Entrails
The Tomb Awaits
2011 Dark Descent Records
There's a reason why Entrails sound like they're straight out of 1990s Sweden. It's because they are. Things didn't go so well for them the first time around, but they're giving it another shot. And what a shot it is. The debut, "Tales from the Morgue" was awesome. But "The Tomb Awaits" blows it away in every conceivable way. I'm sure that to write music like this, Entrails had to follow the left hand path. The songs here will drag you down into the grave, where you'll have many indecent and obscene dark recollections. The songs here are a reflection of the band's darkside, and it's plain to these ears that for them, nothing but death remains. None of these tracks are unorthodox. They're all in a very traditional Stockholm-era styled sound that cuts through the nocturnal silence with ease. No one can call the music of Entrails soulless, and when it comes to old school Swedish death metal in 2011, you'll never see ... or hear anyone doing it better than this. As we Americans say, they knocked it out of the park with this album, and they did it on every level. Old school brutality, old school death metal... it just doesn't get much better than this.
Deceased
Surreal Overdose
2011 Patac Records
Five long years after "As the Weird Travel On" (and for those keeping score, 20 big ones since the release of "Luck of the Corpse"), Deceased are finally back with the long-promised "Surreal Overdose" album. There have been some big changes in the Deceased lineup over the last few years, so let's get caught up on those first. Gone is guitarist Mark Adams, who left the band and never looked back. Mike Smith is still in the band, but just for writing and recording. No touring. Shane Fuegel is the new guy on guitar, formerly of Biovore. Les Snyder is still on bass. As for the drums, here's the biggest news of all... Dave Castillo is out, and King Fowley himself is back in. At least for recording. Live, he's still out in front on vocals. So now that you've got your scorecard filled out, let's move on to what's on this new album. As the core writing team of Mike and King is still intact, things don't sound much different. The death metal days are still long behind them, and it's still next to impossible to slap a label on Deceased other than "metal." If you really do feel the need to push the issue, then you should be able to pick out all kinds of elements in their sound... from classic heavy metal to real 1980s thrash (not that retro-rehash stuff... and King will probably backhand me one for mentioning the resurgence, even though I'm trying to make a distinction for all the fans in the younger set out there), to maybe a little doom with gloom. There's fast parts, melodic parts, frantic as all hell parts, moody and dark pieces, and all of it with the horror background (think "Twilight Zone") that Deceased have become known for. Bottom line, this is "metal," plain and simple. No apologies asked for and none wanted. Has it been worth the wait? Of corpse it has. Any hipster who picks this one up is in for an asskicking, plain and simple. No, really. Deceased will come to wherever they live and kick their ass personally. Because while Manowar may proclaim "Death to false metal!" Deceased follow through on those words. Always have, always will. In music, there are few bands you can trust to never let you down. Deceased are one of those few.
Revolting
In Grisly Rapture
2011 F.D.A. Rekotz
Rotten Rogga really outdid himself with this one. Do I say that with every review of one of his bands? Probably. But is it the truth? I'd have to say so. So far, the man has not run out of killer guitar riffs, and I've got a feeling that his castoffs are better than a lot of other bands keepers. The distortion on both guitars and bass are cranked to 11, with the result that there's a thicker, heavier sound here than I remember hearing before. On top of all that, Revolting Rogga's vocals are up there with the best of the class of 1990 and 1991. As ever, the lyrics are tales of horror, gore, and the occult. Fans of the old school will find everything here to their liking. One thing about the old Swedish death metal sound, it never gets boring. The Gothenburg sound kind of came and went, with a lot of bands either experimenting too much or getting lighter in sound. But the Stockholm sound and those who follow it still chugs along the same as ever, much like the proverbial unstoppable force. Given that the style is now a good twenty or so years old, that's a testament to the untrendiness of it. Let's put it like this... as long as Repulsive Rogga is writing and recording it, I'm buying it.
