Cenotaph "Tenebrous Apparitions" Distorted Harmony Records 1990

La banda comienza a mediados de los 80 bajo el nombre de Damned Cross y después de unos pocos lanzamientos propios y cambios de alineación se opta por el nombre de Cenotaph.

Los miembros deciden que no serán otra banda de heavy metal convencional, sino que tocaran más rápido, más pesado y más oscuro. En 1989 graban su demo Rise of excruciation de manera independiente (luego re-lanzado por Dahmer Productions en CD y con 2 pistas extra en directo); la intención de esta demo era combinar el brutal death metal con algunos ritmos grind y letras gore. Grabado con una pobre edición y a las mismas palabras de la banda "con varios errores de interpretación" el grupo se da a conocer en México y se cierra una etapa, dando comienzo a sus "rites".

Para 1990 la banda lanza su EP Tenebrous apparitions bajo Distorted Harmony Records limitado a mil copias con sólo dos canciones. Este EP fue agotado rápidamente, por lo cual fue re-lanzado en 1992; el disco es una muestra de death metal, una combinación entre la naciente corriente europea y la tradicional corriente estadounidense.

Lo primero que siempre noté antes de comprar un álbum de una banda que no había escuchado fue en la presentación al principio. Si había algo al respecto, ya sea que fuera un miembro de la banda con una camiseta de otra banda que me gustaba, grandes títulos mórbidos o simplemente la portada en sí, siempre buscaba algo que finalmente me hiciera gastar mi dinero porque seamos honestos. ; Durante este período de tiempo que data del lanzamiento de "Tenebrous Apparitions", la escena del death metal realmente estaba comenzando a desarrollarse. Ahora, en un movimiento en desarrollo, uno tenía que tener cuidado porque, si bien algunas bandas eran solo eso (definidores de la escena), definitivamente tenía sus aspirantes y seguidores que simplemente no entendían de qué se trataba el death metal. Realmente creí en el momento en que este episodio estuvo en mis manos que México ' s Cenotaph sabía exactamente de qué se trataba el death metal y antes incluso de tirar la aguja, también sabía que esta banda iba a enfermarse. Yo tenía razón . La portada, el logo y los títulos de las canciones encajan en ese grupo de bandas sucias y morbosas que sabían perfectamente de qué se trataba el underground.

Las guitarras son lo primero que llama la atención y son extremadamente fangosas y afinadas. Muy fangoso y afinado. Esta banda suena tan llena de muerte como el cliente espantoso en la portada de sus looks de 7 ". Quiero decir, literalmente, esta banda suena como si hubieran grabado este álbum en una cripta. Las partes más lentas son inmensamente pesadas y morbosas. El baterista es quirúrgicamente preciso destruyendo cualquier La idea que uno tendría de esto es cualquier cosa menos la forma más pura de death metal. Los riffs son pegadizos y tienen un ritmo caótico morboso distintivo. El bajo también es fangoso y está casi grabado por debajo de la frecuencia que los oídos humanos pueden descifrar. las voces suenan tan muertas como podría sonar cualquier cosa muerta que estuviera cantando. Son guturales y repugnantes y realmente ofrecen un signo de exclamación perfecto para todo el sonido malicioso que esta banda produjo aquí. Aunque este ep ofrece solo las dos canciones "Repulsive Odor of Decomposition" y "Larvs of Subconsciente", son realmente dos himnos del death metal que deben ser buscados por todos aquellos que realmente buscan solo la forma más pesada y pura de death metal. 

Lo único de lo que podría beneficiarse una producción perfecta como esta sería precisamente lo que hace de este un disco tan asombroso en primer lugar: MÁS CANCIONES. son realmente dos himnos de death metal que deberían ser buscados por todos aquellos que realmente buscan solo la forma más pesada y pura de death metal. 

