Mefisto – 2.0.1.6

Formed in 1984 under the name Torment, Swedish metallers Mefisto is noted along with Obscurity, as being the first Swedish extreme bands to surge through the opening made by Bathory. It was a band which quickly drew a loyal local following, with the 1986 release of a pair of demos in Megalomania and The Puzzle finding keen reactions in the metal underground, which over time has grown to the band earning cult status. Within a year of their release though, they had succumbed to the pressure of finding no real support and called it a day. Now thirty years on from those early releases, the band unleashes debut album 2.0.1.6, a thrilling and fresh proposal which suggests that Mefisto had maybe been ahead of their time first time around.

In 2014 Mefisto was reformed by band originals, guitarist/vocalist Omar Ahmed and drummer Robban Granath, the pair joined by bassist Morgan Myhrberg last year. Their return was marked by The Megalomania Puzzle, a compilation bringing the early demos together in one rousing invitation released via, as the new album, Vic Records. Mastered by Dan Swano (Opeth, Katatonia, Bloodbath), 2.0.1.6 now gives the metal world something which has been eagerly anticipated for, in many ways decades, the first Mefisto full-length.

A gentle melodic caress brings album and opener Deathrace into view, though it is just a poetic coaxing into a subsequent sinister siren-esque mesh of fiery grooves and jabbing rhythms. That as quickly becomes a tempest of thrash kilned riffs and rapier like beats as vocals crowd ears with growling antagonism. Now in full flight, the track entwines a web of metal styles with craft and invention, the grouchily wiry bass alone captivating bait to get off on.

The strong start is merely an appetiser in many ways, the following Void swiftly a more thunderous and imposing protagonist for ears and appetite. With muscles on full show, the track swings with inescapable virulence; intimidating and enticing with spite and tenacity before throwing a delicious curve ball by slipping into a melody rich passage of progressive and classic metal enterprise. Across its length, the band continues to revolve between extremes of texture and the compelling mix of aggressive and calm invention; individual craft and united imagination blossoming with every thrilling twist and turn.

The barbarous Act Dead has the job of following the first pinnacle of the album, its bracing hostility and sonic endeavour making great success of keeping enlivened ears and emotions on a firm high. Sturdy and confrontational, the track provokes and invites with unruly resourcefulness but controlled ferocity, showing why in its earlier guise in the band’s career, it was a potent incitement.

Heads in the Sand twists and turns in another web of varied metallic provocation next. Thrash and death metal is twisted into the lining of melodic tendrils and searing grooves, they offering a catchiness which itself is aligned to a more progressive exploration. A slower persuasion than the immediacy of earlier tracks, it still blossoms by the minute into another highly pleasing adventure that only lingers in the psyche.

The almost theatrical drama of Frost of Inferno involves ears and thoughts straight after, its raw and brutish canvas the landscape for a kaleidoscope of melodic expression and enterprise shared by the open skills and creative devilry of Ahmed. It is a song which enjoyably has one foot in the past and the now, whilst successor Hate Consumes Me with the same flirtatious drama to its body and narrative, is a cauldron of modern rock ‘n’ roll. Predatory in its calm and incendiary in its sonic boldness whilst being primal in energy, the track fuses death and heavy metal with essences of broader heavy rock, resulting in another major highlight.

A touch of classical guitar stirs The Puzzle into tempestuous life, which in turn breeds a constantly evolving stalking and ravaging of the senses which is very easy to get greedy over. Compelling as it invades and seduces with rousing persistence, it is eclipsed by the album’s closing title track. It too has a predatory air and nature to its melodic tempting and progressively nurtured adventure with the vocals emulating their character as Ahmed’s string craft bewitches.

It is a superb end to a thoroughly enjoyable and increasingly impressive debut album. It seems strange saying that Mefisto has a rich future ahead of them after thirty years or so since their first steps, but 2.0.1.6 suggests this is just the beginning of bigger and bolder things.

2.0.1.6 is out now via Vic Records through most online stores.

https://www.facebook.com/Mefisto-234630006720804

Pete RingMaster 23/02/2016

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Tales of the Tomb – Volume One: Morpras

Dripping blood and viciousness from every note and syllable, the debut EP from Canadian death metallers Tales of the Tomb is the breeder of nightmares and lustful appetites. Volume One: Morpras is a three track execution of the senses, a demonic trespass of the soul inspired by real life equivalents and an encounter which might not be about to turn the extreme metal scene on its head but definitely gives it a nasty assault of murder metal to get excited over.

