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ZANJEER – Parcham Buland Ast – REVIEW

Zanjeer play some explosive hardcore punk that’s as hard hitting as it is catchy. Their debut EP of 6 tracks with each song barley of a minute is a quick listen. It quickly hits hard and ends just as fast but it’s just as long as it needs to be. The album feels like a quick shot of adrenaline, the kind of album you need to listen to pump yourself up before  performing some sort of mundane task.

Zanjeer is out of Breman, Germany and composed of highly skilled hardcore veterans from across the robe. United by political and religious frustration Zanjeer’s songs are written in a multitude of different languages. While the lyrics maybe difficult to understand, the message is clear. Zanjeer is pissed and punk as fuck and they aren’t going to take what’s going on with the world today.

Got a few minutes to kill? Check this EP out now.

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Bill Steer talks with Trve Kvlt Coffee about their latest release, Torn Arteries.

Here’s a treat for you this Samhain Season. A little over a year ago, I was able to chat with the mighty Bill Steer of Carcass. This interview was tied up for a bit and I am extremely excited share it with you now.

If you are already here, I don’t have to explain to you about how important his contributions to extreme Metal music have been over the years. Being a huge Carcass fan, I was pretty nervous to interview him but he quickly calmed that fear. Bill may be one of the most humble and genuine artists that I have interviewed over the years.

 

 

Trve Kvlt Coffee: Your new album, Torn Arteries was finally released in September which was pushed out for over a year. What was it like to have to sit on that album for so long?

 

Bill Steer: Well, in all truth, it’s probably closer to 2 years since we finished the thing. I can’t even remember the original release date. Even before Covid happened the release date was pushed back a couple of times for one reason or another. Around March last year the world changed and we knew we would have to sit on this a while longer. We certainly weren’t alone in that, it seemed like there were quite a few bands and artists in a similar position. You couldn’t really start feeling sorry for yourself. It was a minor inconvenience compared to what some people are going through. 

 

TKC: Looking on the bright side you did manage to release the Despicable EP last year in its place to sort of tide the fans over.

 

BS: Exactly. The original intention was for the Despicable EP to follow the album much in the same way as Surgical Steel had an EP come out a few months later. Then once the virus kicked in, Nuclear Blast decided to reverse everything and they wanted to wait for us to be ready to tour before they released the album. They decided to stick the EP out to keep a bit of interest in the band. Of course the strange thing now is that the album is out and we still won’t be quite ready to tour. I’m still glad though, it’s a tremendous relief to see this thing out there. 

 

TKC: Definitely! I love the new album, I’ve already listened to it a few times. One thing I loved with the Despicable release, there was a bundle that included a face mask. 

 

BS: Really? You know I had forgotten all about that. I’m always the last to know about some of these promotional ideas. 

 

TKC: I thought that if any band was going to have some sort of surgical style mask, it had to be Carcass. 

 

BS: They think of everything. I mean, I just recently heard about this dinner plate thing. I actually thought someone was winding me up on the phone. After we finished the interview,I checked it out online. That’s crazy.

 

TKC: I read that the album’s title, Torn Arteries, came from an early demo from (original drummer) Ken Owen. 

 

BS: This is going way back. We were teenagers in school together. Sometimes he would bring in sets of lyrics he had written, they were almost like poetry because we didn’t really have an active band at the time. I think we were around 15 or so. Some of those sets of lyrics worked their way into early Carcass stuff when we actually started the band up properly. I do remember him bringing in this tape. It was a very crude recording but it distorted so brutally it sounded a lot bigger and threatening than it really was. Essentially, it was a guy playing Spanish guitar in his bedroom and overdubbing some drums which were really books and then he was screaming over top of it. It was a pretty out there sound that he had recorded. I wish I still had the tape. It might be in the bottom of a box somewhere in my parent’s attic. Years later I mentioned this recording to Jeff (Walker). I think he was quite taken at the title and the whole story behind it. 

 

TKC: That’s really cool to hear. I think it’s great that you are still able to include Ken in some way.

 

BS: He’s always there in some form, he was in the band from the very start and he’s on that initial run of albums. What he brought to the band and his approach to music, there is always going to be an element of that. If you have so much time with somebody, as a friend or as a musician in a band, they are going to rub off on you and that influence stays.

