Obsidian Scapes - Obsidian Scapes EP

Labels: Darkness Shall Rise Productions

Formats: Vinyl/Digital

Release Date: 27 Feb 2025

Tracklist:

1. Endless Sea Of Dead Mirrors

2. At My Funeral (Sigh cover)

After a week away, losing track of time and days, I'm feeling truly refreshed. I pretty much ignored all the usual trappings of modern life (where possible), in favour of walking, fresh air and family time. Having a few more days until reality bites again means that I can get back into writing and as it's the 1st of May (well, it was at the time of writing this) there's no better time to do it!

Coming to the end of my current "loose" review schedule means that I get to shine a light on some newer and more obscure bands beginning with German doom/death act Obsidian Scapes. Their debut EP was released back in February via fellow German label Darkness Shall Rise Productions, acting as a precursor to their first full-length album, which is set for release next month. Consisting of an original track called 'Endless Sea Of Dead Mirrors' (that appears on the aforementioned album) and their own take on the song 'At My Funeral', which was originally released by Japanese avant-garde black metal band Sigh.

As cyclical as extreme music is, death metal continues (for now) to take centre stage. Doom in it’s various forms currently dwells in the background, though that may be about to change. Obsidian Scapes are helping to lead the charge for low and slow bands in 2025 and it’s easy to see why. ‘Endless Sea Of Dead Mirrors’ is teeming with downtempo and downtrodden instrumentation, as well as tortured vocals. While slower tempos command a lot of space throughout this song, there’s also a layer of faster musicianship and even some semi-melodic vocals that might remind you of The Blackening-era Machine Head (apologies if my comparison is off here!).

While that original composition from Obsidian Scapes really hits a high bar musically, their cover of ‘At My Funeral’ by Japanese band Sigh was always going to be a tough one to pull off given their English language preference. It works well, especially with the addition of off-kilter tempos and keyboard-like melodies. Honestly, it’s a welcome escape from the constant blasting death metal that’s filling the underground airwaves at the moment.

Obsidian Scapes have set their stall out early and in doing so, they’ve shown how exciting their music is. This is evidence of what’s to come on their debut album. In a time when bands need to differentiate themselves from others, Obsidian Scapes have given themselves an immediate launchpad. Great stuff.

You can stream and purchase the EP digitally via Bandcamp below:-

Obsidian Scapes - https://www.facebook.com/profile

Physical copies can be purchased from Darkness Shall Rise Productions here:- https://darknessshallrise.de/

Darkness Shall Rise Productions - https://www.facebook.com/darknessshallriseproductions

Balefire - Balefire

Labels: Iron Bonehead Productions

Formats: Vinyl/Digital

Release Date: 31 Jan 2025

Tracklist:

1. Black Sun

2. Sands of Gemini

3. Star-born Revolt

4. Barbaric Rebirth

5. Lord of the Red Lands

6. Black Moon

While the finger tries to stay on the pulse, the hand of time does it no favours. That's no ancient proverb, but a way of eluding to the fact that we're already well into April and I'm still trying hopelessly to hang on given the pace of new releases. This debut EP from US death metal band Balefire was released at the end of January via Iron Bonehead Productions, both on vinyl and digital formats. 

Balefire is a duo consisting of bassist Chuck Sherwood (of Incantation, Occumancy, etc) and drummer Xander Bridge (of Eternal, Nuclear Remains and many others). With the EP lasting no longer than fifteen minutes, expect a barrage of intense death, black and thrash metal with plenty of old-school passion.

I’m going on a much needed week away on Friday so this review will be my last for the month (definitely putting quality over quantity!). Brand new barbaric death metal from an equally new US duo as Balefire kick off with ‘Black Sun’, a brooding and artistic intro free from the usual electronic embellishments. It’s incredibly freeing to be able to listen to a band who approach their music with such simplicity. Just drums, vocals and bass (though there may be an additional guitar in there, but I can’t tell for certain). Either way ‘Sands of Gemini’ sounds absolutely fantastic in all it’s satanic death metal glory. 

One thing that’s really refreshing about this release is how precise and short the songs are. ‘Star-born Revolt’ proves exactly that point with a mix of brutal low-end vocals, warp-speed percussive blasts and metallic undertones. Listening to ‘Barbaric Rebirth’ following the Easter Monday passing of the world’s leading (living) religious figure makes complete sense. I’m not religious in the slightest, so knowing that there won’t be a true rebirth is comforting. ‘Barbaric Rebirth’ itself throws you straight into the EP’s latter half with no time for sentiment, as Balefire infuse their death metal with a welcome doom hit.

