Shadows - Out for Blood (2023)

I guess my love for Abigail is so intense that just about any album cover with a black horse-drawn carriage is bound to pique my attention, and such is the case for the full-length debut from Chilean heavy metal act Shadows. I also thought their leather-shrouded costumes were pretty awesome, and fully embrace that more bands are going for a 'look' these days to help accent their overall aesthetics and live shows. Now, the sound here isn't often emulating King Diamond or Mercyful Fate, but more of a straightforward heavy metal reminiscent of some early USPM acts like an Omen, or perhaps if you 'slowed down' or simplified some of the earlier 90s Running Wild stuff. The chord progressions are often on the predictable side, but this is clad in an atmosphere and vocal grittiness that helps it all achieve a freshness that wouldn't otherwise.

The classy horror-based lyrics don't hurt it either, and the occasional scream or synth line help steer this one thematically into some very cool territory. But I'm reminded of Canadians Cauldron, maybe not in a side by side comparison of the writing, but just how these bands are able to set up such a basic heavy metal framework and make it sound like something you would have found ace in the 80s. The vocals here alternate between a sort of pinched, higher pitch, harmonies, and a harsher black metal bark ("Forgotten Rites"), both working well over the bedrock of dependable riffs. A few of the chorus patterns, as in "Sacrifice" can get a little on the cheesy or repetitive side, and there are a handful of places throughout the album where a King Diamond influence does crop up ("Into the Nightmare") in the vocals. The lead guitars are pretty straightforward and creepy, often more pure melodies that help elevate the tune, but then you've got a few that go Randy Rhoads. The rhythms are very meaty and though some have that 'stock riff' feeling, they are perfect to support everything else above and below them.

Speaking of below, this disc also has a solid low end with the bass and drums that conjure up an instant desire for fist pumping. And above, you've got little atmospheric interludes that are cool which also bring this a little closer to a King Diamond conceptual vibe (there's also a tune called "Alissa" with some falsettos), and I think the synth work throughout the album is delicious, often just an accompaniment but sometimes drowning the proceedings in an eerie aural moonlight. Overall, a very solid full-length debut; I think a few of the vocal chorus parts could use some tightening as they go with a repetition that doesn't quite give the impact they could. Also there could be a few 'meaner' or more evil patterns in the guitar riffs, this stuff is pretty melodic and graceful, but to the extent that retro sounding heavy metal/hard rock mirrors a common component to horror flicks from 40-ish years ago, this definitely has that aesthetic covered. Looking forward to more.

Verdict: Win [7.78/10]

https://shadows-heavymetal.bandcamp.com/music

Decem Maleficium - La fin de Satán (2019)

Here's an interesting six-piece out of Santiago, Chile which has been around nearly 20 years, but that I've not had the pleasure to encounter on a previous occasion. I generally associate their country's metal scene with an eclectic mix of doomier groups and blackened/thrashers, so Decem Maleficium stands out a little for doing something different. Certainly the Gothic chants, layout and melancholic nature of the music tend towards the former, but to be honest these guys have more of a pure black metal core weaving influences from the Greek and Scandinavian scenes and then dressing those up with eerier elements that wouldn't be out of place if they were playing a more purely doom focus. They also have the capacity to throw me for a few loops here or there that maintain a certain vitality and freshness to their songwriting.

Just as examples in the first time, the proggy, sparse synth lines that occasionally arrive over "The Ceremony", or the atmospheric, even New Age jazzy segments you'll find buried deeper into its back-end, perforated with spicy little shredding lead guitars. La fin de Satán is not going to be perfect in all ways for all people, but it's certainly adventurous, from these aforementioned elements, to the more urgent, operatic synths they'll lay out behind certain black metal passages, the tribal drumming on some sections, the multi-tiered vocal styles which merge together some death-growls with cleaner crooning, and even the solemn acoustic breaks. There might be some room for improvement in a lot of these areas individually, but the fact that they plotted this all out to begin with is impressive all on its own, and immediately created a uniqueness out of a lot of familiar components. The musicianship is all-around tight, especially the drums and lead guitars, and while the tremolo picked rhythm guitars that make up a lot of the structure aren't wholly unique sounding, they bend and explore enough ground that they are spitting out satisfying riffs more often than not.

There really isn't a standout weak point on the album anywhere, other than perhaps that its overall impact is limited. It's not super memorable, just good. The rasp vocals aren't terribly interesting I suppose, but they're not bad and they are well enough placed to match the intensity of the faster riffing. However, despite having such a good range of ingredients to work with, I never thought that La fin de Satán was biting off more than it could chew. Some listeners might not be into the synth tones, they do seem a little sillier than what is happening around them, but I thought they brought a mildly psychedelic charm to the darkness and evil on exhibition throughout much of the compositions. If you're looking for a band which takes its primary genre and then tinkers a little at its boundaries, or you dig expansive, occult black metal which isn't afraid to mix up its instrumentation or try some new rhythms and flavors, then this is an effort I'd happily steer you towards.

Verdict: Win [7.5/10]

https://decemmaleficivm.bandcamp.com/releases

Condenados - The Tree of Death (2017)

The Gothic doom aesthetic summoned forth by The Tree of Death is not one I commonly come across, so it's usually one I do appreciate to some extent upon exposure. At least, I appreciate that it still does exist and that not every genre adherent has fled to the more funereal death/doom scene, or to all out stoner classification, not that there's anything wrong with those niches, but they just don't really speak to my sense of desolation and helplessness quite as much as the more traditional end of the spectrum. Condenados of Chile clearly trace their aural DNA back to the older Sabbath records, but what ultimately manifests throughout this sophomore effort is something akin got a Solitude Aeternus, or to take it a little further, they're like a South American strain of the style that Candlemass made popular throughout the mid to later 80s and beyond. In fact, there are moments on this record which created a real sense of déjà vu for records like Epicus Doomicus Metallicus or Ancient Dreams.

Not because they copy the Swedens note for note, mind you, but the combination of such assured, mournful and monolithic riffs with the clear attempt at a resonant, operatic vocal style by Fernando Vidal drew me straight back to how impressive that was when I first heard that material from overseas and how well it translated Sabbath's blueprints into a staggering new architecture. Now, I'm not saying Vidal has that power, range or perfect control over such a voice that Messiah Marcolin did, and he's ultimately got a more worklike inflection not unlike Robert Lowe, or John Gallo of Blizaro, but he certainly knows his range and gets as ambitious as possible within it. For the most part, it works rather well, and a few harmonized lines help enrich it, but there are admittedly a few points where it falls a bit flat and uneven. That said, some of the riffing here really compensates, simple and plodding but well thought out to create an atmosphere of weeping statues and old cemeteries during autumn. Just the right balance of melody and crushing weight to the rhythm guitars, and the bass tone throughout the album is also thick, fat, and highly effective, whether rounding out the opening of a tune on it's own or supporting the hunchbacked guitar chord patterns.

