Flames, concussions, and the horror of mechanized slaughtering – Death Kommander’s new album “Pro Patria Mori” combines it all into a 49-minute-long debut, which immediately reminds the listener that Old School Death Metal is far from old or dead and the mighty Bolt Thrower may have a worthy successor!
Tony “Demolition Man” Dolan from Venom Inc. and Patrick “Frugi” Herrsche from Messiah round up the album with guest appearances on the first and last song, adding another layer to the already very volatile release and make it even more interesting.
The album can be divided into two parts – the first slower worship of groovy riffs, and the second, more daring and faster attack on enemy trenches. The variety and length of the album are making the album worth multiple listening iterations where every time something new can be discovered.
The album has been released digitally on the 01.01.2021 and physically on the 26.01.2021 through Warhorn Records.
The album starts off with an Intro where the similarity to the legendary Bolt Thrower already springs to mind like a foot mine. As the needle jumps off, the first Tunes of War attack the musical battlefield and advance with a Steel Reaper through the Incoming Death – two songs with multiple layers of advancing technology. Especially the end of Incoming Death arises again from the rubble and presents the listener with growls full of despair.
Groovy riffs and slow headbanging parts continue in Shock Trooper and challenge the neck muscles before the advancement of a rolling riff machine titled Mechanized Warfare.
Like in every battle, the turning point starts with Unnamed Grave, which mixes typical Bolt Thrower with long growls of despair and melodic lines that are building up to the end of the song where even the baldest listener will feel hair flying through the air.
Play of Death and Flanders Blues are the more daring side of the album, where catchy melodies lead the listener dancing through the mine field in no man’s land.
As the battle is approaching the end, the Flamethrower is clearing out with a bass intro that leaves no person standing in front of the trenches. The spark is so catchy that you can even hear the incinerated corpses shouting “FLAMETHROWER”!
A last undertaking is The March, with changing tempo and versatile vocal deployment. It stands out as a more modern interpretation of Death Metal without forgetting its roots in horror and despair.
All that follows now is the bleak end of the story. Tony “Demolition Man” Dolan’s voice marks the sharp contrast and takes over the role of a narrator, concluding that for the deceased there is no honour, nor glory – Pro Patria Mori.
FEBRVVM has released a music video of the title track of its debut LP "Apokatastasis".
The song mixes alternative metal with gothic rock and industrial influences and alludes to both Stoic and Christian concepts of "apokatastasis" (restoration and universal salvation).
On April 16th, Cannibal Corpse will release their fifteenth studio album, Violence Unimagined, via Metal Blade Records. For a first preview of the record, the new single "Inhumane Harvest" can be heard at: metalblade.com/cannibalcorpse - where Violence Unimagined is also available for pre-order in the following formats:
- digipak-CD
- deluxe edition artbook (48-page hardcover book includes: CD, crimson red marbled vinyl, flag, patch, and sticker)
- coke bottle clear / swamp green color in color vinyl (Decibel exclusive)
- bone / red color in color vinyl (US exclusive)
- white / olive green melt vinyl (US exclusive)
- beer w/ red splatter vinyl (US exclusive)
Comprised of eleven tracks, Violence Unimagined is state of the art death metal played with passion and breathless precision, making for another flawless addition to what is inarguably one of the premier catalogues the genre has thrown up. "It really follows the path we've been going down for a few years now," states bassist and founding member Alex Webster. "I think we approach the writing in a similar way most every time: each of us try to write the heaviest, most memorable songs we can. We want each song to have its own identifiable character. Showing my age, I like to say you can 'drop the needle' on any point of one of our albums and quickly tell which song you're listening to."
