Disfigure me dead, bitch.  That’s what Disfigured Dead (the band) did!  Once again, another brilliant release from underground metal specialists Hells Headbangers, this time with the Disfigured Dead album Visions Of Death.  It’s straight forward, raw to the bone, nitty gritty, old skool death metal.  The production is possibly like you guessed: a tad fuzzy for those of you tr00 metalheads who don’t like that pretty watered down production.  Production wise or not, Disfigured Dead creates some good metal.  Many conceive black metal to be the evilest form of music out there, which is completely stupid in some cases, but evil or not, some of that death metal out there influenced by classic horror is straight up evil and kickass at the same time.  Get your leather jacket with your Death, Cannibal Corpse, and Convulse patches out for this one!  Here’s a patch-friendly release.

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Grittier than Fear Factory, but not quite as refined as the diverse Biomechanical, Noctiferia’s 2010 album, Death Culture is an effective record, albeit one that comes up a bit short.

What was ushered into the woodwork by the likes of Sepultura, Meshuggah and Fear Factory, industrial metal was often viewed with disdain during the last couple of decades by purists, but in the last few years, legitimacy has been added to the sub-genre with many stand outs, including a reivitalized Fear Factory with some of their best material in years. One such act that has defied this rutty landscape is Slovenia’s Noctiferia. While not as pure as Ministry, nor as chaotic as The Berzerker, Noctiferia have accumulated hardhitting death metal, technicality, and the monotonous overtones of the straight lined trajectory of the riffs and drum beats to construct a well oiled machine. I can’t say I am wow’ed by Death Culture in any way, but this is an album that sets out to do exactly what it has achieved. I’m sure if a member of the band were to read this, they would likely believe they put far more effort into the result, but from a fan’s perspective, this is a middle of the line underground metal album that fails to be as original as many of their peers, but also escapes the pitfalls of popularism suffered by Fear Factory.

Death Culture will definitely get you into the mood, but I can’t imagine it will stay spinning for too long in your psyche.

NOT BAD

Similar Artists: Fear Factory, Biomechanical, late 90’s era Sepultura, Meshuggah

1.    Premonition
2.    Terror
3.    Deluders And Followers
4.    Monarch
5.    Demoncracy
6.    Slavedriver
7.    Rust
6.    Non Individuum
9.    Catarsis
10.    Demagog
11.    Holymen
12.    Samsara
13.    SM 02

Gianni Poposki – Vocals, Percussion
Igor Nardin – Guitars, Keyboards, Programming
Roman Fileš – Guitars
Uroš Lipovec – Bass
Matjaz Grgeta – Drums, Percussion

Listenable Records

http://www.myspace.com/noctiferia

Lifeforce has always been one of those foreign labels (from the American perspective of course), that maintains a consistent connection with the American metal pulse. They were one of the first labels to introduce metalcore, American style melo death, and even deathcore to the European masses by supporting locally raised acts, alongside some American stalwarts, most of whom would go on to become some of the biggest names in the business (do Trivium, Between the Buried and Me, Caliban and Withered ring a bell?). Lifeforce are a viable commodity in the underground, especially as an alternative label to the Nuclear Blasts, Massacres and Spinefarms of Europe that cater to more traditional forms of metal found in the motherland. Now, Lifeforce is set to wreak havoc with yet another upstart, The Last Felony, who are set to release their second album, Too Many Humans, this August. Does Lifeforce have the know how to supplant yet another rising star into the psyche’s of metalheads the world over? Not likely.

Too Many Humans is from the so called Montreal tech death style that has brought about Cryptopsy, Neuraxis and Beneath the Massacre amongst others. Granted, Montreal has a very successful run with it’s death metal bands, but the problem with the success of individual cities, is that the more bands they pump out, the quicker the scene stagnates. Basically, The Last Felony, while not hacks, are grossly unoriginal and are merely towing the line of success brought forth by their Quebec brethren.

