Cattle Decapitation: The Harvest Floor

Technical deathgrinders, Cattle Decapitation have returned with their 5^th full length;  “The Harvest Floor. As with many successful bands, we’ve seen a steady pace of growth, development and refinement to Cattle Decapitation’s overall sound, songwriting and execution since their early workings on “Homovore”. The years of hard work and practice have paid off in dividends as, “The Harvest Floor” is an amazing piece of deathgrind that displays how far the band come and how much they have matured over the years.

To my ear, the most noticeable improvement over the band’s career, has to be the guitar playing. Josh Elmore has created some real magic over the years, but what he displays on “The Harvest Floor” truly shows off his brilliance. First, the riffs on this album are truly astounding. They seem to combine elements of grindcore, death metal, black metal and even a punk vibe can be heard as well. One moment your caught up in a chugging death metal riff, then suddenly, the insane speed and high pitch sounds of grindcore enter the fray and throw you for a loop. Another time, you’ll be listening to a simple, but catchy bassline riff, which will then transform into a thick and heavy breakdown, followed by an unusual time shift that grabs hold of your attention before changing things up once more and churning out another blistering riff. There are even elements of a down-tuned progressive presence to be heard at times as well, that only deepen the well of combined sounds.  This style of eclectic tempo and genre mashup is present throughout the album and although on paper it sounds like something more fitted for a mathcore band to practice, it works perfectly in creating the sounds of insanity Cattle Decapitation sought for this album. The solos are another aspect on this album that are a thing of beauty. As if the eccentric riffing and bouts of insane melodies weren’t enough, we hear the same eccentricities bleed into the solos. They range from powerfully distorted sounding chords, to thrash metal shredding, to a melodic sound with progressive touches incorporated. Their execution in and of themselves are fantastic, but their timing within the song really allows the solos to be much more than simply a display of musicianship, but rather serve as a binder, bringing the amalgam of sounds together to create a harmonious atmosphere.

The bass is very prominent on this album as well. Its crunchy grooves can be heard strumming along with the guitar, adding to the overall complexity and technicality of the string department. One thing that is partiality noticeable is how often the bass keeps up with the ferocity and speed of the riffs, which creates an interesting a speedy vibrating overtone. Another string element that I didn’t even realize was on the album until reading the liner notes, was the use of an electric cello. At first, I thought the peculiar sound was either the byproduct of synths or some unique bass technique, but I was wrong. The sound adds an interesting and (now that I know what it is) fun aspect to the songs it has been added to, which only furthers the band’s varied style and nature.

David McGraw’s drumming is a splendid display of technicality and fury as he creates a harsh and energetic layer of sound. His pace can match that of the guitars, which create an excellent flow of harmony, while his tempos and beats add to the complex layer of rhythms created on the album. Of course, this is deathgrind, so you’ll get a heavy dose of powerful cymbal crashes, blast beats and bass kicks, but they are used in conjunction with a variety of fills and timing, which gives them their own identity however, never steps out of tune with the rest of the instruments.

Travis Ryan’s vocals are once again monstrous. He utilizes his ability to sing with deep growls, intense shrieks, harrowing yells and putrid gurgles that make for a truly disgusting listen. His level of brutality has really grown since the band’s early days and the expansion of sound the band has incorporated is clearly heard in his voice. The most impressive aspect of Ryan’s vocals is the level of consistency through the album. From start to finish, his voice is a battering ram pure brutality and never seems to fade in intensity.

The production on “The Harvest Floor” has done a very good job of creating that, ‘trapped in a slaughterhouse vibe’, with just enough distortion and touch of hollowness to create a horrific atmosphere. All of the instruments and vocals seem to come together nicely, ensuring each gets their fair share of attention, but remain as a cohesive sound throughout the album. The additional use of keyboards, electronics and samples add the cherry on top, as their presence add another subtle layer to the overall sound.

“The Harvest Floor” is a wonderful display of technicality, ferocity and brutality, that any fan of death metal or grindcore should be able to enjoy. I was most impressed with hearing the level of growth and maturation of sound Cattle Decapitation have put into their sound throughout the years, which in my opinion, has reached its pinnacle on this album. If the band continues to embrace their current sound and zeal for improvement and creativity, I can only salivate at what’s to come for the band’s future.

Highlights: “Regret and the Grave” “The Gardeners of Eden” “The Product Alive”

Rating: 4.5

Cattle Decapitation: Humanure

Cattle Decapitation, the US vegetarian based deathgrind act has been producing their brand of animal over man metal for nearly twenty years. They play a furiously paced style of death metal that blends a multitude of grindcore elements into its DNA. Although I had heard a number of their songs via sampler CDs and through various mediums, my first true experience with the band would occur with their 2004 release “Humanure”.  Just one look at the album cover will tell you what you are in for. The music here is brutal, intense and contains enough break neck speed to cause whiplash.

 The guitar work was the very first sound that jumped out at me on “Humanure”. They are a display of technical griminess and eclectic musicianship. Josh Elmore uses a variety of time shifts, shredding speeds and progressive variations to create a number of catchy melodies and successful hooks throughout the album. His riffs are fast and blistering, while he often employs short, but vivid fills that successfully bridge portions of a song from one level of intensity to another. His solos show a nice level of songwriting as they enter the fray at just the right time, capping off a section of a song that is building with a certain profoundness and then suddenly, the solo comes in and finishes the slaughter. The bass, although not a staple of their sound, can be heard, cutting through the guitar madness from time to time with a thick clanky sound.

