Profane Omen - "Destroy!"

Profane Omen recently celebrated its third full length release “Destroy!” this past September. These guys have their traditions set in melodic death metal, however this album can’t be labeled under such a limiting category! We have an album with ten songs, and arguably ten unique styles.

The first track on the album, “A Force to be Reckoned With,” is bouncy, brutal, and damn likely to get stuck in your head for days. The songs flow effortlessly from upbeat rock while still being very riffy, to Pantera-sounding vocals that wrench at your soul. Jules Näveri goes from dirty to clean and never sacrifices quality or sound, something that makes him stand out from many other vocalists in metal.

To make the whole album even more interesting are the two slower songs, “Acedia” and “Feed on the Wasted.” These are two tracks in which the songwriting versatility is clearly shown. On earlier songs in the album we have this recurring thrashy, groovy vibe, whereas these ones are downright ballad-y. “Acedia” starts off with a touch of bluesy guitars in the beginning to keep it flowing, and keyboards that beautifully complement the song. Midway through the song breaks into a chorus with heavy guitars and vocals that break your heart just enough to make the song a favorite. The track quickly turns with a very rock ‘n’ roll influenced guitar solo, and ends on a high note.

Every song on this album captures the raw energy and passion of a live show, and manages just the right levels of production to keep it clear, but far from being overdone. Profane Omen does a beautiful job of integrating thrash metal and hard rock into the brutal death metal setting, in a way that’s bound to leave many different listeners content and wanting much more. “Zombie Riders” nicely finishes the album, starting out with these deep growls that truly make you wonder if that was the same Finn on all the other songs.

Throughout the album it’s easy to see where Profane Omen has drawn inspiration from, as fans of bands like Pantera and Metallica will enjoy this release tremendously. This is an album that shows great musicianship and passion, from the vocals to the crisp guitars and flawless blastbeats. This is truly a diverse pool of genres brought together in one great album.
A release that will please many different listeners, fans of thrash metal, death metal, or just plain rock will find a favorite in "Destroy!".
A damn good and well rounded release which will become a well loved addition to any metal lovers collection.

"This is an album that shows great musicianship and passion, from the vocals to the crisp guitars and flawless blastbeats."

"Destroy!" track listing:

1. A Force To Be Reckoned With
2. Wastehead
3. Predator
4. Feed On The Wasted
5. Escape / Traceless
6. Bad Dreams
7. Acedia
8. Bound To Strive
9. Zombie Riders

