15th part of short reviews.
CHAPTER V:F10 – Pathogenesis
Year of release: 2018
Label: Ashen Dominion
Rating: 7 / 10
CHAPTER V: F10 is a project of Astaroth Merc (RAVENTALE) and Howler (VIRVEL AV MORKERHATET, ex-BALANCE INTERRUPTION). The first one here is responsible for all music, and Howler is... howling. I can not call myself a great expert on Astaroth's projects, but everything I heard from him is more or less like RAVENTALE, and the new CVF10 album is no exception. In this case, the music is closest to the most transcendental three albums of RAVENTALE: "After" - "Bringer of Heartsore" - "Transcendence". As far as I know, these albums are considered the best by the majority of fans of the project, but I find them too watery. I'm a fan of debut album - a little naive, but incredibly sensual, with simple and specific melodies, beating right at the target. "Pathogenesis" is also very similar to the only album of the PRAV project, as it is built on a synthesized blastbeat and has a similar thick sound. Melodic lines on the album are really good, and the rest, perhaps, lacks focus. All this is somehow too abstract. Therefore, I recommend it only to the great admirers of Astaroth's creativity.
https://soundcloud.com/grandsoundspr1/chapter-v-f10-wrong-alien-endorphin/s-zj7Ej
CULTURAL WARFARE – Warmageddon
Year of release: 2018
Label: M-Theory Audio
Rating: 6,5 / 10
Relatively young thrash metal band from the States, which, apparently, was aimed at a grandiose commercial album and, I must say, was close to its goal. Do not let the awful name of the publisher scare you - in fact, it is the personal office of the chief of Century Media, so the distribution of the album is assured. "Warmageddon" stands out for really high quality of sound, performance and compositional thought. Here, as in the recipe, you can find are all the necessary ingredients of big work - long solos, acoustics, different vocals and styles of playing, and of course ballads. It means that isn't really Thrash Metal how it should be, but everything is done by very high standards. The time-honored, safe average pace prevails in the songs. In general, the music resembles late KREATOR and HIRAX, but with a lower energy, as the vocalist sings quite differently. If you love the albums of respected half-thrash pensioners, released in 2010's by the major labels, "Warmageddon" is for you. But I don't need it even for free.
DEMONA – 2015
Year of release: 2015
Label: Hells Headbangers Records
Rating: 8 / 10
The last recording of the project created by Chilean female fanatic of metal wearing the same name - Demona. In 2017, she renamed her project to OUTLINE. It is a two-song seven-inch, where everything is so perfectly according to the canons of style that there is nothing to find fault with - except for some vocals. Chasing the speed!
CIRRHUS – Unimpeachable Madness
Year of release: 2018
Label: Darker than Black
Rating: 5 / 10
The second album of the US band which for some reason is very loved in their country but copmletely unknown here in the Eastern Europe. Probably, it's no accident: "Unimpeachable Madness" really is a kind of madnesswhere only really rich and epic keyboard parts, made in the spirit of the old EMPEROR, GEHENNA, etc., have some meaning. The metal part is a set of cries and mediocre musical techniques, performed in an extremely chaotic manner. What you can hear here is very similar to all Black Metal-like stuff that you know, but I'd think twice before calling it a music.
EMBRACE OF THORNS – Scorn Aesthetics
Year of release: 2018
Label: Iron Bonehead Productions
Rating: 7 / 10
A good album of evil metal combined with the Greek one, creating a fairly-ebullient mixture. If you're wondering how primitive dabble can be combined with atmospheric ornate melodies, "Scorn Aesthetics" will offer you a whole mountain of examples. Give it a listen.
English (UK) 
Крыўская