Indus Valley Kings “Self-titled Debut Album”

   Indus Valley Kings lays down the monolithic sized heavy doom thunder with their self-titled debut full-length release. This trio of musicians takes listeners on a ride through an ancient city full of groovy sounding doom and pure vintage sounding ass kicking rock and roll.

   As much as you hear the doom influences throughout the album, you also get this straightforward hypnotic hard rock sound which then makes way for some really catchy riffs. The musicianship is extremely tight and I find that this trio has a truly massive sound when hammering out their arrangements. Also, the singer’s vocal style provides a nice touch to the groovy sounding compositions that one can hear throughout the album. From top to bottom, there is not much to complain about and the production is very impressive as well. 

   The opening track is a crushing jam called, “Angels,” which sets up this fuzzy sounding riff laden atmosphere that comes sweeping across the musical landscape faster than a sonic titan. As I’ve stated before, the musicianship is very tight sounding and keeps you fully engaged once the band begins playing. Fans of classic 70’s hard rock that has that doomy psychedelic sound will really dig the slower more haunting instrumental arrangements that can be heard on tracks like, “The Method” and “Devil.” The guitar playing really stands out, especially when the guitarist dives into a mesmerizing solo that rips through these addictive sounding scales. 

   Other songs worth noting are “Phoenix” and “Rest in Waste,” which continue to explore the ancient distorted pathways first established by bands like Pentagram, Saint Vitus, Witchfinder General and Black Sabbath. “Phoenix,” is full of bombastic sounding compositions that take you through all sorts of twists and turns in terms of tempo changes. In the end, the band keeps the music flowing and doles out a mighty helping of blazing doom. You really have to give the drummer credit for maintaining such a solid sounding rhythm section that can be used by the guitarist and bassist for them to construct these monstrous sounding riffs. 

   Overall, I find this to be an enjoyable release and one worth checking out if you are a fan of solid sounding doom music. With so many doom bands all looking the same in their promo photos and playing the same generic sounding riffs, you really have to find those acts that truly standout. I believe Indus Valley Kings has a sound and approach which helps them offer something a bit different compared to what you usually hear. To be quite honest, if the riffs are ridiculously catchy and you find yourself banging your head, then you know a band is worth your time. Also, make sure you turn the volume up to eleven on your stereo when playing this album! 

Check out the album below:

Indus Valley Kings Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/Indusvalleykings

Indus Valley Kings Bandcamp:

https://indusvalleykings.bandcamp.com/album/indus-valley-kings

Animal Schoolbus "Going to Grammy’s House"

   To start off this review I am going to say that this is a great example of parenting done right. In a current day and age where children are listening to some extreme pieces of garbage in terms of music, I extremely am glad to see people out there getting their children into extreme metal music. 

   Animal Schoolbus is a father and daughter grindcore project that throws down a devastating debut release called, “Going to Grammy’s House.” This album is full of sickening sounding riffs and utterly pissed off sounding vocals. The album contains twenty tracks, 14 of which were recorded when lead singer Princess Beast was only two-years-old. There are a few new tracks along with some live recordings from a show back in 2019. Now, the guitarist, drummer and individual responsible for getting his child into fast bone grinding music is none other than Charlie Sad-Eyes who is the genius behind Crawl Below, which is an awesome band worth checking out. 

   I think what stood out to me most was the raw and honest aggression that comes from Princess Beast when screaming over the punishing instrumental compositions. At two-years-old most of us were just beginning to really grasp the concept of unleashing our frustrations and sometimes that also turned into tantrums. However, I cannot think of a better outlet for a young child than getting to unleash their inner fury by working on creating furious sounding grindcore songs. The titles of the songs alone are truly amazing with tracks such as, “Mommy’s Car is Blue,” “Stuck in a Tree” and my favorite which is, “Oreo’s My Favorite.” The music has that Napalm Death and early Carcass vibe, but also has that raw power violence approach made famous by bands like Charles Bronson and Spazz. 

