DOWN THE LINE (Ita): “Apotheosis is Decline… Decline is Apotheosis” Cd Ep 2004 DTL-Ickno-Grind-Corporation

It is fun to read how prolific and compact the scene from Sardinia is. I was first introduced to Sardinian grind with my long time friend Wally ‘s band Ass Ache still in the 80’s (!!) and then with a bunch of other bands which appeared in the “Ugo Story” compilation tapes. Let’s tell it straight: this Cd is just made up of 5 minutes of real music plus a bulk of intros and a very long (and a bit sleepy) concatenation of electronic loops. But those 5 minutes of real shit are intense enough to raise a brow. Very few, extremely basic crusty riffs with a bit of Agathocles feeling, coupled with unintelligible liquid vocals in pure gore-grind style. I especially like the metallic sound of the bass distortion. In short this is genuine dirty to the point goregrind with some courageous experimentations in the electronic field. I just wonder why they’re still promoting 5 scarce minutes of material which were recorded 5 years ago (!!) and released only 2 years later. Songs like these are generally mass produced by the dozens – one riff, one song. The cover art is okay too, even if it spots a photo which was already used on Meat Shits‘ “Sniper at the Fag Parade”. Not a mandatory “demo” but fun.

Apocalypse Command to be released in September

The vinyl factory initially told me that it would take just 3 weeks to prepare the records once they got the layout material. However I got a message from them right yesterday (one month after they got it ALL – material and money) that it will take one more moth before the records are delivered that makes 2 months in my world. Whatever. Prepare to see the Ep out in mid September (hoping they are doing it all straight – I had two specific requests for the layout).

Just got back from Hamburg and the Sadistic Intent show. Needless to say it was one of the best shows I have ever seen in my life. The air was charged with the vibrations of DEATH. I also managed to meet ad drink along with Jeff Becerra of Possessed, an hero of my childhood. It was great to see a Death Metal warrior still 100% into extreme metal after all these years. Long live the king.

I am discussing with Will Rahmer the possibility to start an Italian chapter of the NYDM brotherhood. Italian guys interested please get in touch for more details.

A new issue of Necromaniac ‘zine has finally been released – I stock a few copies in my own shop for those interested – real good zine with interview with killer bands.

Hacker (ex-Unholy Terror) started a label called OBSCURE DOMAIN – its new release Headhunter DC “Spreading God’s Cancer” is out now. Get it damn!!!

No updates but…

Several things going in the background.

Apocalypse Command is at the pressing plant and will be released in August. Cannot wait to see how it’s turning out. I also have another release soon to be completed… but I won’t reveal anything yet.

I renewed and cleaned up the Buio Omega website. The distro is now active 100% and some new material is coming in a few days. Once the label is rolling again, prepare for a flood of really nasty records… only selected shit, no sell out fillers. I am also doing a lot of work in the background to prepare a decent shopping cart and registration system, although I have still no idea when it will be accessible to public.

As for gigs, I am preparing to go HERE. ‘Nuff said?

GAURITHOTH (Fin): “Huoravasara” 7″ Ep 2004 Fudgeworthy

Fudgeworthy records from Massachusetts (label of Charlie Infection of Psycho and Gonkulator fame) released a couple black metal Eps in the past one of which being this grey marble colored 4 track by Finish band Gaurithoth. Considering the proclaims of playing extreme Satanic Latex Perverse Metal, I was expecting some fucking bomb lacerating the whole fucking house I live in. As already happened with its previous release Pest however, I admit this is really not up to my expectations. I haven’t heard the recent full length, but this demo material has two big flaws: too much melody and strident witchlike vocals. Personally I don’t even Like Grand Belial’s Key for their over excess of heavy metal harmonies, and this time the problem is similar. Mid tempo ballad-like riffs with a couple harmonic “cold” tremolo chords are not really my cup of tea when we talk about Black Metal. Some riffs are outright happy hunting choirs – brr, no thank you. The vocals are randomly scattered on the recording, with little or no punch at all, and well, they don’t even sound evil to me. The only thing I appreciate is that the recording is excellent (rough but not thin), ad the drums filthy and crude as they must be in this genre. Huoravasara contains the same tracks of their 2002 demo, plus one unreleased song cut just for the vinyl version. This stuff might appeal fans of all things called Black Metal from Finland. Since a few years however, I decided to be a little bit more selective.

