Halberd - Remnants of Crumbling Empires (2014)

It would be challenging enough to put together an album the quality of Remnants of Crumbling Empires while standing in the same room as one another; yet Halberd have accomplished this across at least three continents. An international band formed on the forums of the world's largest metal database, whose constituents somehow unified their visions enough to manufacture what is hands down one of the most memorable (and least boring) death/doom hybrids I've heard lately, by adhering to an important philosophy: that the strength of this niche comes chiefly through riffing and atmosphere, rather than the lamentably monotonous drudging and 'oh we're so fuckin' heavy' guitar tone which seems to delude a lot of listeners into thinking every single sludge, doom and drone band sailing across the information highway is somehow genius for stringing along a number of contrived, derived chords at a crawl.

Dynamics. Halberd has them, and the fact that they never settle snugly into just one glacial pace or progression is critical not only to the album's flow, but the impression it leaves upon the audience. Just as much of a pure, late 80s death metal effort as its more prominent mating of styles, the band will break out into resonant tremolo picked patterns whose melodic inclinations reminded me (in a positive way) of the Entombed debut, but overall the churning and grinding of the rhythm guitars feels like it traces its lineage back to British legends Bolt Thrower, Napalm Death, perhaps even older Godflesh if we were to eschew the industrial instrumentation and just go with the riffing alone. Remnants of Crumbling Empires is essentially this cocktail of classic death metal tropes circa England, Finland, Sweden and Florida, shaken and stirred and served from the gut with an infusion of eerie keys that lend the experience an even more ominous, exotic presence like you might remember from a record like Celtic Frost's To Mega Therion. In fact, I've seen the band compared to Tom G. Warrior's latest incarnation Triptykon, but as a rare person who finds that band high on production values but bland on riff quality, I came away from Halberd with more of a Hooded Menace impression, sans the kitschy horror lyrics and titles. Which brings me to the next point...

Theme. Halberd is war metal, not in the genre sense that they sound like Blasphemy or Bestial Warlust, but through the lyrics and atmosphere. The band has a designated lyricist who pens these passionate odes to historical conflicts which are just not often enough thought about in metal music, and this was easily one of my favorite characteristics of the album. The Proskurov Pogroms in the earlier 20th century Ukraine, the Anglo-Zanzibar war of 1896, and the Boer Wars a few years after that, and not just written as a detached social studies lesson, but imbued with impassioned imagery that often puts the listener/reader right into the middle of the fray. This not only gives perspective to the album title, but also provides an entire other dimension of enjoyment that you wouldn't get from just another 'woe is me', vapid inscription of lily-white skinned lost lovers and tombstones that you'd expect from a lot of death/doom bands toeing the (My Dying Bride) line. As a prolific listener of metal, so often inundated with the same topics ad nauseam, I appreciated this, and the music reflects the subject matter well...faster sequences feel like your flesh is being ground up by pre-WWI artillery, and the slower, atmospheric passages feel like wraiths haunting the shadowy afterlife eaves of a battlefield.

The drums are programmed, which might prove an obstacle to purists, but not at all for me, since they keep themselves very busy, pregnant with fills and breaks in any mechanical monotony one might perceive. Vocals are divided into three tent camps: a deeper guttural, a bloodier Carcass-like rasp and then a few rare Warrior 'hoomph' exclamations that help usher in some excitement for a new riff switch. Even better, they don't skimp on the leads and melodies...Remnants if flooded with the things, so at any moment you're thinking some riff might feel a little too pedestrian or predictable, in comes this wild and furious relish. There's even a little bit of structural experimentation, particularly the slow and sparse chugged pacing found chunks of "Ignorance of Morbidity" where they let the cleaner guitars and dissonant ambiance glide alongside the gruesome growls (one of the Godflesh moments I hinted at earlier). The mix of the record isn't particularly grating or raw, but it's not clean and spiffy either, so it ends up with a sort of timeless quality about it that works hand in hand with the musical aesthetics on parade.

Few complaints, honestly...the bass guitars are not exactly obscured, but could certainly be a lot more interesting than they are for the vast majority of the album. I'm guessing there wasn't a devoted bass player when they put this together, and to be fair, a lot of older death metal records which inspired this one weren't bass heavy; yet there were points through the music in which a nice, unique groove could have been established alongside or even counter to the rhythm guitars. Also, I don't know that the longer of the four tracks (12 and 15 minutes respectively) benefited that much from their duration. Halberd compensated by keeping them kinetic, instead of endlessly recycling static chord patterns, but I really thought their style worked best in the 5-8 range, where they just roll over you like a horse-drawn cannon. These are minor issues, though, even more so when you consider the difficulties they must have faced in putting everything together without that physical proximity most bands have. On the whole, this is an excellent debut, never too derivative of any one source, and the leads, lyrics and hellish vitality of the rhythm guitar patterns are all immense. This should not be an unsigned act for very long.