Talking of doom, the EP’s longest song ‘Lord of the Red Lands’ is filled with it amongst the sewer-laden death metal. Despite the promise of a properly arduous march though, Balefire don’t abandon what they do best and allow their frenetic pace to dominate one final time, as EP closer ‘Black Moon’ leaves you with gut-wrenching vocal effects and unnerving ambience. 

As debut releases go, this is spot on. It contains enough material to get you hooked without being overblown. Just really good death metal filled with black metal intensity and a decent amount of downtempo atmosphere.

You can stream and purchase the EP digitally via Iron Bonehead Productions below:-

This year marks the 30th anniversary of Iron Bonehead Productions, so what better way to celebrate than to pick a physical copy of this EP and/or any of the other exceptional releases from the label via this link - https://shop.ironbonehead.de/

Iron Bonehead Productions - https://www.facebook.com/IronBoneheadProductions

Crossed - Realismo Ausente

Labels: Fireflies Fall/Navalla Discos/Saltamarges/Through Love Records/Zegema Beach Records

Formats: Vinyl/Digital

Release Date: 21 Mar 2025

Tracklist:

1. Ojos Cerrados

2. Vaciar Un Corazón

3. Distrés

4. Monotonia De La Lluvia En La Ventana

5. Cerrojo

6. Carne Atravesada

7. Sentirse Solo

8. Cruz Vertical

9. Cuerpo Distorsionado

10. Realismo Dolor

11. Catedral

I've been in love with Spanish hardcore/metal band Crossed ever since I purchased a copy of their 2022 album Morir from Left Hand Label (which was a co-release with Clever Eagle Records, Pundonor Record and Zegema Beach Records). Following their 2022 split release with Vibora and the 2024 EP Vida Quieta, Crossed return with their newest album Realismo Ausente. For those still unfamiliar, Crossed is made up of members from Boneflower, Descubriendo a Mr Mime and Eros+Massacre.

This album isn’t even a month old yet, so I don’t feel that far behind for once! Self-deprecation aside, Crossed are on an absolute roll. Opener ‘Ojos Cerrados’ fills the speakers (and room) with a screeching, heady mix of twinkly post-hardcore and blackened metal. It acts as an ice-breaker or an initiation if you will as it’s followed by ‘Vaciar Un Corazón’, which is filled with much more intensity and a whole lot of groove too. I for one wasn’t expecting that! The percussion sits a little deeper in the mix, while the bass and guitars ramp up the volume alongside the high-pitched vocals. 

‘Distrés’ opens up yet more sonic avenues on this release, as Crossed manically switch between upbeat punk rhythms and off-kilter signatures that truly blur genre lines. They purposefully ignore the need to write lengthy songs and allow momentum to do it’s thing. ‘Monotonia De La Lluvia En La Ventana’ is another case in point with it’s unnerving feedback and panic-inducing riffs. This song is somewhat different in approach as it relies on spoken-word vocals during the first-half before the band hits top gear once again.

In a time where bands are crossing genres as if they never existed, ‘Cerrojo’ offers no safe haven. Proper core riffs/bass delivered alongside eardrum-bursting screams and upfront drumming amplifies how far Crossed are willing to go for their art. ‘Carne Atravesada’ is filled with the most unnerving noise and screams, it’s easy to forget that this isn’t a noise/ambient black metal release. I mean, it sort of is but not in that sense as it’s got much more to it like the blasting insanity of ’Sentirse Solo’, which comes complete with mathcore-esque panic chords and added post-metal riffs.

The excellent continuation you get on Realismo Ausente doesn’t go unnoticed, The way Crossed uses feedback and natural sounds to bridge gaps between songs works perfectly. ‘Cruz Vertical’ is testament to that as it instantly hits after ’Sentirse Solo’ has seemingly ended, filling the speakers with heavy hardcore and repetition that actually sounds good!. They can do no wrong, as proven by the glorious yet metallic melody that opens ‘Cuerpo Distorsionado’. Those metallic tones make themselves heard throughout the song, while huge stomping riffs and high-pitched shrieks override the senses alongside cymbal-led percussive crashes. 

Penultimate song ‘Realismo Dolor’ both carries on the momentum left by it’s predecessor but also brings the earlier groove back to the forefront of Crossed’s sound, along with the spoken-word/shouted portion of the vocals. Ending with the album’s longest song ‘Catedral’, Crossed treat you to the heaviest piece overall. It contains pretty much everything that this record has to offer sonically, while creating the ultimate soundscape in which to conclude.

Crossed have always been heavy but that term is subjective. Some listeners will consider Morir to be a lot heavier while others will say the same about this album. I’m not looking to draw a proper comparison between the two (though it reads like I am) and I do like to approach records as I find them. Realismo Ausente is a great record filled with so much density. This year is passing by far too quickly, don’t let records like this do the same.

