be my favorite of these older tracks. 

The Unbeliever is Betrayed's first for a non-Chilean market. Thrashback Records, four years after the original release of The Unbeliever domestically, has given the band some worthwhile attention. The booklet is well done, with the layout by Thrashback's Eric Hoffman, and the inner photos are all top notch as well; a ton of action shots, photo collages, etc. The lyrics are included for the new songs, but not the 1879 tracks; the only drawback here. This is a great little release, honestly. Thrash needs to be something special for me to enjoy it multiple times at this point in my life and Betrayed were able to make each return to his album more and more enjoyable. It's true that it's Bay Area Thrash we've all heard ten thousand times... but Betrayed play it with enough energy and fire to keep this one burning bright, where many other bands sadly find themselves smoldering away. 

Royal Anguish / The Risen / Oblation / Deracination / Faithful Witness / Mansoul / Final Prophecy - A.R.T. Records Singles Series Vol. 2

Another Thrashback Records Compilation, this seven-band sampler does less for me than Vol. 1. There are no tracks to compete with Drop Dead's powerful trio of death metal here, and the inclusion of seven different bands makes the compilation feel less focused. That the bands all had planned to release these 7"s on A.R.T. Records in the past might not be enough for some listeners to internalize the reason for this compilation's existence as worthwhile. While saving and digitizing these tracks for posterity is a laudable task, I'm not sure I would come back to much of this material unless it was tangentially related to something else. Maybe I would revisit a single track from The Risen if I was doing in depth research on death metal from Maryland. Perhaps I would come back to Oblation if one of the old members sent me something from a new project to check out. Maybe I would have to come back to Royal Anguish if the early to mid 90's Floridian death metal scene was a topic of discussion. But beside scholarship, this will likely see quite a lot of shelf-time and not a huge amount of play time as a complete album. These tracks, just like Vol. 1 of the A.R.T. Records compilations released by Thrashback Records, were from 7" single presses in the 90's. Unlike Vol. 1, these singles were never released. 

The best of the 7"s compiled here is the that of Faithful Witness and Mansoul. Faithful Witness cuts, "Shadows" and "Trembling of the Spirit" are the best overall off that, however the Mansoul release is easily the most interesting from a criticism / textural perspective. The two Faithful Witness tracks draw heavily on Suffocation and the New York Death Metal scene. There is a generous gargle to their bottom heavy tone, and the swelling speaker fuzz is the perfect compliment to the slow breakdown in "Trembling of the Spirit", a track whose origins are elusive to me, as it was included as a bonus track, and was not on the original 7". "Shadows" is likely the same recording from their sole 1993 self-titled demo tape, just recycled for the split release. I would have loved to have heard the other two tracks from that release. Mansoul's "Justified By Blood" is simply a unique track. It starts off with low-grade death metal and rubbery bass before breaking into a Preces-styled vocal transition. The echoing and angelic vocals of the Preces section get truncated by oppressively distorted guitars with a hint of phasing. The track then moves into a Megadeth-esque thrash riff and so on. The whole introduction is unique and memorable and the shifts in style are unpredictable for the first few listens. 

The tracks from the Royal Anguish / The Risen split 7" are average at best. "Retrospect" also appeared on the Killing Time compilation, and so is an immediate deduct for me. It appears to be the same exact recording and the additional track, "Shocking The Priest" doesn't do much for me either. Royal Anguish, through the tracks on these compilations have not won me over, even though they were a staple in the mid 90's in the Floridian scene. The Risen inhale their smoke from the polluted Northeastern death metal out of New York and New Jersey, going so far as to name their track, "Mortal Decay". There is no comparison quality wise, though, to the classics Dawn of Misery or Grisly Aftermath or pretty much most of Mortal Decay's catalog, really; the track is acceptable, but forgettable. The Oblation / Deracination 7" tracks, however, are solid death metal. Oblation's "Dead Unborn" is worthy of inspection with a unique main riff, and faster parts reminiscent of Scream Bloody Gore or Leprosy. Deracination's "Death by Fire" is a cool track with a thick Swedish guitar tone. 