I’ve always felt that, Deathgrind is much more than simply unlimited blast beats and endless double bass kicks. Unfortunately, many bands tend to either fall into this conundrum to make up for the lack of intensity on an album or simply fail to properly create a niche for their drums to shine. This is not a problem on “Humanure” The drumming on this album are an excellent showing of technique and energy. Michael Laughlin displays an awesome ability to create the bombastic atmosphere often associated with the genre, but provides more grace in their sound. The tempos and paces of his strikes and cymbals crashes are methodical and well timed. The combination of blasts beats and bass kicks are present, but they are played with precision that allow each to add to the atmosphere of the drums, not simple become a wall of incomprehensible noise. The drums here truly add a layer of rhythm that play very nicely with the guitar rhythms and create a harmony of speed and brutality.

Travis Ryan’s vocals are truly gruesome as his voice carries a deep and guttural sound to them. The vocals are another aspect of the band that comes through in layers. Ryan can keep an intense pace of growls and grunts, or he can slow things down without losing a step in his vicious sound. He does an excellent job of harmonizing with the tempo of the guitars and drums. Never at a point do you think that he either can’t keep up with the demanding pace of a song, nor do they sound artificial as if added or enhanced with studio magic. His sound is very natural and grotesque, which is perfect for the atmosphere of the album, image of the band and the sound of the genre.

“Humanure” is a fine display of deathgrind with a level of technique that both accentuates the horrific atmosphere of the album, while also being a testament to what sound songwriting can bring to the table. In a genre that otherwise, has numerous of bands whose sound tend to get lost in the shuffle, Cattle Decapitation’s “Humanure” distances itself from the rest of the pack. The incorporation of all the instruments and vocals (as well as solid production) create a harmonious effect that give this album its own distinction and identity. This may not be a perfect album, but it has a lot of replay value and if it is any indication of what the future holds for the band, things should be looking bright moving forward.

Highlights: “Applied Human Defragmentation” “Lips and Assholes” “Polyps”

Rating: 4

Carnage: Dark Recollections

Carnage was a Swedish death metal band that released one album in their lifespan: “Dark Recollections”. To say that this album (which in its own right is historic) holds a lot of history and influence in the Swedish death metal scene is an understatement.  Carnage, was most notably known for being comprised of members that would eventually go on to form the band, Dismember. However, Carnage would also showcase Micahel Amott, who would go on to join Carcass and Johan Liiva, who with Amott, would form Arch Enemy (and Spiritual Beggars). Some members also had their hands involved with the band, Entombed during its earliest stages.  Quite a lot of name dropping, no?

Now, if you think that just because Carnage’s members are mostly consisting of future Dismember members that “Dark Recollections” would sound similar to a Dismember album, well, you’d be right. “Dark Recollections” is chock full of the down-tuned, buzz saw riffs that create the trademark distorted sound that Dismember have played during their career. In addition, the groovy and bluesy sound of Entombed come through on many of the rhythms throughout the albums, which given the connection of the country of origin and former band ties, comes as no surprise. There are a number of melodic hooks at beginning of most songs that capture the listener and then transform into heavy, gloomy riffs that carry both the Swedish death metal sound as well as a steady pulsating beat that drive the songs forward. Melodies not dissimilar to Entombed’s bluesy, death are heard, picking away over top the ripping leads while solos pop up from time to time. Some are short and sweet, while others are merely guitar fills that add a quick burst of flair to a song.

The drums at times may see a little straight forward, but they display plenty of crushing power, blistering speed and add a great deal to the rhythms. Their murky sound plays wonderfully with the distortion of both the guitars and the vocals, which allows everything to harmonize into the creation of a dark and harsh atmosphere. The bass lurks in the background and at times, can be heard, but only when the guitars tend to either fade out or simply step back and allow the bass to come forward, which only occurs for briefs stints. The use of synths is sparse and add an extra hint of despair on a few songs, but are not by any means a major influence on the overall sound.

Matti Kärki’s vocals, as you might image, bring about sounds of Dismember, but there are something about the sound of his voice that differs between the two bands. The similarities are many, but on “Dark Recollections” Karki seems to have a darker and grittier sound than they would on “Like an Ever Flowing Stream”. Either way, the vocals inspire a sort of madness that reflect the mood of the album and bring the imagery of the cover art to life.

At any rate, one might say that, reading a review of “Like and Ever Flowing Stream” or “Left Hand Path” would sum up this album succinctly and while the similarities are palpable, “Dark Recollections” is more than an amalgam of said bands. One way or the other, Carnage may have only survived for one album, but it is a solid slab of Swedish death metal whose sound would spill outward onto the Swedish scene. I’ve always felt “Dark Recollections” has an important place in the history book of heavy metal and is an album I always recommend to those getting into the melodic/Swedish side of death metal.

Highlights: “Death Evocation” “Dark Recollections” “Torn Apart”

Rating: 4

Benediction: The Grand Leveler

Crushing death metal from the UK, Benediction play a death metal remnant of classic Autopsy and Bolt Thrower. They released their debut in 1990 titled, “Subconscious Terror and would quickly release their follow up a year later titled; “The Grand Leveler”.

