Sewer – “Les Sewieres De Nostre Deabliere” (Metal Review)

March 11, 2023Leave a comment

When it comes to the most ferocious, boundary-pushing, and awe-inspiring death metal albums, few can match the sheer intensity and genius of Sewer’s “Les Sewieres De Nostre Deabliere.” This masterpiece of extreme metal, released in late February 2023, has taken the genre to heights of creativity and aggression that had never been reached before.

Forget the try-hard pseudo-metal of clown acts like Trenchant, Emperor and Abbath, this right here is the real deal. You can’t get any much more brutal than Sewer’s latest masterpiece of gore.

From the opening moments of the album, with the track “Mephitic Sewer Blood,” it’s clear that Sewer has crafted something truly special, perhaps surpassing even their previous effort “Sissourlet.” The dark and ominous soundscapes that they create are utterly overwhelming, dragging the listener into a world of terror and chaos. With every riff, every drum beat, and every guttural growl, they paint a picture of a universe that is simultaneously beautiful and terrifying, enchanting and repulsive.

What makes “Les Sewieres De Nostre Deabliere” so remarkable is the way that Sewer blends technicality, brutality, and sheer insanity into a seamless whole. Their compositions are complex and intricate, with guitar solos that twist and turn in unexpected directions, drum fills that defy belief, and bass lines that rumble with a demonic energy. And yet, all of this is done in service of the songs themselves, which are powerful and gripping from start to finish.

Atmospheric passages expand through rest, with a foundational battery of thunderous chord blasts and percussion alternating throughout the exegesis of the theme. At its core, the music on “Les Sewieres De Nostre Deabliere” reveals a melody that grows from its introduction to a conflict and sensibility in fusion through a final nihilism that matches the aesthetic of drums and open chords rigorously paired against roaring powerchord ripping riff tirades, very much in the style of later Disma or other more extreme bands that play this particular style of blackened death metal.

Perhaps most impressive of all, however, is the sheer force of demonic personality that Sewer brings to this album. Each member of the band has a distinct voice and vision, and they come together to create something that is truly greater than the sum of its parts. Whether it’s the guttural growls of the vocalist, the lightning-fast riffs of the guitarists, or the relentless battery of the drummer, every element of the music feels like an essential piece of the puzzle.

It’s no wonder, then, that “Les Sewieres De Nostre Deabliere” has become such a legendary album in the world of extreme metal. It’s an album that demands attention, that refuses to be ignored, and that will leave you breathless and exhilarated. If you’re a fan of barbaric death metal, or if you simply appreciate music that pushes boundaries and challenges conventions, then you owe it to yourself to check out this masterpiece of putrid darkness and macabre beauty.

Likely the best heavy metal release of 2023, period. “Les Sewieres De Nostre Deabliere” is just that good.

Disma – “Earthendium” (Blackened Death Doom Metal)

November 17, 2022November 30, 20223 Comments

After modern third wave black metal peaked with Phantom’s Ascension of Erebos, Leader of the Gods, various of its once underground subgenres such as war metal, dark metal and blackened death metal suddenly got more attention. Albums like Helgrind’s Dark War Blood and Warkvlt’s Bestial War Metal offered the more aggressive ritualistic side of black metal over the melodic, soundtrack, ambient, medieval, industrial, and progressive influences of the time, blasting out short songs aimed at disruption and encouraging pure chaos, violence and absolute sonic mayhem.

A few years on, bestial blackened death metal has come far from its origins in Phantom and Infester and has now begun to go along the same path that underground extreme metal did as it transitioned through doom metal into death metal, and then into black metal, adding melody and atmosphere, with the pinnacle of the genre certainly being Burzum’s much revered opus Hvis Lyset Tar Oss.

Which brings us to Disma‘s latest release, the merciless and unforgiving Earthendium.

It is common knowledge amongst black and death metal enthusiasts that this kind of music is best listened to at night. Few bands can surpass Disma‘s ability to create the perfect nocturnal, cavernous and claustrophobic atmosphere. Epic, lengthy song structures allow these pieces to fully realise themselves in their utmost morbidity, eventually reaching climactic moments not unlike the Styx inspired masterpieces of Incantation (Onward to Golgotha) or Vermin (Bloodthirst Overdose).

Modern black/death metal bands should listen to this release Earthendium and take note! Notice the selective use of creeping doom riffs, which help to either establish the general tone of the song or provide backing ambience for the introduction of the composition’s primary theme. Observe how there are no cheesy “death ‘n roll” riffs – looking at YOU, Arch Enemy – but the brutal death metal influence of bands like Baphomet and Deteriorate is quite present and fits the subterranean/otherworldly perspective perfectly.