The CD also includes two Final Prophecy tracks from a 7". While I guess it's reasonable to include these since they were also released as singles, I kind of liked the whole theme of 7" splits as further tying the release together. "Through Eyes of Fire" is not substantially different enough for me from that which was included on the Killing Time compilation. "We Must Die", however, is new. Thrashier in sound and style, and with less brutal death metal vocals than the other tracks, it both stands out and is odd man out. So for a release which really shows a mixture of death metal bands of different influences and scenes, I'm not sure where/if the track fits in well. I would have preferred a dredged up 7" of death metal from the crypts from the A.R.T Records back catalog. For example, A.R.T. Records released a demo tape from a Christian themed death metal band from Kentucky called Corpse, which would have been cool to include. Absent the two Final Prophecy tracks, Corpse included, it would have pushed this compilation over an hour long, but may have been a better fit against the other Death Metal tracks. I like the Final Prophecy material, but I just haven't been able to enjoy it given the context I've been served it within.

This release should conclude Thrashback's Singles Series. The two releases as a whole are interesting and both have some worthwhile material for what surely is a rather small overall audience. Regarding these types of compilations of obscure material from bygone bands: I can't help but feel there are miscalculations regarding how much interest there truly is in these kinds of releases. For scholarship purposes these are essential volumes; before long these 7" singles and odd demo tapes will surely disappear into boxes, storage units, and the crevice between record shelves and backerboards, never to be seen again. So this compilation - and Vol. 1 - do serve a purpose, even if that purpose is infinitesimally relevant. From a purely entertainment perspective I think it's more likely that average listeners want re-releases of albums long out of print. 

Dehydrated - Psychopathological Years

Compilations such as this one from Atomic Vision Productions are about as necessary as they come. The release spans less than two years of actual releases and includes the 1992 Dehydrated demo, the 1992 Suffering of the Living Mass demo, and the tracks from a 1993 split CD called Burnt from what Atomic Vision Productions claims is "A real death metal legend from Slovakia." While copies of Dehydrated's first demos are available on collector sites at reasonable prices (at least for thirty-year old obscure demo tapes) it is more than likely that few will be willing to shell out fifty or sixty dollars for two tapes to own the rarities. That said, the music available here should have fans of old school death metal shelling out that price. Dehydrated have etched into the eighteen included tracks a timeless type of death metal; forks-in-eyes, blood down the cheeks, coagulated chunks of missing flesh type death metal. Preoccupations with intellectualism and cosmology are replaced with bursts of gutty vomit and cut-scenes of gangrenous exploding corpses. And through the all the viscera is a surprising awareness of songwriting structure often left for dead in similar period demo tapes. 

The first nine tracks are from the Dehydrated demo tape. More simplistic and raw both structurally and technically, there are still standouts. "Cannibalizmus" is a favorite, with neatly twisting motifs. While it's difficult to pinpoint direct similarities, I feel a good comparison for the first demo would be something like Darkthrone's Soulside Journey. In much the same way, Dehydrated wind awkward churning melodies and atypical rhythmic patterns coated in an otherworldly resonant guitar tone. Pegas' drumming is less inventive than Fenriz's on Soulside Journey, however this allows for an easier, primal, and less philosophical feeling to the music more in line with the previously cited focus on blood-and-guts-and-flesh, as opposed to the cosmic themes of my comparison. Another unique track which stands out is the band's (maybe) namesake, "Dehydration". Slower, brooding, with a high-register opening riff, and plunky underlying bass line from Palo, it's two minutes introduces a doom-drenched tense and stressful element to the mix of their death metal. There are blitzes of grind mixed in and also hints at a respect for the best elements of thrash. It also is an omen for the possibilities that would later show on their second demo and the demo turns weird hereafter with "Vyhrabem Mŕtve Telo" incorporating a bizarre moody atmospheric vibe. 