It's not always the saddest approach to the style, and they do occasionally sway into some more solid, uppity grooves, even going so far as to burst out into a fast almost doom-core part in the waning minutes of one track, which they then convert back into a slower crawl with bluesy Paradise Lost memories sealing its fate. It's great to have a surprise like that once in awhile, and whatever other atmospheric effects or nuances Condenados employ, as in the intro with its church organs and solemn escalation into metal, they do so pretty well. Do I wish there were more than that? Yeah, and a lot of the time the Chileans are just really straightforward...not all riffs here are created equal, and while performed powerfully they'll lapse form the memory ere long. The first track does also feel over-sized without much of interest to fill it out, but this is the exception to the rule Altogether, The Tree of Death is successful at what it sets out to paint...a melancholic mosaic of sinking spirits, an order of monks cowering from the weight of the Divine, and a tombstone lying on a hill beneath the shifting seasons, your name slowly being etched across its surface.

Verdict: Win [7.25/10]

https://www.facebook.com/condenadosdoom?fref=ts

Nar Mattaru - Ancient Atomic Warfare (2015)

Whilst I wasn't entirely sold on this Chilean band's 2012 debut Enuma Elish, I could at least recognize that Nat Mattaru had a genuine take on antiquated death metal which wasn't solely drawn from any one classic band's wake; more a hybrid of the New York, Floridian and European sounds. With Ancient Atomic Warfare, their sophomore, they don't exactly cross any boundaries to explore new visions, but they've slightly ramped up the songwriting so it seems a little less banal, and with such a thick, viscous production as you'll find here, it does at the very least sound more pungently evil and alien like its forebears from the 90s.

Ironically, I felt like the tone and structure of the riffs here was a little more directly in the vicinity of Incantation, with brief flourishes of Immolation and Morbid Angel. Slower, creeping rhythms are interspersed with frenzies of fleshy, roiling mausoleum tremolo picked guitars that hearken back to an Onward to Golgotha. Driving tempos give way to slower, ritualistic death/doom sequences joined with a more tribal drumming element. The entirely of the record is cast in a really deep, bass-like hue which gives it the impression some sprawling ancient evil is shaking its belly at the listener in jest of his or her eternal consumption. The drums thunder constantly, the toms being the loudest individual component with a dissonant cymbal crash and unending brickwork being trodden by the feet. There's a certain Eastern flavor to some of the riffing which lends it a mystique not unlike a band like Nile or Melechech, only slowed down to a molasses-like aberration that crawled along until struck by its own sugar highs that resulted in spurious, busier riff patterns, melodies and percussive clamor.

The vocalist bounces back and forth between two roaring pitches: guttural and deeper guttural, and this definitely contributes to the ancient repulsion of the recording. Even the occasional whispered line is dense and meaty, so you feel like some ugly priest is reading glyphs by torchlight from the walls of some musty, forgotten tomb. The riffs don't offer much intricacy, they're often just base line patterns of chords with no surprises, or fat slices of tremolo picked morbidity which seem to retain echoes of the dread and nausea that their influences once mastered. Where Ancient Atomic Warfare works for me above its predecessor is just in simple immersion, the songs wedged my psyched further into subterranean nostalgia and stirred through the guts like a sludgy black coffee. Fans of Disma, Cruciamentum, and Funebrarum might want to take this along on their next ride through some damp caverns or to the cosmic emptiness beyond.
 
Verdict: Win [7/10]

https://www.facebook.com/nar.mattaru.1

Force of Darkness - Absolute Verb of Chaos and Darkness EP (2014)

Anyone who somehow missed this Chilean band's eponymous debut from 2006 really ought to go back and check that one out. It's a frenetic and rifftastic slab of blackened thrash metal which draws its lineage from obvious but immortal sources like Bathory, but what it might lack for in originality it more than makes up for with its personality and genuine sense of nastiness. The 2nd full-length Darkness Revelation (2010) I didn't have quite as strong a reaction to, but they've now returned with a pretty relentless EP, Absolute Verb of Chaos and Darkness, which was given a vinyl release through the great Iron Pegazus Records and a CD version on Hell's Headbangers, two labels that could not be more fitting to the petulant, infernal sound these guys wring out of their instruments and imaginations.

Granted, there are a lot of really straightforward, steady blast parts here with some pretty basic and predictable tremolo picked guitars that do little more than channel the many bands that have walked this fiery path before them, but it really does have its moments, like the third track "Creations from Obscurity" with its sinister rhythm guitars and those cute little bass lines in the opening moment that set up a really strong, vicious attack, or the warlike and blinding momentum of "Abraxas Revenge" with its surges of neckbreaking thrash. The hellish vocal rasp doesn't betray the native accent nor the barking, messy influences of Quorthon, Angelripper, Mille and T.G. Warrior, and the guitars sear with an honest saturation reminiscent of earlier Teutonic thrash, only a little brighter and stronger than you'd remember from Endless Pain or Sentence of Death. Drums are lethal and fast as fuck, not exactly interesting but then they don't need to be, and the bass deserves some credit for where it occasionally perks up with a wild fill or spasm that immediately distinguishes it from the guitar, though the mix heavily favors the latter.

Force of Darkness might occasionally lapse into a one-track, black thrashing hyper-mind, but they're not above some variation, like the lurching, belligerent closer "Oceans of Black Lava", which is heavily reliant on the thundering lower end of the drum kit and some fat walls of bass guitar; or the eerie chanting and laughing over the acoustic guitars in the intro. The result is a very well rounded 20 minutes of fun while you dance amidst the shadows and flames that form the trio's creative station. It's got as excellently riffy or memorable as that last Deathhammer, or the Antichrist debut, but it's certainly got more depth to it than your average Bathory/Nifelheim knockoff, and worth a listen the next time you whip out your spikes, chains, leather, denim and inverse crucifix. But I reiterate: if you have not heard the first album, and you dig this, go back and buy that one! You can thank me later, with a big old hellthrash embrace (but no tongue, and no spikes, please).

Verdict: Win [7.5/10]

Unaussprechlichen Kulten - Baphomet Pan Shub-Niggurath (2014)

I've run across Santiago's Unaussprechlichen Kulten several times in the past, largely because I appreciated the Lovecraft reference in their name, but then was never quite impressed with the few older samples that I had heard. So when the buzz over this new record Baphomet Pan Shub-Niggurath (reading like the nuptials of some Elder God tryst) popping up on the feeds, and the the gorgeous cover artwork emerged, I grew excited for the promo to turn up. And so it has. And so have the Chileans outdone themselves with what is not only their best written work, but it also avoids the increasing pitfalls of sounding like yet another Incantation or Entombed clone, tried and true, pandering to a crowd which seems sated by the same cavernous, tumultous, compelling-riff-less death metal repeated ad infinitum while the rest of us become increasingly bored out of our skins.