Hailing from Edmonton and emerging in 2013, Tales of The Tomb draw on the inspiration of horror comics that glorified hideous crimes and creatures, the seed for the band name Tales of The Tomb too, and equally true life episodes of murder, supernatural horror, and real-life terror. These are seeds strikingly blossomed within Volume One: Morpras, in lyric, tone, and sonic brutality. Mixed and mastered by Dan Swano (ex-Bloodbath, Unisound), its goes for the jugular and senses like the protagonists featuring in its concept, an unrelenting trespass continuing across a trio of blood-lusting tracks.

     It opens with Snowtown, a violation inspired by real-life crime of small-town Australia. Within a couple of breaths, riffs are venomously flooding ears as rhythms beat down on the senses like a machete. The raw throated tones of vocalist Connor Adams, potently backed by just as grisly other tones, infest the psyche as potently as the sounds and their enterprise which is arguably less antagonistic initially then the vocal squalls on offer. Swinging rhythms and nasty grooves only add to the gripping adventure too, guitarists Corey Skerlak and Tre Thomas casting a bait ridden web as the bass of Bryn Herbert grumbles alongside the rapier beats of John Thomson. It is an impressive start blossoming in strength and imagination the further into its two and a half minutes ventured, clean vocals alone one of the great additives to the mayhem.

The Pig Farmer steps in next, another slim sonic coaxing the spark to a hellacious confrontation which this time, colours true events of a prolific Canadian serial killer. In no time it is grinding its way into body and psyche, torrents of nagging riffs, spicily intrusive grooves, and vocal pestilence igniting ears and appetite as the band ravishes the listener from every direction with incendiary craft and gripping virulence of sound. It is as corrosive as it is irresistible, a rabid animus fuelled by more of the fiercely pleasing vocal mix and a savage predatory intent.

With a touch of fellow countrymen Dark Century to its fury, as too in varying degrees of bands like Dying Fetus and Cannibal Corpse, the track as the EP is an evocation for a greed for more, a hunger fed by the closing Doctor Death. As the serial killer inspirations behind it, the song preys on ears, taking its time to instil its toxicity but working away with compelling almost cancerous sonic intent from the off. Grooves entwine and work their way under the skin like toxic vines, whilst the body of the song strolls with a deceitful calm as much hued in more classic metal essences as it is in death metal voracity.

The first two tracks whip up a rabidity which takes no prisoners, straight in and swing type attacks, whilst the third is a lingering poison which takes its time to build to its aim but with the same riveting result on ears and pleasure. Volume One: Morpras EP is a stirring introduction to Tales of The Tomb but also frustrating that it is a mere three tempests. Hopefully more bloodletting with follow soon but for now this EP is being hungrily devoured.

The Volume One: Morpras EP is available from November 27^th digitally and on CD @ https://talesofthetomb.bandcamp.com/

http://www.talesofthetomb.com/   https://www.facebook.com/talesofthetomb   https://twitter.com/talesofthetomb

Pete RingMaster 27/11/2015

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Deserted Fear – Kingdom of Worms

An unrelenting storm of death metal embracing the genre’s varied grounding seeds and a more modern creative voracity, the second album from German metallers Deserted Fear is an uncompromising and brutal onslaught. Kingdom Of Worms is also a release which manages to feed expectations and throw curveballs at them simultaneously. It is a storming onslaught, never taking time out to rest on its ferocious laurels and give the listener any real respite from its hostility. A game changer or unique challenge for death metal the album is not, but as an attention grabbing confrontation and another big step in the rise of the band, Kingdom Of Worms is a rigorous success.

Hailing from Eisenberg, the trio of vocalist/guitarist Manuel Glatter, guitarist/bassist Fabian Hildebrandt, and drummer Simon Mengs was soon drawing local attention from the emergence of Deserted Fear in 2008. It was debut album My Empire in 2012, following an earlier demo, which suddenly triggered keener and broader spotlight upon the band. Soon the European metal scene was taking eager notice of them, even more so as they subsequently made acclaimed appearances at festivals such as Summer Breeze, Party San Open Air, and Extremefest. Now Deserted Fear has unleashed the next instalment of their emergence, and it is easy to suspect that the Dan Swanö (Edge Of Sanity, Bloodbath) mastered release will stir up another torrent of potent praise and concentration on the band.

