Category Archives: demos

BATTERED INTESTINE (Hol): “Hacksaw Brainsurgery” Cd-r 2008 demo

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Where do I start? I don’t remember anything about reviewing records ah ah! After a cold beer tonight I just picked out the old box of Cds and tapes yet to review and wiped some dust off a multitude of cool things. Unable to decide where to start I just picked up this one randomly. The letter is date october 14, 2008. Wow Ricky, I must extend my first apologies for reviewing this album almost 4 years later. Eh.

I think I always started by giving some clues on the packaging. Nothing to say here, reeally, it’s just a CD-r with some tracks in it. Still better than downloading mp3s from the Internet of course. The font used may not be the best in the world but sticking to black and white and old horror lartwork reminiscent of old Tales from the Crypt is a sure shot. I have seen professional packages done worse than this (see Extreem records reissues).

Letting the disc spin, I have to say Battered Intestine is not the most outstanding goregrind band you can hear either. It’s always a fine line you’re walking when you try to play mid tempo gore stuff: plainly said CBT are good at it, this “band” isn’t. The record neither noisy nor sludgy nor heavy enough to stand out of the murky waste of gore sludge the scene proposes, it’s just a run of the mill bedroom recording with that metallic drum sound and buzzing guitarwork we heard many times, and honestly the guitar riffs themselves, taken singularly, are atrocious. Better than latest Samael for sure, but not a must buy.

Just in case you want to give it a chance, the full demo can be downloaded from their MySpace page.

MALICIOUS HATE (USA-Mi): “Promo 2007” demo Cd-r 2007 s/p

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Malicious Hate is a relatively old band from Michigan (we’re talking about the eighties here). They released a rather interesting album back in 1996 – whose real spotlight was a cover so memorable I cannot resist to repost it below – please notice the subtle use of greens, fuchsias and violets is nothing short of shocking!

The good part in this promo Cd however, is not the cover, but the content! As the Cd-r I got from the band is… blank. I checked it on several players and burning softwares and it confirmed my fears, it is completely virgin. Either this is a really extreme (even though not new at all) form of industrial noise anarchy, or something just fucked up during the preparation of the promotional package. This 2007 promo is not listed anywhere else on the Internet so I wonder exactly what was supposed to be contained here. Maybe advance tracks from a forthcoming album? I guess I’ll never know!

INFAMOUS GLORY (Bra): “Order of Doom” demo Cd-r 2007 s/p

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As a standard rule, Brazilians just like most South Americans, do it better. At least when we talk about Metal, and extreme forms of Metal in general. Some of my favorite bands ever come from Brazil and – god be damned – I am always excited when I hear about a band from this country I don’t know, because they have a dedication to the cause which is completely different from that of most of us Europeans. In general, but now always, a Brazilian Death Metal band has a sense of belonging, a sense of brotherhood and mutual support which is unrivaled everywhere else on Earth.

My friend Douglas from 2+2=5 records handed me this fantastic demo (wrongly self asserted to be a “promo”) a few months ago. Top notch logo with skulls, black and white cover, raging song titles, big “old school death metal” statement on the cover – everything seemed to go for the better. I gave it a listen right as soon as I was home but… I wasn’t over escited about these 4 tracks, even after three listens. I preferred to wait a few weeks before giving it another try.

My conclusion is that Infamous Glory is definitely more a Metal band than a Death Metal band. Even if they describe themselves as “Old School Death Metal”, and I absolutely confirm it, they’re not exactly “old school” as we mean it today. Their roots come slightly before the 90’s, as most of the structures and riffs remind me of late ’80’s classic Metal than the raw, dark Death Metal of the golden age. Forget about old Imperious Malevolence, Ancestral Malediction or Mental Horror, as this band does not runs for the fastest and heaviest position. They play a mix of genres that goes from Death Metal a la Diabolic, Deceased, Infamy, Pessimist to more generic Black Metal, with an abundant influence of Thrash and some virtuous soloing. There is surely a good share of brutality, as the drummer knows how to blast, and the vocals are powerful, but in general I cannot find a line in the song writing. Some chugs seem pretty pointless and for some reason the fury doesn’t manage to pierce the amp if you know what I mean. Good, flawless Death Metal is what they play, but I feel it’s lacking some punch. Good stuff, but needs some more straightforward songwriting and to get rid rid of some embellishments. Add some Nunslaughter and we might get some really killer thing.

ALTAR OF GIALLO (Spa): “s/t” demo Cd-r 2006 s/p

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Great zombie worshipping intro! Just when all the Carcass/Impetigo inspired bands initially exploited by Razorback rex started to sound gay at last we have some new hot petrol reviving the flames. Or maybe it’s human fat that greasy, sticky, flammable substance? With all that acrid smoke, it couldn’t be otherwise. Cannibals and Italian movie cheesy acting is revived in these tracks. Not only this band gets inspired by cool old horror and thriller flicks in the lyrics, but the sound itself (the flyer itself defines it a “very cool sound”) is an hybrid of Cannibal Gore Metal and Riz Ortolani/Fabio Frizzi kind of chilling composition. This band features members of Gruesome Stuff Relish and Repugnance and well, it just plainly kills. It has a nice share of the sound of both bands, plus a character of its own – equally balanced between eerie melodies, growling gore gargling, phlegmy vocals and all the good shit this music can offer. I cannot recommend it enough, especially now that their full length album is out on Yurkiewicz’s label Last House on the Right – I can speak for these tracks only but I bet the Lp is equally good. Never exceedingly fast, yet definitely gore to the (gnawed) bone. Lovers of Impetigo would definitely find this band much more convincing than that shit that is Lincoln Love Log (try telling me that “Amazonia” is not a tribute to “Cannibale Ballet”). Lovers of good old movies too will undoubtedly find a lot of references as well…!

MORTORIUM (Ita): “Whore of the Liar” demo Cd-r 2008 s/p

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I knew I was hearing right even beneath the folds of inexperience when I first heard Mortorium. The first demo (review soon, damn! I still need to review the first one and I already got the second ahah, that’s what makes you understand how slow you have become) was not one of face paling blasphemy, but things have improved ten times so far.

They sadly give up to some mellow Black Metal clichès at times (in the second half of “Bleeding Wounds” – I have to skip the track becouse I cannot stand it), but mostly they’re good at composing brutal Black Metal with throat ripping roaring vocals. The singer knows his due, sometimes reminds me of Funeral Mist‘s Arioch (now Marduk I think, not sure) , in which the vocal range is broad, but always evil. You get 12 minutes in all on this demo, but the material is pretty intense, I am quite happy we have bands like this in Italy after all the incredible mass of shit I had to hear in the ’90’s (and sadly today still going strong with all that shit about witches and trolls). Bands like this and Mefitic or The Krushers make me hope for a better future of burned down churches and Satan-centered Black Metal. Mortorium plays straight ahead Black Metal with raw structures, slightly Swedish riffing and a good balance of South American madness..

I am not a fan of war imagery, so I’ll skip comments on the machine gun in the back. But the rest of the demo follows the big principles of “good demo design”: no advanced Photoshop tricks, just a b/w cover with gothic fonts and a picture of Padre Pio (which is the whore in question) with an upside down cross on his forehead, ahah!

Cut the second song at 1.50 and we’d have a killer demo!