Human Mastication - Persecute to Bloodbath

And then Human Mastication has finally raised back to Death Metal audiences with the umpteenth EP entitled Persecute to Bloodbath as a prelude to the second full- length with the same title. As long the album had been prepared, the enthusiasm was in spendour especially from the promotion. Human Mastication have done some regional shows in their country Philippines with much applause and attention from South East Asia scene schemers. And from their official label, Sevared Records correctively they have received a reliance to join a huge part of this brutal label since their first EP. Increasing capacity as well due their shape of musicality wherein the crushing style is on concept of this album rather than the horrid slamming as it’s poured in last albums. Deicide riffs appear so obvious with Disgorge aggressiveness to form the originality concretising their evolutionary musicality pinning the mature age. Almost same with the last album and more definitive the turn, the theme that’s written with their existentialist approach propping the subjective side although the barbaric display of the cover makes disambiguated the meaning. Still wicked and damned as hell, how artwork is on good quality. And if we observe deeply they have found a flexibility to measure their sound and austerity. From 7 tracks that are available in this release, there are 5 mainstay original songs also a song from Disgorge that’s covered curved and an unfixing instrumental outro-- some are also included in the split album with Smallpox Aroma. It’s so spirited to sense the tight groove from guitar tunes with progressive trilling also the dark and peculiar advance where the drum is not too fastness to the speeds almost and remaining the invulnerable slamming sensibly. If we listen more the styles are into Hoffman brothers met Diego Sanchez punctuality. The first song “Repulsive Display of Dismembered Bodies” is a descriptive figure to open the vigour with emphasizing velocity as it’s on the measure to level the other songs. Something that’s absolutely excellent where Ryan Gee the vocalist is to strength and in reference by the patterns of Disgorge (U.S) and Devourment vocalists from his guttural insanity, like Levy Fuselier nor Mike Majewski with strengthening the mid- respiration of the technique. And as we know it’s not common and easy the way he do. Legalising the heavyweight, the bass is strongly blended to the side although the form is expanded bouncing back, the songs except the bonus tracks “Dragged and Raped for My Feast” and outro that are appeared raw and progressive with the less- neat heaviness. Continuing the decipherment, the song “Persecute to Bloodbath” is as one of the finest songs which the arrangement is so invulnerable due the riffs and rapidity shaping the shattering speeds and the slammed austerity. Another track as the fast song is “Deadly Visions of My Head” where the aggressive infestation is upon the line with accelerating the scales and quickly swindling the notes to the anticipated riffs. At the point of this band’s ability, the coverage song from Disgorge “The Womb Full of Scabs” sets in the context of complete and complex re-arrangement more than the band did at the past in the softly comprehension. Yes, a new talented Brutal Death band in worldwide scene they have nominated with their uncompromising attitude equal with some potential bands as Putridity, Condemned nor Vulvectomy that this time rise indulgently. And if we compare to the full- length of Persecute to Bloodbath that has circulated with other Death Metal releases surely this EP is valuable to name Human Mastication more surfaced. And influencing from Disgorge, Deicide, Suffocation also Devourment for this album makes the album’s sensibility is untainted and legible – a blend full of uniqueness – more than only brutality. And it’s so sincere recommended to the fans of those pioneer bands by the musical efforts of Human Mastication to prop the scene. A successfulness since the found in 2002 to create the term of Death Metal more than ordinary bands. And as you may admit from this splendour of extreme music, Human Mastication is the demising beast come from South East. Get a full version of the album than only this EP to find more conscience.

Track Listing: 

1. Repulsive Display Of Dismembered Bodies

2. Persecute To Bloodbath

3. Deadly Visions In My Head

4. Womb Full Of Scabs (cover Disgorge)

5. Obsession To Grisly Mutilation (bonus track)

6. Dragged And Raped For My Feast (bonus track)

7. Outro (bonus track) 

Toxocara - AtmosFear

I have to admit, I loved this band’s debut effort, I found Toxocara to be one of leading hopes for Dutch death metal. To my surprise, this is their third album. Another album and a few line-up changes have simply passed me by.

Toxocara have introduced a lot more depth to their sound this time around, there is a lot more experimentation, more sound bites, effects used and genre crossing statements of outstanding technical ability. But have no fear, the bare bones of extreme death metal still reign supreme. Take tracks like ‘Towards the Perpetual Labyrinth’; this is both blisteringly technical and brutally honest in its approach. Finding their unique selling point is the hybrid sound produced, it is processed, but the standard guitar, bass, drum influences really make this sound become its own. The vocals are guttural but decipherable, backed with a thundering kick drum sound, hmm, this warms your heart just that little bit, even if you do hear some black metal elements rearing their head, but with riffing and guitar sweeps like those on ‘Black Widow’, I cannot really think of anything major to pick fault with. There is a subtle synth sound, it adds atmosphere, but some purists won’t like it I suppose, but it actually works well. ‘Annihilation by the Ankar’ is dangerously close to getting into groove metal, if it were not for the vocal and rapid time changes, things could have been worrying. This is much more down the blackened death metal path, the thing I really find entertaining about this track, and release in general. To make things interesting, Toxocara change things up, whether this be the tempo, time signature of overall pace, this band have a knack for making their arrangements interesting and keeping any fan gripped with excitement.

This is an admirable and effective effort, I am still in favour of the early material, but what I have heard here makes for a pleasurable listening experience. The development and clear level of high musicianship makes a statement in today’s oversaturated marketplace, this is a step up to the next level, and ‘AtmosFear’ is certainly worth taking a gamble upon, this band are ready and willing to compete with some of the big hitters that this music genre has to offer, a commendable improvement.