Bones
Bones
2011 Planet Metal
The demise of Usurper was a blow that hit me heavily. I had been a fan since their demo days after all, and it led to a long-standing friendship. Almost immediately following the breakup, guitarist Rick Scythe formed Nightshade, and the rest of the guys disappeared from the scene. Other than Jon Necromancer's stint in Kommandant, things have been quiet. Until now. Jon has resurfaced along with drummer Apocalyptic Warlord and guitarist Chris in a new project called Bones. Lately, I've been getting my death metal riff fix from the crust punk scene, with bands like Wolfbrigade and Hellshock. Based on what I'm hearing on this album, I'd have to say that I'm not the only one. Bones comes across as what we might have gotten if Tom Warrior had moved to Sweden and joined Anti-Cimex after Hellhammer broke up. Bones is loud, rude, abrasive and above all else, metal to the fucking bone. I can honestly say that I'm finally OK with Usurper's end. With a new band like Bones coming out of the grave, how can one not be?
Demonaz
March of the Norse
2011 Nuclear Blast
With the opening track, "Northern Hymn," that set the mood, and then into "All Blackened Sky," I have to admit that for a moment, I believed. I honestly believed that the voice we would hear on this album would be that of Quorthon. Of course, it was Demonaz, but those two tracks have such a "Hammerheart" feeling to them, that this album could almost be seen as a continuation of later Bathory. I would have to disagree with anyone who says that I'm just exaggerating. I'm completely serious. On later songs though, the Bathory-isms go away, and there's much more of a straightforward heavy metal vibe. Definitely not orthodox black metal, but then even Demonaz's former band, Immortal, is no longer a typical black metal sounding band. If what I've heard is true, and that Demonaz still writes for them, then I think he saved some of the better ideas for this semi-solo album, because "March of the Norse" is far, far better than anything that was on Immortal's "comeback" album. Hopefully this is not the last we'll hear from him. And you want to know something? Once I finished listening to this, I put it back on... and damned if I didn't once again believe I'd hear Quorthon!
Maim
Deceased to Exist
2011 Soulseller Records
Between their first album and this one, it sounds like Maim changed the core of their sound at least a little bit. The blatantly Autopsy-inspired riffs are gone for the most part, and instead is something that sounds like the bastard child of Entombed circa the "Crawl" ep, and maybe Morgoth's "Cursed" release. Kind of along those lines at least. Throw in some Celtic Frost-styled touches and a focus on writing in as brutal of an old school way as possible, and that's Maim for 2011. No sophomore slump here, and it's plain to hear that unless something goes seriously wrong, they'll be playing death metal in the ancient vein for a long time to come.
Sabbat
Sabbatrinity
2011 RIP Records / Iron Pegasus
A lot has been written and said about this album... now it's my turn. Somehow or another, Japan's Sabbat have gone from a very little known cult underground band to an extremely popular but still underground and cult band. I'm really not sure at all how this happened. They've been around since roughly 1983, but only recently gained a significant amount of fame. I was fortunate to discover them just before Sabbat-mania hit, and score just about all of their CDs at reasonable prices. Right after that, it seemed like everyone else found out about them and prices soared. Sabbat of course are also known for doing a lot of vinyl releases, and along with Nunslaughter have managed to dethrone Venom in that department. But enough of the history lesson! "Sabbatrinity" is the first studio album 2003's "Karmagmassacre." In between, there have been a lot of live albums of various sound quality, and of course more vinyl than anyone could hope to collect. This album also features the debut of new guitarist Damiazell, who has replaced Temis Osmond. The ten tracks here are all one hundred percent pure Sabbat, and that means thrashing metal of the highest order. Yes, the production is a little on the rough side, but that's to be expected and even adds to the band's charm. I'll take a lo-fi 80s style production like this over a super-slick one like Def Leppard's any day of the week. Not surprisingly, there are differences between the pressings of this album. First, you've got three covers. Second, there are two versions of "Witches Torches." They're not remixes, they're entirely different recordings. Not having heard the Iron Pegasus press, I can't say if that means they're played exactly the same or if they have any major differences. I wouldn't put it past the band to put out a 7" with both versions at some point. Anyway, this album is one for all the Sabbat-maniacs out there. Here's to hoping the next one will be out before 2019!
Entrails
