Inthyflesh - The Flaming Death

Artist: Inthyflesh
Release Title: The Flaming Death
Year: 2016
Label: Altare Productions/BlackSeed Productions
Genre: Old-School Black Metal
Tracklisting:
1. The Sinister Herald of Death
2. Blood Howling Eternity
3. Subterranean Harbinger
4. Oppressed Under Deceit
5. Through the Splendour of Night
6. Forever Insanity
7. May the Rotten Wisdom of the Dead Return
8. Sorrowful Moonlight Pt. I - The Fever of Blood
9. Breath of Darkness
10. The Brightness of Your Decay
11. Beyond What Eyes Can See
12. A Thousand Tongues Burning
13. A Grasp Between Hate and Madness
14. Velvet Burial Shroud
15. Rituals Inflicted upon Scars
16. Abysmal Silence
17. Dismal Awakening
18. Sorrowful Moonlight Pt. II - Catacombs of Infinity

Furthering the prolific local scene, Portuguese black metallers Inthyflesh have been thriving during their sixteen-year career which has been assembling a vast and ascendant discography, showcasing a simultaneous devotion to the black metal ethos and a continuous excursion into deeper spiritual and unfathomable concepts. Now five years of work and sweat has resulted in this monumental, massive double-album released September 9, 2016 as a co-release between Altare Productions and Blackseed Productions.

When this one is on, there’s so much to readily like about this one that it’s basic approach which is a gravelly, raw old-school tone to the riffing that’s flowing throughout the whole album, generating the spiraling tremolo-picked style that’s wholly indicative of the second-wave of Norwegian acts. This is mostly kept in a frantic, up-tempo series of tempos where the album’s frantic assault gets the most play and lets the album rattle along quite well with a series of utterly blasting rhythms that carry it through a wholly chaotic sensibility while being able to augment these sections with grandiose, majestic sprawling sections as well. These are a slightly slower, more majestic series of rhythms that take slow, plodding tempos and warmer melodies to the forefront against the raging inferno elsewhere here, and this strong dichotomy between the two offers this with plenty of superb, standout moments. Still, for all the good this album generates, it’s still nearly impossible to get over the fact that there’s just so much material here that it’s positively exhausting to get through it all. Not only is there nearly twenty tracks of music that combines into a nearly full two-hours of music, but the length of so many of the tracks reaching well over six-plus minutes is what really makes this not only a chore to listen to but a draining and boring experience as well. This one truly becomes a challenge to get all the way through with so much of the tracks here taking up so much time and space that it’s far easier to cut, hack and trim this thing down especially with it being as strong in execution as it is already. While this is a significant and bounding hurdle to get through, there’s still a lot to like here.

While this is unquestionably an exhaustive release for the most part as the endless running order and overlong tracks make this a challenge to get through in one sitting, the fact that the album’s principles make up such a powerful and devastating release that it should make a mention to all fans of the rawer, old-school scene or the curious looking to see what this is about.

Score: 90/100

Does it sound good? Order it from here:
http://blackseedprod.bandcamp.com/album/the-flaming-death

Pay for Pleasure - Pay for Pleasure

Artist: Pay for Pleasure
Release Title: Pay for Pleasure
Year: 2016
Label: Self-Released/Independent
Genre: Thrash/Deathcore
Tracklisting:
1. Matter to Energy
2. The Judgment
3. Burning Times of This Anxiety
4. Daze Suffocation
5. Everlasting Pain
6. Blasted Heart
7. The Hanged Man
8. Carnage Rhapsody
9. State of Insanity (Disturbed Bed Rest)
10. Battery [Metallica cover]
11. 25

Coming together in 2014, Italian thrash/deathcore fusionists Pay for Pleasure has always centered around multi-instrumentalist Anuar Arebi and a gaggle of other vocalists joining in which makes their music quite frantic and enjoyable. Now finally ready to release the first notes from the project, their self-titled debut is independently released June 18, 2016.

