Call me a chauvanistic assbag or what have you, but aside from the likes of Landmine Marathon, I’ve never really been one for female-fronted bands (especially one with clean vocals). That said, I cannot get this damned Christian Mistress album out of my stereo. It rocks too goddamned much.

The Olympia, Washington band’s full-length debut (only 6 songs), Agony & Opium, has two things going for it. First, the dual guitars that trade off from one another throughout each track are ridiculously amazing. At one moment galloping along in a late-70s/early-80s era hard rock groove (Judas Priest), the next dive bombing one another with well timed hooks and infectious leads, guitarists Ryan McClain and Oscar Sparbel are the driving force behind the music on this album. There’s a bit of a stoner vibe that infects their riffs occasionally, but the overall vibe is a perfect distraction from all the death metal I’ve been reviewing as of late.

The second, and most important, thing the band has going for them is front woman Christine Davis. Her voice is one part husky Janis Joplin, one part trippy (but not too trippy) Grace Slick and enough Joan Jett for a bit of an aggressive edge. Mesmerizing and honest, Davis, backed by the slick guitars, rumbling bass and pumping drums, has one of those voices that just cannot be ignored.

Together the collective that is Christian Mistress deliver one hell of a debut effort. It’s raw and honest without any superfluous bells and whistles that would ultimately only distract from the catchy and fist-pumping music on Agony & Opium.

Riding on the Edges
Christian Mistress open up with rollicking guitars and plenty of galloping groove. Davis’ voice comes in shortly after with her mix of Joplin/Slick/Jett that fits the driving music perfectly. There’s a good bit of bass underneath it all that’s got a nice rumble to it. The trading leads at 2:48 shred mightily as the rhythm keeps chugging along. “Riding on the Edges” is one hell of a way to open an album.

Desert Rose
“Desert Rose” starts off with some creative drum work as thudding bass and building guitars slowly take over. The overall vibe of this song is a bit darker and more solemn with a slower pace than the galloping opener. The chorus is soulful and honest. The first lead pipes up around 1:48 into the song. This is one of those songs that’s slower paced, but will have your head nodding along with the band quicker than you think. The second, and more aggressive, lead appears after the 3:30 mark with a great rock vibe.

Home in the Sun
Wow. I love the higher energy that “Home in the Sun” brings to the table. It’s got a more upbeat rhythm with galloping guitars, thick bass and quicker delivery from Davis. All of those elements comes together in a memorable, infectious song that’s hard to get out of your head after it’s done. At 5:37 in length, the song is also the lengthiest on the album, but not by much. The second half of the track is probably my favorite as Davis let’s loose with her voice as some searing leads come in to play.

Poison Path
“Poison Path” certainly isn’t poison for your ears as more upbeat tempos come charging out of your speakers with shredding riffs and driving drum work. Next to the following song (“Black Vigil”), it’s the hardest rocking track on this joint. It’s got a denser overall feel, as well. Be sure not to miss the dueling guitars around 2:25 as they transition into some truly memorable lead work. The vocals that follow that initial burst of guitar work has a very Grace Slick vibe to them that fits the end of the song perfectly.

Black Vigil
Looking for something a little more raucous on this short disc? “Black Vigil” is your song as it charges out of the gate with excellent guitar work and thundering drums. Man, this is as head banging as a track as your going to find on Agony & Opium especially during the layered leads at 1:30. It’s just too bad that the song only lasts another minute or so after they’ve passed.

Omega Stone
“Omega Stone” is a deceiving song of sorts as it starts off with acoustic guitar and lightly presented vocal work. You get the feeling that the band is going to end the album with a soft ballad of sorts — which, let’s be honest here, would have been disappointing. Thankfully, that’s not the case. It may take a couple of minutes to build up to, but once Christian Mistress get going, the song swells with a series of leads around 2:20. After that, it’s on like Donkey Kong with galloping riffs, rumbling bass and some of the more infectious vocal work on the album. Amazing song that shows some impressive musicianship and song writing. Love it!

~ ~ ~

Additional Notes:
n/a

Artist: Christian Mistress
Album: Agony & Opium
Rating: 4/5

Label: 20 Buck Spin
Release Date: Aug 24, 2010
User Rating: Note: There is a rating embedded within this post, please visit this post to rate it.