While they continue to do what they do with aplomb, the one substantial change to Cannibal Corpse is the addition of guitarist Erik Rutan to their ranks, joining Webster, founding drummer Paul Mazurkiewicz, guitarist Rob Barrett and vocalist George "Corpsegrinder" Fisher. Known for his roles in Morbid Angel, Ripping Corpse and most notably fronting the mighty Hate Eternal, Rutan has long established himself as one of the most dynamic forces in contemporary death metal. Simultaneously, he has built up a reputation as one of the most in demand producers in metal, having previously produced four Cannibal Corpse albums (in addition to Violence Unimagined), alongside the likes of Goatwhore, Soilent Green and Belphegor. Filling in live on guitar since 2019, in 2020 he became a full member, contributing to the writing process. "I think the most noticeable difference on this record will be the addition of Erik to the band. He wrote three full songs for the record, music and lyrics, and his song writing and guitar playing have added something new, and I think his musical style integrated into ours very well," Webster enthuses. This is not all that he brings to the band. "He's a great friend of ours, so on a personal level, he's been a perfect fit, as we knew he would be. Beyond that, he's one of the hardest working people I know, in music or otherwise, and he maintains a high energy, positive demeanor in challenging situations where other people might go in a negative direction. This energy and great attitude rubs off on the rest of us as well. That's really a perfect situation to have when you add someone to a band, or any kind of team: someone who's great at what they do, and also inspires the people around them."
Already well known for the level of extreme technicality they bring to every record, on Violence Unimagined, Cannibal Corpse have further upped their game, particularly in Mazurkiewicz's drumming. "I think we all pushed ourselves a bit technically on this one, with Paul probably pushing the hardest. This album is probably the most drum-intense album we've done yet. Part of that could be a result of Erik joining the band. His song writing style often features technically challenging drumming, probably owing to his years of experience in high speed death metal." And with typically dark and warped lyrical content, Mazurkiewicz came up with the fitting title of the record, "summing up what the band is about in every facet, and taking violence to another level of extremity."
Blackened extreme metal band The Noctambulant will reveal their new album HELLRAZOR on March 5 2021. The album is the follow up to their critically acclaimed "The Cold and Formless Void" which was released in 2019.
Band frontman E. Helvete commented "The goal of this next release was to connect with the audience in a more authentic way. We feel Hellrazor is a more genuine example of who we are as a band, and where we are from as individuals."
Spain/France -based Melodic Death Metallers ANCIENT SETTLERS have unleashed their first blasting single 'Diamond Eyes', taken from the band's debut EP “Autumnus”, coming out in February 2021.
ANCIENT SETTLERS was formed in 2020 by Rex Chiesa & Herman Riera (Ex-Haboryn), Rene González (Ex-Aesthesis), Emmy Reyes and Antony Hamäläinen (Meridian Dawn, Former Nightrage & Armageddon). The band tries to explore the frontiers of modern death metal, including some melodic and atmospheric tones. Regarding lyrics, the band found the inspiration in the recent tragedies that affects the earth and the human race, trying to encourage all those who are looking for something more.
ANCIENT SETTLERS line-up:
Rex Chiesa: Guitar.
Herman Riera: Drums.
Antony Hamäläinen: Voice.
Rene González: Keyboards & Synth.
Emmy Reyes: Bass.
Crew:
Audio Engineer: Daniel Cardoso – Ohme Studios (Lisbon, Portugal).
Having released their self-titled demo, Coffin Mulch, back in February of 2019, these Scottish maniacs obsessed with Death Metal's early beginnings are finally ready to unleash their debut mini-LP entitled Septic Funeral.
For fans of Autopsy, Nihilist, Carnage, Asphyx, and Dismember
CYNIK SCALD is a multicultural Heavy Metal/Melodic Metal/PowerMetal/Metalcore band with their own original lyrics and music. Cynik Scald’s music has its own sound which can be described as an exciting mixture of heavy metal and folk songs with a pinch of industrial/power metal and a flavor of Viking Metal/DeathMetalcore tunes. Their music is similar to CREMATORY, MUDVAYNE, GHOST, ALESTORM, AMON AMARTH and some vibes of LAMB OF GOD, MOTÖRHEAD.
Cynik Scald’s debut album "AGED SPIRIT" was released at the end of 2019. Recently some of songs from the album were added to some top Spotify metal and rock playlists.