                                                                                                                                                                   Track Listing:

1. Atmosphere
2. Black Widow
3. Annihilation By The Ankar (Marionettes Of War)
4. Confessions Of The Black Regiment
5. Moryty Holodom (Holodomor)
6. Bravo Two Zero
7. Flashlight Shadows
8. Towards The Perpetual Labyrinth
9. The Kempeitai Hordes Of Hirohito
10. The Red House Report 

Putridity - Degenerating Anthropophagical Euphoria

Italy’s Brutal Death purveyors Putridity are on the way and come back soon with the second full-length album “Degenerating Anthropophagical Euphoria” as a newness form of musicality of their explicit brutality. More solid than the last album as in this CD they try to build the sound more progressive and complex due the shape. As long as the path from 2004, US death metal seems stick deep from the comprehension between Europe death metals to its countless implementation. Artificially implicit to adopt Disgorge, the past Decrepit Birth and some styles to create an incredible dimension of brutal death maturity. The cultural boundary is hardly made Putridity ignored among the Italian bands such as Hour of Penance, Faust, and Fleshgod Apocalypse where the horde is raised progressive from this recent years and appropriate to be leveled same in the universal scene from their definitive strength, however. As fact, Putridity have stood firmed and promising than the other bands that have been risen from the country -trusted be one of Willotip Records legions with the sub-urban and characteristic musical thesis of their existence without omitting the Italian death metal magnificence.

A little to describe how this album is very defensible and vigorous is where the arrangement platforms are fulfilled by some kinds of technicality such as: picked-twisted riffs, guttural pattern, boom-clanging bass and blast-beat drum or so- called the anticipated heavyweight brutality to its meaning. As it’s on the measure, the mediocrity is so rapid and due the doubly velocity which almost songs -created faster and strong to the horrid aware atmosphere. It’s so bearable to view deep the groove column from guitar with the slap-slide of the snares, pinched-harmonic also slam-intuitive to the styles. Also the progressive touch to the refracted passage. So forth, the drum appearance that’s full of punctuality to announce splattered speeds, unpredictable calculation and the multiple- hyperspeeds. As the anthological description, it may be to obviousness to some songs such as “Sodomize Epileptic Chunks”, “Masturbating The Infibulated”, “Innate Butchery Aptitute”, “Draining Necro Anal Disgorgement” and “Living Decomposition” as the best compositions in this release without leaving the others. And from 9 tracks there is an instrumental addition “Wallowing in Aftermaths” in the middle row that compromising by the guitar leads influenced from Cannibal Corpse habit. Enormously technical, wherein also the vocals are sent grunting, guttural and cricketing to fill the difficult parts forcibly with the aforementioned themes. Sex matter to the necessity with the psychological or gory quorum, whatever they take for the ambiguity it still be on the limit of perception. ...”The true man is always on the true way”… and that’s all if all are confused. As wideness, the soundness is constructed original and due the rigid heaviness, somehow the bass is severely collaborated with other instrument plays from solo until interlacing. The ordinary thing is where the blend is separated each other from each element that has to be mixed if it’s not prevented. But Putridity were in the mixing at the neat and dense results. This is that become an excellent capacity of this release besides production and the song writings.

On the rate, "Degenerating Anthropophagical Euphoria" is even to the new albums of "Human Mastication’s Persecute" to Bloodbath, “Realms of The UnGodly” by Condemned, "Annihilation Of Races" from Thirst Of Revenge and some more in the coming death metal releases todays including the specific genre. It may check them to how Putridity confers the grade to the audiences incepting the professional attitude. And if you are into death metal it’s awesome to collect this CD to support Putridity doing the promotions internationally, the last album is the great concepts, indeed this album is so ultimate farther to its corrective congruity of death metal art. Mentally, Putridity puts a sanity to the mass with their paradoxical expression to the unrecognizable reality that brutal death is one of the most intelligent genres in metal/ underground music, instead the best leaving the worst assumptions by the mainstream apostates. Absolutely goaled that Putridity efforts strengthen a brutal death term in the new standard of substantiality from year to year for decades introduced broadly. Putridity are in the time to handle the plurality attention and a nominated band outside the rip-off culture and commercialistic purpose. Find Putridity in your hegemonic way, forget your fear at the war of conception! Take it.

