Short Review Massacre Marathon
Month of February 2023
La Inquisición - “Tenebrae” (Contra Records, 2020)
Luciferian
Pact - “Summoning Evil Spirits” (Nigra Mors, 2023)
It was with excitement that I received a message from Nocturno, half of Xerión. Xerión is a very special project, one with which I easily connected some years back, initially due to geographic proximity (Galicia and Bragança), but the sound spoke louder, and how wonderful it is. Tales of folklore and ancient traditions. However, this time around we will not be analyzing Xerión, but a new project that gathers Nocturno, Heinous Murmur (former Ereskhigal), and Lord Marganor (Ereshkigal… another superb act).
Luciferian Pact is a very, very interesting project; I was wrongly expecting something much closer to Old School South American Violent Black Metal, but no. Luciferian Pact is a very well-crafted Black Metal with plenty of melody, an amazing percussion work, au point vocals (not harsh, not mellow…), slower parts, faster parts, all very well measured. At moments, I get this Greek feeling to the sound, but afterwards we get an Eastern scent to it, in the end it sounds fantastically great, and it may not sound like any of the previously mentioned. In fact, they sound classic, and more, and more bands are sounding like bands sounded more than 20 years ago. Mexican and Galician influences, perhaps; maybe they have crafted the sound of their own. Anyway, Luciferian Pact sounds classy and contemporary. Delicate melodies, powerful and harsh vocals… the simplicity of the formula is what makes it so interesting. It is an organic sound, through and through. At times, it resembles storytelling, especially the way the words are sung; the music also helps in providing that atmosphere.
All these
musicians have been around for years, have endured the test of time, and
prevailed. In a way, their sound reflects the Artists that are, and the art
they create. Their music does not sound old or dated; their art is a
manifestation of experience, and of times long gone. Melody, Epic, Power, and
Strength.
Vultyrium -
“Vultyrium” (Werewolf Records, 2023)
Once again, it seems that musicians are, more and more, attracted to times old, and the days when they were fans and supporters. Black Metal is an ever-evolving genre, we are well aware of that. Black Metal is, as well, the genre that I believe to be the most honest amongst all the genres of Heavy Metal. Finland is one of those places where Black Metal is respected, where Black Metal still holds a place… history has shown us that, without a doubt. Vultyrium is one of those examples. Perfectly crafted Finnish Black Metal, a complete balance of Melody, Power, and Aggressiveness. Finnish Black Metal has this aroma that very little have: the Norwegians are more aggressive, the Swedish are more Melodic, and the Finns are different. Sadist Stalker is a live member for Warmoon Lord (not aware? Please go look), and I see where his music come from.
It is that characteristic thing to their sound, that we immediately fall in love with… a hellish love, of course. You have, here and there, some Thrashy parts, but Black Metal reigns supreme here. Again, the melody built by Sadist Stalker is old, from times gone, from a distant reality, and yet, so perfectly adequate for today. This release is structured in four parts, all above the 7-minute mark, but you never feel like it is taking too long ahahah they all flow extremely well. And those guitar riffs… splendid and perfect.
Moving from 2023 releases to 2022
Hardcore pearls that might have passed under most people’s radar. The European
scene has always been strong. Truth be told, most of us started in Hardcore
through the US scene, which makes sense, especially if you consider that NYHC
is almost a brand. People see NYHC and go ape shit, but it also attests to the
bands’ quality, of course. Back to Europe, and more specifically to Catalunya.
Pulso is a Hardcore band from Barcelona, with a mixture of Traditional and
classical sound, with lots of melody, which I love. I utterly hate the new wave
(can I call it that?) of Hardcore bands that sound like they are a Slam band,
considering how hard their Beatdown is. But hey, never mind the old man in the
back, please.
Back to Pulso. I really like their
approach to the sound, with plenty of melody but, at the same time, that energy
that pulls you in. To me, it sounds a lot like 90ies melodic Hardcore, which is
amazing! And I adore the fact that they sing in Spanish. That is one thing that
works for most Spanish Hardcore Punk bands: the usage of their language gives
the music this… “fragrance”. Like what we have been seeing for the past years
in the Portuguese Black Metal scene. Overall: go for it, just dance to it, sing
along, hug your mates, and go crazy!
Angstloch -
“The Shades of Pale Night” (Independent, 2023)
2023 has just
begun, and how wonderful it is to see excellent releases. The one we have
playing at the moment ticks all the boxes I have on my “to listen” list:
awesome logo? Yes. Black and White cover? Yes. Non-basic frame? Yes. Man in the
snow with sword? Yes. Epic track titles? Yes. With that being said, let us jump
right into this cauldron of Black Metal. Cold as today, frozen as my soul,
Angstloch presents us 5 tracks of Black Metal in the vein of days of old. It is
with a smile that I see that musicians are, more and more, going back to old
melodies, to old sounds, constructing something that pays true homage to what
was done.
