Deiphago "In The Eyes Of Satan" Hell Headbangers Records (2015)

"Into the Eye of Satan" is the fourth studio full-length offering of the Filipino bestial black/death metal act Deiphago. Release date January 1st, 2015. This release is easily the heaviest and, in my own opinion, the best record that the trio had put out in all of their careers as extreme metal musicians. But, of course, we might be surprised along the road because Voltaire and the group always stun us with a more solid effort after every release. What "Into the Eye of Satan" provides to the listeners in a half an hour of run time is a high-intensity black/death metal music, a guitar section that builds a granite wall of grinding riffs, a bass line and drum hammering that gives enough vividness and magnitude to simply destroy the listeners' ears, and a vocal delivery which is extremely harsh and loathful.

Every track in the album is fierce and it has that clear purpose of exterminating those who are in its path. The guitar riffs of the songs are like engines of war machines whose sole purpose is to create heat that will feed the steel battle tank, which is in the form of the offering, that will obliterate the masses. The guitar section of this material is so fucking heavy, crushing, and it is completely massive that it makes riffs from Norwegian black metal records sounds like chords from church hymns. It simply amazes me how Sidapa is able to keep up with that high-speed tempo and chaotic potency while at the same time giving a wicked sense of melody for the audiences to enjoy. And we get more killer treats with his soloing in here.

Slaying shredding guitar solos buried in gaping walls of distortion can be heard all throughout the record. Now, they might exist for only a moment to break all the tension going as listeners bang their heads to the obscure tunes that Deiphago renders, but these solos are fast, effective, and most importantly memorable. They are very sinister in nature, and we can describe this fantastically rendered solos like wolves who conceal themselves among the woods at hours of darkness while stalking their preys' every move before they attack and eviscerate their victims alive.

Savnok, the maniac behind the drums in this release, administers primal blasting and formidable pummeling with his drumming in here. His work behind the kit sounds like mountains smashing against each other while the roaring thunderstorm fills the dark skies in the time of the rapture as the king of hell wipes out the age of humankind. The dude inflicts drum blasts ubiquitously with mind-blowing speed, but his pandemonium fills and general skill exhibits more wonderment to the audiences to make sure that we are not left motionless. We can also feel the power of Savnok's mind-shattering pounding as it cuts through the album with a relentless fury that drives and forces the band's music into the abyss of insurmountable dementia.

Voltaire's bass is pretty audible in the whole material, as it harasses your speakers with massive catastrophic force. The ponderous production also solidifies the existence of the bass notes that in most circumstances it may bring a fuss to some people. I have a bit of a whining about the production too as it evidently tames the whole primal nature of the instruments, but it still doesn't make this opus less of a masterpiece. The vocal work supplied by Voltaire in "Into the Eye of Satan" are gunfires of shrieks and screechy yells that resonates a sound as if it was delivered from beyond the living world. Its nature is like a prehistoric anomaly who's grabbing hold with a locked-jaw to its victim while ripping the prey's body off in a beastly behavior. The vocal sound is high, utterly comprehensible, and it is cruel as fuck!

Although "Into the Eye of Satan" suffers a noticeable stumbling block because of its bulky and wooly production, the offering is still a classic slab of angry and debauched black/death metal music that will give any connoisseurs of speed, thrash, black and death metal a total eargasm. Deiphago had again struck with a more violently than expected craft with this magnum opus. The release of this work of art had made me feel enraptured for future records of the band which will unquestionably feature them continuing their merciless and satanic bestial extreme metal brutality.

Goat Semen "En Vivo En Lima Hell" Soul Erazer Records 2003

Live album
Release date: May 26th, 2017
Label: Soul Erazer Records


Tracklist:

1. Sodom Graves 04:59   Show lyrics
2. Madre muerte 04:48   Show lyrics
3. At Luzbel's Behest 03:51   Show lyrics
4. Death Will 04:18
5. Post-Armagedon 03:23
6. Apologia terrorista 03:46
7. Crucified Fucked and Forsaken 03:13
8. Warfare Noise 05:24   Show lyrics
9. Goat Semen 02:40   Show lyrics
10. Rotten Messiah 04:18
11. Sodom Graves   Show lyrics
12. Apologia Terrorista
13. Warfare Noise   Show lyrics
14. Oracle of the Sands


If you own a Goat Semen release, it's probably this one, thanks to actual distribution on the part of Displeased Records (no idea how Goat Semen stumbled into a deal with them, but there you go). It's an odd release by the label; honestly, it's an odd release in general. This sort of thing never gets a pro CD deal from a major label; I mean, a live album by a Peruvian black/death band with no prior full-lengths or really any attention from the scene in general? What miracle happened to these guys that allowed them the privilege?

