Demenzia Mortis are hailing from Belgium and this is their first full length album out with Sounds of Hell. What to expect here? This is a ferocious all out war! A no holds barred black death blasting assault that will melt your face off and make you beg for mercy and for more at the same time. After ominous machine gun backed intro, battle begins. Blast beats, fast black metal kicks in and Codex 666 reminded me a bit of Marduk´s best opus but that in no way means Demenzia Mortis clone anybody. The vocals vary between black metal screams singing mainly and death metal growling occasionally. The record contains nine songs, two being intro and outro, but there is also a bonus track and digipack contains two more bonus songs, so be sure to order yours. Through all the brutality, there are some atmospheric parts that add to the drama like awesome Antikult being one of my personal favorites with diabolic vibe and death metal rolling drums like satanic legions marching only to turn into ultra fast destroyer. Also, for me highlights on this record are: Dark Resolution and Above & Beyond. Great and strong record.
I first heard Empyrium from Germany about twenty years ago. Then, every Wednesday me and couple of friends had theme metal evenings. One of my friends had a vacation house in the hills so we went there and listened to new music on tapes, one Wednesday it was doom, one was black metal, one was gothic and during one of these doom evenings I heard Empyrium´s Songs Of Moors & Misty Fields and I was enchanted by melody, melancholy, vocals, keyboards and every song was a hit and it almost brought tears to my eyes and goosebumps on my skin. Fast forward to 2021. I was so happy when I saw that this new album came out and it was a long journey to releasing it. This one offers eight epic songs of melodic mixture of doom metal with gothic, post metal influences and neofolk. Music has harsh guitars sometimes, but also many atmospheric passages, acoustic miniatures in the song structures, epic work of keyboards which only add to the grandeur and beauty. Vocals are mainly clean, sung beautifully or sometimes spoken and whispered, but there are couple of excursions into harsher vocal ranges. I love how the songs, although most of them being longer, do not get boring or repetitive in any second. Another superb album, welcome back Empyrium! 9/10
It took several delays, but new seventh album by Agent Steel is out finally! Although of the founding members only singer Johnny Cyriis is left in the band, this is no matter for the ferocity and intensity of the music. New record contains 11 songs one being kinda intro. Music of Agent Steel is power/speed metal with fast and aggressive guitar work, melodic hooks and epic solos, fast drumming and trademark vocals courtesy of Johnny Cyriis. Thematically band delves in the lyrics about space, extraterrestrial life, conspiracies in the deep state and similar merry topics. Some of the songs will really make you pump fist in the air like awesome Crypts Of Galactic Damnation or The Devil´s Greatest Trick being my personal favorites. This one is an awesome album and it was worth waiting so many years since the last full length album. Welcome back legends!
KRAYKULLA-WEBZINE 