Psycroptic (2018) As The Kingdom Drowns 'Review'

Band: Psycroptic
Country of Origin: Australia

Genre: Technical Death metal

Type: Full Length

Format: CD Digipak

Length Approx.: 35:00 min.

Release Date: 11-09-2018

Release Label: Prosthetic Records

IR Classification: Good (4.4 / 5)

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They have always sought to succeed with refined tech riffs or innovative and catchy riffs.

Twenty years ago, Psycroptic was born in West Hobart, Tasmania in Australia, Haley brothers were the ones who started giving shape to one of the most iconic Tech Death Metal bands originated there. Currently, the band is formed by guitarist Joe Haley, drummer David Haley, bassist Todd Stern, and vocalist Jason Peppiatt, "As the Kingdom Drowns" is the seventh album in their discography, it was recorded at AAA, Red Planet, and Crawlspace Studios, Produced and Engineered by Joe Haley, Mixed and Mastered by Will Putney, the album includes nine songs that we will go through little by little, I'm kind of skeptical but anxious at the same time because, since their second album "The Scepter of the Ancients" released back in 2003, I haven't heard anything solid like that.

Psycroptic likely and surely would be considered by many the most proficient band from Australia, undoubtedly, they are talented and skillful even with their ups and downs they have always sought to succeed with refined tech riffs or innovative and catchy riffs, offering a perpetual glimpse to their progress through the years.

"As the Kingdom Drowns" opens with "We Were the Keepers" the assault begins with a straight punch of technical riff which soon melds with melodious prowess and vivid backing vocals by Amy Wiles she has been working with the power heavy metal band Taberah as a session keyboardist since 2011, it's followed by "Frozen Gaze" sounds defying with such powerful groove the tracks unfold aggressively while the drum work is exceptional taking the pace and the vocals are menacing, "Directive" is relentless with lots of riffs that build effectively a heavy ramp of sounds, the double bass drum is prominent, "Deadlands" burst with a rapid riff it becomes energetic and insane at the same time proving their quality at songwriting to be addictive, "As the Kingdom Drowns" takes off with a mysterious and quick intro to launch a non-stop and  schizophrenic attack showcasing their skillful on every instrument, the song is very memorable, due to the piano section added towards the end, "Beyond the Black" sounds harmonious and ferocious the guitar riff is ruthless as ever, "Upon These Stones" experiment with a delightful eerie start where melodies and mid-pace takes into a different but interesting approach, "Momentum of the Void" opts for a slower but heavy rhythm which is quite different than the rest of the others tracks in the album, the closing track is "You Belong Here, Below" absolutely sharp as a razor blade and incisive but short at the end.

I believe that Psycroptic have doubtlessly rerouted into another era and I am not talking about stepping back, of course, if we used as a parameter "The Scepter of the Ancients" to measure their latest work is just fine, but "As the Kingdom Drowns" stands by itself and do comparatives after this album would be insulting for their work.

Stay True… Stay Metal… Stay Brutal…™

Track List:

01. We Were the Keepers │ 02. Frozen Gaze │ 03. Directive │ 04. Deadlands │ 05. As the Kingdom Drowns │ 06. Beyond the Black │ 07. Upon These Stones │ 08. Momentum of the Void │ 09. You Belong Here, Below

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Serocs (2018) The Phobos / Deimos Suite 'Review'

Band: Serocs

Country of Origin: Mexico, France, Canada

Genre: Brutal Technical Death metal

Type: Full Length

Format: Digital 320 kbps

Length Approx.: 46:00 min.

Release Date: 10-26-2018

Release Label: Everlasting Spew Records

IR Classification: Excellent (4.7 / 5)

Listen our review! (English)

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Serocs unchain the most extreme brutality.

Serocs has been grown beyond any expectation from being a mere solo project born in Guadalajara, Mexico to become in one of the most successful international partnership acts of Brutal Technical Death Metal that underground scene has seen in a long time, their style is very influenced by bands like Cryptopsy who's unfortunately are no longer in that musical line, Spawn of Possession who were split two years ago and the extinct and deeply missed Necrophagist, only to mention a few of them.

Serocs current formation consists of Antonio Freyre on guitars, Phil Tougas (Chthe'ilist) on guitars, Antoine Daigneault (Chthe'ilist) on bass, Kévin Paradis (Benighted) on drums and Laurent Bellemare (Basalte) on vocals "The Phobos / Deimos Suite" is an album composed by songs written during the last ten years. So, these tracks will be like a walk through their entire career and maybe this could be the secret that makes this album exciting.

