Necrophagia
White Worm Cathedral
2014 Season of Mist
It's been a long and ugly road for this album to be recorded and released. Hopefully Killjoy and the rest of the band feel that the end result has been worth it, because I sure as hell do. "White Worm Cathedral" is just as twisted and sick as you expected it to be. So far, they've never let me down. We'll of course discuss Killjoy's performance, but first let's examine the other elements of the album. Movie samples are used sparingly throughout and are never very long or ones you've heard fifty times elsewhere. Yes, keyboards are present, but as with other Necrophagia albums they're expertly used in a way that adds to the dark atmosphere. They don't take over or become a main instrument. But I'd expect nothing less from Mirai Kawashima of the mighty Sigh. Guitars and bass are of course filthy-sounding as ever with the same nasty tone that we fans rabidly demand. And of course there's the ungodly master of ceremonies himself... Killjoy. How he hasn't permanently damaged his vocal cords is beyond me. As always, he puts everything he's got into his performance, sounding as sick and deranged as ever. As an overall package, "White Worm Cathedral" delivers the death metal goods in spades. Obviously there's nothing here that's super-technical or will get any skin bashers or fret wizards saying, "I could have played that better." But if you wanted that, you'd be reading a review of a Malmsteen album instead, wouldn't you? This is death metal in one of its purest and earliest forms, from the same school as "Scream Bloody Gore," rather than "Altars of Madness" or "Left Hand Path." As I listen to this album, I can only dream of what Necrophagia would be able to put together for a stage show if they had the same bankroll that King Diamond did for his recent US trek. I'm sure there would be decapitations and dismemberings aplenty, and not in that cartoony GWAR style. After all, the band's motto is "GORE FOREVER!"
Blood Storm
The Stellar Exorcism
2014 Barbarian Wrath
It's been nine years since the last Blood Storm full length album, that's about nine years too long without tales of Yuggothian Slayers, Nibiru Assassins, or Qlipthotic Necromancy. Things have changed a bit with the Blood Storm sound. Mezzadurus has mostly given up the high-end black metal shrieks in favor of more of a Tom G. Warrior approach, minus the "ughs" and "heys," combined with some falsettos. Musically, it's still the same mix of death, thrash and black metal as it ever was. After all, why have one influence and main sound when you can have several working together! There is a bit more of a bottom end to the sound, and Hellhammer comes through as the main influence this time around. The lyrical tales haven't changed much, and are still focused on the outer dark, vastness of the nether regions unknown to humanity, and the unnameable things that dwell there. So really, for the most part it's unholy business as usual just like I would have expected it to be. That's really all that one can ask... except for there maybe not being such a long period between albums next time around?
Morbo
Addiction to Musickal Dissection
2014 Memento Mori
Even after 20 years, the sound of death metal varies from band to band. Sure, there's plenty of clones, but there's also plenty who choose to be influenced by several bands and not just one. I find it highly interesting how you can sometimes find bridges between one sound and another. Take Monstrosity for instance. They're been described as the missing link between Malevolent Creation and Morbid Angel. That description fits their "Imperial Doom" album perfectly. So what's that got to do with
this review of Morbo? Except for the fact that they're a "new" band in the scene, Italy's Morbo could have been the missing link between Autopsy and Acheron. Musically, Morbo take most of their cues from Autopsy, with a few hints of Hellhammer thrown in at times for good measure. Vocally though, Mirca "Offender" sounds more like Vince Crowley of Acheron (circa "Lex Talionis") rather than Chris Reifert. So what we have is a band that takes all of their influences and combines them all together in a way where the listener can pick out parts that remind them of band X or band Y, rather than hearing a bunch of songs that are not much more than a homage to one single band. Anyone who simply sums up Morbo as an "Autopsy clone" must not have been paying attention. They must not have heard (or more likely, chose to ignore) the parts of their songs that are definitely not Autopsy-like. Or Abscess-like, for that matter. Their loss, because "Addiction of Musickal Dissection" is far more than the sum of Morbo's influences.
Anguish
Mountain
2014 Dark Descent
Anguish really nailed it with the intro track titled "Mountain." It completely reminds me of the part of the Rankin-Bass animated version of "The Hobbit" when the dwarves sing of Lonely Mountain. The intro sets a very cold and desolate mood, perfect for their brand of deathly doom metal. Or maybe that's doomy death metal? No matter, for the rest of the tracks continue
to conjure stark, barren wastelands and imperious grim mountain peaks looking down at it all. I wish the mix was a little heavier and darker though. Seems a little lighter in tone compared to the debut. As I write that, the line "I murdered him" comes through my speakers, from "Stir up the Demon." I have no doubt that vocalist J. Dee indeed murdered whoever that poor bastard is, and so I hope he'll take that comment as constructive criticism and not make me the next victim of his maddened rage. Obviously, as this is a doom album, and a Swedish doom album at that, comparisons to Candlemass are going to be made. And yes, there are some very parts that sound like Leif Edling might have come up with them. For the most part though, Anguish is a completely different beast with a stronger primal instinct. I really don't want to dwell or harp on about Candlemass, but consider their differences like this... if they're civilized Aquilionians, then Anguish are savage Picts. I'll bet you expected me to say "Cimmerians," didn't you? Well, they are certainly somber enough. But that image of a half-naked madman coming at me with a stone axe still lingers in my mind. At the very least, be cautious with this album. Make sure you're someplace warm with a nice fire and something hot to drink. Beware of cabin fever.
Eskhaton
Worship Death
2014 Chaos Records
There's really no need for me here to go into the history of Australian metal. I think we're all familiar with the more extreme horrors that are belched forth from there. And few are belched more violently than Eskhaton. They play a very dense form of slightly blackened death metal with esoteric lyrics which describe the things beyond all knowledge.
And let's get it understood right here and now. This is death metal as it is supposed to be. No pleasant harmonies or melodies, no niceities at all. If you're a lover of melodeath, get lost immediately. Eskhaton do not play music for the faint of heart, and are similar to the likes of Teitanblood, Diocletian, Grave Upheaval. None of which are of course for trendy ears or ever will be. Their sound is like a thick miasmatic fog of the most noxious stenches both known and unknown to man. Repulsive to most, sonic ambrosia to a few. Give yourself over to them and become one of the unblessed.
Hod
Book of the Worm
2014 Arctic Music
It's been a while since Hod's debut album, but here at last is the followup. Prior to giving this one a listen, I went back and played "Serpent" in its entirety. I'm very happy to say that on "Book of the Worm," Hod haven't really changed. They're still playing blackend death metal in the early Dark Funeral / early to mid-period Marduk vein, keeping things just as fast and heavy as before. Lord Necron's probably going to want to rip me a new one for that, but he'll have to get in line. Besides, Dark Funeral's debut mCD and "Secrets of the Black Arts" are classics, regardless of what the band degenerated into shortly afterwards. So yes, we're talking fast and furious black metal here with no frills. No keyboards, no backing female vocals, no bongos, no accordian... Come to think of it, I haven't heard any new bands lately putting in everything they can think of, so maybe that misguided trend has finally died a painful death? Anti-metal religious leaders may preach about the sins of bands like Slayer or Motley Crue, but it's the hairy hulking hordes of Hod that they should really be worried about. Because for Hod, it's not about the image. It's not about the money. It's about the music and the message, both of which they take to the extreme and beyond.