This here is quite an enjoyable and somewhat frantic effort that really relies on it’s death metal structure for the most part. Though interrupted by it’s breakdowns, the bands’s best points are where it’s still focusing on the driving thrash beats while augmented nicely by straightforward death metal patterns. There’s a complexity to those arrangements that makes for a much more appealing time here as it whips through the charging dive-bombing riff-work while offering a solid thrashing blast to the arrangements which aids immensely in their energy. Though somewhat boosted by the chugging riffing patterns, the album’s sudden departures into choppy, breakdown-laden charges here to simply further the deathcore patterns here provide this with some rather off-kilter arrangements here by going for the usual assortment of genre-familiar rhythms and breakdowns to apply for that genre tag which really causes this one to stumble. The elements are just way to separate and disparaging to really gel together into a solid whole that works here, being just way to jangled to really make much of an effort to be coherent as the end result is quite maddening with everything involved here. There’s some solid work here, but it’s somewhat buried under the discordant workings.

While it’s not the most devastating first impression offered here, it’s got more than enough to like here as the elements at play here that do make this a solid, engrossing effort are present enough to make for a rather limited appeal only for deathcore fanatics or fans of the creative principals involved in the project, while others may want to heed caution approaching this one.

Score: 69/100

Does it sound good? Order it from here:
http://www.payforpleasure.net/

Klavium - Cursed EP

Artist: Klavium
Release Title: Cursed EP
Year: 2015
Label: Self-Released/Independent
Genre: Retro Thrash Metal
Tracklisting:
1. Cursed Within
2. Bleed your Eyes
3. Imbalance of the Cosmos
4. Feeling of Life

From the unlikely Caribbean islands, Trinidad-and-Tobago thrashers Klavium have endured plenty of line-up hardship over the years as the rotating crop of musicians has left the band without any kind of stability since their formation as Avatar. Now officially rebranded as a two-piece around founding members and brothers Kahdil and Dylan as well as the official name-change, this last EP under the previous moniker was independently released November 2015 before the name-change.

For the most part, this here is pretty simplistic and generally enjoyable old-school inspired thrash that carries plenty of tight, energetic rhythms together alongside the frantic moments featured within here. The different tempos here are rather enjoyable with the group switching nicely between the rabid, crunchy old-school thrash and the more mid-tempo plodding that offers up a vastly-more dynamic approach here with a far more technically-minded approach than the more frantic thrashing as the various rhythm changes are much more apparent than the one-note feverish riff-work. That there is the album’s one lone downfall here as the bands’ clearly more adept at the various tempo changes and rhythm switches in their mid-tempo realm that it makes the faster thrashing seem quite simplistic and unoriginal as it exposes the fact that they’re simply just retreading on the same ground that the majority of revivalist groups are utilizing. While it can work itself into a frenzy quite efficiently, that nothing really original is done with these rhythms does stand-out in this one. As well, the shortened running time is another minor issue here with it not really going on long enough to really get a great feel here as it’s over right when the band was really starting to get going with some of their best tracks, yet that’s always the case with EPs and really doesn’t hold it back all that much.

Though there’s clear learning curves ahead for the group as they progress here, that there’s a solid framework to work with gives this group a promising future with simple fixes to be done that leaves this one easily recommended to less-discernable revivalist aficionados or thrashers looking for this kind of music from unique places.

Score: 80/100

Does it sound good? Order it from here:
http://www.klavium.com/

Misteyes - Creeping Time

Artist: Misteyes
Release Title: Creeping Time
Year: 2016
Label: Maple Metal Records
Genre: Gothic/Death Metal
Tracklisting:
1. The Last Knell (Intro)
2. Creeping Time
3. Brains in a Vat
4. Inside the Golden Cage
5. Lady Loneliness
6. The Prey
7. Destroy Your Past
8. The Demon of Fear
9. A Fragile Balance (Awake the Beast - Part 1)
10. Chaos (Awake the Beast - Part 2)
11. Decapitated Rose
12. Winter's Judgement

Initially forming in 2012, Italian gothic/death metallers Misteyes underwent a drastic changeover in the beginning as their sound quickly shifted away from a melodic death/black sound to a more prominent gothic-influenced approach heralded by rounding out the bands’ lineup with female vocals and a permanent keyboard. Ready to bring their vision of light and darkness center-stage, the group prepares its full-length debut release April 8, 2016 on Maple Metal Records.

