AK-11 - Legendary, Demonic & Invincible [Demo] (2011, Self-released)

Self-proclaimed "triumphant black war metal" band AK-11 started out in 2011 with Valak being the only member. Valak had fashioned this demo, "Legendary, Demonic & Invincible", already by November the same year as a tribute to classic black metal acts like Celtic Frost, Burzum, Emperor and others. In 2013 two new members were added to the lineup, but AK-11 has yet to release anything as a trio.

Though black metal is traditionally stripped down to the bare necessities this goes especially for AK-11. On this demo there is not a breath wasted, not an effort spilled on fancy solos, symphonic orchestrations or overly complex compositions. What the sole member, Valak, puts forth on this first demo is convincingly simple black metal tunes condensed to a fine spirit. Though AK-11 hails from Australia, at least half the demo is sung in Russian as a tribute to the famous Avtomat Kalashnikov assault rifle. While this doesn't have any direct influence on the music found on "Legendary..." it accentuates the vodka-fueled slavic sounds that tracks like Shest' Shest' Shest' i Katyusha take on through inventive guitar riffs.

Most of the tracks are almost literally bursting with energy. Tracks like the satanic "Sniper's Glory" and Slava Rossii stand out as tracks of an especially engaging kind with their enticingly traditional riffs and mechanical blast beats, and the "Legendary..." demo is characterized by an unusually high lowest point in terms of songwriting quality. The riffs in particular catch the eye as one of the demo's strongest competences, Valak's raw vocals and his overall ability to write captivating material not falling far behind.

Production is often devalued in black metal, the genre often being seen as inherently lo-fi. This deep-rooted disregard for quality of sound seems to have also been part of the recording process with AK-11. Seeing as Legendary, Demonic & Invincible is a demo this can more or less be excused, and the - what I assume is a - drum machine has the samples fairly balanced with the abrasive sound of the guitar and the grey veil of Valak's vocals. The demo warrants excitement for future releases by AK-11 and is itself well worth a listen. Australian black metal often takes on a strong thrash metal influence as seen with bands like Deströyer 666, Nocturnal Graves, Gospel of the Horns, Atomizer, Malichor, Razor of Occam and so on and so forth. AK-11 sticks out like a sore thumb in this crowd as a band trying out new things, even if these elements aren't necessarily major parts of the band's sound. 7/10 guitars.

Tracklist:
1. The Cleansing Stream
2. Vechnyi Ogon'
3. Slava Rossii
4. Legendary, Demonic & Invincible
5. Sniper's Glory (Satan Guides My Aim)
6. Shest' Shest' Shest' i Katyusha

Visit AK-11 on Facebook
Download the demo FOR FREE

Trou Noir - Echoes in Black Holes [Demo] (2011, Eerie Torture)

It hasn't taken long for Trou Noir to produce their first demo. Released the same year the band was formed, Echoes in Black Holes is an international effort consisting of Worbid and Monork from Russia and Dunkel supplying the vocals from France. The internet has made it possible for musicians from all over the world to easily collaborate and create diverse variations of genres that are otherwise often heavily coloured by its regional scene. Between them the three members of Trou Noir - or "Black Hole" in French - have been in at least nine bands that have collectively released in excess of fifty demos, EPs, splits and albums, meaning that this unholy trinity are at least in some way seasoned musicians.

A vital element within Echoes in Black Holes is the way they utilize ambience. Monork's arpeggiated notes form the backbone of the demo with the minimalistic drumming of Worbid providing the rhythmic coherence. The two usher in the raw vocals of Dunkel, which bear a striking resemblance to those of Varg Vikernes on Det Som Engang Var. The transitions between the ten tracks on Trou Noir's first demo are seamless and immaculate, making the whole demo coalesce with each element being consistently integrated without much effort. Each track neatly segues from cold and melancholic melodies to more ambience-laden passages with the arpeggiated notes working to add depth to the music. To continue the Burzum analogy; If the vocals are Det Som Engang Var, the music itself is closer to Filosofem or Hlidskjalf, but without opting for the same droning approach.

Any music enthusiast will know that it's hard to get riled up if the musicians delivering the music aren't engaging about their business and deliver their tunes in a convincing way. Accusing Darkspace's first demo from 2002 of being varied, extravagant or musically eloquent seems almost an insult, and yet Darkspace have become a modern day cult in themselves. Their music is droning and monotone, but it works extraordinarily with the monotony becoming the main attraction which makes it all the more hypnotic. You might be wondering why I'm talking about Darkspace rather than Trou Noir, but when it comes to spacy ambient, atmospheric black metal a band such as Darkspace automatically becomes the standard to which similar bands are held, and while Trou Noir and Darkspace have only minute elements in common, it seems as a necessary comparison to make. Trou Noir have opted for that very style, yet deliver their music with total abandon and insincerity. I can feel they're going for a trippy, psychedelic feel with the drawn out drum sequences and almost randomly picked guitar notes, but it becomes stale and unhypnotic in the execution process. There are a few good riffs once in a while, with the main riff in Black Hole Reverb being the prime example, and the vocals seem to generally be held to a higher standard than the rest of the demo, but all in all it feels like most songs are written the way they are for the sake of consistency rather than actually contributing a memorable element to the release as a whole. Their songwriting makes it very hard to remember any one moment on the demo, which in itself isn't inherently bad as proven by similar groups, but it becomes a fundamental problem when there is nothing else to remember the band or demo by.

