- Grindfest production just released a cool 3″ Cd by bulldozer noisegoregrind masters Carnival of Carnage. The Cd comes with a 4 full color page booklet. Longsleeves are also available from Urethra rex. Price for the Cd is 4.50 euros plus shipping.
News
News
- Antaeus/Aosoth out now on Battlesk’rs productions. Includes some rare tracks from Antaeus including live shit.
- Power It Up released a collection of old Haemorrhage singles (see review), also from the same label out soon a double Cd from Mesrine, 16 tracks with real lyrics (the band just barfed nonsense before this album) plus 21 tracks taken from a live performance at the “Giants of Grind” gig.
- Abacinate/God Rot split Cd from New York ad New Jersey out now on Epitomite productions.
FURBOWL (Swe): “Those Shredded Dreams” Cd 1992 Step One
The almost unknown label Step One from Uppsala released in 1992 the first full-length of a very interesting band. Furbowl was born a few years after Joahn Axelsson left Carnage (he was on “The Day Man Lost”). Far from the grindcore sonorities of early Carnage, Liiva composed with Furbowl one of the most interesting and underrated albums of the entire old Swedish Death Metal movement. The guitar sound is the one we know: pure “Pieces”/”Left Hand Path” mush, down tuned , loose and obscure. Composition-wise, however, Furbowl never pointed much towards aggression alone (thanks god we had Grave for that!), even if some songs have actually a good number of killer riffs (“Sharkheaven” for one). The songs are really well thought, and apart from some attempts at trying to experiment beyond their abilities (the Typo’0’Negative vocals on “Razorblades” are definitely useless), you get here a real brilliant chunk of elaborate Swedish Death, with excellent hateful vocals, disturbing harmonies, and a dose of heavy R’n’R groove far beyond its time. It has to be noted that this band was made up of only two members – Liiva was doing all vocals, bass and guitar, while Max Thornell was responsible of percussions and a bunch of extremely well arranged keyboards. Sometimes the music becomes somewhat symphonic, but in a Pan-Thy-Monium / Master’s Hammer way, not mellow – the sick element is always present. Furbowl was a band able to blend an excellent selection of aggressive riffs, rocking and rolling grooves and the classical Swedish evocative melodies. I also liked the lyrics, introspective and choked with depression and anger. Michael Amott from Carcass was guest for two solos on this album, and was also the one who produced the Cd. Could be fun to know that the band changed name to Devourment, for a while…MARDUK (Swe): “Dark Endless” Cd 1992 No Fashion
Naming the band after a Babylonian god and talking about blasphemy of the Judeo/Christian religion might sound a bit weird, but after all that’s the Morbid Angel way. The first thing that kicks ass in this album is the killer cover art by no one else than Dani Vala, guitarist and singer of the band I reviewed yesterday, Obscurity. Why this guy didn’t do more of these splendid works is beyond me. This painting is really “evil”, and grotesque.
Several of the best bands that turned into pure Black Metal in the nineties have common roots in the Death Metal scene (not that I think there is so much difference between the genres after all anyway). Marduk‘s first album “Dark Endless” has all the great elements of the classic Swedish Death Metal sound. Dan Swano did a good job at fiding the right sound for this recording – the obese trademark crushing sound of the Swedish axe permeates all songs, with a good balance of mid tempo, Bolt Thrower reminiscent riffs, hints of melodies in the vein of old Crematory, and even a sporadic use of keyboards a la Thou Shalt Suffer towards the end. While the album closes with an epic, elaborate and evocative guitarwork, the first songs, while generally faster, have their good share of sluggish, almost symphonic bridges. All of this has been obviously cooked with the classic Swedish receipt of sickness – none of this sounds mellow. My only regret is the vocals are a bit too raspy and high. I guess how killer this would have sounded with a real singer like Rogga of Merciless or a young Matti Karki. The main theme on this album could be misanthropy and obscurity, elements that were lost with time. I admit I like this stuff, but also their newer albums. This might not be an album that can be credited as legendary in the Death Metal world, but it’s a good compromise of Swedish Death Metal, crushing heaviness, misanthropy and a pinch of classic Scandinavian taste for dark melodies.My copy, on No Fashion, has no lyrics on it, but I guess the new version has a better booklet. For sure the titles themselves follow the music perfectly: they are all about departure, funerals, damnation…
OBSCURITY (Swe): “Damnations Pride” collection Cd 1998 Scarlet