"Being" opens this album despite being short is exuberant with a layered riff well-executed proving their technical skills the storming drum work stands out, "Thanatophobia" is the third track in the album and believe me, from the very first moment it sounds explosive and set the listeners into a whirlwind of endless aggression with a ruthless roaring, at a certain point is impossible not to hear their influences and all the sudden feel that refreshing wave taking over and "Oneirology" comes to be a truly delightful piece with pummeling drums and a deeper bass that offers an overwhelming  dynamism, the guitars deliver a slaughter well reinforced by the guttural vocals, "Lethe" create a unique atmosphere only to welcoming the next track "SCP-106" provides a great technical performance but the vocals are crushing then is followed by "Nonbeing" is brilliant and insane at the same time the gorgeous signature riff are eloquent and help to keep things spiced up towards the end, "Deimos" is an odyssey extremely well-conceived, the arrangements are fierce and again their technical skills are put to the test and the result is exceptional as brutal, riff that shatters and re-shape masterfully into a pragmatic chaos.

To sum up, Serocs has accomplished their best record so far, "The Phobos / Deimos Suite" holds a solid concept, the songwriting is faultless, the production is clean but stands out every instrument, everything here sounds neat, it turns hard to point out any flaws when these guys unchain the most extreme brutality and they pack it with the most refined technique, if you are a real follower of the style then this is an album you shouldn't miss.

Stay True… Stay Metal… Stay Brutal…™

Track List:

01. Being │ 02. Nihilus │ 03. Thanatophobia │ 04. Rem(nants) │ 05. Oneirology │ 06. Revenants │ 07. Lethe │ 08. SCP-106 │ 09. Nonbeing │  10. Deimos

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Gorod (2018) Æthra 'Review'

Band: Gorod

Country of Origin: France

Genre: Technical Death metal

Type: Full Length

Format: CD

Length Approx.: 44:00 min.

Release Date: 10-19-2018

Release Label: Overpowered Records

IR Classification: Excellent (4.5 / 5)

Listen our review! (English)

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Tech Death Metal of the highest class.

"Æthra" comes to be the sixth full length album from the masters of Technical Death metal Gorod and it doesn't matter how you look at it, the band achieved to print an exuberant, well defined and powerful record, landing near the grounds of "Leading Vision" released back in 2006.

Gorod is clearly a band that has set themselves apart, evolving gradually while expanding their songwriting spectrum and their amazing musicianship level. The precision and sharp riffs that Pascal and Alberny delivers is simply awesome, while the synchronization accomplished by Diers with it's devastating drums here goes beyond recognition, Claus proves his virtuosity on the four strings superbly and the majestic vocals of Deyres going from intimidating growls to throaty screams. All of this makes "Æthra" an outstanding album. "Wolfsmond" is the first track and grabs you from the beginning with its intrepid and irreverent hardcore style. It's followed by "Bekhten's Curse" which is brilliant and has chaotic guitar work that makes this track superb. "Aethra" delivers a rough monotonous and progressive melody found within the sludge style and "The Sentry" keeps exploring the same path adding more complex progressive elements to highlight the track. "Hina" hammers the drums in an exponential manner, while the vast guitar work has an unusual diversity and pace that wouldn't let you get away. The next track is "And the Moon Turned Black," this song doesn't lose its grindstastics, with elements spiced nicely with a ponderous and unique technique. "Chandra and the Maiden" doesn't sound opulent, but devastating up to the roots, the guitar work sounds compact, giving the listener a taste of their madness and dissonant rush. "Goddess of Dirt" launches a hyper-speed riff which melds with energetic slow parts to end up with that ultra-speed again. Then comes "Inexorable" which tackles down with a semi slow pace, but vibrant riffing with a bountiful texture. The drum section delivers an unquestionable precision. The last track is "A Light Unseen," it sounds hysterically persistent, throwing away a load of unique techniques that are difficult to compare, the vocal part throughout the whole album are simply intimidating and fearless.

Gorod definitely surpasses any of my predictions, if "A Maze of Recycled Creeds" back in 2015 fulfills my needs and expectations; then "Æthra" clearly stands by itself almost like a masterpiece with an exceptional songwriting, varied, without the boredom other bands incur. In my opinion, this is a total hit within the genre, technical or brutal however you like it, you will not be disappointed.

Stay True… Stay Metal… Stay Brutal…™

Track List:

01. Wolfsmond │ 02. Bekhten's Curse │ 03. Æthra │ 04. The Sentry │ 05. Hina  │ 06. And the Moon Turned Black │ 07. Chandra and the Maiden │ 08. Goddess of Dirt  │  09. Inexorable │ 10. A Light Unseen

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Revocation (2018) The Outer Ones 'Review"

Band: Revocation

Country of Origin: United States

Genre: Technical Death / Thrash Metal

Type: Full Length

Format: CD

Length Approx.: 48:00 min.

Release Date: 09-28-2018

Release Label: Metal Blade Records

IR Classification: Good (4.2 / 5)

Listen our review! (English)

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A devastating technical avalanche.

The natives from Boston, Massachusetts; Revocation seems an unstoppable machine with over twelve years behind their backs they have been very busy the last five years touring tirelessly everywhere north to south and east to west, catching sometime between to compose, record and released a total of four albums within this period, including the last album entitled "The Outer Ones" each one surpassing its predecessor in every aspect, always delivering top notch productions without overwhelming the listener and that is probably the key for their succeed.