Verdict: Win [8.5/10] (revolution rhymes with annihilation)

https://www.facebook.com/HalberdDoom

Yogth Sothoth - Abominations of the Nebulah Mortiis (2008)

There's no question that the virulent retro death metal seed has impregnated Central and South America nearly as much as Europe and the US, but Yogth Sothoth of Colombia had the pleasure of getting their slithering appendages through the door a few years before it became a goddamn mandate, with a sort of admirable mesh of late 80s aesthetics with the earlier recordings of those lauded forebears of the East Coast US scene (Suffocation, Deicide and Immolation at the very least). So not only do we encounter a bit of the voluptuous, old school ominous tremolo picking progressions of bands like Death, Autopsy and Obituary, but also a healthy portion of the churning palm muted pre-slam we equate with a lot of the New York and later Floridian innovators who were further removing the death metal genre from its overt thrash roots. Add in the Lovecraftian theming, which is not remotely subtle on this or the Colombians' later compilation The Dark Waters Are Shaken, and you have a recipe for some success, at least if people are willing to dig back through the Sevared Records canon and spear this one up from the depths of R'lyeh.

I'm not saying it's a great record, and a lot of the material here is taken from the demo recordings of tunes that wound up on the 2009 comp, but when ingested as a whole, this is passable and ugly death metal which seems a little rare in that it doesn't just generically and genetically ape the aesthetic of one single band. Maybe a short list of 6-8 (some of which I listed above), but there is a real focus here on structure and riffing over impersonation, it's just that the results Yogth Sothoth achieve are not much different than their predecessors. Clinical picking sequences mirror old Pestilence or Death and are woven into tightly wrought, pummeling sequences circa Effigy of the Forgotten, but there is no shying away from enough variation that no two tracks on the disc sound quite the same. I really enjoyed how they used the percussion to great dramatic effect, often dropping out and back into some riffing cycles to give them a greater breath of impact, the old school way of setting up a neanderthal groove to let the crowd know it's about to happen and that they need to adjust their spines. There is not a lot of melody or memorability in the guitars on the whole, but they're flexible and concussive and you won't stop banging your head along even if that comes with an empty hope that they're going to break out into some truly brilliant riff execution...

The bass guitar gets lost a lot for me here, I can hear it hovering and swerving along but I would have loved it to pump out more from the speakers and attempt some more distinct notation to fill in the aesthetic cravings that some of the guitar riffs leave wide open. The vocals of Klisgor play out like a more muffled, guttural integration of van Drunen's grotesqueness with Frank Mullen's sense of punctuality embedded into the syllabic choices, and they also throw in some higher snarls to create that Glen Benton demonic duality. I don't love the guitar tone or really the production of this at all, but it's honest and clear enough for something lo-fi, and doesn't detract from that punchy, percussive intent captured by the rhythm guitars. As superficial a complaint as it might seem, I don't think the material really captures that dread horror aesthetic of Lovecraft to its fullest, relying almost entirely on brutality and rarely on atmosphere (apart from the "Prayer of Doom" intro), but then again not many bands who use the Mythos as lyrical inspiration really do. Yogth Sothoth WANTS me to feel the horror cosmic of its namesake, and most of the lyrics are amazing and frankly the best part of this record, but I just don't feel like the Elder Gods would champion themselves with such straightforward death metal...they'd seek out something more brain-meltingly dissonant and alien. Other bands have since incorporated a lot more of that into their material, but that doesn't stop Abominations from being a passable record (superior to the compilation)...just not a great one.

Verdict: Win [7/10] (the portal has been opened)

http://yogthsothoth.byethost18.com/

Guerra Total - El Armagedón Continúa (2013)

Colombia's brutal death scene has been reasonably well documented, even if it's still deep underground, but this South American nation has honestly had no shortage of metal from other extremities, particularly black or blackened thrash/speed, the latter niche being occupied by one Guerra Total ('Total War'). These guys have been churning out a new record each year since 2010 under this name, but had a fairly substantial history beforehand for about a decade, and I must say...they've been markedly improving which each release. This latest, El Armagedón Continúa, arriving through Sweden's I Hate records, fits in rather snugly with the scene emerging from countries like Finland, Canada, Sweden, Norway and the States, and while it's a little nastier than a band like Midnight, Speedtrap or Speedwolf, it definitely scratches a comparable itch to names like Antichrist or Deathhammer, perhaps even some of Sabbat's flightier infernalisms such as Sabbatrinity.

Granted, this is a legacy far older, with a lot of the riffing motifs lifted off classics like Kill 'Em All or Show No Mercy, cultivating the same general aesthetic once pioneered by Bathory, Destruction, Motörhead and Venom, but it's not something I ever seem to grow tired of as long as it's performed well. And, thanks to the raw but clear production choices on this record, I've had a lot of fun listening through it. Rhythm guitar progressions use a lot of the hammered, trilling hi-octane techniques you've heard in this particular field many a time, but combined with meatier mid-paced thrashing chord chugs, splayed out trad metal 4-chord backing patterns for an airier feel, and lightning melodic leads which seem slightly more controlled than the haphazard spasms you'd predict from the usual Slayer-philes. They also throw in some wah wah effects and others to build a real balance and atmosphere to the record that more than compensates for its generally raw mix and undercooked ideas. The vocalist has a pretty impish rasp going on, though I admit I prefer when he's singing in Spanish, it just drips with a more natural sense of character and malevolence...not that he's a slouch in English, where he sounds like a less pronounced Quorthon from the earlier records, but it doesn't give the material that same sense of place...like I don't feel as if I'm being run down through a rainforest by Satanic cocaine dealers with machetes...to whom I owe a great deal of money.

