Dec 102020
 

 

(Here’s Vonlughlio’s review and recommendation of a new EP, released in August, by the German extreme metal band Abhorrent Castigation.)

Some releases has come out of nowhere and hit us like a ton of bricks in the face (in a very good way), and such was the case for Germany’s Abhorrent Castigation and their new self-released EP On the Shores of Hell.

This band was founded back in 2012 and in the same year released their demo Enthralled by Abysmal Delusion, which took the scene by force and showcased the prodigious musical talent of this project. The cover of Cerebral Effusion’s “Into Morbid Obesity” on that demo was just godly from start to finish.  Two years afterward they released their debut album Throne of Existential Abandonment, which included as session drummer the mighty Lille Gruber (Defeated Sanity) and Anton Zhikharev as session bassist (also an amazing musician). Along with Torso (guitars) and Al (vocals), they created one of my favorite BDM debut albums ever. Continue reading »

Nov 252020
 

 

(Today Vonlughlio’s recommendation for hungry fans of brutal death metal is the latest album by Indonesia’s Death Vomit, which was released in July by Demented Mind Records.)

As some of might you know, one of my favorite genres is BDM (you don’t say! lol) and I love the different scenes around the globe that embrace and live for it. Indonesian Death Metal (IDDM) is a prime example of a scene that loves death metal in general, and BDM is particularly huge in that country.

Lots of projects/fans from the region are passionate about the music. For them it is a form of love that a lot of people from other parts of the world should take note of. Maybe one reason I appreciate this so much is that other fans who show a similar level of passion are from Latin America, and I am Latino, so I can relate to the IDDM scene. Continue reading »

Nov 192020
 

 

(Here’s Vonlughlio’s review of Goratory’s new album Sour Grapes, which is out now on Everlasting Spew Records.)

This time around I have the opportunity to review Goratory’s new album Sour Grapes, released by Everlasting Spew Records on October 16th.

For those who are not familiar, this Brutal Death Metal band from Boston, Massachusetts was born in 2000 and released their debut demo that year. Their debut album arrived in 2001 and was well-accepted in the scene and stamped their name into our souls since then. Just a year after, they released their second offering, which went into new territory (sort of) when the technical aspects of their music became more prominent, and that went along very well with the brutal delivery they were going for.

For their third offering, they took more time in releasing it. It saw the light of day in 2004 and continued on the same path as its predecessor. This release was amazing, no doubt in my mind, but for me the second release remained my favorite. Continue reading »

Nov 132020
 

 

(In this post Vonlughlio recommends the second album by the Filipino brutal death metal band Fatal Castration, which was released on November 6th by Sevared Records.)

One of the joys of the internet is that moment when out of the blue you find a new band that just blows you away the moment you push play and the first notes emerge. This is the case of FC from the Philippines, who released their second offering Diversed Paradigm of Lunacy a week or so ago via Sevared Records.

This project was born back in 2009, and as they were deep underground there was not much information about them, not until the release of their debut album Perishan Grinder back in 2014. The release included songs from a 2008 demo that I could not find. But I’m not going to dwell on that album, but will say that it’s straight-forward BDM with a raw sound that’s capable of captivating from the get-go. Continue reading »

Nov 102020
 

 

(This is Vonlughlio’s review of the new album by the New Jersey death metal band Dead and Dripping, which was released last month.)

I just love the feeling when discovering a new band that captivates you from the first note and hooks you in for the rest of your existence. That was the case for the one-man project Dead and Dripping,  born in 2016 in  New Jersey, USA.

They released a demo that same year entitled Disillusioned by Excessive Human Consumption, a 22-minute effort that reminded me of the late ’90s and early 2000s golden age of BDM. I discovered the band a year after its inception and got a re-press of that demo, and after all this time I have the same positive reaction as when I heard it the first time. It is aging very well, to say the least. Continue reading »

Oct 292020
 

 

(Vonlughlio has unearthed a blast of buzzsaw d-beat goregrind and gives it a hearty recommendation in this review.)

