Hellripper - Coagulating Darkness

Artist: Hellripper
Release Title: Coagulating Darkness
Year: 2017
Label: Barbarian Wrath
Genre: Black/Thrash (Speed) Metal
Tracklisting:
1. Bastard of Hades
2. Anneliese
3. Demdike (In League with the Devil)
4. Within the Everlasting Hellfire
5. From Hell
6. Black Invocation
7. Conduit Closing
8. Coagulating Darkness

Storming out of the underground in 2014, Scottish one-man black/speed metal project Hellripper is a part of the vast catelog of quality projects created by James McBain to spread his strong musical voice to the masses through the variety of these projects. After numerous highly-praised splits and EP releases, the full-length debut was initially released April 14, 2017 on Barbarian Wrath.

Much like previous efforts, once again this one offers a full-scale assault of their previous assault of blackened fiery speed metal in a more professional setting. Built around even more of the fiery riff-work, the stylish leads and frantic outbursts that were apparent on their previous outings only taken to a more glossy sheen, it brings out even more dynamic intricacies in the bombastic riffing as the relentless energy continually pouring out. The volley of tight riffing featured here creates such a whirlwind of vicious, high-energy speeds that bounce along at truly engaging speeds that it makes for a far more engaging experience with the remainder of the instrumentation following suit on the thrashing within each of the tracks. That each of the tracks here feature such a ferocious energy and fiery performances is all the more impressive due to the project being a solo endeavor, and that all helps to create an engaging and exciting experience. The fact that the album is just so brief and could use a little more to enhance the experience is about the only downfall here, making this one seem to be over before it’s really getting started and contains so much quality material within that a little more time and exposure to this kind of quality would’ve been appreciated. Otherwise, this is truly an engaging and explosive offering.

Really, the fact that we need more tracks here as the experience is so much fun and really over before it really should’ve been being the only flaw found here is what makes this one a no-doubt purchase for fans of dark, ravenous thrash, black/thrash metal in general or fans of his other projects.

Score: 98/100

Does it sound good? Order it from here:
https://hellripper.bandcamp.com/album/coagulating-darkness

Guerra Total - Nihilistic Malthusian Manifesto (The Ouroboros Cosmic Indifferentism)

Artist: Guerra Total
Release Title: Nihilistic Malthusian Manifesto (The Ouroboros Cosmic Indifferentism)
Year: 2017
Label: Iron, Blood and Death Corporation
Genre: Black/Death/Thrash Metal
Tracklisting:
1. Overture- Endymion- Selene
2. Universal Misanthropolis
3. Nuclear Ancient Ritual
4. Nihil Malthusian Catastrophe
5. Interludium- Osario de Palonegro
6. Metaphysical Solipsism
7. Marching Towards the Beyond
8. Bethlehem Zombie God
9. Cthulhu’s Reign (Posesión III)
10. Nyarlathotep (The Black Pharaoh)
11. Postludium- Live Fast, Die Old

Still going strong after all these years, Colombian black/death/thrashers Guerra Total have offered plenty of traditional South American brutality including their style changeover on this album that settles into a less chaotic, more death metal-oriented take on their blackened thrash beginnings. Celebrating their twentieth anniversary in existence, the groups’ sixth full-length effort was released February 17, 2017 on Iron, Blood and Death Corporation.

Although the group does slightly shift their style, it’s hard to ignore the fact that their original sound is still very much evident throughout here. The riffing throughout here is the same utterly frantic, blistering volley of brimstone-soaked tremolo rhythms that offer forth a rather chaotic soundscape here as they’re quite adept at forging through blistering thrash tempos. The tight, furious speeds they’re played at allows this one to be utterly ferocious and dominating as it thrashes along to the razor-wire patterns in the majority of the tracks here, and once it carries these into that typically raw, blackened atmosphere in here this one gets even better with the raucous production style offering the chance for scores of sterling screaming leads and pounding rhythms to accent the blitzkrieg-style thrashing as well as serve as a base for the incorporation of the newfound death metal rhythm section throughout here. Despite the riffing being of a stellar series of thrashing madness, it still carries with it a deep, churning rhythm section that offers up plenty of depth and charging atmospheres to the music that provides a stronger, more dynamic offering throughout here. The fact that the album does tend to bleed together as the songs come off the same is still an issue within the music, and the strange influx of keyboards and theremins are quite odd, but overall this is still a pulsing, pounding offering.

