Review: Eremit – Bearer of Many Names

Review by Geary of War

Eremit, those powerful Germans, have graced The Killchain before and make a welcome return in 2021 with their signature brand of blackened doom and sludge. ‘Bearer of Many Names’ is out now on Transcending Obscurity Records.

If like me, you saw three tracks? Must be an EP, you thought incorrectly. This is a full length, in your face, into the depths of your mind, strap in sunshine we are going on a journey, full length odyssey. Settle in for ‘Enshrined in Indissoluble Chains and Enlightened Darkness’, for the sprawling and engaging track is as near as damn it half an hour long! The track opens in a gentle and approachable manner, you may be lured into a false sense of calm, I know I was, then you are blasted with aggression and menace. You will hear pace and fury, slow, deliberate menace and vocals which range from the rasping, flesh tearing screams and howl to bellows from the depths. As the track ends the temperature in your room may drop, such is the sinister tone achieved. Taking a more doom laden stride, ‘Secret Powers Entrenched in an Ancient Artefact’ builds an ever increasing sense of scope and wonder, very befitting the album’s cover.

Which is in itself almost a tale of two covers. The band’s name, wrapping around a sword which once again evokes thoughts of Conan within me and below it, perhaps the artefact being written about? Underneath that is a truly wonderful piece of art. Depth, tone, light and dark. simultaneously beautiful and offering a sense of doom. Returning to the track, it builds, it crashes, the vocals tear at you, hot on your heels as you adventure for this artefact. Moments of calm and beauty return, respite perhaps, however I feel it shows how skilled this band is that they can weave such a shift into another long (although not as long) a track and it feels effortless. ‘Unmapped Territories of Clans Without Names’ is probably the most by-the-book doom track here, big chugging riffs bringing in that hypnotic trance and head nodding groove we metal fans all know and love. The snarling, rasping vocals are still here, pulling upon your soul, seeking to claim all they can. If you are not convinced by this description the the bellow of “tidings of doom” may change your mind.

This album is one of those albums you can revisit and hear a little bit extra each time, brilliant for long walks or just sitting reading a book. When the final sounds ring out you notice the absence of sound, it is all enveloping. Any band which can do that deserves your time.

https://www.facebook.com/EremitDoom

https://eremitdoom.bandcamp.com/

https://www.facebook.com/transcendingobscurityrecords

Review: Seraphic Entombment – Quelled

Review by Sandre the Giant

I’ve recently got a hold of a pile of Morbid Chapel Records releases, so expect to see a number of those featuring in the next few weeks. First up is Seraphic Entombment, a death/doom band from Birmingham Alabama who include members of Hegemony and Ectovoid in their number. Their 2019 demo ‘Quelled’ has been rereleased on CD through Morbid Chapel.

It might onmly be two tracks, but Seraphic Entombment make the most of this by giving us 20 minutes of vast, crushing metal. Opener ‘Vault of Vision’ has a great, grimy atmosphere that smothers the riffs with a morbid slithering density, while an unholy hellish belch of doom comes form the vocals. This is raw and rough, but there is a certain evil magic snaking throughout, and it is so goddamn heavy too. A truly nihilistic crawl of darkness, which is a similar approach taken by ‘Carried by Claws’, ploughing the same dense and terrifying furrow as the previous track. Seraphic Entombment are certainly able to crank up the murk and the devastation on us with ease, and the relentless marching doom is spellbinding.

‘Quelled’ is hopefully not just a one off event, as Seraphic Entombment have come upon something that I really like, like a mix of early Bolt Thrower and Winter coming rumbling towards you with murderous intent. Please come and give me more of this, come on!

https://www.facebook.com/morbidchapelrecords

https://seraphicentombment.bandcamp.com/releases

https://morbidchapelrecords.bandcamp.com/music

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Review: Gexerott – Hallucinetic Violet Ignition

Review by Sandre the Giant

This is the first full length from Colombian black metallers Gexerott in almost eight years, and ‘Hallucinetic Violet Ignition’ is out now via Satanath Records, those purveyors of quality underground heaviness. This is a record that challenged my perceptions of what South American black metal can be in 2021, and whether the more traditional style was all I could find if I looked harder!