My problem is that the demo is too long for such an ineffective delivery of stale ideas. Darkspace got it right when they released their demo in 2002 featuring 25 minutes of their trademark spacey black metal, consisting of little other than spaced out walls of distorted guitar accompanied by ferocious blast beats. Echoes in Black Holes is overflowing with poorly executed melancholy that misses its target by a wide margin. The cover art made a promise of better things - It made a promise of cosmic black metal engulfed in the cold, galactic aspects that this sound usually brings with it, but it was a promise it could not keep. The atmosphere is bedroomy rather than spacy, which is what primarily sets it apart from the great ones within the genre. Instead of going exploring within the psychedelic possibilites of their chosen style, they follow a linear path which doesn't suit their sound terribly well. 4/10 guitars.

Tracklist:
1. Funeral Echoes (Part I)
2. Defective Reflections
3. The Tree Into the Void
4. Somnambulistic Searchers
5. The Denying of Being
6. Black Hole Reverb
7. Nihilistic Moon
8. Echoes in Mirrors
9. March of Leprous
10. Funeral Echoes (Part II)

Visit Eerie Torture's official website

Six in Line - U Shud Hev Invtd Me [Demo] (2011, Self-released)

I like when a band doesn't take itself all too seriously. If a musician takes everything a bit too seriously it often results in coming across as self-important or pompous, but on the other hand it can easily go the other way too. In most cases so-called "comedy" or "humour" bands are too busy living out their own inside-jokes to produce good, worthwhile music, so in essence what I'm saying is that it's all about finding a middle way.

Six in Line from Sweden are at heart a thrash metal band, but with the aesthetics of a comedy band. The three tracks on their second release, the demo "U Shud Hev Invtd Me", are primarily comprised of mid-to-high tempo thrash riffs, pounding drums and vocals that can probably be best described as "unique". I'll get back to this later.
The demo starts off with a sort of spooky halloween-ish riff, and I found that this was more or less a recurring theme on U Shud Hev Invtd Me with that type of melodies being prominent in both "You Should Have Invited Me" and the gangshout-ridden "We Intend to Hang You". It works fairly well for the Swedish band, and when all is said and done this element is what to me sounds like their strongest point. Their vein of thrash metal works pretty well for them, but if it wasn't for the melodic riffs to top it all off their material would be an unmemorable, incoherent mess.

My main complaint with Six in Line's second demo is the vocals. Remember that I said they were rather unique? That's a nice way of saying they suck tremendously. Kaptajn Nuke's raw, discordant screaming is simply too out of place and annoying to the main form of singing in such a band.
The music in itself isn't completely terrible, but something about it just makes me get tired of it really fast. Probably the fact that it sounds pretty undynamic - I'm not saying that they lack variation, but the music really does go on and on in the same vein all the time with no clearly defined verse, chorus or anything else that might resemble structure.
Let's compare Six in Line with Hellhammer. Hellhammer's sound is completely raw and awful, they could barely play their instruments, Tom Warrior's vocals were pretty amateurishly done and their sense for song writing was at times pretty unmatured due to their inexperience. And yet they were fuckin' awesome. I'd like to credit that awesomeness to memorable song structures. Riffs like the one in "Reaper" and choruses like in "Crucifixion" make Hellhammer really easy to remember, and while Six in Line definitely have the upper hand when it comes to technicality, playing skill and production, they simply lack that memorability created by having a great sense of songwriting, which Tom Warrior later proved with Celtic Frost.

Six in Line may yet come through and prove their worth as a band. Their latest demo to me isn't much in terms of musicianship, but they do have their moments. Perhaps they still need to find their style, but right now I can only give "U Shud Hev Invtd Me" 5 guitars.

Tracklist:
1. You Should Have Invited Me
2. Plato O Plomo
3. We Intend to Hang You

SIX IN LINE official Facebook site

Listen for yourself

Black Chalice - Prayers for Our Lord and Saviour [Demo] (2011, Self-released)

So here we are again. This is the second time I'm reviewing Black Chalice, the first time being the second demo "Years of Flame". This demo, "Prayers for Our Lord and Saviour", is Black Chalice's first demo and was unleashed upon mankind in 2011. Black Chalice is but one of many projects by Patrick Hasson, who is also behind the atmospheric black metal act Auspicium, which I have also reviewed in the past.

In my previous review of Black Chalice I noted how the music, though often being labeled as death/doom metal, bore significant hints of black and funeral doom metal, especially in the long, drawn out sequences with little variation. Though the same can generally be said about Black Chalice at this earlier point I detect a much more distinct nod towards death metal than I did on their later material, even if the two demos share one track, Infallibility of Semen.

Though Hasson has been musically active years before the creation of Black Chalice and this demo it does have that certain tinge of uncertainty. You get the feeling that you're not quite sure what the idea of the band is, what kind of music Hasson wants to create. This creates room for a few surprises here and there, but in the end most of the demo consists of guitar tracks distorted beyond belief and unvaried drumtracks. The speed of the drums and tremolo-picked guitars gives the music a lot of momentum, but it sort of lacks the intensity that I would normally associate with such speeds, and often I see this momentum wasted on sudden stops that annoy me immensely.

My last encounter with Black Chalice yielded a score of 6/10. This time though we're ending up with a 5/10 score. This is simply because the music doesn't sound very cultivated, and when you've listened to newer material by Black Chalice you know that this is merely a prototype for the music yet to come. It's easy to see how the band moved from this gritty, heavily distorted sound to its newer, more ripened state, and I got to say that I much prefer the newer material to this.

