Serpent Ascending’s Aṇaṅku Out September 16th

by Daniel Maarat on August 4, 2016

serpent ascending - ananku cover

Serpent Ascending announced that their debut album Aṇaṅku is going to be released by I, Voidhanger Records on September 16th. Serpent Ascending is the solo-project of Desecresy vocalist Jarno Nurmi and previously released two extremely promising demos, Serrpent Ascending and The Mournful Pilgrimage, that were compiled with one new track in The Enigma Unsettled anthology CD. From the label’s press release:

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Experiencing Chasmic Transcendence (2014)

by Staff on August 4, 2016

desecresy-chasmic_transcendence-cover

Article by David Rosales. This review is written on behalf of Akherra Phasmatanás, who so graciously bequeathed his own copy of the album so that its value as a promo investment by the band would not go to waste. He lost his harddrive and the review shortly before completion. Too busy later on and out of metal-reviewing circles, he asked David to review it on his behalf and to officially mention this copy came from him so that the band know he didn’t just drop the ball on them.

It is customary to start off a review of a Finnish death metal band by stating that they are Finnish. This generally carries a tacit implication that the band in question adheres to the particular sound developed more than two decades ago in albums like Amorphis – The Karelian Isthmus and Demigod – Slumber of Sullen Eyes. Such a useful hint, carrying so much information for those familiar with regional old school death metal distinctions, only takes one so far and while satisfactory to the casual customer, does little for the serious listener looking forward to knowing what sets Desecresy apart and what they bringing to the table.

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Sorcier des Glaces and Ende Split, Le puit des morts, Out September 22nd

by Daniel Maarat on July 29, 2016

sorcier des glace and monarque - Le puits des morts

Sorcier des Glaces and Ende are releasing a split CD on Obscure Abhorrence Productions out September 22nd. The song “Le puit des morts” features several guests including Monarque, Nordet (Brume d’Automne), Blanc Feu (Chasse-Galerie, Cantique Lépreux), I.L(Ende) and Athros (Forteresse).

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Stormkult Out On Cassette

by Daniel Maarat on July 24, 2016

kaeck stormkult cassette packaging

Kaeck‘s Stormkult, Death Metal Underground’s 2015 Album of the Year, is out on cassette for all the Volvo station wagons, Ford Fiestas, Dodge Neons, and Mystery Machines lacking CD players. The cassette may be purchased at the Bandcamp link below while the original Folter Records CD is still available from many metal distributors.

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Abyssum – Thy Call (1998) en Español

by Staff on July 23, 2016

abyssum-thycall

Article by David Rosales. This review is David’s Spanish translation of his earlier review of the album.

Cuando decimos que el metal llegó a su cúspide en 1994, después de una breve época dorada, y que lo que siguió no fue sino un declive clarísimo, esto no significa que no hubo absolutamente nada bueno. Por definición, lo que le sigue a una cúspide es un declive – aunque la decadencia sólo sea aparente debido a la perspectiva. Aún más importante es aclarar que cuando hablamos de esta manera, nos estamos refiriendo a un promedio a través del género, y no señalando a nadie específicamente. Después de todo, tenemos un Summoning publicando su clásico de clásicos en 1996 y más música grandiosa a finales del siglo. En Centroamérica, siempre un paso (o más bien diez o treinta pasos) atrás del resto del mundo como resultado de procesos históricos que podemos identificar, lo poco que su reducida población, recursos y cultura permitieron desarrollar al metal local, floreció entre los últimos cinco años del siglo pasado.

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Sacriphyx – The Western Front (2013)

by Staff on July 22, 2016

sacriphyx-the-western-front-cd

Article by Lance Viggiano.

Sacriphyx present a bog standard take on Hellenic black metal through the rollicking pulse native to Australia. The strength of the Greek strategy is in its ability to capture a variety of moods leading to a diverse heavy metal experience. The Western Front is a discontinuous concept album based upon World War I wherein its songs do not function as parts of whole; rather, they are self-contained units acting with autonomy in pursuit of the greater conceptual goal that is realized only through individual skirmishes. These compositional deployments reinforce stylistic choices by maximizing an array of emotive impact while minimizing any diminished efficacy of individual motifs as their power is not derived from their position in a greater narrative arc from song to song. Despite proficient execution, Sacriphyx fail to build upon the Mediterranean tactic in any meaningful sense and thus the movements of its elements will be predictable to those familiar.

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