The real gold of this compilation, however, comes from the tracks pulled from the Suffering of the Living Mass demo. Each song is memorable, unique, and barbaric. "Toxoplasmosa" opens with a crawling guitar line before switching gears to a slow doomier middle section. "Intraoseal Fibrom" mixes the fast grindy bits with slower death metal bludgeonment, crawling and mechanized guitar runs, and a climactic final twenty seconds which ends too soon and leaves you wanting to see the band expand upon the most Swedish influenced riff of the entire anthology. What also stands out is how unafraid Dehydrated is to skirt convention at times, such as the more experimental moments of "An Advanced Stage of Infections Contagion In Abdomen Cavity". With the band often veering away from standard riffs, and even tonality, there is a consistent freshness. Each listen offers new rewards, even to veteran ears. What could sound out of place or mundane on another bands record, sounds natural and invigorating for Dehydrated. The stylistic tendencies of Suffering of the Living Mass continues to the final four tracks from the Burnt split. The songs here are slightly longer, but no less compelling. "Intraoseal Fibrom" is repeated with a better production, however omitting the defining guitar lead over the last twenty seconds. I would be curious to know why the band removed it. 

With an hours worth of material, all worthy of multiple listens, there should be a copy on it's way to you already. For me, this release satisfies all the criteria which would force me to seek out the remaining material and albums. While I do not have hope for their most recently released albums having the same charm, the same atmosphere, the same old school fetidity, I do believe that their 1997 full length and previous EP are likely to be worthy of my ears. I will be seeking those out. Start here, though, with Psychopathological Years. Dehydrated prove to have been years ahead from the start. The fact that none of these tracks appear on their full lengths means that anyone interested will miss out on very high quality death metal. Vrana at Atomic Vision Productions has also put together a masterful large 8" x 11" full page layout. This is a tape deserving of space on your shelves. The Suffering of the Living Mass version of "Intraoseal Fibrom" is essential. This tape will get deck-time for sure. 

Death Invoker - Necromancy, Damnation, Revenge

The necessity of tapes exemplified! Death Invoker, a Peruvian horde, have gone through some lineup changes, but the intent remains the same - relentless extreme metal in the style of the classics. "I met Unholy Perversor in 2003 in a Metal store. Then we got contact and spoke from time to time to play raw, bestial and classical extreme Metal. Everything finally started once we met Beast of Holocaust on 2005." In 2019, Unholy Perversor self-exiled. "Just he decided to go off from Death Invoker (and even his other band), because of personal decisions. So, I took guitar too, in addition of bass/vocals. Now Death Invoker continues as a duo. We have already recorded for 4 productions with this duo line up." That duo is rounded out by drummer Bestial Lust, since 2007. "The only fact is that we summon elder spirits of extreme Metal and unleash our necromantic noise, trying to put our own characteristics. Once we were called "Morbid and Unholy Peruvian Metal Bestiality", “Necromantical Metal of Death, “Necromantic Deathrash”, etc." 

Necromancy, Damnation, Revenge was originally released on 7", however Death Invoker were forced to omit the opening track, "Divination Through Death Spirits". I received some explanation on this from main man Morbid Devastator. "We recorded "Divination…" originally for the 7EP, but it was excluded because of factory issues. At first, the EP would be released in Europe and the label asked for twenty minutes. But there were troubles. Finally, the EP was released in South America and the label and factory asked for fifteen minutes. So, we decided to take out “Divination…” which in fact was the newest, longest and the last (song) we had recorded at that time." Thankfully, Nihilistic Holocaust has solved this problem by releasing this excellent material in totality. 

I hear the influence of mainly early Slayer, Sepultura, and Sodom but stripped of all semblance of complicating technicality. The production is ancient, and underground sounding, at times even emitting a Celtic Frost value. The major difference comes in the throat of bassist and vocalist Morbid Devastator who prefers a gruff lower growl than the wailing high pitches of Araya or mid-range rasps of Angelripper. This deeper vocal performance combined with lots of echo and reverb should be reminiscent of Blasphemy, or Mystifier. Maybe some of the Greek scene pokes through as well. I ear-checked my impressions. "In general, ancient and raw Metal as: Sarcófago, Sepultura, Vulcano, Sextrash, Kreator, Sodom, Destruction, Venom, Possessed, Death, Slayer; just to mention the classics, in addition of other raw noises from the entire ancestral Metal legions."