Tracklist:
1. King of No World
2. Infallibility of Semen
3. A New Earth and No Heaven

BLACK CHALICE official facebook

Prajna - Lost in the Void [EP] (2011, Self-released)

With a name like "Prajna" I really had no idea what to expect. This Colombian band is in essence an effort with tendencies toward a lot of different styles, most notably of which are 80's heavy metal paired with power and speed metal in the vein of Helloween, Fates Warning and at times even some early Anthrax. Let me just say that I was rather sceptical at first. The logo and coverart didn't look particularly inviting and it looks like it was sort of made in a hurry, making me think that maybe the music would be of equally bad quality.

In general it goes for the entire demo EP that the music, though presented with gusto on the band's behalf, is somewhat lacking in quality. I can see what Prajna are trying to accomplish with their music, but ultimately I found that Lost in the Void wasn't exactly up to par with other bands in the genre. I suppose that the fact that this is Prajna's first release should turn down expectations, and I could definitely see how Prajna could improve upon their chosen style in upcoming material to make it a worthy contender in the world of metal.

The most attractive things about Prajna are their simple but enjoyableriffs aswell as good choruses like the one in Electrocuted, but mostly every experience on the EP is numbed by the tame production and lack of aggression. And I know a lot of people will disagree with me on this because "power metal isn't about aggression!" and "you don't have to be evil to be metal!" but yes, it kinda is and you kinda do. Without that certain edge to underline the music all hopes of attaining some sort of climactic power in the music are useless and in the same manner I could've wished for a bit more daring or raw elements. Many will probably write it off as the ramblings of an old fashioned death metal fanatic, but I actually like quite a lot of power metal bands, but even bands like Rhapsody or Kamelot have a certain edge that carries their musical quality.

Prajna have a very destinct and recognizable style to their music, which really gives the EP the saturation it needs to stand out from others of its kind. If Prajna could somehow sharpen their music it would, to me atleast, have a more lasting appeal than it currently does. 6/10 guitars.

Tracklist:
1. Electrocuted
2. Fire and Iron
3. Lost in the Void
4. Storm of War

PRAJNA official facebook
PRAJNA official bandcamp (with free download of Lost in the Void)

Defilementory - Infatuation with Deformity [Demo] (2011, Self-released)

Defilementory is a band that I knew a bit in advance. I had seen them a couple of years ago when they and another Danish death metal band called Castrensis opened for the one-man slam act Putrid Pile in Copenhagen. That particular performance was a night to remember - All the bands fit so well together and were so talented and put on a great performance. It wasn't until I listened to Infatuation with Deformity that I realized that Defilementory has a very precise way of conveying the delicate details of their music, though it seems weird to talk about delicate anything in terms of brutal death metal. It just so happens that Defilementory has a lot of technical elements and a bass section to die for, which is something I can really appreciate. Sure, great guitarists are always cool, but everyone has great guitarists these days. Good bassists are severely underappreciated, and the bassist of Defilementory, who also happens to be their lead singer, does an incredible job creating bass lines that are imperative to the recognizable sound of Defilementory.

I give the bass of Defilementory a lot of credit (and rightfully so), but even if you were to remove it and put in some "regular" basslines the music on Infatuation with Deformity has a lot of merrit in itself. Lots of brutal death metal acts are incredibly one-tracked and even monotonous, but this Danish band mix things up constantly while still maintaining their brutal death metal flavour. The malign clarity and gritty brutality of the two tracks that make up this demo is something that makes Defilementory seem like a band very serious about their music, and the demo showcases their vigorous enthusiasm in creating and playing some of Denmark's heaviest music.

If there is one thing that really stands out as a bit regrettable on the demo it's that fact that it's so short. Two tracks really isn't enough to stay entertained for very long, and even though the two tracks are pretty long for death metal it doesn't go a very long way. I read somewhere that there was supposed to be a third track, but that it was lost somehow, and this is really a terrible shame. I would've loved to hear that third track, but hopefully that song will be featured on their upcoming album.

To sum up Defilementory's second release "Infatuation with Deformity" from 2011 really would be nothing other than "great and pretty unique brutal death metal with a noticable flavour of technical aspects". Their bass-driven style makes for a lot of enjoyable listening minutes on my part, but in the end two tracks of this great music isn't enough to keep me satisfied and will mostly serve as a little something to listen to between other albums. Their upcoming album will hopefully feature everything that makes Defilementory's demo great, and then some. 8/10 guitars.

Tracklist:
1. Infatuation with Deformity
2. Vengeance

DEFILEMENTORY official facebook

Listen for yourself below!

Brain Famine - Brain Famine [EP] (2011, Self-released)

Ah, grindcore. Is there anything that doesn't go great with grindcore? If there is, death and thrash metal isn't it. Proven time and time again by bands such as the horror themed Frightmare, Brain Famine resurrects the time-tested recipe for mosh-friendly death/thrash/grind with gusto and abrasive enthusiasm.

What the lyrics are about I have no idea, but then again I've never been that much of a lyric aficionado. But what I do know is that Brain Famine, two guys from Weymouth, Massachussets, know their grind. I'm guessing they've been listening a lot to bands like Macabre, Carcass and Ghoul, and like those bands they've got the heavy riffs, organic drumming and terrific production down. Whoever said that grindcore needs to sound shitty is an asshole and needs to be buried alive with a handful of spiders.