There's a perplexing mix of styles on display here; plenty of this music is cut from the modern Blasphemy style of chaotic black/death metal, but there's also an edge of oldschool thrash and even traditional heavy metal as well. The mixture is odd but seemingly appropriate: the raw, primitive nature of the more extreme elements is tempered by the pacing and variation of the more traditional styles on display, making for what might be one of the most dynamic releases I've ever heard in this primitive black/death style. Slashing Black Witchery riffs are mixed with sudden falsetto screams ala Slayer or even Mercyful Fate, blast beats juxtapose with rhythms and riffs that could come from '84- there's a lot of influences and a lot of directions for this music.

The production is better than I'd expect from a Peruvian's band's live release- it's still not good, mind you, but better than I expected. It's clipped and cloudy but you can still hear everything pretty clearly, perhaps owing to the somewhat weird, early '80s guitar tone on display that lacks a lot of the modern bite and ultra-gain you'd expect from something like this. As for the songs themselves- well, I'm not sure they really matter. They're all rather similar to each other- chaotic black/death meets a love of the (surprisingly fun and bouncy) '80s- and this record really seems to be much more about a certain feel than anything, though certainly arrived at unintentionally. That being said, the songwriting is solid enough: I've managed to listen to this record all the way through more than five times, though my attention does waver periodically. This is hardly my thing, you know.

I suppose this has its place in the metal scene; it's probably the best Peruvian record I own, certainly, and I appreciate the enthusiasm and aggression behind the music. Oddly enough, the pair of studio tracks at the end of the disc are the weakest thing here, and not just because the first is instrumental. I have a feeling that Goat Semen is the sort of band that thrives in the live setting- the, I don't know, five people audible in the audience seem to agree- and for some reason being able to hear all the riffs in moderate clarity takes away from some of the energy. I think being drunk while listening to this would help too.

So yeah, if you think Hell's Headbangers is basically the greatest label in the world and dressed up as King Diamond for Halloween one time this is made for you.

Necrófago "Brutal Mutilation" (Nuclear War Now 2011)

Brazilian Metal band old school from Passos, Minas Gerais. Formed in 1986.
Release date april 11th 2011.

Tracks 1-3: "Brutal Mutilation" demo (1987)
Traclks 4-5: rehearsal (1988)
Tracks 6-10: Live in Uberlândia (1988)

Comes with fanzine-styled booklet and a poster.

Compilation

Brutal Mutilation Demo 1987
A1 Morbid Death
A2 Preachers Of Doom
A3 Devastation

Rehearsals 1988
A4 Morbid Death
A5 Bestial Curse

Live Uberaba 1988
B1 Preachers Of Doom
B2 Devastation
B3 Under The Guillotine
Written-By – Kreator

B4 Morbid Death
B5 Storm Of Terror
Notas
Black vinyl with gatefold jacket, A2 poster and zine booklet

1994, El año del Black Metal.

En 1994 varios discos salieron al mundo para poner en órbita al Black Metal escandinavo, es el segundo movimiento del black metal, que tuvo su origen en Noruega y Suecia en los años 90.​ Este black metal daba el origen a discos que hoy se consideran clásicos y de culto para todos los fanáticos de ese radical subgénero. 

Aquí la lista de los discos que salieron en ese año:

Mayhem "De Miisterys Som Sathanas"

Burzum "Hvys Lissar Tar Oss"

Emperor "In The Nightside Eclipse"

Gorgoroth "Antichrist"

Satyricon "Dark Medieval Times"

Marduk "Opus Nocturne"

Darkthrone "Transylvania Hunger"

Gehenna "First Spell"

Enslaved "Vikingvlir Vledi"

Hades "...Against Shall Be"

Enslaved "Frost"

Ancient "Svartalheim"

Graveland "Carpathian Wolves"

Satyricon "The Shadowland"

Impaled Nazarene "Soumi Perkele Finland"

Behemoth "From The Pagan Vastlands"

Pandemonium "The Ancient Catatonia" Old Temple 1994

When speaking about such albums as “The Ancient Catatonia” I must go back first to the times, when I just started listening to metal – and that was around 1991. Back in those days the music market in Poland was still trying to build something after the communism’s fall in 1989 and there wasn’t anything like copyright law or something like that in the beginning. We – metalheads – have been then blessed by many pirate companies, which were copying hundreds of metal albums “from the West”; something what wasn’t given to the Polish metal fans in the 80’s. If one wanted to buy original version of the tape, licensed to Metal Mind for instance, he must have paid twice or three times as much as for those pirates, so basically every metalhead’s collection was filled with the “illegal” cassettes. So was mine. My first original tapes, which I have bought, were of the Polish bands, as these cassettes were not as expensive… So, I was really digging what Carnage Records or Baron Records have been releasing. Sure, many of these bands were not as good as those from US or UK, but that didn’t matter – I, as a 12-13 years old kid – had a chance to get to know some great music anyway, even if I had no idea what the underground actually was.