The Last Felony, as I seem to mention time and time again with these kinds of reviews, are wholly capable of blasting the ice off of the Saint Lawrence River during January, but their riffs are so standard that it could supplement virtually any modern North American tech death act. This is most definitely not “deathcore,” so no worries to those who may shy away from that. Too Many Humans is pure death, through and through, but that doesn’t make it good.

I understand why Lifeforce signed these guys, they are doing essentially what they have always done as a label, they are taking advantage of the pulse of the metal world and grabbing up a very effective technical band that could rival the likes of many of their peers. Small labels must work like this, they either have to stay ahead of the game (which Lifeforce does as well), or bring in marketable bands that take advantage of current climates. There’s nothing wrong with this, but it can breed contempt amongst label loyalists. The Last Felony will have no problem finding success in the industry if they play their cards right, but Too Many Humans has nothing to offer to this growing sub-genre.

NOT BAD

Similar Artists: Beneath the Massacre, Neuraxis, Necrophagist, The Faceless

1.    We Are Future Housing Developments For Maggots
2.    Too Many Humans
3.    No One Would Notice If You Died
4.    Do Not Defend Me
5.    Quandary
6.    Most Unclean
7.    Overrated Existence
8.    Televisionary
9.    Water Cooler Suicide

Joss Fredette – Vocals
Dom Grimard – Guitar
Felix Roberge – Guitar
Vince Menard – Drums
Sébastien “Seb” Painchaud – Bass

Lifeforce Records

http://www.myspace.com/thelastfelony

www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9SkmYUPQNs

Album: Whispers of the Dead
Label: Yonah Records
Year: 2010

Similar Artists: Obituary, Blood Red Throne

Vomitor is a loud death / thrash metal band, and I fucking love it!  So chaotic, so raw, and such a force to be reckoned with, Vomitor bleeds death metal.  The band puts their foot on the gas pedal, and seems to continuously accelerate throughout their latest offering, Devils Poison, released via our friends at Hells Headbangers.  Vocalist Death Dealer unleashes a wide range of metalology, including grim rasps and even some of that dark falsetto (think King Diamond, Sodom, Slayer – Show No Mercy-era).  And let me tell you right now that the instrumentation is on a mission to shred faces off.  Vomitor is completely out of control at times.  I’ve noticed that Australia as of late has really been making themselves a mecca of heavy metal, and Vomitor is one of the more solid bands throughout the country filled with animals that will kill you in a heartbeat.

Devils Poison opens up with “Crimson Tide”, and gets straight to the death.  No time is wasted on any banter, because you’ll learn from the opening track that Vomitor has a tendency to riff.  “Midnight Madness” gets the adrenaline pumping as the night has only begun. Vomitor unleashes some pretty good traditional thrash here with a touch of heavy metal on the dark side.  This song even has a little epic side to it, though given the production isn’t the best in the world, you should still be able to tell if you’ve got a real metal musical ear.  Closing Devils Poison with “Neutron Hammer”, the band begins to take more of a classic heavy metal approach, but then proceeds to shred faces off.  Death Dealer’s vocals in this song though are sort of hilarious when he’s grunting “Neutron, tron, hammer, hammer, nyo, nyo,” or whatever goofy gurgling sounds he’s making, but he’s backed by some solid-as-fuck instrumentalists that get the job done with a Slayer fused thrash assembly.

Keep an eye out for these dudes.  There’s no doubt that Vomitor can / and has a huge cult-like following.  Vomitor fucking slays, and their killing spree is to be continued!

1.    Crimson Tide
2.    Flesh for Satan
3.    Saga of the Rage
4.    Caligvla
5.    Devils Poison
6.    Midnight Madness
7.    Beast of Sodom
8.    Neutron Hammer

Death Dealer – Vocals/Guitars
Anton Vomit – Bass
Hellkunt – Drums

Hells Headbangers

http://www.myspace.com/thevomitor

Written by Alex of TheLiveLine.com and Team All About the Music

Hailing from Italy, Nefarium bleeds black metal like a shrapnel wound, and their latest album Ad Discipulum is a well constructed, well produced, reeled in release that, thankfully, doesn’t go over the top.

