Category: Album Review

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CRUCIFIED MORTALS – 20 Years Damned- REVIEW

 

Wow. There is a lot here in this release that’s 20 years in the making. Crucified Mortal’s latest offering, “20 Years Damned,” is a collection stuffed like a Thanksgiving turkey ready to be devoured. Included is a collection of limited vinyl releases, EPs, splits and demos that the band has released over the years. Also included is an unreleased rehearsal from the legendary CBGB and a soundboard recording from a 2005 gig in Cincinnati.

Crucified Mortal’s style of extreme Thrash is high energy, speed driven, angry and completely addictive. Think early Slayer, Venom and Exodus and you’ll have an idea of what this Cleveland based band are doing. There are loads of speed driven killer riffs, reckless solos, pounding drums and angry vocals with the occasional growl. The horror movie audio clips that proceed a few of the tracks are a nice touch, other than that this is some pretty straight forward Thrash Metal here. That’s not a dig, Crucified Mortal don’t have to reinvent the wheel to be entertaining. This is some kick ass material that should satisfy even the most jaded Metal fan.

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TRYANNUS – It Taketh -REVIEW

“It Taketh,” is a three song Demo from the Scottish duo Tryannus. Included within is just a taste of what is to come when they release their debut album next year. “The Flood,” starts out with a frenzied Black Metal style with a haunting and icy crawl in the mid section. Title track, “It Taketh,” is filled with plenty of blast beats, buzzsaw guitars and sickened vocals. The demo ends with the eerie instrumental, ” Lake of the Undying,” that utilizes some great synth work merged with a softer guitars that paint a dreamlike sequence.

Tyrannus definitely fit the mold of Lovecraftian style they are looking to achieve and it will be interesting to see what they come up with when they release their full debut album next year.

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HATEMONGER – The Vile Maxim – REVIEW

Hatemonger’s “The Vile Maxim” is simple, short and savage as fuck. The Chicago based group performs a killer style of no frills, no fads, no holds barred Death Metal that is set to stomp your skull into the soil. Their sound is fresh and familiar without the “retro” Death Metal sound that many bands are trying to emulate these days. Vocals are are vicious, the guitar work has plenty of thick and heavy riffs and the drums are filled with great blast beats, all the ingredients you need in your Death Metal stew. If you listen carefully enough, you’ll notice a hint of some early Swedish Death Metal style amongst the carnage. The songs within are both brutal and on topic with such titles as, “Plague for Days,” and “Disinformation Campaign.” If there is at least one good thing to come from the Pandemic, it has provided plenty of material to keep bands busy for years to come.

 

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SON OF SAM – And the Monster Awoke… – REVIEW

Son of Sam are our second band out of Sweden to release a debut album this month. “And the Monster Awoke..” takes on different musical direction then what are subscribers are used to hearing. Call it Power Metal or Death n Roll if you will, though one fact that remains undisputed, this album is much more….cheerful…than we are accustomed to.

The vocals here are mostly clean with enough Power Metal elements to slay even the mightiest of dragons. The music, however, has plenty of the old Gothenburg feel with catchy hooks and some excellent harmonies. It almost has a Children of Bodom feel. This combination actually works well for Son of Sam and keeps the album fresh and full of variety. No song here is the same. Opening track,”Son of Sam,” starts the album off with retro styled synth keyboards and haunting vocals. “I am,” opens a wall of classic Swedish Melodic harmonies with Power Metal vocals, while a little different upon first listen, this combination works well and is what helps set Son of Sam apart. “In Darkness and Dismay,” adds somewhat raspy vocals with some killer thrash riffs. Finally, “Space Rider,” sounds like it came straight from Amon Amarth’s playbook.

Son of Sam may be on the opposite side of the spectrum than what we are used to here at Trve Kvlt but they are worthy of listen and have enough variety to have you coming back for more.

 

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NATTMARAN – The Lurking Evil – REVIEW

 

Wise Blood Records are absolutely killing it with releases this year.  Graveripper’s “Radiated Remains,” (which was included with our July subscriptions) was already included in my top albums of the year.  Swedish newcomers Natterman’s debut, “The Lurking Evil,” is an incredibly strong album full of old school metal that is covered in murky and dirty thrash n’ roll.

From the opening track, “Beauty in Chaos,” you can feel what you have gotten yourself into, a heavily 80’s inspired Blackened Thrash album with its high speed punk chords, piercing solos, tight drumming and raspy vocals. While the punk influence is high here, so are plenty of elements from first wave of Black Metal with its rawness and darkened lyrical content. You can hear and feel the early influences of Bathory, Venom and Celtic Frost along with more modern bands Midnight and Toxic Holocaust.

For me, this is kind of album to me that defines “Metal.” Are they thrash? Are they Black Metal? Is it fun? Fuck yes. From start to finish the energy is high and I want to bang my head and pump my fist as listen. “Die you Will,” is the perfect anthem for anyone who calls themself a “Metalhead,” with so many elements of old school metal blasting you in the face you can smell the sweat, stale beer and black leather.

