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Thursday, May 26, 2022

DEVIL’S ARCHITECT – BAPTIZED IN BLOOD AND BLASPHEMY (Review by Varg The Mighty )

 

Today’s review is of American Blackened Death Metal band Devil’s Architect’s second album.

This release offers a somewhat excessively grandiose direction to the genre that may remind the listener of Dark Funeral or Dimmu Borgir. While their satanic and bloody sound creates some enjoyable songs, the vocal performance generally leaves too little space for the instrumentation to flourish, and the choruses may startle by their theatrical approach.

Nonetheless, there are also some fairly dark bits that combine pretty well with the eerie pianos that are juxtaposed at times. The prevalence of synth also classifies the full-length in a Symphonic Black Metal category which may appeal to some. I also feel that certain songs seem to be cut too short and don’t allow the ideas that form them to display their full potential. My personal highlights are “Possessed By The Serpent Spirit” and “Unholy Divine”.

I recommend this album to fans of Blackened Death Metal and Symphonic Black Metal. My rating is of 7,5/10.

VARG THE MIGHTY

 



Wednesday, May 25, 2022

Rise of Chaos - Grave Damage (feat. Lukasz Jackoswki) Art Gates Records 20 May 2022


 

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"Grave Damage" is Modern metal act Reeper' 1st single, extracted from their upcoming album "Rise of Chaos - Deluxe Edition", which will be released June 3rd 2022 through Art Gates Records!

BIO
Reeper is a contemporary metal / hard rock act formed last 2016 in Catalonia (Spain) by Elias Andrada.

These metalheads perform a blend of anthemic, fresh and hulking metal with the attitude and stomping vibes of the finely-tuned hard rock. Heavy buzzsaw guitars lead a perfect mix of a bone-crushing basis and melodic vocals with catchy hooks.

After releasing “Rise of Chaos” in 2021, they decided to rebrand their last album with a new and exclusive approach to take their sound to a new level.

“Rise of Chaos – Deluxe Edition” has been produced by Travis Wyrick (P.O.D., Pillar, 10 Years, Nine Lashes) and mastered by Spectre Studio (Disturbed, Love & Death, Wolves at the Gates).

This album includes three bonus tracks and two exclusive remixed tracks performed in Mexico by Darkles Studios & Poland by Core Studio.

MEMBERS
Elias Andrada - Guitars
Erik Cruz - Vocals
Alberto Marín - Bass
Matt de Vallejo - Drums

MORMÂNT DE SNAGOV - Exquisite Aspects Of Wrath


 Full-length, Digital / Jewel-case CD, March 4, 2022
 Black Metal from Finland

Featuring a new second guitar player Ville Pekkala (Searing Meadow, Malefic By Design) in both the writing and recording stages of the album, and blending much more influences this time from Death, Doom and Progressive Metal spheres, Exquisite Aspects Of Wrath is by far the band’s most mature work to date, and here’s what they commented: “The album sounds spectacular bringing even more melodic elements to the sound of Mormânt De Snagov, yet keeping the hateful core as extreme as it used to be.”

Mormânt De Snagov - Words Corrupted (Lyric Video): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWO3JB3PBwo

Mormânt De Snagov - Words Corrupted (Lyric Video)

SURVIVE - Live At Death Valley


 Live album, Digital / Jewel-case CD, May 4, 2022
 Thrash Death Black Metal from Japan

First live album from “The Samurais from Hell”, Japanese Thrash Metal veterans SURVIVE, after 20 years of activity and 7 official studio albums released. Live at Death Valley features 8 live-recorded tracks + 4 bonus tracks from EP The Road to Hell Is Paved By Good Will.

“It is easy to be technically brilliant metal band in the studio but the true trial by fire is a Live album! With this “Live At Death Valley” album SURVIVE proves they are truly the “Samurais From Hell”! The album was mixed live so it is 100% authentic, no studio gimmicks! Great songs, fantastic technical skills! On top of that you get great new bonus tracks! Brilliant!” – Kimmo Kuusniemi, Band Manager, Sarcofagus Guitarist

“I had the pleasure and honor of touring Europe with SURVIVE and they proved themselves to be a valuable asset to the touring package. I can say without hesitation or reservations that they were most definitely my favorite band on the tour. Incredibly nice and gracious guys who obviously loved their music and delivered every single night. I gave them the nickname ‘The Japanese Machine Head’ a song that they played at every sound check became the tour anthem because of its wonderful chorus structure. Melody, hook lines and brutally heavy guitar riffs define this amazing band who deserve global recognition. Maximum Respect from Jeff (Mantas)” Mantas (Venom Inc.)