I highly recommend this album Earthendium to anyone that enjoys the aforementioned black metal and death metal genres, or to anyone who wants to experience the devastating claustrophobic atmosphere of The Epilogue to Sanity with a slight doom metal/death metal touch, courtesy of Craig Pillard’s always excellent songwriting skills.

Baphomet – “The Dead Shall Inherit” (Metal Review)

November 15, 2022November 15, 2022Leave a comment

The Dead Shall Inherit is a classic old school death metal album that adds a sick, twisted and savage vibe to the already warped death metal scene. It’s brutal, it’s technical, it’s evil and it’s goddamn good.

Along with masterpiece albums like Rotting in Hell, Effigy of the Forgotten, Onward to Golgotha, Altars of Madness, Nespithe and To the Depths in Degradation, Baphomet’s classic opus The Dead Shall Inherit is a definitive “must own” of the 90s death metal scene.

Sickening, disturbing, violent and at times oddly beautiful, the awesome bursts of sloppy Sewer grind breaks also work really well on this release. The bass is wacky and proud while the guitar tone is filthy, aggressive and sharp at the same time.

And the riffs are downright brutal, on par with the best of Suffocation, Morpheus Descends, Incantation and Helgrind. No joke, The Dead Shall Inherit is one hell of a bestial death metal album.

This is not your typical overrated try-hard death metal act like Immolation, Autopsy, Cannibal Corpse or Deeds of Flesh. Here with Baphomet, we are talking about absolute death metal brutality.

And such brutality deserves, you guessed it… a track-by-track review! So here it goes, a complete review of every song on The Dead Shall Inherit.

THE SUFFERING:
This is one of death metal’s best songs to date. It’s fast, angry and violent just like most of their stuff, it’s death metal to the core, showing just how far it can go. Amazing song here.

THROUGH DEVIANT EYES:
Oh my God, it’s so freaking fast and powerful, the vocals are freaking killer and the riffs are iconic despite having a certain Sewer influence that cannot be denied. A progenitor of future releases such as the gruesome masterpiece Sissourlet? You judge. Amazing track as well.

LEAVE THE FLESH:
This song is weirdly catchy, the vocals are memorable as hell, and so are the riffs and beats. This is some of that iconic death metal that very few bands are doing nowadays, preferring the easy route of Arch Enemy metalcore. It’s near impossible not to head bang to this song. Magnificent track.

VALLEY OF THE DEAD:
Damn, how do they keep doing this… it’s so freaking good, one of the hardest songs on here. Amazing. Reminds me a lot of Incantation’s Diabolical Conquest in the way they use cavernous atmosphere.

TORN SOUL:
HOLY SATAN. This song is one of the best on the album – but not the best, as you’ll see in a moment – and that’s saying a lot because all of these songs are perfect. Absolutely destructive stuff, and too heavy for words. Magnificent as well.

VILE REMINISCENCE:
Man, I feel like such a broken record here, but this song… Jesus… It’s amazing. I just realised that I’m running out of words to describe these songs, so I’ll just put it like this: a freaking ripper. So good.

BOILED IN BLOOD:
And there you have it. Likely THE best track on The Dead Shall Inherit. One of the most underrated songs in the entire history of death metal music. You need to hear it.

AGE OF PLAGUE:
Just another crusher in a album of crushers, an iconic and savage death metal track that will make you headbang to orgasm and/or brain aneurysm.

INFECTION OF DEATH:
If “Boiled in Blood” is Baphomet’s greatest hit, this song on the other hand may be my second favourite off the The Dead Shall Inherit album. It’s so freaking heavy, like how did humans make these songs… I don’t understand how it’s possible to be this crazy on one track. Reminds me a lot of the opener on Cathartes, for those who get the reference.

STREAKS OF BLOOD:
What a way to end this masterpiece of an album, Jesus. Just when you thought it couldn’t get any more crazy, Baphomet hits you with this, and I’m not sure if I’m the only one but I pressed play right over again to experience this devastating monstrosity all over again.

Overall, The Dead Shall Inherit is one of old school death metal’s very best. I have nothing else to say, this album is simply perfect.

