EMBALMED SOULS (Bra) The temple of bizarre cult Demo Tape'05.

Finally I'm able to put my hands on a copy of this band's releases... What I read in zines such as MUTILATING PROCESS (R.I.P- The zine of the lazy Death metal "supporter" Nathaniel who might have questioned the potential Sustainability and coherence of his underground will, before involving peoples into his short efforts...) helped me to build an imaginary picture of what EMBALMED SOULS' audio performances might be: Cryptic? Very morbid? Creeping? Ultra deadly Death metal?... But the truth often lies in your own listening sessions as no reviewer seems apparently able to exactly approach your own inner feelings (At least, it's how I often feel towards metal of death). To sum it up, the sounds of EMBALMED SOULS definitely smell the engravement of 90's Death metal, but this isn't to be name with the word "Ultra", to be followed by an obscure adjective of your choice... Musicalwize it's more melodic, even though it remains Death with a reasonably big "D", and so you could occur to view the first works of NECROPHOBIC, CEMETARY (Strictly "An evil shade of grey"), MORPHEUS (Swe), possibly early DISMEMBER, few Deaththrashing riffs à la early DEATH, with some doomy touch that occurs to turn to lyricism (View some early MY DYING BRIDE or PARADISE LOST ("Shades of god" era)).
The feelings to be found the most often are this death metal glory ridden by punching old death thrash beats, or the nice melancholy of doom quoted before.
This tape recording is a very nice item to explore once you're into the right mood for this kind of spirit, and the music is well done, but I regret there isn't more urges of Death thrashing metal, real morbid attacks from the inner of the damnation-entrails or more emotional intensity to match the "genius"; After a while, I'd really feel like shredding this beauty to pieces and open up the gorges of sufferance; Yes a part of this demo might be seen as beautiful (Following some doomy aesthetics).
This isn't a bad recording, it could offer you quite many qualities; But this isn't the most energetic band, as you probably have noticed; Something quite good to rest and feel, but not to kill.
I have to notice the band doesn't seem to be very serious concerning answering mail. I wrote at least two letters the last years (Asking for possible trade, wholesale...), but never received an answer... Maybe I'm not old school enough to awake their considerations? (Since I released about 50% of Brutal death, 50% of "shitty" CDr, and own several web-pages, I'm probably too "modern" for some peoples...).

DOWN FROM THE WOUND (Philippines) Agony Through Rituals Of Self Purification CD'07. SEVARED Recs.

After a quite promising demo'06, the Philippinese brutal death heads of DOWN FROM THE WOUND come back with a first full-length recording.
Do not expect something new, original or standing out, you little trendy piece of shit! There's nothing to fit your clerically vampirized 2007 criterias that lamely forgot the guts, the pain and the agony! Anyway the goal of the band isn't to be original or "Zzzzpezzziiiial"... Would you reproach a grindcore band to blast? Would you reproach a black metal band to scream like little cats? Would you reproach a metal band to play with guitars? So, In this case it's almost the same: It would be quite useless to reproach DOWN FROM THE WOUND to play fucking brutal US Brutal death, devoid of any melody or so called "Original" influence (In case some didn't notice, in the early years Brutal death was fucking original and over the top, as it inserted many new ideas and took the whole affair much deeper... In your suffering asshole!... Ooooh! It's not so original anymore?... And then? How long will your current trend be original and fresh? How many months? How many weeks? And how long will you care when the style will be denied or forgotten by most? If you're not convinced, go ask Mozart or Bach if they wrote a new masterpiece each month and created a new style each semester)... But as always, many bands played the same again, and again, and again, so the minds and guts of the brutal maniacs got machine-washed with too many usual riffs, and the longing for brutality was declining... But sometimes, I'm happy to hear bands such as D.F.T.W who focus on a very specialized style and do their best to kick your ass... And it's quite good, yeah! Imagine US Brutality like old DISGORGE (Usa), old SUFFOCATION/ early PYREXIA, old NATRON ("A taste of blood" Demo) with some possible REPUDILATION, touches of BANISHED and other obliterating things like that... DOWN FROM THE WOUNDS sounds motivated, rigid, brutal and it works. The production is cool: It's not your overproduced clinical gay plastic guitars of 2007, No! Even if it's rigid, there's an heavy sound brutality once had (With quite vibrating bass frequencies to exterminate your speakers) and I like it! "Agony Through Rituals Of Self Purification" is more appealing than many of the Us brutal death albums I tried to listen this year... Ok, it isn't the brutal album of 2007, but this band is efficient enough to kick the ass and should be supported! (To enjoy, listen with your brutality, not your exhausted brain)
http://www.myspace.com/downfromthewound

ABOMINAT (Nor) Storms of calamity Ep'06. NO POSERS PLEASE! Recs.

Cool sounding old styled brutal Death metal that tastes very much like old SUFFOCATION! And you couldn't say this comparison results from random words because ABOMINAT probably worships "Effigy of the forgotten" as hell: It can be heard in the various ways of approaching the brutal death style, the way of composing songs, the production, the vocals... Hopefully this doesn't sound like a weak copy, the band transmits cool obscure atmospheres and they are owner of quite good skills (In use for cool compositions).
Well, the music isn't as emotionally intense as SUFFOCATION and I'm not yet sure something could stand as "Really catchy and to be remembered in the grave", but you can at least listen without troubles: No boring shit! For a first recording, it's a fine collection of internal piercings. Good luck!
http://www.myspace.com/abominat

THOSE WHO BRING TORTURE (Swe) Those who bring torture CD'07. NO COLOURS Records.

