Astonishing! This is a splendid blend of Old-school Death Metal and Blackened Crustcore interspersed with some ‘unexpected’ elements, resulted this whole work sound truly brawny and potent. The EP “Ar/Lume” from Spanish death/crust OVAKNER (MCD released by Barcelona’s Tupatutupa Records) contains 4 mesmerizing tracks; about 16:27 minutes of energetic yet emotive riffs, fast and frantic d-beat, dark as well as crushing vocals. The entire guitarworks and also the drum-patterns sounded very outstanding, empowered with stellar recording quality. Inclusion of acoustic / Pagan-inspired rhythms (especially on the last track) have put Ovakner in a pretty perfect position and the “Ar/Lume” itself as in total is a masterpiece! For your information, the EP was also released on cassette-tape (with 2 bonus tracks) through Michigan’s (US) label, Eihwaz Recordings. Artwork by the late Timo Ketola (rest in peace, dude).
DISM is an acronym for Dark Insurgent Subarbs Mangel. Formed in Kuala Lumpur - Malaysia, the band featured members of The Dirty Dogs, Psychö Sickness, Discrusher, The Bongox dan The Dicksons. “Warmageddon” is band’s first release and the debut full-length, produced via own label - Dismania Production. It contains 12 tracks (including an intro and an outro) in which DISM delivers crusty / noisy D-beat Raw Punk in the veins of Discharge, Anti Cimex, Broken Bones, Disclose and the likes. The sound quality is decent and frankly speaking, this is a great cassette-tape and delivers the good shits!
BLOOD OF PERVERSION - Revelación Proclamación (EP 2020)
In most of the extreme music I listen to, I often feel something ‘distinctive’ if it is composed and performed by bands from the Latin American region. This band from Santa Cruz, Argentina called BLOOD OF PERVERSION is no exception to what I mean. The riffs, the music arrangements, the vocals, the entire nuances sounded very exotic, without leaving behind the essential roots of Black-Death superiority. “Revelación Proclamación” comprises of 5 tracks; started with an eerie ambiental intro and the following 4 songs are majestically diabolic, soul possessing and grasping! Fast-paced and mid-tempo aggressions have been well organized. The flow goes perfectly and complements each other. High hail to Blood Of Perversion, thy darkness prevails!
Indubitably spectacular debutant from a new & young act but a lot of potential. Obscurial delivers Old-school buzzsaw Death Metal at its finest way; brutally evil, obscure and pure madness! This five-piece band knows how to bring back the old-fashioned Death Metal into this modern era, with absolutely solid recording quality and outstanding sounds. “Exaltation” begins with an introduction track ‘Welcome to Dreamland’ which sounds so threatening and invites impatience to listen to the entire demo. Subsequently, prodigious tracks titled ‘Unbridled Child’, ‘Exaltation of Human Consumption’ and my personal favourite, ‘Binding Spell’ exploded in the ears with brilliant guitarworks, well-arranged song-structures, excellent drum-patterns, gruesome vocals! I like to want more from them and I hope Obscurial will continue to grow well. The Demo “Exaltation” is in total, intelligibly mind-blowing!
Andaman Torture Death Metal!!! The quartet MINEFIELD TORMENT was formed in 2014 based in Satun, Thailand. Here’s the drummer, Rikk Torik Pakbara speaks further about their past, current situation and future of the band. – Interviewed by Atandistorted, 8 October 2020.
Tell us the history & lineup of Minefield Torment?
Minefield Torment is Mephis Topheles (Vocals, Guitars), Fais Hassama (Guitars), Antzz LIb (Bass) and Rikk Torik Pakbara (Drums). We, friends listen to similar music. So they do music of their favorite genres. At first, they cover songs from Six Feet Under, Sepultura, Obituary, Cannibal Corpse. So I thought that I wanted to make my own music, so I compose about 5-6 songs. The first recording of the song called the War of Bullet was made a single. At that time we recorded ‘Death Awaits’ but we released one song, ‘War Bullets’ and make a sheet to give 20 copies. In 2015 we recorded Promo. The song ‘Death Awaits’ was re-recorded and rearranged. And another song is ‘Winter War’.