Track Listing

1. Riding on the Edges
2. Desert Rose
3. Home in the Sun
4. Poison Path
5. Black Vigil
6. Omega Stone

Guild of Destruction‘s third full-length heaping of death metal, We Are Vermin was originally released back in the Summer of 2009, but I only just recently received a promo for it. And having never heard of the band — and really liking the nastiness flowing from my speakers at the moment — I felt it necessary to give these guys some props for a hell of an album.

I’m not sure if it just took a year to make it across the water to the U.S. or if it was only just released in the states and, frankly, I don’t give a fuck why it took so long. These Australians lay down nine tracks of bestial death metal with tinges of black metal and elements of thrash thrown in for good measure — all with a technical flair. From the scathing opening track through to the epic finish, We Are Vermin is a bruising, ambitious and frightening (in a good way) indication of what kind of blasphemous hell we can expect in the future from the land down under.

Brutal As Cunt
As far as opening songs go, I don’t think I’ve heard one quite as ferocious as “Brutal As Cunt” in a good while. Right from the start blasting drums and driving riffs force growling and snarling vocals down your throat with uncaring force. Throughout this three and a half minute track you’ll encounter some technical oriented riffing and bludgeoning drums. I love the low/high vocal presentation that the band is utilizing thus far.

Mutating The Gene
For as ferocious as the previous song was, “Mutating The Gene” is ambitious. With a much slower overall pace, the song is still fierce, but has a more structured vibe to it with less of a straightforward death metal approach. When the guys do erupt into frenetic blasts, it’s got a bit more of a black metal vibe. The guitars carry a technical vibe to the riffing, but with more groove. It’s a really catchy track at times with some of the more memorable moments of the album. This nearly six minute beast is chock full of excellent musicianship, searing leads and bruising rhythms. I want more.

When Angels Fuck Demons
After the minute long acoustic guitar intro, the guys open up with some melodic death riffs to a huge scream that introduces a nice black metal feel and some sweet grooves to the riffs. The vocals seem to be a bit more powerful on this one, as well. There’s a good deal of tempo shifts (from smooth grooving death metal to blasting black metal) and technical aspects to what the guys are cranking out on this evil song. The lead around the 3:30 mark shreds nicely. I’m digging the layered vocal work, as well.

Death Of Man
“Death of Man” opens up with a big growl and dives head first into a wood chipper powered by blasting death metal. After the previous two, more technically inclined tracks, it’s nice to get back down to bare bones, bludgeoning brutatlity — with some great groove and inventive drum work to top it off. This is definitely a fun, yet badass song to get lost in. Fucking love it!

Suffering The Beast
A much more dramatic beginning to this next track sets it apart from the rest of the album. The guitars that get it going have a bit of a blackened tinge to them. The dramatic atmosphere doesn’t last long however, as G.O.D. erupt from the calm with blasting drums and vicious vocals. The track then descends into technical chaos with elements of grind and black metal coming together in a calamitous climax. This is another badass track that cannot be missed.

Plague Elixir
With little fanfare, “Plague Elixir” fades in smoothly from the previous track with catchy guitar work and some seriously nasty, snearing vocals. The lead at :40 is just as nasty as those growls and lasts a good while. There’s a large black metal influence on the remainder of the song as the guys blast and pummel their way through your wretched soul.

My Ruins
Ambient noise quickly gives way to catchy guitars and a good groove as the vocals come growling in. The groove is quickly pounded into submission with unrelenting drums and technical riffing. This is one hell of a song that encompasses rapidly shifting tempos along with that guttural growl to great effect, reaching screaming heights and plummeting depths.

The Abyss
I love the opening guitar work to “The Abyss.” It’s simple, yet you know it’s going to build to something so much more, especially with the inclusion of a more melodic tone. Yup. I was right. After the one minute mark the drums amp up their pace and ferocity as the guitars inject an ass load of technicality into their playing. Man, these guys could go any direction with their music — they’ve got the talent to do it, that’s for sure. Yet, the groove and vocal patterns around 2:20 are fucking infectious as hell! Awesome song.