Give the dog a bone? Noooo.
Give the bear a beer? And beer à gogo to bear à gogo... To dance with the beers to find yourself dancing with bears! I want a little bear in my beer! I want a little bear in my beer!
No colours keeps on sending me their black metal promos for no reason... But this time there was something sounding like Death in their grimbomb...
This project formed by musicians of RIBSPREADER, KNIFE IN CHRIST and TAEDEAT is only a sub-project. Read the flyer: "After just a week of writing, recording and mixing the debut album was done". That's no very promising, huh?
What you hear is between death and grind, with usual death grind moments (HAEMORRHAGE, HATEPLOW), heaviness à la early MUCUPURULENT or some cool sounding but common old Death metal. The powerful production makes it good sounding, there are cool moments from here and there (I wonder if it's not remains of better ideas from their main projects). But all in all this is just another CD recorded by another project like many... I imagine the guys' rehearsing habits helped to make this album quite easily. There have been worse but also better parallel distractions, it's pro and ok.
http://www.myspace.com/twbtt

PHLEGETHON (Fin) Neutral forest Demo tape 1990.

It's time for the vilest putrefaction to awake again and take over the fallacious minds, to spread the voracious underground gangrene one more time!

Death metal will be totally dead, totally putrid and disgusting one more time! Any kind of mellowdick and watering down influence will definitely escape the turmoils of pain to let escape and explode the strongest revenge and pure hatred! Pure fucking death in your face!! AAARRRGGGHHH!!
But, I should slow down the insane dreams of prevailing pure putridity, since most of the coming-back old bands disappoint the strongest fans of death metal down to rotting agony (Pure damnation!), and the newest bands, even if some are good, aren't able to match the shredding enthusiasm of the end 80's…
So, a wiser possibility would be to extract again the morbid saviors from some older tape recordings; even if some weren't the best, at least the obscure feeling and enough putridity were there.

This time, I'll exhume an old demo of the finish band PHLEGETHON. Before all confining walls start to tremble, I should immediately state they didn't sound that much like a Finnish death metal band of the 90's. In fact, the style of these fukkers of dead was much more complex and technical.
Imagine the first album of DARKTHRONE (When they were playing quite technical (For this epoch!) and obscure death metal) with some death thrashing influences exploding the pustular agony right from the frustrated bowels of MERCILESS's first album ("The awakening") and a bit of OLD FUNERAL (First demo). Add few crazy riffs, some "dissonant" melodies resonating a quite bizarre way, and your vision of death is focused on the right maelstrom of pain!
Well, to be a bit more realistic, I should notice this tape wasn't that killer and emptiness-filling; not sure if some current metal-listeners would like it that much, but a good answer could be: FUCK YOU!! This sounds quite crazy enough for my putrid needs, and the complexity of the thing, even if it doesn't necessarily sounds composed the best way, makes it nice for my traumatic brain!
A cool tape for Death metal maniacs... These words shall be your grave.

WEHRMACHT (Ger) Biermacht Tape Lp'88. NEW RENAISSANCE Records.

In case of infinite thirst, never confuse a beer with a bear! No!!! I know both might calm down the envy, and there might always be a bear in your beer (No one knows what they are able to do!), but never say "butt" in front of a big hungry bear needing butter!! Your beer might suffer from this lack of white bears from the land of Extreme cold weather... (Beer!!)
This is quite efficient and complex thrashing crossover filled with all the fucked christmas gifts and decoherence you need. "Fun is in the detonator!" They got it and cut up their songs often, to reach an almost old Grind state of mind and avoid the lengths (Why the fuck waiting till the beer is hot? Drink it fresh!). It sounds quite crazy, frenetic, fresher than the usual... Beer! Beer is unholy, "You broke my hear, so I broke your face!".
Think about early DESTRUCTION meets SPAZZTIC BLUR (Later brewed with 2 ex beercore bangers from WEHRMACHT), early SUICIDAL TENDENCIES (Mellow cat vocals outside), DARKNESS (1st Hell-P), the FILTHY CHRISTIANS (Maybeer?) and SOD, and your vision won't be too blurry... Some peoples might piss and refuse to swallow, thinking it's too full of beers to be serious and decently played... Wrong! This is really tight and correctly brewed for the time (Time of the beers, time of the beers...It fucking makes me thirsty!).
Fuck my Lp player is broken!!! How will I bang my head?
In a way, this is a very good recording for those who like the motivated and engaged side of old crossover, the thrashmania, the quite "chaotic" structures and humor from some early core-grinding grindcowww... Maybeer not so cult whatever beer-drying matters might doomy influence the thrashing minds to sleep, but quite worth the beer sucking!
Steal my beer,
Drink my beer;
Piss my bear!

IN THE NAME OF SATAN: A tribute to Venom CD'94. GUN Recs.

As far as I know, this might have been the first VENOM Tribute ever released. At this time, while many peoples didn't gave a fuck about this band anymore (Probably because too much of average albums, regional assaults, re-releases from no-need-land...), Abaddon decided to create this project and motivate quite "acclaimed" metal bands of the time to honor one of their strong influences and teenage object of worship... It could have been a good idea, yum, but something was strange and kinda wasted my pleasure: You couldn’t find a real incarnation of every listed bands, since Abaddon generally played the drums (And he has never been the best drummer... It could have been better to let other peoples do what they feel, and possibly offer new ideas), plus few musicians from the listed bands did their thing, and finally some 'illustrious unknown' filled the holes of this studio project... (Yes, studio project :-/)

Does it really sound so much as a tribute anymore? Doesn't it sound strange to hear a drummer paying homage to his own music on a tribute album?
Questions could flow, and re-flow... And that's kinda old blabber, isn't it? So we'll simply talk about the music, since it's what matters the most :-)

-First of all, you had KREATOR (Or better said Mille?) making "Witching hour" more thrashy, faster, and displaying the frenetic vocals of Mille Petrozza. A quite good cover, that showed some energy. Some might say “Grrrr”.