Since the beginning Revocation they were characterized for their consistency, quality and innovation, bringing unorthodox elements to its songwriting, but always remaining as extreme and authentic as they can be and of course their latest album "The Outer Ones" can't be excluded, their Progressive Death Metal style has remained as their hallmark, although sometimes sinning a bit for the excesses in which they fall and we often overlook them. 

Let's proceed with the album itself, the opener track is "Of Unworldly Origin" kick off right away with a very fast tremolo picking and thunderous blast beats, this track hits the right notes of progressive metal, delivering a genuine guitar solo to enhance your experience, followed by "That Which Consumes All Things" weak at the beginning but somehow they manage to hook you up with solvent riff not impressive but very well backed up by the bass lines played behind the guitars, the third track is "Blood Atonement" after a stunning fret work, quickly the melodies arrive and leads towards spirals of progressions very accurate and structured, while the drum work here is faultless and belligerent, next is "Fathomless Catacombs" sounds darker without abandon the progressive path, beautiful but passive guitar solo, "The Outer Ones" tries to approach you infused by an enigmatic science fiction vibe, the sound is unapologetic, with thrashing murky riff and a very consistent drumming, however very repetitive towards the end, "Vanitas" lacks of intensity and ferocity but is not a bad track at all, brings up together all the collective talent this band owns, molded in simplicity but chaotic yet, "Ex Nihilo" is the instrumental track and it connects right away keeping the flow from the previous track, with more punching progressive guitar riff, the drumming is mean and categorical and the bass adds a darker and deeper vibe, now comes "Luciferous" structured with a more melodic feeling and at some point picks up its aggressivity with no remorse, the battling rhythms between the guitars are appealing, here there is not misconception at all, and so we come to the last track "A Starless Darkness" slows down the pace to the devastating technical avalanche we were exposed, strong grooves that shift speeds back and forth sometimes stepping on the threshold of doom, the low growls add the proper dimension for this track, while the guitar solo it sounds very saturated and complicated.

I would like to conclude that "The Outer Ones" while is not easy to digest for everybody, I mean if you are looking for brutality, speed and straightforward metal, you might be disappointed, but not all is lost, Revocation through "The Outer Ones" can deliver exactly what you looking for, but with some dose of complexity and virtuosity, I will not deny that you might find some issues while testing this band; However, I can assure you this album will be a top ten list of the year.

Stay True... Stay Metal... Stay Brutal...

Track List:

01. Of Unworldly Origin
02. That Which Consumes All Things
03. Blood Atonement
04. Fathomless Catacombs
05. The Outer Ones
06. Vanitas
07. Ex Nihilo
08. Luciferous
09. A Starless Darkness

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Bloodtruth (2018) Martyrium 'Review'

Band: Bloodtruth

Country of Origin: Italy

Genre: Technical Death Metal

Type: Full Length

Format: CD
Length Approx.: 33:00 min.

Release Date: 09-28-2018

Release Label: Unique Leader Records

IR Classification: Good (3.7 / 5)

Listen our review! (English)

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Martyrium a worthy piece for the listener.

From Italy, Bloodtruth released their sophomore album last week, the title for their newest album is "Martyrium," which took them about four year to put this album out and as we can guess during all this time came up some changes within the band, vocalist Luigi Valenti has departed, but the band's core remain intact with lead guitarist Stefano Rossi Ciucci, bass guitarist Riccardo Rogari, behind the drums Giacomo Torti, welcoming to rhythm guitarist Stefano Clementini and their new vocalist Luis Maggio.

Debut album "Obedience" released back in 2014 was sickening and surprised everyone with their brutal but refined fast pace. Their songwriting encloses a hellish torrent in the same vein as the mighty Nile and their country-mates Hour of Penance, if you think they could not be better with their following album you were wrong! "Martyrium" surpassed many expectations with a more cohesive songwriting, despite the conceptual album they were able to craft lyrically, there is no remote chance to sacrifice their signature sound, they still sound heavy with brutal tones, technical nuances inducted by a tireless drumming and devastating growling vocals; that's what makes "Martyrium" a worthy piece for the listener.

I don't want to diminish a great job by Bloodtruth, but the downside for me is the length clocking with only thirty-three minutes, the time flies by and it just leave me craving for more; I would have liked at least two more tracks, reaching the forty minutes or so.

Stay True… Stay Metal… Stay Brutal…

Track List:

01. 1184 P.C. │ 02. Centuries of Intolerance (Danse Macabre) │ 03. Schismatical Crusades │ 04. Inner Resurrection │ 05. Peste Noire │ 06. Prelude to Havoc │ 07. The Tome of Suffering │ 08. Persecution │ 09. The Last Prophet │ 10. Martyrium

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