21st part of short reviews.
ALL MY SINS – Pra sila – Vukov totem
Year of release: 2018
Label: Saturnal Records
Rating: 6 / 10
When I started Bagnik Zine, the Serbian band ALL MY SINS was one of the first to send me a promo. That was their debut EP, which turned out to be quite promising and to some extent spiritual. Now the band presents its debut album, which leaves a far less interesting impression. A fairly typical Slavic pagan metal with a standard sound, tailored to long-familiar patterns: here we play atmospheric, here we play thrashy fragments, and here we make an evil face. As usual, the last two options are absolutely not working. It's time to remember the legendary “This is not paganism!” of KAMAEDZITCA. As for the atmospheric stuff, it's pretty good. But we heard this 100 times already. Good album, but you really don't have to listen to it.
CEMETERY LIGHTS – Lemuralia
Year of release: 2018
Label: Nuclear War Now! Records
Rating: 5 / 10
I have mixed feelings about this tape. The editors of the wonderful BLACK CURSE zine fell in love with it immediately, but I have doubts. NWN prods says that this is a revival of the spirituality of the early MORTUARY DRAPE, SAMAEL and TIAMAT, multiplied by Roman mythology. I do not dispute the latter, but somehow I don’t remember that the above-mentioned bands ever played a semi-computer made cringy stuff with a drum machine and a whispering vocals. Smells like bullshit to me. But this is very old-school in terms of music itself.
DEGREDO – A Noite dos Tempos
Year of release: 2018
Label: Signal Rex
Rating: 8 / 10
The darkest metal ambient from menacing men in the hoods. Based on ancient mythology and folklore. Despite the lack of an openly satanic aspect, it sounds truly infernal - as if the armies of the revolted dead and nameless creatures from the abyss march through underground caverns, preparing to plunge the world into eternal darkness. Fans of DUSK's "Book of Satan" will like it, but keep in mind that it is much noisier.
GOAT DISCIPLE – Wolfcult Domination
Year of release: 2018
Label: Blood Harvest
Rating: 7 / 10
The merciless metal of war from the States. About equally divided into high-speed slaughter and slow grinding of bones. In the fast parts, it sometimes reminds Krywian VERWÜSTUNG. In the slow ones - some brutal death metal or late BELPHEGOR. A sense of physical abuse is present everywhere.
KJELD – Banier fan Frisia
Year of release: 2018
Label: Heidens Hart Records
Rating: 5,7 / 10
Dutch national metal with a slant to atmospheric sound. Released on very good label Heidens Hart which owner I deeply respect, but I still don’t remember the case that I really liked at least one of his releases. Here is the same situation: the music is not bad, but secondary, the sound is thin. The drum parts are as weak as if the drummer strokes them, not beats. Everything is slightly sugary and unconvincing. Only the last song is good, similar to SAOR.