Despite a few questionable elements and a rather tough-to-decipher tracklist, this is still full of the bands’ typically charging, explosive blackened thrash stylings which manages to make this one an easy choice for fans of their previous work or this frantic style in general.

Score: 85/100

Does it sound good? Order it from here:
https://ironbloodanddeath.bandcamp.com/album/nihilistic-malthusian-manifesto-the-ouroboros-cosmic-indifferentism

Hellschwadron - Storming Obliteration

Artist: Hellschwadron
Release Title: Storming Obliteration
Year: 2016
Label: Mercenary Musik
Genre: Black/Thrash Metal
Tracklisting:
1. Doomed to Encirclement
2. This Is War
3. Killed, Wounded and Missing
4. Horizon of Destruction
5. Fury of the Enemy
6. Incendiary Bombs of Ruin
7. Will Die Before We Surrender
8. We Hold This Bridgehead
9. Within These Trenches
10. Storming Obliteration
11. Attack upon Command
12. Into Hellfire
13. Infiltration
14. Final Devastation

Quickly storming onto the scene, German/American black/thrashers Hellschwadron have combined together from various projects to create a rather vicious and utterly pummeling assault of old-school black and thrash metal. Unleashing a concept album about World War I and II, the two-piece project is ready to release their full-length debut July 15, 2016 on Mercenary Musik.

From the outset the band here is quite proficient and effective at generating the kind of explosive, frenzied old-school styled attack that’s quite prominently displayed here. The rattling rhythms displayed here are quite effective at thrashing along with a furious intensity and energy that gives this one the ravenous ferocity here which is quite impressive while offering plenty of blaring rhythms with the buzzing riff-work humming along nicely with these intense blasting tracks carrying on throughout here. Even more to this point if the album’s utterly raging sound which lets that blaring beast of a rhythm section generate a truly captivating energy here as it blares along incredibly well with the frantic blasts unleashing throughout here while featuring the kind of simplistic and unwavering thrash riffing which gives this the kind of furious tone and aggression that matches the rather dark tone here with the incorporation of the black metal aesthetics to the music. For the most part this here is quite the savage offering, even if there’s quite a dynamic and same-sounding effort here that comes into play with this one having no real variation at all between the majority of the tracks as it’s basically one extra-long blur of sonic violence dished out. That works in small doses, though it’s somewhat more complicated here by the exhaustive running time that’s far too bloated on an album that probably could’ve used a minor trim here and there to eliminate this. However, it has nothing to do with the content of the music itself which is quite fun and enjoyable.

Though it’s only featured in a minor flaw with an issue that should get cleared up as the band carries along in their career, that’s not nearly enough to really hold this one back from being an utterly enjoyable burst of ravenous thrashing that makes for a worthwhile listen from fans of old-school thrash or any black/thrash aficionados.

Score: 93/100

Does it sound good? Order it from here:
http://symbolicartproductions.com/store/p3/Hellschwadron_-_Storming_Obliteration_CD.html

Infant Death - Violent Rites

Artist: Infant Death
Release Title: Violent Rites
Year: 2016
Label: Apocalyptic Empire Records
Genre: Black/Thrash Metal
Tracklisting:
1. Troops of Dead
2. Vomit Funeral
3. Burning Wild
4. Subhuman Elimination
5. Mutilation Hammer
6. Blasphemy Prevails
7. Purified Remains
8. Malicious Lust
9. Exploder
10. False Prophesies

Simply gaining in experience with each release, Norwegian black/thrashers Infant Death have gained a formidable reputation following their previous releases and continues to showcase their frenzied and schizophrenic sound to the fullest old-school appeal. Following a split release earlier in the year and with a two-year gap between releases, the power-trio prepares it’s third full-length effort September 23, 2016 on Apocalyptic Empire Records.