MORTTICIA - A Light in the Black


 EP, Digital / Jewel-case CD, June 4, 2022
 Progressive Heavy Metal from Brazil

For the first time out on physical format, the debut EP from one of Brazil's most promising young Heavy Metal groups, MORTTICIA. Initially released by the band in 2020 in digital edition only, A Light in Black precedes the upcoming full-length of the band to be out on Pest Records as well sometime soon. Traditional Heavy Metal mixed with a heavy dose of Progressive Heavy Metal, melodic, technical, memorable!

Mortticia - Ocean Of Change (Lyric Video)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vHpPWWHtMEA

Mortticia - Ocean Of Change (Lyric Video)

INNER DECAY - Enter the Void


 Full-length, Digital / Jewel-case CD, May 27, 2022
 Death Metal from USA

INNER DECAY's second full-length album; killer Death Metal from this reputable representative of Chicago, 8 new tracks recorded during the pandemic that will now be eagerly shown to the World. As No Clean Singing put it: "the exhilarating follow-up to the band’s 2018 full-length debut, Souls of War, and finds founding guitarist Tomasz Bielski and vocalist Silvestre Flores in harness with a slightly revised but still formidable line-up around them."

Inner Decay - Incubi et Succubi (Lyric Video)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cKSrMQhG2c

Inner Decay - Incubi et Succubi (Lyric Video)

ANCESTHOR – BENEATH THE MASK ( Review by Varg The Mighty )


 

Today’s review is of Mexican Thrash Metal band Ancesthor’s album “Beneath The Mask”.

This release mainly offers some violent and American-influenced Thrash that reminds of Slayer and early Testament, but it also includes some more melodic tracks that even bring Iron Maiden to mind. Nonetheless, it is all fairly cohesive and enjoyable by a same public.

It’s also notable to point out the interesting acoustic intros, which distance the release from your average Thrash into something deeper, but at the cost of an important part of the full-length’s momentum. The main direction of the album is still powerful and aggressive Thrash imbued by hate, and any fan of the most extreme of the old-school masters should check this band out. My personal highlights are “Fortress Paehlk” and “Icy Holocaust”.

I recommend this album to fans of Thrash Metal. My rating is of 8,5/10.

VARG THE MIGHTY 


 

NIJA LUCIFER - Review by Javier Varba Vallejo


 ESPAÑOL:

 Ya hace un tiempo , no recuerdo ni cuánto ni cómo llegué a conocer a un curioso personaje oscuro por Facebook , con un humor negro y retorcido buenísimo que me cautivo al instante desde el primer post suyo que leí y de los que no he dejado de seguir y reírme con su "peculiar" forma de expresar su humor sádico cual sobrino descarriado de Vlad Tepes.
Estoy hablando de Nija ( en Facebook le podréis encontrar por Nija Cabezas ) .
En principio empecé leyendo sus siempre irrisorias , macabras y dementes publicaciones , hasta que en una de ellas me di cuenta de que este "Desquiciado Psicópata" es el frontman de una banda en Galicia con cierto renombre por estas tierras y por varios países de Sudamerica con tres discos en el mercado , la banda se llama  "Nija - Lucifer ".
Ni que decir tiene que me puse a buscar información sobre ellos y sus discos y me puse en contacto con él ,



Para mi deleite coleccionista sus tres discos "Opera" (2014) , "Dolor" (2015) y Keops (2016) no fueron fáciles de conseguir y tuve que remover y rastrear un poco internet hasta dar con ellos ya que en tiendas físicas en Barcelona me era imposible encontrarlos.
Preguntando a Nija sobre la consecución de sus discos y si era posible algún autógrafo suyo , me envió por correo un póster promocional del "Keops" dedicado y firmado , adhesivos , transfers y alguna púa del grupo , se enrollo un montón con mucha amabilidad y se lo agradecí muchisimo y le dije que contaría esta historia , no sin antes tener sus discos , que ya he conseguido y aquí estoy cumpliendo mí palabra .