Black metal is hit or miss in many cases, and while Ad Discipulum doesn’t necessarily pull out all the stops, it’s a very technically proficient black metal album without solely doting on the rapid fire pace of the 1349’s of the world. I know this gets played out a lot, especially, admittedly, by myself, but Nefarium’s style very much resembles Behemoth’s, in that it’s a crossbreed between black metal and brutal death metal. However, while Behemoth tends to lean towards the death metal style these days, I’d say Nefarium has a strong emphasis on the black metal side of the equation with a healthy dose of death metal inspired solos, and Immolation inspired drumming (or is it just flat out influenced by Behemoth? I don’t know).

Regardless of who Nefarium is most notably related to in the metal genome, these Italians have constructed their third album of  “metal” that can equally entertain hardened black metallers as well as the more mainstream American fans who may be just getting into this music. The guitar solos, and breaks into systematic destruction for, slightly different levels of destruction are key to appreciating Nefarium, and the level they can potentially play in garnering further fans from other forms of extreme metal. I highly recommend this release!

VERY GOOD

Similar Artists: Behemoth, Immolation

Carnifex – Guitar, Vocals
Adventor – Guitar
Vexator – Bass
Garghuf – Drums

1.    Tongue Of The First Pope (Simon Peter)
2.    Hands Bleeding Fear (Pontius Pilate)
3.    The Bastard Son Of Satan (Jesus Christ)
4.    Shepherd For Dead Lambs (Johan The Baptist)
5.    Sharpening The Spear Of Longinus (Cassius Longinus)
6.    Servus Servorum Satanae (Benedictus XVI)
7.    Seven Whores Of Magdala (Mary Magdaleine)
8.    Mass Infanticide By The King Of Judea (Herod The Great)

Agonia Records

http://www.myspace.com/nefarium

Yes folks, they may be the ONLY band of their kind in the world, but Gloominous Doom do what they do…ummm, better than anyone else. Ska in metal? Who woulda thunked it, but it’s possible, and these boys from Pennsylvania are living breathing recording examples of that. Perhaps ironically, upon listening to their sophomore effort, The Feature, I was actually more inspired by the ska (aka, non metal bits) and would have liked to hear a ska-only recording, because realistically the band’s ability to create quality metal is sketchy best. In fact, when in full metal mode, Gloominous Doom sound more like an attempt at ripping off Swashbuckle than to create any meaningful originality which is where the band’s only hope lies. Once these guys tighten up their solo work so they don’t sound like a high quality garage band, we may actually have a flag bearer for all ska metal bands the world over!

CODY

http://www.myspace.com/lotsofdeadkids

Death metal is really an area of music that I’m recently growing accustomed to, and really enjoying. I try to pick a band that has a theme to them, that I can really dig, and get my head moving to. Some bands sing strictly about one specific theme (like death, hahaha), but most bands, that try to appeal to all kinds of listeners choose several themes to sing about, like Unleashed. But sometimes the themes aren’t enough to make your band stand out from other bands, and unfortunately these guys have a sound that hits too close to other bands.

Unleashed’s new album As Yggdrasil Trembles sounds good, but is in no way a polished album. And to be completely honest, they sound exactly like Amon Amarth, which isn’t a bad thing by any means. I really enjoy their sound, but I just believe that they need to come out of their shadows, and really develop their own sound. They have a great sound, but they just don’t vary enough from other bands in the genre, at least not enough for me to find a clear difference, as to warrant them an individual style. As Yggdrasil Trembles definitely hits the inside of my dome with a nice beat, with all of the Death and Viking undertones that I was hoping for, but most of the songs in the beginning of the album sounded similar in the start. Only towards the end did I hear some differences in the tracks, and one that really stood out as a pure death track was “Cannibalistic Epidemic Continues.” I’m not saying that the album was bad by any means, but it did lack the variety that I would have expected from a veteran band in the genre (They formed in 1989).

