Corrupter - Descent Into Madness (Godz Ov War Productions 2022)

Jeżeli ktoś z was jest spragniony ciężkiego, smolistego death metalu, to trafił pod właściwy adres i na właściwą płytę! Debiutancki "Descent Into Madness" francuskiego Corrupter (z muzykami znanymi już z Morgue) to death metal starej szkoły z gatunku tych ciężkich, gęstych, dusznych pełnych wszelakiego truchła i makabry. Fani takich zespołów jak Mortician, Incantation, Dead Congregation, Vomitory czy Funebrarum będą tu mieli czego posłuchać. Poza brutalnością, materiał minuta po minucie odkrywa przed słuchaczem swoją niepokojącą, ponurą aurę, niczym z jakiegoś horroru. Death metal w wykonaniu Corrupter ma też swoją głębię, tzw. drugi plan, na którym sporo się dzieje i z każdym kolejnym odsłuchem widać, że nie jest to tylko brutalny, zatęchły death metal, a zespół żongluje zarówno nowymi, jaki i starymi rozwiązaniami. Jest tu dużo zwolnień, przyspieszeń, trochę perkusyjnych łamańców, ale płyta zachowuje we wszystkich swych składnikach pożądany balans, a całość podbija solidne, mocne brzmienie. Materiał ma ewidentny potencjał i z tego, co w tym roku w ramach death metalu słyszałem, stawiam go bardzo wysoko. Wciągający, świadomy, dojrzały. Panowie wiedzą, co robią i robią to dobrze."Decent Into Madness" ma realne szanse być w podziemiu dostrzeżonym i zaskarbić sobie miejsce wśród najlepszych debiutów tego roku.

https://corrupter.bandcamp.com/

https://godzovwar.com/

English translation:

If any of you are hungry for heavy, dense death metal, you've come to the right address and to the right album! "Descent Into Madness", the debut of French Corrupter (with musicians already known from Morgue) is an oldschool death metal from those heavy, dense, stuffy genre full of all kind of corpses and macabre. Fans of bands such as Mortician, Incantation, Dead Congregation, Vomitory or Funebrarum will have something to listen to here. In addition to brutality, minute by minute the material reveals its disturbing, gloomy aura to the listener, like from some horror movie. Death metal performed by Corrupter also has its depth, the so-called the background, where a lot is going on and with each subsequent listening you can see that it is not only brutal, musty death metal, and the band mixes both new and old solutions. There are a lot of slowdowns, fast tempos, some drum breaks, but the album maintains the desired balance in all its components, and the whole thing is enhanced by a solid, strong sound. The material has a clear potential and from what I heard this year in death metal, I grade it very highly. Immersive, aware, mature. These guys know what they are doing and they do it well. "Decent Into Madness" has a real chance to be noticed in the underground and win a place among the best debuts of this year.

Frightful - Spectral Creator (Awakening Records 2021)

Po epkach i demach wreszcie przyszedł czas na pierwszy pełny album Frightful. No i mamy ogromny skok jakościowy i kompozycyjny! Panowie zaskoczyli mnogością inspiracji w ramach oldschoolowego grania oraz przekuciem tej starej formy w coś z nową energią i pasją do tematu. Usłyszycie tu echa Dissection, wczesnego Kreator, Possessed, Morbid Angel czy Merciless. Niby są to popularne wzorce (ależ mi to w pewnych momentach przypomina to, co najlepsze w "Altars of Madness", "Seven Churches" czy "The Somberlain"), ale nie tak znowu popularnym jest zrobić z nich własne brzmienie i kompozycje, które nie będą nudzić, a wciągną słuchacza. Frightful się to udało i oby kuli to żelazo póki gorące. Tu jest nie tylko kopalnia zajebistych riffów, ale też znakomitych nośnych solówek. Cała reszta też nie zostaje w tyle, perkusja i wokal bez zastrzeżeń. Materiał bez wątpienia wyszedł spod rąk muzyków totalnie wiedzących i czujących muzykę, którą grają. Wiedzą, jaki to musi mieć klimat i co zrobić, żeby ich granie nie zatrzymało się na etapie odtwarzania przeszłości. Teraz ciężko jest się przebić młodym grupom, bo przegrywają ze starą gwardią, ale uważam, że Frightful daleko zajdzie jeżeli zawalczy o swoje. Materiał siadł mi z marszu, jak to mówią - bez popity, i długo nie będzie opuszczał odtwarzacza. To jest metal, jaki Welcome to the Morbid Blog lubi najbardziej! Zespół wraca do tego, co w tym graniu najlepsze, a i nie stoi w miejscu, nie żyje tylko nostalgią. Płyta z pewnością wyląduje w pierwszej piątce tego roku. Rzekłem!

https://www.facebook.com/Frightfulband

https://awakeningrecordscn.bigcartel.com/ 

English translation:

After the EPs and demos, it's finally time for the first full-length album of Frightful. And we have a huge qualitative and compositional leap! The gentlemen surprised with the multitude of inspirations as part of old school playing and turning this old form into something with new energy and passion for the subject. You'll hear echoes of Dissection, early Kreator, Possessed, Morbid Angel, and Merciless here. They are supposed to be popular inspirations (but at times it reminds me of what is best in "Altars of Madness", "Seven Churches" or "The Somberlain"), but it is not so popular to do with your own sound and compositions that are not they will be boring and will attract the listener. Frightful made it happen and hopefully they will follow that path. There is not only a mine of awesome riffs here, but also great carrying solos. Everything else is not left behind either, drums and vocals without any negative comments. The material undoubtedly came from the hands of musicians who totally know and feel the music they play. They know what kind of atmosphere it must have and what to do so that their playing does not stop at the stage of recreating the past. Now it's hard for the young groups to break through because they are losing to the old guard, but I think Frightful will go a long way if he fights for his own. The material appealed to me, as they say - without any help, and it won't leave the player for a long time. This is the metal that Welcome to the Morbid Blog likes best! The band returns to what is best about this playing, not only remian within the borders of worshipping the old, not live only on nostalgia. The album will definitely land in the top five of mine from this year. I have spoken!