Two most popular songs from album are:
'When the sun goes down' – Motorbike Road song, all filled of the spirit of Freedom and Harley Davidson. Sounds a bit country Metal with reference to Cowboy movies of 70-s. Bloggers about this song: “it’s a hard rock fusion that even allows a blues section on the bridge. A song to listen to while you travel to the nearest motor-meeting!”. Reference for this song is Motörhead.
'Silent Rainbow' is more Metalcore/Rap Metal. The song is about all people life that they just waste, but all the time above them there is Silent Rainbow, that watching them with love. Influenced by Ghost, Crematory.
Underground bands that break into the daylight need both local notoriety and a vision that carries with them when they hit the road. Whether it's a packed house at Brooklyn's Lucky 13 Saloon or a Tuesday night on tour thousands of miles from home, NYC hardcore/metal collective Fear Is Dead have both these qualities in spades.
The Queens, New York band has released five EPs since their inception in 2011, with their sound gradually evolving over the years into the heavy, minimalist, "in your face" outfit they are today. The present lineup consists of frontman and founding member Skila and longtime guitarist David English, joined by newcomers Tim I on bass and Ish Roberts behind the kit.
Fear Is Dead's unique sound and intense energy have garnered the acclaim of New York’s underground, bringing together fans from the metal and hardcore/punk scenes. Described as "cathartic," "expressionist," and "raw," this is a band that doesn't shy away from the grittier side of the human experience. David's rhythmic and riff-heavy guitar work provides the perfect environment for Skila's aggressive, syncopated style, and at times rapid staccato vocals. With their new rhythm section taking live shows to even greater levels of groove and intensity, the band was performing consistently prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Indeed, Fear Is Dead has long been known for their awe-inspiring performances all over NYC, melting faces from Knitting Factory and The Studio at Webster Hall to their second home at Lucky 13 Saloon. In 2018, the band put together a small but successful West Coast tour from California up to Seattle and back, making new fans and friends along the way. They've shared stages with artists like Rebelmatic, Solemn Vision, and Hed P.E., and have been featured in Metal Injection, MetalUnderground.Com, Aquarian Weekly, Tattoo.Com, and New Noise Magazine.
In January 2020, Fear Is Dead released the single "Assimilation" -- an unknowingly fitting song for the world events that followed. Currently, the band is staying busy in the new reality of a global pandemic by keeping in touch with fans on social media, playing live stream events and fundraisers, and working on their first full length album. They expect to release another single in Spring 2021, followed by their debut full-length later in the year.
With influences from Nas to Soundgarden, Korn, and of course New York's proud hardcore tradition, Fear Is Dead unites many musical facets into one hard-hitting final result. Don't sleep on this long-running band with many places still to go.
Quebec (CA) Death Metal trio OBVURT will release deb ut EP The Beginning March 31 on Brutal Mind. A lyric video for EP track "The First Light" was just released and is available at youtu.be/9T6yLw3Rhzs
Initially, OBVURT was a solo project created by Philippe Drouin. In 2016 he was victim of a car accident, which injured his right wrist and prevented him from playing the guitar. Despite undergoing multiple medical operations, Philippe was not able to get his dexterity back. Even when facing adversity, he refused to give up on himself or on the guitar skills he had been perfecting for 15 years.
In 2018, he decided to buy a left-handed guitar, despite being right handed. With the help of Michael Angelo Batio, and because he kept practicing, Phil was able to come up with his very first songs.
OBVURT was formed in 2020 in Québec. Band members are: Philippe Drouin
(EX-UNBREAKABLE HATRED, EX-VITIATED), Olivier Pinard (CATTLE DECAPITATION, CRYPTOPSY) and Samuel Santiago (AGONY, EX-GOROD). Philippe was the one who came up with the name OBVURT, which relates to his particular turn of fate. OBVURT stands for Obvert (to oppose) and Hurt (to wound). In august 2020 the band recorded their first EP, The Beginning, with Christian Donaldson (CRYPTOPSY) at The Grid Productions.
A quarantine playthrough video for EP track "Obverted," featuring a guest guitar solo from Michael Angelo Batio, was released previously and can be viewed at youtu.be/BnYiEEhCUOU