Vengeance or Salvation
“Vengeance or Salvation” wraps up We Are Vermin nicely with a bit of a Slayer like vibe to the opening few seconds before the guys settle into some beefy riffs and guttural mayhem. The pace is a bit slower than most of the stuff on the album initially, but it steadily increases in speed to a pounding ferocity that’s only tempered by some creative drumming and sweet guitar work. No matter how brutal these guys can get they never cease to mix things up, keeping the album varied , enjoyable and devoid of any sort of stagnation. I’m going to have to find their other discs after this listening to this beast.

~ ~ ~

Additional Notes:
n/a

Artist: Guild of Destruction:
Album: We Are Vermin
Rating: 3.5/5

Label: Grindhead Records
Release Date: Jul 25, 2009
User Rating: Note: There is a rating embedded within this post, please visit this post to rate it.

Track Listing

1. Brutal As Cunt
2. Mutating The Gene
3. When Angels Fuck Demons
4. Death Of Man
5. Suffering The Beast
6. Plague Elixir
7. My Ruins
8. The Abyss
9. Vengeance or Salvation

Aug. 24 — Kylesa, the psych-rock co-ed Georgians, have revealed the cover art (illustrated by Santos) and track list for the anticipated new album Spiral Shadow.

The band, who recently wrapped up a European tour with Converge, recorded the new album at the Jam Room in Columbia, SC earlier this summer with band member and renowned producer Phillip Cope(Baroness, Withered) once again at the helm.

Upon Spiral Shadow‘s release (Oct. 26, Season of Mist), the album will have a limited edition digipak version with 3D cover art packaged with a bonus DVD.

Kylesa is currently working on a video for “Tired Climb” and will return to the road on Sept. 11 with a performance at Raleigh’s Hopscotch Festival before joining High On Fire and Torche for a five-week US trek.

Spiral Shadow track list:
1. Tired Climb
2. Cheating Synergy
3. Drop Out
4. Crowded Road
5. Don’t Look Back
6. Distance Closing In
7. To Forget
8. Forsaken
9. Spiral Shadow
10. Back And Forth
11. Dust

Long running Maryland biker doom masters EARTHRIDE recently unleashed their third full-length entitled Something Wicked. The nine-track offering was recorded, mixed and mastered by Chris Kozlowski (Blue Cheer, Pentagram, Melvins, Trouble et al) at the Polar Bear Lair and features a guest appearances by Scott “Wino” Weinrich (Saint Vitus, Shrinebuilder, The Obsessed, Spirit Caravan) on the track “Supernatural Illusion.” In addition, the inside booklet includes actual X-rays and MRIs from various injuries sustained by all four EARTHRIDE members over the years. Something Wicked is available via the band’s own Earth Brain Records

Something Wicked Track Listing:

1. Something Wicked
2. Hacksaw Eyeball
3. Make Up Your Mind
4. Destruction Song
5. Zodiac
6. Watch The Children Play
7. Grip The Wheel
8. Supernatural Illusion
9. Force Fed Fear

“Something Wicked is definitely an Earthride album; all the elements are there. You’ve got the Clutch inspired waves of orange amplified riffage, the deep, grooving counterpoints of the rhythm section, and of course Sherman’s over-the-top vocal deliveries, which mix equal parts Lee Dorrian and Lemmy. And naturally, it’s heavy as fuck.” — Riffrock.com

Dutch Death Metal Masters HAIL OF BULLETS have announced On Divine Winds as the title of the band’s upcoming full-length studio album to be released October 12th via Metal Blade Records!

HAIL OF BULLETS’ debut album ‘…Of Frost and War’ was a concept album about the Eastern front war of Germany. ‘On Divine Winds’ is another concept album, this time covering the Pacific battles between Japan and the USA.

Vocalist Martin van Drunen comments: “This time Hail of Bullets takes on the Pacific War. The expansion of the Empire of Japan throughout Asia, introducing a full scale war using all forces combined. The massive strike back of the Americans, whose marines bravely fought many tough and bloody battles on now forgotten insulate islands spread throughout the whole Pacific. This led to desperate Japanese defense tactics such as Kamikaze, human bullets and suicidal Banzai charges. Until finally, incendiary bombings brought the empire to its knees.”