-Then, ANATHEMA did a cool version of "Welcome to hell". It kept somekind of the initial obscure mood (If I could say so), with a quite moody production and low-pitched vocals distorted through an obscure chorus. Not bad at all, and quite groovy... I wished ANATHEMA followed much more this kind of vibes, because most of their own stuffs only disappointed my imagination...

-Then, VOIVOD turned "In league with satan" in their own way. It definitely sounded like VOIVOD, with high-pitched & quite "visionary" vocals, a sci-fi aspect, and other cool stuffs... I didn't like it much at the time, because I was young and the vocals seemed strange, but they did a nice job. Cool.

-Then some guys of NUCLEAR ASSAULT, and other peoples (From the studio?), tried to cover "Die hard"... But it wasn't that good (Huh!). I have never been a fan of this particular song, and the quite Us heavy metallish vocals didn't do it (Urk)... A quite boring cover!

-Where there ever some SKYCLAD fans in the assembly? Well, their first album was cool, but what about the following? This time they turned "Prime evil" in their own middle-age world... Ok, they kinda changed the song, with violins and few other goblins, but I never found it good. Blah!

-SODOM surprisingly choose to cover "1000 days in Sodom" (What a clever choice! Ah! I guess VENOM might even have been the origin of their moniker) and did an ok but just average job... It sounds like the average heavy moments of SODOM era 93-95 (Tapping the vein), and I never liked it much... (SODOM = Fast as fuck! In your ass baby!!)

-Then, various peoples covered "Countess bathory" under the CANDLEMASS moniker, and there's not much to say... This was just an average one, while the original was better.

-After all of this, it could have been better, but it's not really... PARADISE LOST did a quite boring cover of "In nomine sathanas" that sounded like the heaviest of their "Shades of god" album, minus the sorrow... And blah! You get bored.

-Then came the little surprise: Two new songs of VENOM that probably disappointed some die-hards: It was a time when the guys were experimenting with Indus metal. Even if these two songs weren't mind-blowing, I kinda like the atmosphere and the kinda "Easy listening" indus metal à la old NIN or FILTER... It might have been a cool idea for VENOM to do more of these experiments and release it under another moniker (What about turning the letters inside out? You get MONEV? Just an effort, and it turns to MONEY!? Some kind of prophecy? Ah Ah)

Finally, what you got was an average tribute album that contained a lot of average recordings, and it rather tasted like a compilation of various (Discutably useful) things than a real tribute.... Nothing vital, even for big fans... I still use to like it for "Nostalgic reasons", but that's all... Hopefully KREATOR, ANATHEMA and VOIVOD did it right and offered coolified covers. (And the artwork was cool).

SYPHILIC (Usa) Erotishock therapy CD'07. CEPHALIC Recs.

SYPHILIC is a Brutal death sub-project of Brian from MUTILATED (Usa) that might rather entertain two categories of brutal mummies: Those who like it cool (For the "old" brutal death mood), and those who like it complex.
This is well played, well programmed (Drum machine), well produced, but not much stands out on a necro-erotic point of view. It might be due to the fact each song is composed of many riffs and breaks, so this isn't exactly greasy listening... It might be right, in part, because some riffs sound cool while there are also some not-so-cool guitars and elements that apparently do not reflect emotions (Are you still there?). So I will say it might have been more efficient with a brutal lifting.
In fact, this project isn't as modern as what you could expect. There are obviously a lot of typically rhythmic Us blasting brutality, but one could also find the more "melodic" of DEEDS OF FLESH, as well as older styled Us and European Death metal... But after all, the fact it's built around many riffs, and contains low pitched vocals (That happen to penetrate the gore) would categorize SYPHILIC in the "modern" fields of death anyway.
Some influences: SPAWN OF POSSESSION, MORTAL DECAY, INFESTDEAD, old CANNIBAL CORPSE, DISGORGE (Usa), BROKEN HOPE (For some technic), BRUTALITY...
Hopefully, this isn't always "Too much of too much" as there occur to be quite fresh ideas that improve the edibleness.
I'm not that impressed by SYPHILIC on an emotional/ spiritual point of view, but it's quite solid music that might please fans of complex Brutal Death.
http://www.myspace.com/syphilic

SOILS OF FATE (Swe) Highest in the hierarchy of blasting sickness CD'05. FORENSICK Recs.

This isn't a new album, but a compilation containing the first two demos of the band, plus a live track, re-recorded old song and a video.
The two demos remain the same. The first being very influenced by CANNIBAL CORPSE (In a not so brutally penetrating manner), while the second was more blasting along the lines of, let's say, SUFFOCATION ("Despise the sun") yet with the Cannibalized Brootool approach.
Other things inside are the re-recording of an early track ("Tapping the vein") a more brutal and energetic way, or a live song ("Epoch of barbarity) that was taken with an ok and quite raw underground production.
The title of this compilation is quite misleading, because SOILS OF FATE isn't a part of the most extreme current Brutal Death bands, and these older demos do not sound extreme in 2007. This might be a cool release for big fans and nostalgics of their demo days, but it seems not many peoples will be interested... And was it a really needed release? After all, demos could eternally remain engraved in the good old tape format, and those who really need some obscure recordings could find it through tapes or Mp3s trading if they really want it (When you really want something, you're ready to make more than a single effort, and write snail mails!). Strictly for big fans and close friends.
http://www.myspace.com/sofslam