I actually quite liked the sense of 'distance' in the production, almost like you're listening to it in an empty futbol stadium, sitting too low to receive the brunt of the drums or rhythm guitars, but when those leads burst out in tunes like "Misanthropist God" they totally take over the space. The bass is a little low and in truth this is not a heavily 'low end' sort of recording, but it's enough that I can make out the lines, which are basically just following along with the rhythm riffs. The drums aren't insanely technical, which wouldn't fit this sort of nostalgic songwriting, but they're peppy and vivacious and blaze along at a strong clip and volume. Really, though, the production is going to turn off some and titillate others. You want brickwalled, dense Pro Tools melodic death/thrash that sounds like it was written in the 21st century?  El Armagedón Continúa is not likely to fulfill that desire. Nothing here is 'new', or for that matter very creative. But if you want an album to seem like it was recorded in the back of some van pimped out with spikes and machine guns, Mad Max-style, while the driver and passengers hurl empties out the windows in a rabid pursuit of their own Sentence of Death or Welcome to Hell, along the highway TO Hell, then Guerra Total has your number on speed-dial and they're crank-calling you for about 40 minutes of jeering, jubilant, incendiary entertainment. Poseurs and pedestrians beware! Hail speed! And hail Satan!

Verdict: Win [7.5/10] (evil mutants looking for flesh)

https://www.facebook.com/GuerraTotalBand?ref=ts

XcrementoR - XcrementoR [DEMO] (2012)

Colombia's no stranger to the field of extreme metal, what with a pretty solid brutal death metal scene emerging through the late 90s to the present day, but it was a lot easier to write off many of the bands of old as mere derivatives of groups from other scenes. Certainly a few acts like Internal Suffering were able to build a strong following, and rightly so, but recently I've begun to notice that brutal or tech death groups from a wealth of South American countries have begun to improve upon their songwriting in a way that reminds me of Poland's development, as spearheaded by groups like Vader. Strong chops and balanced rhythms are supplanting needless, monotonous excess, and it's a breath of fresh air. At the demo level, Medellín's XcrementoR proves an excellent example of the potential inherent to this evolving scene, and amidst a lot of sound-a-like old school death acts cashing in on the sounds of Incantation, Autopsy, Dismember and Entombed, this self-titled, 3 track introduction feels just different enough to stand out.

XcrementoR is not entirely without precedent, it's just that the influences they put together here are not the sort I experience on a daily basis. Imagine Consuming Impulse/Testimony of the Ancients era Pestilence being merged with the first few Immolation discs (or pre-Obscura Gorguts). Swerving, jerking grooves bisected with ominous octave chord slides, creating an oppressive and suffocating atmosphere. Loaded, voluminous fills that collapse and arise from driving beats, double bass barrages. Murky but acrobatic bass guitar lines that never settle for just aping the rhythm guitar, and spikes of well-constructed, emotional leads and melodies that transform from a one-dimensional asylum rampage into something better rounded, more fulfilling, a fairly complete death metal experience. Add to these the clamorous, guttural garbles and you've got a menacing 12 minutes of material that should quite easily place XcrementoR on the radar of old school death metal mavens internationally. But even better, tracks like "Larvas" or their eponymous "XrementoR" prove that the Colombians aren't just moored in the past, but actively attempting to manifest some means of progression...I never though of these songs as looking backwards.

As for its production, this demo is also rather impressive, sure to turn a few label heads if they can get this out there. The guitars are flexible and vibrant, deep and choppy without stealing away any fire from the other elements. While a fraction loud, the vocal enunciation also fails to drown out the rhythm section, and both the drums and bass are painstakingly balanced so you can hook into just about every groove. I wouldn't say that most of the individual riffing patterns summoned forth are all that mesmerizing when plucked apart from the whole of the demo, but as a unified force they project enough kinetic variation and energy that there's just no chance at all to feel bored or underwhelmed. A little more atmosphere wouldn't kill them, and there's a way to go in terms of memorability, but otherwise, XcrementoR has got itself a rather smashing demo here. Fans of Corpsegrinder-era Cannibal Corpse, 90s Morbid Angel, Immolation, the first Pestilence reunion Resurrection Macabre or other more recent fare like Nocturnal Torment's They Come at Night and Skeletal Remains' Beyond the Flesh should track this down.

Verdict: Win [7.75/10] 

http://www.facebook.com/pages/XcrementoR-Death-Metal/229441787188930 

Nepente - Suffering is the Seed (2012)

Colombia is a place I can only assume to possess some level of day to day oppression, that is, if the music I've encountered from the country is any indicator of its level of unrest. Brutal/death metal seems to be the primary flavor there, and on their sophomore effort, Suffering is the Seed, Nepente do not intend to challenge that perception, as this is a fairly straight burst of churning, nihilistic extremity that eschews all the principles of nuance and subtlety to bulldoze its audience from front to back. I had read that the band was a hybrid of death and black metal aesthetics, but what I'm hearing on this disc is far more in favor of the former camp. A few passages, like the intro to "Hear Me Howl" or "Die for Me", give the impression of tremolo/blast black metal (a little like Endstille in tone), and there are some rasped lyric lines, but the bombastic guttural vox and majority of riff structures have a truly South America death flavor.