Nija - Lucifer es una banda de Shock Rock/Metal atmosférica de macabras letras humorísticas relatadas más que cantadas a un estilo muy Alice Cooper cuando cuenta o relata paranoias.
Curiosamente veo su primer disco "Opera" en una línea Heavy más definida , que en su segundo disco "Dolor" que lo encuentro tanto en línea musical como en sonido más Underground lo cual es un gran atractivo viéndole incluso toques post punks unas veces con voces más roncas , musicalmente estos disco me recuerdan a veces a los dos primeros de Venom , en su tercero "Keops" integramente dedicado a las leyendas oscuras del Egipto ancestral , las voces ya están más sintetizadas de Ultratumba y la producción muy enriquecida
Según he leido sobre ellos su fuerte son sus directos puesto que no es un grupo de Metal con buenos conciertos , si no que son una Santa Compaña artística de teatro/musical  que tocan Metal con Horror Shows dando la misma importancia a la música que a la teatralidad de sus espectáculos , por ello la escucha de sus cd's en casa se notan tan atmosféricas , ofreciendo un Metal oscuro y original.
Por  lo que he visto en las redes son muy sádicos y divertidos en sus Shows Gore , pero por desgracia veo difícil verles en directo alguna vez .
Cuando le pregunte a Nija por ello  , con gran desánimo me dijo que la pandemia se había cargado todo lo de los directos pero claro , está conversacion era cuando aún no había arrancado el tema conciertos en el país y espero que algún día con un próximo disco retomen sus horrorosos espectáculos y podamos verles y sentir los esquiches de la sangre de las desdichadas víctimas en nuestras caras !!!!!
Line Up :
NIJA ........................... Voz
LUCIFER ..................... Guitarras / Efectos
DELFINUS ...................Bajo
BLACKICE .................. Bateria


ENGLISH : 

Some time ago , I do not remember how long or how I got to know a curious dark character on Facebook , with a very good black and twisted humor that captivated me instantly from the first post of his that I read and from which I have not stopped following and laugh at his "peculiar" way of expressing his sadistic humor as a wayward nephew of Vlad Tepes.
I'm talking about Nija (on Facebook you can find him as Nija Cabezas).
At first I started reading his always ridiculous, macabre and insane publications, until in one of them I realized that this "Insane Psychopath" is the frontman of a band in Galicia with a certain reputation in these lands and in several South American countries with three albums on the market, the band is called "Nija - Lucifer".
Needless to say, I started looking for information about them and their albums and I got in touch with him.


To my collector's delight, his three albums "Opera" (2014), "Dolor" (2015) and Keops (2016) were not easy to find and I had to search and search the internet a bit until I found them, since they are in physical stores in Barcelona. I couldn't find them.
Asking Nija about the achievement of his albums and if an autograph of his was possible, he sent me by mail a dedicated and signed promotional poster of "Cheops", stickers, transfers and some plectrums of the group, he rolled up a lot with great kindness and I thanked him very much and told him that I would tell this story, but not before having his records, which I have already obtained and here I am keeping my word.
Nija - Lucifer is an atmospheric Shock Rock/Metal band with macabre humorous lyrics told more than sung in a very Alice Cooper style when he recounts paranoia.
Curiously, I see his first album "Opera" in a more defined Heavy line, than in his second album "Dolor" that I find both in a musical line and in a more Underground sound, which is a great attraction seeing him even post-punk touches sometimes with voices more hoarse, musically these albums sometimes remind me of the first two of Venom, in his third "Keops" entirely dedicated to the dark legends of ancient Egypt, the voices are already more synthesized from Ultratumba and the production is very enriched.


According to what I have read about them, their strength is their live performances since it is not a Metal group with good concerts, but rather they are an artistic theater/musical Holy Company that play Metal with Horror Shows, giving the same importance to music as to music. theatricality of their shows, which is why listening to their cd's at home is so atmospheric, offering a dark and original Metal.




From what I have seen on the networks they are very sadistic and funny in their Gore Shows , but unfortunately I find it difficult to ever see them live .
When I asked Nija about it, with great discouragement he told me that the pandemic had killed everything from the live shows but of course, this conversation was when the theme of concerts in the country had not yet started and I hope that one day with a next album resume their horrific shows and we can see them and feel the skiches of the blood of the unfortunate victims on our faces !!!!!
Lineup:
NIJA......................Voice
LUCIFER ..................... Guitars / Effects
DOLPHINS ...................Bass
BLACKICE ..................Drums

JAVIER BARBA VALLEJO

 





BATTERING RAM – SECOND TO NONE (Review by Varg The Mighty )

Today’s review is of Swedish Hard Rock band Battering Ram’s upcoming new album, out on July 15th.

This release offers some classic and energetic Hard Rock that sometimes leaps into Heavy Metal territory despite mostly remaining in softer and catchy regions. While it mainly sounds old-school, it also has many modern elements which add some freshness.

If you want powerful riffs offered in a straightforward way to proudly bang your head you should check this out. Although at times the vocal performance doesn’t have as much force as the instrumentation, the album’s momentum is never lost. This has no fillers, and the release’s length is ideal for the style. My personal highlights are “Battering Ram” and “Ram You Down”.

I recommend this album to fans of Hard Rock and Heavy Metal. My rating is of 9/10.

VARG THE MIGHTY