Category: Album Review

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MORGUE TERROR- Self Titled -REVIEW

At first glance the cover to Morgue Terror’s debut EP looks like a Dangerous Toys album or a Flea Market grade Art the Clown. The truth is Morgue Terror is an album about Horror’s newest Icon, Art the Clown from the Terrifer films. The band likely had to tweak the image enough to keep everyone’s lawyers happy.

Just like the films the songs are based off, Morgue Terror plays sick and brutal. There is a ton of groove behind the mayhem that gives off impressive early Cannibal Corpse vibes. “Salt the Wound,” is a neck snapper with some sick riffs and even nastier vocals. As the track goes on Morgue Terror turns up the heat and adds some pretty tasty solos.

“Night Stalker,” slows the pace but keeps the groove. The blast beat drums at the mid point pair perfectly with another impressive solo buy guest guitarist Brian Mason. “Broken, Beaten, Beheaded,” brings more intense riffage to the table that hammer the licks into your head. “Morbid Curiosities,” has a nice early thrash feel in the beginning that quickly quicks into high gear making it one of the more faster and brutal tracks on the EP.

“Chopped up Chum,” closes things out with a crawl that quickly amps up it into a wild frenzy of mayhem. Just as the song nears the end, everything slows down to an erries on easy crawl as the sound filters out.  Much like the films the music is based on Morgue Terror are a sick assault on the senses, with stabbing riffs, bludgeoning drums and sickening vocals.

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ALTAR of BETELGEUZE – Echoes – REVIEW

 

Do you love Doom Metal? Hate it? Don’t care for it? Altar of Betlegeuze has you covered with their latest release, Echoes.

The Finnish Doom masters have cleverly melded multiple styles and sounds into something that is accessible to everyone. Every note feels heavy as Altar of Betlegeuze set out to prove slower usually means heavier. Altar of Betlegeuze aren’t playing slow just for the sake of being a “Doom” band. Every note march the songs forward. No fancy fills or strange ambient passages. Throughout the recording you’ll hear harsh and clean vocals, sludgy riffs and even some hints of Groove Metal. “Embrace the Flames,” is a banger that feels a little different than the rest with its’ “speed” Altar of Betelgeuze is able to do all of this while remaining true to their original Doom beginnings, keeping it mean, slow and heavy.

If you are looking for an album to introduce yourself or a friend to Doom Metal without scaring them away, look no further.

 

 

 

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HAREMSLUTS – Code Minority – REVIEW

I’m not sure what the Hardcore scene is like in Dhaka, Bangladesh but if HaremSlut’s new EP Code Minority is any indication, it’s thriving and liable to cause internal bleeding.

HarlemSluts is a one man project by Asif Arbar. For live performances HaremSluts play as a four piece. The EP was mixed and mastered by the king of one man noise, Joel Grind. That in itself is reason enough for me to check this release out. Like most hardcore and crossover groups, this EP is covered in political and anti-facist lyrical themes.

While there are only 4 tracks on this EP, Code Minority packs a wallop. The root of HaremSlut’s may be Hardcore but there is plenty of crossover and punk influence melded in. The title track is strongest output here. Arbar screams out his frustrations about racial inequality all the while laying down some catchy melodies.

“False Alarm,” slows the pace down a bit  but still delivers with Arbar lyrics taking center stage. “Take ’em Down,” brings a little more punk to the party with fantastic gang vocals that will leave you screaming along.

 

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SUFFER, Gristle, Bruised Spots & Trimmed Fat – REVIEW

 

South Dakota’s Suffer was formed way back in 1989. The members were only teenagers at the time but where still able to boast themselves as pioneers of the early Brutal Death Metal movement. Admittedly I had never heard of Suffer prior to checking out this EP. I quickly learned that I need to correct this mistake.