ANATOMIA (Jap) Dissected humanity CD'05. NECROHARMONIC Recs

ANATOMIA is a new band formed from the ashes of the quite long time running TRANSGRESSOR who already played Death metal, but a quite technical and brutal way.
ANATOMIA were often compared to AUTOPSY, and it's not wrong words since the doomy old school Death metal of these Japanese Deathheads tastes like old AUTOPSY on various rotting occasions: You have the primal instinct escaping the perverted pores of an abrupt brain, the gore vocals, the doomy moments, the fast and quite punching beats... I could also find similarities with ABSCESS for the dirtiness and some sludge.
At first approaches this is a really cool album. But after a while I'm not so impressed anymore. Maybe because the music is a bit too simple/ easy to compose while AUTOPSY always had more surprises and nice polyphonic harmonies, even in their most fukked moments... Or maybe because I'd prefer to hear more punching old school Death metal beats (For orgies of running sickness!) while a good portion of doom heaviness is bound to crushing my speakers. It's a good album to listen when you want to feel the embalming of death rotting your entrails, but it doesn't work so well when the approach is more cerebral and morbidly analyzing the causes of death.
For the defense of ANATOMIA, I should say I'm not a big fan of doomy & sludgy affairs, and not much (Of structures and playing surprises) would be needed to make the whole much more impressing.
So it's a cool album that might likely entertrail those who dig the most doomy of AUTOPSY, and especially "Mental funeral" or "Acts of the unspeakable", but this "Dissected humanity" is rather destined to the fans of doom. I'll keep an eye on their future engravements with an hope for more fast Death metal the punching way.
http://www.geocities.jp/anatomia_jp

EX DEMENTIA (Usa) Thou shall repulse CD'07. KITCHEN VOMIT Recs.

ZOMBIFY ME!!!
PUSFILLED BODYBAG MADNESS, FEASTERGORE IN THE SEWER, MINCED MEAT RESURRECTION!
This time you have old school US Gore Death metal that kinda sounds like old NECROPHAGIA (1st album), with some old AUTOPSY/ ABSCESS (Gory vocals), some early DEATH/ MASSACRE with a bit of old IMPETIGO or even DR SHRINKER. Oooohhh, it sounds like an unexpected mixture to escape the so oftenly raped doors from our beloved coffin of metallic sins! It's not the usual necro old school mournance; What they choose to play is a bit more fun and no so dead-serious! There's some kind of 3rd degree/ B movies humor that wouldn't make them displaced on RAZORBACK Recs, but the music doesn't seem to be at the right level of entertainment yet.
The production would have been considered good 15 years ago: No trig, no overdub, no inhuman production... This is the natural sound and it tastes quite cool.
Now, on a musical point of view my feelings are mixed: Some riffs are too generic and usual to brand my brain or stop the brainstorm of daily life. Ok some fast, heavy or impact riffs are cool, but some guitars could be improved a way or another to match more morbid vibration. And the drum playing is a bit too simple in some fast parts.
The vocals are great in the style; And it helps to cover the riffs that do not shake the coffin and keeps the whole entertaining... So if you don't storm your brain too much, you might dig the whole as if the doors of the tomb were wide opened and welcoming ;-)
I would be quite necro-appealed to see them live with beers in the guts. Old school gory death fans, keep an eye on them, coz future improvements might kick your face a zombifying way... For now EX DEMENTIA is just a cool/ average and quite entertaining band... HOT FOR ZOMBIES!!!
http://www.exdementia.net

THE ORDHER (Bra) The ordher Demo CDr'06

THE ORDHER was found by previous musicians of NEPHASTH, so you know what to expect: Brutal unholy Death metal! There's no real difference on a musical point of puke; The music is almost blast ridden and apocalypse beholding. The atmosphere might be a bit darker than NEPHAST. I was surprised by 1 song being rather slow and moody (More or less à la MORBID ANGEL).
The tight and precise playing makes them sound like an armada, but I have to question the compositions themselves to penetrate beyond the brutality... Unfortunately, on a deep emotional point of thrill I'm not impressed, the inner cadaveric entrails didn't especially feast on inhuman metallic hatred. You'd rather find pleasant moods mixed with brutality. So THE ORDHER will be a quite hailworthy formation for maniacs of the style; But those who weren't Evily brazicunted might as well keep their insemination-trumpets in other perverted holes of metallic embalming. The band apparently signed on UNIQUE LEADER, so it seems brutal maniacs will hear about their following albums...
http://www.theordher.com

NAUSEANT (Swe) Abysmaltician Demo CDr'06

Even though NAUSEANT reside in Sweden, there's no Entombed/ Grave/ Dismember to be found in their Death metal... No! Their sound is much more Finnish, with strong influences of DEMILICH's bizarre instructive decompositions. This is not ultra fast, but rather tends to a variety of tempos, with a taste for the doomy. The band's aim seems to create something strange, intriguing and obscure, and they do it quite well... This is quite original music that doesn't forget the morbid roots of Death metal! So few current "original" bands could be proud of this fact that NAUSEANT becomes even more putrid.
I also found a bit of CREMATORY(Swe)'s first demos for some cryptic riffs, touches of old COMECON for dissonant guitars and eventually a bit of DISHARMONIC ORCHESTRA for the strange approach. The production reminds me a bit the first VIOGRESSION Lp, for its cool moody atmosphere.
The high-pitched guitar focus the creation of strange dissonant melodies... It works more or less well, sometimes it's a bit too "strange" (It might be due to the production or the fact guitars might not be totally in the right tune? I don't know... It might also be a lack of heavy guitars to underline some of the dissonant leads...). As well as many "experimental" kinds of music you happen to wonder what they exactly want to do with some riffs; But you might understand that later… And aren’t few ‘new’ morbid ideas welcome in your coffin?
Of corpse this demo isn't perfect, but for a first recording it's encouraging and quite welcome. The atmosphere is here.
http://www.nauseant.tk