My favorite component to the record was the guitar tone, which is fiery and rich without seeming inauthentic or unnecessarily processed, and it provides a real muscular crunch over the storm-like drumming that is constantly providing a cluttered momentum. The riffs definitely have a Morbid Angel feel to them, caustic and explosive and inherently apocalyptic due to their lack of warmth or brighter melodies, but I also found some notable similarities to other South American acts like Krisiun, Abhorrence, Nephasth and Mental Horror thanks to the ferocious structuring. The drums are insanely busy, with a lot of the fills popping through the headphones but a nice, exhilarated hellishness to the blast beats. Bass is potent, pummeling, and thick, though occasionally I had to strain a little to really appreciate what was happening there. As for the vocals, the rasps (where they appear) are your somewhat forgettable, average black metal ravings, but the primary growling is massive, forceful, and strafes alongside the guitars to provide one of the more dominant elements on the album. Gutturals with similarities to Steve Tucker, Erik Rutan, Alex Camargo or the various Nile frontmen add a layer of unforgiving opacity to the mood of the busier music.

Where I lost a little interest was in the actual riffing constructions, which just aren't all that compelling, even though they provide a variety of blasted tremolo riffs, melodic-oriented death circa Swedish bands like Dissection or Sacramentum, and harder hitting, muted frenzies. Throughout, there's this sense of a molten flow full of burnt out angel wings and halos, but it's running out to sea where it gets diluted by the lack of standout songs. If they could take this same sense of production and apply stronger songwriting, Nepente would probably make some ripples, but all too rarely did I derive a sense of excitement or catchiness from the individual patterns, and it was often somewhat of a chore to stay attentive. That said, there's nothing particularly bad or incompetent about Suffering is the Seed, and the band does a decent job of inserting a broad enough spectrum of aggression that I wouldn't deign the music monotonous by any stretch of the imagination. They've done their homework, and they can play. Might be worth checking out if you're into Malevolent Creation, Krisiun, Morbid Angel or Kataklysm, or Polish bands like Hate or Behemoth, but even then I just didn't get a lasting impression.

Verdict: Indifference [6/10]

http://www.myspace.com/nepente

Witchtrap - Vengeance is My Name (2012)

They might not have developed much buzz in the underground until this past decade, but Colombia's Witchtrap has been around for a good 20 years now, busting out into the international black/thrash awareness with their 2002 debut Sorceress Bitch, an album I have previously reviewed and enjoyed. Much like any band with a 'witch' conjunction these days, you can expect something undeniable old school about their sound, and in this case it's a clear tribute to the titans of old Teutonic thrash (Kreator, Sodom, Destruction) with a dash of old Venom, Metallica and Bathory thrown in for good measure. The vocals in particular sound quite a lot like a South American Mille Petrozza, the different and distinct accent of 'Burning Axe Ripper' not withstanding, but I'd say as far as the riffs alone they're not always derivative of any one particular influence.

By now, we've already heard a million of these bands, from Witchburner to Nocturnal to Deathhammer to Aura Noir, all of whom make for perfect patches on the denim vests of nostalgia. Still, it really comes down to the actual songwriting as to whether these acts are worth their salt or mere shadows of their influences, and rarely is it the case where I'd rather listen to one of these albums over Sentence of Death, Pleasure to Kill or Persecution Mania. Witchtrap writes in a pretty spry format with exciting licks caught in a pristine production that allows for the thicker grooves of the bass and the snap of the drum to support the central riffing without ever being eclipsed, and I like that they occasionally throw in a bit of unique spunk like the bass in the verses of "Damned to the Core", or the slightly classical appeal to the riffing patterns of "Venomous Breath", whose melodic nature wouldn't have been out of place on an Artillery record like Terror Squad or By Inheritance.

The issue I had with Vengeance is My Name is that there's a clear line between the better songs and those which seem less inspired or instantly catchy. For example, the closer "I'll Take Your Head" starts off with a pure Kill 'Em All vibe and then accelerates into pure Kreator/Cranium carnage, and "Venomous Breath" has some very well thought out triplets, but I felt like there were others like "Put to Death" and "Metal" that felt like average Aura Noir fare at best, and the aforementioned cleanliness of the production doesn't lend it the savagery of, say, the recent debut Forbidden World by Sweden's Antichrist. Still, the Colombians know how the territory well enough that they manage to keep the range of riffs dynamic, the leads tight and appropriate, the lyrical subjects coiled about the usual suspects of demons, succubi, murder, revenge, Hell, and of course the headbanging audience itself. Vengeance is My Name is probably my least favorite of their albums to date, but it's competent, and not without a few moments of authentic witch-shine that might appeal to fans of similar retro black, speed and thrash acts.