There is a subtle occult atmosphere to the tape, set in motion by the longish two-minute intro. The intro, which Death Invoker deemed important enough to remain in full on the 7" - important enough that it would have been worth omitting a full track for - sets an appropriate tone, with wailing distant moans and synths rumbling on in the foreboding melody of D#, F, A at first and then C and F. Maybe slightly longer than needed, but a solid introduction to the previously omitted track, "Divination Through Death Spirits." In truth, though, it is "Witches Hammer" that stands out to me as the most classically influenced track present and reminds me of Slayer more than the other two non-intro offerings. 

The layout does not provide any hints as to the lyrical content, so I asked Morbid Devastator about this facet of the band. Regarding my favorite on the album, he alluded to the historical treatment towards those deemed witches. "'Witches Hammer' is related to the so called blasphemous acts of the so called witches, and punishment they suffered, although this, an eternal curse was unleashed." Elaborating further, "Death Invoker takes obscure events of history to be used as a manifestation of dark stuff along human life. In addition to death mysteries, ancient rituals, abominable mythology, obscure damnations, Metal apologies and morbid hallucinations." 

CTP - 019 - I: Gates of Eternal Torment - Giving Nothing Back It's Voice

Giving Nothing Back It's Voice is laden with melancholic melodies, raw cold black metal, and deep bellowing vocals while at the same time emitting an odd luminosity and brightness. Currently the digital album is available on the Gates of Eternal Torment bandcamp. It's been eight years since the release of Imprisoned Beneath The Ice Of This Cold Black Void. That release has been sold out for years. Firthornn and I have stayed close acquaintances throughout that time since we share a lot of interests and perspectives so it is an honor to once again put out his remarkably personal music. 

Out Now: Purchase

Flyers: NUCLEAR WINTER ZINE

 NUCLEAR WINTER ZINE

Flyers: MURDER RECORDS

MURDER RECORDS

Flyers: NIHILISTIC HOLOCAUST

NIHILISTIC HOLOCAUST

 

Radiation - Plutonium Overdose

Vrana is a man obsessed with all things nuclear and atomic. From his label, Atomic Vision Productions to his band Radiation, a thrash trio producing copies amounts of clicks on any local Geiger counters, there is a definite recurring theme present. Plutonium Overdose is a fast-and-bash effort. Five songs in twelve minutes crammed onto a 7" platter and ready to produce the type of energy required for a viable thrash release. There are few compromises present. All five songs are rippers with deafening bombast and unrelenting attack. Aided by a clear production which highlights all the instruments, the production, while underground sounding and raw, is still professional sounding. There's not much to complain about if you are a fan of classic Teutonic thrash from early Kreator, Destruction, and of course Sodom. Naturally, there's some seepage of other scenes into the reactor, but even so, the influences here are stable. 

It's immediately apparent from opening track "Atomic Age" that Radiation have removed all frills from their stripped down attack. Sharp drum chokes accent transitions to give a sharp and violent pace to the track. Traditional thrash beats and double bass rhythms grace in between. The guitar tone is that of an old reciprocating saw on high speed. Bass is properly modulated to fill in the background with depth and heft. The Drumming is chaotic and reckless. It's all a perfectly respectful amount of abandon. "Towards a Shining Blaze" is borderline Aura Noir-esque thrashing black metal. Vocals are often barks and deeper grunts of spittle which slicken the tracks. "Orbital Bombanfall", an instrumental, is rigorous in it's back and forth between fast driving chugs ala mid-period Bolt Thrower and slower riffs more akin to Agent Orange Sodom. 

"Sword of Damocles" is my pick for best track. It combines the fast, thrashing foundation of the band with simplistic shifts in melodic tension that stand out amongst the other tracks. The chorus is the key to my ears. It jumps up a step and a half from the Eb root note to an F# root note building a hefty aggressive sense of drama and impending doom. The track is a winner and goes straight into my favorite's playlist. Even though the overall EP length is expectedly short it is sure to please fans of the German school of Thrash or blackened Thrash overall. It's not breaking any barriers, not breaking any trends, but it will likely break a few necks. A no-nonsense 7" that will nest nicely into any metal collection.  