What’s the perfect description for your music & sound? Who’re your influences?
Our influence changes with age, Death Metal, Doom Metal, Progressive Death. We listen Sepultura, Obituary, Cannibal Corpse, Cynic, Hail of Bullets, Bolt Thrower, Asphyx, Benediction, Pink Floyd.
What’re the topics & messages in your lyrics?
War / Death.
Explain further about Minefield Torment releases?
We are still making music, the future members are absolutely nothing in the future. Now members are in different areas. Family responsibility work. Mephis Topheles is now a soldier. Fais Hassama is now a barber. Antzz LIb is now a cop. Rikk Torik Pakbara is now a teacher. Therefore causing the time to not match. But now we are still talking about plans for the future, but the next one is definitely coming soon.
Say something about your next EP? Tell more about the songwritings & recordings?
We will soon be able to listen to each other, only recording drums. The lyrics of Rikk Torik Pakbara are songwriters. World war content is part of the music we help each other.
What happened to EP 2017 “The War To End All Wars”?
EP 2017 The War Ends All War? Only the drums were recorded. But there was an incident that caused us to stop recording at that time. But we don’t have any problems within the EP 2017 The War Ends All War. There are 6 songs on the EP, expect early 2022 to hear each other. We have accumulated the works for many years. But we’re trying to get it out. The drum studio was far from the area we lived in and the guitar, bass and vocals we recorded at the RikkTorik house. D-Day single is contained in the EP.
Some gigs you ever played? Any best memorable moments?
Gigs: 2015 Phuket DeathHell Fest / 2015 Monsoon Thunder Blast / 2016 Southern Legions / 2017 Chiangmai Deathfest #4 / 2019 Deathober Fest II. Best memorable moments: Phuket DeathHell Fest in 2015, it was the group’s first performance and had some impressive events.
Report a bit about the underground scene around your area?
In the province or neighboring regions, there are no metal bands, only 2-3 bands. Most people listen to popular music.
Formed in February 1995, Athens-based Thrash Metal assault THE CRUCIFIER has managed to unleash 5 demos, few splits and 3 full-length albums including this third one, “Voices In My Head” which was released in September 2017 through Italy’s Punishment 18 Records. The CD comprises of 9 tracks (over 36 minutes) of 80’s Thrash onslaught. They sound most-likely American classics such as Nuclear Assault, Testament, Exodus, Dark Angel, etc (just to name a few) with a slight touch of Greek elements, I think. Straight-forward and technical riffs are mixed wisely. Rapid and sharp guitarworks with impressive melodies and sometimes surprising changes in tempo. The vocals are aggressive, and there is even more praise for the pounding bass and pummeling drum-strokes that amplifies the entire album. If you are looking for the finest old-school Thrash Metal band from Greece, The Crucifier has the ultimate answer, absolutely!
This 2-song promo is totally great! Indonesia’s Vox Mortis knows how to compose high quality Death Metal music, playing it skillfully and technically. The guitarworks sounded very imposing, the riffs extremely heavy and dynamic, accompanied by intense and solid blastbeats. The monstrous growl vocals complement the perfection of this Jakarta-based band. The recording sound is also at the top-notch level. Vox Mortis is so passionate about delivering animal awareness messages, showing that extreme music is also capable of conveying positiveness. I’m not sure where they got their inspiration for such great Death Metal works but it feels like for American Death Metal enthusiasts such as Suffocation, Monstrosity, Cannibal Corpse and Deeds Of Flesh, you should immediately check out Vox Mortis. Brutality reigns supreme!
OBSCURO is a Cuban band that is dedicated to Grind since 2011, its objective is to spread the genre by promoting it and create a space for fans of the genre and of Obscuro in particular, all for the good of the diffusion of Cuban Metal… In grind we trust…!! – Interviewed by Atandistorted, 28 September 2020.
Hello Obscuro. What is going on in Cuba lately?