Verdict: Win [7/10]

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Witchtrap/119861254710711?v=wall&ref=ts

King - Forged by Satan's Doctrine (2012)

I haven't got a wealth of experience with the Colombian death metal scene, but I do know and enjoy a few of their more prominent acts like Internal Suffering on occasion. I'm certainly well aware that there's quite a lot happening there, to the point that only Brazil could boast of a larger extreme scene in South America, and the relative newcomers King give us another clear reason to pay our respects. This is their first release through Deathgasm, and it collects a lot of the material from their prior EPs Nonlaughter (2005) and Emperor of Darkness (2011) into a single, consistent recording while adding a handful of newer written tracks.

The first thing I was hearing once the black smoke cleared off the freakish, tribal horror intro "Summon Shub-Niggurath Ye Black" was a ton of Krisiun-like, relentless momentum focused heavily on blasted drums and punctual, chugging onslaughts of palm mutes, octave chords and squeals. But to date them further back, one must obviously evoke the names of Deicide and Morbid Angel: the first for the Glen Benton style of meshing brutal grunts and snarls together into a unified, blasphemous voice; and the latter for a lot of the percussive grooving and rapid, thrash-evolved licks that inhabit their compositional architecture, almost a hybrid of Covenant and Blessed Are the Sick. Tracks like "No Pray, No Mercy, Just Death (Unpromised Satan)" and "Emperor of Darkness" are incessant cases of assault and battery which level the listener's senses like a swarm of giant hornets wielding jackhammers.

But this album never really suffers the fate of numerous other brutal death recordings, since this King is gripped by enough fits of creativity that they break up any potential, ruthless monotony with slower, grooving cuts ("Macabre Satanas") and some excellent, agile bass playing that builds a second dimension to the punching and kicking of the primary riffs. Some of the picking patterns used by the guitarists are unbelievably frenzied. I also hear a bit of blackish metal influence, but it asserts itself more with their sheer speed and anti-Christian lyrics. In the end, I can't say that Forged by Satan's Doctrine is all that original, nor is it stuffed to the gills with truly impressive, memorable riffing patterns, but the Colombians hit low and hard enough that they're probably worth checking out whether you enjoy old school Floridian death, modern USDM of the more intense East or West Coast varieties, or the fellow South American onslaughts of Rebaelliun, Krisiun, Ancestral Malediction or Internal Suffering.

Verdict: Win [7/10]

http://www.myspace.com/kingbathroz

Inquisition - Ominous Doctrines of the Perpetual Mystical Macrocosm (2010)

Though the warbling, frog-like vocals are the one facet that makes Inquisition such a divisive band among extreme metal fans, it's almost ironic that they provide the one characteristic you can truly rely on as the former Colombians crash through each evolutionary portal they encounter. Ominous Doctrines of the Perpetual Mystical Macrocosm is more than a mouthful, in fact it's probably the most stupendous album title this year, but it's shocking how well they've morphed into a mix of blazing, glorious occult black metal and sheer dynamic will. Here is an album that will keep you coming back for further helpings due to its variation and breadth, striking high and low, fast and slow.

"Astral Path to Supreme Majesties" honors its very 90s, cliche black metal title with a savage foray into storming melodic severity, with impetuous, blasting drums offsetting the blossoming bounce of the chords. I am reminded of Enslaved or Immortal during their transitions from the orthodox to the majestic, and this is confirmed with the massive melodic breakdown taken before 1:30. "Command of the Dark Crown" is quite different, at least after the din of the open velocity chords dies into a swaggering, unusual gait, which is carried into the even more timid but pondering "Desolate Funeral Chant", then back into the blast-o-sphere of "Cosmic Invocation Rites", or the pounding "Crepuscular Battle Hymn". Two of my favorite tracks here include the deepest on the track list, "Hymn for a Dead Star" and "Across the Abyss Ancient Horns Gray", which measure across multiple, inspirational surges and segues.

Musically, the album is not entirely unlike its predecessor Nefarious Dismal Orations, but cast in a more uplifting light. The vocals seem a bit better mixed, sitting behind the thriving chords rather than echoing across them, but to be honest I preferred the latter approach. The chords they commit here are well sequenced but slightly less effective, and there are some passages in which I found myself less interested than others. A few of the songs like "Upon the Fire Winged Demon" wring sheer power out of their brevity and directness, but in pieces like "Desolate Funeral Chant" or the title track, there is certainly some fat to be trimmed. Ultimately, though, Inquisition have mustered yet another interesting album, even if it's not the measure of some past works, and honestly it might just be their most accessible yet, worthy of the attentions of pagan and folk metal fans as much as the venturesome grim.

Verdict: Win [7.75/10]

http://www.myspace.com/inquisitionusa

Inquisition - Into the Infernal Regions of the Ancient Cult (1998)

Risks.