The climactic, epically toned Intro opening up the album is nothing new in extreme metal nowadays but it has to be said that even though you almost expect this kind of beginning to an album, it cannot defuse the portentous and potent lure of the piece before it leads straight into the mighty rhythmic paws and sonic ravishing of Forging Delusions. It is an instant brute of a song with nostrils of imposing intensity flaring and sinew sculpted addictive grooves inescapably binding the imagination and passions. It is hard to get enough of the fiery proposition the song offers initially, and even as its relative restraint slips to open up a maelstrom of hostile rabidity, there is still that increasingly compelling groove driven bait insatiably seducing. With a heavyweight thrust of thrash ferocity aiding the all-consuming attack, the track is a storming start to the album.

The title track comes next and it too is swiftly consuming ears and appetite in tightly gripping grooves as the feet and arms of Mengs uncage hellacious energy and skills. As its predecessor, it too is unrelenting in its savagery and tenacious enterprise, its touch raw and caustic yet equally coaxing and contagious as guitars weave a melodic tapestry. The scintillating song is a cauldron of craft from each of the band individually and in a united animosity of sound and rhythmic barbarism, whilst vocally Glatter growls with a depth and ferociousness that you feel for the lining of throat and gut.

The pair of Call Me Your God and Wrath On Your Wound, unveil their own spiteful landscapes of sonic and rhythmic enmity next, the first an intensive avalanche of bitter riffs and destructive beats scarred by the increasingly corrosive tones of Glatter, whilst the second is a fully fledged rage with malice dripping from teeth clenched vocals and spiralling grooving which line the bruising thrust of the transfixing song. Again Menghs proves himself to be an attention grabbing beater of skins whilst both Glatter and Hildebrandt spin a creative web which is as intrusive as it is enthralling.

The melodic breath and elegance of Torn By Hatred comes next, a short instrumental which does provide the one moment of mercy and warm colouring in the album, before The Agony pillages the senses with its blistering stride of riffs and sonic endeavour. It is a bestial proposition in voice and breath, but with the vocals finding their own animalistic growl and grooves another heavy dose of toxic infectiousness, it is an encounter which is happy to rearm established genre ideation with the band’s own flaming resourcefulness. Its intensive suasion is followed by the lean swagger and predacious stalking of With Might And Main. The track almost saunters as it batters and impedes on the senses, providing another delicious and almost anthemic provocation to engage in.

The slower entrance of Shattering The Soil makes for a different slant to the release though it is soon submerged in another unbridled fury of sound and intent before Mortal Reign parades its rhythmic and caustic rancor with vicious relish and skilled endeavour. Neither track lives up to what came before though each definitely only adds to the pleasure reaped from the album. The pair seems to be revisiting some of the success of earlier tracks in some ways and confirm that there is a surface similarity across some songs which defuses some of the strength of Kingdom of Worms. It is not an issue when the album is given proper and deeper attention, the diversity between songs soon discovered, and such the quality of the songs it is ultimately not as problematic as it might have been anyway.

The release is brought to a close by Last Of A Fading Kind, another engrossing and richly pleasing incitement but as the two previous tracks, it does not quite live up to certainly the stunning first half of the album. It is still impossible to dismiss and escape its masterful textures and tempting though as it brings a potent conclusion to Kingdom of Worms though.

Deserted Fear epitomises all that is compelling about death metal whilst infusing it with their own emerging brand of startling invention. New album Kingdom of Worms is not going to change the face of extreme metal but it does give it another intensively flavoursome savaging to devour.

Kingdom of Worms is available via FDA Rekotz from October 24^th and at http://www.desertedfear.de/index.php/shop

http://www.desertedfear.de

RingMaster 24/10/2014

Copyright RingMaster: MyFreeCopyright

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Gluttony – Beyond The Veil of Flesh

Not stocked up with big surprises but certainly offering enough to keep expectation feeding a limited exercise, Beyond The Veil of Flesh the debut album from Swedish death metallers Gluttony, is a voraciously intensive provocation which leaves needs and wants from an extreme metal release thoroughly satisfied. Bred and staying tightly to the origins of their country’s death metal scene, the eight track foraging of the senses is a rigorously carnivorous and accomplished slab of deathly predation; a release unafraid to thrust a vicious rhythmic knife laden with annihilatory riffing to the soul before twisting it around and around with the most virulently addictive grooves. As mentioned it is not a release to leave originality raging through the veins but definitely one to ignite a blaze of passion and pleasure from its unfussy and uncompromising enterprise.

