Parabellum – Tempus Mortis (2005) [Compilation]

Our commentary on the work of Parabellum must start by going beyond genre sectarianism that plagues genres, including that of so-called Colombian “ultra metal” back in the eighties. To begin with, Parabellum is arguably the originator of any and all musical contributions by said movement and style. That is to say, “ultra metal” is Parabellum. All other bands subscribing to this approach are seen to grasp only a fraction of the possibilities, with unique propositions that fell short by an apparent lack of insight of what the breaking of chains occuring here could lead to. Where the movement was clearly imitating the visible distinctive traits that Parabellum exibited, it was this band alone that cultivated twisted vociferations, stop-go hardcorisms and unconventional ways of utilizing caveman black metal riffs into compositions that were not only well-beyond their time, but which signal a timeless approach that could inform possibilities for the future of metal well into the 21st century.
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SJWs Attack Pestilence For Mistranslated Comment

As part of their continuing assault on metal and all other things masculine in order to humble them and make them into ideological servants of the Left, SJWs have been slinging verbal feces at Pestilence guitarist Patrick Mameli for using a common Dutch word in response to a jab online.

For some reason, Mameli has adopted Miami dreadlocks as his new style and, when a friend compared him to Milli Vanilli, the 1980s cheese-pop duo who were eventually busted for lip syncing their live concerts. Mameli responded with a simple statement: “Are you saying I’m black?”

Unfortunately, Facebook translated one word incorrectly. In Dutch, as in many European languages, “neger” means black person, just as “schwarze” means a dark person in German. Since Europe did not have the long history of civil rights warfare that the USA did, the connotation of certain similar words is not present, nor the stigma.

That did not stop the SJWs from rushing to arms and beginning to bleat for the removal of yet another quality band from the canon. However, in the end, SJWs have collectively never done anything one percent as impressive as Consuming Impulse, so it’s time for metal to shut them down.

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Reverorum Ib Malacht – Im Ra Distare Summum Soveris Seris Vas Innoble (2018)

The present album sees Reverorum ib Malacht moving towards more concise expressions of their by-now established sound and style. While now we see less of the separation and experimentation of approaches in instrumentation that circled around a definite sound and concept, the same are no condensed to concentrated moments and particles in the more standardized texture of black metal consisting of drums, guitars and vocals —with the important addition of synths and some programming. The end result is nonetheless highly differentiated and very much in line with the spirit of the project, as the implementation of the elements is dragged to functional extremes so that we find a music that is more accurately defined as dark ambient utilizing black metal “samples.” (more…)

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Mortum Eheieh Chaos (2017)

Mortum have by now focused, or rather reduced their approach to black metal to very specific kind of musical statements, manifesting in more prominent melodies and an overall stability. The first thing the listener may notice in contrast with The Rites of Depopulation (2011) is that texture is now kept constant, rather than having it change for the sake of variety of expression. (more…)

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Septic Flesh – Temple of the Lost Race (1991)

It is not without good reason that the early 1990s are heralded as the golden era of metal music around these parts. In less than 5 years, not only did death metal reach its hitherto most mature stage, but in its immediate wake came the pinnacles of the by-then emerging black metal movement which remains unsurpassed to this day. (more…)

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Submissions for DMU Zine and Compilation

The deadline for submissions for DMU’s new zine, Chymia Niger, and DMU’s original raw music compilation, Litigium is fast approaching. With the publishing date for a first edition projected for next Monday, we set our deadline on Saturday July 28 before midnight, U.S. Central Time. Our first post concerning these two projects provides more details, while our article on active imagination techniques applied to metal music listening, and our article proposing an extremely basic systematic training, provide ways in which individuals can discover how much they can bring forth.
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Gradus ad Phlegethon: First Thoughts

A notion has sprung out of Andreas Languetus’ mind for a project titled Gradus ad Phlegethon the sole purpose of which is not simply to study or theorize, but rather construct a viable method of transmitting the compositional techniques of ‘death and black‘ metal. Where this accumulation of illustrative techniques will take us, we cannot yet tell. But we know that it shall bring together concrete musical practices, basic contrapuntal and motif-writing techniques, as well as techniques aimed at directing the mind to appropriate states. Each of these are instrumental to the formation of a true and complete methodology that encompasses a true evolution of metal into and beyond death and black metal. Said endeavor lies in parallel, though perhaps meeting at intersections, with the search for and use of pure sound as notions for metal and dark ambient composition.
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Afflicted

Afflicted were a Swedish metal band from the late 80’s to the mid 90’s releasing only two albums and a handful of demos. They began as Afflicted Convulsion playing primitive yet erratic death metal/grindcore. Although the riffs on their earliest (listenable) demo, Beyond Redemption, do little to set themselves apart from their contemporaries, we are presented with nuanced compositions that keep the listener enticed through each track, presenting satisfying wholes rather than myopic moments of inspiration. As Afflicted, the band would take their compositional skills and apply them to unique riffs on their demos and first album, Prodigal Sun. (more…)

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Bethlehem – Dictius Te Necare (1996)

Bethlehem are a German band that was formed with the intention of adding sorrow, melancholy and madness into extreme metal. Their first opus “Dark Metal” used a mixture of black metal, slower primitive death metal and the melancholic rock inspired British sound that bands like My Dying Bride were developing. (more…)

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