As has been the bands’ style, this here is a series of ravenous, tightly-wound speed metal throughout the album which pretty much carries this one along without much deviation at all and really makes for quite the impressive attack. The charging, blistering speed and utterly relentless tempos here generated by the frantic, raving riffing makes for the tightly-wound rhythms that are characterized by their speed metal leanings while also managing to incorporate the styles template for raging, chaotic patterns that generally make for an out-of-control feeling. That inherent speed and tight, dense thrashing style is quite reckless in doling out it’s rhythms here which is an utterly enjoyable and dynamic charge that makes this one so enjoyable as there’s generally no let-up from the attack, and with the utterly furious patterns full of those frenzied arrangements on display that makes for an even tighter, more explosive offering as every track here is just utterly frantic and furious about doling out this style attack. Frankly, that does lead into the album’s one main minor flaw here in that it’s simply way too one-note with it’s approach as every track is generally a non-stop series of relentless insanity in the riffing generating a furious tempo throughout here which doesn’t change or deviate and it can lead to the album getting quite lost in itself rather easily. Because the tracks are generally indistinguishable from each other and they’re all pretty much the same length as well this one can become quite hard to tell where it’s at here and it can be a minor issue for some. However, this is barely a problem overall and isn’t too big of an issue with all the savage intensity on display.

Though this one is a pretty similar-sounding effort without much general difference between many of the tracks here, the album’s overall directness and savage approach makes this a far-more appealing and interesting effort as it goes along and generates plenty of interesting parts here for blackened thrash fans or speed metal aficionados.

Score: 95/100

Does it sound good? Order it from here:
http://www.aer666.com/INFANT_DEATH__Violent_Rites__CD/p1392960_16229886.aspx

Bewitcher - Bewitcher

Artist: Bewitcher
Release Title: Bewitcher
Year: 2016
Label: Diabolic Might Records
Genre: Black/Thrash (Speed) Metal
Tracklisting:
1. Bewitcher
2. Speed 'til You Bleed
3. Sin Is in Her Blood
4. Wild Blasphemy
5. Midnight Hunters
6. Harlots of Hell
7. Hot Nights, Red Lights
8. Black Speed Delirium
9. In the Night (The Cult Will Rise)

Initially forming in 2013, Oregon black/speed metallers Bewitcher have quickly set about to hone their darkened, old-school approach to black and speed metal over the years. Now that they’ve become a lethal, vicious force, the trio prepares it’s debut effort originally issued as a vinyl release August 18, 2016 on Diabolic Might Records with a CD version on Divebomb Records to come September 9, 2016.

Immediately from the start, this one impresses upon us the old-school feel to be discharged throughout here which fully encompases the rowdy, up-tempo riffing. Utilizing the fiery, frantic riff-work of speed metal in conjunction with the tremolo-based patterns of black metal it creates a truly ripping and explosive mixture here where it manages to incorporate the raucous and energetic style of speed metal thrashing along throughout the tracks with plenty of high-speed precision and tight patterns that generate the reckless out-of-control nature of the style. The wild, raw energy that brings here is married nicely with the ferocious black metal aesthetic where the tremolo patterns and steady, swirling tempos creates a highly enjoyable and rousing style of evil old-school sounding speed metal. Though it’s quite competent and proficiently played, the tight riff-work here doesn’t really generate much variety in the rhythm section here as the deep, raging rhythms displayed aren’t all that different from the type of material featured elsewhere on here where it just tends to run through the same thing over and over again which doesn’t really give this much of an identity here within the music with it really just tending to come off as the type of rousing-but-formulaic approach that really lets the second half sink into a mire of familiar-sounding rhythms and tempos that don’t really differentiate themselves all that much. Likewise, the gravelly hard-rock inspired vocals aren’t exactly that appealing and tend to come off in a whiny pitch compared to the rest of the music and takes some getting used to even if it does eventually come off fine. Beyond these issues, there’s not a whole lot really to dislike about this one.

Though there’s plenty of enjoyable elements to be found here, the fact that this one really does manage to feature some minor, and in some cases barely detrimental issues does make this a solid and really recommended variation for those that enjoy this rocking brand of black/speed metal or those that enjoy the faster, thrashier end of black metal.

Score: 88/100

Does it sound good? Order it from here:
https://bewitcher.bandcamp.com/album/bewitcher