TORTURE ASCENDANCY 1307 – REVERSING CREATION

Torture Ascendancy is a Death Metal band coming from Pennsylvania. To review an only 2 tracks ep is quite strange because the quantity of the material is scarce and often can not be good to understand the band's style; but I'll try. The first track "Reversing Creation" has influences from bands like Decapitated, especially in the drums due to fast and distinct passages; the guitars perform sharp riffs that -especially in the intro and in the rhythmic changes- perfectly follow the line of the drums; in both songs there is a very good throaty growl with often angry scream in the background. Piece that completes the disc is "And Darkness was cast", a song more extreme than the previous one: the notes that characterize the song compared with "Reversing Creation" are as first the stronger and faster rhythms, harder but speeded up riffs complete the work with influences of bands like Deicide and Cannibal Corpes.
Nothing new or innovative, but still a good product.

RATING: 6/10
-SADIK- (-Mara-)

FORLORN CHAMBERS – UNBORN AND HOLLOW

Forlorn Chambers is a Finnish Death Metal band. Theoretically founded in 2012, in January 2013 they give birth to their first debut: "Unborn and Hallow," Demo of only three tracks but with good atmosphere. The sound is monotonous and is often prolonged, a Death Metal with Death insights laying on Black structures that can give atmosphere to the songs.
As the first song we have the homonymous "Unborn and Hollow" already precipitous from the begin due to Black/Grind drums parts, it slows down at the end but without losing the initial violence; beautiful idea of the male choirs in "And we hail the ones who fall" that embellish the atmosphere already created by the guitars keeping the line of the previous track. As last song, "Desolate Resolution" is a slower track than the other but with greater technical capacity on the part of the bass. Up to here an excellent performance,but there's something unperfect: unfortunately the vocal part is not at all suitable, we find a guttural growl almost pig squeal that always keeps the same tone throughout the disc, it is not bad in itself, but does not bind with the band. Nothing extremely new, but still a work worthy of note.

RATING: 6,5/10
-SADIK- (-Mara-)

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SLOVENLY WORLD – ALTERNATE ENDING

Slovenly World is a Groove/Death Metal French band. The group mixes the violence of Gojira and the good groove of Machine Head, making out a compact and ferocious product with some Metalcore influences. Since the first two songs you can very well understand the trend of the album: a heavy groove accompanied by rumbling drums with fast and violent pace; a good performance of the bass that perfectly follows the double bass rumbling even more tracks; sincerely for the vocals I would have preferred a softer voice, hoarse and gloomy, but the present voice does not ruin the album. The tracks "Alternate Ending" and "Choose your end" are the only ones with Nu Metal influences into Mudvayne style, through slower riffs with breaks between each other and with double bass and bass more noticeable. A band that has all it takes to emerge fairly well, nothing new, but still a good job.

RATING: 7/10
-SADIK- (-Mara-)

GOEMAGOT - ERADICATION OF INSIGNIFICANT BEINGS

Brutal death metal is more undead than ever and 2013 is definitely its year! After the great comebacks of titans like Defeated Sanity, Suffocation, Devourment and Guttural Secrete, every fan must add another album to their “to-buy” list: I’m speaking of the debut album of the american three-piece Goemagot. After a demo, Parasitic Incineration, which was very appreciated in the BDM underground, the band puts out

Eradication Of Insignificant Beings, an album that surpass Parasitic Incineration in every way possible and is probably the best BDM debut of the last years.
What we have here is technically excellent brutal death, with plenty of slam influences and a good amount of ideas used wisely. Goemagot aren’t innovators, but they surely are personal and, even more important, they know how to write exceptional songs. The band maintains a constant balance between ultra-fast brutal death riffs and bone-crushing slams, connecting them perfectly in the most effective and various ways. Also, they use a good amount of evil melodies, often played in tremolo, sometimes capable of touching the listener; this is a very rare feat in this genre. The quality of the riffs, the slams and everything else is really high and Goemagot always add a little bit of personality that separate themselves from the crowd of bands which do nothing but copy good ideas from the great bands of BDM. During the tracklist we have almost totally slam episodes with a deadly groove – like Headless Prostitute Present and Too Decomposed To Rape – alternated with fast bursts of brutality, straightforward like a punch in the stomach – for example, Progressive Regression of Cognition and Crushed After Dismemberment – and longer and more complex songs, which are the best of the album: I’m talking about The Ethics Of Omnipotence and Beg For Extiction. This track, in particular, is the most beautiful one, so full of ideas, ultra-heavy while using thrilling melodies, closing with an epic guitar solo to listen to again and again and fading with an acoustic guitar outro which closes a magnificient album.