You can stream and purchase the album both digitally and physically from Crossed below:-

Crossed - https://www.facebook.com/crossedxband

You can also buy physical copies from the labels below:-

Fireflies Fall - https://firefliesfall.com/shop/

Navalla Discos - https://navalla.bandcamp.com/merch

Saltamarges - https://saltamarges.bandcamp.com/merch

Through Love Records - https://shop.throughloverec.com/collections/releases

Zegema Beach Records CAN/INTL - http://www.zegemabeachrecords.com/zegema-beach-releases / USA - https://zbrusa.com/collections/all

Fireflies Fall - https://www.facebook.com/firefliesfall

Navalla Discos - https://www.facebook.com/navalladiscos

Saltamarges - https://www.facebook.com/saltamarges

Through Love Records - https://www.facebook.com/ThroughLoveRec

Zegema Beach Records - https://www.facebook.com/zegemabeachrecords

Mutagenic Host - The Diseased Machine

Labels: Dry Cough Records/Gurgling Gore/Memento Mori/Self-Released

Formats: Vinyl/CD/Tape/Digital

Release Date: 03 Jan 2025

Tracklist:

1. Neurological Necrosis

2. Genestealer

3. The Twisted Helix

4. Artificial Harvest of the Obscene

5. Organometallic Assimilation

6. DIRECTIVE:: [kill_on_sight]

7. Incomprehensible Methods of Slaughter

8. S.W.A.R.M (Systematic War Against Restless Machines)

9. Promethean Dusk

10. Rivers Of Grief

As the world was stumbling bleary-eyed into 2025, London death metallers Mutagenic Host unleashed their debut full-length The Diseased Machine. It arrived almost two years on from their first recording The Genotoxic Demo, which was released via Dry Cough Records. Dry Cough worked alongside Gurgling Gore to release this album on both tape and vinyl, while Memento Mori Records committed it to CD and Mutagenic Host self-released it digitally. Little did they know at the time just how crazy the world would get!

Being one of the newest additions to the UK death metal ranks, Mutagenic Host have garnered quite a lot of excitement with their approach to the genre. ‘Neurological Necrosis’ shows why with it’s heavy percussion/bass, core-laden riffs and blood curdling deep bellows. ‘Genestealer’ doffs it’s hat to slam with it’s riffs but fear not, this song is still firmly rooted in the old-school death metal camp. Who says that bands can’t do both, right?

The sinister guitar melodies and tempos that open ‘The Twisted Helix’ soon give way to reveal a careening, thrash-like verse. Soon after, the instrumentation slows back down for the chorus once again, dragging the vocals down too before a brilliant solo seamlessly seeps into the song’s latter half. Ultimately, what’s offered here is extreme song-writing and musical delivery at it’s best. ‘Artificial Harvest of the Obscene’ delivers a number filled with metallic dissonance and perfect momentum. Coupled with another great lead-guitar solo and extra atmospherics (mainly due to ambient sounds and samples), Mutagenic Host lay their marker down early.

‘Organometallic Assimilation’ marks the near-midway point in the album and it’s where the superior drum production comes to the fore. Honestly, it boosts the song over and above what has come before it (to my ears anyway), not that the song’s other components don’t of course. It just hits differently because of the percussion. As is the norm now, interludes are a popular way of building anticipation and atmosphere, and ‘DIRECTIVE:: [kill_on_sight]’ is one of the better examples I’ve heard for a long time.

If this write-up seems slightly disjointed it’s because I racked up 13 hours in my day job on Tuesday, followed by normal 8 hour shifts yesterday and today. I know that’s not a lot in the grand scheme of things but it’s enough to leave me feeling a bit wiped out (especially with a new work I.T. toy to keep my brain stimulated). Maybe it’s slightly ironic that the next song is called ‘Incomprehensible Methods of Slaughter’ then. The glorious intro led by both bass and percussion leads to a doom/death-inspired monolith. Okay, it’s more OSDM than doom/death but it still hits the same.

The drumming throughout The Diseased Machine sounds massive, but it sounds even more so on ’S.W.A.R.M (Systematic War Against Restless Machines)’. Said drumming also makes the rest of the band rise up to the same level too. For a song so late on in the album to still sound so focused and intense is a joy (if that’s the right word!). Penultimate song ‘Promethean Dusk’ draws from the slam influence again, even if subtly. Mutagenic Host do a great job of settling the slam down alongside both traditional and brutal death metal. 