DEVOURED FLESH REGURGITATION (Hol): “Bones, Flesh ‘n Partysnacks” Cd 2007 Grindhead

I was complaining right the other day about the seemigly complete lack of serious goregrind bands with a real fucking line up and not just drum machine and computer bases. Luckily Grindhead from Australia has come in aid, as this Devoured Flesh Regurgitation album is just that, a real grindgore record with real musician, that took over 4 years in the making. It just feels reassuring that it was ot made overnight like so many releases today.

I actually hate the shouted punk vocals on this album, a la “old English way of early grindcore”, not becouse they’re not deep or whatever, but they just sound a bit fake in the mix – so to say out of place. Seems like someone just took an album that was already complete and mixed, and added some barking with a walkman. In other words I really believe they’re totally superfluous, get rid of that shit. BUT! This band has a double vocal approach (just like old ENT) and the second one is our beloved more reassuring, traditional octaved gargle of early RGTE and old Malignant Tumour. Soundwise the inspirations are many, from crust to more traditional grindcore with a lot of blasts and the classick touch of punk induced groove plus a bit of the blur of early noise bands like Sore Throat.  I really like it when all the instruments converge to a point where all the fury is unleashed in a wall of sound crowned with froglike croaks. Luckily we have something sick to listen to this time and age. There is not that excess of R’n’R groove that is abounding too much lately into grid in my opinion, and that’s another good point. We’re a bit far from the impossible damp heaviness of Last Days of Humanity and early Squash Bowels, but we’reon the right way. To get and support! The band split up in 2006, too bad!

Neat work with the packaging this time, the label is improving release after release. I would have skipped the embossing on the fonts, tho.

PS: Actually the vocals were really recorded later than the instruments.

INHUME (Hol): “Chaos, Dissection, Order” Cd 2007 Osmose

After two years of delay, “Chaos, Dissection, Order” is finally out, third goddamned blasting piece of bulldozing goregrind from Holland. Actually usig the term goregrind in its common meaning is a bit restrictive. Inhume are extremely HEAVY, and surely grind as well, the guitars are loose and rocking although not in the classic Neuropathia way. There is more heaviness and no groove here, which in the ened I believe is for the better. The sound is accurately balanced,every element well cut in the mix and the guitar sound boulderish but not dirty. It’s like the heaviest you can go without a muddled sound. The drum stile is the same as in the killer “Decomposing from the Inside” but as it happened with “In For The Kill”, things have gotten even tighter here. There are just a couple of tempo variations in the middle of the album, but for the rest it’s ultra fast blasting all the time, with early Mick Harris like bursts but without all the socio-political bollocks of classic grind. Fully graphic gore lyrics and artwork, double guttural vocal assault, and a ultra-dense sound make this new Inhume hit another mallet strike right in the middle of the forehead of Jesus. Ah. There is not much digression here, everything is to the point without fucking frills. Inhume is still one of the leading Brutal Goregrind bands from Holland, bar none. I guess one has to be more into the second album than the first but hey, is this a fucking problem? If you manage to see them live, they’re also a great band on stage (not to mention there is a red haired girl with impossibly big tits always following them on tour, so that’s one extra point in my scale of values. Eheh.).  

News

  • Grindfest production just released a cool 3″ Cd by bulldozer noisegoregrind masters Carnival of Carnage. The Cd comes with a 4 full color page booklet. Longsleeves are also available from Urethra rex. Price for the Cd is 4.50 euros plus shipping.