 

TKC: Carcass has had some history of incredibly gory album covers. The cover for Torn Arteries is pretty unique. Where did the idea for this album cover come from?

 

BS: I genuinely have no idea. I didn’t realize Jeff was going to do this. I think he had been collaborating with an artist friend in Poland, a man whose name I still can’t pronounce properly unfortunately. Looking at the finished results, I’m guessing they spent a while working on this thing. That first that Dan Wilding and  myself knew about it was when Jeff presented the finished article. The one thing that we felt was that we didn’t want anything that felt too generic, Jeff worked really hard in that direction for something that was going to stand out. Off the back of that naturally you are going to polarize your audience. From what I gather there is a real mix of opinion, some people enjoy the fact that it is so different and there are other people who just think it looks terrible. It seems to have gotten people talking, which is probably what they were after

 

TKC: I remember first looking at it and thinking it was a little simple and then it struck me. That heart is made out of vegetables. I thought that was very clever.

 

BS: It seems that there are a few people saying, “Oh god. Now they are forcing a vegan message on us!” Which couldn’t be further from the truth as far as I’m concerned. I can’t speak for Jeff but I imagine he feels the same way. Whether it’s his lyrics or the kind of imagery he does for the band it seems he rather have people come to their own conclusions about it. It is there for people to interpret whatever they wish into it. Once you put something out into the public domain, you no longer have full control, people will take it into interesting directions, stuff you wouldn’t even think of.

 

TKC: I love some of the dark humor that Carcass has with some of your song titles such as,”Elenor Rigamortis,” 

 

BS: Yeah, I’d say it’s probably safe to say that there has been a subtle humor running though all of the Carcass items lyrically. It was very obvious to us as teenagers when we first started. The first 2 albums were the three of us (Bill, Jeff and Ken) all writing lyrics. On the third album Jeff had kind of made that his own and it’s been that way ever since. Dark humor is a big thing for him. 

 

TKC: Since your first album, your sound has always been evolving. On this new album, you have some incredible guitar work here. The intro to “The Scythe’s Remorseless Swing?” is fantastic.

 

BS: Thanks. It seemed to me we couldn’t justify making a new album unless it was genulily new music. There are some elements of our sound that are just corner stones and they will probably always be there but equally I think in order to move forward you have to bring in slightly new things and it doesn’t need to be anything radical. We are not the type of group to experiment but we also can’t face the idea of looking over our shoulders to plagiarize thighs we did in the past. It seems to me every record we’ve done is a few steps on from the previous one. 

 

TKC: How does it feel to remain possibly more popular than ever playing this type of extreme music?

 

BS: It’s remarkable. It’s something none of us would have expected going back to the late 80’s and early 90’s. It’s important not to take it for granted, we’ve been very fortunate. In the days when we were still playing festivals and club dates the front rows would tend to be people who were too young to have ever seen us in our original form. What you would naturally get of that is that the music has stood the test of time somewhat. It’s not just that, “you had to be there” music for people of a certain age. 

 

TKC: Since we are getting ready for the spooky season, I wanted to make sure I asked what some of your favorite horror films are.

 

BS: Crikey. I have not watched anything of that nature for so many years. What would even be considered horror now? Obviously, I’m at an age where films were broadly considered horror movies. I’m guessing for younger people a horror film has to have a lot of blood and guts right? The only films that stayed with me from my youth were The Omen and The Exorcist. They are sort of mainstream films but this is something extremely dark about them and they do stand up for repeated viewing. 

 

TKC: Are you looking forward to getting back on the road and playing shows again?

 

BS: Absolutely. In the present day things are looking decent here in Britain. It feels like we are on a very gradual slow return to normality. No idea on how long that might take. We do have one date for a festival in Yorkshire in November. We are not going to assume anything or get carried away with ourselves. Until we are told otherwise we are going to start rehershing again and try to shake off some of the rust

 

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BLASTED HEATH – Vela – REVIEW

 

Black Thrash Space Metal. Those 4 words could sum up Blasted Heath’s debut album, Vela, perfectly. Its as raw and vicious as the great unknown. This group from the far reaches of Indianapolis blend dirty punk riffs with a savage death metal edge. The vocals have an eerie production effect that amplifies the reverb giving it an empty feeling that works well for their “outer space” theme they are going for.

