Maze of Terror "Offer to the Fucking Beasts"

    Once you start listening to Maze of Terror, there is no turning back from the unspeakable sounding chaos that comes insidiously blasting out the speakers like an inhumane entity crawling out of some starless void looking to annihilate humanity! The band’s unyielding brutality is on full display with the release of their second full-length release, “Offer to the Fucking Beasts.”

    This trio of musicians from Lima, Peru combines such a plethora of ruthless sounding influences. I've reviewed a fair amount of bands from Peru and I must admit the passion that these bands have for extreme metal music is extraordinary. Each track is written with a profoundly sinister edge, so you never feel like the band is just going through the motions and cranking out painfully boring recycled riffs that were written by some shitty Metallica copycat band.

    The opening track, “Priest of the Ancient Ones,” dives right into the Lovecraftian themed world which quite a few bands have explored before, but just like the bands before them Maze of Terror finds a way to create a fresh and merciless sounding world that grabs you instantly like the tentacles from a Lovecraft inspired beast. Maze of Terror blends old school death metal with face shredding thrash metal that reminds me a lot of bands like Messiah, Dark Angel and Cancer. I even hear some teutonic thrash influences like Kreator, Sodom and Exumer. The band overloads listeners with a tidal wave of agonizing arrangements, as well as some monstrous sounding vocals. There is so much raw and uncompromising energy in the band’s overall sound that each riff and blast beat sends a massive seismic shock through one’s ears. 

    The band continues the fiendish attack throughout the release by dealing out more cannibalistic pieces of extreme music like, “Blessed by Sickness and Death,” “Angels of Acid” and “Blood Horror Cult.” Honestly, the quality of the recording on the bass and how it compliments the hell fire sounding guitar riffs is what keeps you fully locked into each composition. I will say that sometimes I wished that the guitar parts would be a bit louder and give the music a larger sound and feel, but the bass tone throughout this release is what gives the album such a wicked sounding tone. Also, the thunderous sounding drum parts on this album are not to be overlooked, especially the way the drummer did those unbelievably quick and fluid drum fills on the song, “Death by Fire.”  You wonder if the drummer is even human, or some entity from beyond sent to shatter our minds by playing with juggernaut sized force!

    One of my favorite songs off of the album, “Starbeast,” mixes malevolent celestial sounding noises that get washed away by a cataclysmic guitar assault. Even though I have reviewed countless bands that play this style of music, I can always differentiate between the ones that get how to step outside the box by coming up with unique and dynamic sounding arrangements. I thought Maze of Torment did that for the most part on this album, especially with tracks like, “Starbeast,” and the album’s final song, “Shub Niggurath Awakes.” 

    Musically, I cannot complain too much about this release, because “Offer to the Fucking Beasts,” is exactly what you would want if you are a ravenous metal fiend looking for something truly devastating. Hopefully with future releases the band keeps building off of the ideas they put forth with this album, particularly the raw and bombastic sounding energy that they conveyed so well on this album. Highly recommend checking it out and I look forward to more music from Maze of Terror in the future, because after a release like this one, you need to keep the momentum going. 

Check out the entire album below:

Maze of Terror Bandcamp:

https://mazeofterror.bandcamp.com/

Rude "Outer Reaches"

    When I received the promo for this release I had to make sure I was looking at the same band called, Rude, that released a killer debut album in 2014 called, “Soul Recall,” and a fearsome sophomore release back in 2017 called, “Remnants.” I thought this band fell off the face of the Earth, or maybe they decided to go explore the outer reaches of space with some Russian cosmonauts. Anyway, Rude is back with a brand new EP called, “Outer Reaches,” which is focused on providing listeners more unforgiving head slamming old school death metal. 

    Actually, the first time I heard any music from Rude was when I went to see Morbid Angel and they were one of the opening acts. I remember they put on a solid performance and I could tell right they were huge old school death metal fans. Like most old school death metal acts you can hear the Pestilence, Morbid Angel, Nocturnus, Obituary and all the others who wrote face ripping death metal that paved the way. I have always felt that Rude was not just another stereotypical old school death metal worship act, especially after I reviewed, “Soul Recall.” The musicianship and the ability to write gruesome sounding pieces of fiendish headbanging brutality never sounds simplistic, or painfully repetitive. 

    “Outer Reaches,” seems to pick up where the band left off on, “Remnants,” by continuing to explore science fiction themes and by also coming up with more bombastic sounding arrangements than the more straightforward style heard on the band’s debut album. Taking a page from death metal icons Pestilence, Rude incorporates instrumental tracks into the mix to give the album a very unique flow. Instead of song after song that all sounds the same, the band tries to present more dynamic arrangements full of casket crushing riffs and skillful lead guitar playing. 