Considering the extremity of death and black metal, and their relative level of inaccessibility to the general public, one might assume that such bands were more fond of taking great risks with the delivery of their musical output. Yet, we find this happening too rarely. Most are simply content to process their magic in the footfalls of those to come before, perhaps edging them out in production or pace, but rarely in the magnitude of grotesquery their forebears summoned into existence upon the material realm with even less resources. We need to face facts, throwing on corpse paint and playing diabolic anthems to Satan is simply not enough in many cases. Such bands might still write a damn good album, punishing if derivative, but in the long run will they have the same impact as the originators?

Sometimes, though, an artist comes along that, through some method, manages a distinction upon the norm, and the (formerly) Colombian band Inquisition belongs to this rare species. Musically, they commit acts of ghastly, oppressive occult black/death metal, but where they stand out is in the use of garbled, amphibian vocal rituals in place of the expected black rasp used by so many others in the genre. Into the Infernal Regions of the Ancient Cult was the band's 1998 debut, recently reissued through Hell's Headbangers with some fresh artwork, and it still stands today as the band's most impressive output, with ripping old school black riffs and the echoing, signature vocals that will haunt you long despite any initial imperative to laugh out loud at them. Inquisition have over an hour here of meticulously grim, wicked evocations that are very likely the best of their kind to ever escape the band's home terrain.

Beyond the obvious use of the strange vocals, the band is also notable for their dynamic versatility. Obvious influences are culled from European acts like Bathory, Mercyful Fate, Celtic Frost, Borknagar and Emperor, and maybe a little US cult metal like Acheron, but the way the Colombians write their material is an open process that achieves maximum impact upon the listener due to the relative ease of digestion. For example, "The Initiation" uses a simple, glimmering folk/black metal pattern of the riffing that recalls Borknagar, but its placed here in an entirely different, morbid occult context that one would never predict. "Summoned by Ancient Wizards Under a Black Moon" also feels like some glorious ode calling at you from North European wastelands of history, and yet its instead crushing you from the South American jungles and the imagination of the sick fuck Dagon, a trip of turbulent, memorable riffing.

"Into the Infernal Regions of the Ancient Cult" itself is more of a Bathory meets Gorgoroth or Mayhem piece, with rolling drums and listless, steady rhythmic patterns that also makes good use of movie samples. "Solitary Death in Nocturnal Woodlands" is abrasive but beautiful, with a more sparse, raw appeal to the guitar work than other tracks here, as they lurch through the 9+ minute somber nightscape of the titular environment. "Hail the Cult" also features some ringing, ritual guitars over the echoing vocals, and "Journey to Infernukeorreka" has some glorious vocal swells and charging, punk/black rhythms that rock the facial skin off to reveal the leering devil below. But "Those of the Night" might be the most charismatic piece here, with a fun pattern of alternating guitar rhythms that bounce perfectly below the decrepit vocals before a melodic, majestic sequence that will take you by surprise.

For Inquisition, the risk to branch out and try something different has truly paid off, as most of their studio output offers a moderate to swollen level of quality unheard amongst most of their peers. The vocals are not the only focal point here, but the ability to deliver decent riffing that betrays the pure, typical necrostyle you'd expect from the band, and the incorporation of samples that seem more a trope in death metal than black. Into the Infernal Regions of the Ancient Cult may still be the band's finest hour, since it has this deliciously aged atmosphere that the others do not match up to completely. Sure, the delivery of the band's sinister lyricism might seem deceptively silly at first, but it could not fit the backdrop any better, a twisted replica of hellish dementia, corridors beyond the wall of human restraint and morality.

Verdict: Win [8.5/10] (infinite spells of hate)

http://www.myspace.com/inquisitionusa

Hedor - Victory or Annihilation (2009)

Hedor is an insane Colombian death metal band, and like many of their countrymen (Ancient Necropsy, Internal Suffering, etc) they perform with a grating, infernal energy which seems difficult for mere human beings to pull off. Victory or Annihilation is a tiring debut through which these three men channel all their demons into a punishing physical exercise, which, while entertaining for short spurts of time, inevitably fails to make itself memorable, due to the sheer lack of dynamics on parade. This band moves quickly, and I rather enjoy the caustic, crisp crunch to their guitar tone, not to mention the monstrous efforts of skin basher Nelson Socha who attacks with wild but machinelike precision. The solos here are truly terrifying things that bubble to the surface like human bones and eyeballs in a cauldron, and occasional a guitar riff will rip forth from Hell itself to catch your attention as to the potential slaughter.

Choosing from individual tracks here is rather a difficult task, as many of them simply slash you and crash you and beg no quarter. "Black Medium the Great", "The Battle of Ragnarok", "The Birth of the Leper" and "Solve and Coagula" all burst through the seams of the Earths' crust amongst the abyssal minions and strip, rape, strangle like an unblessed union of Morbid Angel, Nile and Hate Eternal. Far better than these is "Hemef", with its mystic conjurations of eerie melodic grace amidst the blasting punishment and sheer, ripping force that etches away your skin like a nuclear wind. When the band dares to travel at a slower velocity, as they do briefly in "Victory or Annihilation" or "Muerte mi Enigma", you begin to get the clearer picture of how effective they could be if they'd only break up the spasmic bursting a little more often.