At first glance, this album sounds almost like an homage to some early pioneers of the Black Metal sound such as punk speed and foulness of Venom and the empty darkness of Bathory. “Big Chill,” opens the album up with some nasty dark riffs and echos that match the vocals.

While the first track may feel like an homage, there is plenty going on in this recording. No 2 songs sound alike. Blasted Heath seem to love delivering a variety of styles. Besides the pummeling Blackened Thrash, Blasted Heath includes plenty of slower Doom and Sludge like elements that give the album a more psychedelic and haunting feeling.  “The Wind in Vela,” is an instrumental mostly somber track except for some entrancing sound bites about the real life horrors of interstellar space.

The album closes with the 7 minute epic, “Strange Matter,” that perfectly blends the moodiness, eeriness and thrashing foulness into one song. This is definitely one of those types of albums you need to spin a few times until you “get it.”

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THE HUMAN RACE IS FILTH – Echo Chambers – REVIEW

 

You gotta love that band name. Straight to the point and utterly complete statement. The Human Race is Filth or THIRF for short,  was formed back in 2017 by a bunch of veterans of the Maryland and Pennsylvania extreme music scenes. With a shit load of experience between the band members, THRIF deliver exactly what you would expect on this short EP.

THRIF does a great job playing blistering old school Grind. The closing track, “Shit States USA,” is just a little over 30 seconds and length but starts out with a cool groove before going into full blown blast mode. It’s one of those tracks that remind of the early days of Napalm Death where you would want repeat the shortest tracks over and over.  The group does take time to slow things down a bit in parts. “Mindless Thoughts,” starts with a groovy crawling bass that is followed by a creeping guitar before the blast beats hit What sets THRIF apart is their ability to blend in some Sludge and Doom elements that perfectly fill out a song. It dosent feel at all out of place and still delivers a meaty hook to the jaw.

At less than 10 minutes in length, you can spin Echo Chambers a few time before clocking in to work.

 

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DRIVE BY BUKKAKE – Bastards of Slime – REVIEW

 

The band name alone,  Drive by Bukkake, was enough to pique my interest in the band. Then I checked out some of the song titles; “CumBum,” “Spank Bank,” “Meth Nachos.”  I knew this was going to a fun review.

The movie and TV samples the band uses as intros and throughout some of the songs are funny as hell and perfectly work with each song. Extra points for including my heroes Creed Bratton and Frank Reynolds. Drive by Bukkake are undeniably having a ball on this recording and hopefully the listener is in on the joke. I spent half of my time on this review recalling where the samples used came from. Personally, I find these cats funny as fuck.

Musically, this is a nice mixture of grind, thrash and some sludge thrown in for extra measure. Tons of blisstering guitars and blast beats help Drive by Bukkake get their message across. The higher end vocals hit just right with the perfect amount of savagery.  The gang vocals have a real “Ghoul” feel to them and beg you to scream along.

This is a great listen when you need a little palate cleanser after listening to too much metal that takes itself way too seriously.

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BLOODLETTER – Maligancy – REVIEW

Even though this EP is a re-recording of earlier material, Bloodletter’s Malignancy still feels slightly raw and unpolished but that’s exactly the feel you are going for a down and dirty thrash album. This recording is short and savage at less than 15 minutes in run time with no single track over 4 minutes in length.

This EP dosen’t let up for a second. In between the chaotic pummeling drums and blistering tempos are some great guitar harmonies that really shine and this is where the band really sets themselves apart from others. The vocals are pissed and angry, perfectly melding with the rest of Bloodletter’s sound.

“Skullsplitter,” for me is the stand out track. The lyrics, the breakneck drums and frenzied guitar assault provide the groundwork for a perfect banger.  There is a lot to love on this little EP and I look forward to hearing more from Bloodletter.