    The opening of the album reminded me a lot of science fiction death metal greats Nocturnus by incorporating these haunting celestial sounds that are quickly followed by some sinister sounding guitar work. Vocalist and guitarist Yusef Wallace delivers the lyrics in such a raw and agonizing fashion which makes the music sound even more horrifying. “Chaos (Discarded),” was an appropriate opening track that really helped kick this EP off with a mighty punch to the gut. Forget getting choke slammed by the Undertaker, this band would put you through more than just a table with their raw and ruthless energy! 

    Throughout the album the band experiments with different tempos and ear shattering compositions, so you always feel like you are on the edge of your seat about to fall into the bloodthirsty abyss below. David Rodriguez, who is an unbelievably talented lead guitar player, skillfully shreds throughout this entire release. Also, the riffs Yusef and David hammer out on songs like, “Outer Reaches” and “Calamity from the Sky,” are extremely savage sounding. Credit also needs to be given to bassist Jason Gluck who has one of the most brilliant sounding bass tones and helps add to the galactic storm of old school death metal chaos. The band’s new drummer, Edward Andrade, is a tremendously talented player from behind the kit. Overall, this line-up seems to be firing on all cylinders, because there are no weak moments on the entire album. 

    From the opening track, “Chaos (Discarded),” until the final punishing piece of music titled, “Omega,” there is no stopping this band’s brutal and fearsome nature. “Outer Reaches,” is highly recommended for fans of merciless sounding old school death metal, especially those who enjoy raising hell and pissing their neighbors off by turning the volume up to the max. Rude knows how to make solid death metal and does not mess around by making an album with a symphony, or deciding to collaborate with some folk singer who sounds like a goat was forced to drink bleach. I just hope I will not have to wait four year for another Rude album! 

Check out the song "Chaos (Discarded)"  below: 

“Outer Reaches” will released on cassette through Dawnbreed Records (European) and Headsplit Records (USA). Album will be released September 24th 2021. CD and Vinyl to come out later this year. 

Rude Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100031795407017

The Bleak "Unwritten"

    Prepare to enter the warped and avant-garde realm of unconventional black metal mixed with electronic and industrial elements on the new release from, The Bleak. You literally find yourself falling down a rabbit hole into a dark land of complete electronic insanity on this album which is titled, “Unwritten.” 

    Here is another artist that was featured on the compilation from Ritual Abuse Hysteria that I reviewed a few months back, and out of all the bands on the compilation this one was without question the most unorthodox. The overall sound and production reminds of certain bands that tend to work with Sentient Ruin, especially bands like Decoherence, 6th Circle and DSKNT. The raw and harsh black metal elements are present, but you are also thrown plenty of nasty sounding electronic curve balls. Imagine the soundtrack to an avant-garde futuristic horror film featuring some of the most unimaginable and incomprehensible scenarios. 

    The Bleak seems to be onto something, however, there are moments on this album where the rush of chaotic industrial elements tends to sound a bit cluttered and leaves the listener feeling overwhelmed at times. On the album’s opening track, “Consume and Destroy,” there is no time wasted jumping right into the twisted sounding landscape which The Bleak feverishly conjures up. Even with all this anxiety inducing noise, the black metal style vocals and the haunting raw arrangements really stand out and create a sinister sounding atmosphere. The second track, “Culminate in Annihilation,” deals out a punishing electronic attack right from the very beginning, thus making you feel like the world is completely falling apart. 

    As I stated before, there are moments where the music can be completely overwhelming and sounds like the artist is running around in a variety of directions, but if you continue listening to the entire album you find yourself getting to hear some really strong pieces of blackened industrial. “Chamber of Seclusion,” and “Rift,” are two tracks that really caught my attention after listening to the entire album. “Rift,” is a short song, however, packs a might punch by laying down some agonizing rhythms mixed with demonic like noises in the background. Then to wrap it all up, “I Can Hear You Breathing,” is a solid ending track given the amount of hellish hallucinogenic torment that was heard on most of this release. 

    Overall I have to credit this band for coming up with a very atypical sounding release, because even though the music at times sounded like somebody completely lost their mind, the ability to put this album together is a very impressive feat. Experimentation can sometimes cause an album to come crashing down after the first couple tracks, but I thought for the most part the band was able to deliver, and you do get some unique sounding moments to maintain your interest. Like any band that has a sound which draws from a variety of harsh sounding elements, my best advice would be to keep pushing and exploring, but also think about production and keeping it sounding tight. The Bleak’s, “Unwritten,” is highly worth checking out and will hopefully be one of many twisted offerings for fans to check out in the future.  