I remember I was listening to lot tapes, of bands like Betrayer, Hate, Christ Agony, Armagedon, Ghost, Vader, Quo Vadis, Violent Dirge, Hazael… and that was something great. Another name, which really became an integral part of my youth was Pandemonium and their “The Ancient Catatonia” cassette, which Baron has released in 1992. Arrghh, the music from this cassette was something way darker and sinister than anything else I have heard so far – I got to know them even before Samael! And I guess Pandemonium – along with Christ Agony and Taranis – was the first band, which could have been called black metal, which I have listened to in my life. That cassette, which I had back then, has been listened to so many times, that it basically was ruined after some time, so for many years I had no chance to hear “The Ancient Catatonia” – except a CDR copy, which someone did for me around 2003. I actually hoped a couple of years ago that I’ll have a chance to buy an original Baron CD version, but that turned out to be way too expensive for me. Later I hoped that if someone re-released “Devilri” demo on vinyl then “The Ancient Catatonia” will also get such an awesome treatment… but no. But my waiting has finally finished one morning, when I got an e-mail announcing that Old Temple will release “The Ancient Catatonia” again on CD!!!!!! Ha, I didn’t hesitate even for a second and putted my order for this album. Now I am listening to it over and over again and have that fleshback memory of my youth and all those good old days… and it feels like it was yesterday. But the greatest thing is that this music from “The Ancient Catatonia” hasn’t aged at all, it still sounds so wonderfully fresh and amazingly good… I have then no doubt that definitely this album belongs to the best materials ever recorded on the Polish territory. This is our classic!

I must say that Old Temple did a very good job with the re-release of “The Ancient Catatonia”. Not only the CD itself sounds just fantastic, but also the booklet looks great. It has the original lyrics plus some old photos… but it also contains quite few scans from the old Polish fanzines, which had interviews with Pandemonium. Similar thing has been done for the “Devilri” LP, actually, but it definitely is a great thing and a killer supplement to the music. OK, if anyone foreign will put his hands on this CD, he may feel a bit sad, as all interviews are in Polish, but who would care about that? If you cannot read anything and don’t wanna learn this language, then focus on the music!

Pandemonium has always been called “a Polish Samael”. When listening to “The Ancient Catatonia” one can surely hear why, as the atmosphere of the music is very similar to such cult LPs as “Worship Him” or “Blood Ritual”, so are some of the riffs, which are alike to the Suiss’ cult style, mainly focused on relatively slow or mid paced tempos, having this excellent hypnotic, almost trance feeling, when the songs are built by long, instrumental passages, played by guitars mainly (some additional instruments also appear, but rather sporadically) and then it turns out that sometimes the vocals are like an addition and you’ll almost not notice their presence, focusing on those riffs so much. I must say that I like it a lot, especially that the quality of these riffs and arrangements, as well as of all songs’ structures is just spotless… And as for those comparisons to Samael… well, there surely are many similarities, no doubt, but at the same time Pandemonium has also its original style, you’ll notice it when listening to “The Ancient Catatonia” carefully… The music is often more melodic and also the appearance of such additional instruments as violin or acoustic guitars gives it more personal touch. Besides, another obvious source of influence would I guess be Celtic Frost – just listen to “The Black Arts” and tell me what do you think… Meanwhile such “Winter” is probably the most atmospheric song of all, but its dark music doesn’t feel too soft or something, it is still a very good song. And “Different Part” is opened by the riff, which is a classic doom metal riff, originating in the good old Black Sabbath!

I must say that even if the whole album is quite long – with almost an hour of music – it doesn’t feel so and it definitely is nothing boring or monotonous. What’s more, I can call the experience of listening to this music as some sort of journey, where every next song is kind of new place to visit. But it is almost impossible to choice your favourites from it. For sure “The Majesty” stands above the rest of the material as one of the best songs, with some epic parts in it and great arrangements, which use violin here and there. But I honestly think that the whole material is just even and every song has something incredibly good to offer. No fillers here, only killers!