With just 6 songs on the EP you'd think that, given their predisposition to grindcore elements, it's gonna be a short one. Au contraire! The eponymous opus is a whopping 22 minutes in length, which is only a mere 7 minutes shorter than Slayer's magnum opus Reign in Blood. Not that those two compare. At all.

Brain Famine's first effort as a band is one that shows great understanding of how to put together awesome metal and grind. Though I've been heaping loads of praise upon the EP it's not all perfect. There is especially one track that annoys me slightly, namely Ingest, the third track. It sort of halts the otherwise monumental flow and momentum that the first two tracks create, and with it's incredible 5 minutes and 56 seconds it takes a lot of focus away when listening. It's not a bad track as such, but I would like it more if it was placed last on the EP and wasn't so damn long.
Brain Famine succeed in creating hugely enjoyable death/thrash/grind that I will likely be listening to for months to come. It may not be perfect, but it feels sufficiently polished and prepared to reignite my want for some Impetigo. 8/10 guitars.

Tracklist:
1. Die Off
2. Cunning Bondage
3. Ingest
4. Ignorant Dopes
5. Citizen Solution
6. N.F.O.

BRAIN FAMINE official site

Don't just take my word for it. Listen to Brain Famine with your own two ears! Or one ear, if you're a freak
http://brainfamine.bandcamp.com/

Garoted - Evil Personified [EP] (2011, Self-released)

Does the US need another death metal band? Yes, there's always room for more quality death metal! Garoted, a band from Nebraska with a demo, album and now also an EP in their catalogue, is (as you might have guessed) a death metal band. Breakneck speeds is an element that I think most people can appreciate in death metal, and the American band does not waste time. Even if their drums are beyond crazy and demented blast beats are what dominate their music their songs are still close to or above 5 minutes, which I think most will agree is alot for death metal music. The roaring vocals, grisly riffs and ripping drums all come together in a malicious explosion of death with an old school feel.

Something that death metal has always had trouble overcoming is the chaotic feeling that the downtuned guitars and high speeds induce, and while Garoted feature all those elements that normally make it hard to listen to, the first two songs on the EP are both memorable, sinister and brutally well-organized. Unfortunately this can't be said for the entire EP, and this is one of the main weak-points of Evil Personified. Variation is often great, but on this EP there's a huge difference in quality. The last two songs, "Heretic Fire" and a cover of Deicide's "Oblivious to Evil", are marginally worse in production, and this bothers me tremendously especially because they aren't marked as demo tracks or anything like that.

What I mentioned above seriously messes the wholesomeness of the release, and this makes it really hard to take serious as a complete release. I would've preferred if the two first tracks, which are really strong efforts on their own, were released without the last two as this would've given a better general view of the band. Heretic Fire is still a good song in its own right, still displaying the great variation structure-wise that makes Garoted a special band in my ears, but the inferior sound quality makes it terribly hard to enjoy.
Check out Garoted if you're into really really really fast no bullshit death metal with no room to take a breather. This shit is intense, and the first two tracks alone speak of monumental talent that earns this EP 7/10 guitars. I would've given it more if there wasn't the issue with the production on the last tracks.

Tracklist:
1. Under the Infernal Allegiance
2. Raping Benevolence
3. Heretic Fire
4. Oblivious to Evil (Deicide Cover)

GAROTED official site

Grenouer - Computer Crime [EP] (2011, Copro Records)

The Russians have become a larger and larger part of the international music scene during the last decade or so. Especially slam bands like Abominable Putridity, Katalepsy and Abnormity have become well known throughout the world, but Grenouer, a band with its roots in hard rock and modern heavy metal, are also part of the growing Russian metal scene.

Grenouer is a rather interesting band. They've been part of Russia's metal scene since 1992, where they started out playing a genre very unlike the turn they took later. They started out as a death/thrash metal band and have several full lengths, splits and EPs in their quite formidable catalogue, but have gained limited global recognition.

One must ask, is there room for yet another band that goes back to the very roots of metal? Yes and no. No because there already are a literal horde of 80's revivalist bands and old school metal bands, and even 70's progressive rock has had a resurgence in today's metal scene. However Grenouer, though they aren't exactly reinventing the spoon, could very well be something many have been looking for. Their approach to heavy metal is a far heavier and modern one than many of their brothers, while still leaving room for melodic vocals and sombre interludes.

Especially the collected guitar work of Igor and Alexander in the Russian band brings a very heavy outlook to a genre otherwise tried through, giving additional life to the time tested formular. While the band's efforts have the feet planted firmly in the soil of heavy metal they also lean heavily on the sounds of 90's NU metal, metalcore and even djent in some parts.

Though I've given them much praise I must admit that I find it hard to really thoroughly enjoy their EP "Computer Crime". The song "Fix Your Life" is by far the most enjoyable track of the five, because it has the most variation and the greatest guitar and drum work on the entire EP, and especially because it doesn't resort to melodic intermezzos when things get rough. Grenouer isn't a metal band in the traditional sense as they take so many elements from related genres, and I could imagine this would mean many people end up in the same situation as me: It's either too heavy or not heavy enough. Rock fans would enjoy parts of the EP, while metal fans would enjoy other parts. 6/10 guitars.