 

 

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LIKHELM – Alt Skal Svinne Henn – REVIEW

 

Alright! Here’s some pure 100% Norwegian Black Metal, something here at Trve Kvlt Coffee that is close to our little blackened hearts. Why many newer bands claim to have a “True Norwegian Black Metal,” sound, they often fall short or miss the mark entirely. Thankfully, Likhelm delivers on this promise.  Likelm’s debut EP is a welcome recording full of plenty of all school raw black metal tones, haunting atmospheres and unlike most traditional black metal, some very clean and slick production.

The tracks are vicious with blistering tremlo guitars with shrieks and guttural vocals amongst somber and haunting backgrounds. Spoken vocals are included as well. Likhelm keeps the atmosphere to a minimum instead relying on a satisfying raw and unforgiving experience. The closing track, “Stormen,” is an absolute banger that takes advantage of all these elements. If you dig early Immortal and Mayhem, this one can’t be missed.

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VELICASTE/TUSK – Split – REVIEW

This split is so jam packed full of thick and murky sludge material that it is highly recommended that you put on a good pair of rain boots and a chest wader before diving into this release. Veilcastle and Tusk each contributed 3 tracks of full of doom, dark atmosphere and despair.

Veilcastle opens the split with “Dust and Bone,” a dark and warm track with some clean deep and massive vocals. “Mirrors,” has a strong groovy and stoner metal vibe with deep grooves that plod along. Their final contribution to this split is a cover of The Misfit’s “Return of the Fly”, which is an interesting choice. They manage to take the original punk classic, cover it in a thick sludge and turn it into a much more haunting take than the original.

Tusk take over on the second half of the split with a more sinister take on the genre. The vocals have a much more sinister feel that deliver an all together darker sound. Their first track “Disquiet,” benefits from the use of keyboards and synths for a truly darkened and uneasily feeling. “Entering the Flesh,” offers some clean vocals into the mix for a slightly less heavy track but still manages to pack plenty of atmosphere. A cover of Cannibal Corpse’s “Festering in the Crypt,” closes things out. Tusk’s vocal delivery is sinister here and their murky approach to the song does justice to the original.

 

 

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MAGNATOR – Crushed – REVIEW

We continue the Sludgecore assault this month with the impressive debut album from “Four piece Amplifier Sadists” out of Manchester, New Hampshire, Magnator.  With a heavy nod to the large soundscape sounds of Neurosis and a heap load of groove and a few twists and turns into elements of Black Metal, Magnator have a lot going on with their sound. Thankfully, it’s never a unharmonious change instead everything is pumped out fluidly.

Throughout the album, Magnator has a ton of heavy, crushing riffs and murky bass lines that create the perfect atmospheric listening experience between calm and chaos. The intro bass to “Loving You Was Killing Me,” pulls you in instantly.  John Funk’s drum work keep a steady and powerful groove while the vocals range from soft to harsh for the perfect dramatic feeling.

Magnator’s mellow stoner sound shines on the title track, “Crushed.” The almost eerie and dreamlike sound comes across calm and aggressive at the same time. The vocals have an interesting layered effect that works well here. The riffs here are perfectly balanced. Bonus points for the perfect balance of synth added to this track; it hits just right.

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CULTIC – Of Fire and Sorcery – REVIEW

Upon gazing at the album cover, one may think they are in for an onslaught of over the top and epic Power Metal. The recording opens does open with a powerful sounding orchestral  intro that feels like march to slaying an army of dragons. This is followed by some of the murkiest, sludge and Doom filled riffs to assault your senses. Cultic pack a ton of atmosphere here without forsaking any of the heaviness.

The entire album plods along with an unending dreary filling and heavy dreary filling. The heavy atmosphere at points feels like a sonic dreamlike journey. Adding heavier then dark matter guitar tones ,eerie bass and thunderous drums on top of this leads just amplifies their sound.  Brian Magar’s guttural vocal work is impressive, oozing with heaviness and even haunting especially when he adds in some morbid whispers into the song.

Cultic do a damn fine job of creating an early Doom/Sludge sound while adding some modern touches. The electronics used are in forefront, yet never feel forced blending in perfectly with their murky sound. If you are new to listening to Doom/Sludge this is the album for you as the music is easily accessible and still heavy and murky as fuck. If Doom is your jam, check this album out now!