Nucleus - Sentient

http://www.secret-face.com/

#FOR FANS OF: Death Metal

I didn't think that this was necessarily boring album, I think they experimented a lot to their sound/vibe. It was an elliptical atmosphere and the aggression factor was also there. The riffs were pretty interesting, but not entirely. They did just let the metal flow on here. The production is what could have been better hence the "B-" rating to it from me. I'm sure that their follow-up might've been better. On here, sheer apocalypse. The vocals kept the sound underground as did the music. But the guitars didn't seem that overly sophisticated. I felt that they were kind of in a way a little sloppy.

But a newer band within this genre of so many other bands it's tough to compete and establish your own sound. That I think that they do have. They also do have their own style. When I say "style", I mean it in a sense of their sound formation. But anyway, they did justice to the death metal community on this one. They go from fast to slow to medium tempos in their riff writing. I think this band has a load of potential to be something really great. They just need to dig a little bit more into their creative juices then everything will fall into place. I see them as always progressing and on here you have some sounds that were plain "odd."

Again, the production was at a loss because of the sort of flat sound to it. But the music is good, that's why I'm rating them higher than I think they should've been. If the quality was better then obviously I would've rated higher. These guys will do well if they continue to make music and make it with vigor! Their latest didn't get very high ratings this one actually did better but I need to hear that one before I make a judgement about the quality of it. I felt that this one just lacked in the distortion tone of the guitars. They weren't really overly crunchy or thick, they were just sort of blah or bland feel to it.

Show some respect for the death metal community and check out what this band does on here. I would've gave them better ratings to their guitars, vocals, drums and sound quality if it was better. But still, I think that they did some justice for themselves and put out this album for us to hear and judge. This album is available on a digital source (Spotify) and CD too. I got the CD which I'm happy with just not all the time. But show the band respect and check it out. I think they do have a unique sound to them and definitely their own riff style. Support Nucleus and check this one out! (Death8699)

(Unspeakable Axe Records - 2016)
Score: 68

https://nucleus.bandcamp.com/album/sentient

Hemotoxin - Biological Enslavement

#PER CHI AMA: Death Metal, Death, Pestilence, Atheist

Ecco quel che si dice un album dal forte impatto fisico: non ci sono intro, arpeggi, pianoforti o amenità del genere ad introdurre 'Biological Enslavement', seconda fatica dei californiani Hemotoxin, bensì solo una tremenda mazzata tra capo e collo. Questo il biglietto da visita servito da "Decadence" che divampa con un death metal di scuola americana da brividi, com'era tempo che non sentivo. Le ritmiche forsennate di "Regression" non possono che evocarmi i compianti Death di 'Human', ma anche qualcosa dei Pestilence di 'Testimony of the Ancients', per la perizia tecnica palesata negli splendidi assoli assassini che il quartetto di Pittsburg sciorina al suo interno. Attenzione perché con la terza "Minus Human", i facili paragoni chiamano in causa questa volta gli Atheist di 'Unquestionable Presence' per quel suo apripista progressive da pelle d'oca, per poi lanciarsi in funamboliche rasoiate estreme grazie a combinazioni ritmiche da infarto. "Not of This World" si manifesta invece come una roboante cavalcata sostenuta da riffoni death tirati a velocità sostenute, e un drumming di scuola thrash old school; spaventoso quanto acuminato poi l'assolo conclusivo che incendia la song. Gli Hemotoxin non mollano un secondo, continuano incarogniti a martellare come degli assatanati propinando un rifferama feroce che più volte chiama in causa quello di Chuck Schuldiner e compagni. Inutile girarci intorno, i Death costituiscono per i nostri il faro guida, non solo a livello strumentale, ma anche a livello vocale, con la timbrica corrosiva di Michael Chavez che chiama in causa quella del buon Chuck. È un piacere riassaporare quei suoni mai dimenticati, è come percepire la presenza di Chuck nei solchi di quest'album, le sue melodie indiavolate che si impossessano di questi fantastici musicisti. I nostri, traccia dopo traccia regalano incredibili magie alla sei corde, un tumultuoso drumming e frangenti progressivi evocanti Atheist o Cynic, come nell'intro di "The Alchemist" o nei primi vertiginosi secondi della splendida strumentale "A Journey Through Dreams", che mi verrebbe da accostare a "Cosmic Sea", traccia contenuta in 'Human'. Certo, gli Hemotoxin si confermano più convincenti nei momenti più efferati, con quel loro incedere torrenziale ("Bleak Prognosis"), dove ad emergere è comunque un virtuosismo mai esasperato che tributa anche altre grandi band della Bay Area, e penso a Slayer, Exodus e Forbidden. Come un fiume in piena, la band statunitense macina km di riff tortuosi, urticanti e coinvolgenti: ne è l'ultimo esempio la conclusiva "Transparent Eyes" che sancisce la fine di questo mio breve tuffo nel passato, con un assolo a dir poco impressionante. Che altro dire se non invogliare tutti gli amanti del death a stelle e strisce di far vostro questo piccolo gioiellino di musica estrema. Che l'anima di Chuck regni con voi. (Francesco Scarci)

(Unspeakable Axe Records/Dark Descent Records - 2016)
Voto: 80

https://unspeakableaxerecords.bandcamp.com/album/biological-enslavement