Gluttony was formed in 2009 by guitarist Anders Härén of My Own Grave as a solo project. Subsequently linking up with fellow band members from his main band in bassist Max Bergman and drummer John Henriksson, the new project recorded the Coffinborn demo. Initially vocals were handled by Härén but unhappy with the results, Gluttony enlisted vocalist Johan Jansson (Interment, Regurgitate, ex-Demonical) for the 2012 release, though a cover of Paint It Black on the record features Härén on vocals. Two of the tracks from the demo, Coffinborn and Eaten Alive, were released a year later as the Eaten Alive EP on Metal Fortress Entertainment. The same year saw the band sign with Vic Records for their debut album, the recording of which saw the departure of Jansson due to the long distances needed to be covered by the vocalist, Magnus Ödling (Setherial, ex-Diabolical) coming in to replace him. Mixed and mastered by Dan Swanö (Edge Of Sanity, Bloodbath), and wrapped in great cover art from US cult horror comics artist Jeff Zornow, Beyond The Veil Of Flesh is an encounter sure to draw eager attention and deserved appetite to the band and its primal sound.

The Revenant opens up the graveyard carnage and instantly is smothering the ears in ravenous riffs and crippling rhythms as the guttural malice of Ödling crawls venomously over the senses. It is a heavyweight pressure which has attention wide awake and imagination cowering in its pestilential drama. Within this though spears of acidic short and longer vivaciously winding grooves vein and ignite the passions, it all converging into one torrential tempest of raw and rabid incitement. It is a masterful entrance into the release, portentous and magnetic bait which the following title track emulates in its own malicious sonic tyranny. Though still squeezing out grooved enticements the track is a darker slice of rapacious causticity than its predecessor, its tempestuous corrosion of sound heavier in intensity and broader in ruinous endeavour. Henriksson is a rabid task master with his swinging beats whilst vocally Ödling crawls with demonic intent but it is the creative toxicity of Härén which steals the show.

Next up Eaten Alive stalks with depraved intent within its laboured gait but is soon throwing out its own contagious grooves inciting body and passions to stomp just as venomously. The ridiculously dark throated call of Bergman’s bass simply inspires the imagination from within the brawling provocation of the song whilst the predacious snarl and gnaw of the guitar provides a colour to the fearsome narrative which is every bewitching shade of black. Whether it is right to say or not but the song is also ridiculously anthemic though these jaws have yet to taste flesh.

Both Raise the Dead and Coffinborn unleash severe expulsions of brutality, the first providing an exhaustive unrelenting grind of niggling grooves and gorging riffs plundered by carnal rhythms whilst its successor with similar voracity worms its rancorous toxin of chunky riffs and spiteful grooving into the psyche to seduce and savage with simultaneously untethered contempt. As with all songs, Gluttony have a glorious ability to have their songs stalking and prowling the listener’s inner depths whilst still producing a swagger which enlists the fullest physical and emotional allegiance as proven again by Post Mortem Decapitation. In comparison to other songs, the rhythms at the start of the fury are almost kind in their assault though that soon changes as the ferocity of the guitars and bass release their hateful enterprise. Vocals again are as pleasingly nasty and primitive as the erosive rampage around them, a vindictive stew of hostility which helps the track brew the pinnacle of the album.

The release is completed by firstly the just as insatiably riveting And Then You Rot and lastly the pestiferous On the Slab. The first of the pair is a senses embalming pestilence which is as unforgiving as it is magnetically persuasive though it lacks the spark of certainly the previous couple of songs, whilst the closing track is another to seep predator like into pores and thoughts like an insidious malady where it then expels all the addictive inhospitable energy and infectious creativity you could wish for. It is a tremendous finale to a thoroughly captivating and thrilling encounter. Yes there is little new breaking through from within Beyond The Veil of Flesh yet plenty to put hordes of fellow old school explorers in the shade, but truthfully when it sounds this good who cares anyway.