While the band never really enjoyed the attention other extreme bands enjoyed in the 90s, Suffer has plenty left to prove with this EP. Opening track, “Human Primal Cuts,” is a brutal monster. The riffs are hard as hell but they still leave plenty of melody with the guitar solos. The vocals go hard and are right on par with Carcass. That’s a huge plus in my book. Speaking of Carcass, the lyrics are sick, twisted and foul. Suffer may not have released a proper album in over 20 years but they sure haven’t lost any of their brutality in any of that time.

With only 3 new songs on this EP it’s enough to whet your appetite for the next album. Thankfully Suffer isn’t going to make us “Suffer,” (sorry) and wait too long for their next release. Their next full length album, Grand Canvas of Aesthete, is coming out this year. You can preorder the upcoming album at Wise Blood Records  starting 1/29/23.

In the meantime, I’m going to check out the rest of Suffer’s discography.

 

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GOHANGMUSIC – Godless EP – REVIEW

 

And now for something completely different.

When you first inspect the cover to GoHangMusic’s EP Godless, with the bloody figure and black crosses you may think you are about to check out some nasty and savage Black Metal. Once you hit play, you’ll find you initial impressions are wrong. Very Wrong.

The title track “Godless,” sounds like something off a generic rock radio station. It’s not bad by any means. It just not the gut punch we are used to. GoHangMusic bills itself as, “misanthropic industrial folk punk.” The music inside is as interesting as the genre they are a part of.  While nothing included here as as heavy as we are used to here at Trve Kvlt, there are plenty of rocking tunes.  Luckily the Ep really picks up with the second track. “Dust,” is full of killer riffs and clean refrains that become earworms. “Necrotized,” picks up the pace with plenty of punk inspired piss and anger.

“Awash,” sees GoHangMusic go in a different direction. The usual clean vocals are left behind for angry and raspy screams. The tempo slows down to a plodding pace creating the perfect eerie atmosphere.

 

 

 

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BLOODLETTER – A Different Kind of Hell – REVIEW

 

Halloween is officially over for most people, which means it’s time for the general public to start making their Xmas shopping lists and descend into yuletide madness. Thankfully, that’s not the case with Trve Kvlt Coffee. Here we are working on a different kind of list.

The list of the best Metal releases of 2023.

Bloodletter’s newest ripper, A Different Kind of Hell is a definite contender for the coveted number 1 slot. I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve spun this banger. It just keeps getting better each and every time I listen to it.  The album is 30+ minutes of some of the new best melodic/thrash I’ve heard in some time. Each and every track is explosive and goes right in for the kill.

One of the things I enjoy most about this recording are the killer harmonized guitars lead and riffs that are plentiful throughout the album. Never have I had such a good time getting my teeth kicked in! Bloodletter’s execution is spot on and perfectly walks the line between traditional thrash and blackened thrash. While the vocals aren’t guttural, they still come across savage and are a perfect match for the sonic blur of sound that is going on here.

From the opening track, “The Howling Dead,” to album closer, “Flesh Turned to Ash,” Bloodletter hardly pause the chaos for a moment. This is an album that grows with each listen. After you survive the initial beating you’ll begin to discover incredible riffs, harmonies and arrangements outside the blast zone.

When Wise Blood Records called this a “Thrasterpiece,” they weren’t kidding!

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HEMPLIFIER – The Stoner Side of Doom – REVIEW

 

Alright friends. Grab a seat. Take off your shoes. Lean back and relax. We are going to take off on a journey through the stars with Hemplifier. The group’s debut album is 6 tracks of weed and riffs worship.

Just as their band name and album title suggest, Hemplifier play slow and heavy riffs filled with plenty of fuzz and bong fumes. The 6 track album starts off with “Headless Chicken,” that features a slow drum march. Their sound goes a few steps further with the next track, “Brujo.” The track sludges along for some time until the haunting and howling vocals kick in. While there is plenty of slow and heavy riffing there isn’t much on the vocal front on this album.

