Skeletal Spectre - Tomb Coven (2009)

   After a while it seems like there's no newer Swedish death metal project without Rogga Johansson, who definitely became a centric figure of the local scene. But fortunately his frequent appearence rather expects certain high quality instead of various forms of self-repetition.
   Skeletal Spectre catched a new waved form of death/doom that's evidently strongly compatible with the sound of Swedish death metal, and doesn't go too far with slow downs and extended song lenght. The album mostly prefers to stay at middle speed, but the heavy, ominious doom themes having the main focus. The style of the noisy riffings and background atmosphere creating guitar themes are somehow strongly reminding to Acid Witch. This is like a modern way to create some vintage-like effect that sounds like to refer back to some old horror classics. And musically it serves as a reference to the metal classics o the '80s, like occasionally a very familiar feeling might wave back from these quite simple but the same time catchy themes. Something that reminds to old Celtic Frost? But before the dejavu effect was complete, they switch by some speed up, or slow down, and it gets perished. The way how they created a bridge between the old school and modern sound of metal could be enjoyable for the fans of the genre.

Bone Gnawer - Feast of Flesh (2009)

   When big names of a scene are united in one project (in this case big names of death metal, like Kam Lee, Rogga Johannson and Ronnie Björnström), the audience might automatically have high expectations and hopes about the outcomes, but usually world redemption gets hold off and an average material comes out.
   This wasn't different in the case of Bone Gnawer either. Even though the main concept (surprisingly gore and cannibalism) and the album cover might perfectly fit to any slamming brutal death band too, Bone Gnawer plays traditional old school death metal. It's like a summarizing death metal nostalgia that includes elements that didn't exist in the exact form back then, and that's how it's offering great entertainments for the fans of the early '90s death metal. For those who are enjoying the sound of Swedish death, sickening bloodthirsy concept, and missed the characteristic vocal style of Kam Lee, "Feast of Flesh" is a perfect choise. A generic combination made only for the exact target audience. Nothing more should be expected, and the album definitely wouldn't be disappointing.

Khrophus - Presages (2009)

    Khorphus could look back to a long (but not too productive) musical past since the early '90s under a different name, and had their full lenght debut in 2003. 
   These timings had sensable influence on their music. Their basic influence could have been old school death metal, and for that  there are references to find in their music. But the technical ambitions they had are reflecting the main tendencies of the '00s, and all with it's disadvantageous features. Turnung technical in general isn't an easy way, since the pile of sudden theme and speed switches are difficult to frame together, and all instruments should be in balance. On "Presages" the rhythm section (drumms and bass) sounds the most intense and twisted, and includes pleny of unnecessary fripperies that ar not giving anything plus into the music. While the guitar themes trying to comply, the music looses from it's heaviness, and since the main intensity and the sound are definitely brutal death influenced, all that is just not getting together as much as it might be preferred for the expected effectiveness. The band definitely had potential, since they've proved that they're good in playing complex and fast, and it wouldn't take too much to make it work, but some missing feeling is left behind after listening to "Presages". However for technical death fans their music might be enjoyable. 

Eternal Grave - Arquitectura del horror (2009)

   Somehow it's always appreciating to find new bands who are playing in old Cannibal Corpse style. Partly because it's not easy to give back the same combination of heaviness and sickness, and partly because it's exaggerated effect could be addictive.
   Eternal Grave recalled that very familiar feeling with success. They've reached the same level of heaviness, brutality and intesity, even the deep growling vocal style is quite Chris Barnes-like. For direct comparsion the album reminds the most to "The Bleeding", except in the case of sick melodies. They experimented with some short ones, but they didn't become the essential part of the songs like at Cannibal Corpse, only showing up as some background melodies for a while. Some of them worked out well, others not that much, but sometimes they've shortened them to weird fripperies. Therefore the noisy brutality have absolute leading role, and this way the main impression is quite raw, but keeps staying enough enjoyable to keep the listener's attention. The band preferred common slow downs between the hammering parts. "Arquitectura del horror" might be fun to listen for the lovers of Cannibal Corpse nostalgia, and also for the fans of gory brutal death.

Itself - Make My Suffer Short (2009)

  It seems like it's not hard to find South American metal albums starting with some demonic erotic/orgy performance, even if the followings have not much to do with the whole thing, like in the case of Itself.
   The band's one and only album was a modern death metal release that sympathized with the technical ambitions of brutal death bands, but only in common, but short theme switches. The band didn't go too far, and switched back to old school tendencies before the songs would become too complex. The song composiotions and the way how they built on the effectiveness of theme contrasts are typically a modern thing that spreaded in the '00s. The influence of new waved bands is also noticeable, and therefore the main impression isn't so exaggerated like in the case of brutal death bands. "Make My Suffer Short" sounds like if the musicians had an experimental period to find some common ground. That happens if band members having different influences and imaginations. The lyrical concept is based on mental issues, so they also had an interesting topic. Their drummer was their frontman too, and therefore must admit that doing vocals while such intense drumming style is also extraordinary. The album is more or less unified, but not completely outbioled. Though all-in-one it was a stunning debut.