Beyond The Veil of Flesh is available through Vic Records @ http://www.vicrecords.com/ now!

http://gluttony.se/

8.5/10

RingMaster 27/05/2014

Copyright RingMaster: MyFreeCopyright

 

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Acheron – Kult des Hasses

     A more than decent time has passed since the last release from US blackened death metallers Acheron, album The Final Conflict: Last Days Of God; a time which also saw the band temporarily come to a stop in 2010. Now well over twenty years since unleashing the musical malevolence they have become renowned for, the band uncages their newest tempest, Kult des Hasses. Released via Listenable Records, the ten track sonic pestilence is a masterful and creatively insidious plunge into the darkest ravenous creativity of the band and possibly it’s most expressively hungry yet.

    Calling the band’s sound blackened death metal has always been missing the flavoursome toxic essences from thrash, doom, and heavy metal which lick and lethally spice their releases and Kult des Hasses is no different. The album seduces, suffocates, and consumes with riffing caught in a wide net of influences, a rhythmic provocation which leaves an array of bruising wounds, and a melodically honed sonic adventure which fuses a plethora of styles. Adventure is a good description of the release, one dragging the blackest malevolent and vitriolic depths with lyrical provocations casting the band’s distinct views over themes such as the occult, misanthropy, and sexual perversion, their extreme Satanic/Anti-religious corrosiveness never far from the surface either. We will be the first to admit that a full awareness of all their older sonic expulsions is lacking but taking Kult Des Hasses alone, Acheron has set standards which emerging bands should want to aspire to.

    Over the years band founder vocalist/bassist Vincent Crowley has played with current and former members of bands such as Morbid Angel, Death, Iced Earth, Angel Corpse, Immolation, Dimmu Borgir, Nocturnus, Incantation, Equinox, Estuary, and Sathanas within Acheron, and the new album provides no less inspiring names alongside the trio of himself, guitarist Art Taylor, and drummer Kyle Severn. Joining the trio on the recording there is guest lead guitarist Ricktor Ravensbruck (Wolfpack 44, Electric Hellfire Club , Wolfen Society) as well as numerous vocal guesting from the likes of Kam Lee (Ex-Massacre, The Grotesquery, Bone Gnawer), Jim Lippucci (Soulless), John McEntee (Incantation/Funerus), Jill McEntee (Funerus), Zdenka Prado (Estuary),and Ash Thomas (Estuary/Faithxtractor). Mastered by Dan Swano, the album is a tide of invention and imagination, all tracks forcibly intrusive and persistently contagious in which ever guise they come in.

     Opener Daemonum Lux wastes no time making a gentle acquaintance, riffs instantly rummaging through the ears from its first second and rhythms splitting their insistence with firm and determined, if restrained swipes. Almost eight minutes of constantly evolving enticement, the song alone tells you all you need to know about the sonic sculpting and imagination available to the band in their arsenal. Themed around the infamous encounter Aleister Crowley had with the demonic entity known as Choronzon, the song leads thoughts and senses on an exhaustive spiral of undiluted voracious enterprise, twisting with every minute through virally melodic temptation and voracious contagion. It has to be said, and applies to the album itself, for such a dark and pestilential offering the swagger and catchiness of the offering is surprising and irresistible.

     From the lengthy intensive start the band through the following Satan Holds Dominion and Raptured To Divine Perversion refuses to remove its foot from the throttle of the urgency which marked the opener, instead aligned to the forceful creative fire racks it up a notch in the case of the first song and merges it with an acidic heavy metal suasion for the second. Both tracks trample through the ears with sinews bulging and a predacious appetite to provoke and challenge lyrically and musically. Their thrilling onslaughts are matched by the equally voracious Jesus Wept (Again And Again), a provocations about twisted visions of torturing Christ within nightly dreams-states. Like those before, the song riles the imagination and ignites the passions with an intensive presentation of skilled and dramatically breathing endeavour, every twist drawing emotions and thoughts deeper into its clutches.

    After the predatory Thy Father Suicide, the album hits its highest elevation through Misanthropic Race and Whores And Harlots. The first of the pair is sonic and rhythmic savagery let loose, but within a torrent of spiteful craft and ingenuity which simply manipulates and seduces the passions and imagination. Guitars weave and entwine their melodic ingenuity amongst the merciless riffery whilst the bass prowls and assaults the psyche from within the enslaving rhythmic bait, which again tempts with ridiculously easy success. Its companion is an infiltration of sexual wantonness through a barrage of energy and sound which is just as salacious and virulently addictive. Lashing the senses into willing submission and chaining emotions into an appetite which greedily devours the virulent display of unbridled guitar debauchery, the track is masterful in demand and reward.