There is quite a lot of glaring 80s and 90s influence here, to be truthful, but this is more like a hybrid of Pestilence's Consuming Impulse, Suffocation's Effigy of the Forgotten, and Finnish cult death circa Demigod, Convulse and Demilich. Clinical, morbid muted riffing patterns are paired up with bold gutturals, atmospheric tremolo picking passages, superbly weird strange lines grooving along to some otherworldly presence, and the drop-of-a-dime ability to burst into primal brutal death phases which seem like a union of Testimony of the Ancients, Pierced from Within and Blessed Are the Sick. That's not to imply that the riffs here are necessarily genius, but they are at least approached with an old school fervor that partially trips up the current trends and does not necessarily shun the progress of death metal throughout the 90s, when it began to border on the soulless tropes of technicality that some have grown to hate (and others to embrace). Baphomet Pan Shub-Niggurath...I'd best not say it three times, lest I invoke the foul entities it celebrates...is not exactly complex by today's standards, but it's constantly busy, throwing a new idea or two at you with each track and never sticking to any one precise riffing medium.

When I heard the first few moments, I had no set idea of what the rest was going to sound like...it's consistent, sure, but there was always some unexpected evil harmony or rhythmic change-up. The only gripe might be that I wasn't in love with the production. It definitely sounded archaic and imbalanced, with the drums coming off a little less thunderous than I'd like, but the guitars rich and raw and flesh rending all the same. Like a reasonably well produced demo for the year 1993, but I'm sure that's going to prove half the charm for those seeking out this style. I can ignore this in the wake that the music is so interesting, but occasionally a few curious guitar parts gets lost beneath the brash weight and force of the rest. Anyway, yeah, this thing functions on a number of levels, a modern day analog for Mallevs Maleficarvm with meatier growls and deeper gutturals, that eschews the studio production levels that would naturally imply. There will obviously be the Incantation/Immolation comparisons, and surely you can hear a bit of that in there (especially the vocals), but the Chileans obsession with their forebears seems to range a little wider than just that, which makes for a tight yet sprawling accumulation of combustible rhythms and orgiastic occultology. Mythospoeia.

Verdict: Win [8/10]

www.facebook.com/pages/Unaussprechlichen-Kulten/609345889079874?ref=ts&fref=ts

Demonic Rage - Venomous Wine from Putrid Bodies (2013)

Chile's an interesting scene, because across pretty much all the metal spectrum the bands there seem more intent on capturing the vibes of the old school rather than just aping the latest status quo. Granted, depending on who you ask, nostalgia might very well BE the status quo, but I'm still pretty happy when I hear an album come along that seems like someone threw Pestilence, Immolation and Krisiun in a blender. If that sounds like money to you, Venomous Wine from Putrid Bodies is a no-brainer, because for whatever it lacks in originality it compensates in unrelenting, primal death metal brutality that manages to eschew the overtly reverb soaked cavern core or Swedish doppelganger characteristics.

I believe this was actually released last year by a local label, but now is getting an Iron Bonehead LP reprint, and a good thing because more people craving the 90s death metal should hear it. Churning, low end guitars often take on a sort of Testimony of the Ancients style, but fastened to a more direct guttural vocal style reminiscent of Ross Dolan or Craig Pillard. The kick drums are fairly robotic in tone, giving off that South America/Krisiun post-Floridian vibe where they resemble something Steve Asheim or Malevolent Creation would have played. But then there are a number of slower, tremolo picked rhythms akin to Scream Bloody Gore or Slowly We Rot, and also a number of slightly left of center riffing progressions which aren't unlike what Robert Vigna might have written back on the first couple Immolation discs. Variation isn't legion through these eight cuts, but it is clear that the Chileans know how to put songs together...they mix up the faster, mid-paced and crawling content enough that in 32 minutes, you never really have the chance to be bored.

Venomous Wine from Putrid Bodies is not a classic in the making, if only because the vocals do grow monotonous and the riffs are generally hit or miss, but when I pay attention to the muted tremolo picking phrases here they seem imminently more evil and dangerous than what so many other of these throwback death metal bands emit. The few doomier chord segments are rather forgettable, and there is next to know worthwhile bass presence (the lines are performed by the drummer and guitarist in the studio, which might explain it). Leads are functional and conservative, they seem to get lost against the weight of the rhythm guitars, but at least give the music more body and depth. Really, the central strength of Demonic Rage's sound are those tremolo picked parts which channel most of what I loved about old Death, Gorguts, Obituary, and Pestilence, and the rest of the performance is just solid enough to drive them...it's enough that it looses itself from the middling pack of generic drones, if it could itself still be considered fairly derivative. Still, should the band expand this sound to a higher level of atmosphere, with nastier sounding drums, better leads, and more corpulent and compelling bass guitar, they could have a bright...err gloomy future.

Verdict: Win [7/10]

Hades Archer - Penis Metal EP (2008)

Not the deepest of dickings, nor a particularly memorable one, because by the time you're about to climax Hades Archer has already expended itself and moved along to the next willing victim. That said, if you're into a rough ride with your blackened war-metal, I can promise you that there's absolutely no romance or foreplay with this EP, just in and out thrusts the pitchfork as your ears are creamed with a violent load of functional blast beats, harsh rhythm guitars which have all the complexity and nuance of a gaggle of grinding sluts you could find in any inner city, and ravenous rasps and barks that talk dirty to you about the Devil's host, bestial acts involving his pet goats and hounds (maybe both at the same time), and a whole lotta damned souls, dead rising, fire and blood.

Arguably, this brand of ultra-violent Underworld bloodlust blew its wad about a decade prior, when bands like Impiety, Impaled Nazarene, Blasphemy and Bestial Warlust took it to its logical, licentious end with an orgy of rehashed thrash, death, punk and heavy metal riffs played at X-rated, savage speeds where the only given atmosphere was its own coked up velocity. There's almost nothing present on Penis Metal which really distinguishes the group from its skull-fornicating forefathers, apart from a few español chileno lyrics. Having said that, it's my experience that a lot of studs into this style don't give a particular damn. Fuck and forget, throw the horns, strap-on your bullet belts and pentagram necklaces for a night and there goes the goddamn neighborhood! Only with less Ice-T. It took longer to read the band members' stage names than to make up my mind on this music, and that's never a good sign! It's little more than pure, testosterone-driven blasphemy predicated on a passion for barbarism, misanthropy, and 'because we can' attitude that precludes much of an chance at any poignant songwriting or malevolent nuance.

That's right: it's not nearly as demonic as it wishes it were, and that's a symptom most bands like this just can't overcome. No patience. Coitus inter-ruptured. Premature e-jerk-ulation. The rhythm guitar riffs lack any semblance of creepiness or diabolic, compelling note placement, nor do the frenzied leads which careen across the chords like drunks fiddling their zippers. Variation is all but alien to this duo, they have clearly not consulted their Kama Sutra and insist on just one position, which transforms the pounding drums into a monotonous, incendiary clamor and makes me quite happy that this was such a short session and you can move on to a more virile client. The super smutty secret Sodom cover circa 1986 is actually the best thing about the EP, because it showcases the mark bands like this are aiming for and falling short of, without any need to consult other sources. Hades Archer improved their libidos considerably for the later full-lengths (For the Diabolical Ages in particular is pretty fun), but Penis Metal is a spent contraceptive full of wannabeEvilSeed lying limp in the sewers of Perdition, just beneath the Moulin Splooge.

