58th part of short reviews.
IDOLOS – Ahi Cab
Year of release: 2020
Label: Wolfmond Production
Rating: 7/10
Let me present you a unique event - the first review of band from planet Venus in the history of Bagnik Zine. Evil tongues say that the project actually comes from France, but you and I understand that the aliens simply chose this country because of its tolerance for representatives of other cultures and races. In the end, the Venusians are certainly no worse than some friggin Moroccans or Senegalese. It turns out that on Venus, as on Earth, they also like atmospheric metal in English language, moreover, associated with Mayan mythology. More precisely, the opposite; everyone knows that the ancient Mayans got their knowledges from guests from outer space, and now it’s clear which ones.
I had close encounter of the second kind with IDOLOS (by e-mail), and they asked me about the review. Judging by the persistence with which they reminded about themselves, we are fortunate that Venusians are not going to conquer us yet! You won’t beat these bustlers. Be that as it may, I spent my time not in vain. Although the band initially sounds very Italian (slurred vocals and insipid sound), it quickly becomes clear that its strength is in riffs. For a long time I have not heard such excellent riffs and tenacious melodies in atmospheric metal. There is absolutely no dull tremolo + blast beat moves; the compositions are dynamic, but not in a hurry. In some ways, they are akin to the special kind of Doom Metal performed by acts like THE HOWLING VOID. In addition, the band plays brilliant solos and inserts beautiful acoustic interludes with plans from outer space. In theory, the most "cosmic" track should have been the last one, included as a bonus on the new edition of the EP (it is designated as “Extraterrestial”), but it came out ambiguously. In some places, epicness drunk with unearthly energies, in others - hysterical screams of a crazy idiot. Nevertheless, I highly recommend listening to the whole EP, this is a very good work.
ELITISM – L’odeur des deportes
Year of release: 2020
Label: Werewolf Promotion
Rating: 4,3/10
Re-release of a demo record of the French Nazi project, which was originally released on cassette by Werewolf Promotion, and then also on split with Order of the Death’s Head. The publisher is positioning the release as “Black Metal Crime” or something like that, but I would moderate the ardor if I was him. ELITISM, judging by the “L’odeur des deportes”, refers to the wild branch of the NS Metal which gives leftist degenerates ordinary metalheads the right to laugh at "NSBM". Total clumsiness, single-celled sound (excusable) and compositional thinking (unforgivable), disgusting drum machine... Unfortunately, many right-wing radical artists do not understand that the poor implementation of their ideas does not affect the mainstream audience like a red rag affects the bull. Audience don't give a fuck about such miserable records. But the opposite examples, like WOLFNACHT, where there really is music, really challenge and annoy it. ELITISM even managed to fuck up a cover of BEHERIT "The Gate of Nanna”. This is bullshit.
COSMIC BURIAL – Impakt
Year of release: 2020
Label: Purity Through Fire
Оценка: 4,5/10
The project of a musician from the German bands VALOSTA VARJOON and NACHTIG, which, as I wrote in previous reviews, clearly worships COSMIC CHURCH. Here it is also pronounced. The album contains 4 giant melodic compositions made in the vein of the Finnish project, but with less grace and courage. All the material is instrumental, which makes it an object of interest of a very narrow circle of listeners, which I do not enter. I can listen to one song for at least an hour, if this is normal ambient, but metal without vocals seems senseless to me. It is not so deep and atmospheric to capture you. Despite being metal, it feels like post-rock: they play something on the guitars there until they get exhausted. So much for a pleasure.
MALIGN – Demo 1/95
Year of release: 1995 (original) / 2020 (this version)
Label: Shadow Records
Rating: 6/10
Первое демо старой шведской банды, основанной в 1994-ом году. Участвуют люди из SVARTSYN, MEPHORASH, OFERMOD. Один из примеров тех релизов, которые выпущены потому, что это старое, а не потому, что обладает какой-то особой ценностью. Демо довольно посредственное, а для 95-го года тем более. Конечно, ему присущи все обожаемые антикварами черты, типа аналогового метода записи, “сырости” и атмосферы первозданного зла, но по музыке тут всё как у всех. В основном среднетемповый Black Metal с не очень качественно завуалированными отсылками ко всей Скандинавии подряд. Внезапно очень напоминает ранние работы PAGAN. Послушаете – с вас не убудет, пропустите – ничего не потеряете. На переиздание было добавлено две версии демо, оригинальная и альтернативная. Альтернативная, похоже, записывалась через жопу, потому что там не слышно почти нихуя. Ценность нулевая. Так что учитывайте, что на релизе, по большому счёту, только 4 трека, а не 8.
VENEREAL BAPTISM – Repugnant Coronation of the Beast
Year of release: 2020
Label: Osmose Productions
Rating: 7/10
Warlike, aka “War”, Black Metal on Osmose. The band comes from the United States, so before listening to it, I carefully checked it for black squares and rainbow flags - everything seems to be clean. Moreover, the press release even contains a menacing proclamation: “All“ safe zones ”will be destroyed on sight and there will be zero compromises! SJW beware ... ” . However, the band never got out of the safe zone. As you know, everything "dangerous" now begins with "naz" and ends with "ism", and everything else is acceptable. VENEREAL BAPTISM music filled with sexual violence against holiness is unlikely to hurt anyone's feelings. In addition, PROFANATICA worked this theme through forever tarnishing the face of God with BLACK CUM. The VENEREAL BAPTISM aesthetic approach is more like a brutal Death Metal with a blasphemous bias. In terms of musical style, this is frantic metal in the vein but with roots in punk (see the track “Unfuckable Pacifist Gutterslut”). As usual with late Osmose, it is very high quality and tenacious, but without anything special.
English (UK) 
Крыўская