As befits the bands’ style, the album is generally awash in lush, vibrant rhythms that take the steady, straightforward riffing style of gothic metal which is powerful, tight and rather light-hearted melodies which are the major focus here. This is somewhat technical yet still allows for plenty of extended sections of tight, swirling speed-metal riff-work that enables for harmonic meshing with the keyboards keeping in perfect sync with the tight rhythms as the album shifts dynamically between these explosive sections and a more mid-tempo prowl that works wonderfully here. These slower, more haunting passages are augmented by the operatic female vocals for the most part which is a glorious contrast to the lighter sections elsewhere that are dominantly featured with the melodic runs and swirling keyboard work creating this style and both wonderfully complimenting each other quite well. As this work here is the dominant vibe on the material, it’s given plenty of dynamic vibes by the wholly drastic manner in which it changes over throughout here as it’s quite adept at maneuvering through these change-overs quite well with the sudden crashing riffing blowing up the slower tempos while still retaining the harmonic gothic undertones present. While all of this is exceptionally enjoyable and made all the more so for it being a debut release, the fact that this is somewhat bloated in the second half with a few too many tracks does make this a little overlong and somewhat difficult to get all the way through here as the running time does make this a struggle at points especially with it featuring some weaker tracks. However, it does get a pass at this for being a debut.

Overall, this was quite a strong and dynamic release that offers up plenty of enjoyable elements with only a minor flaw here in their overzealousness to present too much of their material to the world that enables this to readily appeal to many fans of the gothic or symphonic metal soundscapes who will find a lot to like here providing that one element isn’t a detrimental one to the listener.

Score: 91/100

Does it sound good? Order it from here:
http://misteyes.bandcamp.com/releases

Kinnefret - The Coming of Age

Artist: Kinnefret
Release Title: The Coming of Age
Year: 2016
Label: Self-Released/Independent
Genre: Melodic Death/Thrash Metal
Tracklisting:
1. The Awakening
2. Victim Eyes
3. Losing Grips to Gain Grips
4. The Warrior
5. Salvation
6. A Far Cry for Freedom
7. Bleed Out the Sickness
8. Eternal Damnation
9. Death
10. The Prophets
11. Coming of Age

Formed in July 2011, Oakland melodic death/thrash newcomers Kinnefret have struggled with numerous lineup shuffles throughout here which whips through a series of members that continues to this day. At the time of their debut release that was independently released in May 2016, the Persian-inspired group was stable enough for a complete lineup before bass player Arses Ariamanesh left the group after the recordings.

Once this gets going, the band is quite clearly adept at their style throughout here which manages to take equal influence from the death and thrash scenes with it managing to fully utilize the kind of technical thrashing patterns as the main basis here. It’s a tight, technical series of riffing that carries plenty of up-tempo vibes throughout the running time here as these are mixed alongside more modern-sounding rhythms with hints of groove and breakdowns to generate the kind of explosive, violent feel with the choppy patterns and dynamic dual vocals helping to generate the death metal tone here. That’s in the backburner of the group, as the intensity of the more modern rhythms and stylistic melodies that crop up here are much more dominant throughout here. What also stands out quite with the album is the influx of Persian melodic accents also becoming quite prominent here in appropriate formats with minor accents sprinkled throughout the album and generating the kind of distinct flair that helps to compensate for the album’s lone falling. The main drive here being the use of the violent, vicious rhythm-work does give this a great intensity with it’s furious blasts, but it also causes this to come under so many more prominent labels here which causes the band to become yet another band in the field with this approach. While the Arabian melodies is a distinguishing factor, their more dominant aspects do feel quite similar-sounding to numerous other groups in this field.

Though it suffers somewhat from over-familiarity here due to the rather frequent use of familiar rhythms in their general approach here, this is still a highly-enjoyable and impressive debut that starts them off on a fine note which should appeal quite nicely for fans of modern melodic death metal or those looking for something else to compliment their collection.