Victory or Annihilation is only going to appeal if you actually relish the unrelenting speed and attitude of a band like this. A better example of this style would be the latest album from Vomepotro of Brazil, also with a biting guitar tone. But if you really do enjoy the more brutal side of the Colombian scene, it couldn't hurt to check out Hedor. This band has the firepower and accuracy to succeed, but they could use a little work on their aim...

Highlights; Hemef, Muerte mi Enigma, Victory or Annihilation

Verdict: Indifference [6.5/10]

http://www.myspace.com/hedorband

Suppuration - A River of Corpses (2009)

Beto Martinez is no newcomer to the brutal death metal scene of Colombia, having taken part in 8-9 albums in the 21st century through his various projects (Ancient Necropsy, Amputated Genitals, Purulent, and this Suppuration). A River of Corpses is the 2nd slab of slaughterhouse gristle from this particular band, and offers a fairly run of the coffinwood mill experience. Intense drumming and gutturals (both courtesy of Martinez, or 'Dying Betus'), ooze-thick churning guitar rhythms, and mixed parts blast and slam, you could pick out almost any brutal underground band at random from North & South America and hear something similar. That is not to say Suppuration are particularly offensive or necessarily bad at this style, but one could probably find a far better way to kill 30 minutes than this album.

A River of Corpses hints at some technicality, but often this is just a string of chugging pit rhythms that the band crashes through at high speed, breaking for a slam here or a thrashing rhythm there. Martinez has some solid chops, his hands and feet motoring away with ligament-tearing intensity. Julian's guitars are thick and brutal, but aside from repeating a bunch of mediocre rhythms, there's not a lot to recommend. Of the 12 tracks and 28 minutes of playtime, I probably enjoyed the flighty Carcass-like hulking of "The Abyss of Nightmares" and "Eating the Christians", and "Hunter of Flesh" also has some decent old school death rhythm guitar, though it gets a little choppy. The band has also covered "Obnoxious (Surgeon of the Dead)" from the 2002 album Morgue Sweet Home of Spanish goregrinders Haemorrhage, which fits in with the original material.

If you consume all things carnal and grisly, without much regard for standout songwriting or any intrinsic quality aside from guttural groping and moshing brutality, then Suppuration is far from the worst you've heard. The production here is not bad, lo-fi but bright with butchery. I simply cannot recommend the album, as there are hundreds if not thousands of similar and superior efforts with more memorable songwriting. I'd advise checking out Ancient Necropsy first, some of Martinez' stronger work.

Highlights: The Abyss of Nightmares, Hunter of Flesh

Verdict: Indifference [5.5/10]

http://www.myspace.com/suppurationband

Witchtrap - Sorceress Bitch (2002)

Colombia’s got a pretty busy brutal death metal scene, and some black metal to boot, but it’s not often I hear a band such as Witchtrap, clinging heavily to their 80s thrash influences with a crispy blackened veneer. Perhaps Norway’s Aura Noir is the best comparison, though Witchtrap are a little more lowbrow and ferocious.

The vocals of Burning Axe Ripper are vicious, very reminiscent of Mille from Kreator during his dirtier period in the early 80s. The riffing is fast and hammering throughout “Dark Lord” and “Ripping Torment”, but the band actually excels on the groovier, slower paced “Dead of the Night”, the lightning attack title track, and the lengthy, varied “Gypsy Ritual/ Face the Evil”. If you fancy the old school German thrash of Kreator and Destruction, or the black metal prototypes Venom, Possessed, Hellhammer, and their peers, you can just sink right into the album and lose yourself, because you’ll be right at home.

She was born on witching hour.
The evil wrath burned in her eyes.
Her steps were guided by evil light.
Celebrating full moon rites.
Sexual rites and grotesque arts.

Sorceress Bitch is a mean and hard mistress, with a production meant to wax nostalgic for its 80s influences rather than please the modern metal industry. Witchtrap are just as likely to bust out an old NWOBHM inflection in one of their riffs as a speed/thrash part, so it’s clear they have a healthy respect for the formative years of their craft. And I have a healthy respect for theirs, because this is a great, fun debut.

Highlights: Dead of the Night, Sorceress Bitch, Black Angel, Metal War

Verdict: Win [8/10] (black machine and metal blade are his right hand to win)

http://www.witchtrap.cjb.net/

Horncrowned - Casus Belli Antichristanus (2009)

Colombia's most violent black metal outfit returns for their third longplayer Casus Belli Antichristanus, an unforgiving assault on all virtue and sensibility. This album sounds like an army of goat headed daemons marching for war, prepared to reap the skulls of angels and wear their charred wings as jewelry. Horncrowned is a fast fucking band; that is, they rarely if ever brake for anyone. It is this fact which makes the album both listenable in small bursts and a bore in the long run, because after about 3-4 tracks I was hoping for some more varied dynamics. There is sadly no relief, as the band ranges from just fast to painfully fast.

