HORRENDOUS – The Chills

Old-school Death Metal has become the hot new topic over the last few years. Everyone wants to sound dirty, everyone wants his nasty guitar fuzz and everyone wants to sing about zombies and disgusting mutilations.

The things is, very few bands are going to top or even equal what’s already been done in the 90s. Even worse: some of the bands that invented that sound back then, are still doing very fine today!

Nonetheless some labels like Dark Descent Records still manage to find some new & fantastic old-school Death Metal bands. Who said the Metal Scene isn’t as inspired as it used to be? Seems on the contrary that it’s more active and talented than ever. Last year, it was all Miasmal, Disma and Entrails. And I have to say 2012 is starting really fine with the first Horrendous record, The Chills.

Horrendous play pure Death Metal, the old-school way. It’s raw, nasty, heavy, groovy, and it has that punk urge that makes you feel primary rage. You’re thinking “nothing special” right? True. Even though the guys really master the art, and most songs have an immediate and strong impact.

But hang on, there is more my friends. Horrendous really stand out because of one special ingredient they add to their Death Metal: EPIC. I just love the epic here, with songs that are a little longer than average and that develop melodies and deep feelings. Two songs literally blew me away: “The Somber (Desolate Wings)” and the closing “The Eye OF Madness”. The first one has this unbelievable melodic passage, with mind-blowing leads. “The Eye Of Madness” is just as impressive, as it’s a 9-minute epic piece, preceded by a keyboard intro (“Sleep Sickness”).

Another thing I wanted to mention is the band configuration: the power-trio set is always special and gives more groove to the songs as well as extra space for bass (the finish of the song “Fleshrot” is amazing).

Horrendous also made me think of Fatalist, another American old-school Death Metal band influenced by the Sunlight Studios sound. And what I noticed about such bands is that they manage to combine the urge and raw energy of the early Swedish bands with the precision and musicianship that are typical of the American scene.

Haven't heard of Fatalist in a while. The Deapth Of Inhumanity is one fine Death Metal album...

Again, there’s nothing fundamentally new here, but these guys sure know what they’re talking about and The Chills is real fine album that will definetly please the specialists.

2012 has barely started and we already have a VERY serious Death Metal record brothers. Happy New Year!

Yath

http://www.myspace.com/horrendousdeathmetal

Vallenfyre – A Fragile King: Gregor Mackintosh still masters the art of Death Metal

It doesn’t happen very often, and it’s therefore worth being signaled; the sticker on the cover of A Fragile King, Vallenfyre’s debut, says it all: “A Rotten mix of Autopsy, Celtic Frost, early Entombed And Paradise Lost”. 

Vallenfyre is Gregor Mackintosh’s (Paradise Lost) side-project. And it’s a very personal one. In fact he started composing very dark and violent Death Metal songs when he father passed away last year. These songs weren’t meant for a release, they were just a catharsis for his very deep pain. But he eventually created Vallenfyre, finalized the songs and recorded them alongside Adrian Erlandsson (ex-Cradle Of Filth, At The Gates, The Haunted, Paradise lost and a dozen other bands) and Hamish Glencross. 

And the clear danger in that case was for the songs to sound “fake”. We all know that Paradise Lost has quit being an "all-extreme" metal band years ago, and it was surprising to see Gregor coming back with something that raw and old-school.

Gregor Mackintosh has teamed up with Adrian Erlandsson (drums), Hamish Glencross (guitars), Scoot (bass) & Mully (guitars)

But all your doubts will be swept away as you’ll press play. A Fragile King is a fantastic old school Death Metal record, just as the sticker says, with doomy elements that will indeed remind you of Autopsy and early Paradise Lost.

Gregor himself produced the album, and it he gave it that filthy fuzz on the guitars that makes it sound so organic and raw. It’s even better if you purchase the vinyl, believe me. A Fragile King grooves from A to Z, with awesome riffs and bombastic drumming by Erlandsson. Each song has it’s own dynamics and it’s own highlight.

Now that's a true Death Metal artwork!

Just like on every good record, everyone will have his favorite songs on the album. I personally prefer side two (songs 7 to 11), even though side one has it's moments as well (“Desecration” has this really sick melody). Some songs will immediatly remind you of Paradise Lost, like “The Grim Irony” or “Seeds” as they carry some very emotional melodies. Some other songs are just pure rockers that will make you helplessly bang your head, like “My Black Siberia” or the very much Bloodbath-like “The Divine Have Fled” and "As The World Collapses". And of course you’ll find some fast suckers that will blow your mind like “Humanity Wept” and “Ravaneous Whore”.

