Roots of Czech band Exitus go back to 1989 when Vladan Pražák and Víťa Ferenčák formed this band but disbanded in 1991. Now, thirty years later, with help of some new forces in the band, they released their opus containing twelve songs, one being a Pro-Pain cover. Exitus play that nineties old school thrash metal with one leg being in the eighties European school of thrash and one with some hardcore influences of early nineties, or maybe crossover even. Vocals are harsh and music is like running through a gauntlet of warriors who batter you with their metal gloves on your head and I don’t mean that in a bad way. Songs like ‘Final Solution(…of Existence)’, ‘World Error’ or ‘Apocalypse Never’ are sure to win you over for sure. Guitar work is chainsaw and brutal with some melodic hook here and there thrown in for good measure. I love Eastern European scene with so much good bands coming out and waiting to be discovered every day. This is fast, aggressive, groove, no holds barred thrash metal angry attack in your face.
Skeletor are hailing from Holland and this is their new opus containing eight songs. I must admit that I haven’t listened to such inspiring and various record for a long time. Skeletor play an interesting mixture of Florida death metal influenced riffs, fast and aggressive thrash metal and adding some nineties inspired groove thrash metal to the whole picture. Top that with blistering fast guitar solos that have interesting hooks reminding me of wicked Slayer solos in the prime of legendary thrashers. This album is S.O.D. for the new millenia. But, the most interesting on this record are songs and the way they were written celebrating gore, black humor and metal. Songs like ‘The Rapemachine’, ‘Hordes of the Retarded’ or my favorite ‘Anal Avenger’ are totally awesome. Vocals are brutal and angry, bass is thundering, album is a maelstorm of speed and this is why I recommend this one. Great one indeed!
Lumen Ad Mortem are hailing from Adelaide, Australia, far away scene for us Europeans from Central Europe and I am so glad when I discover hidden gem and beauty from that scene and believe me, there are superb underground bands and projects there. This is relatively new band in the scene, this being their debut opus, but members of the band are veterans of the scene playing of having played in Destroyer 666, King Parrot, Deluge, to name only a few. This opus offers six epic songs of mainly slowed down atmospheric and melodic black metal with some doom influences like for example in ‘Infinite Resonance’, but do not be worried there are also blast beats like in ‘Within the Smoke’ whose aggression turns back again into slower epic songwriting of ‘Ethereal’, with that beautiful epic melodic blast beat ending. Vocals are black metal screams, sometimes, going into death metal grunts and gothic chant reminding me of late great Peter Steele of Type O Negative at times. Keys and orchestrations are grandiose and fit perfectly sometimes at front sometimes backing guitar melodies, aggression and melancholy. This album yet again reminds me why I love black metal so much as a music to express your feelings and innermost battle with your demons. My personal favorites: ‘Ethereal’, ‘Thought and Memory’, ‘Narrow Paths and Stoney Ground’.
KRAYKULLA-WEBZINE 