CRUCIFIED MORTALS - CRUCIFIED MORTALS REVIEW

CRUCIFIED MORTALS Crucified Mortals Hells Headbangers
Let us not speak of the ghostly intro, never was there a more fitting title for an intro, me reckons. After "The Seance" it is time for some "Sordid Treachery" and sordid it is. Armed with some of the angriest vocals I've heard in a long time.

Now, let's step a bit back before we go on. What exactly is Crucified Mortals? Well, it's a Thrash Metal trio that's has two Nunslaughter members in the fold. Well, one current member and one ex-member. Given that Nunslaughter is a band with a discography as long as a career criminal's rap sheet you'll be surprised to hear, no doubt, that this is the band's debut album. In fact, in the ten years since it's formation there have only been nine releases with the debut included.

There is anger abound here! Plenty of it! This is macho shit! With a lot of cojones! Musically there's all the classic Thrash Metal riffs with a bit of ancient Death Metal touch here and there. Well, there's not really a big difference in the riffs, really, but how they are played. Death Metal, Black Metal, Thrash Metal. Three products of the same cow.

I mentioned the vocals earlier and the anger in them and I'll do it once again while I finish this review. There's a bit of an HC abrasiveness in the vocals. True being that I always associate Thrash Metal vocals more with Mille Petroza and Bobby Ellsworth rather than Tom Warrior and Mike Pahl but Reaper's vocals lie there, with the men that shout instead of screaming.

Crucified @ amazon

BURZUM - FALLEN REVIEW

BURZUM Fallen Byelobog
There are people out there that do not like the "new" Burzum. That the strings should not have been touched again. That the demise came with the ambient albums. I reckon those people be full of shit! The ambient albums are a good listen and I prefer "Dauði Baldurs" over "Hlidskjalf" myself.

I missed out on last year's "Belus" but "Fallen" is very much in the vein of "Filosofem". Heavy enjoyable for old bastards like myself that still enjoy the old masters. Old masters that haven't lost their touch, that is.

There is nothing wrong with aging gracefully and to me it sounds like that's what Burzum is doing. When the time is right I'm sure he will bow out gracefully as well but those times are a far beyond the horizon.

Fallen on cd
Fallen on vinyl
Fallen on mp3

FLAGELLANT - MONUMENTS

FLAGELLANT Monuments World Terror Committee 2010

flag·el·lant n
1. One who whips, especially one who scourges oneself for religious discipline or public penance.
2. One who seeks sexual gratification in beating or being beaten by another person.

Back when the Black Plague was spreading like a contagious disease flagellants went around, beating themselves in search for the Lord's forgiveness and to end this strife of humanity. Little did they know that they helped the disease spread, resulting in more people dying than otherwise would have. Oh, how the Lord works in mysterious ways.

As Black Metal grows older so do the growlers. My eardrums have forced a disdain upon me for horridly screeching vocals. Lucky me, then, that Flagellant's singer embraces the rawer style that sounds more like anger personified and less like a man with his balls in a vice.

"...for He shall break us with tempests,
and multiply the wounds of the Lamb, a thousandfold..."

This is Orthodox Swedish Black Metal, aka orthoblack. There is much worship of the divine Beast here and you will feel as the lyrics of these songs have been conjured up from old grimoires. And perhaps they have. Somehow it all feels so genuine. Thought has been put into this, it isn't here just to look good. Although it does look good. These things often go together.

For there is nothing more beautiful than what the Beast itself has inspired. Even when you've heard everything before, there is nothing that can surprise you, you will be surprised while listening to Monuments. The differences are in the small letters, unsurprisingly, and you will have to give this one a proper listen because, and I'm afraid it might be so for more than a few, it will go by you without much notice.

DETEST PREMIER NEW MIASMAL TRACK!

The Belgian Death Metal maniac behind Detest Records, known to us only as "Jerry" has today graced us with a taster for the upcoming Miasmal album. Check out the song here and for further info on Miasmal or Detest Records click on the bold lettered names.

Fans of chainsaw death pay close attention!

LIFELOVER - SJUKDOM REVIEW

LIFELOVER Sjukdom Prophecy
Fear not, good listener, for Death is not upon you just yet. Her sister, Despair, is upon you and will not let go.
Like a poppish Silencer, Lifelover attacks you. With spazztic blurrs it is on you like a crow is on a dead lamb. First the eyes, then the rest, until nothing remains.
This album gets better with each listen, in my opinion. With each note more damage is done. The hopelessness surrounds the listener and soon a state of high-anxiety is upon you.
Suffer the vocals of the bastard childe of Nattramn. Suffer the keyboards deliberately put off tune to torment you, to bring you to hell and back. And alas... After the listen hopelessness once again grips me because I know, in all fairness, that Lifelover will more likely be used as a pick-up line rather than a way out...
Sjukdom @ amazon.com

BLEEDING FIST - MONUMENT DESECRATION

It's great that some Black Metal bands have finally discovered that video cameras can be used proficiently and understood that most of the time less is more!

"Monuments Desecration" is a song off Bleeding Fist's forthcoming MCD for Moribund Cult that will be released as summer dawns upon us Europeans. 
 

ARTAS - RIOTOLOGY REVIEW

ARTAS Riotology Napalm
Ask not what Artas can do for you, ask what you can do for Artas!
Catchy as Hell Metal offered here. A sure win on the festival stages this summer. I am sure more than a few beers will be spilled while listening to this one.

Exceptionally catchy this is with a modern flair which, in all fairness, means that this sounds more like Disturbed than any of the classic Death or Thrash Metal bands that belong to yesterday. Today's Metal for today's people.

Lyrics in English, German, Spanish & French. Can it get more multilingual than that? Will the next album include songs in Icelandic or Japanese? Only time can tell.