Portal - Vexovoid (2013)

   Since their debut, Portal kept going on the path of their experimenting concept, and album by album they tried to introduce their complex style from a slightly different perspective.
   These changes they applied mainly by different sound on each album, and since the importance of the variations of noisy sound highly increased from the late' 00s, it's not an exaggeration to say that Portal counts as one of the heralds of this tendency in the underground scene. Compared to their previous albums, 'Vexovoid" had the most distorted sound, and therefore probably this record reflected the most obscure impression as well. From this aspect, by heaviness "Vexovoid" is comparable to Impetuous Ritual, but the same time maybe this album is somehow easier to go into. And that's because their endeavor to switch between harmonic and disharmonic elements isn't so usual this time how it was used to be. The song structures are similar, the simple, repetitive leading noise is still there, and this time it's maybe even more pulsating than before, but there are less radically chaotic disharmonic elements, and therefore the album sounds more unified than previously. However, "Vexvoid" is still light years away from being audience friendly, but for those who prefer distorted, down tuned sound, it might give a very familiar, easily relatable impression. This also made the music more enjoyable, and even though it's basically a different alternative to create unified sound, the album still fits well next to the band's previous works. Just another seemingly double paradox formed to high quality excellence by Portal.
 

Altars - Paramnesia (2013)

 Similar to Portal and Impetuous Ritual, Altars also plays death metal that's heavier, more complex and harder to go into than usually, but doesn't count as technical death metal yet.
    If it's about their possible main influences, Incancation, Immolation, Dying Fetus and Disembowelment could be mentioned. Compared to Portal and Impetuous ritual, their music doesn't sound so mixed by other style features and it's also not too complex. The band relies only on the toolbar of death metal, and by sound and song structures their music reflects the modern aspect of death metal, to be more specific. Therefore, experimentations aren't far from them, and in case of longer songs, they're not missing the opportunity to give a taste of diversity through complexity. "Paramnesia" is all-round high quality, the sound and theme switches might strongly remind to late Immolation. However, disharmony is dominant on the album, and this is the main reason why it's harder to go into, even if it's somehow not having any effect on the uniformness of the record. Probably it's because "Paramnesia" is simply too raw and heavy the same time, and this proved to be enough as a unifying frame. This combo of raw heaviness, complexity and high quality production works pretty effectively to make Altars long time enjoyable for the fans of the genre.  

Gol - Appaller (2011)

   Gol debuted as a black metal band who were determined to follow the roots of the genre with all of it's well known compromise-less features. Their music reflects the same vile, dark and unfriendly impression that once made black metal extraordinary - and which became rare to find on similar level (or in less unfortunate case at any level) few decades later.
   Even though overwhelming intensity is the album's most noteable feature, slow downs and switches to middle speed are common, that are effecting advantageous by creating contrast. The band preferred basic catchy themes that are complying to speed switches easily, and also resulting an obscure atmosphere. This atmospheric sound doesn't have such predominant importance like at classic Norwegian bands though, so "Appaller" sounds somehow ancient, and reminds more to old Bathory. This kind of small difference might have higher importance than how it seems, because it's also the reason that makes the music sound more aggressive. And also suspects some analogy with other Australian extreme bands, who are famous about trying to approach things a bit differently, and ending up with something raw and heavier than usual. "Appaller" might be enjoyable for those who prefer the ancient sound of black metal. 