Throneum - Morbid Death Tales (2016/2021 Old Temple)

Po pięciu latach Old Temple wznawia "Morbid Death Tales", bodajże siódmy pełny album Throneum. I chwała im za to! Uwielbiam te złote dyski wydawane przez Eryka i staranność przy poligrafii. Pierwsze wydanie z Hell's Headbangers już ciężko dostępne, a szkoda żeby ten album był nieosiągalny w kraju zespołu. Throneum to dla mnie grupa kultowa i nie będę tego ukrywał. Wraz z Witchmaster czy Hell-Born rozpoczęła swego czasu krucjatę pod tytułem "Granie obskurnego, oldschoolowego metalu na pohybel wszystkim!", gdy nikt zbytnio nie chciał takiej muzy grać. Cały czas dobrze im to idzie. Nazwa przytaczanego tutaj krążka doskonale mówi, jakie granie tu znajdziemy. Tak, to stary Hellhammer i Celtic Frost z czasów "Morbid Tales" w swej całej surowej, piwnicznej i brudnej formie poddany tuningowi w postaci starego, dobrego death metalu. Kurde, że też w dzisiejszych czasach wciąż są maniacy, którzy potrafią tak grać i nadać swojej muzyce tak bezkompromisowe brzmienie, niemal demówkowe i mieć wywalone na wszelkie sztuczne dopieszczanie swojego materiału. Ma to swój niepowtarzalny urok. Słucha się tego wybornie! Rzecz jasna trzeba lubić takie klimaty, wtedy wejdzie bez popity. No i jest tu Diabolizer za garami. To dla mnie zawsze powód, żeby posłuchać płyty. Mam ogromny szacunek do tego człowieka i jego stylu grania. Dla mnie to jeden z najlepszych garowych polskiej sceny podziemnej. Brać ten album i słuchać!

https://www.facebook.com/ThroneumOfficial

https://throneumofficial.bandcamp.com/

https://www.shop.oldtemple.com/

English translation:

After five years, Old Temple reissues "Morbid Death Tales", the seventh full-length album by Throneum. And praise them for that! I love those golden discs issued by Eryk and the diligence in printing. The first release from Hell's Headbangers is hardly available, and it's a pity that this album was unattainable in the band's country. Throneum is a cult group for me and I will not hide it. Together with Witchmaster and Hell-Born, they started a crusade called "Playing dingy old school metal without compromises!", when no one wanted to play such music that much. They are doing well all the time. The title of the disc quoted here perfectly says what kind of stuff we can find here. Yes, it's the old Hellhammer and Celtic Frost from "Morbid Tales" times in all raw, basement and dirty form tuned by the good old death metal. Damn, I'm glad taht nowadays there are still maniacs who can play this way and give their music such an uncompromising sound, almost demo-like, and be free from all artificial polishing of their material. This has its own unique charm. The listening is a pure joy! Of course, you have to like such style, then it will appeal to you totally. And here we havee Diabolizer behind drums. This is always a reason for me to listen to the album. I have great respect for this man and his style of playing. For me, he is one of the best drummers of the Polish underground scene. Grab this album and listen to it!

Impure Declaration / Nekus - Malevolence Evocations (Old Temple 2021)

Dawno nie było żadnego splitu, a ostatnio wpadł mi w ręce takowy od Impure Declaration oraz Nekus. Czyli diabelski death/doom metal z polski łączy siły z niemieckim black/death metalem. Mieszanka jest iście czarcia! Oba zespoły przygotowały po trzy autorskie numery (Impure Declaration dwa, plus cover Beherit "The Gate of Nanna"), dając nam ponad pół godziny znakomitego grania. Impure Declaration wyrobiła już swój własny styl i nie zawodzi. Ich walcowate, pełne mroku i piwnicznego charakteru budują niezwykłą, złowieszczą atmosferę. Ich granie jest niczym jakiś rytuał! Mam nadzieję, że niebawem uraczą nas wreszcie pełnym albumem, bo w tym zespole drzemie ogromny potencjał i chętnie posłuchałbym dłuższego materiału. Nekus natomiast przygotował materiał w którym przeplata się obskurny, oldschoolowy black i death metal (są zarówno szybkie kanonady, jaki i wolne fragmenty) wraz atmosferą horroru czy jakichś ponurych lochów. Klimat jest bardzo niepokojący. Muzyce towarzyszą różne osobliwe dźwięki, które budują atmosferę napięcia. Jestem bardzo ciekaw jak coś takiego wypada na żywo. Z jednej strony ma to w sobie coś z kolegów, z którymi dzielą ten split, z drugiej są tu echa zespołów pokroju Proclamation czy Blasphemy, a z jeszcze kolejnej słyszę nawiązania do Abruptum. Podsumowując, split jest bardzo dobrze dobrany, muzyka obu zespołów się zazębia i współgra ze sobą. Wszystkim maniakom oldschoolu i tych bardziej walcowatych, ciężkich brzmień w black i death metalowej formie, polecam z całą stanowczością!

https://www.facebook.com/ImpureDeclaration

https://www.facebook.com/Nekusband

https://www.shop.oldtemple.com/

English translation:

It's been a long time since I had written about any split, and recently I got my hands on one from Impure Declaration and Nekus. Devilish death/doom metal from Poland join forces with German black/death metal. The mixture is truly hellish! Both bands prepared three compositions (two from Impure Declaration, plus a cover of Beherit "The Gate of Nanna"), giving us over half an hour of great stuff. Impure Declaration has already developed its own style and does not disappoint. Their heavy, dark and obscure art create an unusual, ominous atmosphere. It's like a ritual! I hope that they will finally treat us with a full-length album, because this band has a huge potential and I would like to listen to a longer material from them. Nekus, on the other hand, prepared a stuff in which raw, oldschool black and death metal (there are both fast cannonades and slow fragments) mixes with the atmosphere of horror or some gloomy dungeons. The climate is very worrying. The music is accompanied by various peculiar sounds that build up an atmosphere of tension. I am very curious to see it performed live. On the one hand, it has something to do with the colleagues with whom they share this split, on the other hand, there are echoes of bands like Proclamation or Blasphemy, and on another one I hear references to Abruptum. All in all, the split is very well prepared, the music of both bands overlaps and harmonizes with each other. To all oldschool maniacs and those more into heavy  sounds in black and death metal, I definitely recommend it!