   The three songs that were recorded more recently definitely turn up the heat, especially in terms of sheer musical brutality. “Everyone Had Mullets in the 80s,” “I Can Do One Handed Cartwheels” and “I Bet Taylor Swift Never Has to Clean Her Room,” are extremely ferocious pieces of pulverizing grindcore. The frantic sounding guitar playing from Charlie matched with Princess Beast’s more vicious style of singing would probably scare a group of pathetic looking metalcore kids right out of their skinny jeans! Also, the contrasting vocal parts during, “I Bet Taylor Swift Never Has to Clean Her Room,” injects a monstrous sounding element to an already chaotic sounding piece of music. 

   In the end, I was really impressed by this album and the strong collaboration between father and daughter made for such an enjoyable and impressive sounding release. I get sent a lot of grindcore promos for review that sound dreadfully awful, so hearing this was a breath of fresh air after getting suffocated by all those basement dwelling piss poor Napalm Death copycats. In a world being overrun with crappy music from artists like LiL Nauseating X, Cardi Beehive and that one guy who used to be in One Direction and now makes horrible films, Animal Schoolbus is here to save us with one brutal song at a time. The Grammys better give this album a nomination, or else Princess Beast and teddy bear friends are going to be coming for all of you!

Check out the song "I Can Do One Handed Cartwheels" : 

Link to their Bandcamp (Album comes out April 30, 2021) : 

https://animalschoolbus.bandcamp.com/album/going-to-grammys-house-2021-remix

Wallachian Cobwebs "Night Sobbed a Potion Diseased"

   Once again we are gifted with a ghastly sounding dungeon synth release that slowly rises out of the Carpathian catacombs and spreads across the land striking fear in the hearts and minds of listeners. This sophomore release from Wallachian Cobwebs titled, "Night Sobbed a Potion Diseased," is full of ghoulish sounding arrangements and the musician behind this one-man project, Count Räumula, is like a dungeon synth mad scientist when it comes to composing. 

   “Night Sobbed a Potion Diseased,” definitely continues from where the debut album, “Hearken to the Moon Whisper,” left off in terms of establishing a profound and unique dungeon synth sound. However, I would argue that this new release comes across as even more grandiose when pertaining to the album's production, and the album feels extremely cinematic at times. One thing though that can be said about both releases is that the recording quality and overall atmospheres are unbelievably brilliant sounding. 

   Another interesting difference between the two albums is that this one departs from the vampiric lore of the debut release to explore a tale influenced by the story of Frankenstein. On the new album there is still a strong emphasis placed on creating haunting synth melodies to lull you into a vivid atmospheric dominion. The album’s opening track, “The Electrical Secrets of Heaven,” is the starting point for which this tale of utter madness is to begin and the sound effects that accompany the synth arrangements do a tremendous job setting up the album's horrific conceptual themes. Again, this album really feels cinematic and you can envision all that you hear, which in a way is borderline frightening come to think of it!

   The music flawless flows throughout the entire release and always keeps you engaged as the synth arrangements evolve to compliment the current mood of the story. On track number three, “A Lonely Walk,” there are some vocals provided by The Specter who is the mysterious and extremely creative driving force behind the phenomenal dungeon synth act, Old Tower. I really liked the vocals parts provided during the song, which I thought added another element of horrifying suspense to the music’s already bone chilling sounding theme. Although I would say that the album’s title track is where the music really reaches this climatic and heart pounding part of the story. During the track you can feel the rush of heightened emotion from the climate of chaos going on as the noise builds and builds. 

   Towards the end the album, the music begins to return to a state of calm and comforting darkness as the tale of this human creation brought back from the dead comes to a tragic end. The synth parts of this release always seem to find a way to evolve and transition when needed, making this a very dynamic sounding ambient release, which is extremely impressive when you look at the album as a whole. 