Closing with the album’s longest song ‘Rivers of Grief’, Mutagenic Host inject sampled-screams and haunting ambient/sci-fi sounds into an intro that heralds a full-bodied, instrumental-led death metal track. It’s actually quite a treat to hear their instruments coming to front as they do and as the volume fades, so does the adrenaline. The spacey, ethereal outro is comforting but it doesn’t hide the fact that the record is over.

From demo to debut album, it feels like the step change for Mutagenic Host has been massive. The recording work done by Boulty at Stuck on a Name Studio in Nottingham and Charlie Wilson at Monolith Studios in London (both great independent recording studios), coupled with the mixing and mastering from Ben Jones (who also worked on their demo), really elevated this release. Ash, Jack, Sami, Dan and George have nailed it here and hopefully there’s much more to come.

You can stream The Diseased Machine and purchase it digitally, as well as on tape and CD from Mutagenic Host below:-

Mutagenic Host - https://www.facebook.com/MutagenicHost

You can also buy physical copies from the labels below:-

Dry Cough Records - https://www.drycoughrecords.com/category/dry-cough-releases

Gurgling Gore - https://www.gurglinggore.com/category/our-releases

Memento Mori - http://www.memento-mori.es/store_search.php?text_search=Mutagenic+Host&genre=0&search_home=store_death

Dry Cough Records - https://www.facebook.com/DryCoughRecords

Memento Mori - https://www.facebook.com/memento.mori.label

Chivàla - Boato

Labels: Fireflies Fall/Friendly Otter/No Funeral Records/Pike Records/Shove Records/Stonehenge Records/Through Love Records/Zilpzalp Records

Formats: Vinyl/CD/Digital

Release Date: 27 Dec 2024

Tracklist:

1. Oggetto di scena

2. Far tremare il corpo

3. Cuore di pietra

4. Non lascia nulla

5. Non diremo

6. Alla Fine della corsa

7. Rumore di passi

Last month I received an e-mail from Axel (who heads up German DIY label Pike Records) asking if I would like to review the newest record from Italian post-hardcore/screamo band Chivàla. Due to being behind on my e-mails I missed Axel's initial message but I thankfully caught the second one and humbly accepted the offer. Little did I know that Axel's offer would include a physical copy of the record. 

Fast-forward a few weeks and it has arrived. Axel sent me a copy on red vinyl, which has come out great! I've been familiar with Chivàla for quite a while now; so much so that I own a copy of their split with Suirami on tape. I've featured them here a few times before and I'm quietly trying to fill their discography gaps in my collection (amongst a myriad of others).

The sun’s shining, I’m surrounded by records and I have no plans for the rest of the day. I make it time to give this lovely piece of Italian screamo a spin. The cover art catches my eye due to it’s abstract nature. Not sure if that’s as hint to what the music will sound like but I’m about to find out. Opener ‘Oggetto di scena’ sounds a lot more laid-back and melodic than expected; especially the instrumentation. The vocals are a mix of spoken-word/shouted vocals in the verses and semi-cleans/screams later on. All lyrics are in Italian and are beautifully woven into the song. 

It’s beauty that flows through Boato, as ‘Far tremare il corpo’ mixes melody with off-kilter percussion and a take on modern post-hardcore that feels like it’s done a complete 180 degree turn, heading back to the sound of the early 00’s. That was a crossover time for me as I was discovering a lot of punk/core bands and moving slightly away from metal. ‘Cuore di pietra’ highlights the intricacies that exist in Chivàla’s music. I guess alongside countrymen like Ojne and Shizune, I’d place them next to La Dispute purely due to the fact that they do the clean guitar/spoken-word verses so well and when they explode, they do so in a short, controlled manner.

The pattern of following a mid-tempo song with an up-tempo one isn’t a new thing but here it works really well, as ‘Non lascia nulla’ immediately hits top gear. The screams are so passionate and they help to make the instrumental/clean sections sound even better. The latter half of Boato is slightly more precise, yet it comes complete with extra layers, especially during ‘Non diremo’. Subtle atmospheric, almost blackened riffs are added into the mix for a brief period. I guess that’s where Chivàla get their post-rock influence from. Whatever the approach, this is still a fantastic song.

‘Alla fine della corsa’ is the album’s penultimate number and even at this late point in the record, Chivàla’s sound is still as inspiring. The blend of soaring guitar melody, epic low-end/percussion and multi-layered vocals might sound complex though in truth it’s anything but. Everything is perfectly intertwined. Ending with ‘Rumore di passi’ and it’s most beautiful musicianship, I’m in complete ecstasy and in awe of just how good Chivàla are as a complete band. It takes time for any band to truly find their sound, especially when they’re competing with so many others. Given that it’s been a little over six years since their debut EP, I think it’s safe to say that Chivàla have found theirs. If you need more persuasion before listening to this record, you’re in the wrong place.

