Horrendous
The Chills
2012 Dark Descent
This is the reason why Asphyx's "Deathhammer" isn't a slam-dunk for best album of 2012 (so far). Horrendous is an unholy US-based three piece that really managed to tap into something here. You might not catch it on the first listen, but on the first two tracks, they've kind of gone back and explored what might have been if Darkthrone had stayed a death metal band. The tone is pure death metal, done with the kind of distortion that usually can only be found within Scandinavia, but the overall style of the music has a lot in common with what Darkthrone has done over the years. There is a very strong black metal riffing style combined with the frostiest of cold vibes. But, starting with the third song, "Altars," things go in a more straightforward death metal sound with either Damien Herring or Matt Knox doing their best Martin van Drunen impression. Picture him fronting Entombed back in their "Clandestine" days, and you'll have a good idea what to expect. That's not a bad thing, mind you... but I really would have liked to hear more of the Darkthrone-inspired sound from those first two songs.
OZ
Burning Leather
2011 AFM Records
We all hope to see certain bands reunite and release new music. Yet when they do, we inevitably end up disappointed each and every time. The magic just is not there. Maybe the result is that while the new music is good, it just doesn't stand up when compared to the original material. Probably the biggest exception to all of this is Deep Purple and their "Perfect Strangers" album. Another might be Celtic Frost's "Monotheist." It's a short list for sure. We can now add one more name to that list: Finland's OZ. Granted, five of the songs here are re-recorded versions of old tunes (and three of them are off the legendary "Fire in the Brain" album), but here's the thing... they didn't piss all over them and do some half-assed versions. The same fire and spirit are there, just as they were in the originals. Even more important to take note of is that the new songs measure up to the same standards. This is definitely not an album with a "crappy new song" followed by an "awesome remake of an old song." OZ still have the same fire in the brain, and hopefully this is the start of a new successful chapter in their career.
Asphyx
Deathhammer
2012 Century Media
Asphyx waste no time on their latest album. No atmospheric intro, no movie samples, just a headlong dive straight into their style of death metal. Personally, I would have switched the order of the title track and opener "Into the Timewastes," just because Martin van Drunen's exclamation of, "This is true death metal, ya bastards!" would have been better right up front at the start, rather than on the second track. But that's just me. both of these songs are fairly fast for Asphyx, and it's not until the third track, "Minefield," that we get into the death/doom aspect of the band. Finally. This is where things get heavy. One thing I love about Asphyx is that they don't progress. Or at least they don't progress in the usual sense of the term. Here, "progress" means going darker and heavier. Yet at the same time, if you had no knowledge of the band, but were handed this album along with "The Rack" and "Last One on Earth," you wouldn't be able to tell what order they were released in. That's the mindset the members of Asphyx have. Stay true to what you've done before. I thank them for it. About the only real true complaint I have here is that the production on "Deathhammer" is a little too much on the bright side of things. I expected a much murkier production, and I know I'm not the only one who has noticed this. All in all though, 2012 has barely begun and we've already got a strong candidate for album of the year.
Throneum
Death Throne Entities
2011 Pagan Records
Looking back, "Deathcult Conspiracy" was a little different for Poland's Throneum. Those songs had a lot more Hellhammer/early Celtic Frost influence than what had come before. I think that's something the band took notice of in retrospect, as "Death Throne Entities" has a completely different tone to it. The production is darker, with the instruments all a little murkier in sound mostly the guitar and bass), with a little graveyard dirt thrown on top for good measure. But vocalist The Great Executor (Tomas Hanuszkiewicz) is mixed in slightly above it all. I don't hear a lot of influences from the works of TG Warrior here. "Death Throne Entities" features more of a return to their older, more chaotic style, with vocals blasphemies hurled forth from an ever-churning hurricane of cacophony. It's almost as if Throneum felt they were becoming too mainstream (which they are definitely not, despite the sheer volume of releases they seem to crank out), and took measures to turn off any trendy followers they might have picked up (although I'm sure that none ever existed). This is an underground band for underground fans, and forever will remain that way. Primitive thrashing death/black for followers of the old ways.
Chemical Disaster
Third Wound
2011 Violent Records
This was a complete and welcome surprise I found while browsing through the Hell's Headbangers catalog recently. I had no idea Chemical Disaster were still around, much less with a new album. I don't think you can blame me though. Their last album, "Scraps of a Being," was released back in 2000, and before that, their debut, "Resurrection," was released in 1993. While I have yet to hear the debut (I'm waiting on a proper reissue... come on already, Cogumelo!), I became an instant fan when I heard "Scraps of a Being" many years ago. Even managed to interview drummer Arthur Justo back in some issue of Metal Nightmare. So obviously, this was an immediate purchase for me, no questions asked, no samples checked out online first. Once it arrived in the mail, I found that the band was still the same as they were eleven years ago. Pure death metal, nothing more, nothing less. They've been around long enough that they can't really be compared directly to any other Brazilian band from the old school, much less the new school. In fact, whatever influences they have, I can't name outright. They've managed to incorporate their influences into their sound to the point where it's next to impossible to say, "Oh, this part sounds like ..." or "That reminds me of...." Or at least I can't. But then I've also never been one to go in and really try to analyze music. I like what I like, and I hate what I hate. This I like. A lot.
