Mirthless - A Dirge for Your Suicide (2013)

While I'm sure I've seen Peru's Mirthless described as a 'funeral doom' band in the past, this full-length debut album is actually quite flexible in terms of how it balances the standard slog of the form with more up-tempo sequences that help to break up the longer cuts (of which there are only two on the recording). You'll hear a lot of 80s or 90s trad doom, straight rock 'n' roll or even punk influence in some of the chord selections, which are unfortunately rather standard in execution; but where the rhythm guitars might severely lack in the novelty department, the rugged analog mix and raw presentation of the vocals and instruments definitely gives it some character that it might otherwise have lacked if it were your straight up, garden of gravestones polished tribute to old Anathema, Paradise Lost or My Dying Bride.

In fact, A Dirge for Your Suicide feels so raucous and live that you could be sitting in the same garage or basement where the trio were performing. Meaty, driving chords cover up the bass a little, but you can totally feel the chugs in your gut as they creep along, morphing into and out of chord progressions that are surprisingly not as despairing and dreary as you might expect from the cover artwork alone. Which once again brings up the trad doom comparisons, for there's quite a lot of Sabbath, Pentagram and Vitus in the way the note patterns play out. That said, there's a slightly more sorrowful side to the band when they fuse in some ringing, Candlemass-like melodies during the slowly paced majority of the fix tunes, like the titular "Dirge" which also incorporates some cleaner, mournful vocal melodies reminiscent of My Dying Bride. Otherwise you're getting sustained guttural grunts interspersed with slightly higher pitched snarls, which are effective but occasionally a little contrasted to some of the more rocking chords that pop up in places like "Pantheon of Disgraces" amidst the depressing strains of harmony.

Wasn't totally impressed by the drum levels, since the kicks, toms and tinier hissing cymbals all seem to occupy separate planes, but they certainly contribute to this no bullshit, live vibe that Mirthless are giving off here, even when they toss in something like a blast beat out of left field. A Dirge for Your Suicide is almost entirely unprocessed, stripped down so that it wouldn't sound a lot different if delivered on the stage than the studio. Other gripes were that I felt myself wishing for more interesting bass guitar lines to help deviate from the pretty predictable rhythm guitars, and the melodies aren't exactly the sort to haunt you long after the fact. Sometimes transitions just seem haphazardly tossed into the songs so they don't achieve a high emotional impact, but then this is not constantly a soundtrack for suckling your regrets, since the Peruvians don't seem to share an interesting in boring the listener like many others clogging the medium. This is just unapologetic, rough, sincere death/doom more in sync with decades of olde than the heavily produced, over-tracked Gothic whining with female ethereal vocals that you'll hear in a lot of European bands of the 21st century.

I can't exactly say that I enjoyed the album, since I wish the rhythm guitars would attempt some more unusual and memorable riffs regardless of the pacing, but at the same time, it never once put me to sleep. Varied tempos and song lengths ensure that it remains marginally fresh on the ears, but both the chord progressions and melodies could use some work to become more melancholic, jarring or soul scarring.

Verdict: Indifference [6.25/10]

http://mirthlessdoommaniac.tripod.com/

Mortem - Decomposed by Possession (2000)

They say all's fair in love and war, but if the painfully unsung career of Peruvians Mortem is any indicator, the same cannot be said for the realm of extreme metal. These guys have hands down been one of the finest South American death metal acts I've ever come across, and yet they continue to languish in obscurity while others soak in the spotlight. For example, I'd say I enjoy the four Mortem full-lengths more than almost anything by Krisiun; they might not be as fast and blast-based in terms of how they construct their music, and obviously haven't had the touring and larger label support to back them up, but there is something sinister, repulsive and daemonic about their music which never loses its ominous luster no matter how many times I listen through it...