The album title On Divine Winds refers to the translation for the Japanese word Kamikaze, as kami stands for “God” and kaze means “wind”.

On Divine Winds track listing:
1. The Eve Of Battle
2. Operation Z
3. The Mukden Incident
4. Strategy of Attrition
5. Full Scale War
6. Guadalcanal
7. On Coral Shores
8. Unsung Heroes
9. Tokyo Napalm Holocaust
10. Kamikaze
11. To Bear the Unbearable

On Divine Winds was produced by Ed Warby and like before the monstrous mix was in the capable hands of Mr. Dan Swanö.

Drummer Ed Warby adds: “I don’t think I’ve ever worked this hard on anything in my entire life, but it sure has paid off! Although …Of Frost And War is a tough act to follow, my ringing ears tell me we’ve succeeded in besting it on every level: songs, playing, production… at the moment Dan Swanö is putting the final touches on a mix that could squash a tank, and then it’s off to the pressing plant! All the main ingredients of our blood ‘n’ guts style death metal have remained intact and I honestly can’t imagine anyone that liked our previous work is going to be the least bit disappointed… on the contrary!”

On Divine Winds will be released out October 12th in North America!

Relapse Records is proud to announce the signing of California’s MURDER CONSTRUCT.

MURDER CONSTRUCT features Travis Ryan (CATTLE DECAPITATION) on vocals, Leon del Muerte (EXHUMED, PHOBIA, IMPALED) on guitar and vocals, Kevin Fetus (FETUS EATERS, WATCH ME BURN) on guitar, Danny Walker (INTRONAUT, EXHUMED, UPHILL BATTLE) on drums, and Caleb Schneider (BAD ACID TRIP) on bass. The band has recorded a seven-song EP that will see its release this fall.

MURDER CONSTRUCT’s del Muerte commented on the EP; “Finally this goddamned release sees the light of day! Nearly 10 years (and countless bands, musicians and black-out beer-drunks in between) and our friendly collaboration between Southern California’s worst will be out with our longtime homeslices, Relapse. This is just a taste of nastiness we have planned for our full length!”

MURDER CONSTRUCT will team-up with VENOMOUS CONCEPT and KILL THE CLIENT for a handful of California dates in mid-September. The band will also be performing in Tijuana, Mexico and Boyle Heights, CA this coming weekend. A listing of confirmed MURDER CONSTRUCT tour dates can be found below with more to be announced soon.

Hailing form the cold, dark nether regions of Poland, Blasphemy Rites erupt out of now where with their hellishly raw debut album. Hideous Lord bucks any new trends and tears through an angel’s ass (see “Sodomize Holy Angel”) with unrelenting, reckless abandon. The black/death metal these guys are spitting is venomous, violent and, for lack of a better word, blasphemous.

Blasphemy Rites invert your favorite deity for 32 minutes of utter and complete hell (12 original songs and 3 covers). Thrashing guitars are raw with just the right amount of distortion and the thundering and often times chaotic drumming pummels you senseless. And if you’re going to spew forth lyrics praising Satan and raping angelic beings then you better have one hell of a vocalist. And these guys do. The evil screams and growls that slither out of this disc fit the music perfectly.

So put down your Bible and kiss your ass good bye — Hideous Lord is here.

Bestial Necromancy Sex
It’s always good to let new listeners know exactly what you’re all about with your first song… but, uh, this might not be the best song subject matter-wise to start off with. At any rate, “Bestial Necromancy Sex” is a blasting song that takes almost a minute to get going, but when it does, it’s guttural and violent as hell. Clashing drums, rumbling bass and caustic riffs dominate the rest of the song. Not a bad album opener.

Genocide
This 19 second eruption of peace, love and understanding (yeah, right) has more in common with grind-core than black metal. I’ve played it several times in a row now and it never gets old. Hell yes!

Hideous Lord
The title track is chock full of rumbling bass, distortion and chaotic, blasting drum work. The production for this disc fits the evil music perfectly — it’s raw, a bit messy and downright sadistic. The deep guttural growls to higher end shrieks help keep the vocals from becoming stagnate amidst the whirlwind of riffs and crashing symbols. There’s almost a bit of a punk aesthetic to this song’s overall vibe.

