38th part of the short reviews.
AEMPYREAN – Fireborn
Year of release: 2018
Label: Cyclopean Eye Productions
Rating: 6,5 / 10
Fast and chaotic Death Metal in the vein of early MORBID ANGEL and ABSU. Everything is played very diligently and correctly, there are atmospheric solos, but the music is spoiled by a weak, thin sound. The band is originally from India, so it is excusable, but the result, however, is affected anyways. A press release promising to tear the listener apart with the power of a chainsaw does not justify itself - the album is not bad, but it is difficult to call it powerful.
VANANIDR – Vananidr
Year of release: 2018
Label: Purity Through Fire
Rating: 5,6 / 10
Nordic metal from Sweden, quite openly focused on IMMORTAL and a little bit on other classic Scandinavian formations. There are really indecently many familiar motives but the music is inherently very primitive. It can take only 1-2 listenings. The vocal is bad, the lyrics are even worse - the simplicity on the verge of idiocy. If anyone remembers the lyrics for the OBITUARY debut, then here it is almost the same, only about frost and northern warriors. The author of the project has a black stain on his career - participation in SATAN'S PENGUINS - so it is not surprising. Once a clown - always a clown. Listening to VANANIDR is not necessary.
ZEALOT CULT – Spiritual Sickness
Year of release: 2018
Label: Blood Harvest
Rating: 7 / 10
Another followers of MORBID ANGEL in today's Blitz, but more skillful. Here we got front cover from Paolo Girardi, the sound from the right place, and the manner of performance is less pretentious. The vocals are cool - strained vomiting a-la John Tardy. The style of playing sometimes copies MORBID ANGEL so much that it’s scary: just listen to these heavy riffs with flageolets on “Sea of Suffering”. Not being a fan of MA, I am not thrilled with the album, but I cannot but recognize its strength. I recommend you to check out this good old school.
ÓREIÐA – Óreiða
Year of release: 2019
Label: Harvest of Death
Rating: no rating
As you may have guessed by the name, this is an Icelandic project. Anonymous - of course! - and, which is absolutely predictable, from a guy with a bag on his head. The Icelandic scene makes me increasingly reluctant - it seems to have turned into a trend devouring itself even before it could grow into something serious. Wherever you go, you will find these terribly occult and confused anonymous projects, diligently trying to seem like something big and inaccessible to the mere mortal. This release from ÓREIÐA, for example, consists of 4 long tracks of primitive crude blasting a la ILDJARN + sounds of sea waves. No vocals. In principle, this can be listened to as a tolerable ambient, but the usual enthusiastic press release, which describes the album’s claims to various lofty matters, discourages any desire to touch it again. It is clear that all this is subjective, therefore I will refrain from ratings this time.
...they even pressed this on vinyl. What a showoff.
SICULICIDIUM – A halál és az iránytű
Year of release: 2019
Label: Sun & Moon Records
Rating: 7 / 10
SICULICIDIUM is the project of the participants of WOLFSGREY, the Romanian band that I remember thanks to uch an archaic sound as if it really was created in Transylvanian forests hundreds of years ago. SICULICIDIUM is more modern but not by much. The new seven-inch contains two tracks where the classic Eastern European melody and the rather elegant Transylvanian darkness are perfectly combined. The vocals performed in the manner of the Hungarian DUSK or the Czech MASTER’S HAMMER - broaching, hoarse, shamanic voice. There are also quite bold acoustic fragments that are not typical of extreme metal. In general, the release is not the most exciting, but in today's Blitz, I most strongly recommend it, since it, unlike the others, is really able to offer something new (or not that hackneyed).
English (UK) 
Крыўская