Abyssum – Thy Call (1998) en Español

by Staff on July 23, 2016

abyssum-thycall

Article by David Rosales. This review is David’s Spanish translation of his earlier review of the album.

Cuando decimos que el metal llegó a su cúspide en 1994, después de una breve época dorada, y que lo que siguió no fue sino un declive clarísimo, esto no significa que no hubo absolutamente nada bueno. Por definición, lo que le sigue a una cúspide es un declive – aunque la decadencia sólo sea aparente debido a la perspectiva. Aún más importante es aclarar que cuando hablamos de esta manera, nos estamos refiriendo a un promedio a través del género, y no señalando a nadie específicamente. Después de todo, tenemos un Summoning publicando su clásico de clásicos en 1996 y más música grandiosa a finales del siglo. En Centroamérica, siempre un paso (o más bien diez o treinta pasos) atrás del resto del mundo como resultado de procesos históricos que podemos identificar, lo poco que su reducida población, recursos y cultura permitieron desarrollar al metal local, floreció entre los últimos cinco años del siglo pasado.

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Sacriphyx – The Western Front (2013)

by Staff on July 22, 2016

sacriphyx-the-western-front-cd

Article by Lance Viggiano.

Sacriphyx present a bog standard take on Hellenic black metal through the rollicking pulse native to Australia. The strength of the Greek strategy is in its ability to capture a variety of moods leading to a diverse heavy metal experience. The Western Front is a discontinuous concept album based upon World War I wherein its songs do not function as parts of whole; rather, they are self-contained units acting with autonomy in pursuit of the greater conceptual goal that is realized only through individual skirmishes. These compositional deployments reinforce stylistic choices by maximizing an array of emotive impact while minimizing any diminished efficacy of individual motifs as their power is not derived from their position in a greater narrative arc from song to song. Despite proficient execution, Sacriphyx fail to build upon the Mediterranean tactic in any meaningful sense and thus the movements of its elements will be predictable to those familiar.

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Vomitor – The Escalation (2012)

by Staff on July 14, 2016

vomitor the escalation

Article by Lance Viggiano.

The Escalation perfects the misunderstood Australian art of Cimmerian metal – a deliberately low-brow affair which has little tangible relationship to the Common Practice Period and therefore easily panned. Vomitor deliberately flaunt rock’s loud and emotive ethos through boorish motifs qualified further by a thin and mid-centric texture executed in characteristically poor-taste. Constructed primarily out of recombination of past forms, The Escalation is a deliberately retro affair which succeeds by forming a singular and immediately identifiable voice. Historical precedence for this identity is found in the work of Spear of Longinus – specifically the first demo contained within Black Sun Society. Vomitor do not present a way forward for metal; instead the entity finely maps a territory which was discovered but left largely unexplored by ancestors who clung to the safety and security of the coastlines looking into an inhospitable thicket which obscures a familiar but nonetheless unique landscape.

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Upcoming Törr Reissues

by Daniel Maarat on July 13, 2016

torr logo

Törr’s first two albums, Armageddon and Institut klinické smrti, and are being reissued on CD for the first time since their original release by Dark Symphonies / The Crypt. Czech black metal completionists should keep an eye out later this year. In the meantime, check out Death Metal Underground’s recent Master’s Hammer and Root reviews.

TÖRR (CZ) Armageddon + Institut Klinické Smrti official CDs / LPs coming from DARK SYMPHONIES / THE CRYPT

We are proud to announce our cooperation with cult Czech Black/Death/Thrash metal band TÖRR to reissue their classic debut album “Armageddon” featuring the bonus tracks from the “Vlalka S Nebem” single, as well as their sophomore album “Institut Klinické Smrti”. Extremely hard to find nowadays, we are pleased to make these long lost gems available again! Both releases will be mastered from the original analog sources for the best possible sound.

Both CDs will be designed after the original 1990 and 1991 CDs respectively, taking elements from the original layout with attention to detail, even down to the logo and typeface for a touch of nostalgia. Also featured are unpublished band photos, lyrics and new liner notes by original vocalist / bassist Vlasta Henych.

CD Limited to 1000 copies worldwide! Stay away from BOOTLEGS! Support the band and official releases!!

Also we will be pressing both releases on vinyl in both black and color vinyl options, limited to 500 copies each and housed in 350 gram gatefold jackets.

Coming later this year

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Kataxu – Roots Thunder (2000)

by Guest Contributor on July 6, 2016

kataxu - roots thunder

Article by Anton Rudrick.

Consciously transcendental, voluntarily anachronistic, causing despondent exasperation among the pretentious and the untermensch. Kataxu blends the phantasmagorical reveries of dungeon synth with brief, unidentifiable nods to the nordic triune of atmospheric evil black metal. Kataxu Roots Thunder escapes morphing into ‘flowing black metal‘, layers majestically, layers in hiding, layers hiding, forms and shapes…

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Profanatica’s The Curling Flame of Blasphemy CD Released

by Daniel Maarat on July 1, 2016

profanatica the curling flame of blasphemy cd

The CD version of Profanatica‘s minimalist The Curling Flame of Blasphemy is out now on Hells Headbangers. The LPs and digital downloads will be released in late July.

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The Mythic and the Mystic

by Staff on July 1, 2016

witches animal heads

Article by Lance Viggiano.

Burzum and Beherit each represent two summits of black metal’s many perspectives – in particular its looking back to look ahead ethos. The work of Laiho is exploratory and spiritual while the work of Varg is seeking and religious. Each composer followed a similar trajectory of mapping this landscape through metal first, then ambient. Each phase reveals strengths and weakness in each of their aims which results in a somewhat complementary synthesis between two highly individual bodies of work.

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