by Chris Wheeler | Juin 25, 2014 | Critiques, Critiques d'Albums
Aliénante Damnation
« Le Chantre du Charnier »
Ars Funebris Records
2012
Packing a no-holds-barred attitude and execution, Belgium’s ALIÉNANTE DAMNATION certainly don’t mince words. With an onslaught of raw, untamed Black Metal, sole member, R.O.P.S. (also in VOCIFERIAN and MACABRA) takes Satanism and nihilism to new heights on “Le Chantre du Charnier”, his debut album, and one which is designed to “tear your soul apart”!
Exploding like a burst of fire and brimstone, “Charogne Béatifée” assaults the senses in a punk-inspired blast of primitive Black, incorporating vocals akin to an otherworldly, beastly snarl. The reference to punk- determination also rears its ugly head on “Au Sacre de la Trinité de Viol” but soon becomes a straight forward visceral experience of stripped down tremolo riffage and blaring drums! Only on “Ordalie Satanique” do the proceedings slow, but only slightly. Most, if not all, the songs are pummeling and provide little in the way of respite. Suffocating and dense, the sound is unhinged playing upon the darkest recesses of the human psyche with no apologies.
“Vêpre du Gérasien Possédé” also showcases a slower pace that is altogether haunting and malevolent in tone and atmosphere, enhanced greatly by the poisonous vocals once again. Beginning on “Mes Paupières s’obstruent telle la Lame Oxydée d’une Guillotine”, the melodic Swedish Black/Death symbiosis starts to emerge, with the track lasting slightly longer. Still crude and aurally abrasive, “Le Chantre de Charnier” feels like an almost different beast altogether with decipherable riffs one can latch onto, particularly on “Me Révulse cette imperceptible Aura Stérile (Aux Portes Béantes de L’ennui Radieux)”.
Marking this album’s length a total of 37mins., is genius as the philosophy behind the art may be to “get in and get out”, without wasting time. With the majority of the tracks sounding relatively “samey”, Aliénante Damnation‘s record seems to be designed for a specific mood in the listener. Harrowing and caustic, “Le Chantre du Charnier” isn’t an easy listen but can be rewarding if heard with an open mind and a predisposition to seething, unorthodox Black Metal.
Standout Tracks: “Vêpre du Gérasien Possédé”, “Sylvestre Trône des Brumes”, “Me Révulse cette imperceptible Aura Stérile (Aux Portes Béantes de L’ennui Radieux)”.
8/10
Chris
by Dave Rouleau | Juin 24, 2014 | Articles Divers/Primeurs/Annonces
Une GROSSE semaine de nouvelles sorties, mais aussi d’éditions vinyles pour les maniaques de beat pesant et aggressif. Voici ce qui se passe en ce 24 juin après votre party de la St-Jean. Pourquoi pas en profiter pour découvrir et aussi encourager la scène underground Métal/Hardcore?
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100 Demons – 100 Demons (Vinyl) (Deathwish Inc.)
Abaddon Incarnate – Pessimist (Candlelight)
ACxDC – Antichrist Demoncore (Melotov)
Allegaeon – Elements of the Infinite (Metal Blade)
Alraune – The Process Of Self-Immolation (Profound Lore)
Arkan – Sofia (Season Of Mist)
Auroch – Taman Shud (Profound Lore)
Axegressor – Last (Listenable)
Beige Eagle Boys – You’re Gonna Get Yours (Reptilian)
Black Sachbak – No Pay No Gain (Stormspell)
Blood Ceremony – Let It Come Down (Purple Vinyl) (Rise Above)
Blut Aus Nord / P.H.O.B.O.S. – Triunity Split (Debemur Morti)
Bob Wayne/3 Inches Of Blood – Split (7″) (Century Media)
Bob Wayne/Exodus – Split (7″) (Century Media)
Cannabis Corpse – From Wisdom To Baked (Season Of Mist)
Cemetery Lust – Orgies of Abomination (Hells Headbangers)
Channel Zero – Kill All Kings (Metal Blade)
Confession – Life and Death (Mediaskare)
Corrosion Of Conformity – IX (Candlelight)
Dead By Wednesday – Death Of The Rockstar EP (Ear One)
Death Of An Era – Black Bagged (Razor & Tie)
Deathkings – Destroyer Re-Release (Midnite Collective)
Deathstars – The Perfect Cult (Nuclear Blast)
Decieverion – Deceiverion EP Re-Release (HPGD)
Devangelic – Resurrection Denied (Comatose)
Earth Crisis – Into A Sea Of Stone (7″) (Century Media)
Emperor – In The Nightside Eclipse – 20th Year Anniversary (Candlelight)
Ending Quest – The Summoning (FDA Rekotz)
Entombed – Wolverine Blues (Vinyl) (Century Media)
Expain – Just the Tip
Fair Warning – The Box (first 5 albums) (SPV)
Flesh Born – Han EP (Skeletal Lightning)
For All Those Sleeping – Incomplete Me (Fearless)
Godflesh – Decline and Fall EP (Avalanche)
Godflesh – Pure (Vinyl) (Century Media)
Hrizg – Individualism (Moribund)
Imperial Triumphant – Shrine To The Trident Throne (Code666)
In This Moment – Blood (7″) (Century Media)
Inanimate Existence – A Never-Ending Cycle Of Atonement (Unique Leader)
Incantation – Dirges of Elysium (Listenable)
Kobra and the Lotus – High Priestess (Titan)
Marduk – Le Grande Danse Macabre Re-Release (Century Media)
Marduk – World Funeral Re-Release (Century Media)
Massacre – Back From Beyond (Vinyl) (Century Media)
Mastodon – Once More ‘Round the Sun (Reprise)
Mortualia – Blood of the Hermit (Moribund)
Mournful Congregation – Concrescence Of The Sophia EP (20 Buck Spin)