Blacksunrise - Oceanic

Well this is a new band for me, never heard of them before, they are a melodic death metal band from Portugal. Now this genre isn’t my particular favourite but I am open to listening to new things, so I bunged it on and boy was I pleasantly surprised! Now this band has been going since 2002 so they have honed their craft very well indeed.

So what have we here with this release, we have an 11 track belter of an album, straight from the off with the short instrumental intro we are up and running with a great release, the second track “Physalia/Physalis” then kicks in and a belter it is! Some cracking guitar work and a good pace throughout this track, this opening has me hooked right away and it doesn’t stop! One track to the next this is great stuff, musicians at the top of their game,reall top guitar work from both Joao Francisco and Andre, a super engine room of Fernando on bass and Ita on drums and a cracking vocalist in Sergio. Track 3 “Atlantida” is a real beaut of a track, my favourite of the whole album, fast as fuck in parts but with really good slower parts to it too. “Asgard Dies” is another great track with some atmospheric parts to it but some really great riffing too. The whole album is just one goodie after another, soon as one great track ends another just starts up, its that kind of release.

All in all I thoroughly enjoyed this album there is not a bad track on it, not one filler track on there at all. Recommend to all metal heads out there!! Can; say better than that!

Blut Aus Nord - 777 - The Desanctification

It's no secret that Blut Aus Nord has been on an absolute creative tear over the the past few years. After Odinist's baby steps, Memoria Vetusta II marked a glorious emergence from the filth-caked depths of MoRT. That album saw Vindsval re-embrace Blut Aus Nord's inverse identity, unleashing a hyper-melodic fury that many thought had been lost forever.

A scant two years later, Blut Aus Nord dropped news of a planned trilogy, prefixed 777. Now, trilogies (or even sequels) in heavy metal are typically just window dressing. No disrespect to Absu, but the only tangible thematic connection between the first two entries in their ongoing "self-titled trilogy" is the cover art. Exodus' Atrocity Exhibitions sound like typical modern Exodus albums, with only their titles tying them together as unified works. Instead of self-contained satellites, they're merely continuations of the norm.

While it's certainly tough for an artist to keep a true sense of continuity from work to work, it's even tougher to live up to the expectations of a three-album announcement. The final sputters of The Devin Townsend Project proved that advance promises can lead to letdowns, especially when an anxious fanbase is left in a prolonged limbo. Decay can occur in transit, making a telegraphed announcement something of a risk.

Blut Aus Nord takes risks. They pay off.

The Desanctification comes hot on the heels of the acclaimed Sect(s), which was released eariler this year. This rapid succession of releases not only quells any unrest on the part of devotees, but it keeps the narrative fresh. That narrative is what makes 777 such a startling anomaly; upon listening to The Desanctification, it's quickly apparent that this is a true trilogy in every sense--it picks up exactly where Sect(s) left off and acts as a vessel to transport to the story to its conclusion.

Not lyrically, though; nothing Blut Aus Nord does is that direct. Much like the first installment, the vocals are minimal, but the stylistic transition is seamless. For a band that that is famously amorphous, The Desantification is oddly cumulative. Sect(s) brought the wrath of The Work Which Transforms God into a robust arena fortified with their strongest, most massive production to date.The Desanctification still hangs here, while toning down the "traditional" blinding blasts and backwards riffing in favor of more expansive exploration.