ANNIHILATION TEXT (Can) Defamation manifesto Demo CDr'07

Even though what we can often hear from these lands often lies into the technical and original kinds , Canada's grounds aren't totally dry in matters of Death metal.
A Death metal that especially choose the darkened paths of MORBID ANGEL ("Domination", with a touch of "Gateways") and execrates a nice atmosphere from the chalice of all captivating sins. The march is rather mid-placed, and heavy, with double kicks.
As said before, the MORBID ANGEL influence is strong (For the atmosphere, "dominating" heaviness, quite majestic leads... As well as for the vocals and production) but you could also find other elements such as impure waves of IMMOLATION, floridian Death metal (Something between BRUTALITY, RESURRECTION of later MORTA SKULED), some old HATE ETERNAL, a bit of crushing SUFFOCATION, fantomatic tumors à la CONVERGENCE FORM WITHIN (Even if C.F.W is more burning) and a little melodic something that helps to pack the composition a nice way.
To summarize my feelings, I'll say this cool band didn't discover the morbid musical words that instantaneously annihilate humanity and they didn't develop a language of their own yet, but it's a cool band with good atmospheres and whose potential only asks to be developed. Good fucking luck!
http://www.myspace.com/invoketerror

IGNIVOMOUS (Australia) Path of attrition Demo tape’07

Yes! Impure and soul-carnivorous obscure Death metal with a real raw assault à la INCANTATION ("Mortal throne of Nazarene") and necroharmonies of pain à la old IMMOLATION. This will surely sound relentless and dolorous for the weak melodic brewers of life-metal milk, for the simple reason it's played the morbid and ancient way that aims to reanimate the deeply inhuman and monstrous forces that annihilate human existence. And it's not only s superficial necro-gimmick, no, atmosphere from the depths can be felt, as well as some claustrophobic impious feelings and moments of bestial blasting battles.
Visions of DECREPIT, DARKLORD (Minus majesty and keyboards) or BOLT THROWER (Very early) also occur to abominate my putrid skull.
IGNIVOMOUS is a fucking promising ancient raw Death metal council from the sarcastic and dry chaotic tombs! Perfect for fans of old INCANTATION/ IMMOLATION. Hailz pure fucking Death!
http://www.myspace.com/ignivomousmetal

INFERNAL CONJURATION (Mex) Tremendous plague Demo CDr'07

Old school satanic Death metal with strong influences of early DEATH ("Scream bloody gore") and POSSESSED ("Seven churches").
There are energetic infernal tremolo riffs, heavier patterns of the skull crush, chaotic leads the metal way and nice screamy vocals from the gorges of sufferance that taste like Chuck Schuldiner (80's) or some MORTEM (Peru).
The music also sounds a bit like some MASSACRE (First Lp) or PESTILENCE (Pure death metal years).
A shame the drum patterns aren't always so tight, but it might improve with more hard work (And that's a demo, right?)
Well there's nothing particularly killer or personal (It's rather somekind of DEATH worship (That hopefully doesn't sound asleep)) but it's a quite well rounded underground demo with enough morbid and energetic attributes to stick fans of Death thrashing metal the real way! At least you can't deny it shows cool Death metal tastes.
http://www.myspace.com/infernalconjuration

IN THE ZINE OF EVIL #1

Butts up ladies and womenowar, IN THE ZINE OF EVIL is a new small paper zine focused on the New Wave of English thrash metal... N.W.O.E.T.M? Yes, it seems a little banging something is happening in United Kingdoom! Few years ago I thought old school thrash metal would make a strong come back; It's slower than expected and might not become so big, but at least the movement gets stronger! In fact the zine is really small, made of only 8 A5 pages, but hopefully it's nice enough to avoid disinterest: The two interviews with RAGER and GAMA BOMB are short but nice (For exemple I learnt Digby/ Earache actually bothered to communicate with some bands, quite surprising according to the last years' events) and there's a dozen of Ok thrashing reviews that focus on small bands you might not know. The zine is totally pro printed and looks cool. It can be felt some energey and enthusiasm is currently banging the skull in the thrash metal genre. I think the Earache advert on last page could have easily been replaced by an interview or underground flyers. For a first issue it's Okey/ nice, I hope the editor will offer more and more content in the future, so that the readers can learn more and more about what happens in the thrash metal scene... And so could easily break their necks.

c/o In the zine Of Evil, Evergreen, Hartfield Road, Seaford, East Suessex, BN25 4PR, UNITED KINGDOM.
Email: inthezineofevil@yahoo.co.uk

NECROSCOPE #19

Adam the Polish cadaveric zombie keeps on releasing his underground as fuck big A5 zine, with the same conservative state of mind: Keep it retro, raw and old school!

There are many reviews, something like 200 or more. The editor is trading tapes and CDr all over the world, so you will likely cross deeply obscure names you didn't know before... Into these 144 pages that come with minimalist layout (There are few pictures, due to the printing costs. But it's all computer done, nothing hand-written lol) you''ll also see quite long interviews with: Embrace of thorns, Pek, Antacid, Begrime exemious, Enshadowed, Demonic rage, Hellspirit, Bestial holocaust.
Sometimes the English is quite strange, I need an effort to understand everything. This is a deeply underground zine that might turn on the lights of biggest maniacs, exclusively. Anyway there's no email address inside, so how could the "unmaniacs" get a copy?
(Ps: Notice this review was totally written during a hard and painful session in the Wc, while building a strong "castle of big shit". No joke, the inspiration can also come from "this" inside Ah Ah)
c/o Adam Stasiak, Ul.Zakopianska 42/3, 80139 GDANSK. POLAND.