You can stream and purchase Boato digitally via bandcamp below:-

You can also get physical CD/Vinyl copies from Chivàla above.

Chivàla - https://www.facebook.com/chivalaband

Physical copies are also available from the labels below:-

Fireflies Fall - https://firefliesfall.com/product-category/releases/ 

No Funeral Records - https://store.nofuneral.ca/collections/no-funeral-vinyl

Pike Records - https://www.pikerecords.com/releases/

Shove Records - https://shoverec.bandcamp.com/merch

Stonehenge Records - https://www.stonehengerecords.com/?orderby=alphabetical

Through Love Records - https://shop.throughloverec.com/collections/releases

Fireflies Fall - https://www.facebook.com/firefliesfall

Friendly Otter - https://www.facebook.com/friendlyotterrex

No Funeral Records - https://www.facebook.com/nofuneral8

Pike Records - https://www.facebook.com/pikercrds

Shove Records - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100062967532917

Stonehenge Records - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100053696468870

Through Love Records - https://www.facebook.com/ThroughLoveRec

Zilpzalp Records - https://www.facebook.com/zilpzalpdiy

Also, I'd really appreciate it if you could take a few short seconds to answer the survey I currently have running here - http://www.thisnoiseisours.com/2025/03/subscription-consultation.html. Thanks in advance.

Dead Hour Noise - Slow Burn

Labels: The Ghost Is Clear Records/Zegema Beach Records

Formats: Vinyl/Digital

Release Date: 07 March 2025

Tracklist:

1. Mourning Doves

2. Pinioned

3. Slow Burn

4. Voices

5. Arson

6. Solstice

7. Closed Sicilian

8. Barren

9. Fools Gold

10. Supersonic

11. The Things We Say

It would be wrong of me to ignore that March was a barren month (post-wise anyway). I felt a shift in my motivation to write, which might sound odd given that last month was actually the strongest month  the blog's had for a long time (viewer-wise). I am slightly dubious about those numbers though, as engagement has been way down but I have a plan of sorts. That plan starts tonight with one of the newest releases to come from US label The Ghost Is Clear Records and US/CAN label Zegema Beach Records. 

Dead House Noise reside in Michigan, USA and Slow Burn is their fourth full-length. They're now into their 12th year as a band and their ZBR connection goes back to the 2020 Tomb Tree tape release of their album Sleeping Dogs, which was followed just over a year later by the tape release of their split with Deeper Graves, also via Tomb Tree.

I’m waiting on several record orders and I’m secretly hoping they all drop at once (that’d be so exciting!). One record has arrived that I’ll be writing about next and which, I’ll be keeping a secret for now. I want to try to kick off April with a bit of a flourish so I’m turning to the newest album from US band Dead Hour Noise. Released via two of the sickest and most prolific North American/Canadian labels in existence today, I don’t want to wait any longer.

DHN mixes everything from emo/powerviolence with hardcore, sludge and everything in between to create a collage of sound that’s quite frankly the auditory equivalent of every vice you can think of. Opening with ‘Mourning Doves’ proves exactly that, as the crushingly fast early bars give way to mathcore laden screamo and groovy sludge n roll (at least that’s what I’m calling it). Imagine Every Time I Die, Refused, Crowbar and Frontierer joining forces and you wouldn’t be too far off.

Comparisons aside, it’s hard to explain how energised I feel listening to this. I’m guilty of sleeping on bands and I always regret it. The insane intensity of ‘Pinioned’ once again conjures that feeling of guilt (or FOMO) as DHN launch into a frantic blast of grinding yet groovy hardcore/metal. I don’t want to label them as one thing or the other and as the heart rate drops with the help of guitar-led ambience, resting is no option.

The album’s title-track ‘Slow Burn’ is anything but. Panic chords and crazed percussion combine with passionate harsh vocals (and floor-splitting breakdowns) to throw you right off the scent. I’d hate to be my neighbours right now as the throat-ruining screams of ‘Voices’ kick in. While there are elements of the sassiness of SeeYouSpaceCowboy in places, DHN really just do their own thing and do it well. It’s crazy when you realise that there’s just the three of them.

‘Arson’ starts with more ominous guitar ambiance that leads to off-kilter, slamming heaviness but with more obvious melody too. DHN know how to write a heavy song that ultimately sounds way more than that. ‘Arson’ is filled with constantly shifting patterns that change your perception of their music, in a good way.  Talking of shifting things, the riffs that open ‘Solstice’ are amongst the wildest on Slow Burn so far. The vocals take on a slight black metal form, while the drums blast like there’s no tomorrow early on. After about ninety-seconds, the pace drops to reveal a slower tempo, dialled-back guitar and prominent bass jabs. 