El primer episodio de Cenotaph, "Tenebrous Apparitions", es imprescindible para cualquier fan de la vieja escuela del death metal. Inicialmente, solo se presiona en una ejecución muy limitada, si puede encontrar este registro, vale la pena. Esto es algo muy pesado. Es tan clásico como "Severed Survival" de Autopsy, "Scream Bloody Gore" de Death o el álbum "For God Your Soul" de Pungent Stench y, sinceramente, no hay nada más clásico que eso

Buried Dreams "Beyond Your Mind" (Oz Records 1997)

An incredible record of a Mexican band, because it has everything that represents bands that emerged in the second half of the nineties. This disc was published on October 23th, 1997, it was integrated to the classic national metal discs along with names like Cenotaph, Agony Lords, Disgorge, Dies Irae among others that were produced by the legendary Mexican label Oz Records. For this reason we are honored to mention this debut album by this band originally from Mexico City: BURIED DREAMS. 

In the second half of the nineties he made his appearance several albums that were cataloged as the "Gotheborg sound" from Sweden as the bands At The Gates, In Flames and Dark Tranquility. For that reason, the same influences came to our country in the formation of bands with that same style. An example of this are the Buried Dreams who adopted these influences very well to create their own style and an identity for the national metal that would further along that same path.

The track list:

1. The Sword and the Cross 08:23  

2. Black Dragon 06:21   

3. Reflexions in the Light 07:15   

4. The Battle 06:07  

5. Beyond Your Mind 07:07   

6. Limits of Fantasy 08:47   

7. Looking Through the Fire 05:11   

8. Irony 06:09   

9. Moxtla 03:12  

10. Her Beauty    06:32

Line up recording

Ezequiel Mendoza Bass, Keyboards

Antonio De Yta Guitars, Keyboards, Vocals

Ndua Valdespino Guitars

Anuar Bautista Drums

Ivan Santos Vocals (lead)

The cover of both the jewel case and the slipcase are truly a work of art, showing the prehispanic influences of the group to create their own sounds and compositions. The group shows us how the Mexican metal sounds even though the sound of the production is a little low in the instruments. The influences of Swedish melodic death metal are notorious from the first notes of the first piece. They are a real enjoyment of the rhythm changes as well as their beating on the drums, boosting the speed of the songs or making more melodies between them. 

What I like about this album is its way of making each composition in a simple and direct way, we are pretentious or want to seem virtuous with the sounds, rather they give us melodies on the double guitars at each moment that a song advances, followed by the vowels that are absolutely brutal. There are no clean voices but you can appreciate the melodies of the lyrics between each song.

Contrary to popular belief Buried Dreams did not take their name from the song by Carcass. It was actually derived from their own song "Shining on Your Dreams", which the band believed to have "deep" lyrics. After realizing the coincidence they later covered "Buried Dreams" as a bonus track for the "Perception" album.

Buried Dreams formed in January 1995. In April the band began to perform live. They recorded their first promo-demo "The World Beyond" with three songs. One month later Buried Dreams won first place in the 1st.National Underground Heavy Metal Contest which led them to sign with Oz Records. So in August, with a new member for vocals, the band recorded their first full-length album called "Beyond your Mind".

I recommend the following songs as an example of the great work delivered by the band: "the sword and the cross", "black dragon", "reflexions in the light", "beyond your mind", "Irony" and "Moxtla".

Cenotaph "Epic Rites" Oz records (1996)

This is the perfect metal album, in my opinion. Intricate without being overcomplicated, melodic without compromising aggression or heaviness; Epic Rites is a masterpiece marred only by a thin production. Each song is an epic expression of ancient sorrow and fury.

This band has shifted stylistically from each album. The earliest stuff was brutal and primitive, plodding doom death, and later stuff showcases Cenotaph evolving into something a lot more technical, but just as emotional as they were on the early material. One was from an Argentinean death metal band called Devastación and the other two were about Mexican bands: Toxodeth (pure Death/Thrash) and Cenotaph (Melodic Death Metal). Both Cenotaph and Toxodeth were pretty good and so I discovered that Mexico has its cool share of Metal too.

Now, imagine a Melodic Death Metal band that is less annoying than old In Flames, more inspired than At The Gates, and overall a lot tighter than Dark Tranquility. Impossible you say? Listen to fucking Cenotaph. And also, despite being a melodic death metal band it has got no keyboards.