DIRT EATER #1

Those who think the old styled underground is too predictable and boring should keep their eyes opened... They probably didn't look at the right place or search enough (Obviously surprises won't run after the intensive sofa-sleepers...Beers aren't exactly captors of surprising sins)... Read what appeared in my mailbox: I expected to receive a new zine, but ohhhhh... What I got in this package was unexpected, it looks so small and tiny that I wondered what it was! Ah Ah! It might be A7 or A8 sized, just a little bigger than a tape booklet. It's 8 pink pages long, self-made, hand-written and deals mostly with Swedish thrash or death metal. You can see an advert for VIC VIOLENCE Distro, short reviews of DIE HARD, TRIBULATION, IMPERIALIST and UNDERGANG plus a short article about ELECTRICUTION... I didn't learn much concerning these bands (It's really short) and the editor probably didn't spend a lot of hour(s) to produce this first issue... But I guess it was funny to do, and since it's for free why not?. For the future, I hope he'll insert more content and smaller text sizes, but the format is not a problem at all (It might even become a touch of personality... Refresh your death!).
Contact: hugo_kuhlin@hotmail.com

NAJSWIETSZY NAPLETEK CHRYSTUSA #4

The Polish underground seems to be very active, at least I hear about many bands, many zines and get gangbanged by all the vicious flyers I get mailbombed with ... And this is already the 3rd Polak paper zine I got this month... It's great to see these guys didn't forget the meaning of Underground and occur to write back when you send a snailmail... This time, the Polak funzinator (Aka an editor who releases a funzine (= A fanzine done for fun))'s currently examinated work comes under the form of 32 A4 pages, all written in... Polish! Héhé. The content is focused on funderground things like Death, Black and thrash metal, with apparently talkattack interviews (Some have long answers, while others contain many questions and many short answers). What you read on the cover can help to have an idea of the taste-of-mind: "Drink, Fight, Fuck"... "The real underground"... The layout is computer done, some pages are nice while others are a bit too clean. There's actually no review in this issue (At least I didn't find it) but mostly interviews with: SMIRNOFF, OPEN FIRE, GILOTYNA, LASTWAR, AGGRESSOR, CONVENT, SILENT TEARS, PUTRIFIED MUSHROOMS,HELL-IAS, BLOODY PSYCHO...

This seem to be another cool underground contact, the guy got back to my promo with a zine and two demos from Poland... To get in touch write there: Wojtek Lis, Ul. Dekutowskiego 16/39, 39-400 Tarnobrzeg, POLAND.
Email: nnchzine@interial.pl

RITUAL MURDER #3

I'm not a fan of all the whole black metal scene, it's obvious... But sometimes you receive some zines that attract your attention for cool reasons... In the case of RITUAL MURDER, I appreciated the quite honest thoughts to be revealed, the apparent hierarchy of tastes (Things are far more complex than black or white) and some blackened / ugly humor... You probably got it's not the average "Let's be true and necro" zine, since much more personality and experience can be found inside.

The interviews are personalized and quite interesting, the reviews are honest and numerous, the dark but easily readable layout is situated between the cut'n paste and the computerized... I might be wrong, but I might say the substance and atmosphere is situated somewhere between PANZERFAUST and NECROSCOPE zine.
I have not much to complain about RITUAL MURDER, apart from the usual matter of tastes and the fact I would enjoy the reading much more if it wasn't stuffed with about 80% of black metal... There's a total of 60 pages. Interviews: OBEISANCE, FURZE, CHRISTICIDE, CIANIDE, EMBRACE OF THORNS, TOTAL HOLOCAUST Records, KAAMOS, INCRIMINATED, MORBID EXECUTION, BESTIAL RAIDS, EITAN BLOOD, NECROS CHRISTOS.
The editor doesn't care for distribution, but prefers to directly sell his copies, so the best way to get yours will probably be to send a snail mail here: Marek Górecki, ul. Ostrowiecka 6/49, 62-600 Radom 12 POLAND or to send an email here: ritual666@poczta.onet.pl

R'LYEH #5

"The time for printed fanzines is over..." Ah Ah Ah! Let me laugh!! I receive new paperzines every week, a bit too much to read everything! So the time for funzines isn't exactly over, you fucking fucker! Those who want zines will get zines, those who want to print zines will be more or less able to do it... This is "simply" not as easy as it once was, every metaller won't mistake you anymore for a well-rounded lovable playmate simply coz you're a "Zine-maker" and it will need some pain to correctly distribute the funzine... Ok, we're in 2007 and it's obvious editors need to adapt their asses to the new piss-millenium, so why not adapting themselves to the new laws of funzining on paper instead of turning online and translucent?
In fact I just told you about my inability to read everything from the zines; This doesn't only result from a too big quantity of evil scriptures to invade my mailbox, but also from the fact every zines aren't exactly English written... lol... In this precise case, it's all Polish spoken and I don't get most of the words... But I can tell you this is an underground focused zine, and the editor is mostly into black metal (With some death and thrash). The interviews seem to be quite long an talkative (Absurd, Sauron, Holy death, Moloch lethalis, Pater noster, Morysian fog, Embrional, Hail satan, Total war prod...), the reviews aren't especially short... And there's a nice little surprise for you, evil black metaller! Adrian had the funny idea to offer something special inside... No, this isn't the usual poster you'll stick on your putrid walls... No! With this kit you'll be able to build your own little church of paper, and then to burn it as if you were Norwegian for real! Killer!!! (A matchstick is even enclosed! Lol). You'll be able to say it, with the very necro and darkened face, "I DID IT! I BURNT A CHURCH IN MY TOWN!" Ah Ah.
The zine isn't especially ultra big, but the 48 pages are packed with enough small fonts to make it compressed and tight like a juicy little... Something that doesn't look like a cunt! You putrid pervert!! The layout is too clear and simple in my opinion.
I'm more or less in touch with the editor, and he seems serious with writing back or trades, so if you want a bit more underground support in Poland, send a snail mail with many flyers here:
Adrian, PO BOX 20, 02919 WARSZAWA 76, POLAND.