Beergoat of Sodomy
What’s a beergoat and can I get one with stout instead of sodomy? “Beergoat of Sodomy” has a good deal of ambient noise over the first 30 seconds or so before the guys come in with dense, galloping rhythms. The pace is quickly ramped up to a blistering cadence as the tortured vocals come. This song feels like it’s constantly on the verge of losing whatever little control it may have over itself — teetering on sheer chaos.

Don’t Need Your Guts
More chaotic, pounding drums greet you at the onset of this next track as a brief, yet sick lead screams amongst the dense rumblings. I’m not sure that these guys can get any more aggressive with their delivery, but I’ll be damned if they haven’t ratcheted up the vehemence on this song. It’s just too bad that after a minute the track is gone.

Alcoholic Sabbath
“Alcoholic Sabbath” has a nice bit of drum work and rumbling bass to get it going before the vocals come shrieking in. Snarling and vicious, this track will leave you grinning maniacally for more. Man, that was a dark and dirty song.

Damned Bastard of Hell
Here’s another of those oh-too-short blasts of frenzied fury. “Damned Bastard of Hell” has a bit of a groove too it as the guys thrash their way through your skull with driving riffs, rollicking drums and thick, rumbling bass. This is the shit that gets me stoked on an album.

Apocalyptic War
Featuring a pretty standard black metal title, “Apocalyptic War” starts off slowly with some ambience and sound effects before finally exploding in your ears with crushing blasts of drumming menace as the snearing vocals spit vitriol. The guitars swirl and dive all over the place, adding more than enough dynamic layers to an already dense sounding song. The slow down before the two minute mark is a nice change of pace.

Sadistic Blacking Metal
Tortured wails and big rumbling bass open up this next track as a belching scream gets the rest of the guys into it with thick, chugging guitars and bludgeoning drums. This one isn’t as straightforward as the other tracks have been. There are some nice tempo shifts peppering it’s brief two minute span.

Drink The Poisoned Piss of Baphomet
This sounds like some sort of vile cocktail that’s served regularly at all the watering holes in Hell. Yeah, get me a Miller Lite and a couple of shots of Poisoned Piss of Baphomet. No thanks. As for the music on this track, it’s unholy as all get out. Pounding drums and slithering leads show up here and there amongst the chugging blackened thrash.

Sodomize Holy Angel
Man, this is as aggressive and as caustic a song as you can find anywhere this side of an inverted cross. It’s blasphemous, raw and without a doubt, a full on “fuck you” to all religions across the globe. The drums on this short track are blasting and, at times, a bit messy, but that’s what makes it so damned good. It’s all over the fucking place.

Atomic Discharge
I suppose atomic discharge is what happens at the climax of a good angel raping, but I could be wrong. At any rate, this one minute (and then some) track is actually 45 minutes of blistering blacked thrash and then plenty of static and reverb to end out the remaining moments. Next up, the cover songs.

Empty Chalice (Blasphemy cover)
I’m not entirely familiar with the orginal song, but Blasphemy Rites seem to be playing this mid-tempo chugging monster pretty well. It’s a bit slower than their original material, but still fits in nicely.

Satan Bless You (Sabbat cover)
Again, not another track I’m wholly familiar with, but I love the galloping cadence the song carries. Pretty damned good.

Dethroned Emperor (Celtic Frost cover)
Now, this one I do know. It’s been a good while since I last heard it, but it appears as though the guys are handling it well enough. It’s much slower a song than they have played so far on this impressive debut. It just goes to show that the band is capable of playing all sorts of malevolent styles.

~ ~ ~

Additional Notes:
n/a

Artist: Blasphemy Rites
Album: Hideous Lord
Rating: 3.5/5

Label: Pagan Records
Release Date: Apr 23, 2010
User Rating: Note: There is a rating embedded within this post, please visit this post to rate it.