It may be a ruse but it works as things start to pivot back in a more chaotic direction a few bars later. This is the album’s longest song so DHN are forgiven for changing things up a bit. The latter half of ‘Solstice’’ is mostly calmer and more introspective with swathes of keys swirling around at times. From a sense of near tranquility, ‘Closed Sicilian’ rips through the serenity in belligerent fashion. The instrumental sections are filled with mind-bending time signatures and when the vocals are present, there’s a heavy noise-rock vibe going on. 

Sloth-like, sludgy tones greet you on ‘Barren’, which is most definitely a song of two halves. The former is slower in tempo while the latter is a proper mixed bag, though it does finish as it started. The feedback that closes ‘Barren’ flows straight into ‘Fools Gold’ and it’s stupidly intense percussion, where said intensity is pretty much maintained throughout, even when the pace does slow. It’s a lesson in how a band can sound heavy in all forms.

Being at penultimate song ’Supersonic’ already seems insane. What does not though is the danceable nature of the song and it’s many elements (especially those riffs). There’s mathcore mixed with noise-rock mixed with powerviolence and sludge. A proper mix made in heaven. Closing with ‘The Things We Say’, Dead Hour Noise provide you with one last gasp of air before they cut off what’s left. 

Slow Burn is frenetic and fantastic, from beginning to end. I’m planning on getting a customised iPod with expanded memory in the near future (because I can no longer stand the anti-music stance that Spotify is taking and I miss my old iPod Classic as well). When I do, this album will be the first one I put on it. I’ve slept on Dead Hour Noise for too long. They’re excellent!

You can stream and purchase Slow Burn digitally from Dead Hour Noise below:-

Dead Hour Noise - https://www.facebook.com/deadhournoise/

Physical vinyl copies are available to buy from the labels below:-

The Ghost Is Clear Records - https://theghostisclearrecords.limitedrun.com/products/865169-dead-hour-noise-slow-burn-12

Zegema Beach Records CAN/INTL - http://www.zegemabeachrecords.com/zegema-beach-releases/dhn / USA - https://zbrusa.com/collections/zbr-releases/products/dhn

The Ghost Is Clear Records - https://www.facebook.com/TGICRECS

Zegema Beach Records - https://www.facebook.com/zegemabeachrecords

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Public Grave - Grotesque Mutations

Labels: Self-Released

Formats: Vinyl/CD/Digital

Release Date: 28 Feb 2025

Tracklist:

1. Patient Zero

2. Grotesque Mutations

3. Lockdown Brutality (feat. Tim Köhler)

4. Faking The Cadaver

5. Walking Corpse Syndrome

6. Forced Fed by Blunt Weaponry

7. Human Organ Harvesting

8. Kill Eat Resurrect Repeat (feat. Larry Wang)

Seven years on from their debut album Cadaverous Resurrection, German death/slam quartet Public Grave return with their second full-length Grotesque Mutations. This album features guest appearances from members of compatriots Knockdown Brutality and Taiwanese brutal death metal/grindcore band Gorepot. While I may sound like I know what I'm talking about here, Public Grave are completely new to me, such is the ever shifting (and growing) musical landscape I try to inhabit. 

Here we go; the chilling hospital samples and screams that make up album opener ‘Patient Zero’ depicts a scene of horror, which is befitting of Public Grave’s imagery and sound. It immediately flows into the title track ‘Grotesque Mutations’, which is an upbeat/thrash filled slab of extreme metal. it seemed as though the intro’s volume on the recording was higher than the song that bare’s the album’s name, but I’ll reserve judgement on that.

Next up it’s ‘Lockdown Brutality’, featuring Tim Köhler from Knockdown Brutality. It leans much more towards slam and the volume is definitely higher, which puts pay to my earlier comments. Aside from the gnarly vocals delivery, it’s the percussion that really leads the way on this record, with the guitars somewhat deeper in the mix at times. There’s a subtly humorous side to Public Grave too. Naming a song ‘Faking The Cadaver’ could either be a nod to US slam/brutal death legends Waking The Cadaver or just a clever play on words, but whatever the answer, the song itself is generously filled with breakdowns and guttural vocals.