Track list 

"Intro" 00:41

"Crying Frost" 06:02

"Lorn Ends" 04:55

"Navegate" 05:12

"Towards the Umbra" 05:51

"As the Darkness Borns" 05:13

"Angered Tongues" 05:23

"Epic Rites" 04:07

"Dethroned Empire" 06:12

"Thorns of Fog" (pista extra) 05: 14 

It starts with an atmospheric intro that leads to “Crying Frost” which also starts with a cool slow intro and then at 0:45 it picks up and kicks your ass with that super tight drum work, heavy-as-fuck riff and excellent vocal performance. Another intro prepares us for “Lorn Ends” is another fast song that just fucking owns with its cool leads and precise drumming. “Navigate” is where the album starts to get a bit repetitive, it’s not bad but it just sounds like recycled. There is also a mellow and acoustic break that serves as atmosphere-setter before the song becomes heavier again. 

“Towards The Umbra” fucking rules…it starts with a cool drum intro and then comes in a demented shriek “EEEEEUUURRRGGGGHHH”. The Mexican version of John Tardy appears on the scenery. This song has a lot of heavy but yet melodic riffs and really pounding drum work. “As The Darkness Borns” has a mistake on its title “Borns”??? Well. However it’s an average extreme mid paced song with a melodic and galloping riff backed up by that ferocious drumming. The seventh song “Angered Tongues” is pretty average but that doesn’t mean it’s bad. “Epic Rites” is a kind of boring acoustic song for which I don’t care very much. Next is “Dethroned Empire” that starts with a Maiden-esque riff but when the raspy vocals kick in you know it’s melodic death metal that will satisfy any fans from older Night In Gales or Gardenian. The album I have purchased has got a bonus track called “Thorns Of Fog” which is another recycled tune that sounds a lot like the other stuff on this CD. 

One of the most important Mexican death metal bands in the last 20 years. 

Line up CENOTAPH 

Oscar Clorio Drums

Julio Viterbo Guitars

Edgardo González Vocals

Under Moonlight Sadness "Geneticisis" X-Rated Records (2001)

Under Moonlight Sadness was a mexican band form Mexico City this is a second full-lenght in our discography release date in 2001 by X-Rated records, the line up for this album is:

Iván Vilchis Drums

Jesús Morales Guitars

Carlos Bastida Guitars

Marcos Barba Keyboards

Ivan Bloodhunter Vocals

Carlos Escalante Bass

The track list are: 

1 Architects Of Quanta 07:26

2 Unnatural 05:08

3 One With The Infinite 07:14

4 Bloodhunter 06:35

5 Infinite 04:09

6 Echoes 00:33 (instrumental) 

7 Ethereal Pains 06:27

8 Lord Of Exile Lands 07:50

9 Winter Mourning 06:15

10 Agony Remembrances 05:23

11 A Dream, A Tear... 03:07

The "Geneticsis" album are top of Progresive and melodic death metal, guitars are clean because have a brillant riffs and delays sounds arround the disc. The voice are grows and melodic and same time in a few songs, but alternate too in a rest songs. Passage acoustic and insrtumental are amazing to beggining to end. This album is a Top Best metal album in México, the lyrics are inspired in cosmovision in ancient cultures from México like aztecs and mayan. 

"Architects Of Quanta" are spectacular beggining, "Unnatural" is a beautiful melodic song and simple riffs are involving arround your mind, "Echoes" is an instrumental in the middle album, "Bloodhunter" and "Ethereal Pain" mixed melodic death metal, progressive metal and doom metal parts. The "Goteborg sound" are present in the next songs: "Infinite", "Lord of Exile Lands" & "Winter Mourning". This album is legend lost in the times. 

Tracks 6 to 11 are re-recorded versions of the "Echoes of Ancient Music" demo. 

The initial CD press actually featured the Rossomahaar album "Imperium Tenebrarum", and the first press of Rossomahaar's album featured Geneticsis. A later version had this issue corrected.