      Asphyxiation (Hands Of God) and Concubina Do Diabo leaves no ounce of satisfaction and violation untended, both distinct in their presence but united in their prowess and efficiency in captivating the darkest corners of the listener. They make an inventive and incendiary bridge between the previous high plateau and the closing triumph of the release, the monstrously anthemic Devil’s Black Blood, the song an out and out thrash/death metal slab of rock ‘n’ roll. It is a riotous conclusion to an excellent return by Acheron. Whether Kult des Hasses is the band’s strongest effort to date we will leave for others to decide, but for death metal with the bravery and skill to be so much more, this is one magnificent offering.

www.facebook.com/pages/Acheron/128581467223407

9/10

RingMaster 26/02/2014

 Copyright RingMaster: MyFreeCopyright

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Verdict – The Meaning Of Isolation

A virulent scourge you will want to be ravaged by, especially if your blood boils for thrash metal, The Meaning Of Isolation from German metallers Verdict is an uncompromising slab of riveting extreme destructiveness and mouth-watering savagery. The nine track torrent of aggression and enterprise takes no prisoners and has little time in gentle persuasion, instead it simply and voraciously pillages the senses whilst rewarding with an underbelly of exhaustive yet captivating invention. The release definitely needs time and work to explore but rewards long-term with some addiction sparking technical viciousness and passionate ferociousness.

Verdict began in 1991 with a technical and melodic death metal intent and rage to its sound. Numerous line-up changes followed during subsequent years from which the band’s sound evolved and developed a deeper wealth of thrash hunger to its attack. Debut album Reflections Of Pain of 2002 brought strong attention upon the band and their emerging sound whilst the following full-lengths, Generation : Genocide of 2005 and Assassin: Nation four years later, only empowered their presence which in  turn has led to eager anticipation for the Verdict’s fourth and new album from a great many. Live the band has not left any physical or emotional stone unturned within either as they shared stages over time with the likes of Destruction, Disbelief, Illdisposed, Dew-Scented, Legion Of The Damned, Entombed, Death Angel, Gorefest, Obituary, Nile and many more. Mastered by Dan Swanö, The Meaning of Isolation thrusts the band forward to the frontline of thrash and extreme metal with a masterful display of malevolence and enterprise. The release may be just misses out on threatening best of lists this year, mainly through an arguably too similar a surface storm across many of the tracks and the lack of diversity in the vocals of Daniel “Ratte” Baptista to match the unpredictability and surprise of the music, but nevertheless The Meaning Of Isolation is a thrilling and captivating devastation which leaves the listener exhausted and deeply contented.

Leader Of The Soulless opens up the absorbing punishment with a haunting entrance; a sinister ambience brewing up a swiftly imposing sonic menace which around an inspiring classical stringed melody, intimidates to temper the simultaneously dark seduction. It is not too long though before an artillery of crippling beats from drummer Florian Bauer corrupts the air closely skirted by melodic flames from the guitars of Marius Pack and Dave Hadarik which scorch the air whilst riffs batter its peace with carnivorous urgency. From here the barbarous persuasion is in full flight, the vocals of Baptista as vindictive and merciless as the sinews driving the sounds. It is an intensive start to the album, one unafraid to delve into dark doomier places within its persistent predation.

Manifest Of Hate and Killing Fantasies both keep the malevolence spewing from every antagonistic note and vocal squall, the first charging over the senses with a violent rabidity whilst grooves and sonic invention entwine their venomous craft around the song’s core whilst the second from a delicious dark and brooding introduction with the bass of Dave Helmstetter a pulsating evocative lure, goes on a creative rampage which bleeds intensity and wastes the welcoming senses. It does not match up to the first two tracks overall but still makes a sturdy encounter leading into the similarly impressive if not jaw dropping Layer Of Lies, a track which has a very close related aggressive and melodic cover to its predecessor and needing deeper focus to reveal its individual bait.