The official video for "Cathedrals Of Dread", one of the album's strongest tracks

There’s not much more to say really; A Fragile King is a terrific exercise in style performed by talented and experienced musicians. The surprise is that Gregor reveals so much of his deepest feelings (the lyrics are very powerful as well) making A Fragile King a genuine highlight this year. And guess what, this album is a such a success that the band has already confirmed some live shows!

To make a long story short: if you like old-school Death Metal, then you HAVE to get a copy of this album.

Yath

http://www.vallenfyre.co.uk/

http://www.facebook.com/Vallenfyre?sk=wall

Disma & Miasmal – 2011’s Death Metal World Champions

We’re still in October fellows, but 2011’s world champions, in terms of Death Metal, have already been revealed. In fact, we’ve known the winners for months, probably since May. By that time, Miasmal had just released its first self-titled album and Disma was only recording its debut, Towards The Megalith.

And the 2011 Death Metal Champions are... DISMA & MIASMAL!

These two bands are completely different. Disma hails from the US and was formed by former Incantation and Funebrarum members. Needless to say the expectations were high, and everyone was anticipating the debut album, that just HAD to be tremendous. A few months before releasing that first record, the band was involved in a fabulous 7” Split with Winterwolf. The vinyl was released via Doometia Records and had that AWESOME artwork. Now as you imagine, everything was set for Death Metal fans to witness the birth of a dominating Death Metal band. Especially that the demo called The Vault Of Membros released in 2009 had a massive impact on the underground.

Now is this a fantastic artwork or is this a fantastic artwork? 

And yes, no one was disappointed when they heard “Of A Past Forlorn” on the split EP with Winterwolf. And when the album came out, with it’s superb artwork, on Profound Lore (another “hype” factor) everyone agreed that this would be this year’s best Death Metal record.

Musically speaking, we should even say DOOM Death Metal. Disma’s music is unbelievably massive, not always slow though as there are some pretty frantic accelerations here and there. I think the main word is DYNAMIC. And there’s nothing more important that dynamic when it comes to extreme music. The headbanging is mandatory, you just can’t help it, the sound is oh-so heavy and there is some kind of awesome and creepy atmosphere that totally fits the band's ambition in terms of "concept" (artwork and lyrics). 

Yes, the artwork is just as cool as the music

All in all that record makes me think of a better version of Runemagick. Really dominating and powerful stuff. I can't pick up a specific favorite song on this one, but you guys must try and listen to the awesome “Chasm Of Oceanus”, “Lost In A Burial Fog” or “Towards The Megalith” (not to mention the already known "Of A Past Forlorn").

  

The other 2011 champion is more surprising. Miasmal hail from Gothenburg, Sweden and they have released their first CD on Dark Descent Records in May. From the first listen I knew that Miasmal was a special CD. In fact, the first 2 minutes from opening track "Mesmerized" are enough to tell you how fantastic this band is. The atmosphere is creepy, humid. Feels like the music has really been recorded in some cave. The drums groove like hell and the fast riff will blow your head away.

Swedish Death Metal at its best! 

The album is a succession of instant hits, and each track stands out in it’s own way. Some tracks like “Mists” or “Death Mask” are just irresistible. The album is just as great as Disma’s and it’s impossible to determine which one is stronger, especially that Miasmal is more typically Scandinavian. Also note that the CD version of the album includes the tracks from the sold-out band's demo. 14 tracks of pure Death Metal pleasure. 

These two CDs are just the illustration of what old-school Death Metal should sound like, and they are just perfect in their own way. 

You like Death Metal? Then there is no way you can miss any of these two amazing releases.

Now before some of you start insulting me, note that I have picked 2 new bands. But of course, one must not forget to mention the godfathers, as most of them are still around. And no, Im not going to discuss the controversial Morbid Angel record. This year, in my opinion, another death metal pioneer was back with an unbelieavable release: AUTOPSY. What a return! Filthy, raw, heavy, doomy and totally insane: that’s how Macabre Eternal sounds like. The final track, "Sadistic Gratification" is completely insane, and Reifert’s voice is just like the Devil himself is whispering in your ears.

Young wolves are taking over? Maybe, but some of the Godfathers are still hungry!

Now that said, who still believes that Death Metal ain’t what it used to be??? It’s still Alive (or Dead shall we say) and VERY WELL!