Morgue Supplier - Inevitability

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

#FOR FANS OF: Death/Grind

This release is pretty "weird" in my opinion. It sways from slow to metal to grind to chill time. It's definitely the strangest release that I've heard from 2022. That's what makes it so intricate and appeasing. These guys have been around for a long while, but 38 minutes of different Aboriginal feel or vibe to it makes it what stands out. When you think you're being pulled into one extreme to total disheartening atypical dementia. These guys have some death metal mixed with grind action. Though they fluctuate quite a bit! Guitars are fast, mid-paced and overheartenly slow. Their lead guitar work is quite astringent. And the vocals you get quite a variation retro Napalm Death 'The Peel Sessions.'

Guttural vocals mixed with screaming you get all sorts, especially like Lee Dorrian (ex-Napalm Death, Cathedral). Those of whom they seem to draw their influence from. This album is only a little more than 38 minutes. However, what you get is 38+ minutes of death/grind.

I have not heard a band so strange yet episodic and manumatic as these guys via Morgue Supplier. They're incorporating many different sounds and vibes until finally the album fades out. The grind pieces are fluctuating and speedingly incorporated.

The guitars are just an atypical type of mixture between single picked notes to a little bit of everything. The vocals go with the guitars, but both, they encapsulate gore mixed with screaming anguish. Throughout, they seem to go nowhere except on the path of resilience. The vocals shriek highly and the guttural sound doesn't let up. It goes on and on with total morbidity. I enjoyed this album, but I'm thinking that what I enjoyed the most is them going on and on hitting walls with the drum slots and guitars mixed with praying different versions of guttural onslaught. I think the best part of the release is that it doesn't sway too much into oblivion, it is oblivion that slays it! (Death8699)

(Transcending Obscurity Records - 2022)
Score: 80

https://morguesupplierband.bandcamp.com/album/inevitability

Eternal Storm - A Giant Bound to Fall

#FOR FANS OF: Prog/Melo Death

Three years ago, I was lucky enough to review Eternal Storm’s debut effort entitled 'Come the Tide', a genre refreshing first album which impressed me a lot. Created in Madrid back in 2009, although the band relocated to Scotland some time ago, Eternal Storm needed a few years to release a full-length album, but the wait was worth of the time. Firmly rooted in the melodic death metal genre, the Spaniards reached a great balance between aggression, atmosphere, and tasteful melodies. For this reason, I was reasonably hyped with the fact that the band is set to release its sophomore album 'A Giant Bound to Fall' this February, with the always reliable label Transcending Obscurity Records.

Surpassing a great debut always puts some pressure on the band and this new album needed to be something especial, at least, to continue carving a position in the scene for Eternal Storm. I can safely say that this new opus won’t disappoint the fans, even though I consider that it requires time to properly judge if it is better or not. The first impression is that the band has pushed the boundaries of the mixture they created in 'Come the Tide'. Its melodic death metal tinged with atmospheric and pure aggressive parts is still there, with renewed enthusiasm I would say. I can feel some stronger progressive touches through the album. This is immediately noticed in the lengthy album opener "An Abyss of Unreason". The complex structures, the ups and downs in the intensity, the variety in the riffing work, plus the great combination of clean and aggressive vocals make this initial song an outstanding piece of music. "Last Refuge" is another highlight of the album, although it is quite complicated to choose the best tracks as the whole work is wonderful. I choose this one as its melodies and initial furious part make it remarkably catchy and a good candidate to be played in the concerts quite often. I would like to praise the top-notch work with the guitars, the riffs are excellent and melodies absolutely tasteful and captivating. This is what one can expect from a melodic death metal band, but Eternal Storm undoubtedly reaches a level of excellence in this aspect. Another key aspect is that the aforementioned complexity and progressive influences don’t deprive of soul and emotion to the music of this album. This is something I truly appreciate, as I always expected some emotional moments regardless of the work behind the songs the bands create. "Lone Tree Domain" is another superb track which I would like to highlight. The contrast between the heaviest parts and the most atmospheric ones is masterfully built, and it shows the amount of work the band has done creating this album. I love when bands go back from the calmest to the most furious ones with a progression that doesn’t lack of emotion and beauty, and this track is an absolutely fine example of it. Last but not least, the production of 'A Giant Bound to Fall' also deserves some praise, and it is absolutely well-done. It’s clean but not overproduced, and it sounds heavy and crushing when needed. The balance between the instruments and vocals is perfect and permits the listener to fully enjoy the music.