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KRIGSGRAV – The Sundering – REVIEW

 

Wise Blood Records are killing it with releases this year. Dallas, Texas based Krisgrave have released their sixth full length album, “The Sundering,” on the label and it is an absolute monster. Their latest effort includes a new lineup featuring sole returning member David Sikora on the bass and drums and new members,Cody Daniels on lead guitar and Justin Coleman on vocals and rhythm guitar. Krisgrave takes some of the best elements of Doom and Black Metal and combines it with an impressive amount of Melodic Death Metal vibes. There is also plenty of atmospheric tones throughout this release that keep it from getting stale. Vocals alternate between deep bellows and high, raspy shrieks. The rhythm sections provides the familiar blast beats which blend in well with the impressive twin guitar attack of ferocious harmonies and head banging riffs. That is what sets this album apart from the many different bands that have developed a similar style of Black/Melo Death Metal. Krisgrav excels in blending both styles without sounding forced or sterile. The Doom elements are haunting and covered in a thick haze with plenty of different layers of instrumentation woven in. The Melodic parts will leaving you pumping your fist to the catchy riffs and incredible hooks.

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VACIO – El Destituta Mortis – REVIEW

“El Destituta Mortis,” is the debut EP from a mysterious Spanish duo of Black Metallers known only as A.84 and L.77.  I am not sure what their names mean or even refer to but what I am certain of is, this is an EP of solid and effective Black Metal. With only 3 songs and a run time of roughly 15 minutes Vacio provide a brief and bleak stylistic interpretation of modern Black Metal. This recording is fast enough, raw enough and has plenty of blast beats and tremolo picking to keep even the Trvest Black Metal purists satisfied. The vocals on this recording are full of high pitched shrieks and the lyrical themes focus on occultism and general human misery. Perfect listening for a Monday morning.

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VHS – Gore From Beyond the Stars – REVIEW

If you are a fan of cheesy B-movies horror, then VHS has you more than covered. With song titles such as, “From Crystal Lake to Space,” “Earth Girls are Easy,” and “Space Jam,” (yes, you read that correctly, it is not a typo.) “Gore from the Stars,” is oozing with plenty of film references to your favorite interstellar horror and science fiction films.

Have you ever noticed once a franchise starts to become a little stale, setting the next movie in space always seems to be the next option? Jason, Pinhead and even the nasty little Leprechaun have all taken the trip beyond the stars for better or worse. (mostly worse) So, how does VHS fair on their 4th album? Are things starting to go stale? Have they run out of any fresh ideas?

Thankfully Gore From Beyond the Stars delivers all of the maniacal and brutal fun that we have come to expect from VHS while still remaining fresh and memorable. For those unfamiliar with their insanity, VHS sound like a blended version of old school punk, Grind, Thrash and Death Metal with deep guttural vocals and an infectious sense of humor.  Most of this release is hostile and brutal but VHS also delivers some diversity on this album to keep things interesting. The somber synth filled intro track, “Blast Off,” starts the album off with a nostalgic nod to 80s Sci Fi.  The tracks only intensify from here as VHS stomps your skull in with a blitzkreig of horror mayhem with most tracks well under the 1:30 mark. “Earth Girls are Easy,” breaks this mold with an extremely Glam Metal feel compete with some ridiculously funny falsetto vocals and almost power ballad feeling solos. Another highlight are the movie samples that proceed most of the songs giving you a little break in their blood soaked audio onslaught. “Space Jam,” is an instrumental track that takes a moment to slow things down with some incredible grooves and solos that may leave you asking yourself, is the same band? If you are a fan of the humor of the legendary Macabre but need something a little more hard hitting, this CHUD is for you.

 

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SIX OF SWORDS – Regime Decay – REVIEW

 

 

Ontario’s Six of Swords bring some heavy, groovy and brutal punishment with their latest beast, “Regime Decay – Polar Vortex.,” which is a pairing of their first two EPs. While playing old school Death Metal has become popular in the extreme metal scene in recent years, Six of Swords manages to retain the old school vibe while still managing to include plenty of modern Death Metal elements. Think Morbid Angel meets Gatecreeper and you’ll get a good idea of what Six of Swords is trying (and succeeding) to accomplish.

What makes this a great listen is the amount of variety with each track. With that being said, there is not anything fancy or over the top to be found here. No blast beats, no break downs and no overly complicated or technical guitar riffs. No. This is just some down and dirty Death Metal. Sometimes, simpler is better. Some songs are full of complete brutality, while others chug along with some fantastic grooves. This is where Six of Swords excels. When they slow things down, they lay down some incredibly heavy stuff with great riffs and sick vocals. Vocalist Josh Gordon kills it on this release.  If you dig on Doom Metal, you are gonna love some of this serious sick and sludgy material. If you aren’t a fan of Doo, there is still plenty of Thrashy and speed to keep you raging here and sending you straight into the pit.

 

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STENCH COLLECTOR – Effluviatorium – REVEIW

The selection of music in this month’s coffee subscription is full of incredible and brutal and ripping bands. I have heard nothing about Stench Collector prior to this review but I was already loving the band by their name alone, add the gross and gruesome cover art and I’m sure I would have pick this up to satisfy my morbid curiosity alone.

The EP starts off with an eerie narration of a young child talking about boiling a cat followed by some realistic (and nauseating) chewing sounds. Now that’s a start! Adding thick and meaty grooves with sick and twisted lyrics belched out with some impressively deep guttural vocals, you have a band that has clearly earned the right to call themselves Stench Collector.

“Effluviatorium Du Jour “serves up a full meal with their debut EP. Riffs and grooves rip through each track while the drums perfectly hammer in the chaos and deliver a well balanced debut EP. For those who like like their Death Metal raw, gory and dripping with power, this gross out group out of Rhode Island deliver the goods. While most of their material here is sludgy and mid tempo, Stench Collector is not afraid to put in a few bursts of speed as well, which can be  heard most notably on the track, “Eye Socket Maggots. Production is slick and is reminiscent of the Scott Burns days at Morrisound. Redefining Darkness Recordsare bringing old school Gore Metal to the next generation.