Hello and thanks for the invitation. There is not much to talk about in Cuba related to underground scene because of the virus so right now we are at home doing some promotion stuff and preparing new releases as the others bands.
Tell us Obscuro history and current band lineup?
Obscuro band began on December 2010 playing death black style and with some influences of Brujería and Asesino bands. Later we start playing Grind and we still playing nowadays, in our first years we had 4 musicians but now we have only two in a different format and a manager.
I introduce them: Yuvisniel García Fuentes as vocal and guitar player, Luis Antonio Antunes as bass player, Pablo Martínez López as drummer, and Yanelis Almaguer Zucarino as manager of the band.
Give a list of Obscuro complete discography?
Here are our releases in chronological order; Cristo de Odio 2011, Carnicero 2012, Me Quedo Con Tu Cadáver 2013, Marrano Tour 2015-2016 (this is a live tour), Eleggua 2020, and Regresando el Odio 2020.
How do you define your music? Band influences?
We define our style as Grind using morbo (morbid), pornography and cannibalism as topics in our lyrics satirizing them. We felt influenced by bands like Brujería, Asesino, C.A.R.N.E, Tu Carne, Putrid Pile… among others.
Explain further about your newest 2020 releases; “Eleggua” and “Regresando el Odio”?
Talking about our last releases we have to say that is about Cuban roots in the case of “Eleggua” demo and in the case of “Regresando el Odio” is against war, fascism and neonazism but we don’t generally have preferences for political stuff.
What are the topics and messages put in your lyrics?
Our lyrics are about pornography, cannibalism, morbo and we satirize them. Also they are against war, fascism and neonazism. We try to stay true to Grind and thats why we talk about this things that happen in the world degrading humanity and people.
Tell us your live shows and gigs?
Our shows and gigs have been in Cuba so far. Having a great acceptance in public. We have had many live shows all around the country specially in the capital and with Canadians bands, also sharing with others Cuban bands in differents concerts and gigs.
Obscuro future plans and next releases?
Our plans are to promote the band all over the world and I think we are gonna make it right now is all that we can do because of the virus. Also we are working in a new album for next year. Thats all we are making, but waiting for an opportunity and go on a road and play where people invite us.
Some information about Cabaiguán underground scene?
Well, Cabaiguan underground scene is really off right now, we are trying to rescue this spirit in town but its very hard but we are still fighting for metal and others bands too so I think we’ll recover our scene soon enough.
Thank you. Final words?
Thank you dear friend for this interview, we appreciate it a lot. We hope that our band could be listen in your country and they enjoy as Cubans do, and if they can contact us, we’ll be glad to give them our stuff. We say goodbye for now with our slogan: OBSCURO IS WATCHING YOU \m/
A promising band indeed. REHEARSE is a very talented and full of potential. They started the first step through “Chaos Reign” EP 2013, followed by “Ouroboros” Single 2017 which seems to be a sign that they will realize a full album. The anticipated debut full-length entitled “Myth” has finally been released and is on the market in August 2020. It contains nine impressive tracks, two of which are instrumental as intro and outro for this album. It is undeniable that Rehearse is so skilled at playing Death Metal music; brutal, heavy and extreme! The composition of their songs is very varied, sometimes they are complex and technical, sometimes they are simple in catchy and midtempo structures. The same goes for vocals, when growls/grunts dominates most of the time, hardcore-like screams are also inserted. All of this is well crafted and empowered with a commendable recording quality. One of the best Death Metal albums from Malaysia this year.
Non-compromising brutal and aggressive Death Metal! Although only three tracks are included in this Cassette-EP, but it is more than 20 minutes of mind-blowing extremities; fierceful, ferocious and gruesome! It seems that the more older Vrykolakas, the more dangerous they are. Raging riffs, solid songwritings, impressive music arrangement, as well as truly energetic and soul torturing vocals. Heavyweight and intense sound quality. Undoubtedly, “Into The Shadow of Death” is another great work of Vrykolakas. The cassette-tapes released by Argentinian godly-to-be label, Evil Damnations Records. Get it or go die!