Forbidden Omen - Ancestral Rituals (Szataniec 2021)

Forbidden Omen to bardzo dobrze rokująca, młoda krakowska grupa parająca się melodyjnym death metalem ze słowiańską tematyką. Słyszałem już o nich wcześniej i sprawdzałem jakieś ich utwory, ale dopiero tegoroczny materiał autentycznie sprawił, że zainteresowałem się grupą i z chęcią sięgnąłem po ich debiutancką płytę. "Ancestral Rituals" to naprawdę konkretny skok jakościowy, kompozycyjny i estetyczny względem dema. Dostajemy tu wypracowany i solidny death metal ze znaczną dawką melodii. Słuchając albumu od razu pojawił mi się w myślach slogan - "Polski Amon Amarth" (ku mojemu zaskoczeniu pod nazwą "Bonus Track" na końcu płyty kryje się cover "Pursuit of Vikings"!). I nie jest to specjalnie przesada, bo skojarzenia nasuwają się same. Oczywiście, produkcyjnie nie jest to ten poziom itd., ale Forbidden Omen autentycznie ma potencjał by stać się kiedyś polskim odpowiednikiem szwedzkiej grupy, traktując o dawnych Słowianach w miejsce Wikingów i ich mitologii. Poza naprawdę dobrymi kompozycjami i masą zapadających w pamięć riffów i melodii, mamy też mocne, czyste brzmienie i solidny wokal Piotra, wokalisty grupy. Płyta trwa lekko ponad pół godziny i słucha się jej jednym tchem z ochotą na powtórkę. Bardzo rzadko sięgam po produkcje z bardziej, nazwijmy to, współczesnym brzmieniem, ale Forbidden Omen tak zaczarował tymi numerami, że słucha się tego wybornie. Death metal w wykonaniu tej grupy i z oryginalną tematyką, jak na ten gatunek i naszą scenę, sprawia, że płyta zasługuje na wyróżnienie i to, żeby ją wam polecić. Komu nie straszne melodie w metalu śmierci i lubi pogańskie klimaty, powinien sięgnąć po "Ancestral Rituals"!

https://www.facebook.com/ForbiddenOmen

https://www.szataniec.pl/ 

English translation:

Forbidden Omen is a very promising, young group from Krakow (Poland), crafting in melodic death metal with Slavic themes. I have heard about them before and checked some of their songs, but it was only this year's material that really made me interested in the group and I was eager to reach for their debut album. "Ancestral Rituals" is a really concrete leap in terms of quality, compositions and aesthetics in relation to the demo. We get a well-developed and solid death metal with a considerable dose of melody. While listening to the album, I immediately thought of the slogan - "Polish Amon Amarth" (to my surprise there is a cover of "Pursuit of Vikings" under the name "Bonus Track" at the end of the album!). And this is not an far-fetched statement, because the associations are self-evident. Of course, it is not this level in terms of production, etc., but Forbidden Omen genuinely has the potential to one day become the Polish equivalent of the Swedish group, dealing with the ancient Slavs in place of the Vikings and their mythology. In addition to really good compositions and a lot of memorable riffs and melodies, we also have a strong, clear sound and solid vocal of Piotr, the vocalist of the group. The album lasts a little over half an hour and you listen to it in one breath with a desire to repeat. I very rarely reach for productions with more, let's call it, modern sound, but Forbidden Omen enchanted me with these songs so much that it pure pleasure to listen to them. Death metal performed by this group, with its original theme, both in this genre and our scene, makes the album worth attention and to be recommended to you. Who is not afraid of melodies in death metal and likes pagan themes, should reach for "Ancestral Rituals"!

30 Years of "Bloodchilling Tales" - Interview with Paul Johansson from Sorcery

 

1.Hi there Paul! This year you celebrate the 30th anniversary of Sorcery’s debut album – „Bloodchilling Tales”. It’ already a classic title in the history of Swedish death metal. How do you feel being one of the originators of the death metal scene in Sweden and do you look at this album after all these years?

Hi Przemysław! Of course I’m proud of what we have done. Our album meant a lot for some fans and maybe we have inspired some other band to create music. I’m so thankful for what people has done for us - being interested in our music, creating our band merch, records and other stuff. 

2. Let’s get back to the demos period. Your music back then, just like Merciless, was more close to the extreme thrash metal inspired by bands like Kreator. Were the any other bands that had that serious impact or you? What was the moment when you said to yourself – “yeah, we are staring our own band”?

When I and Ola first met and talked about music it was about who is the best guitarist. Iommi or Blackmore. I can’t remember if we have sorted that out yet- anyhow it led us into a deep friendship. I played Mercyful Fate for Ola on a school journey -83’, and we decided to start to play together. We started a band that we called “Acid queen”. It was like a heavy metal band but with an urge to go faster and more brutal-  but we come from a very small town and there was not a bunch of guys who want to play metal. But in the summer of 86’ we did meet a guy from a village nearby - Patrik Johansson (who had the biggest drumkit we had ever seen and, he could play on it too) and his cousin Fredrik Nygren and that’s how Sorcery was found. It was many German thrash bands that inspired me also ones like Sarcófago and Bathory. 

3.After the demos the time had come for the debut LP. How long did it take for you to create the material and record it? Do you have any memories from the studio and the recording session? The album sounds original despite being recorded at Sunlight studio which has its characteristic vibe.

I think “Lucifers legion” is the oldest song on the album and that is from 87’. So it was song from 87-90’. If I remember correct, we were at the studio for 5 days. We had to sleep on the floor in a weaving workshop which was next to the studio. We were young without money - but damn, it was fun. I was trying to play drums back then and I had a real hard time with the kit. It was D-drum kit combine with an acoustic so it was messy. Sound was leaking in the headphones and so on. We didn’t use Hm-2 pedal but I can’t remember what pedals they used and we were in a hurry so I think that made a big part for the sound.

4. “Bloodchilling Tales” was released only on vinyl back in the days. Why there was no other format available? How was it with looking for the label and finally signing with Underground Records for this release?