Tracklist:
1. Last Stop
2. Rejected
3. See no Sun
4. Fix Your Life
5. Golden Years

GRENOUER official site
Copro Records official site

Seeds of Iblis - Jihad Against Islam [EP] (2011, Legion of Death Productions)

The Iraqi (yes, you heard me, IRAQI) black metal band Seeds of Iblis is one of very few bands around the world who dares critisize Islam in their lyrics. Considering how much shit many NSBM bands got, and in the light of the controversy surrounding Taake's lyric about "killing the Mohammedans" and the Muhammad-case from Denmark's Jyllands-Posten newspaper I find it quite remarkable that a band such as Seeds of Iblis are dealing with that very subject in their lyrics.
Black metal has always been about Satan and other personifications of evil, but black metal has almost exclusively dealt with Christianity and only rarely in the case of some NSBM bands have they made an exception and dealt with Judaism or Islam. I guess a band like Seeds of Iblis can get around much of the controversy because they are FROM an Islamic country and was likely raised with it as their religion.

Seeds of Iblis isn't just an anti-Islamic band. Well, actually they are. With highly blasphemic song titles like Inverted Hilal, No Islam and especially Sex with Muhammad's Corpse they really aren't about anything else. But in regards to their music, the quintet offers some incredibly gritty black metal with surprizingly precise drumming. Among the more interesting tracks are In the Name of Iblis, which features near-constant blast beats, drowned-out guitars and most of all a vocal-track that alternates between roaring black metal vocals and what I assume is some sort of muslim prayer. It works surprizingly well in the same manner as depressive and atmospheric black metal with the grim soundscapes and atmospheres.

I would be lying if I said Seeds of Iblis would interest me if it wasn't for their theme. Well, one thing is their choice of theme, another thing is that two of the four band members are FEMALE! Women aren't exactly the predominant sex in metal as it is, but I don't think I can recall a single black metal band with even one female member.
Seeds of Iblis, while their main strongpoints are the fact that they deal with unusual subjects in their lyrics, also delivers in terms of black metal. They may not have outstanding riffs like Satyricon or Darkthrone, they may not have the artillery-like drums of Marduk and 1349, they may not have the characteristic vocals of Legion, Varg Vikernes or Gaahl, but with what little they have they make it work as minimalistic black metal tunes enjoyable to fans of depressive black metal. 7/10 guitars.

Tracklist:
1. Inverted Hilal
2. No Islam
3. Sex with Muhammad's Corpse
4. In the Name of Iblis

The Blame - Born [Full length] (2011, Raven Records)

The Blame is a Turkish metal band formed in 2006. For a band that has only previously released a demo, I'm going to have to say that I'm severely impressed. "Born" from 2011 is a heavy, groove-ridden album with just a teeny tiny bit of power metal in the mix, and everything just comes together in one big explosion of nicely varied and powerful metal.

Coming out of nowhere it's not often you see a band's first effort be completely breathtaking. While the vocals struggle a little with the higher notes and the music in general lacks a bit of memorability, the album certainly isn't lacklustre and with the amount of variation The Blame put forth "Born" just didn't get boring.
I sensed a lot of Pantera and Machine Head in their songwriting and especially in the drumming, but it isn't overdone or even very noticable. The Blame's lead singer Enver Yilmaz has some pretty cool Phil Anselmo and Joey Belladonna-ish things going on with his vocals, and in general the album could probably best be described as a mix between early Anthrax and Pantera with some tendencies towards more high notes and epic melodies in the vocals, only a few times peppered by raw growley vocals. Obviously I'm over-simplifying things, but in order to just boil it down a bit that is generally the feel I get from listening to The Blame.

Reading about the band online I saw them described as progressive thrash metal once or twice, but in all honesty I can't quite put my finger on in what way The Blame is progressive. They certainly aren't your typical garden-variety thrash band (probably because they aren't trying to be Slayer), but bands like Artillery, Kreator and Megadeth are proof that modern thrash has moved in a more melodic direction with a wholesome and heavy production rather than the gritty, lo-fi production of the early 80's.

The Blame's debut album features both the close-to-mandatory soulful songs and highly melodic but great groove and energetic playing and drumming. There's something, however, about Born that I can't quite put my finger on. Sometimes the vocals are just a bit over the top, and the music lacks hooks. While Born is a great album to listen to while doing other stuff, it's not something that I would sit down and listen to closely, at least not very often. 7/10 guitars.

Tracklist:
1. Another Stolen Life
2. Beyond the Wind
3. Deserted Nation
4. Exile
5. Fading Day
6. Guiding Light
7. Lost in a Rabbit-Hole
8. Made of Stone
9. Sacred Souls
10. The Scarab
11. Valley of Trade

THE BLAME official site
Raven Records official site

Dark Entropy - 2011 Demo [Demo] (2011, Self-released)

In genres such as thrash it's hard not to compare every new and modern band you listen to with the fathers of the genre back in the 80's. For example it's obvious that Suicidal Angels have taken a lot of inspiration from Slayer, while Trench Hell take a lot from Celtic Frost and the like. But with Dark Entropy there aren't any obvious inspirations from the 80's bands, and they're one of the few newer thrash bands that aren't revivalists. In short Dark Entropy, who formed in Chicago in 2008, is a modern thrash band with some minor groove influences.

But this does not speak for itself. A band obviously isn't good just because they don't sound exactly like one of the big four. Their hitherto only release, the 2011 Demo, offers some fairly low-tempo thrash metal with a few mildly enjoyable, but ultimately mediocre, Testament-ish riffs. They basically took the Thrash 101 and followed it to precision, making for some very predictable groove-infused thrash metal with simple verse/chorus/verse structure.