Opener ‘Ain’ is a sinister piece of atmosphere building, a siren wailing as the density builds and a cold riff snakes its way into the foreground. This evolves into the title track, a sidewinding composition of eerie black metal wrapping itself around some progressive songwriting skills. It reminds me of the odd detours that Mayhem took on ‘Ordo Ad Chao’, a feeling of unease enhanced by the little interludes but personified by the grandiose, fear inducing ‘EgoKinesis’. Glorious guitar work hangs above a gloomy abyss that feels more like old My Dying Bride than anything black metal. The vocals are dynamic, switching between impassive croon to intense snarl with ease, and the majestic ‘Threshold of Crystal Maze’ might be the greatest example of the chameleonic shifts that Gexerott make on this record.

Gexerott were a band I was totally unfamiliar with before I listened to this, but their unique approach to the genre has me very intrigued. They have embraced this almost gothic doom atmosphere into their black metal, creating a work of art that is thrilling, spine tingling and instantly absorbing. You don’t forget albums like ‘Hallucinetic Violet Ignition’ once you hear them.

https://www.facebook.com/gexerott

https://gexerott.bandcamp.com

https://satanath.bandcamp.com/

Review: Whinlatter – Cumbria Be My Grave

Review by Sandre the Giant

First off, no this isn’t bootleg Winterfylleth. For one, they don’t sound the same and two, Whinlatter are FROM Cumbria so I’m giving them the right to use such album pictures. But, no one cares what I think. Cumbrian black metallers Whinlatter are back after last year’s ‘Duddon Valley’ demo, which I reviewed here with some more fearsome raw black metal in the style of Horna and Satanic Warmaster. it is out now through Wulfhere Productions.

Opener ‘Sunkenkirk’ is pretty fast and furious, tearing tremolo riffs blasting through a strangely atmospheric piece while howling shrieks pierce the icy veil. ‘The Shadow of Black Combe’ has a bit of bleak melody lurking beneath a powerful drumming performance, while the more measured ‘Nightfall Over Cumbria’ has the slightest hint of Cascadian grandeur about it. Slow, distant and evocative, the drums patter like rain on hillside slate, while forlorn vocals snarl like a wind whipping through Longsleddale. Sorry if it means nothing to you, but enough time spent in these hills can’t help but be evoked by such music.

‘Duddon Estuary III (On Duddon Marsh)’ is the first of two sequel tracks from their previous work, this being the third of the Duddon Marsh trilogy (?) so far. The second is ‘Cumbria Be My Grave II’, which is possibly my favourite track here but it’s close with ‘Nightfall Over Cumbria’. Grim black metal that has been steeped into Gorgoroth and Darkthrone records comes tumbling out, complete with a frozen guitar tone and that intangible black melody that inevitably appears in great black metal works. Closing with ‘Nightfall Over Cumbria II’, you feel a sense of completion and of how Whinlatter’s work has improved since even just last year. Confident, bleak and unflinchingly raw at times, this is a band for me.

Having spent too many days hiking through the chilling winds of the fells, Whinlatter capture the spirit of the lonely cold mountains perfectly. The Lake District may be a torturous tourist trap most of the year, but in the dark months where the weather is grim you’ll find the solitude and darkness that ‘Cumbria Be My Grave’ captures. Yet more great blackness from this part of the world.

https://www.facebook.com/whinlatter666

https://wulfhereproductions.bandcamp.com/

Review: Macacos da Manchúria – Toras

Review by Sandre the Giant

This debut two track EP from new Brazilian death/doom band Macacos da Manchúria landed in my inbox today, and I was suitably intrigued by their press release mentioning Obituary and Bolt Thrower as influences. Two of the Killchain’s biggest influences too, so I dived straight in.

The title track has a grim, nasty tone to it accompanied by some bowel scraping gurgling vocals. This is some low end, tortured stuff, crawling filthy riffs crumbling around you while the thin production adds a great deal of old school authenticity to it. ‘Porcos de Fome’ is pure Obituarian riff work, crunchy and dense but with a serrated edge to them. The grinding, grumbling weight to both these tracks is very good, and I feel that with a bit of a thicker, fuller production ‘Toras’ would be an absolute killer.

‘Toras’ is a little rough around the edges, but I get the sense of something lurking in there that could blossom into something pretty special. Macacos da Manchúria will need a little work, but they could be a very good prospect indeed if ‘Toras’ is anything to go by.

https://www.facebook.com/macacosdamanchuria

https://macacosdamanchuria.bandcamp.com/releases

Review: Eye of Purgatory – The Lighthouse

Review by Sandre the Giant

Rogga Johansson really needs to just take a fucking break. I mean, I love the guy and admire the consistency of his output but seriously dude, you are allowed a day off! Eye of Purgatory’s new record ‘The Lighthouse’ is his fourth (fifth?) release this year, and that’s following on from a ludicrously prolific 2020. It is out in June through Transcending Obscurity.