Bandcamp Link :

https://ritualabusehysteria.bandcamp.com/album/unwritten

Abstracter "Abominion"

   As the skies are consumed by an apocalyptic haze stemming from some horrendous catastrophic event, Abstracter shall reign supreme over the charred and decrepit ruins. The Bay Area band’s fourth album, “Abominion,” is without question one the most highly anticipated extreme metal releases to come out this year. Sentient Ruin once again maintains an undeniable dominance amongst the underground with yet another unfathomably pulverizing release to add to the label’s already devastating catalog. 

   When I heard the news that Abstracter was going to be releasing a new album this year, I was really looking forward to what the band had in store for listeners. The first time I listened to the band was when I reviewed their debut album, “Tomb of Feathers,” for another online metal publication. Ever since then I have been keeping a close eye on the band and being from the Bay Area myself, I have watched them become a well respected and highly regarding act amongst the local underground community. 

   They combine such a variety of utterly devastating musical influences ranging from sickening black metal to gruesome death doom and sludge metal. Just like Bay Area icons Noothgrush, the band is able to paint an abysmal and apocalyptic sounding world that hits you with tremendous eye opening force. Once you starting listening to their music, there is simply no stopping the instrumental armageddon that they are capable of unleashing. 

   “Abominion,” is a deeper exploration into the haunting sinister musical voids first heard on the band’s debut album, but carries more of the same harsh sounding themes heard on their last album, “Cinereous Incarnate.” The band has gone through some line-up changes since the last release, but the mentality and sound has not changed one bit. Actually, I hear an even more raw and ruthless sounding band on this new release, especially pertaining to the drumming and the earth shaking guitar arrangements. 

   Greg Wilkinson did a tremendous job recording and mixing this release by capturing the band’s vicious and soul-crushing sound. The opening track, “Eclipse Born,” wastes little time throwing listeners into a massive sounding world where all light seems to be swallowed up by some unseen inhuman force. There are plenty of deafening riffs and bludgeoning drum parts that violently echo out of the speakers. The vocals compared to the band’s earlier releases have become even more demonic and malevolent, which is why I would consider this album to be their darkest sounding release to date. 

   Throughout the entire album songs like, “Warhead Twilight,” “Tenebrae” and “Abyss Above,” deliver such an agonizing sound along with a sheer unforgiving attitude. Each composition contains a mighty helping of juggernaut sized riffs that come crashing down like a violent distorted tsunami. In the end, the final track on the album, “Lighteater,” steals the show by offering one avant-garde exploration into mountains of unfathomable madness. The overall arrangement conveys a bleak doom like presentation, while you also feel this haunting hallucinogenic pathway leading you down a rabbit hole of sickening destruction. To me the song is reason alone to buy this album, and really shows how talented these musicians are when pertaining to writing songs that leave an impact on the listener. 

    There are no throwaway riffs, or cheap sounding arrangements for that matter, because everything done on this new album is done with a strong creative and sinister purpose. So many bands have tried to blend extreme elements together in an attempt to come up with a "brutal" release, but few have the ability to keep it all together for an entire album. Abstracter is the real deal and their continuous work ethic has really culminated into something almost unimaginable in the world of extreme music. I shall make the claim that this right now is one of the most profound releases of the year and one people are going to want to get their hands on. Hopefully Sentient Ruin can keep up with the demand, because orders will be flying off the shelves faster than when people went crazy trying to get toilet paper and had sanitizer! 

Abstracter "Eclipse Born" (Album comes out October 1, 2021) : 

Sentient Ruin bandcamp/where you can buy the album:

https://sentientruin.bandcamp.com/album/abominion

Also Abstracter Bandcamp:

https://abstracter.bandcamp.com/

Graveland "Hour of Ragnarok"

 

    The hour of ultimate extreme sounding annihilation is upon us! The wait was well worth it, because Graveland’s new album, “Hour of Ragnarok,” is a cataclysmic release that will sweep listeners into an apocalyptic battle field of triumphant sounding black metal. 

    Ever since the band announced the release of this new album I have been patiently awaiting its release. Without a doubt, this is an album that I was extremely looking forward to hearing and for good reason. Graveland has been firing on all cylinders ever since the release of, “1050 Years of Pagan Cult,” where the band decided to rework some of their classic material and give the songs even more profound and epic edge. The band's early years of raw black metal have evolved into a more pagan metal sound, but the end result combines such brilliant sounding compositions that feel almost cinematic at times. Founding member and the true driving force behind Graveland, Rob Darken, has done a tremendous job over the years and creativity of this band never ceases to amaze me as a fan. 

    “Hour of Ragnarok,” is the culmination of years and years of hard work and constant drive to make solid recordings. As much as I deeply enjoy, “Thousand Swords,” which I consider to be one the greatest black metal releases of all time, I have really enjoyed the band’s evolution and creative direction by exploring pagan mythology in a way that vividly stands out. The attention to detail and strong emphasis on production quality is what separates them from a lot of other bands and I also respect them for not wanting to putting out the same sounding release year after year. 