Perhaps it's most accurate to think of Mortem as a direct South American upgrade to the sounds pioneered by Slayer and Possessed in the 80s. Loads of hyper tremolo riffing contorted through bold, thrashing and drudging evil chord progressions that feel incredibly bright and bludgeoning in the dense mix. Perhaps the most frightening aspect of Decomposed by Possession, their third album, is the vocal performance of Fernan Nebiros, who basically takes that soaked, murderous timbre of Jeff Becera to an entirely new level (think if Jeff's tone was sauteed with some Martin van Drunen). Some of the sustained screams and growls in cuts like "Death Rules Supreme", "Incubus: The Return" or "Blackest Funeral" are just intense, and while one might think they could threaten the rest of the instrumentation with their overwhelming antics, the crunch of the mutes is loud and pummeling enough that it maintains control of the ghastly festivities. Drums are a bit tinnier, though you can really feel the kicks on the double bass sections, and the bass, while not incredibly unique or distinct, is at least pretty obvious. Special attention must go to the leads, though, because they rip off across the ceiling of this jungle like wild, blazing bats colliding into one another.

While I wouldn't dub Mortem 'technical', per se, they're quite adept at setting up more than just your basic riffing patterns. Tracks like "Morgue Rapist", "Blackest Funeral" and "Devilled" reveal a penchant for some threatening melodies, a clinical thrash influence circa Testament or the first Pestilence record, and truly harrowing, blitzkrieg drums that are constantly blossoming belligerent fills into the propulsion of the note progressions. They'll even throw out a lumbering groove or two, like the riff that opens the title track, or a few seconds of ritualistic atmosphere ("Noctivagants") to ensure the record's dynamic range. No boring, monotonous blast-fests to be found anywhere, this lot is well versed in musicality and there's almost always something new waiting around any corner on the album; plus it just feels so fresh and in your face due to the rather raw volumes of how the instruments and vocals are mixed. Even the lyrics are solid; not exactly unique or conjuring up the most complex of images, but simple and effective sagas of graveyard lust, occult rituals and unholy resurrections worthy of the profane cover image.

Stylistically, not a huge departure from the second album The Devil Speaks in Tongues, the main difference would just be that the guitars have more of a blunt, beefy edge to them, and the mix is overall not so even. But therein lies a lot of the charm to this, and it's ultimately well worth owning if you've an interest in such obscura. The band sounds old school and punishing without being overly derivative, and whether your cup of poison flows with Asphyx, Pestilence, Possessed, Sepultura, Vulcano, Morbid Angel or Mutilator, you'll likely enjoy anything this band recorded from 1995-2005.

Verdict: Win [8/10] (a pile of pus outpouring evil)

http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-True-Mortem-Per%C3%BA/151727424891464

Ch'aska - Pururauca (2009)

Let me preface this review by saying that Ch'aska have already got a winning formula style-wise; the use of traditional instruments like the charango and zampoña alongside a hybrid of old school South American thrash and death metal makes for an intriguing listen and creates a haunting and beautiful atmosphere at certain points of the record. Now, the metal ITSELF doesn't always live up to expectations, but there are enough points of positive fusion on this debut full-length to make it worth a recommendation to those craving a different style of folk metal.

"Bicolour Cannibalism" is the first track, a raging thrasher which is reminiscent of old Sepultura with a dash of Euro speed metal, flavored in the haunting pipes which drift alongside the verse and immerse you into this foreign world. "A Flower Brought Me Down" starts with some creepy acoustics and then has some of the finer metal riffs of the album. Some of the tracks I enjoyed most were "Nymph of the Lake" which plays out like a Peruvian Amorphis, gently balanced acoustics with raging mutes and melodies. The instrumental "Achuma" is pure folk for the first bit but then becomes a scorcher which wouldn't seem out of place on Beneath the Remains. Here, Ch'aska makes a flawless use of their aesthetic, all it is missing are the vocals. Speaking of which, Carlos Raffo alternates between a throaty and raw harsh style and a soothing, clean register. It works well. Another of the better tracks here is the epic title piece, over 14 minutes long. As for the rest of the tunes, they're passable but not memorable.

The album has a natural, raw tone to it, really capturing the folk and thrash without sounding entire digitized or overbearing. It sounds like it could be pulled off live. Pururauca is a solid debut album, and it's one of the most successful I've heard at incorporating the South American folk elements. Many bands have tried this thematically, but I've yet to hear the one that can really knock me flat (maybe Chaos A.D., maybe not). Ch'aska has come close to delivering that here, and if they can maintain and evolve this sound then their future looks very bright.

Verdict: Win [7.5/10]

http://www.myspace.com/tutachaska