Alas, I cannot push back this subject any further. I have to talk about the vocals. When I started listening to the demo, FEAR comes on with its ponderously chugging guitar leads and I thought this was gonna be "just another thrash band". Instead I got "just another thrash band, but with terrible vocals". Not only are they poorly done in general, the singer is completely out of tune and, to me, sounds tonedeaf. I don't think he hit a single note right in the first song.
Whenever the vocals just follow a simple roaring pattern in just a single tone the vocals aren't half bad, but when he tries out some melodies and stuff like that it just falls through completely and ruins any enjoyability the track might have had.
Lyrically Dark Entropy have a long way to go. The lyrics are just so completely dull and typical that I would've preferred unintelligible, mindless groaning and screaming. The 13 year old me would probably have thought stuff like "Marching side by side, no where can you hide" was witty and intelligent, but nowadays material like that just doesn't cut it for me.

Dark Entropy is a 5-man band, but to be honest it doesn't really show on the demo. Only once or twice could I tell that there were two guitarists, and I feel that if you're gonna have two in a band you might aswell utilize it better. The quintet just don't reach the full potential of having two guitarists - They could've had a lot more variety by playing harmonics or other stuff I won't even begin to talk about, but instead it's completely indiscernable and unnecesarry.
Instrumentally Dark Entropy have their moments with some fairly powerful parts in tracks like Sins of our Fathers, but listening to their 2011 demo won't feel like the first time you listen to Sepultura or Metallica, and it certainly won't recreate the same feel of empowering invigoration. 4/10 guitars for unoriginal boredom.

Tracklist:
1. FEAR
2. Broken Night
3. Enlisted in Suicide
4. Sins of our Fathers

DARK ENTROPY official site

Total Desaster - Warfare Noise [Demo] (2011, Metaltifus Productions)

Black and thrash metal have always seemed to go well hand in hand, and the Colombian trio Total Desaster (named after the Destruction song) takes this old kinship and combines it, making for some fairly uninteresting blackened thrash metal. Right off the bat I could tell it would be heavily black metal inspired, but Total Desaster (formerly known as Devastation) aren't reinventing the genre.

First of all the riffs, catchy as they may seem, are incredibly short which results in incredibly monotonous and repetitive song structure. In all honesty it's just boring to hear the same three riffs over and over for the duration of a song. The drums aren't exactly helping in that regard as they're slight variations of the same d-beat over and over and over.
One thing that has a little appeal about the Warfare Noise demo is that it's raw as fuck, but unfortunately having only one guitarist this also results in some solos that completely ruin any flow they might have put forth.
I've gone rather slavishly over all aspects of the 2011 demo except the bass and the vocals. The vocals are pretty uninteresting when you can even hear them. They're just too low in the mix making them little more than background noise, and the bass really varies in quality. It fits alright in Dive Bomber, but on Armies of Death it sounds terrible with its almost off-beat picking. It could probably be compared to having your face slapped repeatedly with a limp dick.

In closing Total Desaster's Warfare Noise is a demo that just has too little work put into it. It doesn't feel like a proper effort and probably won't anytime soon dethrone bands like Deströyer 666 as the top bands of the genre. The production, while gritty, has too little warmth and sounds too much like Burzum's earliest recordings. That said, the drumset actually sounds pretty good compared to the rest. 4/10 guitars.

Tracklist:
1. Intro
2. Dive Bomber
3. Hell Attack
4. Devastation
5. Armies of Death
6. Antichrist (Sepultura Cover)

TOTAL DESASTER official site
Metaltifus Productions official site

Snaegr - The Hordes of Chaos [Demo] (2011, Self-released)

To me Swedish death metal is probably the most easily recognizable branch of death metal. From the chainsaw-guitar sound, the slow, thrashy riffs, the menacing atmosphere and the filthy production makes it stand out anywhere.
Without reading the band biography beforehand I casually put on Snaegr's newest demo "The Hordes of Chaos", and before the one minute intro song was even half over I thought to myself "they're definitely Swedish". And correct, Snaegr is a Swedish death metal band doing their best to follow in the footsteps of bands like Entombed, Grave and Dismember.

Other than their blatant worship of the Swedish legends you can also find hints of other bands, namely the British band Bolt Thrower. This is evident in both the way they construct their riffs and their inspiration from the fantasy boardgame Warhammer, from which their name is also taken.

For a 4-song demo one cover-song and a pretty straight forward intro track is just too little effort. It's almost impossible to get a complete view of the band on what is essentially two real tracks. If the band's other two demos are equally short I would've preferred if they had compiled all the tracks and put them on one release. What I got from the rather short demo was really what I also mentioned above: That they've listened to a LOT of Swedish death metal, and that they've played a lot of Warhammer.

In terms of musicianship the band's riffmaker Christofer Davidsson is a moderately good guitar player and riffateer, and band's second member, the vocalist Fredrik Johansson, is a pretty decent growler. The production is like it should be: Gritty, filthy and at times you can even catch the fragrant stench of death in your nostrils if you let the music take you to the bands' insane state of mind.

Ultimately The Hordes of Chaos feels like a half-assed effort with too few tracks that don't always seem as worked-through as I have come to expect from demos nowadays. While Snaegr have some cool things going for them, they're still just clinging a bit too much to a genre that has seen hundreds, if not thousands, of bands of varying quality come and go without really doing anything out of the ordinary. 6/10 guitars.