Scarlet records is not my favorite label of all time. Well actually I couldn’t tell on top of my head one band one in their roster which I like at all. But the man behind the label deserves some respect for his solid backgroud in extreme metal since at least the late eighties, and part of this background is finally showing on this jewel – an anthology of Obscurity recordings from 85 to 87 – and 1992. Considering the time when these songs were written, it’s quite clear that this was one of the very first Swedish Death Metal bands of all time (as by the way Daniel Ekeroth confirms on his book on the subject). The Cd is however not pure gold from start to finish to be honest. The two tracks recorded in 1992 are among the most boring examples of warped Venom inspired music I can think of, but that is probably Jorgen Lindhe starting to write riffs that whould stem into is subsequent (atrocious) band Flegma. What makes the Cd so impossible to miss, though, are the two demos that To The Death records also released on 7″ slightly before. If you can, you should get those, but if you prefer the Cd format (shame on you), this Cd has it all. The first demo is high quality Speed Core/Thrash-Metal heavily into Celtic Frost/Hellhammer on speed, with patterns that remind me a bit of a slower Suicidal Tendencies/Cryptic Slaughter. The Death Metal seed is not impossibly heavy on these tracks – but some real neat ideas appear here as well. But the real shit is the second demo, which also opens the Cd like a gate to Hela’s domain. Four tracks of blistering killer Death Metal which cannot but remind of early Merciless (which btw came a bit later) in pure ferocity. Also killer acts like Imperator or Sadus can be taken into account, the vocals are twisted, the guitar shords pure Thrash Metal in your face crunch. This shit alone would be worth a full fucking 9-score vote. Great riffing, hammering drum blasting, energy-ripping vocals. I cannot tell how much I love this hybrid form of early Death Metal. The last song “Demented” is a real surge of crushing Metal riffs, with a delightful Slayerish solo in the middle. The whole Cd is worth just for these 4 tracks. Monster band. Not standard Swedish Death with super tuned down guitars, but great headbanging fun! While the demos are amazing music to hear, the Cd itself is not done really well (we have high standards today thanks to Nuclear War Now!), there are no liner notes, the pictures are just 3 or 4, and there are no flyers, interviews, whatever. The cover art is too dark and grainy, the logo disappears in the shadow of the statue, and it is just too damn glossy. Only good thing is at least there are all the lyrics inside. Better than nothing. Well better than what Xtreem is doing with anthologies at least.
Small turn
I have realized that for the most part, I am so slow at writing reviews becouse most of the albums I have in queue are either terribly ordinary – or worse. Of course having a fanzine has its own share of fun, but also some responsabilities. I cannot just thrash all the mediocre stuff and review only the coolest. But yet I decided to give it a small turn. When I am not in a mood for new music, I’ll just review some old item from the past. After all there are plenty of forums and webzines around if you need informations on a recently released album. Of course I will still do my hoeworks and give a shot at all the promo material I have, but since there are so many good releases and bands around today – why not listening to them instead of *insert name of a random east-european grindcore band with Czech name here*.
Let’s face it, the “old school Death Metal” trend is just that, a trend. But a trend that is giving birth to a lot of extremely cool bands, like the new Tribulation, Degial, Vomination, Crucifire etc. Just like the Sarcofago/Hellhammer trend of 6-7 years ago brought us Goat Semen, Rites of thy Degringolade or Levifer. These are trends I support eh eh.
Back on us, more old school shit to follow, and at last some interviews as well. Let’s give this fanzine a REAL face.
MACERATION (Dnk): “A Serenade Of Agony” Cd 1992 Progress
Not many good bands ever spun from Denmark that I can remember. Apart from my first Metal band ever Mercyful Fate and some 80’s stuff like Artillery, Samhain and Desexult, on top of my head I can only name the first Invocator, the Autopsy worshipping Corpse Vomit, early Illdisposed, late war Metal Exmortem, the first brutal Infernal Torment full-length, the 2 egregious while absolutely symphonic Autumn Leaves albums, and maybe a bunch of other minor names that barely escaped the demo bounds (I did some shopping in Copenaghen in 1994 looking for demos). Let’s put Sadomator/Sadogoat as well, and even Denial Of God if you wish (although I have not much sympathy for this band). But that’s really it. Yesterday while sweeping the floor in my apartment, I put on this nice Cd from 1992. If my memory doesn’t fail me, this was one of the very first releases by Progress. I already knew the label when it was named Regress, since they had this really nice fanzine that covered both music and tattoos. The label subsequenttly folded in the mildly impressive Die Hard.I remember Maceration was not an amazingly original band (and the logo was quite anonymous), but in a time of sadness like the one we’re living in , I admit I enjoyed listening to it so much I spinned it four times. Dan Swano used to sing on this album under false name and admittedly, these are the best growls I have heard from him among his countless (mostly terrible) projects. The music itself is definitely old school, but not incredibly dark or eerie. It reminds me mostly of Loudblast, Morgoth and Asphyx, with distinct structures and even some sparkles of Bolt Thrower-ish melodies (so to speak). While mostly midtempo, the album gets faster towards the end (probably older songs). While no masterpiece, I reccomend this album to those who already have the essential discography of the aforementioned bands. It usually goes for very cheap in 2nd hand bins, possibly 5 euros or less.