Exanimatvm - Dispersae et Tormentvm

Artist: Exanimatvm
Release Title: Dispersae et Tormentvm
Year: 2016
Label: Dunkelheit Produktionen
Genre: Retro Death Metal
Tracklisting:
1. La apoteosis de todos los errores
2. Vae Victis
3. Danza impura
4. Dispersiones y tormento
5. Exanimatvm
6. Oscura propagación del linaje de toons
7. Nocturnas luminiscencias
8. Abominabilis Conditio
9. Shoort

Formed in February 2013, Chilean death metal troupe Exanimatvm have steadily fought their way out of the underground with plenty of attitude and a ferocious concept for their style. With long-time frontman Ivan Barraza gone and bassist Dennis Ferreira taking over vocal duties with the addition of second guitarist Jorge Tréllez filling out their ranks, this debut effort released June 18, 2016 on Dunkelheit Productions shows these guys really understand what’s so special about South American death metal.

Despite the slight roster shake-up, for the most part this here is still a rather enjoyable and really rousing effort that manages to effectively channel and reproduce the rather frantic approach of the old-school death metal sound. Filled with a darkened, raw atmosphere that brings out the type of dirty, murky tone and feel here while ripping along to the steady riffing buzzing along when it’s ripping through the frantic styles or generally carrying along at a steady mid-tempo range that has a rather enjoyably decrepit feel thumping along to the rest of the material. This sludgy, swampy concoction is quite enjoyable with this one really generating the kind of charge through the old-school that really makes for a dynamic approach with the sprawling riff-work and steady rhythms providing the perfect raucous background for that particular brand of stylish homage and revival of the genre. With the competence of their attack out of the question, the fact that this constitutes yet another band in the ever-growing trend of trying to play homage to the past causes this one to stand-out somewhat as the album’s real lone flaw by simply playing a mostly unoriginal brand of music. This particular brand of buzzing, steady style of death metal doesn’t really strike as the most varied type out there and it does leave the band not only playing through the past efforts of the genre but also more recent bands going for this style of old-school worship, and while the band is a lot more competent at it than most this does cause the band to lose themselves into the scene somewhat with this type of attack.

Though there’s a few minor issues to be had with the overall originality and creativeness of the bands’ style, there’s little wrong with the rest of the bands’ attack leaving them to quickly approach the top of this crowded field as this will undoubtedly appeal to any fanatic of old-school death metal or the South American scene in particular.

Score: 86/100

Does it sound good? Order it from here:
https://dunkelheitprod.bandcamp.com/album/dispersae-et-tormentvm

Fibra de Acero - En tiempos de guerra

Artist: Fibra de Acero
Release Title: En tiempos de guerra
Year: 2016
Label: Sepulchral Silence
Genre: Heavy/Speed Metal
Tracklisting:
1. Desert Warriors
2. War Metal
3. Lycans
4. Leyendas
5. Crucifixion
6. Batallas
7. Desert Warrior (studio version)
8. Crucifixion (studio version)

From the Chilean town of Copiapo, heavy/speed metallers Fibra de Acero have been in existence since 2014 but have yet to professionally release anything until now. Their debut release, initially issued independently June 6, 2015 before a June 25 reissue on Sepulchral Silence Records, features six live and two studio renditions of epically-tinged, locally-flavored heavy metal.

The album itself is a mostly straightforward affair, really taking a few rather simplistic touches throughout and weaving them in the course of the music. Rather than tight, swirling speed-metal numbers, instead the riffing here is a lot looser and rawer as befits the mostly-live recording-setting for the material, and there’s a nicely anthemic feel to the music here due to that which manages to get the tracks bouncing along to the mostly simplistic rhythms and sprawling drumming that takes the rhythms along through the rather charging tempos. When it gets a little tighter and delves into the speedier tracks, and especially on the two studio renditions, there’s plenty of fun times with it generating that tight, vicious riffing style and energetic riff-work which is quite more lively than the mostly sluggish patterns featured elsewhere. The ability to tie itself into the local culture with their melodies and arrangements, though, is the main selling point here with it coming across as a really nice touch to include those amongst the more traditional melodies. Still, the fact that the release is comprised of the live material with the studio versions tacked on makes it seem like a slap-shod effort and feels pretty jarring when it could’ve been a more cohesive effort one way or the other. Likewise, the band isn’t the best at adapting the energy quite well with the majority of the tracks pretty plodding and mid-tempo which can be worked out over the future, but otherwise this is still a mostly enjoyable release.