   “Night Sobbed a Potion Diseased,” is arguably one of the most well composed and recorded albums I have heard so far this year, especially when I think of an album leaving an impact after I've listened to it. Count Räumula is truly becoming a force within the dungeon synth community and Wallachian Cobwebs is an act I highly recommend checking out. In my opinion, this type of work ethic and dedication to craft such profound music definitely deserves high praise. I most certainly look forward to what shall come next from this musician who dwells in the shadows of forbidden Wallachian crypts. Seriously, where else can someone record such nightmare inducing music?! Sure as hell was not recorded in one of those shit holes in LA where they serve wheatgrass smoothies! 

Wallachian Cobwebs bandcamp:

https://wallachiancobwebs.bandcamp.com/album/night-sobbed-a-potion-diseased-2

Obsolete "Animate//Isolate "

    Do not let the colorful flowers on the album cover fool you! Obsolete’s debut album, “Animate//Isolate,” is like a titanic sized death/thrash napalm shower violently raining down upon the metal world. Based out of Minneapolis, Minnesota, this group of savage extreme metal musicians hammers out an endless technical onslaught of pure malevolent sounding metal music. 

    Working with Unspeakable Axe Records for the release of the album, I really feel as though Obsolete puts their own stamp on what one would expect to hear from a young and hungry extreme metal band. I will be honesty and admit that death/thrash albums have become rather repetitive over the last couple years with a few exceptions. Actually, I would say that most of those exceptions have come from Unspeakable Axe Records, mainly because whoever runs the label seems to know what is going on in terms of quality sounding metal music. 

    Obsolete joins the Unspeakable Axe ranks by putting together a fierce sounding album and utterly decimates all that stand in their path by writing some solid cuts of technical brutality. From start to finish, the caliber of musician displayed on this album was unbelievably impressive. As much as I want to keep putting over their musicianship, I have to also highlight the band’s strong songwriting skills. The overall production was definitely something I noticed right away. Each track conveys such raw and passionate energy that you become completely engulfed by these blistering guitar riffs and ear crushing drum parts. 

    The album’s opening track, “Still,” begins by unleashing a blizzard of distorted chaos across the musical landscape and sends seismic shockwaves from behind the drummer’s kit with enough force to level a town. Also, the band knows how to compose dynamic arrangements, so you are not inundated with sloppy death thrash riffs that maintain the same boring tempo throughout the entire song. 

    Tracks like, “The Slough,” “Old Horizon” and “Silent Freeway,” all exhibit a plethora of tormenting technical guitar work. Also, the vocals throughout this album are truly haunting and convey that unapologetic nature that one would expect from early death metal records that have ruthless thrash metal elements as well. Currently, I have noticed too many metal artists trying to sound aggressive and end up sounding like their parent’s would not give them ice cream for dessert, so they decided to form a metal band and scream like a pack of pestilent children. 

    Moving on, “The Fog,” was probably my favorite song off of this album and is definitely a track that I think most fans of extreme death thrash metal will enjoy. The guitar playing once again is executed with such savage precision and the vocals provide a sinister touch to the overall tsunami of brutality. The last song on the album, "Intercostal," was a close second in terms of top tracks and contains some mind bending rhythms to construct one venomous composition. 

    In conclusion, out of the nine tracks featured on this album I do not believe listeners will be disappointed. If anything, they are going to get their skin shredded off by the raw sounding aggression that this band delivers. Obsolete does not fumble the ball with their debut album, “Animate//Isolate,” and builds up anticipation for what this band is capable of coming up with next. This group of musicians does not need any cheesy gimmicks, or cartoony sounding lyrics to get people interested. They let the music do the talking, and after listening to this album, they are making a pretty powerful statement! 

Check out the song "Still" below : 

Album comes out April 19th, 2021. Pre-order through Unspeakable Axe Records below:

http://www.unspeakableaxerecords.com/

Hallucination “S/T Debut Demo”

   Philly-based hardcore punk outfit, Hallucination, throws down a barbaric beating and shows no mercy on their self-titled debut demo. Talk about one dark sounding offering of blistering hardcore punk that is raw to the bone! 