Tracklist:
1. Risen from Below
2. End of All Things
3. The Hordes of Chaos
4. Born for Burning (Bathory Cover)

SNAEGR's facebook page

Stillborn - Los Asesinos del Sur [Full length] (2011, Ataman Productions)

Having listened to and reviewed all these great Polish bands these last couple of weeks has made me think Poland doesn't have bad metal bands. Let's just say that Stillborn isn't going to change my mind;

Boasting a severe arsenal of semi-technical and fast blackened death metal with a ton of blast beats this fourth album from Stillborn is by no means a light-weight in terms of brutality. Their evil sound and focus on blasphemic themes fits perfectly with their choice of genre, and they do what they do very well. In conjunction with the pretty good vocals, the good production and the tremolo-based riffs this makes for an overall great recipe for fast-as-hell blackened death metal.

What the album Los Asesinos del Sur really lacks is hooks. Getting into it took me quite a few listens, and even then I'm having troubling remembering the individual songs from time to time, even if these are really good in their own right. Other than Antonym, which I feel is Stillborn's best effort on this album, the tracks tend to be "listen-and-forget", probably because they mostly follow the same formular all the way through. It simply isn't as catchy as I would've liked, but then again some may argue that blackened death metal isn't about catchiness.

To boil it all down to a few sentences, Stillborn's Los Asesinos del Sur is a worthy and above average effort in the genre. They should be proud of themselves and I'd recommend listening to Stillborn if you're into blasphemous, malevolent death metal with a twist of black metal. 7/10 guitars.

Tracklist:
1. Overture .966
2. Hymn of Destruction
3. Diamonds of the Last Water
4. Antonym
5. Son of the Holy Motherfucker
6. Blood and Dust
7. Kot Wolanda
8. Los Asesinos del Sur
9. Stillborn II
10. Whore of the Whores

STILLBORN official site
Ataman Productions official site

Countess - On Wings of Defiance [Full length] (2011, Barbarian Wrath)

Usually when I listen to music to review I like to give a few listens before I write it, but in the case of Countess' newest album "On Wings of Defiance" I had to give up after a mere two listens. That's all I could bear.

I could go on and on about what's wrong with the album... So that's what I'm going to do: First of all the guitar tone is completely atrocious, sounding more like a failed attempt to play Dire Straits à la Satan than... Well, any metal genre really. The album starts out with an 8-minute epic with insanely monotonous and single-tracked drums which begs the question if Orlok, the sole member of Countess, knows anything about drum-programming. Vocal-wise he doesn't fair much better, and half-way into the first track I'd already grown bored and slighty irritated with his generic, incessant barking.
Apparently Countess' idea of a great album is an hour long pile of completely unvaried, beginner-level black metal riffs with equally unvaried vocals and drums. The only thing that comes close to variation on "On Wings of Defiance" is the entirely arbitrary changes between Scandinavian and Mediterranean sounding melodic riffs.

Enough of the senseless ranting. Boiled down to a few sentences, Countess' 2011 album is little more than unvaried sub-standard Bathory-influenced black metal with cheesy MIDI-keyboard sounds. I remember there was a time where I thought all one-man bands were awesome, but some of my more recent acquaintances have certainly made me rethink that notion.

I admire a band that can be persistent, and Countess has released a multitude of albums over the years since its' creation in 1992, but if all of those releases are equally lacking as On Wings of Defiance things are looking grim... And not in a good way.

But it's not all bad, I actually moderately enjoyed the song Foggy Dew, the 8-minute 6th track of the 11 track album. But if I had to choose between Bathory, by whom Countess is obviously inspired, I would always choose Bathory, even if Quorthon also had his dodgy moments when it came to vocal performance. Orlok's Countess merely feels like a watered down Bathory with the same boring riffs played ad nauseum. 4/10 guitars.

Tracklist:
1. Where Eagles Die
2. I am the Infidel
3. Let the River Run Red
4. Invictus
5. At the Hot Gates I Stand
6. Foggy Dew
7. Sermon of the Devil Preacher
8. An Emperor's Stand
9. On Wings of Defiance
10. Night of the Demon (Demon Cover)
11. In League with Satan (Venom Cover)

COUNTESS official site
Barbarian Wrath official site

Digging Your Tomb - Demo(lition) [Demo] (2011, Self-released)

Slams all around! That's the feeling you get when you listen to Digging Your Tomb's 4th demo, the not-so-originally titled "Demo(lition)". The brutal Spanish trio delivers supreme guttural might on three masterfully crafted songs with more goresoaked vocals and slam riffs than you can shake a stick at.

Digging Your Tomb are pretty similar to the Norwegian butcherers in Kraanium in terms of the thugget-out-ness of their slams aswell as the way they build up their songs and the guttural style of the vocals. Like any good slam demo, Demo(lition) features cripling slams and breakdowns at both high and low tempoes, and compared to other upcoming bands of the genre they seem to have a little better understanding of song flow.

One thing about slamming brutal death metal bands though... I find it hard to be really enthusiastic about them, probably because there are so many of them. You wouldn't get excited over someone who had a nice ball-point pen either, would you? It's beginning to feel the same way with slam bands, even if Digging Your Tomb display an obvious expertice in the field.

All in all Digging Your Tomb isn't crazy technical, but one of the great things about this genre is that the music doesn't need to be blistering fast and hard to play. In a way I'd call Digging Your Tomb's demo the easy listening of slam. Though "brutal" is a descriptive term every scene kid and their dogs throws at every band who's lyrics are about gore or death I think that Demo(lition) is mighty brutal in every sense of the word! 7/10 guitars.