This is pretty much the stage that Hemplifier has set. 7 to 8 minute tracks of sludgy, fuzzy and mellow riffing with the occasional howl or scream. Just like Sleep or Weedeater you can practically smell the ganja in these tracks. Keeping it simple Hemplifier have cooked up a nice little listen for the times you just want to relax and let the music take you.

Or you’re just giving your neck some rest.

 

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KRIGSGRAV – Fires in the Fall _ REVIEW

 

Labor day is the unofficial last day of summer in the states. Many begin look forward to Fall with its longer and colder nights and onslaught of pumpkin spice products. Here a Trve Kvlt, nothing warms our little black hearts more than a fresh serving of Black Metal.

Krigsgrav is from Texas and with the current heat wave the states is experiencing, it might as well be Hell itself. Perhaps just the spark of inspiration that band needs to keep pumping out incredible material. Fires in the Fall, is the group’s 7th album in their 20 year existence.

One of the first things that hits you on your first listen is the outstanding production. Every note and sound is heard and has a larger than life feeling. This is especially felt in many of the Doom elements that are infused into the recording. While production value is often looked as the enemy of Black Metal, Krisgrav expertly use it their advantage.

Krisgrav creates melodic atmosphere throughout the album. Each song feels massive and takes on a life of its own. At one moment you are enjoying a nice slow Doom beat and the next Krisgrav hammers you over the head with some killer thrash riffs and hooks. The band perfectly fuses these elements together with great fluidity.

Closing track, “Alone with the Setting Sun,” is the band at their peak. Krisgrav adds just the perfect touches of Doom, Black and classic Death Metal here to make an absolute banger. There are too many great guitar moments here to count. Stop reading and start listening!

 

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CORPSESSED – Skeletal Grotesquery – REVIEW

If it wasn’t for the few moments of crowd interactions between songs and the band introduction towards the end of the album, I would not have pegged this for a live album. Corpsessed are just that tight live. Not to mention fucking brutal.

Skeletal Grotesquery was recorded live just last year at the Braincrusher in Hell Festival that took place in Germany. Corpsessed must have taken the festival name to heart as this is a totally savage performance. If you are one that finds themselves on the fence regarding live albums, this may the one that sways your outlook.

If you are new to the band, this performance highlights 9 of groups best tracks. The vocals are awesomely savage and guttural  matching perfectly with the mid tempo and murky guitars. There is plenty of complexity to their sound. The fact that they can pull this sound off so efficiently makes for such a satisfying listen. You can literally feel the brutality coming off this recording.

Judging from what is heard here, Corpsessed are a fucking ferocious live.

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DEMONSTEALER – The Propaganda Machine – REVIEW

 

Coming to us from India is Demonstealer. The man behind Demonic Resurrection has put together 8 tracks that are the collective vision of 4 drummers, 4 bassists, 3 lead guitarists and one keyboardist from all across the planet.

While that’s a lot of cooks working on the same meal, the results here are for the most part pretty damn impressive. “The Fear Campaign,” starts off the album with a huge jolt and barley lets up in it’s 6 minute playtime. Everything sounds larger than life from the thunderous bass and drums, sick vocals and some really catchy synth tones. Is it Melodic Death Metal or is it Symphonic? I dont give a shit, all I know this is one helluva a banger and it perfectly starts the album.

As you listen to the following tracks, you can hear the different flavors that each artist brings to the table. Some parts are more brutal, some are more technical but it all feels like it is coming from the same band. That’s a big plus in my book as often times collaborative efforts feel like a different band with each song.

The only parts I can’t deal with are the Metalcore clean chorus parts. They are too monotonous and take me completely out of the song. Maybe I’m just an old man and don’t understand the genre. The Death Metal vocals however are brutal as fuck and thoroughly make up for it.

While the album seems to loose a little steam at the midpoint, the first 2 tracks on this recording are so intoxicating, you’ll find yourself wanting to listen to more.