Cds where new to the world and expensive to print I guess. UGR was a small company with little resources so he couldn’t do it, or so I think. We didn’t have a bunch of deals to choose from so we took the first, haha.

5. The cover art of the debut LP is more in the vein of a heavy/power metal record, that’s the first impression. Its aesthetics refers more to stuff such as Blind Guardian for example, than to a pure death metal record. What is the story behind it, how was the author and how to you bring this art idea to life?

The title “Bloodchilling Tales” made us think of a creepy evil wizard reading from book. Every song from the album is a bloodchilling tale of evil and death. That was our toughts anyway. Then the artist, which I don’t know the name of interpreted our words and painted the cover as he thought we meant. It was not that we screamed with joy when we saw the cover but it had to be that way. There was no possibility then to change it.

6. What’s very unique about “Bloodchilling Tales” is the useage of keyboards in the background here and there. They fuel the sinister, evil atmosphere of the record, provides the climate that no other record from Sweden had at that time, as far as I’m concerned of course. Who came up with this idea? 

I think I have to take the responsibility for that. We used keyboards on our demos too. Creating intros, and I was very into combining metal and keyboards just as you say - to create an atmosphere. The others had to stop me many times.

7. I think you had and still have one of the best logos in death metal. Was it created by someone from the band? Where there any other projects of the logo you considered using or it was just a perfect much right from the start?

Yes, it was Fredrik Nygren, one of the guitarists who drew it. He had done some other before but he was working on new ones all the time and finally we were very pleased with one we have for over 30 years now. I think he drew logos for other bands to but I can’t remember which.

8. The album was released in 1991, so the same year as many classics of Swedish death metal. What was the response on your material and what are your reflections on that special year in Swedish metal history. How do you recall being part of it nowadays?

When we had recorded the album we lay back and waited for something. I don’t know for what, but we were lazy and a little bit naive I think, so nothing happened-  at least as we thought. But we did something for a few people which I know now, but not then. I did meet a guy who said: “It’s because of you I started to play music”, for example, and we are nowadays seen as a cult band for some people. I can say that we had a chance to work with a big management company, but a guy from the band was drunk on a gig and behaved like an idiot, and just on that evening they checked us up, so you know what happened. Anyway, with no CDs, only 1000 copies of our record and with no distribution we didn’t have a real chance.

9. Early 90s and late 80s was a period of massive tape trading around the world with Sweden in almost in a centre. I will not be wrong saying you participated in that as well. Do you still have the stuff you got those days in your collections, are you still after collecting metal stuff? How it was back then and how it looks now in your case?

I was not a big trader, I got music from my close friends. I didn’t have pals all over the world. Yes, I have boxes of cassettes in my hidings and some original demo tapes form our big Swedish bands like Mefisto, Agony, Morbid and so on. I remember a band called Deathlord, I think they were from Australia, that had a big impact on me. Hmmm, I had forgot about that band. I think I have to go down in the cellar and try to find their record.

10. Starting with the end of the 90s, already after Sorcery disbanded for several upcoming years, “Bloodchilling Tales” was re-released several times on CD, LP and even cassette (starting with No Colours Records and ending with Xtreem). Which of the reissue you like most, which you willrecommend to the people who are new to Sorcery or those who had only the 1^st press vinyl? Could you tell something more about the one with changed title – “Legacy of Blood”?

I would go for “Legacy of blood”. A great cover and you will have the 7” Rivers of the dead on it too. We change cover just to be sure that nothing could be hold at us and Xtreem in case of legal issues. That’s all.

11. Just to end with something special. Once I was going through your thanks list on the album there was something like this: “The Swedish custom service for being fooled (helpful and understanding) twice”. Can you uncover what happened here? Seems like some sort of a funny story.

Well the story behind the custom service being fooled twice was that when the first pressings of the “Rivers of the Dead” EP arrived from France, they were stuck in the hands of the custom. They thought that we somehow had imported a large amount of records to sell without paying tax for it. We came up with some other story for them and they finally let the EP’s through. Some months later the same thing happened again when the second pressing arrived. We told them the same thing again and for the second time they bought our bullshit and let the EP’s through and we never had to pay any import tax at all.

I can tell a funny history about when Ola and I met at my home and I wanted him to sing. I didn’t have a microphone but I had some headphones that were broke. They worked as a microphone, so when Ola was growling to them it sounded in my stereo. And I had a little Casio keyboard with a drums in it. If you pressed the button it played a drumbeat salsa or whatever. It had some rocks beat too, so I turned the bpm (beats per minute) to max, plugged in my guitar and we started to make a song out of it. We had to start with something.

https://www.facebook.com/sorcerydeathmetal

http://sorcery.se/

Interview by: Przemysław Bukowski

Huoripukki - Ikuinen Kamppailu (Fallen Temple 2021)

Pierwszy pełny album fińskiego Huoripukki zapowiadany był na koniec lata tego roku, jednak premiera przeciągnęła się do jesieni. Zdziwiło mnie gdy w booklecie do płyty wyczytałem, ze została nagrana jeszcze w 2019 - trochę czekała na wydanie. Niemniej wyczekiwane "Ikuinen Kamppailu" wreszcie do mnie trafiło i zabieram się do podzielenia się z wami wrażeniami. Pierwsze, co dało się odczuć podczas słuchania płyty, to progres brzmieniowy i więcej czystego, niemal niczym nie zmąconego death metalu. Blackowe domieszki są już daleko w tle. Miejscami riffy i rytm na płycie oscylują wokół bardzo nośnych, prawie (zaznaczam - prawie!) heavy metalowych patentów, jakie można było usłyszeć na płytach Dismember, aby za chwilę przejść w barbarzyńską nawałnicę. Połączenie chwytliwości i brutalności na "Ikuinen Kamppailu" dało bardzo fajny efekt, płyta nie jest tendencyjna i wciąga w ten swój oldschoolowy klimat. Może Huoripukki nie jest jakoś bardzo płodne wydawniczo jeżeli chodzi o pełne materiały, ale to, co słyszałem na demówkach i EPkach powstających od roku 2008, było zawsze wysokiej jakości death/black metalem. I tak jest i teraz, a nawet lepiej. Zespół miał czas wyrobić swój styl, brzmienie i uraczył nas naprawdę bardzo dobrym materiałem, także zostałem tu muzycznie zaspokojony z nawiązką. Wniosek jest jeden - fińska scena death metalu, wciąż ma się dobrze! Zespołowi Huoripukki życzę częstszego wydawania pełniaków i tak dobrych jak ten pierwszy.