    The album’s opening track, “The Wolf of Twilight,” is quite possibly one of the most profound statements in terms of an opening track. Right away you are thrust into this destructive sounding world with a thunderous rush of bombastic drum arrangements and skull splitting riffs. Rob’s distinct vocal style adds to the barbaric sounding onslaught and elevates the song’s cinematic like vibe. Holding nothing back the band is able to brilliantly transition into the next song, “Hour of Ragnarok,” conjuring up a devastating composition. The riffs are very percussive and inject a tremendous amount of unapologetic force into the overall arrangement.

    “Conspiracy of the Wizards,” is another monumental sounding piece of music and one where I can hear those slight touches that made “Thousand Swords” such a classic. This band gets what it takes to compose music that conveys a raw, yet larger than life atmosphere. During the track, "Children of Hyperborea," the band incorporates some epic sounding background vocals to contrast with the fearsome sounding instrumental arrangements. The themes on songs like, “Following the Azure Light,” and “The Three Gifts of the Gods,” are executed with a plethora of attention to detail, so in the end the music flows with a truly unique and confident synergy. 

    “Hour of Ragnarok,” is an album highly worth checking out and arguably one the most impressive Graveland releases to come out in recent years. Now, I’m not saying that some of the albums prior to this release are completely forgettable, however, I firmly believe that this release is on an even greater level. Graveland’s decision to rework their classic material on, “1050 Years of Pagan Cult,” was a brilliant idea, and pushed the band in this new direction musically, which has allowed the band to compose some utterly powerful recordings. 

    Sadly, Graveland gets a lot of criticism from the metal community for past statements and continuous attacks from social justice warriors that claim the band promotes a certain extremist ideology. If you actuality listen to the music there is no fascist ideology being incorporated into the albums, especially on this new release. Sometimes I wonder if it is jealously that fuels the Graveland hate, because no matter how many times Rob Darken denounces any pro-Nazi or fascist ideology associated with the band, people continue to throw around these cheap claims with very little evidence. 

 

    When it comes down to it, let the music do the talking, which Graveland has done extremely well given the quality of this new release. This band does not need support from supposed CVLT metal publications that kiss the asses of hipster black metal fans, because in the end the die hard and loyal fans of Graveland will continue to support the band and appreciate the artistic creativity that comes from this band. 

Check out the entire album below via the band's Youtube Channel: 

Glyph "Unbinding Sacred Writings"

    Even though there is very little information available about the band Glyph, I believe the mystery that surrounds this one man black metal band will only further listeners interest in the band’s music. The newest Glyph release, “Unbinding Sacred Writings,” is a blistering raw sounding black metal release and explores those abhorrent sounding landscapes where demons dwell in dark dominions eagerly waiting to be summoned. 

    I am actually somewhat familiar with this artist having reviewed a compilation they were on called, “Le Satanisme et La Magie,” which was released through Ritual Abuse Hysteria. Also, I reviewed a demo that the label sent me which I thought demonstrated a raw and compelling sinister sound. Where so many up and coming black metal bands have failed by coming up with the same recycled Immortal riffs and ridiculously cheesy promo photos, Glyph puts emphasis on dark ambience and atmosphere. If you enjoy black metal that constructs nightmare like atmospheres full of tranquil sounding chaos, then you will find this new demo to your liking. 

    The demo begins with an intro instrumental piece called, “Forbidden,” that I found to be a fairly decent setup for the next song, although I felt as if the transition between this track and the next one seemed a bit off. Even with my minor complaint about the transition, I was extremely impressed by the second track, “Codex,” which feverishly tore away at a blasphemous sounding arrangement. The haunting vocals perfectly compliment the hellish sounding environment, while the drumming provides a hateful rush of raw energy very reminiscent of early Emperor and Graveland. 

    On the last two tracks of the demo, Glyph mercilessly hammers out more sacrilegious sounding black metal riffs. “Interpreter,” is another intense joyride into the unfathomable depths of unholy darkness and features some blistering guitar work. The last song on the demo, “Admonition,” is an agonizing assault upon the ears with a flurry of tormented vocals and sanity smashing riffs. From the very beginning of this album you always feel the raw and unapologetic nature that comes rushing out of the compositions, and honestly there is never a lack luster moment. 

    Overall, this a very solid sounding demo right here and one that fuels interest for future releases. Production wise I definitely want to hear this band continue to explore and build upon the instrumental themes established on this demo, as well as the malevolent spectral sounding atmospheres. I have been really impressed by what this artist has been doing in recent months and I look forward to more releases.

Glyph Bandcamp:

https://keeperoftheglyph.bandcamp.com/