Impetuous Ritual - Relentless Execution of Ceremonial Excrescence (2009)

   The way how the extreme Australian scene was developing is quite interesting, and counts as a genuine direction in underground. It's not new that mixing related styles is kind of a new and widespread tendency, but while most bands are satisfied with the effect of various influences (since there's nothing new under the sun, and everything was made already in all genres that could have been made), Impetuous Ritual tried to find the borders of musical extremity from this point.
   Their music is quite complex and not so easy to go into partly because of their raw, cold and unfriendly sound, and mainly because they avoid catchy themes and audience friendly solutions. Basically they play death metal in it's most exaggerated form, that often switches to black/death and grindcore intensity or to death/doom depths of obscure heaviness. These switches usually happening fast and suddenly by not giving the listener the chance to prepare or to follow them easily. The unity of the album is based on the noisy, raw sound and on the contrast of insane hammering and obscure atmosphere, since they are the most determining features. Deep growls are assisting to the endlessly obscure main view. Their style could be compared to Disembowelment and Incantation, but it's a way more extreme level. Similar style switching/experimenting tendencies happened rareley before with this exaggerated approach, but became more common to find lately. Immortal Fate played something similar before during their short active period. The analogy lies in the intention to create unified inhuman sound by involving extreme styles that only by themelves could create great contrast by being placed next to each other. Impetuous Ritual was forward by that in a way that the contrast is not even really notable, cause the noisy heaviness simply wipes down the basic style features. In total: "Relentless Execution of Ceremonial Excrescence" was a very strong debut and recommended for the most determined fans of extreme musickness. 

Captain Cleanoff - Symphonies of Slackness (2008)

   Like many grind bands, Captain Cleanoff also seems like a fun made project that's not supposed to take too seriously, and they're reflecting their morbid humor and sick imaginations through the most exaggerated form of musical expression.
   Still, this band is kind of outstanding amongst the countless others that have been shown up by the Renaissanse wave of grindcore. Not only because Captain Cleanoff have been around since a bit longer time, but their skills and sound are representing a way higher quality. Even though their full-lenght debut includes an evident Carcass reference (that wasn't even really necessary), their music is definitely not only some Carcass copy goregrind. They're having their own style that's easy to distinguish from others. Musically they're balancing between the old school sound of grindcore that wasn't aware to operate with heavier sound and thrash/death influences between the grinding themes; and the modern direction that's not trying to seem too serious by political/societal or extremely sick/severe concepts. The advantage of the first case is because they're staying heavy all the time and therefore they can't build on attitudinizing solutions by switching suddenly from some 2 chords punk theme into insane grinding, musically they're keep staying on a serious level. The concept gives the contrast by it's more chilling, fun based parodic tendecies. The excellent sound quality is just icing on the cake. Strongly recommended for grind fans!

Pervertum Obscurum - Within the Maelsorm of Fire (2008)

   Pervertum Obscurum is a one man project that was made to recall the old school sound of death metal. That was committed by the suspected influences of the classics of the Swedish scene, and bands like Deicide, Morbid Angel and Malevolent Creation.
 The first was represented in the dirty, dull sound and in the simple, primitive themes, while the strongly blasphemous concept and the vocal performance are referring to the American bands. But the album is not only about a primitive hammering rampage, similar to Northern bands, some simple, but catchy leading melodies are completing the unfriendly composition. The vocal is often switching to a higher cawing style like if there was a second backing vocal. That serves as a more insane approach, and also has a diverse effect. Basically the music desperately needs these tiny features that are not supposed to have so high impoartance, but without them, the album would sound quite monotonous. That might be not a problem for the fans of the mentioned influences, and "Within the Maelstorm of Fire" is a great old school death metal nostalgia album, but without the small changes it would be too similar to some of those bands. Still, it was a promising debut and it's recommended for the fans of the genre.

Portal - Outre' (2007)

   Portal showed up as an experimental death metal band, that in their case basically means experimentations for a new alternative how to make death metal harder to go into. Basically for similar endeavors there's technical and progressive brutal death, that could pile up theme and tempo switches limitlessly, and of course progressive brutal death also might involve musical features of other styles, even non-metal style features.
   In general Portal's methods aren't too different, since even by first hearing their music sounds slightly mixed. But while most technical and progressive brutal death releases having crystal clear sound to highlight the plenty of details of the music, Portal embedded noisy, dirty and unfriendly Incantation influenced riffs and song structures into confusing disharmony. This disharmony they tried to unify or to convert to harmony by sizzling, atmospheric blackened sound and themes. Through this pretty simple, easily identifiable and often monotonously repeating instrument or effect noises offering guide for the listener. These are also having disharmonic effect, but the same time they meant to give an own identity for each song. In total, even if Portal's methods are similar to most technical brutal death bands, they're not flooding the listener with countless theme switches, but instead they prefer to switch between harmony and disharmony with kinda predictable frequency. Despite the various paradox solutions that their music include, it keeps staying unified, thanks to their noise preference and the strongly atmospheric blackened touch that's also responsible for their music's pretty obscure impression. This could make their albums long time enjoyable, and not only for the fans of technical brutal death.