https://www.facebook.com/Huoripukki

https://huoripukki.bandcamp.com/ 

https://shop.fallentemple.pl/

 

 English translation:

The first full-length album of Finnish Huoripukki was announced for the end of this summer, but the premiere lasted until autumn. I was surprised when I read in the album's booklet that it was recorded in 2019 - the album waited a bit for release. Nevertheless, the long-awaited "Ikuinen Kamppailu" finally arrived and I'm going to share my impressions with you. The first thing you could feel while listening to the album was the sound progress and more clean, almost uninterrupted death metal. Black metal elements are already far in the background. In some places the riffs and rhythm on the album oscillate around very strong, almost heavy metal patents (I repeat - almost!), which could be heard on Dismember albums, only to go into a barbaric storm in a moment. The combination of catchiness and brutality on "Ikuinen Kamppailu" gave a very nice effect, the album is not biased and draws you into its oldschool atmosphere. Maybe Huoripukki isn't very prolific in terms of full material, but what I heard on demos and EPs starting from 2008 was always high quality death/black metal. And it is so now, and even better. The band had time to develop their style and sound and treated us with really good material, so I was musically satisfied here, with a vengeance. There is only one conclusion - the Finnish death metal scene is still doing well! I wish Huoripukki more frequent releases and as good as this first one.

 

A blast from the past! - interview with Anders Brorsson (Ablaze My Sorrow)

1. Hi there, Anders! Thanks for your time to recall a bit from the band’s history. Ablaze my Sorrow is not that well known round the world but for sure among Swedish death metal enthusiasts. Please tell me how it all started with the band, what pushed you to play and join the scene and why you have chosen such name for it?

We started Ablaze My Sorrow during 1993, for a couple of weeks the band was named Mournful but we changed that prior to the recording of our first demo. We all knew each other since before and had been playing in other bands together before forming Ablaze My Sorrow. It was our original drummer Fredrik Wenzel that came up with the band name which means something like “make me mourn”. 

2. It seems to me that your demo materials were closer to black metal, then to death. Even your very early pictures are supporting this. Do you have the same opinion? What bands inspired you back then. Will it be lie to say that Dissection made a huge impact on you? 

Our first demo “For Beareavement we cried” was heavily influenced by the early works of Katatonia amongst others. When Fredrik left the band and Alex joined in 1994 our influences changed into something more in the line of At The Gates, Eucharist and Dissection. Bands that still to this date are our main influence. 

3. Years 1994-1996, so the demo and debut period were already the days when the most famous Swedish death metal has been released and all the movement started by Merciless and Nihilist/Entombed was already gone at some point. How do you managed to find a place for your band with “If Emotions Still Burn”? What was the response for the album?

I don’t know how or if we ever found a place for our band. We did what we wanted to do and No Fashion Records sent us a deal which we signed. There have never been any plans or strategies with the band. We write songs, record them and release them. The response concerning “If Emotions Still Burn” was really good and it sold well. I don’t have the numbers but I remember a list with the best-selling albums at the time that was sent to us from House of Kicks (distributor) at the time. 

4. “If Emotions Still Burn” consists of elements of death, black and even a little of gothic metal, it’s melodic and very unexceptional, a real jewel of Swedish Metal that deserves far more attention back in the days. Could you share some memories connected with its creation and cooperation with No Fashion Records? As you know opinions on the label remained very bad. 

We were between 17 and 20 years old when we recorded the debut album in 1995. It was the first time ever in a “real” studio and we had no idea what we were supposed to do. It was during the summer and we had a great time.  

The artwork for “If Emotions Still Burn” was created by Necrolord, if I’m not wrong. Why you have chosen his work for the debut, were there any other possible artwork you consider using? How do you recall the work with Mr. Wåhlin?

Well, Necrolord was and still is one the absolutely best painters out there in my opinion. He was our first choice so nothing else was discussed. He has created some amazing covers and it’s an honor to have his artwork as a cover for our debut. 

5. “The Plague” was a serious step forward and a step in a different sound and attempt to the compositions. Previous influences seemed to develop with an addition of thrash metal catchiness. The album seems less extreme when compared to the debut, more into stuff that we were able to find among albums of Finnish Sentenced or your colleagues from Cemetary. What influenced that changes and how you recall this material after all those years? It’s a great piece of melodic death metal.

I guess that “Slaughter of The Soul” might have something to do with this, it’s one hell of an album. As everyone else we are big fans of bands like Slayer, Kreator and Testament but I really think that At The Gates was a just as big part of this development. It’s interesting that you mention Sentenced, a band that since their debut has had a huge impact on Ablaze My Sorrow, even though it’s not always that easy to notice. I think that those influences are easier to hear on our more recent material. They are one of my absolute favorite bands, albums such as “Crimson”, “Down”, “Frozen” and “Amok” gets their fair share of listening every week.

6. I have asked about the art put on the cover of the debut, I must also ask about “The Plague” in this case. I don’t exactly like it to be honest and always wonder what was behind the concept of it. Could you uncover some facts?

I can’t remember that we did more than send him the lyrics for “Plague of mine” when it comes to that cover. We leave it at that.

7. Back in the 90s you were probably in contact with a lot of bands sharing letters, tapes, records and so on. Could you tell with which bands you had the best contact and stay in touch to this day? Do you still collect records?

Yes, there were lots of letters written and lots of demos bought and sold. At that time everything went slow and you had to wait for weeks to receive the music you wanted to get hold of. There were no youtube or spotify where you could pre-listen to bands before you bought it. This means I own tons of crappy demos and records, but it sure was exiting times. You were in contact with so many great bands and other people within the scene.

8. Now something connected with playing live. Do you remember any gig from the 90s that is is still left in your memory? Whim whom did you play and what makes this memories so special?