Score: 85/100

Does it sound good? Order it from here:
https://kinnefretmetal.bandcamp.com/releases

Vulvodynia - Finis Omnium Ignoratiam EP

Artist: Vulvodynia
Release Title: Finis Omnium Ignorantiam EP
Year: 2015 (2016 reissue)
Label: Vicious Instinct Records (Transcending Records re-issue)
Genre: Brutal Death Metal
Tracklisting:
1. New World Order
2. Superluminal Wormhole Divulgation
3. Paenuntius Descends
4. The Bilderberg Extermination
5. Consuming Thee Illuminatus
6. Genetically Reengineered Repugnance
7. Infinite Darkness
8. Raped, Pillaged & Gutted (Waking the Cadaver cover)

Wasting little time between releases, South African slammers Vulvodynia have taken the momentum gathered on their debut to quickly turn around into another stellar, stand-out release. Managing to fix the critical issue with the last album by trimming it down into a solid EP release, this was originally released July 31, 2015 on Vicious Instinct Records before a vinyl re-issue in September 2016 on Transcending Records.

Containing the same basic outline and formula as the last release, this is yet again another stellar and outstanding slam-filled release that contains the type of relentless approach that utterly overwhelms with the amount of slams it supports. Going into the same chug-filled approach in between the music and containing the kind of generally appealing deathcore-styled breakdowns wrapped alongside the stuttering rhythms throughout, the album is a dense, heavy and thickly-layered assault that’s pretty pummeling in it’s display and overall technically-improved output as that becomes the main selling point with this one in it’s overall growth of technical proficiency. The riffing is a lot more challenging and dexterous here with the enhanced running time of the tracks allowing for a more dynamic display of riffing present here and it’s quite an extremely impressive addition to their ravenous slam-based approach. Likewise, the trimming of the tracks down doesn’t affect this one all that much either as there’s plenty of fantastic moments spread throughout here that comes off as impactful as it does in accordance with the blasting slams featured here. There’s just so much to like with this one that it becomes far more enjoyable than the initial debut.

One of the better releases in the year overall and easily their finest work yet, this release fixes the minor problem from the past album while continuing to focus heavily on their sound going forward, managing to appeal wholly for the bands’ previous fans as well as brutal or slam death metal fans in general.

Score: 96/100

Does it sound good? Order it from here:
http://www.transcendingrecords.com/cgi-bin/productDetails.cgi?pid=9502&cid=

Vulvodynia - Cognizant Castigation

Artist: Vulvodynia
Release Title: Cognizant Castigation
Year: 2014 (2016 re-issue)
Label: Vicious Instinct Records (Transcending Records re-issue)
Genre: Brutal Death Metal
Tracklisting:
1. Molecular Reconstruction
2. The Oppressor Unseen
3. Enslaved and Subservient
4. Monetary Malevolence
5. Unveiling the Abomination
6. Anti-machination
7. Tesla
8. High Frequency Active Auroral Research Engine [H.A.A.R.P]
9. Indoctrinated into the Void
10. Pathogen X
11. Diverge, Transmute, Alter.
12. Insurrection
13. Interdimensional Abnormality
14. Pollsmoor

Starting in early 2014, South African slammers Vulvodynia have quickly stormed that specific scene that allowed them to form their first releases in the calendar year with an EP released quickly before this first release. Still continuing the trend of including an instrumental version of the album alongside the regular release, the bands’ full-length debut was originally released in that manner October 31, 2014 before another release December 11, 2014 on Vicious Instinct Records that dropped the instrumental versions and is now ready for a vinyl re-issue in September 2016 on Transcending Records.

Offering up plenty of brutal moments, the dominant aspect to be found here is the high-impact slams that are featured throughout here which manage to generate a large amount of the work within the album here. The slow, heavy wave of riffing present here is rather impressive and dynamic, offering the kind of generous slam patterns to be featured heavily while weaving between the tight deathcore-styled breakdowns and the stylistic chugging that pops up here leading into the next wave of slams. That level of violence is kept up pretty consistently here with the vicious riffing holding the slam patterns up-front and center here which gives it the kind of room to maneuver throughout the main rhythms that also manages to feature much more traditional brutal death metal blasting in their attack with some stuttering syncopated riffing and tight choppy patterns that are incorporated incredibly well alongside the slams and chugging. Though all of this is quite fun and makes for a wholly enjoyable slam-based release, the fact that the album is just way too overlong and contains too many tracks is the main downfall here with this one seemingly going on somewhat past it’s useful point as it gets to a point of being yet another over-the-top beatdown with slams and chugging riffing that the album does feel incredibly overlong here with this many tracks here offering the same overall approach, and it would probably be utterly unbearable with the instrumental versions tacked on that also comes as a potential release variant.