Track Listing

1. Bestial Necromancy Sex
2. Genocide
3. Hideous Lord
4. Beergoat of Sodomy
5. Don’t Need Your Guts
6. Alcoholic Sabbath
7. Damned Bastard of Hell
8. Apocalyptic War
9. Sadistic Blacking Metal
10. Drink The Poisoned Piss of Baphomet
11. Sodomize Holy Angel
12. Atomic Discharge
13. Empty Chalice
14. Satan Bless You
15. Dethroned Emperor

After more than 20 active years within the death metal scene, former Dismember/Carnage drummer Fred Estby needed to express his passion for different kinds of extreme music; a passion he’s bore since his youth. In 2008, Estby started writing/recording material with the intention of utilizing one unique vocalist for each song. Dubbed NECRONAUT, the project would become a reality just one year later when the drummer began contacting the many talented metal musicians he had in mind.

NECRONAUT’s self-titled full-length is slated for release later this year via Regain Records. The cover was created by Chet Zar , known for his makeup effects for movies such as The Ring, Planet of the Apes and Darkman [http://www.chetzar.com]. NECRONAUT’s approach is crude and dead simple a la early Bathory and Venom fused with Black Sabbath and Iron Maiden, but with an unorthodox, bass-heavy production that allows the album to stand out amongst its peers. The goal was primitive brute force, but because of the manner in which Estby chose to achieve it, he also managed to create an aura of pure malevolence that, prior to this album’s creation, was likely difficult to imagine. Check out the final track listing and guest list below.

Track list/Guest list:
1. Crimson Fields – Chris Reifert (Speech)
2. Twilight At The Trenches – Andreas “Drette” Axelson (Vocals)
3. In Dark Tribute – Hellbutcher (Vocals), Tyrant (Lead Guitar)
4. Soulside Serpents – JB (Vocals), Robert “Strings” Dahlqvist (Lead Guitar), Robert Pehrsson (Lead Guitar)
5. Infecting Madness – Chris Reifert (Vocals), Uffe Cederlund (Lead Guitar)
6. After The Void – Joakim Nilsson (Vocals), David Blomqvist (Lead Guitar)
7. The Lie In Which The Truth Is Buried – Fred Estby (Vocals), Nicke Andersson (Lead Guitar)
8. Returning To Kill The Light – Erik Danielsson (Vocals), JB (Lead Guitar)
9. Tower Of Death – Nicke Andersson (Vocals)
10. Rise Of The Sentinel – Tomas Lindberg (Vocals), David Blomqvist (Lead Guitar)

Who’s Who: Hellbutcher (Nifelheim), Tyrant (Nifelheim, Dagger), Andreas “Drette” Axelson (Tormented, Tortyr, ex-Edge Of Sanity), Chris Reifert (Autopsy, ex-Abscess), Uffe Cederlund (Disfear, Principals Of Existence, ex-Entombed), JB (Grand Magus), Erik (Watain), Tomas Lindberg (Disfear, At The Gates, The Great Deceiver), Nicke Andersson (Imperial State Electric, Death Breath), Joakim Nilsson (Graveyard), David Blomqvist (Dismember, Dagger, Shreds Of Death), Robert “Strings” Dahlqvist (Dundertåget, Thunder Express), Robert Pehrsson (Dundertåget, Death Breath, Thunder Express)

Listening to Interment‘s debut full-length (22 years in the making, by the way), Into the Crypts of Blasphemy, is like opening some long forgotten time capsule from the early ’90s. Everything about this album — the buzzing chainsaw guitars, the growling vocals, even the song titles — are straight out of the then-burgeoning Swedish death metal scene.

And that’s to be expected from an album like this.

The last time Interment released anything before a 2007 split with Funebrarum was back in 1994, right before they disbanded. They probably drank with Entombed, more than likely swapped riffs with Dismember and hung out with Grave. I mean, these guys are as old school as you can get with the release of any modern day album. Every note on Into the Crypts of Blasphemy oozes the distinct sound and evil of the death metal that was storming out of northern Europe at the time.

If these guys had released this album back then, we might be considering them one of the forefathers of the genre. Now, however, they’re seen as a talented group of death merchants slinging some really well crafted old school death metal. The thing is, it’s perfect! It’s a sound I grew up with. It’s a sound I want to hear 24/7 — flooding my ears with burly, buzzing riffs in only the way that Entombed could have done in their early days.