I remember a gig in our hometown Falkenberg, I think it was in 1992. The bands that played were Dissection, At The Gates, Eucharist and a local band called Afterlife. That gig made a huge impact and could be considered as a big part of the startup of Ablaze My Sorrow. A couple of years later we played a show in our hometown together with At The Gates, probably 1995/1996 somewhere or something like that.

9. There were two logos of the band, one created by Thoth from The Ancients Rebirth and the one you started to use with the debut. Who created the second one and why you have decided to change it? 

We used the first logo until we released “If Emotions Still Burn”. We needed a more fitting logo for the cover art so Necrolord created the “new” one when he painted the album cover. We have used that one since then. 

10. Finally, are there any plans considering the reissues of the old albums or demo materials? I think they deserve a second youth.

I really do agree with you here. Unfortunately, it’s not we who own the rights for those recordings. If someone wants to re-release they’ll have to make a deal with MNW.

11. This is the place when we can end. Thanks a lot for this short interview and an opportunity to talk about the old days of the band and your classic records!

All things come to an end. Thank you for the support and cheers to everyone reading this. Hope to see you if we come to your town.

Interview by: Przemysław Bukowski

Offence - You'll Never Rest in Peace (Witching Hour 2021)

W tym miesiącu ma również premierę trzeci pełny album Offence - "You Never Rest in Peace". Mam wrażenie, że ten zespół nie otrzymuje na tyle dużo uwagi, na ile zasługuje, a jest obok Cancerfaust jest jednym z niewielu tak autentycznie dobrych piewców szwedzkich brzmień na polskiej scenie. Nowy materiał Offence aż emanuje wpływami Dismember, Grave czy Entombed i przekuwa je na swoje potrzeby tak perfekcyjnie, że nie sposób ich nie pochwalić. Nawet wokal Marka ma podobną barwę do Mattiego Karki. Płyta brzmi jak stare szwedzkie materiały pokroju "Massive Killing Capacity". Jest tu ten charakterystyczny sound i ciężar, ale również chwytliwość. Widać pracę włożoną w to brzmienie i balans między poszczególnymi cechami tej płyty. Zrozumienie i wyczucie tej muzyki jest u Panów z Offence niepodważalne, to świadomy i konsekwentny zespół, a "You Never Rest in Peace" ugruntowuje ich pozycję. Moim faworytem z płyty jest numer "Slaves to the (Un)Holy Cross". Basowe intro i główny riff to potęga. A potem to dynamiczne przyspieszenie... Warto wspomnieć jacy goście zawitali na tym albumie, bo mamy tu m.in. Lesa (Damnation, Hell-Born, ex Behemoth), który nagrał gościnne wokale na "This is a Fucking Death Metal Song" oraz solo gitarowe w "Inferno". W tym utworze swojego głosu użyczył Roman Kostrzewski (ex Kat, Kat & Roman Kostrzewski). Wystąpił również w klipie do niniejszego numeru (możecie go sobie obejrzeć z linku poniżej). Podsumowując, płyta spodobała mi się na tyle, że bez zahamowań stawiam ją zaraz obok debiutu Pandemic Outbreak. Może jest mniej "zjawiskowa" od dzieła młodszych kolegów, ale naprawdę bardzo dobra i zasługująca na wyróżnienie. Znakomity szwedzki death metal z Polski!

https://www.facebook.com/offence.offcial

https://store.witchinghour.pl/

English translation:

This month we also have the premiere of Offence's second full-length album "You Never Rest in Peace". I have the impression that this band doesn't receive as much attention as it deserves, and next to Cancerfaust is one of the few genuinely good representatives of Swedish sounds on the Polish scene. The new Offence material emanates with the influences of Dismember, Grave or Entombed and they transform them into their own needs so perfectly that it is impossible not to praise them. Even Mark's vocals have a similar timbre to Matti Karki. The album sounds like old Swedish materials as "Massive Killing Capacity". There is this characteristic sound and heaviness, but also catchiness. You can see the work put into this sound and the balance between the individual features of this album. Understanding and feeling of this music is unquestionable when it comes to Offence, they are a conscious and consistent band, and "You Never Rest in Peace" strengthens their position. My favorite from the album is "Slaves to the (Un) Holy Cross". The bass intro and main riff are pure power. And then this dynamic speeding up later... It is worth mentioning what kind of guests appeared on this album, because we have, among others, Les (Damnation, Hell-Born, ex Behemoth), who recorded guest vocals on "This is a Fucking Death Metal Song" and did a guitar solo on "Inferno". Roman Kostrzewski (ex Kat, Kat & Roman Kostrzewski) lent his vocals in this piece. He also appeared in the clip for this track (you can watch it from the link above). To sum up, I liked the album so much that I put it right next to the Pandemic Outbreak debut without hesitation. Maybe it is less "phenomenal" than the work of younger colleagues, but really very good and deserving attention. Great Swedish death metal from Poland!

Pandemic Outbreak - Skulls Beneath the Cross (Awakening Records 2021)

