Category: Uncategorized

Posted on by

Slayer at Riot Fest

The last time I wrote a live show review it was for Slayer during their farewell tour. It seems only fitting that my next review would be Slayer’s return to stage a few years later.

When the Slayer reunion shows news broke I, like most of you, was a surprised to see some reunion shows pop up. I’m a big fan of Riot Fest and hearing that NOFX would play as part of their farewell tour, the ticket was an easy sell.

Slayer returned to Main stage on the last evening of the festival alongside acts NOFX (their 3rd and final performance of the weekend) and Sublime playing on the other stages. Rain had plagued the sets earlier in the day and seemed to return as Slayer was about to perform. Many fans were hoping for a downpour so that Slayer would truly “Reign in Blood.” Fortunate enough for us we didn’t get the downpour fans were hoping for and the rain remained light.

Before Slayer returned to the stage they showed a little video. It was fun at first as it really geared up people’s excitement. Then it continued.

And continued.

The wait for Slayer was intense as we were now watching what seemed like a VHI Behind The Music episode. After what seemed like an eternity, the curtain dropped and there was FUCKIN” SLAYER! Starting out with “South of Heaven,” they continued their much missed musical assault with, “Reborn,” and continued with hits from their entire catalog.

The set used plenty of pyro including two burning upside down crosses on each side of the stage. Upping their stagehow theatrics, the band had neon looking red “rain drops ” that fell on the stage during “Reign in Blood,”

Singer Tom Araya who’s never been known to take much time address the audience said after the first few songs,”So did you miss us?” As the crowd erupted in cheers and shouts of “SLAYER!” Tom smiled and said, “We missed you too,”

The performance was tight as hell. Kerry King and Gary Holt havent missed a thing. Seeing two of my favorite Slayer songs, “Jihad,” and “Seasons in the Abyss,” played back to back was nothing short of incredible. This along with a rare performance of “213” made an incredible show.

I’m not sure how many more shows Slayer has planned in their future but if you get the chance to see them again don’t miss it. Sometimes you don’t realize how much you miss something until it’s gone.

Posted on by

VEXING HEX – Solve Et Coagula

 

They told me it would never happen. Hell. I was firmly convinced that they were correct.

But..

My blackened little thrasher heart loved this album. I smiled as I jammed to an album with no growls, no pig squeals or corpse painted frontmen spitting blood. (There could still be time for this one though.) Sure the music is softer than my normal listening but this album is just too damn fun.

While the album cover may not look out of place in the Death Metal section, Vexing Hex play an Occult/Stoner/Groove style that stays in the ear long after the album has finished. With some awesome harmonies, catchy riffs and just the right amount of darkness, this is the perfect record to listen to as summer winds down.

“One Thousand Eyes,” is super punchy and makes great use of some added synths to make the track a little more trippy. When “Vviccaphobia,” sounds like it could have come from Ghost or an undiscovered underground 70’s occult band.

With their fuzzy tones, warm vocals and occult worship, Solve Et Coagula is worth checking out even if every T-shirt you own is black, beer stained and bears an unreadable band logo. You want lost your Kvlt points.

Well, probably not.

 

 

Posted on by

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.

 

 

 

Posted on by

PUKE MUTANT – An Unsightly Desecration – REVIEW

With a name like Puke Mutant you get a feel for the band before you even manage to hit play. Not much is known about the band other than they formed in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania in 2020 and claim to be the #1 Adult Contemporary Artist for citizens of sewers across the nation. They guys in Puke Mutant play some nasty no frills Death Metal with a heavy dose of gross out humor added to the chaos. Gross out humor and Death Metal? That’s always a winner in my book. If you are a fan of Pungent Stench or early Carcass, this is one for you to check out. The vocals are regurgitated and spewed perfectly melding with the bands dark and vile lyrical themes. The twin vocal attack reminds me of the grinding my garbage disposal does whenever a spoon is accidentally  lodged in the drain. The guitars provide some thick, chunky and punishing riffs with a few biting solos thrown in for good measure. With only 6 tracks, “An Unsightly Desecration,” is a short and satisfying listen.

Posted on by

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.

 

Posted on by

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.