If it’s succinct death metal you’re after, ‘Walking Corpse Syndrome’ is definitely that! It’s the shortest song on Grotesque Mutations aside from the opener and because of that Public Grave are even more focused on delivering the best music they can. With the stark imagery conjured by the title ‘Forced Fed Blunt Weaponry’, the mood switches between the band’s usual up-tempo bludgeoning and more mid-tempo, old-school atmosphere. Public Grave don’t stray too far away from their characteristic sound but there’s definitely something extra going on here.

As they reach the album’s final two songs, ‘Human Organ Harvesting’ offers up more groove with added mosh sensibilities. The tempo changes led by the percussion are handled really well, while vocals and guitars compliment each other. On album closer ‘Kill Eat Resurrect Repeat’, Public Grave are joined by Larry Wang of Taiwanese band Gorepot and it’s a match made in brutal death heaven! Larry’s vocals add an extra layer of extremity to the recording and Public Grave feed off of it, loosening the reigns even further.

Grotesque Mutations is a strong death metal release that will appeal to those who already obsess over the style. Public Grave themsevles are very proficient musically and seem to mature as the album progresses. A solid performance all round.

You can stream Grotesque Mutations via all the usual outlets (except for Bandcamp curiously). They're linked up here - https://publicgrave.de. Physical records, CDs and other merch is available here - https://publicgrave.de/shop/.

Public Grave - https://www.facebook.com/publicgrave

Raging Speedhorn - Night Wolf

Labels: Spinefarm Records

Formats: Vinyl/CD/Digital

Release Date: 06 March 2025

Tracklist:

1. Blood Red Sky

2. Buzz Killa

3. The Blood Code

4. Can't Stop

5. Every Night's Alright For Fighting

6. Night Wolf

7. DOA

8. Comin' In Hard

9. Dead Men Can't Dance

10. Dead Reckoning

UK high-octane sludge royalty Raging Speedhorn have just released their seventh full-length Night Wolf  via Spinefarm Records. The Corby sextet have kept going though line-up changes and hiatuses to reach twenty five years, having released their self-titled debut album at the turn of the Millennium. It's great to have Raging Speedhorn firing on all cylinders again and their return will be another much needed boost for UK heavy music.

After a slightly foreboding intro, ‘Blood Red Sky’ fills the speakers with groove-laden riffs, thunderous bass/percussion and RSH’s familiar dual-vocal onslaught. Musically, their impact over the years has been notable and doesn’t need re-telling. Here, their sound is both mature and revitalised at the same time. A honed take on hardcore and sludge, Night Wolf doesn’t need lengthy songs and ‘Buzz Killa’ shows why. It retains it’s heaviness while being catchy in the right way, which is something RSH have consistently delivered.

The bass that kicks off ‘The Blood Code’ is glorious and as it’s joined by the rest of the band, you’re in for them at their heaviest. There’s a simplicity to it that’s hard to ignore and that’s why it’s so enjoyable. Sounds great at full-volume too! ‘Can’t Stop’ takes the sound of NOLA sludge and RSH inject it with a heap of UK rock n roll flair. Being one of the shorter songs on Night Wolf, it’s gone by before you know it.

With a song-title that’s a play on the famous Elton John song, ‘Every Night’s Alright For Fighting’ is… perfect for just that. Riff-fulled mayhem in the catchiest of ways. At the mid-point of the album you may be thinking that Raging Speedhorn have lost some of their more dangerous/rougher edges over the years. You’d be right, but that doesn’t mean their sound can’t evolve at the same time. 

The album’s title-track drags you into it’s latter half with all the groove you’ll ever need on record. Once again, the dual-vocals provide a lot of colour (despite the harshness), while the instrumentation carries itself perfectly. I think the mixing/mastering captures a slightly more polished version of the band, which is definitely a snapshot in time.

The latter-half of Night Wolf is way more to-the-point and ‘DOA’ proves that in a succinct three-minute blast of sludgy hardcore that has all the tempos covered. Destined to be a live favourite for sure. The sound of feedback during the intro to ‘Comin’ In Hard’ is something that’s been missed so far. It subsides, giving way to yet more Southern drawl and dixie-esque influence. Everything’s definitely “comin’ in fast” here.

Penultimate rager ‘Dead Men Can’t Dance’ dials up both the heaviness and the upbeat nature of RSH’s song-writing just when you thought things might slow down. Absolutely brilliant! Ending with ‘Dead Reckoning, the reckless punk nature of early Speedhorn comes back to roost. The fact that they pack as much music into this final song as they do into all the rest is testament to their love for what they craft.

I needed this tonight but I didn’t appreciate how much until Night Wolf finished. While I’m more familiar with the Speedhorn of old, I can’t ignore what they have become now. Twenty five years into a career that’s helped shape the UK underground, they’re bound to reach new ears with this album. Long may they continue to cause chaos!