The sound on the “The Grand Leveler” showcases the epitome of what OSDM was all about at the time: one dimensional, gruff vocals with thick and catchy riffs played over a hefty dose of pounding drums. The song writing and structures of the songs here allow for the OSDM elements to be showcased adequately, while also providing the proper medium to display some of the band’s more technical traits as well. The album is steeped in a dissonant and hazy sound, one that gives off an almost underground feeling to the music. However, this is a byproduct of the excellent production, which creates such a gritty atmosphere all the while, giving each musician their fair share of the limelight.

The guitars carry a simple sound, yet Peter Rew and Darren Brookes do a wonderful job creating a number of well executed harmonies. The leads on this album are numerous and have the ability to quickly captive the listener attention. One listen to riffs on “Gravewurm” or “Senile Dementia” give a perfect examples of the thick and distorted sound of the era, but they are so much more than single note chugs that simply plod throughout the song. Instead, the riffs, which by themselves are quite memorable tend to be broken up by well-placed guitar fills. These fills, provide both an equally catchy display of guitar work, but also serve as a nice alternating rhythm and pace that prevents the songs from becoming redundant. There are also some short and almost thrash like solos to be heard throughout as well, that go hand in hand with the ferocity of the main riffs and up-tempo drum beats.

Speaking of drums, if I’m being honest, I would say that they sound as though they are just a rise and repeat version of themselves on most songs. Don’t get me wrong, their presence is more than felt throughout the album, as they hammer away upon the listener each song. It’s just that, there are not many uses of double bass kicks, nor much in the way of furious blast beats that were all the rage at the time. Not that either are required for s successful sound, but other than some snare blasting and cymbal pounding, the drums come off as very one dimensional. That being said, what they lack in their addition to the rhythm department, they more than make up in sheer force. As I mentioned, the production of the album allows every instrument to come through on its own and this holds true with the drums as their powerful sound, albeit lacking diversity, is easily detected. The bass is another instrument to benefit more from the production rather than songwriting. For the most part, the bass can be heard plucking along with the guitars, but they don’t really mix things up too often, but again the production brings them into the light, allowing their thick and bouncy sound to help compliment the leads.

The vocals here are dark, deep and gruff. They bring a no nonsense attitude to the table that really bring the sound of the entire album together. Dave Ingram’s voice carries a certain raspy, bleakness that make them sound almost like elongated growls. They truly are scary in nature, which fits perfectly with the OSDM sound. Like everything else, the production puts Ingram’s vocals center stage, which keeps the listener engaged as they are heard over top the many riffs and melodies the “The Grand Leveler” has to offer.

If you are looking for a prime example of what OSDM can accomplish with a simplistic concept, strong song writing and competent musician, then look no further than “The Grand Leveler” Benediction shows just how far the basic elements can take an album and that not all death metal needs to be overly complex or a mind altering experience to be enjoyed. Aside from a few minor quips with the drums and bass, this is a fine showing of OSDM done right and any fan of the sound will not be disappointed.

Highlights: “Gravewurm” “Senile Dementia” “Opulence of the Absolute”

Rating: 4

Sturdy Taste: Lovely Presentation

What is it about metal demos that always intrigue me? I suppose it is the potential of discovering a band that never gotten their chance to spread their wings and find their own brand of success. Or perhaps, it’s the allure of the hearing music that perhaps only a handful of other people can attest to hearing. Whatever the case may be, I have made it a point to listen to demos whenever I get a chance. I do so mainly with bands that either only ever released such material, but I also search for established bands’ earlier material as well. In my quest, I have stumbled across many bands that have put out demos that have gained high praise. Some, are even considered essential listening or near masterpieces. Conversely, I have also discovered others, that seemingly no one knows they exist. Sturdy Taste happens to be one such band that dwell in obscurity.

Sturdy Taste is a three-piece outfit from Austria that play a brand of old school death metal that fans of Obituary and Death would appreciate. Their lone demo “Lovely Presentation” is an aptly named release, as it is exactly what the demo displays.

The first thing I notice about demos are their production value. Now, to be honest, I don’t understand the process of how production works on demos compare to Eps compared to full lengths, but I generally assume that a demos’ production will be less superior than a studio release. But, that is not always the case. I’ve heard demos that, other than knowing they were demos, would have convinced me that they were studio albums. This is the case on “Lovely Presentation” as in my opinion, the production is spot on. The overall tone is very grimy, yet crisp as the atmosphere of the music is set in a murky sound. In addition, each instrument is clearly audible and is never overshadowed by one or the other. (Although “Perish Now” appears to suffer a little from the production, it’s only in comparison to the other three.)

At times, the guitars on “Lovely Presentation” produce some thick, yet groovy riffs accustomed to the OSDM sound. However, other times they also play catchy, almost melodic rhythms that offer nice variation to the sound, preventing any of the four tracks from becoming stagnate. The drums pound away, creating a nice layer of violence, that although may not sound very unique in comparison to the other OSDM acts at the time, their presence is no less important in creating the thick and murky atmosphere of album. The bass was a nice surprise to hear, as it is one instrument, that I expect may miss the cut sound wise on a demo, but it’s there. It has a very crunchy sound that helps accentuate the guitars and plays nicely in the background throughout. Michael Dietrich’s low and raspy vocals, remind me very much of John Tardy with just a hint of Chuck Schuldiner.