Nachtmystium – Worldfall/Eulogy (Vinyl) (Century Media)
Nunslaughter – Angelic Dread (Hells Headbangers)
October Falls – Kaarna (Debemur Morti)
Outline In Color – Masks (Standby)
Powerwolf – The History of Heresy I (2004-2008) CD/DVD (Metal Blade)
Redemptor – The Jugglernaut (Guitarmanic)
The Relapse Symphony – Shadows (Standby)
Rog & Pip – Our Revolution (Rise Above)
Ronny Munro – Electric Wake (Rat Pak)
Sentenced – North From Here (Vinyl) (Century Media)
Septicflesh – Titan (Prosthetic)
Septicflesh – Titan (Prosthetic)
Slaves – Through Art We Are All Equals (Artery)
Stigmhate – Zodacare Od Zodameranu (Bakerteam)
Tamerlan – Ain (Debemur Morti)
Tankard – R.I.B. (Nuclear Blast)
Those Who Fear – Death Sentence (Facedown)
Vicious Rumors – Live You To Death 2: American Punishment (SPV)
Vildhjarta – Thousands Of Evil (Vinyl) (Century Media)
Virgin Steele – Invictus Re-Release (SPV)
Virgin Steele – The Marriage Of Heaven & Hell I + II Re-Release (SPV)
Voivod – Kuskap O’Kom (7″) (Century Media)
Zgard – Contemplation (Svarga)
by Chris Wheeler | Juin 24, 2014 | Critiques, Critiques d'Albums
Mythology
« The Impaler«
Self-Released/Independent
2010
Emerging from the darkest recesses of the U.S.of A., MYTHOLOGY boast a sound and aesthetic altogether built upon the foundations of Swedish Black/Death but with a foot firmly planted in Thrash as well. From their inception in 2004, the band have released a plethora of demos, two split albums and an EP before finally culminating in “The Impaler”, a record inspired by the life and times of 15th century Romanian warlord, Vlad Tepesh/Dracul.
Like the opening credits to an epic film, “The Impaler” begins with a keyboard instrumental, “Towards Wallachia” before plunging into “The Forest of the Impaled”, a vicious barrage of blast beats and impressive guitar riffing. From there, MYTHOLOGY immerse themselves in Teutonic Blackened Thrash with dual styled vocals, one of a rasp and the other more of a growl, courtesy of vocalist, Gallows. “Barbaric Warfare” recalls some of the ‘80’s German bands in its approach and rhythm attack, most notably, SODOM. An effective mid-paced crunch and variation gives the song character and certainly can be construed as a highlight!
“As Time Strangely Passes” provides relief somewhat as the instrumental quickly merges into “A Call of the Night”, a strong Blackened beast with both spiteful vocals occasionally overlapping. An interesting, clear bass line jumps out only to be engulfed once again by the wall of guitar distortion, a nuance that could be exploited further? What’s more, “Suffering Unbound” is perhaps the slowest number on “The Impaler” and features an audible bass gargle and chuggy, melodic rhythm section while “The Dragon’s Fall” includes a lumbering, melancholic main riff as the momentum slowly builds to reveal a harrowing finale! What MYTHOLOGY manages to accomplish quite well is to provide a portrait of events and adding a soundtrack to perfectly match the lyrical content.
Altogether, with striking covers of DARKTHRONE’s “Transilvanian Hunger” and BATHORY’s “Pace ‘Till Death”, MYTHOLOGY’s debut record is one which stokes the infernal fires of Black/Death plus raises the horns to Thrash too! Strong on variation, “The Impaler” paints a vivid picture of history all the while providing a grim sonic template!
Standout Tracks: “Barbaric Warfare”, “Suffering Unbound”, “The Dragon’s Fall”, “A Strigoi Awakens” (outro)
8/10
Chris
by Dave Rouleau | Juin 24, 2014 | Articles Divers/Primeurs/Annonces
Après un premier LP, « Graves of the Archangel », très réussit, les grecs de Dead Congregation reviennent à la charge avec un autre assaut extrêmement convaincant et qui sort du moule de Death métal traditionnel avec une approche froide, une capacité de composition impressionnante et une orgie de riffs qui ne deviennent pas trop redondants malgré la nature du style. Ajouté à ça une voix gutturale sortie tout droit des profondeurs des ténèbres et le mélange est d’une violence jouissive.
L’expérience générale de l’album est ce qui est le plus marquant avec une attaque en règle de la part des musiciens, jumelée à des influences subtiles de métal noir. Ils réussissent à créer cette noirceur avec l’arrangement des pièces et non l’utilisation de reverb à en plus finir. Le tout a été enregistré sur une console analogue et mixé de façon digitale.
L’album est présentement en vente et je vous propose de l’écouter en entier ci-dessous avant de vous le procurer de la manière de votre choix.
by Dave Rouleau | Juin 19, 2014 | Articles Divers/Primeurs/Annonces
Difficile de passer à côté de ces bêtes de Grindcore qui nous viennent directement de France et je parle de Blockheads. Ayant sorti leur 5e LP en 2013, « This World Is Dead » (en écoute intégrale gratuite plus bas), ils nous arrivent aujourd’hui avec un vidéo qui représente bien leur musique et met surtout en focus ce qu’ils font de mieux: un carnage sur scène!
Si ce qui suit ne vous donne pas le goût de vous déchaîner dans un show, je crois que vous devriez aller voir un docteur et ça presse. Blockheads roule depuis 1992 et je meurs d’envie de les voir sur un stage!