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.

Anatomy - Where Angels Die (1996)

   During its long lasting journey, black metal haven't been the same successful on other continents like in Europe, especially in its traditional form. It's enough to think about the music of North and South American bands, where black metal mostly showed up in mixed form as an influence on the side of thrash or death metal features. The situation was seemingly similar in Australia too, but time proved that it only took more time for the genre to spark wider interest.

    In Anatomy's music not only more black metal influences could have been heard than what was usual at bands outside Europe, but black metal features had dominant proportion. The themes, the noisy, atmospheric sound, the vocal style, and even the assistance of keyboards were quite evident references. Compared to other '90s or older black metal records "Where Angels Die" sounded better and maybe therefore way more aggressive. The small distinguishing differences as a whole seemed to be enough to push the scale slightly into the direction of death metal too. Giving a listen to the album decades later might give the impression that it's somewhere between raw black and war metal. Despite the keyboards of course, since they counted as some new, modern characteristic instrument, that have been involved from the second wave of black metal and widely spread by its symphonic subgenre. However, on the side of Sadistik Exekution,  Anatomy also had determining role in forming the notoriously unfriendly, wild and extreme sound of Australian black metal.

Sadistik Exekution - We Are Death... Fukk You! (1994)

   On the side of Blasphemy and Goatlord, Sadistik Exekution could be mentioned as an influental band if it's about the forming of the black/death subgenre.
   This style had no fixed scene, similar bands just like appeared randomly at various locations and mostly pretty rarely. Similar to the mentioned others, Sadistik Exekution played very noisy and absolute compromise-less blasphemic brutality. Sound quality was secondary, but their second full-lenght album had a larger progression in that way after "The Magus". It's hard to find out where they turn unserious and immature directly, and when things should be taken more seriously. In this style it's not hard for a band to become it's own parody, but probably they just "didn't give a fukk" about the whole thing, just wanted to play some noisy, disturbing satanic insanity. Unlike most of others in this endlessly exaggerated style, they tried to operate with atmoshpere too, but that's also some upsetting noise only, no need to be afraid of any light melodies to appear, that may break the balance of disharmony. Anyway, "We Are Death... Fukk You!" counts as a remarkable  black/death metal classic.

Paramaecium - Exhumed of The Earth (1993)

   While the actual tendencies of the '90s extreme scene showed up in Australia without delay, Australian bands always had a different approach and something new to add to the main view. Similar to Disembowelment, Paramaecium became a cultic band by introducing another way how to play death/doom metal. 

   While Disembowelment took a more intense path, getting close to grindcore, Paramaecium turned back to the roots of doom metal. But while they kept referring to the original concept and basic themes of the genre, their sound reflected the noisy and heavy sound of death metal at its best. That means their music didn't sound heavier than most other Australian death metal bands only because of the doom influenced themes. "Exhumed of the Earth" was an excellent debut album that sounded like a missing link between the lesser known basic sound of death/doom, and it's late romantic direction (which often lacked death metal features) that became popular fast by bands like Paradise Lost, Katatonia or Tiamat. "Exhumed of The Earth" was incredibly heavy, had great themes and occasionally included symphonic elements too, which were quite well composed into the noisy rumbling. But the same time the album was also like a missing link between old school death metal and death/doom, since plenty of great intense themes keep interrupting their ongoing slow, mournful march. Basically the album was like a genuine reinterpretation of the style, that shows some of it's past components, present borders or possible future paths. 