Verdict: Fail [4/10] (Metal for men & fuck)

Ceremonial - Ars Magicka EP (2014)

Confirmation that charisma and atmosphere can easily trump a fairly basic riff-set, Chileans Ceremonial leave the listener with absolutely no room in which not to have a good time, unless that listener is a fuckin' SQUARE, in which case we don't care! Blackened, crispy thrash with gruesome vocals slathered in a reverb that cuts straight over the riffing passages, they sound like they had as much enjoyment making this as you will experiencing it. At under 14 minutes, the EP has come and gone like a night of beer swilling, battle jacket staining excess, leaving those bitches at the local metal bar with a few blackened eyes and broken noses but all in good fun. Plus, with such a concise delivery and no nonsense cluttering the script, you can just keep spinning this over and over, another fitting acquisition for Blood Harvest records.

Granted, Ars Magicka might not prove anything special in the long run, because a number of the riffs here are truly cut and pasted from a number of their influences, ranging from the nearby Brazilian death/thrash scene of the 80s (old Sepultura, Mutilation, Sarcófago) to the seminal Teutonic tyranny of Kreator and Sodom, the raucous filth of early Bathory and all that old 'blast first think later' black metal out of the Scandinavian scene in the mid 90s. Repulsive, thick and distorted bass-lines moor a fairly standard slew of chords and tremolo picked guitar lines, but they manage to come off somewhat sinister nonetheless, and the tinny blasting skills of this drummer are constantly on fire. The icing on the cake, however, is the grotesque blackened vocal rasp of the front man which resonates off the roiling, hellish riff progressions. He'll go for a haughtier bark, with just a few flecks of blood coughed up, and then inject some more snarling black metal passages to offer just a mild degree of variation; but it all sounds pissed off, even though it's mixed at such a level that the actual syllables can get lost against the rapidity of the drums and guitars.

There's enough 'thunder' to capture the war metal crowd, and to be truthful they veer a little more towards the pure black metal aesthetic, occasionally rolling out a mid-paced Bathory part or a slower chord series reminiscent of Slayer. Higher pitched tremolo melodies burst out to transcend any lapse into monotony, and there are some total charge parts in tunes like "Tribulation" which should thrill fans of absolutely mindless grinding black metal with no concern for subtlety or innovation whatsoever. Thankfully they don't play the punk card and go into a very boring riff component. The limitations are just that not one of these songs is going to really stick out in your memory for a long time coming...it's mood music, front and center, all been done before but I just don't get too tired hearing it when a group like Ceremonial comes along, breathes a little fire into it and manages to convince me that sometimes I should stick a sock in my quest for originality and just have a good bloody time. Ars Magicka is black/thrash hot sauce, you won't wanna apply it to every meal but there are certain forms of cuisine that just cannot thrive without it.

Verdict: Win [7/10]

Forestfather - Hereafter (2013)

Proof positive of the power of online networking, Forestfather is a project long in gestation which was finally brought to light when original member Kveldulf (from Chile) inevitably collaborated with a pair of prolific US musicians, Jared Moran and Michael Rumple, who, between them, in particular Moran, have written and released a wealth of other ventures across numerous genres. In listening to Hereafter, though, you really can't tell that there's any sort of cultural gulf or distance between the members, because the five tracks here flow seamlessly across an emotional, folkish, black metal landscape; dark in a reflective sense but largely built upon crescendos of loss and rustic reverie. A number of styles are distributed equally across the 37 minutes of content, and more importantly the vocal arrangements offer a rather unique mesh of timbres that are simply not something you'll hear on many recordings in this niche.

There are probably four central themes to Kveldulf's playing here that are given even face time through the record. Bright, hazy drifts of chords performed at a moderate pace reminiscent of the mid-period Drudkh records, which are anchored by the most potent bass lines on the disc. Tasteful, folksy acoustic licks that transition rather well in and out of the distorted escalations. Dreamy, shoegaze-like, minimalist melodies that stretch into the highest elevations of rhythmic pitch on the record, while canvasing the other instruments (great example of this is after the 1:00 mark in "Ethereal", which is very true to its title) and creating some of the most haunting and effective instances of the experience. And lastly, there's a more savage, traditional black metal ethos with intense, melodic picking supported by the hammering double-bass lines. This was most impressive in the first half of the track "The Emerald Key", which had patterns that instantly summoned nostalgia within me for Borknagar records like The Olden Domain and The Archaic Course, not to mention Enslaved around that later 90s era. Shimmering, well-plotted, yet as solemn as a wall of granite.

I wouldn't necessarily say that the majority of the riffs here were equally memorable, but each cut has at least a few to distinguish it among the album as a whole, and Forestfather has a number of other distractions to help balance out any tedium I might have felt during the less interesting progressions: the foremost of which is the multi-pronged vocal attack here, in which a number of sharp, clean lines tend to take you by surprise. Far from a common commodity in this genre, Rumple's performance nevertheless sheds the strange Scandinavian soaring of an ICS Vortex for something more dagger-like and unnerving in shape, with some soothing and expressive harmonization that adds quite a lot to the rural imagery conjured up through the chords; not to  mention the crazy screaming in the back-end of "All Tears to Come", which is bloody fantastic. I wasn't half as immersed in the black snarls here, which are really par for the course, but in fairness there are some individual instances where the lines become wretched and ugly enough to really stand on their own. But I'd actually go so far to say that I would have preferred more of the harmonies here, since there are entire swaths of the record filled only by the rasps that don't feel nearly as refreshing.

Bass lines are silk-smooth, really finding their stride during the mid-paced sequences of the album where a groove is established to bolster the sad and pretty high-end picking patterns. The drums also feel fairly loud and natural without becoming obnoxious or drowning out the other performances. A lot are performed with a laconic, rock sensibility befitting the ebb and flow of the guitars, but numerous double kick sections and loud, abrasive fills help to challenge some of this tranquility; and there are some outright blasted components like in the latter half of "The Emerald Key" or in "The Days Ever-Done" which are more or less like a Frost/Pure Holocaust-era desperate charge through a blizzard. But, really, it's a testament to the variation here that even the percussion-less pieces, like the intro and bridge in "The Days Ever-Done" hold the attention through their composition and never give the listener any urge to be anywhere else. There's a dramatic egality across Hereafter, between its calms and storms, which seems meticulously structured without ever revealing any semblance of robotic predictability....