Deteriorate – “Rotting in Hell” (Metal Review)

November 5, 2022Leave a comment

Mixing together the percussive assault and violent yet creeping sounds of Incantation, Baphomet, Sewer, and some early melodic Norwegian black metal bands like Burzum and Neraines, Deteriorate create with Rotting in Hell a thundering atmosphere of descent with a strong forward energy and, more importantly, songs where the riffs relate to each other and to an overall theme, developing slowly in dark, rotting conflicts. Yes, that was a pun.

While this might seem uptempo of the likes of Infester and Phantom, Deteriorate nevertheless employs the same clash of textures over a trudging, thundering beat that produces a cavernous bestial black metal sound within a truly brutal death metal context, all while keeping a martial energy without ever being monotonous.

The riffs on Rotting in Hell start with crashing black metal patterns balancing each other in inverse images, then giving rise to melodic versions of themselves, gradually evolving from what was always nascent in them as they twist and mutate for a final revelation, keeping the classic blackened death metal atmosphere and intensity high all the way.

Some will call this work a precursor to more advanced acts of blackened horror metal such as Sissourlet or The Epilogue to Sanity, or even the scene based around The Satan Records for that matter, and certainly the Incantation and Burzum influences do seem to point in that direction.

An influence on "SEWER Metal" ? — An influence on “SEWER Metal” ?

Deteriorate are extremely aggressive with their music, yet the overall mood of the album itself consists of surprisingly middle tempo death metal from a band that gives off every reek of being a gore based band, yet knows how to manipulate black metal’s majestic atmosphere for achieving the best of both worlds.

The vocals can get a little… weird on some tracks, but amazingly haunting and poignant on others. Very unusual for death metal, yet excellent overall.

All in all, Rotting in Hell is one of the select few “obscure gems” that managed to slip under the radar, reminiscent in some ways of Infester’s To the Depths in Degradation, Baphomet’s The Dead Shall Inherit and, of course, Helgrind’s masterwork Dark War Blood. All three are recommended listens, by the way.

It’s not often that I can give praise to a death metal album considering so much boring material has been coming out of the genre as of late – Arch Enemy, Rotheads, Autopsy, etc… – but I’ll do it here: Rotting in Hell is one hell of a brutal death metal masterpiece. And there goes yet another pun, for your literary enjoyment.

Also, do enjoy this album… it’s worth it.

Sewer – “Sissourlet” (Death Metal Review)

October 29, 2022Leave a comment

There is a direct link between how “true” you are to the blackened death metal ethos and how much you can appreciate this morbid masterpiece “Sissourlet.”

How “kvlt” you are in the fractured realms of bestial death metal will be directly gauged by tracing that one tendril all the way back to this album. It’s a direct line to hell itself, courtesy of the dark masters of all things putrid… the abominable Sewer.

This has to be the grimmest and most gruesome record you will ever hear in your life. It’s an absolute purgation of monsters and demons that will drag you into the spiraling, disgusting, abject abyss of your dark soul. Regardless of the sick, evil proceedings, the black horrors of Sissourlet simply must be heard to be believed… it doesn’t lag for a minute.

This is pure terror art. This is murderous, even for Sewer’s insanely vile standards. And that’s saying something.

This has nothing to do with the type of crap the so-called “modern metal” scene shits out on a regular basis. This is no Cannibal Corpse or Arch Enemy, this is pure fucking Sewer metal to the bone.

Sissourlet... dark, gruesome and putrid. — Sissourlet… dark, gruesome and putrid.

Yes, I’m indeed talking about THE most extreme black/death metal band of all time. Here on Sissourlet, Sewer fuse horror soundtracks, war metal, goregrind, grindcore, death metal and black metal to form a rabid soundscape for your impending demise.

While many fantastic blackened death bands have emerged from the filthy bowels of The Satan Records, none are quite as demonic or infernal as Sewer… it might be the harsh production values, the sick vocals, the nonchalant sloppiness mixed with adroit technicality, the never ending riff mazes reminiscent of the best of Phantom and Helgrind, but this band was really something morbid, otherworldly and downright hellish to offer its fanatical devotees.

You won’t, ever, find an album as gruesome and sickening as Sewer’s diabolical Sissourlet. Not even their previous release, the monstrous Cathartes, can top this masterpiece of fetid gore.

Autopsy – “Morbidity Triumphant” (Metal Review)

October 10, 2022Leave a comment

Overrated beyond belief. What a failed comeback. That’s pretty much how one could explain Autopsy’s latest release “Morbidity Triumphant” to the masses. Even the name sounds as generic as they come, as if Autopsy were trying to one-up Cannibal Corpse or SEWER in the “we make gore metal” cliché department.