   On this debut demo Hallucination carves their own sickening path of hardcore chaos and in doing so, displays a tremendous amount of savage energy from beginning to end. The intense d-beat rhythms and unapologetic approach creates an atmosphere of unfathomable sounding terror. You definitely feel this band’s negative energy as they violently tear through their songs. My only complaint is that I wish the demo would have been longer, because I was really starting to become possessed by the band’s vicious presentation. Then again this is hardcore punk, so what an album lacks in terms of length is made up for by the band’s deafening and abrasive sound. 

   The song, “Hallucinations,” definitely sets the tone by unleashing a landslide of musical disorder. Right away the band’s guitarist lays down a bludgeoning of ear-shattering distortion, while the drumming is feverishly precise with each strike from behind the kit. However, I believe that the band’s vocalist is the one who provided the winning ingredient to this destructive sounding creation. The vocals demand attention and inject a vivd rush of emotion into the overall mix. On the song, “Combat Conditions,” the band once again wastes little time in expressing their terrifying hardcore punk vision. These musicians may not write long technical sounding compositions, but they sure as hell know how to leave an impact!  

   I really enjoyed the song, “Progress?,” and consider the track to be one that truly relates to the current state of our world. Also, the band’s style and approach during the song reminded me of classic hardcore punk bands that paved the way by writing music that was simple, yet opened people’s eyes to the cruel realities of present day society. The final song, “Ride Off in the Sun,” is the longest track on the demo and the song is about 3 minutes and 43 seconds. With a little more time than usual, the band deals out a blistering riff assault. Overall, you feel lost in a world of devastation, yet you start to accept the harsh environment as the music reaches the very abysmal end. 

   Sentient Ruin will be releasing this demo on cassette March 5, so if you are a hardcore punk enthusiast who enjoys collecting killer sounding tapes, then you should definitely add this demo to you collection. I really viewed this demo as a strong introduction to Hallucination and hope they continue to bring this same level of energy and passion on future releases. I cannot find much to complain about, and from what I’ve said before, this is a release that did not disappoint and might fuel more young bands to push themselves in terms of writing more aggressive sounding releases. As our world continues to regress due to human ignorance, we need more bands like Hallucination around. 

Check out the full demo below:

Pre-Order the demo here:

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

Pale Cremation "Masquerade in the Violet Theatre"

    Pale Cremation comes bursting out of the smoke filled catacombs with yet another blazing release! This one-man doom project from Cleveland, Ohio offers listeners an all out ceremonial riff fest with the release of, “Masquerade in the Violet Theatre.” 

    Matt Lasserre, the musical mastermind behind Pale Cremation, definitely knows how to throw down some heavy jams. From his time playing bass in the bands Scrape the Earth and Mournful Cries, Matt has always been a passionate player and creative musician. Even though there are only two tracks on this new release, listeners are still given plenty of wicked sounding riffs and catchy sounding slabs of haunting doom. Hell, there is even a song that goes on for about 19 minutes! 

    The first song titled, “The Burning,” is a scorching piece of feverish sounding doom mixed with some grunge elements. The song convey’s that rebellious and unapologetic attitude that gets people banging their heads and raising their fists. Hell, I think the Undertaker could have used this as his theme song during his American Badass run! In a world where there are few bands that are capable of writing a strong piece of music that leaves an impact, I believe that, “The Burning,” is the making of something really special. 

    The second track, “Masquerade in the Violet Theatre,” is definitely more of a doom metal odyssey and as I mentioned before, it goes on for about 19 minutes. Fans of Sleep and Om will definitely be drawn to the trippy slower compositions. Sometimes there are certain riffs you want to hear repeated, especially if the guitar and bass effects used give off that cosmic vibe that makes you feel like you are traveling through a psychedelic void where the distorted sounds slowly melt your mind. 