Where Sect(s) shattered concrete with crushing grooves ("Epitome IV" and "Epitome VI"), The Desanctification hurls those grooves into the ether, ramping up that colossal Godflesh swing and splaying it skyward with Memoria Vetusta's soulful cries. The mounful leads that punctuate the roiling "Epitome VIII" and cool-to-the-touch "Epitome X" serve as a phenomenal counterpoint to the band's trademark dissonance.

The album delivers on the promise laid by its immediate forebear: It provides the visceral uneasiness ofTWWTG and the majesty of MVII, all while moving infinitely forward. The Desanctification isn't a back-reaching collage, it's an inward exploration, intent on progess and evolution. But as one could gather from the prior allusions to the song titles, reviewing The Desanctification as a standalone effort misses the point entirely.

It can't be stressed enough: The most relevatory (and victorious) aspect of The Desanctification is the fact that Blut Aus Nord is actually delivering on what was promised. They're crafting a trilogy with resounding continuity, and in doing so, are crafting a work that stands as a culmination of their career up to this point. Sect(s) and The Desanctification are, truly, one album. "Epitome," truly, is one song. We're merely spectators at this point, webcaught in a masterwork from one of the most vital, creative entities of our generation. Until 777's final act is upon us, The Desanctification's value is nearly impossible to quantify.

That revelation, on second thought, may actually tell the story of The Desanctification's strength. It engages, it implores, it invigorates. It places the listener on the precipice of the unknown, in eager anticipation of what is yet to come. As such, it plays its role perfectly, setting the stage for 777's inevitable conclusion. Instead of falling prey to our expectations, Blut Aus Nord commands us. We are merely captive spectators.

The view is breathtaking.

Maniac Butcher- Masakr 2010 Revisited

The hordes of black metal legions who are aligned with the old ways can rejoice in the triumphant return of legendary Czech warriors Maniac Butcher.  Much to my surprise, the Lords of horse and battle metal from Eastern Europe had returned in 2010 to deliver their seventh full length on an unsuspecting world.  It had been ten years since Maniac Butcher released Epitath- The Final Onslaught of Maniac Butcher.  And to be honest they had slipped off my radar after such a long silence.   I really have no excuse, as my co-writer here Janet Willis wrote a killer review the album  back in  2010 on this same website.  But I will claim I was likely on a beer fueled bender the fall of 2010 as Immolith opened for  Trident, and also Triptykon and 1349 in NYC.  So I submit to you that I missed the album release and it’s previous review here in a drunken black metal haze!  So with that in mind, in a moment of rare sobriety,  I still think this album a year after it’s release deserves my attention.  And now I intend to burden you all with my .02 cents.  Fortunately for me I frequent  Metalhit.com to purchase music and Masakr was featured as thier $4.99 album download of the week not long ago.  I instantly bought it and as I waited the minute or two for the download to complete I wondered if the ten years between albums would have changed Maniac Butcher.  Would this be the same band that wrote such legendary albums as Barbarians, and Lučan-Antikrist?     Well the answer is a resounding yes!   Such atmospheric old school black metal riffage and mid-paced thunderous drumming exists on Masakr,  that you would think it had been written in 1993.   What Maniac Butcher accomplishes on this album is a bold statement.  Manaic Butcher reminds the world that black metal does not have to be symphonic and technical with 300 bpm triggered double bass blast beats to be relevant and in this case colder and more skull crushing then most modern metal of any genre.   The band’s war cry of “no keyboards, no female vocals, only pure black metal!” is as true today as it was since the band’s first demo.  While the production on Masakr is by far the best production I’ve heard on any Maniac Butcher release, it does nothing to diminish the old school primitive grimness that just oozes from this album.  The quality production on Masakr proves that shitty production doesn’t automatically make black metal grim,  just as clean professional recordings don’t automatically make black metal sound fake and plastic.  It really comes down to the writing and composition.  And that is what Maniac Butcher excels at on Masakr.  So if you are fan of early, raw, primitive Black Metal that just pounds your senses do yourself a favor and get this album.  Hail Maniac Butcher!

                                                                   Coroner - Blasphemer - Barbarud - Infernal


                                                                           Maniac Butcher’s Official Website