TOTAL DEATH #3

I sometimes try to put my nose in the Polish language, but I have to face quite strange things... For example, they do not use only 3 genres (Masculine, female and neutral) but 5: Personal masculine, active masculine, personal female, active female and neutral... Huh! It seems I would have to enhance the schizoidism from my brain to get where they're coming from... So instead of trying to fuck even more what's already fucked enough, I will simply describe the way TOTAL DEATH looks... (Real reviews of foreign zines who speak in their own tongue won't be for 2007...).

What I see is an underground focused paper zine, that mostly deals with death and black metal. The 18 pages are packed with quite a lot of things, including the usual interviews (Sardonicus, Empheris, Misteria, Gallileous), reviews and live reports. I can't talk about the meaning of all this, but the interviews are quite long and the bands seem talkative, so it might not be the usual robotic questions. The lay out is clear but quite varied enough.
Notice there isn't any email inside, only snail mails... ONLY SNAIL MAIL IS REAL!! (At least you might remember a whelk mail much better).
I sent TOTAL DEATH a CDr promo quite recently, and he got back with a copy of his zine plus a CDr compilation, so he seems to be a cool and motivated underground supporter. To get in touch, send a snail mail with many flyers here:
Krzysztof Berestecki, PO Box 70, 38400 KROSNO 1, POLAND.

TERVILLES #1

Sometimes I wonder what happens in the inner of the initial motives to create a zine. There are so much infos flying everywhere on the web that zine-editors should fight to defend their thing and find different ideas, personality, massive specialized content... But some peoples do not seem to care and release first issues that contain a whole lot of not much at all... For example I got a copy of TERVILLES, a zine focused on the old school (Better said "true" in this case) kinds of black, death and thrash metal. At first sight, it might be nice, since the choice of bands is quite cool: VICTIMIZER, WITCHBURNER, BESTIAL MOCKERY, AMOK, MORTIFERA... But the interviews are short and the questions so simple, that it doesn't turn much interesting... The layout looks like some A5 publications you could find 14 years ago (Especially reminds me some stuffs Lord Puke/ THE WAY OF FORCE did for his tape compilations), but the font they choose pixelizes... It seems the zine was printed on a personal inkjet printer, which will probably make it more expensive and long to get a copy ready... It seems to me this first step won't motivate TERVILLES for various reasons (It will be too expensive to print a copy, the content won't necessarily interest much peoples, they apparently did very few promotions so as always feedbacks will be even fewer...) and so they'll have to improve quite a lot of things if they don't want the zine to spontaneously extinguish and fall into oblivion... Devotion and commitment are the only way! Move your ass for Satan!

I forgot to say my copy (#11) was numbered with human blood.

c/o VERTEY Stéphane, Chemin du for Bonnelle, 52200 LANGRES, FRANCE.
Email: War-crystallis@hotmail.fr

FUNERAL VOMIT #1

I keep on soupporting the beginning funzines with another first issue. This one you are currently drinking about, was mashmallowed from the apparently not so metallically desertic yoghourtified lands of Hungary and also tastes like an okey but averagely comfortable first issue. Unfortunately for my brutal teddybear needs, the FUNERAL VOMIT is quite focused on spitting the entrails of underground black metal right in my mellow face... What about Death metal of Death and Speedy thrash metal? Anyways of the morbid ways to die, the intervisions are quite long and varied, and the guy is talkative in the reviews, I think I would be a bit more interested if it was for metal of death... Sometimes the reviews or questions reminds me of SHRUNKEN & MUMMIFIED zines, it might not be an coincidence since this issue was in part dedicated to the zombeditor of Shrunky zine.

The lay-out was computer done and is very clear (A bit too much) but packed with quite a lot of infos. On one finger the zine isn't very big (20 pages) on the other finger the text-size is small, so there's no blank space in your face.
As well as his unknown comrade of SATANIC METAL, FUNERAL VOMIT did an average issue, but for a first subterranean-shot I read really worst, and he would kinda deserve encouragements if he keeps the motivation going. This time I hope improvements will ring the doors of Ms Beautiful Layout, Mr Content and Mr MetalofDeath.

Interviews: TYMAH, ALTAR OF PERVERSION, SEEDS OF HATE, SHRUNKEN & MUMMIFIED, AGE OF AGONY, KARPATIA Productions, THY FUNERAL.

c/o Peter Gresko, Vasarter u.2, Tokaj 3910, HUNGARY.
Email: Funeral_vomit@freemail.hu

METALIZE IT #16

As you can't kill what's already dead,
As you can't metallize what's already already purely metallic,

The hordes of industrials robots will invade the earth... Brrrr
METALIZE IT is a small fanzine from Belgium (And not Itally or outer-space, the "It" doesn't stand for a country suffix or an ET things, right?) that was printed with content of their webzoom, and is distributed for free (600 copies). The 28 A5 pages contain both underground and not so underground outfits, between Black, Death metal and melodic variations of the styles. The interviews aren't very long, generally a little bit more than 10 questions, but the interrogations are personalized so it works a cool manner.
The reviews reminds me a bit of IN EXTREMIS from France, but with less criticism and words-playing... Sometimes I feel they could dig digger in the bowels and minds of the bands to extract the pulp of asskicking. It's written in French. Some cool Belgian bands are inside. This is a cool paper thing for peoples who don't shake the meaning of the word metal in every ways, but rather like to feel the milky ways of relaxing metal after an hard day of work.

Interviews: KAMPFAR, NEVERLIGHT HORIZON, NOKTURNAL, PESTIFER, SUMMONING.