Nareszcie! Słuchałem online, robiłem z grupą wywiad (będzie do poczytania w nadchodzącym numerze Musick Magazine), ale jeszcze nie miałem okazji doświadczyć debiutanckiego albumu Pandemic Outbreak z fizycznego nośnika, a tylko taką formę konkretnego słuchania uznaję i tylko po takim odsłuchu można pisać reckę. Płyta trafiła w moje ręce na dniach i nie wyłazi z odtwarzacza! W stosunku do poprzedniego materiału zespół poczynił niesamowite postępy - to skok w nadprzestrzeń w kwestii zarówno brzmienia, jaki i samych kompozycji. To już świadomy i uformowany death/thrash metal nie biorący jeńców. Słuchając tej płyty przypomina mi się historia Vader, a potem Decapitated, to jak kiedyś te zespoły zawojowały scenę i jakie niegdyś nagrały debiuty. Pandemic Outbreak to tak samo utalentowany zespół, w którym drzemie ten sam potencjał. Przeraża fakt, że "Skulls Beneath the Cross" nie został przygarnięty przez żadnego polskiego wydawcę, nie otrzymał zadowalającej oferty wydawniczej i zespół musiał szukać za granicą. Na szczęście trafili pod skrzydła prężnej i oddanej metalowej sprawie Awakening Records z Chin. Płyta została wydana zajebiście! Cóż, niech polskie labele potraktują to jako prztyczek w nos. Wróćmy jednak do samej muzyki. Nie da się ukryć, że panowie z Pandemic Outbreak to fani starego, dobrego death metalu. Inspiracje wczesnym Vader, Sinister, Morbid Angel, Slayer, Pestilence, Cancer czy nawet Asphyx wylewają się tu nieprzerwanie, także mamy tu misterną mieszankę Florydy ze sceną europejską. Miejscami słyszę tu też nieco swojego ukochanego Dragona z czasów "Fallen Angel", ale to tylko bardzo odległe echa. Brzmieniowo "Skulls Beneath the Cross" to istna potęga. Jest tu cała niezbędna energia, balans i odpowiednia dawka ciężaru. Wszystko chodzi jak Szatan przykazał! Widać po tej płycie ile serca i roboty zostało w nią włożone, ale przede wszystkim, że to wynik niezaprzeczalnej pasji. Mówię to już teraz, głośno i wyraźnie - ten zespół zawojuje scenę i kiedyś będzie wielki! Zobaczycie, usłyszycie!

https://awakeningrecordscn.bigcartel.com/

https://www.facebook.com/pxoxdeathrash

English translation:

At last! I listened online, I did an interview with the group (you can check it out in the upcoming issue of Musick Magazine), but I have not yet had the opportunity to experience the debut album of Pandemic Outbreak from a physical format, and this is the only form of proper listening I recognize and only after such listening you can write a review. The album arrived recently and I can't stop listening to it! Compared to the previous material, the band made an incredible progress - it is a leap into hyperspace in terms of both the sound and the compositions itself. It is already conscious and formed death/thrash metal that don't take prisoners. Listening to this album reminds me of the history of Vader and then Decapitated, how these bands conquered the scene in the past and what debuts they recorded back in the days. Pandemic Outbreak is an equally talented band with the same potential. The scary fact is that "Skulls Beneath the Cross" was not issued by any Polish label, didn't receive a satisfying publishing offer and the band had to look abroad. Fortunately, they found themselves under the wings of the thriving and dedicated Awakening Records from China. The album release is fucking great! Well, let Polish labels treat it as a slick on the nose. But let's get back to the music itself. It can't be denied that the guys from Pandemic Outbreak are fans of good old death metal. Inspirations from early Vader, Sinister, Morbid Angel, Slayer, Pestilence, Cancer or even Asphyx are pouring out constantly, and here we have an intricate mix of Florida with the European scene. I can also hear some of my beloved Dragon from the time of "Fallen Angel" here, but these are only very distant echoes. In terms of sound, "Skulls Beneath the Cross" is a real masterpiece. There is all the necessary energy, balance and the right dose of heaviness. Everything as Satan commanded! You can see from this album how much heart and work has been put into it, but most of all, that it is the result of undeniable passion. I say it now, loud and clear - this band will take the scene by storm and be great someday! You will see, you will hear!

"This time I don’t have to try to fit in a certain type of sound or direction. It’s just music that comes out of me naturally." - interview with Serge Streltsov, a man behind Selfgod.

 

1. Hi there Serge! First of all, how are you doing during this hard times? Is Covid that much a pain in the ass or you manage to deal with things easily?

It was definitely hard to deal with last year but now I’m kinda used to the situation. I still do everything I usually do except for playing live but I’m not even in the position regardless of the restrictions. Definitely miss going to concerts. It’s hard to find things to do outside of that.

2. What do you think about the current situation of the metal scene, both underground and more commercial one, not only in present Covid rality? Are you in favour of more physical releases or digital form? What you prefer yourself.

I haven’t been up to date with what’s going on in the scene to be honest. I just listen to the old bands I grew up on. Haven’t really discovered anything new. I have seen bands doing live streams and such but that’s not really my cup of tea. But I get it, musicians must find ways to make money. I prefer physical releases. I still buy vinyls and cds all the time. I love going to the record stores to check out albums. Also order stuff online.

3. I must ask about the Automb. There was a really nice response for this band and its records, I have seen very positive reviews, it was simply a very good music. What happened that the band split-up?

Thank you! Me and Danielle were dating and broke up. We agreed on the fact that Automb is about both of us and it would make most sense to disband the project.

4. You have started a new solo project – Selfgod. What can we expect from it? As far as I know you are a fan of Pagan Metal as well as the bands like Dissection, Belphegor or Behemoth. Generally Death and Black Metal. Will Selfgod be a continuation of the path taken with Automb or will turn into different direction?

Selfgod will feature material I wrote both for Necrophagia and Automb. So it’ll be a mix of both bands. It’ll definitely be a blackened death metal project with more death metal undertones and it’ll be more riff oriented. I think it’ll satisfy the fans of both sub genres. It’ll truly showcase what I am as a song writer. This time I don’t have to try to fit in a certain type of sound or direction. It’s just music that comes out of me naturally.

5. Will you consider Selfgod as a full band or just as a solo project without plans for regular releases?

I definitely want to take it on the road when the time comes. I will definitely put together a full band and will hire live musicians like I did in Automb. But for now I will just focus on studio stuff.

6. Do you already have a label that will pick up your project? What about Witching Hour? The way they issued Automb’s “Chaosophy” was splendid.

I had a few offers but nothing stuck out to me so far. I definitely would like to shop around and see what else I can get. Witching Hour is one of the options. They did a great job pressing the physical copies of the last Automb album. 

7. You played with Necrophagia. Could you share some memories with us when it comes to this band? How do you recall being a member of this act? Did it have any kind of impact on your music taste, composing and so on?

I have lots of great memories with that band. The best memory is definitely the first European tour supporting I am Morbid. That was my first tour ever and it was on a tour bus. It was definitely a full rockstar experience. I remember having a lot of pressure trying to fill those shoes but once I got comfortable it felt like I was in the band for decades. It definitely restructured my song writing abilities. It changed how I viewed a lot of things. Definitely opened my ears more to everything. It was a huge learning experience. I still write in that mind set sometimes and have remained with that guitar tuning for years after. Music taste wise it just pushed me back to the older bands that I grew up with. Made me realize how good those early rock and heavy metal records are. It’s not always about blast beats and growls.