Though there’s some work to be done in terms of effectively managing their energy and intensity throughout their work, there’s still more than enough at play here to make this a mostly engaging effort that will inevitably end up appealing mostly to those who prefer this looser, raw form of South American heavy metal.

Score: 73/100

Does it sound good? Order it from here:
http://sepulchralsilencerecords.bandcamp.com/album/en-tiempos-de-guerra

Invocation Spells - Descendant the Black Throne

Artist: Invocation Spells
Release Title: Descendant the Black Throne
Year: 2015
Label: Metal Command Records
Genre: Black/Thrash Metal
Tracklisting:
1. The Betrayal of Bastard
2. Lust to Death
3. The Black Rite
4. Occult
5. Under Shadows of Pentagram
6. Revenge of the Serpents
7. Descendent the Black Throne
8. The End of Time

The second full-length from Chilean black/thrashers Invocation Spells manages to get some enjoyable elements featured within here with the old-school tone mixed alongside blazing thrash rhythms. For the most part here, this one is simply based on blazing old-school black metal with a raw edge here that makes the band sound that much more darker and primitive than expected. Firing off volleys of impressive tremolo-picked patterns that pack that brimstone-scented touch so heavily present in the Norwegian scene, this here is mixed with a generous dollop of South American primeval-sounding production that helps add to the general air of dirty old-school flair here which ends up making this one so much fun throughout here. With this old-school style played nicely alongside thrashing patterns with that kind of up-tempo pace from the thrash rhythms, there’s a whole lot to really enjoy here.  While there’s some good here in keeping the tracks short with that punk-ish attitude with their compactness, it does lower the second half somewhat as the simplicity sticks out somewhat from the first half and making the album come off a little  unevenly here, but that’s of minor consequence.

The first half gives this a strong hit of what’s to come. First up ‘The Betrayal of Bastard’ features swirling riff-work and steady rhythms along through the mid-tempo rhythms featured with the rattling old-school thrashing carrying along through the vigorous up-tempo riffing running along throughout the steady final half for an engaging opener. ‘Lust to Death’ uses immediate thrashing riffs with plenty of fiery mid-tempo tremolo patterns charging alongside pounding drumming carrying the bouncy up-tempo paces carrying the dirty thrashing riffs into the finale for a decent enough shorter thrasher. ‘The Black Rite’ uses sparkling tremolo riffing and explosive drumming through a savage up-tempo thrashing paces with the swirling, razor-wire tremolo riff-work keeping the fiery tempos going along through the pounding drumming charging through the final half for a much more enjoyable shorter effort. ‘Occult’ blasts through buzzing tremolo patterns and rocking up-tempo thrashing rhythms featured into a steady mid-tempo pace with hard-hitting riffing throughout as the furious rhythms alongside the charging finale which makes for another enjoyable effort.

The second half here is a slightly lower but still enjoyable part of the album. ‘Under Shadows of Pentagram’ features a stylish tremolo riff thrashing through the charging up-tempo paces as the blasting drumming and rocking energetic rhythms carrying the simplistic arrangements through the up-tempo final half for a rather enjoyable offering. ‘Revenge of the Serpents’ utilizes a simple, rocking thrash riff with fiery tremolo patterns pounding away with scores of dynamic drumming keeping the charging energy throughout leading into the raucous, dirty riff-work in the finale for an impressive and enjoyable punk-laced thrasher. The title track rages through a soaring series of tremolo-picked rhythms and dynamic pounding drumming taking the simplistic energies throughout the utterly frantic rhythms featured throughout the charging, raucous rhythms in the final half for another strong effort. Finally, ‘The End of Time’ brings along the horror-film sampled intro that slowly turns into a series of buzzing tremolo riffing and pounding, simplistic drumming that continually races through the series of frenetic rhythms through the blazing tremolo riffing that thrashes along into the finale for an impressive lasting impression here.

Though there’s some rather enjoyable fun to be had from their old-school black metal styled thrash that comes off nicely, the weaker sections here do stick out enough to make this seem a little more likely for those only interested in this kind of ravenous South American style of extreme metal or those looking for some new form of black/thrash metal.