Disembowelment - Transcendence into the Peripheral (1993)

   If there is a list about the best extreme metal productions of all time, Disembowelment's one and only full-lenght album should be in the top 10.
   Not because "Transcendence into the Peripheral" showed anything revolutionary new or created a new genre, it just couldn't be compared to anything else that time. The band went through the ordinary possibilities of death/doom, and they were looking for another alternative way in the same time. The main impression is closer to the classic way of approach, how Winter operated with extended song lenght, funeral doom speed, and noisy sound, but the melancholic melodies, and experimenting ambitions, which are referring to Paradise Lost, are not missing either. In this case even the simple melodies are heavily demoralizing, and having only ampliative role in the main atmosphere, which is so dark, cold and sick as it's possible. Even though the death/doom features are the most determinative, the album sounds like black metal sometimes, and occasionally it's like grindcore. In general it could be very heavy and intense the same time, or just one of those, and changing unexpectedly, like how an unstable, depressive mind functions and struggles with it's self-developed issues. From one exaggerated point to another. It's not simple to cath the main feeling, cause it's not an easy record at all. Albums which are so effective, well-composed and diverse the same time and able to connect order with disharmony, paradox with consistence, are rare to find. An everlasting classic of musickness!

Misery - A Necessary Evil (1993)

   Of course the old school style of death metal was also represented in Australia in high quality, not only it's experimenting forms. Probably Misery was the most reasonable name in this ordinary direction.
   Their debut, "A Necessary Evil" was stunning for a beginning, and included everything why this style could be preferred. Musically they tried to build on more features the same time, it's like a performance of seeking the borders of extremity. The usual intense hammering could heard, such as the slower, or mid speed to express the heaviness of their themes. But raw, chaotic, almost technical tryings also appearing, and they also wanted to reach a definitely sick level too. In lyrics the same diversity could be found, the band covered all common topics, most are like exact references. The album sounds like a little bit of everything, a melting pot of the genre, that shows the important characteristics, so it could be an excellent educaton material for the actual newbies of the local extreme scene.

Cruciform - Atavism (1993)

   Cruciform was one of the more genuine bands of the early '90s metal scene, and their one and only album, "Atavism", not only belongs to the first reasonable extreme albums of Australia, but also counts as a death/doom pioneer record.
   Even though they are officially sorted to death metal bands, their music had more diverese features and included interesting ideas. By these they stepped through the borders of the genre into a that time unusual direction. In general slow speed is dominant, the intense parts and mid speed are occasional. This and the extended song lenght are typically death/doom characteristics. A returning melodic atmoshpere turning the main view more melancholic, and most of the themes are ideal as doom metal references. The lyrical concept is the same death and horror oriented like at any other bands in this style, but by this musical background, and because of the melancholic atmosphere, "Atavism" is not an aggressive album, more like a gloomy, depressive one. And of course it's an important classic of the Australian metal scene.

Mortification - Scrolls of the Megilloth (1992)

   Mortification debuted as a thrash influenced death metal band, but from their second album, "Scrolls of the Megilloth" the thrash influences were almost gone.
   Instead of those the listener recieves a very intense death metal material with powerful riffings. Their second coming showed a better quality both in sound and themes, and only could be compared to the "elite bands" of the genre. Some experimenting ambitions also showed up by common changings in speed, that made the main view more exciting. The interesting thing about the band, that while blasphemous lyrics are the most common in this style when it comes to religious topics; they are doubtlessly a Christian death metal band. They built up a whole Christian concept around their lyrical topics, which was probably necessary, cause growling gospels may sound weird. It's something uncommon for real, especially from one of the earliest extreme bands in Australia, but it proved their creativity and turned the genre more colorful. "Scrolls of the Megilloth" is not only an excellent death metal album but probably one of the most brutal aspects of how to love our brethrens.