Tuesday, July 24, 2018

Abominator - Damnation's Prophecy (1999)

   Abominator had probably similar important role in forming the most deviant style of black/death metal, like Blasphemy had about a decade earlier. Their debut could be called as a second milestone on this field, something that no one was able to create in such heavy form before.
    Earlier there were plenty of tryings to mix the two related styles, but none were so brutal and insane like this direction, and except Blasphemy, Goatlord and Sadistik Exekution nothing similar appeared during the '90s. The overwhelming intensiveness of "Damnation's Prophecy" made the album one of the most influental black/death metal classics. It's not too raw like the ancestors were in this style, but the concept was the same: compromise-less blasphemous rampage, just heavy and fast enough to cause brain damage. And the same important thing is: the album does not sound immature either, it's pure mindless brutality, lacks all sort of aesthetical features and atmosphere. No masturbation on being dark or evil, this record was made to perish all vanity, all emotions, everything. The influence of Carcass could be sensed in the vocal style and the limitless intensiveness. If the goal of Abominator was to create a worthy soundtrack for the apocalypse, they definitely succeeded.

Cryptic Revelation - The Truth is Out There (1999)

   Even though Cryptic Revelation counts as an ancient death metal band, and one of the first death metal bands in Japan, they only had one EP during the long decades.
   That EP was musically a quite diverse one, mixing the old school style with the modern sound of death metal. From insane brutal hammering to slow, doom influenced themes they intoduced most common features, like if this record was a mini encyclopaedia of the genre. The productiveness of local bands showed up only in this short lenght, so it's maybe not so easy to get into for a start, but definitely worths to try. The common speed changes increasing the intensiveness too on the side of diversity. The vocal style isn't boring either, deep growling and insane screams switching each other. The lyrics are definitely following to the modern style of death, no sign of classical gore based topics, and the X-Files reference is also like an update compared to the old school horror movies. The source of their topics fits to the actual decade just like in the case of old bands 10-15 years earlier. It's probably one of the best early death metal records of the small Japanese extreme scene.

Monday, July 16, 2018

Cerebrocide - Delusion (1999)

   Cerebrocide was also an old school death metal band with a late full-lenght debut, such as most newer names in the almost decayed death metal scene of the late '90s.
   After an average start, "Delusion" was a great step, and showed stunning progression all-round. The sound developed a lot, they played far more intense and diverse than before. Their music still included the feeling of old school death metal, the actual changes in the main scene didn't have much influence on them. Very enjoyable guitar themes, fast, thrash influenced hammering, and deep growling are the main features of "Delusion". Such as most old German death metal bands, they also tried to involve some plus, something uncommon into their music. That lies mostly in the lyrical concept, but their themes are more diverse than what may be usual at ordinary death metal bands. They tried to focus on heavy societal problems, inner struggles and the morbid aspects of life. This gave a relevant seriousness to their lyrics and a positive main message, that definitely counts as an explicit and rare feature. Unfortunately the album is barely known and badly underrated, but "Delusion" was probably one of the best death metal albums of the late '90s.

Sunday, July 8, 2018

Dead Head - Kill Division (1999)

   Dead Head plays their aggressive thrashing since the late '80s, and their music went through on a few small changes during the years.
   From "Dream Deciever" their second album the death metal influences became more evindent by focusing more on heavy sound and more aggressive vocal style. The band showed it's best all-round on "Kill Division". It's exaggeratedly rageful approach had an impressive insane effect, even though their music was never known about it's softness. The excellent sound of the album increased the effectiveness of their simple but heavy themes and made it one of the wildest thrash metal albums. They enjoyed to experiment with the song structures, and to invlove catchy themes by staying rough as possible. The main impression reminds to "Pray" by Solstice, but in a less noisy version. The lyrics are showing a genuine approach by their complexity and various topics compared to ordinaty thrash metal lyrics. "Kill Division" was another example of the excelllence of the once remarkable Dutch extreme metal scene, and the album is strongly recommended for the fans of wild thrash metal.