Tracklist:
1. 666 Deads
2. Inhuman Hostility
3. Weaponized
4. Outro

DIGGING YOUR TOMB official site
Listen for yourself HERE

Wendess - Nuée Noire [Full length] (2011, Self Mutilation Services)

Depressive and atmospheric black metal, often chriticized for being a way too "easy" genre that every babboon can play, is mostly seen in conjuction with lenghty black metal tunes with tortured vocals, a truckload of highly distorted tremolo riffs and drums that range from simple 4/4's to blistering blast beats.

Hailing from Canada Wendess is in all aspects a traditional atmospheric black metal band with some tendencies toward depressive themes. Already from the first of the five it's obvious that their focus lies with the melancholic feelings invoked by the pain-filled vocals and the foggy atmosphere occassionally created by the heavy ambiance and huge contrast between peaceful parts with clean guitars and the chaotic cacophony of the more traditional black metal parts.
Wendess is one of those bands that master the change from violent blast beats and aggressive tremolo-riffs in the spirit of true black metal to scenic soundscapes of a dovish nature that are so frequently associated with atmospheric bands. Just when you thought they had nothing more to add they come back with yet another detail or hitherto unseen part that makes for an overall enjoyable listening experience.

Nuée Noire offers just over one hour of sombre music for you to enjoy. The unending songs just keep going on and on and the production work is near perfection. There is just one thing, though... It's hard not to compare them to other bands of the rather crowded genre. One could compare them to both Shining, Silencer, Xasthur, Wedard aswell as newer bands like Ash Borer and Fell Voices. What purpose does this serve? Well it show that Wendess, good or not, haven't exactly invented the wheel per se. They do their thing well but unfortunately lie in the deep shadows of those who came before them.
I had a hard time choosing a rating for Wendess' 2011 album "Nuée Noire". I enjoyed the album very much, but then again they're not bringing anything new to the table. 7 or 8? The benefit of the doubt says 8/10 guitars.

Tracklist:
1. Intro&Seroquel
2. Xanax
3. 8915
4. Lithium
5. Outro

WENDESS official site
Self Mutilation Services official site

Encephalopathy - Promo EP 2011 [EP] (2011, Self-released)

It seems like everybody and their grandmothers play in a slam band these days. Obviously this leads to a very large quantity of immensely mediocre bands, but every so often you stumble upon a shining gem... Encephalopathy is one such gem. Their tendency towards devastatingly heavy and crushing slam riffs combined with the inhuman pus-dripping vocal efforts of band frontman Matze makes for some effin' great slamming brutal death metal.

With chugs-a-plenty Encephalopathy is like an unstoppable train of low- and mid-tempoed brutal death metal. But as with any train it's just railroaded in one direction. The German three-man abomination against nature has very little variety on their three track demo, and while the few gore-soaked tracks are like little bits of chocolaty goodness they've limited themselves to a small niche of death metal by doing little more than the mandatory in regards of guitars, drumming and vocals.

It's not fair to say that they're completely unvaried. They don't fall in every stereotypical pit of slam, like ultra-slow breakdowns with below guttural growls, and every so often they sneak in a little blast beat or two. When listening to this demo EP you won't get bored and while Encephalopathy never reach lightspeed their sense of flow is remarkably good. Their compositions are truly a worthwhile listen. Only thing is that with the lack of speed also comes a certain lack of intensity which means most of their material sort of lacks a climax.
The lack of variety means I can only give them 7/10 guitars, but I will definitely be on the lookout for new material.

Tracklist:
1. Fetus Throatfuck
2. Cut Her Lips Off
3. The Sad Story About a Rotten Head in my Fridge

ENCEPHALOPATHY official site
Download and listen for yourself right HERE

Sapanakith - Promo [Demo] (2011, Self-released)

To most outsiders all brutal death metal bands sound completely alike. Even to seasoned fans of the genre it can be difficult to distinguish between the hordes of bands. Some differentiate themselves by having a certain style, and especially the South American scene has a certain sound to it that makes it fairly easy to recognize.

Sapanakith, a brutal three-man death band, hail from Laos in Asia. While they don't stand much out from the crowd they do what they do well. Their style is pretty close to many of the South Asian bands of the genre, which ultimately borrow many of their characteristics from the South American scene. To describe Sapanakith's sound I'll have to say they went for the all-in-one bargain which apparently contains pig squeels, saucepan snares, chuggy riffs and blast beats. While this is mostly tantamount to boredom the Laos trio have somehow managed to find just the right amount of each so that it doesn't become boring. Then again with just two tracks and a cover song on the demo it doesn't leave much room for experimentation or... Well anything really.

I've noticed a tendency among brutal death metal bands of releasing very short demos. I understand new bands want their material spread around as fast as possible, but honestly, how about putting just a little more work into it and making 4 or 5 songs? Since brutal death metal by nature is kinda brief a 2 or 3 song demo is almost over before it even began and the same goes for Sapanakith's 2011 demo. Just when you're getting into it and feeling the vibe it's over. You kinda get the feeling that Sapanakith don't really get to prove themselves. Another problem with short demos is that it doesn't really leave much to talk about...

As mentioned earlier the band play straight up brutal death metal with a few slamming parts once in a while. They're nothing special, but they play the genre better than many other bands. One thing: Their sound is great. Everything is perfectly balanced and completely audible, and that's a huge plus considering the amount of bands with a muddy, unintelligible sound. 7/10 guitars.

Tracklist:
1. Demerit Sanction
2. Immoral Corrupted Tyrants
3. Womb Full of Scabs (Disgorge Cover)

SAPANAKITH official site
Download the demo and listen for yourself HERE