The production of Eradication is one of its strongest features, incredibly genuine and also clear, making it possible to distinguish every instrument without giving up the dirty mood typical of BDM. Drummer Daniel Hemmerich’s performance is impressive, far more varied and interesting than your typical brutal/slam band’s drumming, yet equally brutal and intense. One of Goemagot’s most distinguishing aspect are Cody McConnel’s vocals, incredibly deep and filthy. He sounds a bit like Antti Boman of Demilich (who has one of the deepest growls I’ve ever heard) with a touch of Angel Ochoa (Cephalotripsy) which never hurts. Furthermore, Cody also displays his abilities with the bass guitar, not always following the guitars, sometimes stealing the spotlight and delivering little solos and great tapping sections. Matt Murphy on guitar is really good, especially concerning the leads, even if in this album they’re not so prominent.

Eradication Of Insignificant Beings is immediate, long-lived, intense, captivating, without a break. I could describe it with a lot of adjectives, none of which would be negative. Every BDM fan should listen to it and buy it as soon as possible, because it’ll be hard to see an equally awesome debut soon. Hail to Goemagot, hoping that in the future these guys give us something even more impressive!

RATING: 9/10
FEDERICO ARATA (MrFreddy, Metallized)

SECRETPATH - WANDERER

Secretpath was born in 2008 due to the guitarist Pierluigi "Aries" Ammirata; since that moment, the band had line-up changes, but they do not get discouraged and continued to work on new material. At the end of 2011 they released their second demo "Wanderer", that compared to the previous work is much more mature and the quality of the sound is almost perfect. A band that (starting from melodic Black Metal) can mix other genres such as Technical Death and Progressive, until reaching the Gothic: it is something truly remarkable; rhythm changes, parts clean with an excellent interpretation and an elevated technique characterize for sure the band. The full and precise drumming supports the sound with the guitar and with a good capacity; the alternation of growl and scream is able to give a destructive touch to the whole. What is presented is a band with an high prestige, the elevated technical capacity and the great sound is one of the strengths of the band. Here is in Italy a band that wants to revolutionize the scene and is able to do it; even if keeping with these standards is really hard, the band has charisma and is able to transmit it.
Chills.

RATING: 8/10
-SADIK- [-Mara-]

CONTROSIGILLO - CONTROSIGILLO

"Controsigillo" is a particular and interesting Thrash/Death metal band from Vercelli. This is an intriguing album with sounds related to the theme of the song with a perfect instrumental piano; the only flaw is the pronunciation. The second track, after the melancholic intro, is "Crop Circles": an adrenalinic song with hypnotic vocals and guitars that make mental mysterious travels, with aliens and UFO. The next track is perhaps the most personal of the album: good riffs, excellent performance by the drummer and the bassist. As good as the previous track, "Arabian Chaos" is a song replayed for this album. The opening riff reminds me a little the song "Shrift" by In Case Of Carnage, Death sounds, improved pronunciation, perfect intonation and a surprising acute at about 2.30. "Chernobyl" is an interesting song, with riffs resembling sirens (to commemorate the disaster of 4/26/86), with atmospheres that remember to me King Diamond .. Another track replayed for the album is the next, with an amazing solo at about the 2nd minute. The penultimate song is "Lupin 3 e il cubo di rubik", obviously done for the classic manga "Lupin". The last track of the album is a bonus track-live: "Infected Oxygen." After the first listen it may be hard to understand the band, but if you listen this album more times you'll see the beauty of this Italian band.

RATING: 6,5/10
-SADIK- [-Andrea, Mara-]