Angstloch
grabs hold of old melodies and old synthesizer magick, and crafts beautiful
Black Metal. I have no information on who is behind it, nor do I want to know.
I remember not knowing who played in what bands, and nowadays kids know
everything, and that will always take some of the mystery and magick that is a
big part of what Black Metal is, in the end. What more to say? Please, give it
a spin, especially if you are and old fart like me, that still thinks the 90ies
were the best years for the genre - I screw you not - and you want them back.
This, my friends, is top-notch Black Metal. Absorb it.
Facção
Opposta - “Da Luz à Obscuridade” (Combate Brutal Records, 2018)
From Portugal,
a band that proves that the genre is not dead! Punk Oi! at its best, lyrics in
Portuguese, a massive wall of sound and UK groove. The fact that is is sang in
Portuguese only helps to make it even harder and bulkier, in my opinion. And
the guitar player, please, massively massive. Those licks are a mix of melody
and aggressiveness… truly Punk Rock, mates, truly Punk Rock. Unlike many other
Punk Oi! acts, Facção Opposta has that Rock n’ Roll flare that provides the
music with an even edgier facet. It is quite easy to raise your fist and sing
from the top of your lungs, beer in hand and football on the TV. Yes, we can
see it as some sort of soundtrack to the Sunday match.
Take a song
like “Veterano do Ultramar” for example. The pace is quite fast, is it not? And
when it jumps into that short guitar solo, uhm… they got us. That is one bloody
addictive part right there. “Anjo da Morte” has more of Punk Oi! feeling to it.
This is the classical structure, and we love it, right? That groove, that pace,
that rhythm, all of that together make it anthem! Overall, this is a colossal
Punk Oi! album, and it is Portuguese. Mention to the Komintern Sect Cover with
Wattie, from Rixe/Lion’s Law/Classe Criminelle/Faction-S/Bromure/Atlantes…
Well, well, well. For starters, these
lads are listed on Metal-archives, which makes them - according to the user,
and the platform, and yadda yadda - Heavy Metal in some way. I never had any
doubt on the legitimacy of their Heavy Metal essence, and this release just
showed it even more. In line with what was previously done by the likes of
Cro-Mags, Leeway, Power Trip or 328548609 other bands that wanted to add a
little more danger to their Hardcore, Foreseen lives in that realm that I tend
to not appreciate: is this A or B?! Not a hybrid, but more a crossover
(Suicidal Tendencies style). Scandinavian Heavy music tends to be… Heavy. No
matter what they decide to play, it will be Heavy (with a capital H, yes).
The first track is a Thrashy one.
Lots of element that one associates with Thrash… and I find no reference to
Hardcore on this one. And it sounds old, which is a must when it comes to
Thrash. Well, they do not play the Thrash I like, but it is cool. And they
sometimes go straight for that Hardcore groove, so characteristic. Not going to
analyze each one of the tracks, but I feel them more Thrashy than in previous
releases. “Tolerance of Abuse” has a NYHC scent, but also a Slayer aroma, right
from the top, but then it goes Thrash all the way. Nonetheless… fuck them, this
is massive!
I knew they released a record in 2022, but did not pay much
attention to it, but after listening to a Portuguese Hardcore Punk podcast, and
their choices for Best of 2022, I went back to it, and dig it much more now.
Not a revolution in the genre, nor an album for the ages, but a very cool
release from 2022, that sounds like it was released in the 80ies (it is the
Thrash thing to it ahahah). “Oppression Fetish” is… man, when that beast goes
straight into that 80ies mellow moment… ARGH, EVERYTHING AROUND ME JUST BLEW.
Top Fucking Notch!
This is one of those records that
might lead a lot of Hardcore kids to Thrash Metal. “Age of Quarrel” might be
seen as one of The Records, and they are right, but this one can also be of
assistance in that transition. Respect.
There are names that cannot be
mentioned without getting you canceled. I can understand… and I cannot
understand. Whenever we mention the name of That Norwegian musician the
internet goes mad! True, the twat is a bastard with bastard ideas, but
music-wise very little musicians accomplished what he accomplished. And this
leads us to the object of today’s analysis: Sternatis’ “Blazebirth Hall”, from
2022. This was one of those releases that got me going “wow”. This is, in my
opinion, one of the strongest released of 2022, within that semi-underground
niche.
The artist hails from Russia and
named the release after one of the most controversial Black Metal circles in
recent years, “Blazebirth Hall”. Again, cancelation culture. Nevertheless,
bloody amazing Black Metal those lads pulled-out with a large majority of their
releases. We were all well aware that the people behind the bands were - and
some still are - very sketchy. And we need to address this before we jump into
the music: never have I ever supported this socio-political thought, quite the
opposite.