Score: 80/100

Does it sound good? Order from here:
https://www.facebook.com/InvocationSpells/timeline?ref=page_internal

Dangerous - Metal Heritage

Band: Dangerous
Release Title: Metal Heritage
Label: Self-Released/Independent
Year: 2015
Genre: Retro Thrash Metal
Tracklist:

1. Intro

2. Metal Heritage

3. Victims of Hate

4. Thrash on the Streets

5. Murderous Tradition

6. Sacrifice

7. Danger's Return

8. Batalla Final

9. Executioners of Mankind

10. Running Amok

The debut full-length from Chilean thrashers Dangerous effectively places them right at the forefront of the retro-thrash revival scene here with this blistering assault of old-school thrash. There’s no real surprises here as this here is essentially Bay-Area thrash circa 1989, meaning this one plays with all the usual toys in that playbook but manages to execute them so effectively and enjoyably that there’s hardly anything at all wrong here beyond that straight-up rip from that style. Taking tight, crunchy riff-work and thunderous drumming along with frantic, intense arrangements offering forth plenty of speed and driving energy that allows for plenty of stellar rhythms and full-on thrashing straight from that school of metal. The hard-hitting drumming keeps things running along the intense paces driven by these strong rhythms, and the whole affair is made all the more engaging here with that type of infectious old-school attitude running throughout the tracks here. Even the strong production style here makes this quite a fine retro-sounding affair with the up-front guitars and noodling bass-lines while the pounding drums batter away in the background. It’s just the fact that this one is so overly familiar and takes straight from the past without changing it that holds it back.

There’s a great sense of what’s on display here through the first half. The opening instrumental ‘Intro’ uses howling winds and a light, trinkling guitar riff offering melancholy atmospheres that slowly work their way into proper first track as the title track features explosive riff-work, raging rhythms and pounding drumming that utterly blasts through tight, frantic tempos carrying schizophrenic and intense patterns along through the solo section as the urgent, intense paces continue through the finale to make an explosive first impression. ‘Victims of Hate’ features tight, raging rhythms scorching alongside the thumping lead-work thumping along to the charging, energetic mid-section work with plenty of pounding drum-work bringing the tight riffing and up-tempo paces racing through the frantic solo section in the final half for another overall enjoyable highlight. ‘Thrash on the Streets’ uses a strong retro-style intro with utterly explosive frantic riff-work and thunderous, pounding drumming complete with intense riff-work and rather frantic drumming with scorching melodic work through the dynamic solo section into the crunchy charge of the finale for a truly frantic highlight offering here. ‘Murderous Tradition’ features a steady build-up intro into a plodding mid-tempo pace with the explosive, tight riffing and thunderous drumming carrying along nicely through the frantic rhythms and driving intense riff-work featured throughout the charging and intense rhythms in the solo section bristling through the final half for a nice energetic thrasher.

The final half here makes for a solid, cohesive whole here. ‘Sacrifice’ brings a tight, charging series of thumping riffing and steady drum-work along a fine mid-tempo gallop that continually brings the stylish rhythms along through the steady thrashing rhythms with the fine thumping energy throughout the stylish thumping in the solo section and on through the charging finale which makes this a slightly lower but still enjoyable effort. ‘Danger's Return’ features a blaring air-raid siren leading into tight, frantic riffing through blazing up-tempo rhythms featuring frantic drum-blasts and surging riffs thrashing along the steady mid-tempo pace full of buzzing rhythm patterns with plenty of crunchy patterns pounding into the solo section final half for another truly enjoyable offering. ‘Batalla Final’ takes thrashing up-tempo riffing and pounding drumming along through a frantic mid-tempo gallop full of tight buzzing rhythms and simple patterns that race along through the enjoyable up-tempo pace through the solo section and though the charging finale for an overall enjoyable effort. ‘Executioners of Mankind’ uses a stylish mid-tempo gallop through a series of charging riff-work and pounding drumming thumping along to the up-tempo pace throughout here with technically proficient rhythms thrashing along throughout the steady up-tempo paces leading into the solo section and carrying through the strong, thumping final half for another strong track. Album-closer ‘Running Amok’ features a simple mid-tempo thrashing riff with plenty of pounding drumming ripping through a frantic up-tempo pace with scores of melodic rhythms running alongside the rampaging riff-work and taking the frantic riff-work through the tight solo section finale for a great ending impression here.

This was quite the fun and overall impressive effort that really only falls down slightly to the fact that it doesn’t really offer much new material here in terms of old-school thrash, but the energy and enthusiasm that they display in that style make up for quite a lot of those flaws and makes this a stellar choice for old-school thrash revival fans or even thrash in general.

Score: 91/100

Does it sound good: Order it here:

https://dangerouschile.bandcamp.com/