For the end I must also point out that the production of “The Ancient Catatonia” is just fantastic. It – just as the whole material – also didn’t age at all, still sounds really good and I think I can say that the sound of this LP is one of the best of all Polish releases of that time. It is clean and powerful, but at the same time it has a nice raw and harsh edge, what gives a killer effect and helps the music to achieve a dark and eerie atmosphere. In many ways “The Ancient Catatonia” is just a perfect record, really… I cannot see anything what would be done bad here, the music is perfect, the sound also, the whole artwork – ah just look at that killer logo and pentagram on it… and what about that evil looking Pazuzu figure (“…figure in black…” hehe) on the back cover? Fantastic stuff. I highly recommend you then getting this album right now, if you have a chance… and I hope that someone will think also about releasing its vinyl version at last!
Standout tracks: “The Majesty”, “Unholy Existence”, “The Black Arts”, “Winter”

Typhon "Unholy Trilogy" (Warmaster records 1996)

"Unholy Trilogy" es el único álbum lanzado por la banda colombiana de Black Metal TYPHON, dirigida por el fallecido Mauricio "Bullmetal" Montoya, ex baterista de MASACRE, AGRESSOR y otras bandas. Alejandro “Starkey” Restrepo (ex - ANTAGON) en guitarras, Alexander “Barzuth” Arroyave (ex - AGRESSOR) en voz y Luis Guillermo Ramírez (ANTAGON) en el bajo de sesión completaron la formación. Desde el principio, la banda estuvo rodeada de ambos, mito y controversia. Pero finalmente y después de muchos problemas, entregaron una colección de 12 canciones (y una versión de la versión de 'War Machine' de KISS) que resistieron el paso del tiempo. Su estilo es crudo y muy orgánico y la banda logró crear una gran estructuración de canciones y muchos riffs espeluznantes y "malvados". Habitan en tempo medio / rápido pero nunca alcanzan la velocidad del típico Black Metal escandinavo. Todas las características sudamericanas están ahí, lo que significa que la atmósfera general es amenazante y salvaje. 

Este álbum siempre ha estado rodeado de oscuridad. "Unholy Trilogy" hubiera dado la bienvenida a un mejor sonido y mezcla. La producción carece de ciertas cosas que podrían haber hecho de este álbum un clásico absoluto. El rendimiento de Bull Metal es sólido, alterando ligeramente sus latidos entre sí. Sus descansos no son demasiado técnicos, pero se colocan en el lugar correcto. En general, sabe exactamente cómo acentuar las mejores partes de cada canción. El sonido del tambor es un poco aburrido, especialmente el bombo. Por otro lado, el bajo de Luis es muy presente y redondo. Esto ayuda al bombo a apoyar la mezcla y el tono de guitarra no tan sobresaliente, aunque los riffs de Starkey son realmente buenos e incluso incorporaron algunos bits de blues aquí y allá. Hay 4 pistas adicionales incluidas y tienen un buen sonido general incluso para una grabación de ensayo. Como se grabaron antes de "Unholy Trilogy", puedes seguir algunas de las evoluciones que experimentaron hasta el lanzamiento del álbum. 

En general, la "Trilogía profana" de TYPHON es un testimonio del culto al Black Metal de los años 90 en Colombia. Esta versión de Green Revolution Productions es simplemente increíble. Limitado a 300 copias, el CD viene alojado en un estuche A5 digipak con librito lírico, una pegatina, una tarjeta postal, un póster doble A5 y como una gran ventaja, una revista que incluye datos sobre la formación de TYPHON, parte de la historia subterránea de Colombia y detalles información sobre Mauricio "Bull Metal" Montoya hasta el punto de su triste fallecimiento por suicidio. También hay una edición de lujo que también incluye un parche, un botón y una bandera.

Dimmu Borgir "Stormblast" Cacophonous Records (1996)

Dimmu Borgir knew how to play, and very well, his cards in the midst of the "boom" of the Norwegian Black scene. Formations such as Mayhem, Satyricon, Immortal, Darkthrone or Emperor changed the face of Metal with its icy and satanic premise, and since then, to the bad of many, the fief has never been the same.

After the hackneyed world of demos, rehearsals and shows for four cats (and three, drunk as a vat) the warriors of Silenoz and Shagrath got down to work not to clash in a genre in which the magnificent works are already they were becoming scarce. "For All Tid", the previous work of Dimmu Borgir, gave us a fierce album, very nihilistic and dark, with a lot of secrecy about Bathory and the great names of the past, and in the middle of 1996, just when the Norwegian bands positioned themselves facing Futuristic thrones (and Cradle of Filth, very clever of them, took advantage, like nobody, of the move), the combo of Shagrath decided to edit a great work. It was good to be considered the puppies of the move. Dimmu Borgir was going to show the whole world that his message was as hot and seminal as that of Satyricon or Emperor. Dimmu went for it all, and "Stormblast" certifies this.

