Category Archives: Reviews

Reviews, Various

(record review)AKERCOCKE-“Renaissance in Extremis”(Peaceville)

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Its been exactly ten years since the last album and Akercocke just released a new album. What does the new album hold? Well,  the Brits got us exactly nine new songs, about 55 minutes long album.

Akercocke-RenaissanceCD

There are some albums that work fine for me, but there are also those that make me nervous and this one was one of such albums. In general, the problem with this album is that it is too progressive even for and the old scene purist in me just woke up from the deep slumber and made me dislike this record. Dont get me wrong, the musicianship on this album is superb, but there is just too much guitar solos and they continue for too long in some songs. Lyrics are great, I think the band kept their Satanic edge through all these years. You cant go wrong with song titles such as “First to Leave the Funeral”. Jason Mendonca provides vocals that are sometimes blackish, sometimes death growl and a lot of times clean with additional help of female vocals here and there. The song structures vary from aggressive blast beats to moody atmospheric parts, but there is just too many things in one song to make me like it. There are some nice parts, but too few for me. This one was just too prog for me!

4,5/10

https://www.facebook.com/akercockeofficial/

http://peaceville.com/bands/akercocke/

 

 

Reviews, Various

(record review)TERRIBLE OLD MAN-“Fungi From Yuggoth”(MDD Records)

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As many of the readers who roam through the pages of this zine know, my all time favorite horror writer is H.P.Lovecraft. I always admired metal bands who were inspired by his works and worlds, and I always tried to find that ultimate band who would put Lovecraft words into melody and blend it in one great whole. Now I found it.

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Terrible Old Man hail from Germany and this is their second full length album and what could I expect from a band who named themselves after one of Lovecraft stories? Frankly, I expected much and I got much. Imagine a band whose every lyric and song evolves and is directly derived from your favorite writer and his work. Well this album contains 10 songs of pure horror packed in melodic up tempo mix of heavy and doom metal but the band is not afraid to venture in some blast beat and faster waters. The vocals are cleanly sung and the singer does a great job. Oh yeah, to add more greatness, I checked the line up of the band and every member of the band is also named after one of the characters from Lovecraftian universe. This is an album that has it all, great music, great lyrics and I am happy I discovered this band.

8/10

ORDER NOW: https://goo.gl/LQRuw3

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VISIT: http://mdd-records.de

Reviews, Various

(record review)SPILL YOUR GUTS-“Hungry Crows”

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Spill Your Guts is a band made of international crew, based in Shanghai, China. After releasing a couple of ep-s, this is their first full length studio album.

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Spill Your Guts play pretty darkened hardcore punk with some black metal and rock n roll influences. The guys really know how to play, they recently returned from the extensive Russian tour. I would love to see them and hear them live one day. The album has 9 tracks and it is an energetic bomb so it will melt your face off and make your ears bleed with pleasure.

The lyrics are all in English language and I love how they are written, kinda deep but with a sharp edge. Thematically, they deal with some personal issues like being far from home, but also a lot of political stance, like fighting against prejudices in modern society, then again about friendship and how to keep it, and these guys have a really big heart and it is in a right place. This album proves that hardcore has no physical boundaries. The music is metal influenced and very dark, but also has some very fast blastbeats in song structures that kinda slow down in almost sludgy passages in some parts. Vocals are screamed and nicely done but there are also some clean melodic sung parts like in “Satan 3(some)”

This album is really good and if you love your hardcore punk with some dark stuff, get it and support these guys, I am sure that every support means a lot to them!

8/10

https://www.facebook.com/spillyourgutsband/

https://spillyourguts.bandcamp.com/