Black metal warfare this is. If you seek some sort of enriched, artistic statement you are listening to the wrong band. Horncrowned desire only to worship Satan and press gang you into the legions of Hell, through dizzying tracks with titles like "Blackfire Stratocumulus (Pest arrival)", "Anticlericalism (Absolute Evil Supremacy)", and my personal favorite "Lucifer's Flamethrower Horde (Thy Demonical Squad)". Through all their abyssal fury, there is something comical and endearing about the band. Casus Belli Antichristanus is a step up in sound from its predecessor, Satanic Armageddon. The album sounds quite good, with churning, apocalyptic guitars and the aptly named drummer Bombardier. There's not a whole lot to recommend about the album unless you like getting your ass served to you on a sacrifical platter for 40 minutes. You will need some body armour for this one, and a streak of masochism. This is madness! THIS IS SATAN!

Highlights: Lucifer's Flamethrower Horde (Thy Demonical Squad), Defeated Christ (Hellish Forces Deployment)

Verdict: Indifference [6.5/10]

http://www.horncrowned.com/

Yogth Sothoth - The Dark Waters are Shaken EP (2009)

Yogth Sothoth is a Colombian band that was once known as Planta Cadaver. They have released one album under each name, and though The Dark Waters are Shaken is branded as an EP, it's got a full-length worth of material, since the band has included their Hymns to the Ancient Ones demo (2005) and single-track Calling the Wrath of Evil demo (2000). The band plays brutal death metal with a slight influence of Sepultura's crunchier thrash days (Beneath the Remains, Arise).

The new material on the EP is crisp and barbaric. It's also decent fun, as "Hades Wrapped in Clouds" and "Triumph of the Ancient Ones" contain an old school sentimentality that merges well with the brutal Suffocation-like batteries. There aren't a lot of big hooks to remember, but the material is strong enough to keep your attention and bang your head a little. Starting with track #5, you get the Hymns to the Ancient Ones demo, which has denser, crunchy demo production and vocals that are far more guttural. This material was average at best, but a nice inclusion that might please die hards for raw, disgusting death metal. "Calling the Wrath of Evil" has the band at its earliest for this incarnation, but the track has a dirty bite to it that goes well with the vocals, and I actually enjoyed this more than the 2005 tracks. If it wasn't apparent from the band's name and song titles, they are very much obsessed with the Lovecraftian Mythos.

If you enjoyed their debut Abominations of the Nebulah Mortiis from last year, then the new tracks here should please you. It's a decent fan package, and I like when bands spice up short EP releases by adding demos so you can have all the material on disc. The band's writing isn't at the level that it stands out to me among the many thousands of other death metal bands in the world, but I've heard far worse.

Verdict: Indifference [6/10]

http://www.myspace.com/yogthsothoth

Old Betrayer - Clamors of the Infernal Beast EP (2009)

I don't hear Colombian black metal every day, but a few of the bands have made their mark (Inquisition, for example) and garnered international notice. Old Betrayer is a more recent band, having released only one demo before this, but they have a fun sound.

Clamors of the Infernal Beast is an EP with four tracks of occult black metal mired in a heavily thrash influence. The material has a lot more in common with the roots black metal (Venom, Mercyful Fate, Bathory) than the pure, grim sounds of Northern Europe. Still, it has a pretty raw jamroom vibe to its production which places it in the 90s nostalgic zone. The title track is fast and raw and mean. "The Force of Cruelty Madness" is a slower slice which picks up near the middle. "Liberación" weaves some crisp, mid paced thrash into grim melodic black metal. "Forged by the Hate of Vengeance" is another thrasher with vocalist 'Black Horde's snarling tongue at its finest on the EP.

Old Betrayer isn't going to impress a lot of people, but if you long for the simpler days of black metal when things were honest, occult and pure evil, and big budget production is not your cup of tea, then I think you'll have fun with this. The band delivers solid spite, with a truly grimy thrash influence (most of the members double in a thrash band called Beer Attack).

Verdict: Win [7/10]

http://www.myspace.com/oldbetrayer

Victimized - Self Destroy EP (2009)

Yet another face in the recent international thrash-back attack, Victimized have appeared on a few splits and have one EP prior to this, Brain Damaged in 2007. Their material is throwback 80s speed metal, cleanly produced but capturing a raw edge. The most impressive element of their sound is the vocals, which have a bizarre and memorable accent to them which reminds me of so much I loved about the German speed/thrash in the 80s.

As far as the five songs, they all have some decent moments to offer but little in the way of memorable riffs. I can hear a little influence from the more obscure Teutonic thrash...early Vendetta, Deathrow and Accuser spring to mind. "Cardiac Failure" and "LSD" come and go with wild vocals, spastic riffing and little else. I enjoyed "Envy" much more, with a constant barrage of powerful quality rhythms and nostalgia. "Back to Nowhere" is the 'thrash ballad', opening with acoustics and then focusing on a mix of slower riffs and the quick build-up. Again, reminds me a lot of the band Vendetta. "Drinking Team" closes the EP with a simple, thrashing gait below some mystical leads, parting way for a fun party thrash akin to Tankard.

I've certainly heard worse than Self Destroy in the recent explosion of all things old school, so if you're in the market for more fun retro thrash you may enjoy this. I had fun with a few of the songs, but it's not something I will likely return to.

Verdict: Indifference [6.5/10]

http://www.myspace.com/victimizedmetalband