While their main point of dissent here is merely the overanxious zeal of a debut with too many elements featured and feeling quite overcrowded, there’s more than enough here to really like about it that there’s plenty of appeal here for any kind of brutal or slam aficionado to really get into with this one.

Score: 85/100

Does it sound good? Order it from here:
http://www.transcendingrecords.com/cgi-bin/productDetails.cgi?pid=9501&cid=

Rotting Obscene - Depths of Decay

Artist: Rotting Obscene
Release Title: Depths of Decay
Year: 2016
Label: Self-Released/Independent (Transcending Records reissue)
Genre: Technical Death Metal
Tracklisting:
1. Audient Void
2. Cataclysmic Advent
3. Depths of Decay
4. Nightmares of the Forlorn
5. The Awakening
6. Paths of Deception
7. Abhorrent Reprisal
8. Temporal Diminishment
9. Metamorphic Transcendence
10. Absence of Light
11. Warstorm
12. Defacing Divinity

Storming onto the scene in 2011, Virginian technical death metallers Rotting Obscene got their start with an impressive 4-song demo not long afterwards which signalled the start of a series of lineup shuffles that sees the band finally settle down into a devastating four-piece. They have returned in 2016 with their debut full-length album which was initially self-released March 22, 2016 before a reissue July 22, 2016 on Transcending Records.

For the majority of the album this here offers a strikingly enjoyable burst of technical death metal that manages to get the majority of the great points here from the fact that it’s a wholly dynamic variety of technical death metal. Ranging from the traditional technical wankery that manages to infest this one with a series of highly-complex and challenging riff-work that begins dive-bombing and swirling around the remaining rhythms while incorporating fiery, dynamic soloing into the mix to a series of solid and wholly enjoyable open-ended grooves that rip throughout the music here by letting the main driving rhythms slow down into a more generous section while still maintaining a complex vibe that allows for quite an overall wide degree of variety here within the album. Being able to handily change from the two styles with surprising ease gives the album a great deal of personality with the constant switch-overs between the dazzling technical displays to a more vicious, brutal sprawling section is what packs a huge wallop here and offers up the kind of dynamic impact that really wears on the listen as it beats and pummels for it’s duration. The lone factor here that olds this back somewhat is the album’s rather overlong feel here at times as this is something that really doesn’t need to be as overlong and filled with all the excess tracks that it does here. Several of the longer tracks here are what could’ve been trimmed down a little, leaving this with some rather bland sections by simply continuing on long past the point when they should’ve stopped merely to further showcase their skill-set or deliver a beatdown that’s not necessary. Otherwise, this one was quite an impressive debut effort.

Despite a few areas that need trimming here and there that makes this a little longer than needed, there’s still a great deal of work to be found here that’s immensely enjoyable that it’s enough to really overcome that minor flaw and make this a solid, engaging effort for technical or brutal death metal fanatics who constantly need more of the stuff.

Score: 89/100

Does it sound good? Order it from here:
http://www.transcendingrecords.com/cgi-bin/productDetails.cgi?pid=9487&cid=

Mist of Misery - Absence

Artist: Mist of Misery
Release Title: Absence
Year: 2016
Label: Black Lion Productions
Genre: Symphonic Black Metal
Tracklisting:
1. Melancholic Thoughts
2. Euthanasia
3. Absence
4. Final Departure
5. Epitaph of Penitence
6. Wistful Twilight
7. Paragon of Perdition
8. Mist of Misery
9. Serenity in Nothingness

Following the success of their previous release, Swedish symphonic black metallers Mist of Misery have gotten quite proficient at their mixing of depressive, melancholic and ambient atmospheres in symphonic black metal soundscapes. With five years spent honing and refining this into a fine art, the group prepares its second full-length and first release with vocals on August 31, 2016 on Black Lion Productions.