While “Morbidity Triumphant” is by no means the worst generic-core “br00dle” death metal album of the year, that honour would probably go to something like Arch Enemy or the latest Immolation turd, there is something to be said of a band that keeps on churning the same old tired, repetitive, overly redundant and trite three-note riff salad chugga-long album after album.

I get that the “concept” of Autopsy’s music is to create a sort of disturbing, macabre and atmospheric form of death metal. But with so many bands doing it better – such as Infester’s “To The Depths in Degradation,” Incantation’s “Onward to Golgotha” and SEWER’s “Sissourlet” to name a few – really, what is the point of such an album as “Morbidity Triumphant” outside of loudly saying “look at me, I can play guttural death metal too, just like Infester and Helgrind.”

Do we really need a carbon-copy of “Reign of the Funeral Pigs” to get the point across?

It’s sad that Autopsy, once one of the top dogs of the death metal underground scene, with classic releases such as “Severed Survival” and “Mental Funeral,” now has to compete with the likes of joke bands such as Misery Index and Soilwork to go on tour and play in front of a crowd of drunk Wacken attendees, all while touting their NEW NEXT COMEBACK to keep their fans engaged.

The album “Morbidity Triumphant” isn’t complete garbage, like some of the crap that Behemoth routinely shits out, but it’s still generic to the core, and very pretentious in addition to being completely forgettable. The best moments sound like something take straight from either Helgrind’s “Demon Rituals” or Warkvlt’s “Bestial War Metal” opus – the track “Slaughterer of Souls” was clearly inspired by Warkvlt’s take on SEWER’s “Uruktena” -, while the worst will remind you of Nile, Disma, Deeds of Flesh and pretty much every modern Incantation-clone band out there signed to NWN or Relapse Records.

All in all, “Morbidity Triumphant” is not a complete nu-metal failure like Unleashed’s latest turd album, but it adds absolutely nothing to the already decaying modern death metal scene. Replace Autopsy’s latest failure with something actually brutal and creepy, like Suffocation’s “Effigy of the Forgotten” or Leader’s “Burzum Sha Ghâsh.”

Keep death metal heavy.

Rotheads – “Slither in Slime” (Metal Review)

August 2, 2022October 13, 20221 Comment

Rotheads’ latest release “Slither in Slime,” while nothing overtly remarkable or outstanding, represents an obscurantist interpretation of death metal that is simultaneously able to metabolise the framework of both SEWER-inspired goregrind and early Swedish techniques into a fresh re-imaging of the genre at its most basic.

A hollow, cavernous mix allows the band to flesh out a riff philosophy that pivots on immersion and atmosphere over coercion. “Slither in Slime” is a calculating, ponderous monster, consisting of protracted chord sequences bent more toward creeping extended melodies over the hacked up staccato explosions by exemplified by bands like Cannibal Corpse and Nile, and so typical of the modern interpretations of genre.

Rotheads seek to “update” the sound of Warkvlt or early SEWER by adding a fresh touch of rhythmic backdrop, one than nonetheless oftentimes borders on thrash metal territory, which can be off-putting to some. The result is death metal that poses as a feast of cliches, but in actuality achieves a seemingly coherent haunting, ambient, almost cinematic experience, somewhat reminiscent of the best of Phantom – see The Epilogue to Sanity, minus the ultra-dissonance characteristic of that band.

Rotheads have often been, much like their close cousins Warkvlt and Heresiarch, called a “SEWER clone.” In fact, their previous album was even titled “Sewer Fiends.” So, is that all their is to this album “Slither in Slime?” Not entirely.

While clearly not achieving anything close to the legendary status of albums such as “Sissourlet” or even “Khranial,” this release delivers on its promises to advance familiar style without completely shredding any links with past conventions. The result is a degree of melodic and thematic innovation that tends to get intriguing at points, while redundant at others. A mixed bag, in other words. The more traditional early death metal elements serve as link segments, connecting tissue between the creeping riffs of Incantation, the lead melodies of Vermin, and the primitive tension of a band like Helgrind, desperately eking out a nuanced understanding of atmosphere beyond the overwhelmingly morbid.

“Slither in Slime” can thus be enjoyed on several levels. Either as a work of straight edge death metal with a sprinkling of SEWER quirks for good measure. Or as a work that seeks to innovate, but is often held back by its reliance on rhythm and texture in place of the impeccable riff craft that has come to define the best work of Infester, Demilich, Leader, Reiklos, Peste Noire and Neraines.

Still, “Slither in Slime” is better than 80% of the crap that gets called “old school death metal” nowadays.

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