Lack Of Insight marks a new upturn in originality and invention within the album, the guitar twisting with bedlamic adventure to cast the first web over the ears before fusing into a resourceful and magnetic weave of intrusive and spellbinding antagonism. The track is certainly no less hellacious than previous songs but unveils a greater exploration and imagination of textures and invention which prevails through the likes of the blistering First To Fight and the creatively pungent Through The Eyes Of A Dead Man, both tracks with grooves and progressive intrigue to light fires within the imagination. The first half of The Meaning Of Isolation is an intense and formidable offering but is definitely exceeded by the second half and it’s more potent daring.

The Meaning Of Isolation returns the senses and dull peace back to its recipient but only after the barbarous Nemesis Of God, the song an exceptional beast which stalks and gnaws the listener from the inside, and its title track which provides another prowling intimidation prone to inventive sonic lashing outs and ruinous brutality, takes their pound of flesh. They complete an excellent album which from an impressive opening stretch emerges as a sadistically pleasing treat. For all thrash fans especially with those holding darker preferences in their hearts, Verdict has given the year an inventive pestilence which leaves no one disappointed or in one piece.

www.verdict.de

www.facebook.com/verdictthrashmetal

8.5/10

RingMaster 12/12/2013

Copyright RingMaster: MyFreeCopyright

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Screaming Finalities: an interview with Jimmy Lundqvist of Entrails

From a ‘false start’ in the early nineties Swedish death metallers Entrails was resurrected by founder and guitarist Jimmy Lundqvist fourteen years later and since then has made an impressive mark with its old school seeded sounds and releases such as second album The Tomb Awaits. New album Raging Death builds on the might of its predecessor whilst twisting the existing malevolence into new tortuous and compelling exploits. Seizing on the chance to find out more with Jimmy we asked about the history of Entrails, the album, and moving through early setbacks.

Hi Jimmy and welcome to the site, many thanks for taking time to talk with us.

You have just released your new album Raging Death, how are feelings in the Entrails camp right now and how have initial responses impacted on you?

Hi

We are doing just fine here… It all feels great and we are satisfied with everything so far.

Do you get nervous before releasing an album or is it all excitement?

A little bit of both I would say…

Though this time all excitement was gone a few weeks before the release when there was downloading links everywhere on the internet. That ruined all the fun with the release and every hour and minute we had to use in making this album. I know it’s the modern era now and every band have this problem but it’s a fucking shame that they don’t have any tools to stop this illegal shit.

Before we talk more intently about the album can be look at the history of the band for those new to you. Entrails formed in 1991, what was the spark and inspirations behind the birth of the band?

Well. The boom of the DM bands that came around in the early 90´s and the down tuned guitars and with those riffs and atmospheres… That was Christmas to me… I was completely sold in that style, and there was no doubt in what we were going to play.

This period of the band did not work out and was only around as a working project for around three years, what were the problems which brought the band to a close at that point?

Many things. Crappy recordings, lack of interests, money, contacts, living on the countryside, you name it… Everything was going against Entrails sort of. If we only had managed to make a proper demo I think things would be different… though the dudes in the band back then would have quit anyway as they didn’t have the passion for it as I had. And living so far away from the musicians there was no other options than put it into sleep

Did the frustrations at the time bring lessons and help shape not only the second coming of the band years later but your endeavours between the two periods of Entrails?

Hard to answer as I wasn’t thinking in that direction. But I was more grown up in the second coming and had more focus on the music and a goal to have my demos recorded as they should be.

In that ‘hiatus’ for the band what were you up to musically?

Well… I listened a lot to my influences and tried to follow the music that was made after I quit playing myself. But I didn’t like the new stuff and where the DM was heading so I stopped following that and become more and more stocked to the old stuff. Of course there were new bands coming and they got my support but still the modern shit was not my cup of tea!

2008 saw Entrails resurrected, what was the trigger to this?

Nostalgia and I wanted to record my old music properly. That was the main reasons.

Was it an easy decision to try again or was there some reticence at first about bringing the band back?

Not really…It was pretty easy, but I didn’t think of having the band in full scale, only to release the songs as demos or whatever. But when label and organizers wanted us for shows I had to make it complete. And I haven’t regretted a single second about that.

Tell us about the years between steeping back into Entrails and the release of the excellent The Tomb Awaits of 2011, where we first came across you actually.