The influence of both Obituary and Death is easily heard within both the music and vocals on “Lovely Presentation”, but there is nothing wrong with playing a little sound worship, so as long as you do it well. Sturdy Taste does just that and “Lovely Presentation” has secured a spot in my “Gems of Metal Demos” club. This demo like so many others, tragically failed to gain any traction, but thanks to the internet, their contributions are not forgotten.

Highlights: “Lovely Presentation” “Unforgettable Punishment” “Braggart”

Rating: 4

Perpetua: Irrational

I remember perusing random CD’s in the “Rock” section of my used record shop, which was where the majority of metal albums were lumped into. As I searched the spines of the hundreds of jewel cases, I was always mindful to keep a watchful eye for any record labels that stood out. Roadrunner, Century Media and Nuclear Blast were always easy to spot, but so to was Pavement Music. Upon one of my many blind searches through the CD bins, I happened to spot the yellow Pavement Records symbol and pulled it out to discover a band I’d never heard of; Perpetua. The album would be, “Irrational”. Now, going solely on the record label alone, I was sure this would be some sort of metal, more than likely death metal and when I got home, I discovered I was right. I purchased “Irrational” back in 2002 and I knew very little about the album or the band. Fast forward to 2019 and I know just as much now as I did then. The little that I have read is that they play a blend of Industrial and Death metal, so naturally I was intrigued.

Perpetua do indeed play death metal in vain of Fear Factory’s “Soul of a New Machine” (more on that later) with a few hints of Sepultura added in (through the use of tribal sounds the band employ occasionally). Now, I must say, there are industrial elements to be heard on this album, but their inclusion seems to be more of an afterthought as opposed to one of the sounds being blended to create the music.

As for the music itself, this could almost pass as “Soul of a New Machine’s” step brother. What I mean is that, the guitars heard on “Irrational” are very similar to the down-tuned, distorted sound that Fear Factory employed on their debut, chugging along with groovy sound riffs., The bass, on the other hand has a nice pop, which stands out and helps create a dark atmosphere along the heavy plodding guitars. (The opening of “One Time” displays the potential the bass had on this album) The drumming lacks the punch needed to bring forth the old school death metal sound the band attempts to play and fails to make much of an impact. As a whole, the music moves along from song to song with the same mid paced tempo, relying heavily on the crunching guitar sound and simplistic drumming, which helps showcase, Jorge Vázquez’s vocals.

Speaking of vocals, I must say, all I hear is a mix between Burton C. Bell and Mark Greenway from Napalm Death’s “Fear, Emptiness, Despair. Now, Jorge Vázquez, may not get any points for an original sound, but I happen to like the two vocalist he sounds like, so I don’t think that’s necessarily a bad thing. Unfortunately, his vocals tend to become the focal point to often for the wrong reasons, as the music grows tiresome over time.

The lack of variation throughout the album is more than obvious by the half way point. I feel, had the band spent a little more time in the song writing department, added some more intriguing riffs and rhythms, beefed up their drumming and actually employed more of the industrial sound they were advertised to play, this album could have, at worst, been a cheap “Soul of a New Machine” clone. Instead, this became a one and done, bland death metal that explains it’s discovery within the discount bin at the record shop. Fans of the obscure may find some enjoyment out of “Irrational”, but other than die-hards, I can’t rationally recommend this album.

Highlights: “One Time” “Denied”

Rating: 2.5

Necronomicon: Pharaoh of the Gods

Death metal? Check. Egyptian themes? Check. Nile? Nope. That’s right, along with Apophis, there were a few other acts near the end of the millennium that were pumping out fantastic Egyptian lore mixed with death metal. That being said, this fascination with Egyptian mythology was not some sort of, wide based movement that was all the rage. It was rather, a niche within the niche of death metal, but those who entered that realm seemed to have success with the formula. One such act was the band, Necronomicon.

Now, although their album “Pharaoh of the Gods” would indeed fit the Egyptian death formula, the band itself was not permanently rooted with such theme. Their overall lyrical concept would consist of various mythological themes such as Native American, as well as occult and Lovecraft material. However, although this may be the only truly Egyptian immersed album the band has released, it easily ranks in one of my top picks for the themed content.

First, the music on “Pharaoh of the Gods” creates a very dark and “Egyptian” sound with pounding drums and crushing guitars as well as addition sound effects such as the rainstick. However, aside from a few traditional Middle-Eastern sounds, the band dose not solely rely on those effect to create their sound. Instead they focus on producing crushing death metal first and foremost with said effect added to the mix to help create layers to their overall atmosphere. 

The Drums play at blazing speeds with a level of power that is present throughout the album,  while the guitars match their ferocity every step of the way. The guitars are very thick and help create heavy rhythms and chugging riffs, but there is more to their sound than just power. As I said, the tone and tuning of the guitars, when harmonizing with the drums and Middle-Eastern effects, helps transport you to the base of the Pyramids as they do an excellent job inspiring the Egyptian imagery “Pharaoh of the Gods” is built upon. That, along with both very guttural vocals and the inclusion of clean, female vocals on a few songs, really bring the music together into a cohesive product.

