Pure Fucking Armageddon Pt. 2
Well sheeeeeet! It’s been two months since the last time I’ve written for TOH. I’m glad to be back to deliver the blasphemous filth that most of you could care a less about. Really all I want to do here is present some shit that I have really been enjoying this year that has not been covered on the blog yet. I tried my best to mix this one up a tad bit more then my last one since it consisted of pretty much all black metal. I tried to incorporate some Death, Black, Thrash, Sludge, and Doom to this one so you can maybe find something you’ll like.
Serpentrance – The Besieged Sanctum (2015)
Vault of Dried Bones is quickly becoming one of my favorite record labels of this year. Of course they put out the monstrous album by Genocide Shrines “Manipura Imperial Deathevokovil (Scriptures Of Reversed Puraana Dharmurder)” which pretty much crushed most everyones dick and clam here (Mostly dicks though). There are some other releases that have been put out on the label that are great too, but one that really caught my attention was the newest and only release by Serpentrance. Featuring two members from Pseudogod you kind of get a hint as what to expect here. This is just ugly as fuck doom infused death metal that just obliterates. Thick and filthy down tuned guitars that are drenched over heavy mid paced drums will crush your dick hard. I have to mention that the reverb on the snare drum may be some what annoying for some, but goddamn does does it give me the chills. Vocals are also very reverb heavy, but it adds an incredible amount of chilling atmosphere. If you dig Impetuous Ritual, Abyssal, and Rippikoulu you’ll most likely dig this nasty sounding hatred.
Aegrus – Devotion For The Devil (2015)
This is an album that I’ve been sitting on for some time now until last week when I said to my self “Self stop being a dick and listen to this you fucking dick”. Usually when I see that a black metal band is hailing from Finland I get pretty excited. I mean there are a shit ton of great black metal bands that hail from Finland. Shit you could do a whole article on Finnish black metal and some. Anyways, when I first started this album the first song reminded me of early Bathory and as I continued through out the album I was hearing a very strong resemblance to Satanic Warmaster (Also from Finland); especially in the guitars, vocals, and production style. If you are looking for a great black metal album with some incredible lead guitars and melody then Devotion For The Devil is what you need right now. The song “Blood For The Master” is fucking incredible by the way; I just want to point that out. There is a section in the middle of the song that has the frostiest of lead guitars. Sort of reminds me of early Dissection and that my fellow flushers is never a bad thing. Sorry, no “skronk” here, just good crafted traditional second wave black metal.
Profanator – Mvtter Vicivm (2015)
Great Satan of hell, does this album go fucking hard! I’m always on the hunt for for new killer thrash bands much like our friend Simon Phoenix. So when our rare appearing commenter, Rob introduced these Mexican thrashers to me I was more then blown away. Profanator certainly bring that oldschool thrash aggression much in vein of bands like Exodus, Sodom, and Testament but with a bit more of a uglier sound and some punk influence (Then again how do you get more uglier than Sodom). This is all very impressive really, the guitars and drums are lighting fucking fast and all of the subject matter is far from lifeloving, but my only negative feedback is the polished production. I feel this could have sounded shittier, it just needs a bit of grit to make it sound even more uglier. Clocking in just over 30 minutes this album leaves you panting like an over-worked dog. The album never slows down and you are just left beaten into a corpse-y pulp.
Gonguri / Sithter – Split (2015)
Independent
Filth. Pure fucking filth is what this split is. Gonguri start this release off by just completely fucking our faces off with the nastiest downtuned guitar and bass tone there is in South Korea. Slow and plodding, this South Korean threesome hammer their way through the thickest of sludge dragging elements of death metal, doom, and D-beat. The vocalist mixes it up by bringing the guttural death metal vocals while also bringing some of the most horrific sounding high pitched shrieks which by the way are covered of course in a thick layer of that sweet sweet reverb. Seriously if this shit doesn’t get you headbanging then GTFO!
Hailing from Tokyo Japan we have a sludge/doom band with elements of drone. Now these lads and lady may not be as heavy as Gonguri but that does’t mean they are not worth listening to; plus it’s a nice change of pace. This band reminds me of a more psychedelic sounding Eyehategod. “Strawberry Satanic” slowly builds into some tasty blues-sludge riffs. I swear if I did not know that Sithter were from Japan I would have thought they came straight out of the the American south. Production is very gritty but also clear; all instruments can be heard. Seriously if you are looking for a good sounding psychedelic sludge band with some southern ugliness, look no further. Apparently Japan are giving southerns in America a run for their money. Keep it up Sithter!
Arvas – Black Satanic Mysticism (2015)
This has been an album I have been jamming for over a month now but really never decided to do any research on them. So, after doing some research on this band I found out that in 1993 a band based out of Bergen, Norway, named Örth, consisting of V-Rex, Borknagar’s Grim and Gorgoroth’s Ares, recorded an album called “Nocturno Inferno” in 1996, but never released it. Apperently Grim commited suicide in 1999 and V-Rex called the project quits. In 2001 he brought the project back from the dead renaming it Arvas. The band has put out 3 albums including this one which means I have 2 others to check out.
Now that the history is out of the way lets get to the album. We start off with a relatively long intro lasting over 3 minutes while bringing some eerie chills and atmosphere. Once the suspenseful build up is over we go right into some feedback leading us right up to the savagery. Thrashy black metal riffs and frantic blasts begin while primitive screams are projected over and over until blasphemous words are laid upon us and decimation begins. This is a very primitive sounding black metal album but it can also bring some serious melody every once in a while. There is nothing groundbreaking about this album and I’d have it no other way. I don’t think it’s any big surprise that I love me some good ole fashioned black metal. Frosty, trebly and savage with raspy and harsh vocals are what I crave and Arvas deliver that sweet fix that I desire