All in all, if you have heard any of Unleashed’s previous albums, then there’s a good chance that you’ll find this album to be good, but only too familiar. A bigger variety is just what the doctor orders now from the band, and let’s see what the future holds for them. Will it be more of the same, or a welcomed change with a unique sound, and polished tracks?

GOOD

Similar Bands: Amon Amarth, Demigod

1.   Courage Today, Victory Tomorrow!
2.   So It Begins…
3.   As Yggdrasil Trembles
4.   Wir Kapitulieren Niemals
5.   This Time We Fight
6.   Master Of The Ancient Art
7.   Chief Einherjar
8.   Return Fire
9.   Far Beyond Hell
10.   Dead To Me
11. Yahweh And The Chosen Ones
12. Cannibalistic Epidemic Continues

Johnny Hedlund – Bass, Vocals
Fredrik Folkare – Lead Guitar
Tomas Olsson – Rhythm Guitar
Anders Schultz – Drums

Unleashed Homepage

http://www.myspace.com/unleashed

Nuclear Blast Records

Review by TONY

A few years back, I heard my first Crossover band (Municipal Waste), and have been looking for other bands that partake in the Crossover revolution like they do, but I really haven’t come across many. Recently, I received some material from a band that has not the same sound [as Municipal Waste], but something similar, while strapping on a set of  Thrash/Death-Ass-Kicking boots! Black Breath really took me by surprise with their album, Heavy Breathing.

Hailing from Seattle, Black Breath hasn’t been around for very long in the metal scene, nor have they put out more than one full length album (Heavy Breathing being it), but they have hit hard with this one, leaving a sweet twinge in the back of my head where the sound waves are jacking up my brain! A good portion of the tracks go back and forth between different styles, but all of them seem to include a smattering of Thrash, Death, and Crossover. Songs like “Virus” start out with a Thrash riff that will set any headbangers loins on fire, but include some Death in there as well. Then you have “Escape from Death” which starts out with a Death riff, and mixes some Thrash in there as well. One of the odd-ball tracks that the band seem to have stuck on there, is “Unholy Virgin” which came off the line sounding like straight-up Southern Rock, and continued into a heavy version of a song that could have been written by Stevie Ray Vaughn or something. This was kind of a refreshing sound in the album, but seem to come out of nowhere, and you never heard it again on the album. Altogether, there’s definitely a punk-ish sound in all of the tracks, which kick into the Crossover sound. Even the lead singer sounds like he came straight from Punk band-practice. Not that this is a bad thing!

For Black Breath’s first sound-off into the metal community, they did a very upstanding job. I still see some more good work to come from them in the future, and I hope they have some luck making more good albums with their label, Southern Lord. Their sound and approach to the scene are a welcome reprieve to the same old.

VERY GOOD

Similar Artists: Municipal Waste, As I Lay Dying, Kreator

1.    Black Sin (Spit On the Cross)
2.    Eat the Witch
3.    Escape From Death
4.    I Am Beyond
5.    Virus
6.    Heavy Breathing
7.    Children of the Horn
8.    Fallen
9.    Unholy Virgin
10.    Wewhocannotbenamed

J. Byrum – Drums
Nate McAdams – Vocals
F. Funds – Guitar
Elijah Nelson – Bass
E. Wallace – Guitar

Southern Lord Records

http://www.myspace.com/blackbreath

Review by TONY

Hailing from Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, Arjun Gill has the will and the means to become a one man brand of Middle Eastern death metal, and his approach is anything but local and traditional. Arjun has crafted an absolutely brutal display of black and death metal that would rival even the most intense bands of the west. Premonition, the moniker taken by Arjun in displaying his utter chaotic music, is a type of art that many in his home country and region probably would not understand, but there are certainly brothers and sister of metal the world over who would be interested in checking out this oligarch of brutality.

http://www.myspace.com/premonitiontheband666