“Initiation” is a perfect example of how the band pulls all these elements together. The song opens with some subtle effects, that lull you into a peaceful state and then suddenly, an explosion of drums and guitars rain upon you. Not long after, Catherine Leblanc’s hypnotic vocals enter the fray and add some nice contrast to the energetic environment. The, you get the first of many catchy riffs and then, Rob Tremblay’s vocal take command. It’s the combination of every instrument, effects and vocals that give this song and the album itself its identity as well as, breathe life into the Egyptian theme.

This is not a Nile clone and if I’m being honest, Nile plays the formula to a much better degree. What Necronomicon displays is an affinity for the Egyptian mythology that they decided to included their interests into their music. Overall, “Pharaoh of the Gods” may not appear on the top 100 lists of death albums of all time, but what they provided here is a quality release, both in songwriting and musicianship.

Highlights: “Initiation” “The Guardian” “Revelation”

Rating: 3.5

Withered Earth: Into the Deepest Wounds

“Into the Deepest Wounds” is the sophomore release from New York death metal outfit Withered Earth. What we have here is a display of old school death metal in vain of Morbid Angel, Malevolent Creation and Deicide.

The majority of the songs on “Into the Deepest Wounds” consist of what one would expect to hear on an OSDM album; blast beats, double base kicks and crushing guitar riffs that chug along from song to song. However, that’s not to say that the band simply repeats the same sound throughout the album. I would say that each song indeed has a similar defining sound, one that is created from the tone of the guitar (think classic the tone that anchors Overkill), but there is plenty of variety to be heard on this album.

The guitars, in my opinion, would be the highlight of “Into the Deepest Wounds”. Their sound is the key component that allows the band to alter the tempo of the music though some interesting time changes. For instance, the song “False, Emotion, Strain”, we hear the guitars alternate between a quick, almost tremolo style sound, then switching over to heavier chugging riffs before switching right back again. The transition of sound is immediately detected and one will notice that the song has abruptly changed pace, but it occurs so seamlessly, that it does not deter from enjoying the song. Another example can be heard on “Blinded by Dark Matter Sky”. The song begins with an almost soft, melodic tone and slowly builds into a groovier sounding riff before finally erupting into a fury of guitars and drums at the midway point of the song and carries on until the end. Finally, “Rebellion at Norance” the guitars create an almost industrial sound that remind me of something found on a Machine Head or Skinlab album. The only negative I have to say about the guitar work would be the solos, or lack thereof, as of the few that are spliced into the album, they are very forgettable.

Now, we can’t leave out the drumming, which although I don’t think are on the same level as the guitars, they are nonetheless important to the overall sound. I can’t say that the drums offer anything that will jump out at the listener as unique, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. They deliver non-stop energy while assault the listener with relentless blast beats and cymbal crashes, which fits the bill for the sound Withered Earth was trying to achieve.

Vocally, I think, Adam Bonacci did a fine job with his guttural approach, but I would have to say that they fall into the same category as the drums. I won’t say they were bad or dull, as they too, were always in your face and never pushed to the background. But at the end of the day, they don’t offer much in the way of variety as the guitars did. Perhaps, if they could have incorporated some slower paced vocals to accompany the chugging riffs (similar to old Scar Symmetry) they might have stood out little more.

To conclude, I can’t say that “Into the Deepest Wounds” will be making its way into my death metal rotation anytime soon, but there is a few highlight on this album. I was told by a friend that this was a throwaway album and although I did purchase it in the discount bin, I don’t agree with his assessment. I think any fan of the early and mid-90’s death metal explosion will find a few songs worthy of adding to one’s playlist as I have. Although “Into the Deepest Wounds” failed to make a lasting impression, it did however leave me intrigued to hear their much more touted debut “Forgotten Sunrise”.

Highlights: “Supernatural” “False, Emotion, Strain” “Colossus Nebula”

Rating: 2.5

Lemming Project: Hate and Despise

Lemming Project. Did the name draw me to their album? You bet. All I could think about were the green haired creatures from the “Lemmings” video game I used to play as a kid. Fortunately, this band does not blindly follow the others like the creatures from said game and play the same bland death metal that many others were releasing around this time leading them straight to their demise.

Hailing from Germany, Lemming Project would find themselves putting out a death metal album in at the time when death metal was already beginning to wan on people’s desirability. The movement had already spread throughout Europe, North and South America and the shock and awe of the genre was no longer enough to simply run out and purchase yet another death metal album. Unless you were part of the budding “Melodic death metal” offshoot that was beginning to make waves, you ran the risk of suffering from the same fate as many thrash outfits felt near the end of the thrash era and missed the party. Which leads me back to my statement earlier about not simply following the trend. Lemming Project seems to have understood this situation and set out to create an album that would be true to the old school death metal sound, but offer enough flair to help it rise above the copy and paste clones. Thus we have, “Hate and Despise”.

“Hate and Despise” is indeed, not your typical death metal album with simple chugging riffs, blast beat insanity and factory installed harsh vocals. Don’t get me wrong, those elements are very much present, but they are not the only defining characteristics of the album. Instead, what we have here is an album that has a lot a variation present. Not just the songs as a whole, but within the songs themselves. With that in mind, the major factor in this variation of tempo changes, time shifts and strange riffs are attributed to dueling guitars the band employs.