With that, let us start. Sternatis
should not be seen as an homage to the BBH. That would be the worst way to
value the man’s job. This set of songs is actually quite good, very melodic,
the perfect soundtrack for the lover of ancient European History. Well, that
might lead you to believe that we are A or B, but no! these are the melodies of
ancient conquerors and their fellow mates; images of pagan lands and old cults.
“To Sacred Wrath, Worldly Glory” is a perfect example of the feelings emanated
by this release! The usage of the acoustic guitar brings it even closure to
that European Black Metal feeling, that slightly Pagan melody. If you are
acquainted with the aforementioned circle, you know what to expect: power,
aggressiveness, melody, melancholy…
Eastern European Black Metal has
always had this thing to it. Characteristic melodic lines, the overall
atmosphere, that production, etc. Sternatis is a great example of how that
“weight” fell upon the artist and how he replicated it. Homage was mentioned in
the beginning, and although I do not feel it is, it truly could be one, given
the quality of the material present.
Regulate -
“Regulate” (Flatspot Records, 2022)
Last year was
a good year for music. In Hardcore in particular, I was introduced to a few
good releases, but 3 stood out as different and did spin a lot more than
others. The first one will be “dissected” in this short review. Regulate is a
Hardcore band from New York City, that released their self-titled LP via
Flatspot Records, and was rocketed to space… period. Regulate has this
different approach to Hardcore. Much more melodic and “accessible” than most
Hardcore bands from the Big Apple, but I “blame” Turnstile for that, of course.
These guys can
write hooks, and in a little over 25 minutes they are able to make everyone
jump like crazies, while being very mellow and sweet. Forget that harsh and
aggressive posture most NYHC bands have and focus on riffs that could be used
for a Post something release, almost Pop song structure. However, they then hit
you with a few bricks.
That is the
cool thing about these guys. They have a pretty accurate sense of how things
should be done: you can provide the public with the more or less radio friendly
tune, but then you blast their ears with some aggressive shit. This duality is
so well done that we just keep on pressing PLAY. And even the more aggressive
parts are extremely well constructed. You have those “Daning Ninja Moments”,
and then you have the “Grab Your Mate Moments”. It’s the duality… please go and
check their cover of the Bad Brains’ “She’s Calling You” to be amazed.
One thing is
certain, these guys are an extra pump in the gym ahah
Toxikull -
“Warriors” (Amazing Records, 2022)
First, this is
a Traditional Heavy Metal release, which is not frequent - if it ever happened
- on this platform. Not that I do not like a good Traditional Heavy Metal song,
but that is how things are. The band went ahead and designed a very cool
marketing plan. Well, not a marketing plan per se…
6 singles
released, one at a time. From ACDC “problematic adventures” to Traditional
Heavy Metal, I dare say we could have made 5 different reviews, focusing on
each one of the tracks. The ACDC one is very cool, no doubt. Loads of power and
extremely well done. The vocals, shared between the lead singer and the bass
player - whose voice is very good - make it a good listening. The remaining 5
tracks have, each one, a guest. Zach Schottler (Skull Fist), Armando Exekutor
(Flagelador), Marta Gabriel (Crystal Viper), Belathauzer (Filii Nigrantium
Infernalium), and Sean Peck (Cage). Most songs are within the Traditional Heavy
Metal realm, but there are 2 that stray a bit from that, and it is easy to see
which ones. Those songs sound a bit more like the band the guest comes from
than to Toxikull, which is nice; it is nice to see the band go for distinct
sounds, without losing its identity. Some are stronger than others, but overall,
these “unrelated tracks” are good.
They shine
when they step into their territory. These guys are very good at what they do,
and although I am not very educated on their sound, I remember their 1st
record to be very consistent, and superior to a lot of what was being done in
the Traditional Heavy Metal genre in Portugal.
“Metal
Defender” has to be one of the best opening riffs in the history of Portuguese
Traditional Heavy Metal! Not that I am well versed on that, but fuck it… 2022’s
opening riff, right there! And it has Zach on vocals. I remember their 1st
record (“Head of the Pack”, 2011), and how cool it was. That Heavy/Speed Metal
full of power and positivity. I blasted it a lot. “I Will Rock Again” is more
into the mellow side of the genre, in my opinion. That 80ies almost ballad… a
hard ballad, yes. And then we have “Darkness”. Now this is a Traditional Heavy
Metal track, and the chorus is epic!
Overall, these
guys play the music they love, and all the elements that come with you, were
adopted by the band. Most of these tracks are clear Heavy Metal anthems. This is
Heavy Metal!
Too long to
read this has become. In all honesty, I am very curious to see what these guys
can pull off next. Revivalism is always something I tend to be in favor of, as
I am still very much in love with the Past I lived, but it needs to be well
done, well designed, and well performed. This is very well performed. They did
not turn me into a fan of the genre, but whenever I want to feel like a “True
Heavy Metal Fan”, Traditional Heavy Metal is the place to go.
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