A cover, rather dated, but with a certain grace, shows us the illustration of a tower, and in full storm. Will it be one of "The Two Towers? No idea, but hey, it works as a Black band presentation: storms, the night, a castle, clouds ... finally, everything a presentation in the genre must have Thank goodness, that over the years, they improved, and a lot, their style when it comes to "showing up" in stores. Well, let's not digress. To live "Stormblast" has been said ...

"Alt Lys Er Svunnet Hen" ("All light has faded") that begins very precious, with a piano that knows how to move, soon becomes more hungry and harmful and cries out for revenge. Speed, some very majestic keyboards, a full-blown drum kit, a very accurate vocalist (with some flair to Gunther of "Ancient Rites") and a Bathory-like aura at various points in the composition. Symphonic and atrocious Black Metal, overwhelming and loaded, totally, with feeling and passion. That keyboard movement is priceless as of minute 2.50. Intense beauty. What a blast. Total classic, both Dimmu and Black Metal.

"Broderskapets Ring", a small tribute to Tolkien's mythical book, (obviously, "Lord of the Rings") envelops us in dense, malevolent and murderous darkness. The tempo decelerates, the melody catches us and Shagrath, who alternates aggression with a greater profusion of clean (and spoken) notes, comes out, both with his six strings and with his work as narrator. Beautiful relaxation and, again, with a tremendous whiff of Bathory. Which Norwegian gang does not pay homage to them? Evocative song. Another hit.

Born with a certain flavor to Darktrone and Emperor, "Nar Sjelen Hentes Til Helvete" does not hide the band's unbridled passion for being a riffera machine and a thunderous creator of classics. The work of Tjodalv, the imposing drummer, is memorable. The middle part, with that bewitching piano, is also in charge of raising the bar, never to move the neck again as if possessed. Epic attack, but without mercy.

"Sorgens Kammer" (instrumental, of which I have a couple of minutes, or more) and "Da Den Kristne Satte Livet Til" (with a very dedicated Shagrath and a dreamy atmosphere) serve as hors d'oeuvres, with a lot of hook, to the queen of work, the girl spoiled by Dimmu in 1996: "Stormblast". From the initial storm that serves as our intro, Dimmu throws us, with unbeatable mastery, a theme that excites, tears the soul, makes you hit headbanging, which has an ideal setting, with compact and solid instrumentalists (in addition to being highly engaged) ) and that both intends to be the fastest, as suddenly, wants to be the most (darkly) daring, or intense. If the 96 album was a living organism, "Stormblast", the theme-title, would be the heart. The one in charge of making him pump our fucking blood. To make it boil and burn us alive. It's cool to burn to Dimmu's rhythm. Of course. The end, with another part of the piano that leaves you hypnotized with beauty, makes us want nothing more than to listen to the song again. What a hymn. The theme has it all to compete with the best. To the list of magnificent black metal compositions, such as "I'm The Black Wizards" by Emperor, "Mother North" by Satyricon or "As the Eternity Opens" by Immortal, without thinking, we must add "Stormblast". Few themes, in the obsidian realm of Black, have given me so much. Immensely brutal and epic. (Almost) As beautiful as Quorthon's rebirth.

"Dodsferd" (hybrid "Mayhem-Emperor-Immortal"), "Antikrist" (with an anthology bass-guitar duel, and another of the best moments of the work), "Vinder Fra En Ensom Grav" (with a lot of meat "Emperoriana") unleash the inner beast of the Dimmu, and incidentally, ours. The history of Black Metal, from its origins with Quorthon to the 95 era, is served, as a sonic encyclopedia, in "Stormblast". It is noted that Shagrath and his were the sea of ​​inspired. And eager for a throne, it wouldn't take long for them to arrive.

"Guds Fortapelse - Apenbaring Av Dommedag", the final affront, which begins with a lot of "Wagnerian" meat, soon releases more blood, nails and leather, and at full speed. More evil anger, more "epic-anti-Christian" intent, and Dimmu's final effort, at work, to make us bleed with pleasure. A point and end of the most accomplished.

Total horns (mega-tall) for Dimmu Borgir and his "storm-smasher". A worthy enemy to the biggest, oldest names in the kingdom. Huge anteroom to the grandiose "Enthroned Darkness Triumphant", and a giant leap on the scene. Masterpiece.

Logos de bandas de metal - thrash, death, black, gothic