The Opening track “Maintain” begins with a simply, yet brooding riff, which then transitions into a down-tuned riff that sounds reminiscent of Dismember’s trademark sound. As the song progresses, we reach a point when the band unleashes the twin guitar attack and a very nice rhythm kicks in overtop the main riff. That’s not all, because near the end of this 7-minute monster, we here the use of the twin guitars once more. These characteristic of riffs and shifts are a consistent force that drive this album forward from start to finish.

The drumming on “Hate and Despise” are not what you would expect from your standard death metal. Sure there are double base kicks and blast beats, but the overall sound is neither in the foreground or pushed into background. The best analogy I could make for them is a supporting actor in an award winning film. The main character is going to get the bulk of the accolades, but the reality is that without the supporting cast to help showcase the star, they would just be talent without substance. The drums provide enough rhythm and carry the beat of the tune, but are not called upon to become the star of the show.

Hendrijk Vangerow’s vocals have a nice growl to them that at time, remind me of Chuck Schuldiner of Death, not in sound, but the way his voice trails at times as after certain growls. Either way, they blend into the harmony created by the band and allow for the braze, groovy sound they play.

Perhaps they were ahead of their time with the many shifts and tempo variations, or maybe the melodic era was just too sexy for Lemming Project to get more attention. It’s a shame really, as their sound already had a mixture of OSDM, melodic and even technical blended into one unique sound, but sadly, it went mostly overlooked.  Definitely deserves a reissue or remaster at some point.

Highlights: “Maintain” “Lost” “Manipulation” “Brainnight”

Rating: 4

Zeroed: War of Liberation

Of my many random albums that I acquired via a closing record store on Ebay, “War of Liberation” by Zeroed happened to be one of those albums. Not much is known about the band (at least from what I can find), but Zeroed hail from Germany and play an old school style of death metal. Now, given that this album was completely (and still is) under the radar, I wasn’t sure what to expect. However, I’ve always attested to the notion that, when it comes to heavy metal music, sometimes the most unknown albums can quickly turn into hidden gems.

Clocking in just a hair over 27 minutes (not including 31, 4 second blank tracks before a 2 minute hidden track) “War of Liberation” is a short blast of death metal. The thing I noticed immediately about this album was that, even though it was a very underground release, the production was top notch. The moment the opening riff on “Black Song” began, I could tell that this would not be some basement produced death metal. In fact, as the album continued, I found myself more and more impressed with the music as a whole. There are plenty of death metal chugging riffs to be had, but there are also many catchy, more melodic riffs are present as well. The band members only identify as letters (FF on vocals), but OM dose a very nice job altering between the old school sounding rhythms and melodic solos. The drumming here is pretty straight forward, but in a good way. JZ offers both a furious display of blast beats and double bass, while some songs (“Ered Ruft”) he plays a more, plodding doom style of percussion. The bass is very noticeable throughout the album (kudos to the production here), especially on the song “Erde Ruft”. Vocal wise, FF (along with JZ on additional vocals) has a, I hate to say standard sound, but that is the only way I can describe them without devaluing their sound. Good for the record, but I can’t say they stand out in my mind.

 Overall, Zeroed’s “War of Liberation” fits the exact definition of what I would call a hidden gem. It’s b no means a stellar release as it has its faults. Not every song on the album is as memorable as other, some suffering from a vanilla death metal sound. That being said, there isn’t much to complain about on “War of Liberation”. Again, not perfect, but for a completely unknown, random acquisition, I was more than happy to have this fall into my lap. (As of this post, the album is on YouTube. Give it a listen and hear for yourself)

Highlights: “7^th Plague” “Ered Ruft” “Black Song”

Rating: 3

Kadath: Chasing the Devil

Kadath is a relatively unknown brutal death metal band from Germany. Forming in 1994, the band put out a few demos and splits before releasing their debut, “Cruel!”. They would release one more full length, “Chasing the Devil” in 2002 before disbanding afterwards.

“Chasing the Devil” is my only experience with the band, one that I obtained via a bulk purchase on Ebay many years ago. This is a concept album about, Andrei Chikatilo aka "Rostov Ripper" or the "Devil of Rostov", a Ukrainian serial killer. The concept is about brutality, inhumanity and barbarism, which can easily sum up the sound that Kadath put forth on this album.

Coming in at about 31 minutes (2 of which are an outro) this album is short and intense. The music is pounding death metal with an extra side of brutality mixed throughout. There are plenty of head banging riffs to be heard and some nice rhythms help keep the songs fresh as they progress. The drumming is a non-stop pounding of madness, that although won’t win any awards for originality, they certainly get the job done in assaulting your ear drums. The same can be said about the vocals, standard for the sound, but effective all around. I also have to point out the production, which is crystal clear on this album and well done.

Upon my first listen, I deemed this album as just another copy and paste death metal band, but it much more than that. Again, this album won’t win anyone over for any new ideas or concepts, but not every album needs to be groundbreaking to be enjoyable. This is by no means a perfect album, but it has its moments. It should at least have a little more exposure than what it seems to have, or lack thereof, in the metal community.