Eternal Darkness
“Eternal Darkness” jumps out of the album right from the get go with pounding drums and riffs straight off of Left Hand Path or Clandestine. I love the Johan Jansson’s vocals on this album. They’re raw, aggressive and pushed back in the mix to just the right degree that everything is well balanced and natural. Two slick, searing and evil leads bookend the brutal bludgeoning you’re gonna take on this one.

Torn from the Grave
Man, this one chugs like an out of control locomotive careening down a steep grade, aimed right for your ass. It starts off slow and slowly builds momentum with crushing riffs and a catchy as hell d-beat rhythm. The slow down just after the midway point is a nice touch to keep you from being bombarded too much too early in the album — have no fear, though, it’s quickly followed with a sweet lead and increased pace.

Dreaming in Dead
“Dreaming in Dead” is as aggressive a song as you’re going to find in this style. The drums are hellbent on pulverizing your skull as quickly and as violently as possible. The guitars have that classic Entombed sound and the vocals are tinged with malevolence. This is one of those songs that you just hope will randomly come up next on your iPod while at the gym. It’ll have you so freakin’ pumped for anything that comes your way.

Stench of Flesh
Holy Hell! Each song just seems to get better as the album progresses. The eruption of blasting drums and vile riffing will surely be enough to wake the dead, allowing the stench of (rotting) flesh to permeate the air. This is a raucous, unrelenting song complete with raw production, buzzing guitars and vicious vocals. I need more of this.

Where Death Will Increase
After a brief clip of some chick telling me where to go, the guys open up with a high tempo, chugging rhythm and buzzing riffs. Jansson’s no-nonsense vocals are raw as hell and in your face on this one. The music, however, steals the show with a sound right out of the epicenter of Swedish death metal. This thing rumbles, shaking the earth to its core. The lead at 2:35 is appropriately evil.

Sacrificial Torment
While each of the previous five songs have slayed it, “Sacrificial Torment” is classic in every sense of the word. From the memorable opening to the chugging, Entombed-inspired overall vibe, this track is easily one of my favorites on the album. It’s a bit slower paced than most of the previous material, but it reminds me so much of listening to the Stranger Aeons EP in my bedroom after class. Awesome. Love it!

Night of the Undead
Interment bring things back up to speed with the pounding drums and driving riffs of “Night of the Undead.” It’s a pretty straightforward, bruising and morbid affair that will leave you breathless and a bit sore in the neck region. The lead at 1:45 has a classic vibe to it as it weaves its evil sound through your soul.

Morbid Death
One of the two longer tracks on the album, “Morbid Death” starts off dark and slow before a big growl and sick lead come in seconds after the song starts. Right from the start this one has an ominous feel to it as it slowly picks up the pace over the first minute or so. Once the meat of the track gets underway you’re at full speed with bludgeoning drums, buzzing guitars and Jannson’s snarling growls. There are some seriously memorable bits of guitar work throughout this song, including the brief lead around 3:20. Tempos shift all over the place during “Morbid Death,” but the track still flows smoothly like crimson from a freshly opened jugular.

The Pestilence
I’m pretty sure that this is a cover of a Kreator track, but can’t be 100% sure because it’s delivered with such ferocity and malevolence that it sounds like an Interment original. At any rate, it’s a full throttled, high paced, peel-your-face-back affair that only takes a moment to slow down about half way through before putting a boot into your chest with rapid fire drumming and a sick lead. And like that, it’s over.

Wow. I’m going to have to listen to this album again.

~ ~ ~

Additional Notes:
n/a

Artist: Interment
Album: Into the Crypts of Blasphemy
Rating: 4/5

Label: Pulverised Records
Release Date: Aug 2, 2010
User Rating: Note: There is a rating embedded within this post, please visit this post to rate it.

Track Listing

1. Eternal Darkness
2. Torn from the Grave
3. Dreaming in Dead
4. Stench of Flesh
5. Where Death Will Increase
6. Sacrificial Torment
7. Night of the Undead
8. Morbid Death
9. The Pestilence