You can watch the hilarious video for 'Every Night's Alright For Fighting' via Youtube below:-

Physical copies of the album, as well as merch, can be purchased via Spinefarm Records here:-

https://spinefarm.tmstor.es/products/search

Raging Speedhorn - https://www.facebook.com/ragingspeedhorn

Spinefarm Records - https://www.facebook.com/spinefarm

Coma of Eris - Coma of Eris

Labels: Middle-Man Records/Zegema Beach Records

Formats: Tape/Digital

Release Date: 14 Feb 2025

Tracklist:

1. You're Trying To Save A Skeleton

2. Expectance

3. Cloud City Demolition Company

4. A Dip In Lake Drowning

5. Archers Take Aim

6. Someone Half-Assed It or An Idiot Tried Too Hard

7. Uneven Exchange

8. I Will Become Turbo Man

9. Graphs of Trez

10. More Than Just Lost

11. Dozing Past Decency

It's been eleven days since my last post here but it feels like eleven weeks (or even years!). So much has happened globally recently that this kind of falls into insignificance. Obviously, I'm talking about what's been going on in the United States and what's been coming out of the elected "President's" mouth. I think that's also why Coma of Eris came into being.

A coming together of Coma Regalia and Apostles of Eris, alongside members of Saetia, Our Future Is An Absolute Shadow and Deracine (amongst others). Their self-titled record was released (digitally) merely a couple of weeks ago via Middle-Man Records and Zegema Beach Records. with tape copies due in late March/early April. 

‘You’re Trying To Save A Skeleton’ opens up the album from this brand new skramz supergroup (if I’m allowed to call it that!) and it’s exactly what you’d want to come from Coma Regalia, Apostles of Eris, et al. Emoviolence-like explosions greet you through the vocals of both Dave Norman and Edie Quinn, while the instumentation from Edie, Jesse Mowery, Tom Schlatter and Jason Wolpert provide an equally heavy backdrop of guitars and percussion. ’Expectance’ follows with a lot more guitar melody that mainly comes to the fore during the song’s quieter moments, in between layers of feedback and screamed/sung dual-vocals that add heaps of humanity. The mixing and mastering from Edie helps to bring that same feeling out of the recordings as well. 

Almost half of the songs here barely surpass ninety seconds but in the case of ‘Cloud City Demolition Company’, things hit a bit differently. The guitar work is a lot more mathy and technical here, though that leads to a more engrossing song in the end. The panic-chord harmonics and skittish time-signatures will appeal if you’re craving that right now. ’A Dip In Lake Drowning’ is not only a cleverly worded song title but also a brilliantly delivered song, as Coma of Eris show their more downtempo emo side (if there’s such a thing!). It sounds a lot more old-school to my ears anyway. That old-school nostalgia lasts mere seconds as they launch into ‘Archers Take Aim’ with yet more screamo abandon. With that being said, the clean vocals that hover over the harsh screams don’t banish that feeling altogether.

Given what I wrote in my opening paragraph above, ‘Someone Half-Assed It or An Idiot Tried Too Hard’ pretty much describes the current political climate better than I ever could. It’s also a damn good song that embodies the rage that the collective members feel right now.m ’Uneven Exchange’ is a much more brooding song, as it’s intense opening gives way to a sound that’s a lot more atmospheric. I’d go as far as to say that it’s probably my favourite song on the album. Going from brooding atmosphere back to more familiar screamo territory on ‘I Will Become Turbo Man’, Coma of Eris once again show their class with a whole heap of everything that makes the sub-genre so great. When you listen to it you’ll know what I mean.

There’s an unexpected groove/funk layer to ‘Graphs of Trez’ that’s completely welcome. I often feel that bands seem to forget about the latter few songs of an album and in doing so, they come across as a bit formulaic. That’s not the case here. It reminds me of when members of Glassjaw formed Head Automatica. Moving into penultimate song ‘More Than Just Lost’, Coma of Eris strip things back to a simpler approach before another explosive ending. The record’s final song ‘Dozing Past Decency’ is an amalgamation of everything that’s made this album so good. From uptempo highs to atmospheric lows and downtempo realism. 

This record is made up of great musicians and even greater people. It’s hard to put into words how strange things are politically right now but at least we have music to get us through. Coma of Eris are here to remind us that there’s another way. Make America Less Reliant On MAGAlomaniacs Again.

You can stream and purchase the album digitally from both labels below:-

News on physical tape copies will be available from both Middle-Man Records and Zegema Beach Records below:-

Middle-Man Records - https://www.facebook.com/middlemanrecords

Zegema Beach Records - https://www.facebook.com/zegemabeachrecords