Considering its origins, this here is a rather impressive and dynamic offering that readily combines the band's penchant for weaving depressive atmospherics into a grandiose, majestic bombast as there’s a great contrast between these styles. With their seemingly disparate mixing of depressive black metal with symphonic elements, it leaves this with a highly appealing soundscape of cold, minimalist swirling riff-work that sounds quite downbeat and depressive rather than large and glorious which is what’s usually the case in the genre. That atmospheric charge here into more mournful, melancholic rhythms against the dynamic, dexterous drumming and cold, swirling tremolo riffing is what gives this one quite an impressive and wholly enjoyable ambient soundscape that manages to feature enough overt blasting and charging cinematic keyboards to sound symphonic in cases, yet the overwhelming downbeat and depressive nature takes precedence here to create a much more dynamic restrained scale. In this case, the only thing that really doesn’t offer up much interest overall is the short instrumentals which are spread out quite often within the music and are used way too much for such a short album which does upset the running time pretty heavily stopping to place another interlude. Still, this isn’t all that bad of a problem and doesn’t stop the rest of the music from being enjoyable.

Despite the album’s few minor upsets where it’s not as fully-flowing as it really should’ve been, there’s still so much to enjoy with their explosive and oftentimes dynamic mixture of depressive melodies and symphonic black metal that it really appeals to work well for crowds of both styles as well as those looking for something beyond the realm of normal symphonic black metal.

Score: 90/100

Does it sound good? Order it from here:
http://mistofmiseryblacklion.bandcamp.com/album/absence

This Ending - Garden of Death

Artist: This Ending
Release Title: Garden of Death
Year: 2016
Label: Apostasy Records
Genre: Melodic Death Metal
Tracklisting:
1. Torrent of Souls
2. Blackened Shrine
3. Boundaries of Hell
4. Dark Samaritan
5. Garden of Death
6. Victims
7. World of Nightmares
8. Chaos Within
9. Vultures

From their formation in 2006, Swedish melodic death metallers This Ending have carried on the style and sound from their previous incarnation, the defunct A Canorous Quintet, by blending a tougher death metal style with strong melodic lead-work. With long-time members in guitarist Leon Pignon and bassist Jesper Löfgren being replaced by Peter Nagy and Linus Petersson respectively in the years between releases, the bands’ third full-length is released on new label Apostasy Records on April 22, 2016.

As was the case when the band first started, this one here is all about the fact that the band doesn’t go in for the usual melodic death metal routine of light, poppy rhythms overlaid with gruff vocals and then capped off with melodic leads. The melodic lead-work is still present, but this one here is all about the album’s driving backbone here featuring a driving and hard-hitting series of deep, churning rhythms that are much more traditionally-based in primitive thrashy death metal. This energetic series of rousing rhythms is given a heavier, far more energetic series of tempos as the tight, buzzing riffing is far heavier than what would normally be presented while this still enables plenty of melodic rhythms. The traditional sense here is in full-effect where it’s all about the deep, swirling melodic runs that are presented here which are just absolutely memorable and hummable at the same time as well as featuring the kind of charging atmosphere presented in the remaining sections makes this quite and wholly enjoyable and impressive attack for the most part. Though this attack is quite impressive and enjoyable for the most part, what really holds it up is the rather stumbling nature it’s more melodic rhythms interject with the heavier-hitting patterns. Though initially they’re quite well-meaning, this one tends to drop off the pace considerably in many areas of the tracks to generate a more traditional melody rather than working it into the heavier charge that was working quite well for them. It worked incredibly well when it combined the two, and moving into the other direction didn’t really come off all that well, and is really the main thing holding this one back.

As it’s not quite all that bad here and really only stumbles quite rarely, this is a quite enjoyable and rousing blend of stylish melodic death metal that has enough positive points to overcome the flaws and makes for a worthy addition to any fan of the style or those that enjoy the band’s past catalog or the earlier incarnation of the group.

Score: 85/100

Does it sound good? Order it from here:
http://thisendingswe.bandcamp.com/