One of the best things for me is discovering music out of the blue, either by a recommendation from a friend, scrolling on the internet, Bandcamp, or seeing a FB post. That’s what happened in the case of Basic Torture Procedure, a goregrind act formed this year whose three members are spread across Texas, Ohio, and Pennsylvania.

They independently released  their debut album Domination Through Torture on May 17th, but of course yours truly only discovered them like a month ago and went on their Bandcamp to purchase the tape version (the only available physical format). This for me is one of the best music discoveries of 2020. I am somewhat picky in the goregrind department and their music captured me right away. Continue reading »

Oct 262020
 

 

(This is Vonlughlio’s enthusiastic review of the new album by the Spanish brutal death metal band Scatology Secretion, which has just been released by Pathologically Explicit Recordings.)

Today’s subject is the second offering, titled Submerged in Glacial Ruin, by the international band Scatology Secretion. It has just been released by the Spanish label Pathologically Explicit Recordings. I previously reviewed their 2017 debut album The Ramifications of a Global Calamity here, and it ended up being on my list of top BDM albums of that year at No Clean Singing.

As time passed since then, no news regarding the project came to light and I was worried that it had ceased to exist. But early this year it was announced that they had signed with Pathologically Explicit and they released the cover of the new effort. I was truly excited, as the art suggested they would continue their theme of world apocalypse but set it in a cold realm of nothingness. Continue reading »

Oct 212020
 

 

(The Heretics Fork is a band of unknown location and anonymous membership who’ve taken a medieval torture device for their name. This is Vonlughlio’s review of their new album, which will be released by P2 on October 31st.)

This time around I have the opportunity to review the sophomore effort from The Heretics Fork entitled Opacis Doloris, set to be released on October 31st via P2.  Before I start to dive in I have to mentioned that their debut Tomentore was released two years ago (also on October 31st) and for me was one of the biggest surprises of 2018 (see review here), and subsequently made it into my list of top BDM releases of that year.

One big mystery is that no one knows who is involved, there is no social media presence, without a care in the world, and this just adds mystique to the project. They obviously prefer to let the music speak for itself, and make no compromises to their artistic vision. The scene will take care of promoting it by word of mouth, with no problem, since the music is that good. Continue reading »

Oct 152020
 

 

(Here we have Vonlughlio’s recommendation of a new compilation record by the Chilean brutal death metal band Defacing, which is out now on Rotten Cemetery Records.)

Defacing is one of the best BDM acts from Chile. Originating back in 2001, they graced us in 2003 with their demo The Beginning of Human Cruelty, a display of powerful in-your-face Brutal Death that has all the qualities fans of the genre love.  But it was not until 2005 with the release of their debut album, the well-named Spitting Savagery, that I was able to discover them.

A friend of mine said when we listened to the album (and I quote) “South America Cryptopsy twins”, and the funny thing is, they cover “Phobophile” on this release (which is hands-down an amazing cover). But for me, they are not twins. Sure, there is a strong influence, but Defacing still managed to create a special sound.  For 31 minutes you find yourself in constant movement with the punishing riffs, the blast beats, and vocals that are utterly nasty and full of hate.  This album made an impact that still holds 15 years after its release, an underrated gem of one great project. Continue reading »

Oct 132020
 

 

(Here is Vonlughlio’s review of the second full-length by the Belarusian death metal band Ominous Scriptures, which is out now on Willowtip Records and features striking cover art by Jon Zig.)

I have to say that I have been fortunate to write my small reviews and lists of best releases for some years now and am thankful to Islander for the trust.  As I’ve mentioned, my main purpose is to promote Brutal Death Metal since other genres are well-covered here. Having said that, yes I do listen to other genres as well but for the reasons mentioned I try to focus on BDM here in NCS, and am doing that again now.

Today the subject is a project from Belarus that goes by the name Ominous Scriptures. On August 28th they released their sophomore album The Fall of the Celestial Throne via Willowtip Records. This release is crushing from start to finish, revealing the work of outstanding musicians who have come together in crafting something special that will forever be cherished by their fans. Continue reading »