Hightlights: “False Confession” “The Devil of Rostov” “Thirst for Revenge”

Rating: 3

Impetigo: Horror of the Zombies

Impetigo may not have gotten the same exposure as the Florida death metal scene or Cannibal Corpse, but they were also an early pioneer in the death metal scene. For only having produced two full length albums, the band has grown a cult status among death circles, which is not shocking considering the brand of their music.

Impetigo play gore drenched, sample laden death metal in vain of Mortician and Cannibal Corpse. I don’t need to describe the lyrical content, as I’m sure you get the picture. As for the music, “Horror of the Zombies” has a very low distorted, groovy sound as it trudges along. The riffs are heavy, but don’t fall into the recycled category as they vary nicely from track to track. The drumming is spot on with a brutal sound that never takes a back seat to any other instrument. The production can be attributed for such sound, but where it really shines is in the bass department. The bass is very noticeable on “Horror of the Zombies”, something I would not have expected from an early, underground death outfit. The vocals are what you would expect from this type of death metal; gritty, ruff and deep growls (They even remind me a bit of Exit-13 on songs like “I Work for the Streetcleaner”). They, along with the rest of the instruments, play nicely together (another nod to the production) each adding the filthy sound Impetigo set out to inflict on their listeners.

My biggest gripe with this album are the use of sample. I have nothing wrong with the use of samples in general. I think they can serve as a nice intro, add a specific sound mixed in the music or even serve as a segue between sections of a song. That being said, when a sample continues for over 20-30 seconds, to me, it loses it’s a ability to bring anything meaningful to the table. Maybe it’s just me, but I feel that when a killer song ends and I have to listen to a clip of a movie for 80 seconds before the next killer song begins, I get a little annoyed. Maybe, I’m just impatient, but I stand by my opinion.  

“Horror of the Zombie” may not be a landmark album compared to “Scream Blood Gore” or “Eaten Back to Life”, but I feel it’s an album of historical significance in the early years of death metal. Impetigo’s debut, “Ultimo Mondo Cannibale” is probably more cult, but also more in landmark territory given the year of its release. In any case, this is still a nice slab of gruesome death metal that I think most fans would at least enjoy.

Highlights: “Boneyard” “Defiling the Grave” “Staph Terrorist”

Rating: 3

Crust: Shapes of Inner Urge

“Shapes of Inner Urge” is a nice under the radar death metal release from these Germans. The music on this album is a little straight death metal; killer riffs behind a wall of blast beats and some very powerful vocals. The guitar work on this album surprised me the most. They may not play a technical sound in nature, but they are definitely the highlight of the album. The guitars create some very nice harmonies throughout and there are some well executed solos to be heard as well. The drums, although very aggressive, are very standard and provide the basic sound death metal hangs its hat on. At the end of the day, Crust’s sole album may not be on par with fellow countrymen; Fleshcrawl, Atrocity or Apophis, but it's definitely worth a listen. File this under another band lost in the shuffle of the grander schemes of things.

Highlights: "Darkside", "Decomposition", "Grass", "Mince My Logical Mind", "First Breath"

Rating: 3.5

Cannibal Corpse: Eaten Back to Life

When it comes to death metal, there are so many bands that get overlooked or have forever been lost in the shuffle. While the Florida death metal scene was booming with legends in the making as well as in Europe, another band was about to make it’s footprint in the metal community. Now, I don’t want to get into the entire history of the band, but I will say that, aside from being an early pioneer in the death metal scene, Cannibal Corpse is easily one of the most recognized death metal acts in the world. They may not have a catalog of diverse, overly technical of releases, but to their credit, they play the music their comfortable with and play it well.

As for their debut album, “Eaten Back to Life”, this may not be their best album, certainly not with Chris Barnes on vocals, but I enjoyed it for it was. This is n early slab of raw, US death metal, that although may not exhibit the same excellence that Death or Deicide was accomplishing at the time, the potential of what was to come can be heard. The fast chugging riffs are boundless on this album as well as many tremolo style riffs that would serve in lieu of any real harmonies. The drums pound away at blistering speeds, giving off an almost thrash vibe. Barnes’ vocal (we’ll save the drama for now) are not as low and guttural as they would soon become, but he manages to paint the image of gore, blood and guts just fine.

This is worth a listen for the historical aspects alone, but those who enjoy a simplistic, relentless assault of blast beats and growls, you won't be disappointed. Make no mistake, this is not a masterpiece, but it is a landmark album.

Highlights: "Shredded Humans" "Mangled" "Buried in the Backyard"

Rating: 3.5

Dark Oasis: Lurking in the Darkness

"Lurking in the Darkness" is an obscure EP that dropped in 1997 and turned out to be the bands final release. I don’t know much about the band, other than a few of its members have played in a few other bands over the years, but that’s about it. As for the music, Dark Oasis play some old school death metal with some touches of melodic death worked into their sound. The guitars on this album are down-tuned and remind me of the sound of Fleshcrawl creates with their guitars. The guitars on this EP are pretty catchy and create some nice harmonies along the way. At times they almost sound like black metal riffs, while others they provide a classic chugging required for some good old death metal. The drums are pretty average, nothing to write home about. As for the vocals, they too are a bit bland, for death metal that is. I would say that, Tom Sprouse’s vocals, if sped up, would be better suited for a classic 80’s thrash sound. That being said, they certainly don’t take away from this EP, but they don’t elevate it to greatness either.