Webstring: http://www.metalize-it.be

SATANIK METAL #1

While I was putrideating the putrid ET with putridity, I realized there were a couple of funzines lying on the pile of Mazda wonders, awaiting for the delights of underwear-terror powers... SATANIK METAL is a new fanzine from Popoland that mostly deals with black metal, but also other old school styles like thrash and death metal, preferably in their "early" forms. The zine is rather focused on the pleasant underwears of the underground, that you like to strip to discover more appealing cavities and other necrotic jewelries, and so you won't see much from Macdonald-land or Nuclear Cash... I would have liked to continue this review with "So you'll find pure and real beef inside, without any transgenic affair..." but it's not really the case, because SATANIK METAL is in the beginnings of the fanzinic quest for underground perfection and so many things could be improved: For example, I would like the interpuked questions to be a bit more original and drag the attention of the reader with more instinctive power, the reviews are also quite short and could gain more power a way or another, and the zine isn't looking very big with its 24 cut'n paste pages. Otherwise the layout is quite clear and readable, there's no offending blank space... It's an average issue, but for a first cumshoot I read really worst. So let's hope improvements will ring the doors of Mr Content, Ms More and Ms Personality to make the satanic children of Artur more powerful.

Interviews: HEPTAMERON, UNHOLY WAR, VIOLENT ATTACK, MODER, EMBRACE OF THORNS, HUMAN PARANOÏD.

c/o Artur Znojek, PO Box 4, 25517 Kielce 15, POLAND.
Email: sm_zine@op.pl

PLOPPY PANTS #6

Since the morbid fanzines aren’t always so easy to get your hands under their putrid skin of sarcastic pages (Some fukker editors do not answer my wholesale requests! What the fuck? Complaining is better?) I have to deviate from the usual way of pure fucking death to review something that do not reflects only the vilest putridity… Héhé… In this case, PLOPPY PANTS is run by a guy who’s both into old school thrash and Hardcore/ crust/ Punk and the likes…Who by the way also runs Problem? Recs in Uk... The zine is small sized (A5), not very big, but the content is packed with punktures, infos and interpukes; It’s almost pure cut’n paste, but texts were computer done so it’s easily readable. Nice and quite long interviews were done with MALIGNANT TUMOUR, THRASH ATTACK Zine, SSS, I OBJECT… Plus some short reviews and the usual stuffs you’d find in punk zine (Propaganda). It’s more an «have fun and get enthusiastic» kind of zine than a «brainstorm your mind until criticism avulses» spitzine, but it’s nice for what it is. I got it for free in a trade. It seems to come for free against anything cool, I didn’t see a price statement… I’ll conclude with : For energetic thrash-punkers only :-P

Email: Dirty_little_punk@hotmail.com
Websweet: http://www.myspace.com/ploppypants

NO BULLSHIT #7

This isn't the biggest issue Corix released, but since he went from the Philippines to Saudi Arabia, he certainly has problems to make things work properly... Yes, you read it well! Saudi Arabia! It seems to me he's somekind of masochist, suicidal or something... What he says about the life conditions in there is quite frightening, peoples seem to be so narrow minded in there that you could get into troubles for no European common sense... (Few examples: You don't wear a mustache, you get fucked in the ass (True!), you drink alcohol in the streets, you're arrested by the police (It's fucking forbidden and they have to produce DIY alcohol to get drunk!))...

Anyway the content of the zine is still focused on underground support of extreme music. It's rather targeted on extreme metal and occurs to feature few hardcorish stuffs.
You'll find interviews that turn out to be more or less entertaining, depending on the bands' motivation (Few are quite dull: 1 line question/ 1 line answer... As if these bands had nothing to win and no one to turn on...). The reviews, that rather depicts the present moment when the listener is hearing the music, are not really my cup of beer: I'd like more comparisons/ analysis, and less influence of friendship (héhé)... Maybe illegal DIY alcohol do not help to open your spirit to higher visions of death that much... In this case an only solution: Drink macerated blood!!
There are few poems and stories. The layout is computer done and looks simple.
The way the editor depicts the life conditions and global state of mind in this country are interesting, I guess it could make think for a minute our "Get it all for free" cyber metal scene! This mini zine could be nice for big underground maniacs who need to read more about underground support, but for next time I'd like to see more depth and "philosophical" thoughts, if possible. Beware! There's a bear in your DIY beer!!!

Interviews: BLACK WINTER, BLOODY SIGN, FARASU, WATCH ME BURN, RON SACUEZA, EXTROVERT Zine.

Website: http://nbzine.cjb.net

VOMITOSE #2

VOMITOSE used to be a thrashing hc fusion metal band from Switzerland that had its growling moments... But we're in 2007, and this nauseous name currently fits to a 100% Gore, brutal death and grind paper publication. This zine isn't bad at all, it's quite big and contains a bunchy amount of infos about underground bands of the extreme or pustular, and it's quite welcome since there are currently few publications printed on real cummy paper to focus on Brutal death/ grind and the likes...

What I like: The underground choice of bands, the fact Rebecca has something to say and the reviews turn quite long, the fact some interviews are long and interesting, the fact there's more brain than in some old gogogore à gogo average gore zines...

What I don't like: The choice of some bands, few very short and uninformative interviews, the 3 blank pages at the end (Ran out of flyers?)... And the layout might be a bit too clear sometimes...

What you might need to know: The state of mind of the zine is fresh and doesn't seem too narrow, even though opinions are quite clearly shown... And Rebecca is currently a woman who accepts love letters.

So this is a cool zine that has chances to please underground maniacs of extreme brutality and pustularity. I wish her good luck and expect the best improvements for the future.

Interviews: Squash bowels, Dead, Hymen holocaust, Rotting flesh; Coffins, Bowel fetus; Embalmer, Cattasexual urge motivation, Looking for an answer, Screaming afterbirth, Funebrarum...

c/o Rebecca, 139a Hoon Hay Road, Hoony Hay, Christchurch 8002, New Zealand.
Email: sewer_grind@hotmail.com