Unsurprisingly, old school death metal is the way here, and it kicks in hard after the intro ‘And from the Fog…’ with the rampant blast of the title track. As with most of his releases, Rogga approaches each of his bands slightly differently. Of course, Swedish death metal is the core, but with this album there is a definite influence of darker, more melancholic riffing and melody, much like you’d see in his Finnish neighbours. The classic Swedeath sound doesn’t often get a lot of this kind of melody anymore, so it’s great to see coming back. The magma flow of ‘Carved in a Stone Bleeding’ is a great example, as is ‘Pieces of a Fading World’ which even invokes a little early In Flames-esque gallop as well at times. There’s actually quite a bit of the more melodic side here, all the way up to the triumphant closer ‘Rebirther’, that dare I say would even be called catchy?

Rogga’s greatest accomplishment in life is the fact that his prolific recording career never seems to affect his creative quality. Each release he has is an exercise in how death metal can be the same and yet subtly different each time. ‘The Lighthouse’ is a pretty straightforward record, but the songwriting is very strong, the musicianship is tight and the songs are very memorable. The hefty doses of Gothenburg death metal influence thrusting through every track is tremendous, and Eye of Purgatory is yet another killer band from one of death metal’s most talented icons. What is next I wonder?

https://www.facebook.com/eyeofpurgatory

https://eyeofpurgatory.bandcamp.com/

https://www.facebook.com/transcendingobscurityrecords

Review: Thanatomass – Black Vitriol and Iron Fire

Review by Sandre the Giant

‘Black Vitriol and Iron Fire’ is the second album from Russian power trio black metallers Thanatomass, and it follows hot on the heels of 2019’s ‘Darkest Conjurations’. It is out in May through Living Temple Records and LVX MorgenStern.

‘Funereal Ejaculation’ is an incredibly good song title, and underneath that is a blisteringly raw blast of frigid black metal. The howling, echoing vocals are spot on, while frost tinged riffs carve their way through the dense atmosphere. The songs here are dark, convuluted and long enough to let the music really breathe. Well, as much as you can breathe when the likes of ‘Deathmass Extasis’ is stabbing your lungs out with savage guitar works and horrid screams. ‘Sulphureous Darkness’ gives you a little respite but is definitely creepy and Axis of Perdition-esque enough to never allow you to relax. ‘Altars of Nigromancy’ might be my favourite track here, a serpentine black metal offering that rampages through a killer solo, as well as devastating blastbeats and a powerful slower section too.

Closing with the nine minute odyssey of ‘Phallvs Lvciferi’, it is clear that this is a black metal record for the ages. If you like your black metal vitriolic, old school and relentless then Thanatomass are for you. Even when they rarely slow down from a breakneck battering, their intense delivery keeps you feeling beaten and cowed. ‘Black Vitrol and Iron Fire’ takes the black metal template, welds it to a wall-of-sound aesthetic with dark ambient influence and then cranks up the intensity. This is superb.

https://www.facebook.com/livingtemplerecords

https://livingtemple.bandcamp.com/album/thanatomass-black-vitriol-iron-fire

https://lvxmorgenstern.bandcamp.com/album/black-vitriol-iron-fire

Review: Sadistik Forest – Obscure Old Remains

Review by Geary of War

Oulu, Finland is known as one of the living labs of Europe, embracing technology and also where the residents and visitors can shine without it when they host the Air Guitar World Championships. Fitting then that they are also home to the furious death metal band, Sadistik Forest as they can provide some tracks to compete with! ‘Obscure Old Remains’ is an EP from these seasoned metallers out now on Transcending Obscurity Records.

Rolling in at 19:04 this is a brief taste of what these guys can do and, much like the small portions in fine dining, it leaves you wanting more. Kicking us off is ‘Mandragore’, the old school touches immediately front and centre, then backing it up like that one massive friend we all have the modern thickness and menace comes in. The use of the bass and the utterly filthy tone of it really rounds out the band’s sound. The guitars switch effortlessly from that thinner old school sound to a modern thick slab of death while the drums round out the instruments with great balance and use of the double kicks. That being said, ‘Barbarian’ kicks us off (I am not even sorry for that one) with double kicks and a great, ‘we are off to war’ rumble before we split into the frantic portion and an air guitar worthy solo. ‘Nihil’ continues in the same format but with its very own feel while we move into ‘Water Black’ to bring us home. The longest track here takes a different approach from those gone before, this is a much more of a stomping and stalking affair. That is not to say it is without its heavy and brutal moments, no sir. But it is an excellent display of how death metal can be presented in a multitude of ways and still hold that evil and menacing feel. The vocals throughout back up the feeling and vibe from the music, landing in the blackened death bracket more than death metal. I feel the EP is all the better for it.