Saturday, July 7, 2018

Necrophobic - The Third Antichrist (1999)

   Necrophobic formed alongside the oldest Swedish death metal bands and played excellent quality death metal already since their demos from the late '80s.
   However things have been changed a little bit and from their second album they involved black metal incluences into their style too. This style fully materialized on "The Third Antichrist", their third full-lenght album. While "Darkside" sounded like an ordinary black/death mix with atmospheric sound, blackened vocal style and common thrash and heavy metal references, their old school influences were more in focus on "The Third Antichrist". The name of the band by it's Slayer reference leaving no doubts about their main incfluences, and by turning back more into '80s style resulted a phenomena that is frequently appearing in the Swedish metal scene. It's like an imaginary next step after Venom that gives a stronger connection between extreme metal genres. But unlike most similar bands, Necrophobic concentrated more on the extreme features. Intensiveness, fast thrashing and heavy solo themes made their mix of death and black metal more diverse and enjoyable. 

Friday, July 6, 2018

Paganizer - Deadbanger (1999)

   Paganizer beceame known as a death metal band, but their debut was quite different from their late style.
   "Deadbanger" had an old school '80s-like style that is frequently appearing in the Swedish metal scene. This is usually a mix of heavy, speed and thrash metal with some black metal influences. It's like a reference to Venom, but this style is more genuine and far more intense. To balance on the borders of those genres may also give wider possibilities, but similar bands prefer to create a unified style. The lyrics may sound immature like old heavy metal lyrics, and including a doubtless sympathy with the devil, but that just serves the old school feeling. The themes are showing plenty of heavy metal references, but for the intensiveness and the aggressive attitude the speed and thrash influences are responsible. The touch of black metal appearing only in the vocal style and in the lyrical concept. The demo versions of the songs had a vocal style closer to death metal growling. Albums likes "Deadbanger" could leave a dejavu feeling in the listener. However the '80s have passed without similar bands too, but still these are excellent nostalgia albums, filling a long time missing part in the main scene and are party compatible the same time. Hails for the "Deadbanger"!

Thursday, July 5, 2018

Defleshed - Fast Forward (1999)

   Defleshed was one of the less known old school bands that were formed in the early '90s and experienced the rising of the extreme metal scene at first hand.
   Their thrashy style of death metal probably counted a bit more traditional amongst the dozens of death metal bands who tried to exceed each other in brutality and heaviness like if it was some kind of competition. But Defleshed had a field on which they were unbeatable, and that was the speed of their raw, intense and aggressive thrashing. In their music the influences of the simple, primitive style of Swedish death metal and the elements of traditional German thrash could be sensed. In lyrical topics they stayed at the old school direction too. At the late '90s when "Fast Forward" came out, this style counted as something commerse and nostalgic already. Their style didn't change at all, they kept playing very fast and aggressive, and always good quality records came out from their hands. "Fast Forward" was another excellent reminder of the effectiveness of the raw old school style of metal that seemed like to completely disappear in those times.

Avulsed - Stabwound Orgasm (1999)

   Avulsed is definitely Spain's number one death metal band and also counts as a unique band of the main scene that always deserves attention.
 "Stabwound Orgasm" was only their second full-lenght album, even though they started to play their mainly Cannibal Corpse influenced music already in the early '90s. This is probably their best and most melodic album and includes their catchiest themes. But it was never far from Avulsed to put some melodies on the side of heavy brutality. If the style melodic death metal wasn't depend from the growling vocals only and lack the musical features of death metal, "Stabwound Orgasm" could redefine that term. This album is really like old school death metal all-round and melodic the same time. This combination assisted by Dave Rotten's iconic deep growling style creating a very enjoyable whole. Probably it's not surprising, but their most preferred lyrical topics are gore and sexual perversions. Their creativeness about these topics are quite remarkable. Somehow they never sound boringly repetitive. "Stabwound Orgasm" provides excellent entertainment for the fans of gore based old school musickness.

Noothgrush - Erode the Person (1999)

   After plenty of split albums and demos, finally came out the first full-lenght Noothgrush album. Some of the songs were not completely new and appeared on their short previous materials before, but it's definitely better to listen everything together.
   As one of the earliest sludge metal bands, Noothgrush counts as a veteran and cultic band of the genre. Their music was very similar to Grief, not only because they were also into sludge/doom, but the sound and the vocal style are almost the same. So if "Erode the Person" was came out as an actual Grief album, nobody would have complained. The wave of bitter anger could carry away the unsuspicious listener by that over one hour long heavy, noisy, depressing suffering, that illustrates well the seamy sides of life. Such as most similar albums, this also introduces a tragical performance of self-torment with common political references and occasional sarcasm. A very demoralizing record especially in this extended lenght. These are the most common features of a sludge metal masterpiece.