I’m not sure where I picked up this EP, but I’m glad I did. This is one of those, take a chance on the artwork releases and hope for the best and let me tell you, this turned out to be a diamond in the rough. Nothing groundbreaking, but it offers plenty for any death metal fan to sink their teeth into. I believe this is now on Youtube, so go give it a listen, I think you’ll enjoy it for what it is.

Highlights: “Banished” “The Eleventh Commandment" "The God Scam"

Rating: 3.5

Accidental Suicide: Deceased

Doom and Gloom is the name of the game here. Accidental Suicide play some slow, mind pounding doom laden death metal that will leave you bruised and broken. The riffs on "Deceased" are murky throughout most of the songs, establishing the gloomy atmosphere they set out to create. In addition, there are plenty of catchy hooks that are sprinkled into the songs that offer both a change of tempo and keep the listener engaged (or head banging). "My Dangling Corpse" displays this quite nicely, while the song "Unknown" uses an almost reverse principle. The sound on this particular song start with an up tempo beat and then the slower, doomy riffs are used as the hooks in opposite fashion of the majority of songs. The doom atmosphere is consistent throughout the album, but not in the manner of October Tide or older Swallow the Sun. There is enough variation to give the album its own identity.

I appreciated how the drums were brought to the foreground of the music on "Deceased". They serve almost like a conductor as you can hear just how much each song is dictated by their sound. If the tempo is slower, you'll hear those drums plod forward, telling the rest of the instruments to follow suit. When you hear those snares and cymbals begin crashing with fury, you know that tempo is getting turned up a notch. As for the vocals, I enjoyed Ed Jackson's gruff sound and his shrieks for the most part, but there were some moments when they sounded just run of the mill. At any rate, they fit perfectly for the sound “Deceased” was aiming to achieve and help give the album the ferocious edge it needs.

I picked this album up simply because it has appeared on so many, "top 100 death gems" or "unheard" lists. I was hoping it was due more so because it was released in 1992 and got lost in the shuffle of the over-saturation death metal at the time. It would seem that would be accurate, as "Deceased" is in my ears, a nice doomy death gem that any fan would enjoy.

Highlights: "Unknown" "My Dangling Corpse" "morbid Indulgence"

Rating: 4

Rude: Soul Recall

Death + Autopsy= "Soul Recall" Now, is that a bad thing? From a fan of OSDM not at all, but the problem is, we've heard this recipe for a long time, up to and including the recent retro revival of said OSDM. Worship aside, you can certainly hear the talent within many of the songs on "Soul Recall", but it seems that they played it safe sticking to the script and knew they wouldn't fail, at least not in the sound department. Songs like "Soul Recall" and "Haunted" show a homage to the greats that came before them, but also allows their talents to be put on display. Sadly, not many songs on this release follows suit and becomes more emulation of what has already been done. All in all, not bad by any means, but it's been done before and again and again.

Highlights: "Soul Recall", "Haunted"

Rating: 3

Slumlord: Slumlord

A rather obscure EP that I happened to obtain through a bulk purchase of Ebay CD's years ago. What we have here is a straight forward attempt at death metal. Nothing special, but nothing horrible. Down-tuned guitars and blast beats sum up the majority of the sound, while the vocals are far from memorable. Songs like "War On All" and "Forever Condemned" shows off a little more of their ability to create a few catchy riffs, but all in all, not much to fawn over. An honest effort, but it's more dime a dozen. Unless you're a collector or a seeker of the obscure, you're not missing much.

Highlights: "War On All" "Forever Condemned"

Rating: 1.5

Scent of Death: Woven in the Book of Hate

"Woven in the Book of Hate" is a slab of technical death metal that for the most part, is straight forward, ferocious death metal. A lot of Immolation influence can be heard here, especially in the vocals. What you get with "Woven in the Book of Hate" is punishing guitars riffs, crushing drums and vocals that sound as if they were sung by a demon. The perfect recipe for an enjoyable death metal album. Fans of Immolation and Suffocation will certainly enjoy this album, not because this is a clone. Not by any means, but because they sound as if they could all play a show together and you'd enjoy each act separately, but also the whole damn show.

Highlight: “Woven in the Book of Hate”, “Circles of Eternal Return”, "Dancing upon the Thin Line of Insanity"

Rating: 3.5

Revel in Flesh: Deathvokation

Debut album from this German outfit. Revel in Flesh play an old school Swedish death metal that, had this album dropped in 1994, would have been heralded as a game changer. In 2012 however, this falls into the "just another Swedish death metal" release. That being said, those who simply dismiss albums such as this for being "just another" miss out on an excellent slab of melodic death metal the way it was meant to be played. The guitars have an obvious ode to Dismemeber or Fleshcrawl while the overall melodies offer everything a good head banging should be about. Is it obvious OSDM worship? Sure. Is that a problem? Not from this fan's view point. Fans of Old School Entombed, Dismemeber and Fleshcrawl should be all over this.

Highlights: “Black Paled Energy”, “Culpa et Inferna”, “Shadowbreeder - Until Hell Freezes Over”, “Iron Coffin”

Rating: 3.5