From the cover art it is clear to see the influence of the old school upon these guys but you therefore cannot fail to see the sharper modern touches brought to the moment. I have played this EP quite a few times now and keeping hearing a little something extra each time. Pick this up, crank it loud and dust off that air guitar!

https://www.facebook.com/entertheforest

https://sadistikforest.bandcamp.com/

https://www.facebook.com/transcendingobscurityrecords

Review: Storm Siege – Satanas Sum

Review by Sandre the Giant

Spanish deaththrashers Storm Siege’s ‘Satanas Sum’ full length was released last year independently by the band themselves, and it looks to try and bring back that old school death metal style where the thrash and the death were almost entwined as one. Let’s see if they can pull it off…

Opener ‘Inquisitor’, after a suitably eerie intro, is a chugging torrent of deathly thrash riffs, fighting with each other to be heard as the coolest riff here. You’ve got speed, you’ve got weight, you’ve got a murderous solo which is a personal highlight. This reeks of classic Possessed, early Death but there’s a lot of Sodom and Kreator in there too. Man, there’s a lot of great riffing moments here, from the galloping ‘Flagellator’ through the serrated fury of ‘Priest Eater’ and the Bay Area worship of ‘Plague’. In fact, if you need an example of what could’ve been if 80s Florida smashed guitar first into 80s Bay Area then Storm Siege are the band for you. Special shoutout to vocalist/guitarist/drummer/one man thrash army Salva Campuzano whose vocals are harsh and raw but clear enough to understand, I love that in a metal vocalist!

Killing that close with the duel fireworks of ‘Spiritual Weaponry’ and especially the old school as fuck ‘Inner Evil’, Storm Siege have created a record that I am instantly going to put back on. Infectious deaththrash is my jam, and ‘Satanas Sum’ is loaded with pit fodder after pit fodder. I can’t wait to get into their new EP, ‘Masked Fear’, very soon!

https://www.facebook.com/stormsiegethrash

https://stormsiege.bandcamp.com/

Review: Rorcal/Earthflesh – Witch Coven

Review by Sandre the Giant

Originally reviewed here: https://www.thesleepingshaman.com/reviews/rorcal-earthflesh-witch-coven/

This pandemic has brought terrible suffering to this world, but it also seems to have inspired some truly inventive works of art and music. Blackened doom destroyers Rorcal and industrial noise tyrants Earthflesh have combined their formidable and horrendous talents to create ‘Witch Coven’, a two track thirty minute collaboration of the darkest stylings. It is out now through Hummus Records

‘Altars of Nothingness’ opens with an almost hymnal, ritual vocal as eerie noises creep into the background. This choir of menace begins to falter as crashing guitar, crackling interference and clashing drums rain down upon you. It is at once both oppressive and yet somehow strangely open; a vast soundscape where howling roars engage with massive riffs and an ever present static hum. As much as the buildup hits, when the guitar drops away and you’re left with this haunting choral vocal again, electronic samples skittering across, you’ll be stunned.

‘Happiness Sucks, So Do You’ is what I imagine Anaal Nathrakh sound like at a quarter speed, savage walls of blackened noise upon which a shredding scream crashes against, occasionally smashing into full on industrial black metal fury. Like Aborym but they’re playing Boris/Merzbow covers. About halfway the tempo and volume drops, but the layering and the smooth crescendo back into flesh scouring black metal rage is a thing of fiery beauty. The electronic samples lurk behind the main instruments, enhancing each moment of terror.

I’ve never really been one for splits, but when I saw this was a collaboration I dived straight in. You can’t tell where the blackened doom ends and the industrial noise starts, everything is blended into a cacophonous assault on the senses. ‘Witch Coven’ has it all; lumbering doom, vast soundscapes and atonal, jagged black metal riffs battering itself against this impenetrable wall of noise. The static creates an impression of oppression, but there are every so often little chinks of light through the fog. ‘Witch Coven’ is one of my surprise highlights of 2021 so far, and if you like your black metal/doom/industrial/ambient/noise you’ll find something to like here. Excellent stuff.

https://www.facebook.com/Rorcal

https://www.facebook.com/earthfleshnoise

https://hummusrecords.bandcamp.com/