    Pale Cremation’s new release is definitely worth checking, as wells the band’s entire discography for that matter. Even though Matt does not have a major record label pouring thousands of dollars down the drain for him to record an album and waste expenses on gourmet cuisine and bowls of brown M& M’s, he is coming up with some extremely creative compositions. I really respect Matt’s creative vision on this new release, as well as his ability to avoid cranking out the same monotonous sounding doom tracks by experimenting with different arrangements and putting some enthusiasm into the overall mix. In the end, just another killer release from Pale Cremation and one that doom fans should definitely check out. 

Pale Cremation Bandcamp:

https://palecremation.bandcamp.com/album/masquerade-in-the-violet-theatre

Chaos Echoes "Ecstasy With the Nonexistents"

    French experimental death/black metal maniacs, Chaos Echoes, have joined forces with Sentient Ruin to bring listeners one ambitious and unfathomable sounding ritualistic performance. This mixed and mastered live soundboard recording is something that you do not hear very often, and the album showcases the band’s very unconventional extreme metal mindset.  

    Originally released only on CD format, Sentient Ruin is looking to give this album a proper vinyl release that extreme music enthusiasts can obtain. If you are familiar with Sentient Ruin, then you know that this label does not put out generic sounding crap. Chaos Echoes is an act that I was not familiar with before receiving this promo, however, after listening to this release I am very impressed by their dynamic approach to writing extreme metal music. These musicians have a great diverse musical vision that allows them to stretch the boundaries of extreme music, while also paying close attention to the album’s hauntingly vivd sounding atmosphere. 

    I would best describe this album as an extreme metal experiment that may utilize death metal and black metal elements, but also explores so many layers of different influences that the entire album is one experimental jam session into an abyss of infinite possibilities. The album begins with the track, “Senses of the Nonexistent,” which at first sounds very tranquil in the beginning and eventually develops into a behemoth sounding riff fest of sludgy death doom. You feel like you are being drowned by this massive rush of unapologetic attitude and the band perfectly transitions that same level of aural hostility onto the next song, “Through Kaleidoscopic Haze of Unexpected Extents.” On the second track, the band offers more black metal style riffs, but the complex rhythms and time signatures really standout as something you do not hear often, thus creating a warped soundscape full of nightmarish torment. 

    On the third song, “享楽主義,” the band continues to twist and alter the musical landscape with a blizzard of fiendish creativity. Finally the band throws in some morbid sounding vocals to add to the blistering chaos, which took me by surprise because I had started to wonder if this was going to be an instrumental album at first. Probably out of album the songs on the album track number four, “Black Mantra,” ended up being my favorite. I really liked the mesmerizing chord progressions used in the beginning of the song, as well as the primitive and abrasive sounding drum parts. 

    The rest of the album of course features some more experimental offerings like, “Interzone VIII,” “Surrounded and Amazed by these Unplumbed Abysses of the Inverted Sea” and “Soul Ruiner,” all of which features more atypical compositions. The band definitely expands and tears down the walls of what one might expect from an extreme metal album. I enjoyed the ambient touches on the song, “Surrounded and Amazed by these Unplumbed Abysses of the Inverted Sea,” because the song built of this malevolent sounding environment that one might want to use as a film score for an occult themed horror movie. 

     Chaos Echoes, “Ecstasy With the Nonexistents,” is an album that you are either going to find extremely fascinating, or might drive you insane trying to wrap your head around the complexity of this album’s presentation. I personally believe that this album is worth seeking out if you are a fan of dynamic sounding extreme metal music. This honestly is what children should be listening to in order to expand their musical minds instead of that rotten garbage K-pop, or that piss poor rap music written by some guy with his pants on the ground. 

Check out the entire album below:

Sentient Ruin bandcamp:

https://sentientruin.bandcamp.com/