8. Returning to the subject of labels, you seem to choose these from Europe. Is it a coincidence or you just prefer the stuff that European labels create and issue?

It was the labels that had the most interest. Me being European almost seems like it magnetized those opportunities.

9. As far as I know, please correct me if I’m wrong, you come from Ukraine. What is your opinion about the scene from there, past and present. Do you consider to relate in any way to the music created by the most famous extreme groups of Ukraine in Selfgod? Like Nokturnal Mortum, Khors or Drudkh?

Yes I am from Ukraine. I do enjoy the Ukrainian black metal scene a lot and it has inspired me over the years. These are all great bands but I don’t think I sound anything like them musically. I do relate to the Slavic pagan themes that they used on certain records. Im definitely not a fan of all their work. Just certain albums.

10. You are also a member of Haxxan. To my surprise I once reviewed Haxxan’s debut album and it was very good. Do you still play with this band and are there any plans for the next Haxxan album?

That’s cool to hear that you reviewed that record. Haxxan just like Necrophagia are done because Killjoy has passed away and both of these bands featured the same line up.

11. Your session drummer in Automb was Scott Fuller from Morbid Angel. How have you guys met? Do you consider to get in touch with him in case of Selfgod? Or you are planning to record everything on your own?

Me and Scott met at a Morbid Angel show years ago and have remained friends ever since. I have been in contact with him and yes he will be on the Selfgod debut album.

12. Are there any dates when we can expect the new recording from you? I mean singles, full album?

No dates yet. I still have to finish writing the album. I’m about 90% done with that and I also have to record it. So I’m not exactly sure when I’ll be able to release it. Hopefully at the end of this year. There’s no record deal yet. So it all depends on the label I go with and their schedule. But I will post some teasers.

13. If there will be any plans for future gigs of Selfgod would you consider visiting Europe and Poland? Have ever visited our country before?

Yes. Europe has always been in mind. I would love to do a European tour whenever that will be possible and of course Poland would be great too. Yes I played in Bielsko-Biala in 2017 with Necrophagia. It was one of the best shows of that tour. Would love to play there again.

14. That will be the end. Thank you for your time and an opportunity to talk and introduce your new band to my readers. Last words belong to you!

Thank you for this interview! All the best! Stay Metal!

Interview by Przemysław Bukowski

Hostia - Carnivore Carnival (Deformeathing Productions 2020)

To już ponad miesiąc od ostatniej recki i należy przerwać to milczenie. A jak przerywać, to z hukiem! Dlatego też chcę wreszcie podzielić się swoimi refleksjami odnośnie do wydanego w ubiegłym roku drugiego albumu Hostii - "Carnivore Carnival". Panowie wydali album konsekwentny w stosunku do debiutu, dojrzały i ugruntowujący ich styl. Co od razu tutaj słychać, to znakomite połączenie selektywności i oldschoolowego brudu. Balans między jednym a drugim został wyłapany znakomicie. Płyta brzmi potężnie, bardzo dynamicznie; przez to odbiór wypuszczanego w nas połączenia death metalu, grindcora i naleciałości hardcore/punk jest autentycznie bardzo dobry i wciągający. Panowie z Hostii stworzyli album zwięzły, mocarny, który buja jeszcze lepiej niż ich debiut - to ewidentny krok naprzód, nie opuszczając wybranej formy. Słuchając tej kanonady, mam też wrażenie, że gdzieś w tych dźwiękach przemyka duch zapoczątkowanego niegdyś przez Entombed death 'n 'rolla. Taki materiał nie tylko dewastuje głośniki, ale również perfekcyjnie sprawdza się w warunkach koncertowych, w które to zespół mierzy w szczególności. W warstwie tekstowej dalej postępuje w klimaty slasherów oraz dobitnej krytyki i demaskowania prawdziwej twarzy religii chrześcijańskiej. Jest bluźnierczo, a i z nutką czarnego humoru. Mamy tu niespełna 30 minut bardzo dobrego grania i to nie jest za mało. Grindcorowa forma nieprzekraczania 2 minut na każdy utwór świetnie się tu sprawdza. Kompozycje są tak skonstruowane, że słuchacz nie ma wrażenia niedosytu, a wręcz przeciwnie, w pełni wykorzystania danego czasu. Jest tu miejsce na wszystkie niezbędne składniki. Żałuję, że tak późno sięgnąłem po tę płytę, no ale teraz bacznie będę śledził poczynania zespołu. Album mus!

https://www.facebook.com/hostiaband/

https://www.churchofhostia.com/

https://hostiametal.bandcamp.com/

English translation:

It's been over a month since the last review and this silence should be broken. And it should be with something serious! Therefore, I want to finally share my reflections on the Hostia's second album - "Carnivore Carnival", released last year. The gentlemen recorded an album consistent with their debut, mature and solidifying their style. What you can hear right away is a great combination of selectivity and oldschool dirt. The balance between one and the other has been perfectly matched. The album sounds powerful, very dynamic; because of that, the perception of the combination of death metal, grindcore and hardcore/punk accretions unleashed to us is actually very good and addictive. Hostia has created a concise, powerful album that makes even better impression than their debut - it is an evident step forward without leaving the chosen form. When listening to this cannonade, I also have the impression that somewhere in these sounds sneaks the spirit of the once initiated (by Entombed) death 'n' roll. Such material not only devastates the speakers, but also works perfectly in concert conditions, at which the band aims in particular. In the lyrical layer, it continues with the atmosphere of slashers and strong criticism and exposing of the true face of the Christian religion. It is blasphemous and with a hint of black humor. We have less than 30 minutes of great stuff here and it is not too little. The grindcore form of not exceeding 2 minutes for each track works perfectly here. The compositions are constructed in such a way that the listener doesn't feel unsatisfied, the total running time is used to the maximum. There is space for all the necessary elements. I regret reaching for this album so late, but now I will be closely following the band's activities. A must-have album!