Bestial Possession - Duros, ebrios & lujuriosos (2009)

   After an awkward intro that probably referred to Sarcófago with the imitation of a demonic orgy, Bestial Possession showed it's persevarance on it's debut to the '80s thrash era and to the traditional mixed sound of the once notorious South American scene.
   There are plenty of possible influences to mention from Slayer to Atomic Aggressor, so it might be simpler to describe "Duros, ebrios & lujuriosos" as a nostalgia album. The concept on the side of the overloaded old school thrash references is an evident sing that proves that it's a newer band, a fan-made project that not supposed to take too seriously. In this form it might be harder to do that anyway, but that's basically because the '80s classics often have been like that, the band just brought their most characteristic features into highlights. Like in the case of most black/thrash bands, their black metal references are restricted to the most ancient, mixed form of the genre, that was mainly noticeable in the lyrical concept and at the vocal style, while in the intense themes commonly they often getting lost amongst the frequently returning thrashings. In general it might be a great and enjoyable nostaglia album for old school fans.

Shadow of the Torturer - Marching into Chaos (2009)

   Fortunately there's no lack of high quality sludge/doom materials since the late '00s. There are basically 2 reasons why is that. At the beginning of the decade sludge metal had some sort of renaissanse period by bands who played the style more complex and progressive than before (like Mastodon for instance), and even though this direction turned further from what sludge was actually about, their increased popularity had it's influence. The second reason was that noisy sound and minimal themes was brought into focus in the underground scene (it was also responsible for drone metal) and that was like a perfect opportunity for a counteraction for bands who preferred the more tradional form of the genre.
   "Marcing into Chaos" was a stunning debut of Shadow of the Turturer, that introduced well the darkened depths of this old but still somehow recent sounding style. Basically classic, but quite noisy doom themes are pulling down the listener into a dirty, muddy pit of depressing hopelessness. The influence of old Cathedral is waving back frequently while listening the album. The difference is that while Cathedral sounded simply desperately depressed, Shadow of the Torturer introduced the same from a way more obscure aspect. Not the method of inner or practical suffering is the point - it's just like a necessary inspirational resource, but the certain approach of death itself. Rotting away in that dirty, muddy pit in solitute. Perfection. According to the sound and vocal style, the band also sympathized with death/doom, so their music is on the borderlines of 3 genres the same time. Still, the album is quite unified, because these styles are compatible for combining them with each other. Recommended for the fans of sludge/doom and death/doom.

Black Pestilence - Vice (2009)

   It's nothing new that since the middle '90s the metal scene wasn't able to renew itself, or to form new styles. New styles still showed up though, but these were usually the simplified or dummy versions of something that was already made before; or the mix of different, already existing styles and genres were introduced as new styles. However it seems like limitless experimenting and avantgarde ambitions still could produce some pretty weird but impressing things. 
   Black Pestilence is a perfect example for that. Their  music could be described as something extraordiarily weird that's still working well somehow. On their debut they approached the traditional sound of black metal by involving punk and industrial-like noise influences. It's definitely one of the most unusal ways as possible. Their sound reminds to bands who tried to mix industrial with black metal, but while most of these tryings didn't end up well, Black Pestilence managed to create something genuine and unified. The embedded noise based intensity proved to work well to reflect the atmospheric tendencies of black metal, except it has quite raw touch and  it's not really emotion based. This twisted atmosphere is nothing more than a reference in this case, but it proved to be enough. The main impression is quite insane, but the blackened guitar themes ar able to create a frame to hold the chaos together. The returning simple punk beats having some simplifying effect, and also offering some catchy basic beats and themes to not let the whole thing to slip too far. Even though the band didn't seem to intend to follow any written or unwritten rules, or to keep any style limitations. They definitely pushed the envelope as much as they could, and by that they were able to create their own genuine characteristics. 

Contagion - Contagion (2009)

   Funereal with it's old line up in the early '90s as Contagion had a short but productive active period. This compilation album includes their 2 demos and an EP that shows well their musical progression.
   The first demo "Subconscious Projection" was kind of primitive and raw, like the usual first steps of a beginner old school death metal band. In one year their music went through an impressive development both in sound and themes. Even though it was only a demo, it's heaviness was quite effective, and they wrote longer songs with common speed swithings. In general they preferred middle speed, but they operated well with slow downs and fast hammering parts too. The EP was very close to the style that they've played as Funereal. It wasn't completely death/doom yet, but their heavy, slow themes have been more in focus than before. It was an excellent mix of noisy brutality and demoralizing slow downs, but still in the spirit of the early '90s death metal wave. The rough, unfriendly tone that they've developed was kind of unique even amongst the countless similar bands of the style that time. The album is everything but disappointing, and could serve as ejnoyable entertainment for the fans old school death metal.