2022 has been very busy so far and the truth is that this blog has been in hibernation mode for quite some time until now. My first post for this year is dedicated on reviews for some promos that have been shared in this blog's mailbox.
Depleted Uranium - Origins
Although the press release categorises Depleted Uranium next to bands like Converge and The Dillinger Escape Plan, I honestly "fail" to see (m)any similarities with these groups - Origins actually sounds much more "clean", more melodic and less complex to be even "classified" as Mathcore...
Hyperdontia - Hideous Entity
Straight in your face Death Metal that does not boast about being "modern" or "progressive". I would rather express the opinion that it belongs to the Immolation "school" of riffs and this only to point out its greatness. The only thing that is to be regretful here, is that this release missed my attention during 2021. Differently, it would for sure have gotten a place in my year end list...
Barús - Fanges (EP)
I have to admit that this EP confused me. 2 songs (19 and 15 minutes long each) with the first one kicking off as a post black version of Isis, then escalating to Death Metal and finally ending with a part that sounds like pure Jazz improvisation. The second song is more "traditional" Morbid Angel-esque Death Metal and while nothing at in this release sounds "out of place" I would definitely like to listen to more of their material in order to "understand" better...
Hath - All That Was Promised
And here is one of the albums that will for sure make my 2022 list... Hath are a band that has been reviewed severals times since the beginning of this blog and although one more quality release from them is somehow to be expected and not surprising, I believe that this time the expectations have been surpassed. Death Metal, driven by an amazing guitar work that provides an "epic" feeling to the music in an album that will definitely stand out this year...
Kadavereich - Radiance of Doom
When an album is released on 18th December, chances are that neither the band nor the record company (mainly) are actually interested about its "placement" in any of the year-end lists...something that is really a pity when we refer to Kadavereich and their excellent dissonant Death Metal.
Hell Machine - Relentless Aggression
Hell Machine come from Australia and play Black Metal so expect nothing progressive or experimental here but rather "in your face"/old school/riff-driven Blackened Thrash. Of course there is also nothing groundbreaking here but for sure pure fun and unlimited head-banging is guaranteed...
Hell's Coronation - Silver Knife Mysticism
Hell's Coronation come from Poland and thankfully they do not sound like Behemoth. This is why their Ritualistic Black Death has found a well deserved place in this month's list...
PHALANX INFERNO / MELEK-THA - Order of Eternal Indifference
One more "unusual" release for this month is this split between Phalanx Inferno who come from US and play conventional, however well conceived and delivered US Death Metal and French Melek-Tha whose "music" is a combination of spoken word parts and Industrial elements. For some this "package " of extreme opposites may work well (even as an artistic statement) for others not. But it is at least worthy a try...
TYMO - The Art of A Maniac
Last and definitely not least an album of pure Thrash Metal. Everything in this release is done right, from the cover to the music and (most important) from the riffs to the solos. If you are nostalgic about the Thrash Metal of the 1987-1989 period (rather than the 1983-1985 one) then this is your album of the month (or even of the year)...
#DepletedUranium #Hyperdontia #Barús #Hath #Kadavereich #HellMachine #PHALANXINFERNO #MELEK-THA #TYMO