To make it short; I made those 2 demos in 2009 “Reborn” and “Human Decay” and signed to the label FDA Rekotz winter 2009/2010, then we made the first full length “Tales from the Morgue that spring and we had that one out in the summer 2010, then after that we recruited Adde for the permanent drummer and off we went on a small tour in Germany in November. Then we dealt with labels the whole winter but finally FDA got our signature once again and the work with “Tomb Awaits” could begin.

How have your sound and ideas changed for you since bringing back and reworking tracks for your demo Reborn and the songs seizing the senses on Raging Death?

The sound on the demos was mixed by me…and then I was a complete amateur in doing such so the sound became very thin and didn’t have that punch as I wanted. And after that and when the real albums was going to be made things had to be changed and I contacted Dan Swano at Unisound to do the mixings and from that day he is the guy who does what we want in the sound.

Are there any seeds from your earlier period of songwriting within the new album like previous releases?

Yeah. There are some parts here and there… for an example, ‘Bloodhammer’ is actually the first DM song I made back then. But now it’s a bit longer and have some more stuff added, and also a new title.

As the new album shows you still source your inspiration from the early nineties seeds of Swedish death metal, are you open to other influences though within your creative sparks for songs or intently stay within its influence preferring to expand its particular barriers rather than look into new areas?

Well. Yeah. I have influences from all kinds of stuff… but mostly from the era between 1983-1995. Bands as Helloween, Accept, Iron Maiden, Slayer, Metallica and you name it. The list can be long… it wasn’t´ until 1990 and when I heard DM for the first time I was going on that path

How does the songwriting work within the band now with its stable line-up and creative members?

I make the music into a basic demo and when that´s done the rest add their ideas and changes and from that we rehearse the song into the finish mode. And if lyrics are missing they will be added.

Was the recording of Raging Death approached differently or an experience different to that of Tales From The Morgue and The Tomb Awaits?

Hmm…no… we almost did exactly the same in the recording progress…used a local studio for the drums and then my own studio for the rest and then Dan Swano did the mix/mastering so it was almost the same. Don’t change a winning concept someone told me!

Is there an aspect or moment of Raging Death which gives you particular glow or tingle inside?

Yeah. There are some parts on each song that makes me in a better mood than others but´s only happens in my head. Like perfect changeovers or riffs that really bring your neck swing.

The album feels like it has a stronger snarl and impact in its production than previous releases. Would you agree and if so was it a determined intent or just naturally came about?

That’s cool if you think so… and mostly the album came out naturally so I didn’t have any spectacular or driven goals in it. Many things happens when I sit and record stuff… ideas pops up and I try ‘em out and if they sound good I use it…otherwise I don’t.

I always imagine that when recording songs in the studio ideas are spawned and ignited as a by-product by the process to be logged away for future use. Is this generally the case and if so any gems this time around which might be bred into your next confrontation?

There was more than 10 songs made from the beginning to this third opus but we chose 10 out of them so if we use the rest or if they will be used in another project only future can tell…

This is your first album with Metal Blade Records, has this move given the album and its creation any particular strength or is it really now after release you will find the biggest impact being with the great label?

We worked with the album as we have used to do on the previous ones and Metal Blade didn’t have any specific words in how it should be, only do a great album and do it the Swedish way they said…so I guess the impact will be shown more after the release.

What comes next for Entrails?

In writing at the moment we have done one festival in Germany called Extremefest and after that we will have some vacation and I will sit down and make some new songs and also work with another project along with some friends… yeah it sounds confusing as others would have been on tour promoting their music by now.  But we can’t work in planning tours as the others have so many side projects in the band so we have to await offers and then work from that, but we are having some talks to eventually bring us on a small tour. But´s not confirmed yet.

Again thank you for chatting with us, any last thoughts or words you would like to share?

Well… at: www.facebook.com/entrails666  you can have 100% check on us as it’s there we update and confirm everything. Check it out…

And lastly you were inspired by the likes of Entombed, Dismember, Grave etc. but any bands around now which give you food for thought?

Hmmm…I keep my veins working by listening to the old stuff from 83-95 mostly but if I want to have my veins ice cold I would be listen to technical DM or metalcore or whatever the style is that has no passion and atmosphere to get my veins to work.

Read the review of Raging Death @ https://ringmasterreviewintroduces.wordpress.com/2013/05/14/entrails-raging-death/

Pete RingMaster

The RingMaster Review 08/06/2013

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