...that's not to say I loved every track equivocally, and was, in fact, rarely blown away here, but there was indeed something pleasant and compelling about the experience which rarely put me to sleep. For a debut, Hereafter is strong and self-assured, the sort of rustic acclimation that many black metal/folk artists seem to strive for without achieving. I felt transported to some woodland riverbank where a rucksack of supplies awaited my arrival, and then departed on a journey worth taking. Forestfather is not particularly 'evil' or sinister as far as black metal goes, nor is it happy and summery, but more like a long autumn afternoon hike when you are standing in the shadows of the trees just as often as a clearing, surrounded by withering foliage. A curious evolutionary nook between folk-era Ulver, Olden Domain Borknagar and the quixotic current flavors of bands like Wolves in the Throne Room, Woods of Ypres or Alcest...but certainly not restrained to these, there's really a lot of potential appeal here for anyone who wishes to whittle away his/her sorrows in a campfire headspace beyond the eavesdropping of humanity.

Verdict: Win [7.5/10]

https://www.facebook.com/Forestfather

Praise the Flame - Profane Cult EP (2013)

Praise the Flame is another in the trifecta of Chilean bands, including Malignant Asceticism and Horrifying, to see a vinyl issue through Blood Harvest records of Sweden; and of the three discs, I'd have to say this was also my clear favorite. This was put out earlier this year through Apocalyptic Productions, native to the South American scene, but entirely slipped past my attention. Lethal, incendiary old school blackened/thrashing death metal which took me back to the Brazilian and German scenes in the wake of the first few Slayer LPs. Recalling everything from ancient Kreator and Sodom recordings to a bit of the oldest Sepultura, Profane Cult is delivered with this brazen, monstrous production which really drives home its sinister, unforgiving speed.

I have to say I love the structure of the original EP, expertly bookended with a haunting, warped choral intro ("Perpetual Covenant") and a noisy/spectacle "Outro" smothered in distortion and freakish acid synthesizer tones. Nestled into this experimentation are four blazing originals that seemed like they just escaped a Hellish prison camp together, waiting for the demonic chain-gang supervisor to look the other way and then fording a river of magma back to the world of the living, dragging their molten manacles all the way! The fast picked, richly toned tremolo guitars simply burn the listener through exposure, and they vary up riffing progressions plenty and then cut into them with wild, frivolous leads and squeals while the one constant is the sustained, bloody guttural vocal which just fucking howls over the calamitous intensity and speed. I'm not saying that a lot of the writing here is terribly original, but it sounds so fiery and fresh and unforgiving that it's hard not to think of this as a South American/Teutonic rebirth of what made all those bands sound so evil in the first place.

The drumming is great and really contributes to the chaos with belligerently absurd blast beats that burst out straight into a snappy-paced thrash pattern; though some of it can get a little confusing with the constantly warping rhythm patterns. Bass is fast and choppy but you can certainly make it out when you concentrate, and hear the fills and grooves being applied to the rhythmic razors. Lots of riffs here that will make fans of black/thrash cults like Ketzer, Cruel Force, Antichrist, Nocturnal and Witchtrap happy without being too close in execution. There's also a bonus here in addition to the original EP material; a well rendered, nasty cover of "Before the Creation of Time" via Sweden's Unleashed. Not actually the first thing I'd expect them to include, you figure they'd go the safe route and do something from early Bathory, Venom or more appropriately Hell Awaits, but they pull it off without clashing too much with their own writing. The 12" also has revamped cover artwork (superior to the original). Not the most thematically original style, perhaps, and not note-for-note perfect, but Praise the Flame's raucous energy and infernal effort really sell this stuff. Much fun for the leather, spikes, and Satan crowd.

Verdict: Win [8/10] (Oh Lord, grant them damnation)

http://praisetheflame.bandcamp.com/

Malignant Asceticism - Ascensum Serpens EP (2013)

10 minutes of black metal is rarely enough to build a strong or negative impression of a particular black metal band, but nonetheless that is the format of Malignant Asceticism's first official label release, a limited press EP. This is a Chilean act with a pair of self-issued cassette demos behind them, and a few members hailing from an equally obscure death metal act Putrid Skill, but Ascensum Serpens this is my own first run in with their music, and I came away with a fairly average reaction to the tracks. Not particularly unique or inspiring, but if there's one thing I did enjoy it was their commitment to tempering the traditional aesthetics of the genre with a creepier, atmospheric element that plays out in both the guitars and vocals.

This is far more the case with the song "Seventh Breath", which features some cycled chanting over the thick, roiling guitars in the opening, and then some nasty, dissonant tremolo picking which they relish with some cleaner, backing repetitions that give you the sense you're in some cult horror flick about to 'discover' that you're right fucked. Otherwise, this is pretty basic, caustic black metal with a lot of emphasis on the guitar tone and bass, the former of which is filthy and unrelenting, the latter a bit louder than usual though it only stands out beneath a few of the chord changes. Vocals are nihilistic layers of barks and snarls that have a good sustain/echo to them, though the louder growl is somewhat monotonous and doesn't develop a lot of personality to compete with the more wretched sounding guitar. On the other hand, the drums possess a very real and raw aggression, with rich bucket kicks during the blast sequences and some storming, slashing cymbals. The foot speed is pretty solid and they go for a more sincere, live percussive atmosphere than being picked over excessively in the studio.

The other track, "The Black Dance" isn't quite as compelling as "Seventh Breath", but it has more of a straight, chord driven charge accompanied by blast beats that started off reminding me of classic records like De Mysteriis dom Sathanas or Transilvanian Hunger with a fraction of faintly hidden melody and then a dense, spacious, bridge segment with droning tremolo guitars that took it all to left field where it became a little more interesting, and then built a consistency with "Seventh Breath" in terms of the obscure ground the Chileans seek to cover. But apart from its few sinister, atmospheric flourishes, I can't really claim that the songs really stood out to me. Perhaps because there's just not enough here to get lost in, or that the choices of chords weren't infectiously interesting. They do honor to the 'malignant' in their moniker, because there is potential here for some really eerie, threatening material, and they're far from incompetent, but I didn't get a lot of replay value out of these particular tunes. So other than collectors seeking out limited issue occult black metal records, this could be a 'wait for the full length' situation.

Verdict: Indifference [6/10]

Horrifying - Euphoric Existence EP (2013)

As the wheels of ancient, ghastly death metal continue to grind along a highway of human flesh and bones, the chorus of engines is joined by past-obsessed acts the world over. It was largely a European/USA thing at one point, but now Central and South America have chimed in with a good number of acts, some of whom are pretty interesting, others not so much. As for Horrifying, a Chilean act releasing a new, limited 7" EP through Blood Harvest records, one of the most devoted labels of this decrepit old school revivalism, this is more of a stretch into the deep past of death metal. Not a Swedening, not a particularly cavernous sounding affair, but something that recounts the raw roots of the form.

There isn't a damned thing on this small collection of tracks which sounds like it was written post-1992, not a single technique here brings to mind anything remotely modern beyond, say, Onward to Golgotha, and even then they don't utilize the Craig Pillard style gutturals, but more of a mid-ranged, partial hybrid between a bark and a rasp that feels entirely caustic and primitive. But, being this archaic in nature is not necessarily enough to titillate the imagination with delicious nostalgia, the thing needs riffs...and to their credit, while there is nothing even marginally original presented throughout Euphoric Existence, the song-craft on the two longer tracks is varied and at least respectable. For instance, the title track sounds like a rawer interpretation of something circa Scream Bloody Gore but with a more echoed, evil vocal style and a huge breakdown with atonal squeals that would have also felt at home on a pre-1990 death metal prototype, not to mention that it does continue to grow slower into a massive, death/doom lurch that keeps the listener engaged.

