Sometimes you discover the band and music in this our underground scene that brings joy to your black heart and Bloody Hammers from North Carolina are just that. Although this is their sixth studio opus, to me is the first and I freakin love it. There are nine songs on this opus and one better than the other. There are only two members in this band, two entities called Anders Manga and Devallia. Music is basically horror punk with lots of melody and superbly energetic songs, but there is also lots of melodic metal, almost power true metal in the songwriting, especially in And Soon The Darkness, punk rock is more on the surface in Black Sunday. Vocals by Anders Manga are one of the best vocals I have heard in this genre in last couple of years. This voice is so melodic, yet so powerful. Keyboards fit perfectly in the songs wherever they are applied creating atmosphere of melancholy and sadness, but first they create darkness but such darkness you wish for it to engulf you. Two more songs that I must mention as personal highlights are Last Rites Of Lucifer and Don’t Be Afraid Of The Dark. Excellent, excellent album and my heartily recommendation.
Vampyric Winter are hailing from Spain, formed in 2021 and being relatively new band in the scene, but members played and are playing in many other bands and projects. This is their second full length. What to expect here? There are seven songs on this opus and the music is mainly raw black metal played with lots of blast beats but also some atmospheric mid tempo parts reminding me a lot of nineties black metal being my favorite bm period. The guitar deliver melancholic melodies and aggression at the same time and vocals are not typical bm screaming, rather growling and if you are into this music you will understand a lot what is being sung about. Lyrics are in English and deal with vampirism, darkness and death. My personal favorites are A Gift Of True Suffering(The Death Is Complete) and also Thy Unholy Presence. This record makes you feel like you stand at the ruins of the castle on the hill on windy night with some presence watching you. Melancholy plus aggression equals great black metal.
Having grown up in the nineties, I never dug this newer technical skate punk and melodic hardcore with so many metallic influences, progressive and technical song parts, but UK veterans DARKO were one of the first bands that made me listen to more of the genre and started to love it. Well, this one has been out for couple of months but, no matter UK melodic technical hardcore veterans deliver four songs on this one. What to say? I have a feeling, after this record finished, like I listened to one epic song and by that I don’t mean it like it is a bad thing. From long epic The Ladder, to gentle atmospheric opening of Quite this is a lesson in technical, fast yet mathematically tightly played hardcore punk. New vocalist only added more energy to the band and brought fresh force to this well oiled machine. I recommend you to go check out one of the Darko’s shows if you are near, they will melt your face off with well played epic melodic hardcore/technical skate punk.
KRAYKULLA-WEBZINE 