 

Posted on by

HUMANITY IS CANCER – Humanity is Cancer – REVIEW

Maybe we are a little biased here at Trve Kvlt Coffee but some of best and nastiest extreme metal music is coming out from our home state of Ohio. Straight out of Cleveland, Humanity is Cancer have just released their incredibly hard hitting debut self titled EP. It took a few years for this project to be released as all band members are involved in various different projects. If there ever was a time to make a statement that “Humanity is Cancer,”with the pandemic, social injustice and environmental worries, now is the perfect time to remind people that humans for the most part suck.

With so much talent and experience in this group, it comes as little surprise that this is a well polished recording. It hits, rips and shreds where it needs to, it’s simple no nonsense, take no prisoners death metal. Guitars are plentiful and powerful packing tons of heavy riffs and down and dirty rhythms. The bass is right there down in trenches delivering a murky beat and blends in perfectly with some incredible drum work on “The Punishment Due.” Now, let’s not forget the vocals. Vocalist Noah Buchanan’s (Nunslaughter/From the Hellmouth) screams and growls create an intense performance on this release that varies enough to keep things moving, exciting and fresh. With a run time of roughly 17 minutes, this is worth a couple of spins at a time. 

Posted on by

Reaper Metal Productions

 

We are doing things a little different this month at Trve Kvlt Headquarters. Instead of getting your monthly fix as a digital download, we will be sending physical copies of music with your orders thanks to our friends at Reaper Metal Productions. Who you will receive is totally random but with such acts as Lady Beast, Wormit Angel and Faithxtractor, it is safe to say that you are in for something good.

Owned and operated by Crucified Mortals frontman, Reaper, RMP has been a dark force working in various forms releasing several Vinyls, CDs throughout the years. For much more info on what RMP is up to check out there biweekly Podcast, Hellcast.

Comment below on who you received this month and tell us what you think!

Posted on by

Halftone Horrors: The History of Horror Movie Comic Books! Kickstarter going on NOW!!

Most fans of Metal music are more often than not, fans of horror Movies. It seems like a match made in Hell as horror has been associated with Metal since the early beginnings with bands as Black Sabbath, Judas Priest and Venom. A great Metal song is much like a great horror flick; it’s exciting, chaotic and liable to rip your face off in a moments notice.

The makers of HorrorHound Magazine, lifelong comic and horror fans (as well as Metal) have gone through the Herculean task of putting together a hardbound, full colored book that is set to be the most comprehensive guide to horror movie based comic books.

 

The book is a 240 page behemoth of horror movies as they are have been told through comics throughout the years from the early days, the slasher and icon filled 80’s until today. Some of the featured films are Dracula, Night of the Living Dead, Hellraiser, Nightmare on Elm Street and Puppet Master. With over 600 different titles, you are sure to discover something new within these pages.

Now this is the part where you come in to save the day and slay the dragon. This project won’t happen without your help. The fine folks from HorrorHound are in their final stretch of their Kickstarter campaign and need just one more push to make this nightmare a reality.

Click Here to go to the Kickstarter.

 

Posted on by

ABSOLVER: Self Offering EP Review

ABSOLVER: Self Offering EP Review

Reviewed by Andrew Risch

Self Offering may be a short EP clocking in less than 20 minutes in length but Absolver manage to stuff in plenty of grim,blackened noise layered together for an (un)pleasant listening experience. This is some serious nasty stuff here guaranteed to haunt you with their unique blend of Black/Noise/Doom Metal signature style.

Much of this EP plays like a haunted dream with bursts of Black Metal that transcends into ambient noise, unconventional synths and strange textures, then punches back through your skull shattering your senses with some truly dark and cold depressing metal. The EP has a very experimental vibe throughout that has to be listened to a few times to get the true experience Absolver are going for here.With each listen you pick up a little more bringing you back again and again.

The band released an official video to go along with the EP’s release that plays through its entirety like a mini movie. The video, just like the music featured, is a nightmare of flashing  images of gore, sexual content and cannibalism in a cold red and black filter. (what more could you want?) Definitely NSFW but well worth checking out as it is the perfect companion to the music.

Check out Absolver in our Coffee Subscriptions this month or purchase the Self Offering EP (and merch) directly, here.