The other stronger tune here is "Petrifying Hallucinations" which relies heavily on dark, dense tremolo picked patterns that sound like a mashup of old Death and Incantation, only with some zipping, sinister guitars and that raucous vocal performance. Really loved the totally off the cuff, messy lead sequence embedded there and the surgical thrash/death riffs often coursing through the surge. Can't say I was quite so impressed with the opening, under 2 minute piece ("An Agonic Death") but it had a similar effect to this song. At any rate, the production is pretty steady and consistent throughout the 12 minutes of the 7". Both rhythm and lead guitars are possessed of an unpolished primacy that stirs the guts, but clear enough if you pay attention. The drums are expressive, nasty and loud, with a lot of blasting, storm-like fills but also the ability to break it down to a barebones, sparse rhythm for the second track. It's definitely an invigorating and exciting sound to it, despite the obvious age of the approach, but that's not to say the riffs are all great or interesting.

Regardless, there is an audience for this and I find it hard to believe they'd be disappointed with Euphoric Existence, even if it serves only as a teaser for something more substantial in the future. I've honestly grown a little fatigued with this stuff lately, since not a lot of bands are doing anything different or bringing much of a unique identity to the style, and there are just so many new bands emerging into it. But Horrifying is without question a competent newcomer. I found that they were adept at capturing their intended atmosphere, and keeping the songs punishing and morbid, even if it wasn't quite as memorable as the stuff groups like Horrendous and Morbus Chron have been releasing. Raw, unruly and determined, but there still might be a distance to go in the songwriting.

Verdict: Indifference [6.75/10]

http://horrifying.bandcamp.com/

Istengoat - MMXII EP (2012)

MMXII is an interesting one, a 2012 EP from Chile getting a new release through Sweden's Blood Harvest imprint this year. From the cover alone you'd think this was some sort of political or historically inspired black metal, but in fact Istengoat play a very primal, resonant and well tended brand of old school death metal which is not terribly easy to pigeonhole. It's not Incantation worship, nor is it Entombed worship, but rather a melodically-infused descendent of death, grind chords and perhaps a bit of Scandinavian black circa the mid-90s. I also made out a hint of old Morbid Angel (Altars of Madness) during some of the faster riffing as in "Avatara", but kudos to the Chileans for managing to set themselves up an actual identity rather than riding any specific coattails too closely.

The vocals are a nasty, nihilistic, reverb-soaked bark which single-handedly fuse a level of atmosphere to the songs that might not otherwise existed on the riffing alone. Almost a South American Chris Reifert circa the earliest Autopsy full-lengths. However, the guitar tone is great, clean and crisp but still primal enough that, once they're vomiting forth some tremolo picked rhythm you feel like you've definitely come to the right morgue. Bass can be a little hard to hear in some places, but it's racing along to the guitars with a decent energy, and you can make it out when he's also using the tremolo patterns. Of course, when he's alone, like the breakdown in "Pogrom", it sounds thick as clotted blood. Drums are quite prominent, in particular the snares and toms. The kicks have a machine-like precision to them also, and the guy's keeping them up even through much of the moderately paced material. Beyond that, they've got a decent, screaming sense for leads and melody that erupt blissfully over the unending tirade of riffs, and honestly I can't think of a simple complaint with the production beyond the fact that when the rhythm guitar lays out some of the solid chords, the bass tends to exit attention span.

Riffs aren't individually composed with the most memorable quality, nor are they all unique, but I will say that they're far from predictable, since they cultivate a heritage of death, black and thrash motifs evenly. Faster Floridian death chugging, walls of driving chords, you name it. When I hear the opening notes of an Istengoat song I'm not exactly sure where it's going next, and I often wish I could say the same for many other bands. There's clearly a sense of refreshing authenticity, like in writing the band was not committed to any one blueprint but just let the riffs go where they may, and then covered them up in the vicious, raving vocals. Truthfully, I wouldn't mind hearing more variety in that department, but the guy can clearly sustain a growl well and when spitting vitriol with a faster syllabic syncopation he sounds appropriately menacing. MMXII is a record with crossover appeal, fans of archaic US death metal, older black/thrash, Canadian war metal or more current, atmospheric black/death throwbacks like Weregoat and Godless will find something to appreciate. This is a good sampler, and with luck a preamble for a full-length with even more variety and even stronger riff progressions.

Verdict: Win [7.5/10]

http://www.istengoat.co.nr/

Ancient Crypts - Devoured by Serpents DEMO (2013)

Devoured by Serpents is a demo being issued through the Iron Bonehead imprint, which has had a pretty cracking roster of late, and if you've any awareness of the sounds they release, you'll know that this is very likely an exercise in classic extreme metal purity. That is both Ancient Crypts' strength and weakness, of course, for while the material here really excels in terms of presentation and production, it does fall behind when it comes to sounding even remotely unique. Some diehards on the hunt for vintage death metal are naturally not going to have a problem with that, but ultimately I found the riffs here just too commonplace and uninteresting to evoke the same level of excitement that I had for the crushing mix the Chileans manifest into my headphones. I'll be frank: this demo sounds fantastic in terms of the vocals and guitar tone, and that alone will generate some buzz, but the songs themselves are almost entirely bereft of individual ideas and memorable chord progressions.

The arrangement of the riffs here is pure worship of groups like Asphyx, Autopsy and Incantation, that last one shining through when the band picks up the pace and the tremolo patterns and squeals seem as if they're about to rupture your innards. A few sequences, like the intro to "Deep into the Ancient Crypts" slog along at a Sabbath-inspired death/doom gait, but these are exceptions, since much of the picking here is straight mid speed tremolo stuff that relies heavy on the thick accents brought about by the pulverizing, awesome guitar tone. Atmosphere is solely derived from the interchange of rhythm guitars and occasion effects or hints of evil melody that permeate the bulkier guitars, but unfortunately the riffing patterns themselves are nowhere near exceptional, the sorts of things that after about 25+ years of death metal you'd figure someone might just discard when in the writing phase. Tried and true, sure, and that's where a lot of this new old school death metal revival is beginning to fail, but they remind me of what I always sort of missed about Asphyx over most of their career: bland death metal 101 riffing that lacks either the devouring horror or surgical savvy that I so respected from the bands I loved in the late 80s/early 90s (don't get me wrong, I liked that band, just nowhere as much as the younger crowd seems to retro-worship it now).