Vessel of Light - Last Ride

I've never quite understood Dan Lorenzo's trajectory after The Downside and Damnation. While the last Hades albums' progression made sense to me, and were in many ways good records, his solo material always seemed to lack a certain... seriousness? Edge? There was always an unpleasant tang of gimmick jumbled in with the inside joke tracks and I will never understand the decision to include three other band's songs with a hype up track on Cassius King. Lorenzo's audacious ambivalence for convention is in every way a NJ attribute. That is for sure. So, I do not expect another Resisting Success - how could I? - but I've always hoped. Dan Lorenzo's collaboration with Nathan Opposition in Vessel of Light is a recent project, but the material presented, at least on this years Last Ride, explains a lot of what I've not understood about Lorenzo's progression in other projects. The doomier setting, somewhere between Sahg and Alice In Chains, gives insight into the thrashless tone of his solo records. There is, of course, the formative influence of Sabbath present, as well as stoner bastions like Down. Vessel of Light is not as gritty as any of the Down material, but a shared architecture can be found nonetheless. Perhaps the best comparison would be locals King's Destroy - particularly their 2013 album, A Time Of Hunting. 

Long time followers of Lorenzo's storied and illustrious career will recognize the entourage. Bassist Jimmy Schulman, Lorenzo's long-time wingman, has followed him into the project. Lorenzo just drags him wherever he goes, it seems, but Schulman is a naturally gifted bassist and effortlessly suits the material. Drummer Ron Lipnicki, another Lorenzo henchman, also has moved into one of the project's bedrooms, kicking N. Opposition out of the percussion role, leaving him to handle the vocal element singularly. Though I'm not familiar with previous records from Vessel of Light, Last Ride is a very professional sounding affair. The guitars carry the jagged resonance of seasoned tweaking. Lorenzo does not spend much time, unfortunately, gracing us with guitar solos or leads on this album and his position is mostly of a rhythmic affair. A few good wailings and unadulterated shredding, which he is capable of, would have provided highlights in some songs. Schulman's bass, though, is a highlight for me, as it adds depth and subtlety to each track and I spent at least two listens only listening for his bass lines. Lipnicki's drumming is interesting and varied throughout, especially in a track like "Carving Station". I do wish there was more punch to his kick drum during the slower beats on the album.

If there was a major complaint, it would reside in the song structures. Throughout, on almost every song, the movement and pacing is essentially the same, with a short musical refrain followed with N. Opposition following shortly with opening verses. While there may be shifting of the location of bridges, and some short instrumental spaces, the patterning could become irksome for someone actively listening for deeper musical elements. I felt some tracks, like "Torture King" were wordy. Structurally, this became an issue for me and it carried into my enjoyment of the thematic elements. Initially I was not sold on the lyrical content, unable to poke my finger through the architectural issues. In fact, I still am not entirely invested into the predominance of serial killer and sadist themed songs but objectively I really can't find much to be sour about. Each song's lyrical content fits well with the tone of the track. A song like "Disappearing Pact," one of my picks for best track on the album, with it's quicker tempo and lighter mood plays well with the narrator's expectation of finding hope in suicide. 

Similarly, a track like "Carving Station" is notably darker and heavier, like it is dragging a weight behind it. As Opposition somberly describes his character's motive operandi, the big thick chugging rumbles on. The track also marks the spot in the album where I felt Lipnicki really started to shine. The songs throughout are generally well matched with the lyrical content and with the persona which Opposition takes on as well. While on most songs and choruses, he channels Layne Staley, there are times when he shuns the emotionally distanced demeanor in favor of something darker and deadlier. I think the vocal style may unfortunately hinder fans of more epic doom or traditional doom from truly welcoming this record though, as both of these underlying vocal styles is unlikely to sit well with elitists. "Awaken in Dreams" is one of the more unique tracks on the record, sporting a quiet mellowed section that breaks up the B-sides. Closing track, "The Death of Innocence" closes the record appropriately for me. I get the feeling of the ending credits rolling, the theater emptying, until only one person remains, their killer having already disappeared into the night.