Tuesday, July 3, 2018

Static-X - Wisconsin Death Trip (1999)

   A fun fact and a returning feature was among nu metal bands whose style was more characteristic than most others of their coetaneouses, that neither their fans or themselves described their music as nu metal. It was the same about Slipknot, System of A Down, and Static-X too. But unfortunately for them, nu metal wasn't a too unified style, that might made a bit difficult to determine rules or certain features that could have been returning at all bands who played this style. Since hip-hop, alternative rock, death metal or like in case of Static-X, industrial style features could have been responsible for the diversity of the genre, the common ground should be looked for from a bit different (an less specific) perspective. Nu metal had to be: 
1. easy to go into, therefore 
2. simplicity had to be it's most determining feature both in themes and song structures,
3. must have been able to show something new and unusual for the genre, but since it wasn't possible anymore, they had to mix up metal with other styles, 
4. it should have been able to address young audience, so simpler topics and everyday's life problems were in focus instead of horror, gore, fantasy or complex, philosophical topics, and last but not least
5. it should have been ready to compromise to be able to build up a brand.. since the style was business oriented from the very beginning. 
   By this approach not even Static-X could slip out from the nu metal stigma, though their style was definitely stronger influenced by industrial, than any other nu metal bands. On their debut the features of '90s industrial waving back, but their music was on a different level already. At one hand it was audience friendlier, but still more diverse than most '90s industrial projects. For this diversity the wider scale of metal elements have been responsible on the side of the more diverse vocal performances. This quality had refreshing effect not only for the incredible amount of new fans who have been gathered by nu metal, but also in industrial music. This combination immediately emerged Static-X to the most successful bands of the genre.

Monday, July 2, 2018

Night Conquers Day - Rebellion is the Art of Survival (1999)

   As it was mentioned before, Americans having an unusual imagination about black metal. They are simply unable to distiguish the style from death metal influences, so it doesn't matter how hard they try, if they're starting to play black, it always ends up as black/death or melodic death.
   Lately there was some progression to find, like in the case of post black metal bands, but in that case the death metal influences were simply exchanged to something else, so it's still not succeeded, but got closer to the main concept. However in the very depths of underground there have been some very rare exceptions, and one of them was Night Conquers Day. According to how late the style have reached the US (if we don't count less succesful tryings like Christ Inversion or Demonic Christ), the band could be called as the American forerunner of black metal. Though they also didn't play the style completely in it's raw, simple form, but more like a more sypmhonic, Dimmu Borgir influenced, more complex black. Their music counts extraordinary amongst the other US bands of the style. Already at first hearing it's evident that the musicians probably had some past, and therefore they had more to tell and to express, over the ordinary blackened themes and features. The atmoshere had similarly important role like usually in the style, and the sound fits completely. All songs are longer than 10 mins, so the band didn't lack productiveness either. But these songs are also not like the usual long symphonic blackened odes, their influences also having way more old school roots, like '80s heavy metal and Venom, and if any analogy have to be found with traditional Northern black, Bathory should be named instead of the Norwegian scene. They preferred middle speed with occasional speed ups, common theme switches and simple leading melodies that are getting subordinated or determined by the frequently returning atmospheric/symphonic effects. So the components of the concept are the same complex like the musical influences, and from this aspect the band reminds to how extreme styles were formed in South America. The band definitley had a unique approach and genuine imaginations.
 

Sunday, July 1, 2018

Dystopia - The Aftermath (1999)

   Dystopia was an extraordinary band formed in the early '90s. They sparked attention in the underground scene by their exaggerated style that was a mix of crust punk and sludge metal.
   "The Aftermath" is a compilation album that collected the songs of their late EP's and split albums to shock the audience with an over one hour lenght. The mix of the two styles worked very well, and showed wider perspectives of diversity than ordinary crust punk or sludge metal. There is no sign of the monotone, endlessly repeating simple themes, and the common speed changes also made their music quite enjoyable. It may be a wonder why aren't there many other bands trying this combination. The concept and the lyrical background is very similar, politics, societal problems, hate and antisocial behaviour are related to both styles. In the performance of Dystopia these topics sounding very dramatic. The intense musical background assisted by the angry, and the same time very desperate screaming vocals are quite effective together. Their music showed a new level of the mix of bitterness and anger with an often sarcastic touch.