Anyway, I can't be too harsh on Ancient Crypts, because though they might lack that originality I'm so craving from such a heavily over-saturated field of archaic aspirants, they compensate with just the weight of those guitars, comparable to modern material from their heroes. The passion and enthusiasm of this duo also bleeds straight through the music into the listener. You can just imagine them smiling as they come up with this thick, churning, juicy material, clotted blood guitars and perfectly balanced drumming that takes turns between morbid grooves and ancient blast-work. The vocals are straight Martin van Drunen for the most part, with a few hints of Reifert's zeal or Schuldiner's rasped higher end, but once again, I'm pretty sure that if you enjoy records like The Rack, Consuming Impulse, Mental Funeral, Slowly We Rot and Scream Bloody Gore, you'll feel satisfied with the similarity. In the end, though, I just couldn't come away from this with anything more than a comfort that the past is alive, the subterranean gods had been acknowledged and received their latest sacrifices, and a hope that once Ancient Crypts enter the full-length debut phase, they'll expand outwards and screw around with some more varied riffing, throw in some dissonance and weave in a few more sinister melodies.

Verdict: Indifference [6.25/10]

http://ancientcrypts.bandcamp.com/

Nar Mattaru - Enuma Elish (2011)

Nar Mattaru is a Chilean death metal act whose 2011 debut is seeing a reissue through I, Voidhanger Records, who have begun to specialize in atmospheric old school brutality in addition to the eclectic black metal stylings I have associated them with in the past. The resurgence of the 90s sounds that so many newer groups adhere to is strong within this record, and I'd be a liar to say I wasn't getting a little tired of the trend, with bands starting to clearly form into distinct tiers of quality as they do with any huge movement in the medium, but Nar Mattaru are far from the runt of the litter, and rather than obsess over the cavernous contours and dissonant chaos so many in their niche rely upon, Enuma Elish is more of a rotting, pestilent, root effort hearkening back to the gruesome 'innocence' of the genre than another clone of Autopsy or Incantation drowned in reverb.

The guitar tone is voluptuous and ruddy to the point that it really takes over the mix against the blunt and resonating guttural vocals, creating this overwhelming syrupy effect that I'm on the fence about, mainly since the actual note progressions are rarely all that interesting. That said, the tremolo sequences they ingrain with the endless blasting and double bass battering definitely possess a feel of antiquity that relates to the band's ancient occult and mythological themes. They use a lot of subtle background rasps and sneers to mix up the monotony of the central growl, which was so eerie I actually kept looking over my shoulder as if strange voices were in my apartment speaking to me. The drums are harried and constantly hammering away, but I wasn't really impressed with their mix, due to the snap of the snare and the fact that the fills once in a while get cluttered by that guitar tone. The bass actually gets a chance to really shine thanks to some speed picked passages that stand out against the riffing, so it's not your usual humdrum performance sticking directly to the guitars, and the album as a whole has a very subterranean feel to it thanks to the vocal and guitar tone.

Aside from the decent covers of "Twisted Mass of Burnt Decay" (Autopsy) and "Tirano Constrictor" (by a fellow Chilean band Kratherion) that land directly in the middle of all the originals (there's a third cover for Incantation's "Abolishment of Immaculate Serenity" closing out the album), I felt like the songs often drudged on for too long, most being 7-9 minutes. That's not to say Nar Mattaru lacks variation here, since they'll shift between leaden grooves, death/doom styled pauses and then back into blasted materials; but I just felt like there would be lengthy periods without any interesting riffing patterns. They do cover quite a lot of ground, but I felt like they never really excelled at any tempo, and thus was drawn more to all the backing atmospheric shouts more than the primary guitar progressions. Cranked to ample volume, Enuma Elish is sufficiently raucous and morbid that they never feel like hacks, but in terms of songwriting the album did not really stir me beyond its churning viscera. Decent stuff for fans of Severed Survival, Mortal Throne of Nazarene, Blessed Are the Sick, Ultimo Mondo Cannibale, early Cianide, or other bands in their scene like Trimestigo and Dominus Xul (who several of the members were involved with).

Verdict: Indifference [6/10]

http://www.myspace.com/narmattarudeathmetal

Bauda - Euphoria...of Flesh, Men and the Great Escape (2012)

Euphoria...of Flesh, Men and the Great Escape is my first exposure to the band Bauda, but hopefully not my last, because this thing is frankly so eclectic and exotic that nearly anyone could wrest some enjoyment from its eaves, like plucking a fruit from a rare tree with many varieties. I've seen the band defined as 'folk metal', but I feel that might be a slight misrepresentation of their sound. Sure, they use a lot of clean and scintillating guitars, and interesting rhythmic dynamics, but there's not much of an 'ethnic' or geographical constraint to what they write. For example, the band is Chilean, but you don't get much of an impression here that their sound is South American, rather quite universal in scope.

It's also not much of a 'metal' record, with the exception of some drudging, atmospheric, distorted guitars that might partake of prog or doom influences; but I'm willing to bet they've evolved out of some more aggressive roots (I know it used to be a one-man project with folksier instrumentation). Instead you've got a smattering of indie, space or post-rock influences, with grooving bass, beautiful if occasionally atonal vocal harmonies, whispers, occasional dissonance and loads of drumming. The second song, "Humanimals", one of the album's heaviest, is for me the perfect exemplar of the band's style. It's over 10 minutes in length but never once becomes boring or disjointed, and rarely shows any penchant for repetition; it's almost like Voivod meets Mew. Not all the tracks require such a staggering length to impress: "The Great Escape" itself is gorgeous acoustic rock affixed with creepy, alien synthesizers and vocals polished enough for radio; "Crepuscular" is a lazy and lovely acoustic guitar instrumental with a bit of classical influence to the picking, and once again the superb ambient backdrop.

The production is insanely clear, worthy of a far bigger budget rock band (like Dredg or Death Cab for Cutie), but the real star of this show, beyond the vocals, is the rhythm section. The bass is constantly curving, swaying and inventing subtext for any of the busier tracks, and the percussion is intense whether it's going tribal, standard rock fills, or lightly crashing along to one of the album's more soothing moments. Where the album picks up in aggression ("Humanimals or the doom-influenced "Oceania"), the guitars crash and course with abandon, often heavily affected to create a swerving level of psychedelia and fuzz. Yet somehow, despite the album's very disparate array of sounds and feelings, it all seems like a cohesive, conceptual experience. It's not always memorable, but it's ALWAYS interesting, and fans of post-metal outfits like Katatonia and Virus, or Tiamat's brilliant album A Deeper Kind of Slumber might well wish to explore this. Or, really, any person in the mood for something different.

Verdict: Win [8/10]

http://www.baudarketypes.cl/

Hetroertzen - Exaltation of Wisdom (2010)

Hetroertzen is a formerly Chilean black metal entity now located in Sweden, which has continued to elevate itself through each of three full-length recordings in the past decade. Exaltation of Wisdom was its fourth album, originally released in 2010 but given a lavish new treatment through Barghest records. Remixed, remastered and all decked out in an extravagant package with (largely) eye catching artwork and lyrics, it's apparent that the label and band are really concerned with its aesthetic value, and they should be: this is a tight execution, an album clearly rooted in the traditions of 90s European black metal, but dowsing its blasted visage with loads of resonant atmosphere through the guitar tone.

The vocals fall somewhere between the standard black metal rasp and the more garbled and decrepit tones of, say, Inquisition, though they often apply more ominous or salacious backing rasps and growls that help add to the cavern-like ceiling created by the guitars. Most of the riffs are steady, tremolo-driven processions of chords which are injected with glimmers of haunting, enormous atmosphere due to the glint of higher, ringing notes amidst the roiling murk, and some examples of this would be "Like the Serpent" or "Perpetual Eclipse Stigmata". However, this is not some one trick record, and the band will often lapse into a darker, doomed pace ala "The Final Break of Mankind" or the bridge of closer "The White Priestcraft". Hetroertzen prides itself on a particular, hypnotic effect through the airy, harrowing curvature of the guitars, and I feel that this often transpires at the expense of the individual riff-strength, but if you're turning to this genre more for its atmosphere than muscle, Exaltation of Wisdom functions admirably.

I did quite like the setup for this album, in particular the contrast from the swelling ambient intro "Incinerating Illumination" to the charging turmoil of "Like the Serpent", to the extent that I would not have minded some more pure ambient breaks throughout the various tracks, but this is something Hetroertzen have front-loaded for the album. There are certainly a few cuts that exceed the 10 minute mark, and though this is not accomplished through mass repetition they do tend to drag their feet along, offering few incendiary thrills deep in their midst. However, the production is quite strong, the lyrics sinister and introspective, and the overall package one that should peak the interest of those seeking a more cavernous alternative to the standard, raw necrosis of the genre. Fans of acts like Xasthur, Pestilential Shadows, Aosoth, Blut Aus Nord, Leviathan, or the latest crop of ominous, reverb soaked retro death would likely find something to enjoy here.

Verdict: Win [7.25/10]

http://www.facebook.com/HETROERTZEN

Battlerage - True Metal Victory (2011)

Chile is not the first place that comes to mind when one thinks in terms of epic heavy/power metal outfits, but Battlerage seeks fervently to buck that trend, or the lack thereof, with one of the more competent and entertaining releases of its type that I've heard in several months. Now, True Metal Victory is an album that succeeds despite itself. As you can tell, the title and likely lyrical themes are the sort of generic metal banner-waving we've come to expect from the Manowar camp and all who followed it. Admittedly, this is a fraction cheesy, especially in conjunction with Fox-Lin Torres' heavy accent on the vocals, but in the end Battlerage wins out by writing hymns that are aggressive, melodic and memorable.

The closest comparison one will make upon hearing Torres' grumbling, constipated tone would be to Kris Boltendahl of the German legend Grave Digger. When this guy crunches down, his style is almost inseparable, with the exception of the different, yet equally potent accent. But he's also no one- trick pony, attempting some cleaner and higher pitched lines to complement his monstrous, thundering anger. They don't always sound entirely in pitch and he doesn't have the widest range, but he compensates with a lot of character. Musically, the band surrounding him creates a wonderful hybrid of Omen and Manowar dowsed in tinges of German influences like Accept, Grave Digger and Running Wild, and they do it with both flair and drama. The instrumentals like the Omen-ish intro "Battlepath" and the dual doom-melodies of "Stygian" are perfectly placed to divide the vocal anthems, and the production is abrupt, crunchy where it needs to be, and straight in the listener's face. Old school wolves in sleek, modern sheeps' fur.

It's pretty difficult to resist the headbanging madness of "Return of the Axeman" or the muggy, thrashed out parade of "Raw Metal" and "Warlock's Epitaph", even if half the vocal lines do make you feel like cracking up. The leads are generally very catchy, the guitar tone rich and up front, without ever been snuffed out due to the vocals. Battlerage do not bother with symphonic elements: they let the guitars monopolize the melodies while the rhythm section turns in a rock solid foundation. But don't expect frenetic pacing or complexity here circa Gamma Ray or Blind Guardian, these Chileans level the ground with big, muted riffs and simpler structures that fit more accordingly with the bold tales of battle, and metal, and...battle, and more metal. That might sound quite familiar, and in fact there's not a lot here to quality Battlerage as original, especially in the lyrical themes, but True Metal Victory is at least an entertaining rush of fist shaking, axe wielding mayhem that you can sing along to at a party with your friends.

Verdict: Win [7.5/10]

http://www.myspace.com/battleragetruemetal

Godless - Ecce Homo: Post Lux Tenebras, Pulsio XIII Ultima Ratio (2010)

Gods damn the Latin language and all its derivatives! What else could be responsible for the wall of text title that graces this Chilean band's debut album except pretentious overspending in that department? Well, Godless may in fact be smarter than I, or at least more patient to pore over the ancient texts of linguistics in the creation of their long awaited debut Ecce Homo, but they were kind enough to include the English lyrics within the booklet itself, and they're well written enough to cast lucid dispersions across the vast face of yawning morbidity that their music conjures direct from whatever abstract hell they spawned forth from.

Yes, this is a dark trip, one that engages both the fondness for well composed, old school death metal and serious lyrical extractions that betray the more basal hordes of torture porn addicts that have ultimately inherited this genre's market. To describe Godless in bulk is not easy, but think of an unholy accumulation of the aesthetics that formed Morbid Angel, Gorguts, Incantation, and Obituary from the primordial matter of nothingness to count them among the very forces that will herald us all back to that state when the cosmic shit hits the fan in the end and subsequent rebirth of all matter. Churning, filthy grooves wrap their tentacles around the listener like the needy appendages of an Elder God, while the band swarms through a dynamic range of hostile intentions that fabricate emotions from death/doom to death/grind at their polar extremities, with the true strength lying somewhere in between.

I cannot promise that the band are venomous enough riff writers to compose individual standouts, but taken in the full 46 minute dosage, Ecce Homo is one destructive fucking ritual that should truly capitalize on the current wave of retro, morbid old school death in which the repressed, cavernous emotions eclipse the wreath of technicality that adorns the sculpted script of modernity in brutal death. However, the band incorporates just enough progression that I feel they have something to offer nearly anyone who listens through this and can grin and bear it. Tracks like "Infrapanopticon Sublimatio" and "Nihil Coronat Opus" are brilliant executions of grimy bombast that seem to tear through time and space, pulling the listener through the endless chasms of bleeding flesh in between, as if through the guts of a living being to which you are no more than a micro-parasite waiting to be quelled.

Whether you seek abysmal grooves, guttural and passionate vocal exclamations or the thrusting and jabbing desolation of artsy death metal out on the fringe of viability, Godless have your number. I wouldn't label this record 'accessible', and it may take a few complete sit-throughs to appreciate in fullness, but ultimately the reward is worth the patience. I am reminded slightly of the excellent Merciless Hammer of Lucifer by US act Drawn & Quartered, which shared some of the same dense, disturbing influences and had a similar process of slowly acquainting and acquitting you from a most ghastly palette of surreality, but fans of everything from Portal to Incantation will find much to celebrate within this record's bowels.

Verdict: Win [8/10]

http://www.myspace.com/godlesschile