In conclusion, Eternal Storm’s third opus 'A Giant Bound to Fall' breaths grandeur in its entirety. Albums like this are the perfect example of how a stagnated genre like melodic death metal can find a path to sound fresh and exciting again. Well-done guys.(Alain González Artola)

(Transcending Obscurity Records - 2024)
Score: 87

https://eternalstorm.bandcamp.com/album/a-giant-bound-to-fall-2

Frozen Dawn - The Decline of the Enlightened Gods

#FOR FANS OF: Swedish Black, Dissection

The Spanish trio Frozen Dawn, founded in Madrid in 2006, hasn’t been tremendously prolific in releasing new albums, although we can’t complain as every single opus met our expectations. Since its first album, 'The Old Prophecy of Winterland', the band showed some serious talent and clear ideas. The evolution of this project has been as solid as its music and managed to catch the attention of an increasing number of fans, and finally a deal with an international and respected label as Transcending Obscurity Records. Releasing a new album with a such active label can always be the milestone of a project, in its seek for success and a higher attention. After six long years and, I guess, a remarkable amount of work and dedication, the trio finally released the new opus, 'The Decline of the Enlightened Gods'.

The first thing I would like to remark is the eye-catching artwork, a captivating painting created by the Polish artist Mariusz Lewandowski. I have always said that a good artwork is the first key element to draw the attention of the fans, especially in these times where a ton of new albums overwhelm us. But let’s focus on the most important thing, the music. Frozen Dawn’s music is unmistakably and firmly rooted in the black metal, and more particularly in the melodic black subgenre. The production isn’t particularly clean, or at least it isn’t too polished, something I am quite sure that many fans will approve. Both the vocals and the guitars have a slightly dirty touch, like a particular raw touch that I find quite adequate as it makes them sound heavier and darker, something that the genre should never lose. Musically, the album is an authentic beast. The pace is quite fast and the songs sound truly heavy and relentless. From its very beginning to its end, 'The Decline of the Enlightened Gods' is a real punch in the face. We obviously will find some exceptions, as the title track for example, where the pace is slower in its greater part. The guitars truly shine in these slower sections, even though it must be mentioned that their work is faultless in every single song. The riffing is pure melodic black as legendary bands like Necrophobic (of which you will enjoy an excellent version), Dissection, or early Watain can come to your mind. The aforementioned influences are quite clear in the album opener "Mystic Fires of Dark Allegiance". These raging vocals, the tasteful melodic yet heavy riffs, which lead the song in every moment, and the super solid rhythmic base create an addictive song, which brings us back the best of the genre. Things go even heavier with the second track "Spellbound". A devastating composition with a faster pace yet keeping the omnipresent melodic yet biting guitars. Albeit the pace is generally fast, there are small ups and downs in the pace, which are very precisely and wisely placed small changes through the song. The variations make the composition interesting, as it never becomes a succession of monorhythmic sections that would make it sound too predictable. "Frozen Kings" is probably one of my favourite tracks of the whole album. A particularly catchy melody accompanied by a very headbanging inducing pace, makes it a truly highlight, as this track will remain in your brain from the very first time you listen to it. "Oath of Forgotten Past" contains a great solo guitar, which proves that apart from a relentless dose of incredible riffs, the band also knows to introduce solid solos without making it sound out of place. As you may imagine from this description, each song has something that makes it unique, even though the ingredients are the same in all the album. This proves that a band which has inspiration and works hard, can mix the same elements, and still create compositions with its own personality, although they apparently sound quite similar. The level is very high in the whole album and even the already mentioned cover doesn’t disappoint, as it is a devote homage to the band and the genre itself.

All in all, 'The Decline of the Enlightened Gods' is an awesome work by the Spanish band Frozen Dawn. The full thing sounds inspired, focused, and full of greatness in all its elements. Every single fan of the genre should check out this opus and I wouldn’t be surprised if it appears in may top lists of this year. (Alain González Artola)

(Transcending Obscurity Records - 2023)
Score: 88

https://frozendawnbm.bandcamp.com/album/the-decline-of-the-enlightened-gods-black-metal 

Sarcoptes - Prayers to Oblivion

#FOR FANS OF: Symph Death/Black

Founded in 2008 by Sean Zimmerman and Garrett Garvey, the Californian duo Sarcoptes has always taken its time to release new stuff, as we have enjoyed only two Eps and two full lengths in its 15 years of existence. Luckily, both the EP, and especially, the impressive debut album 'Songs and Dances of Death', were worth of our time. Not being a great fan of thrash metal influenced black metal, the debut effort took me by surprise with its absolutely tasteful mixture of purely black and thrash metal riffs, achieving an excellent merge of both genres. If this wouldn’t be enough, the band introduced symphonic elements through the whole album, not in an astonishing quantity, but very tastefully used and placed, creating a truly majestic album which definitively made me love it.

So, seven years after the aforementioned great debut, and after the quite interesting EP 'Plague Hymns', Sarcoptes returns with its sophomore album 'Prayers to Oblivion'. The second opus is always a crucial moment for every band. It might be the project’s milestone or should start questioning if the project was only a one-day success band. Thankfully, 'Prayers to Oblivion' proves to be the first case and confirms that Sarcoptes is definitely to stay with us, hopefully, for a long time. The previously mentioned EP gave us some clues about Sarcoptes evolution with this new album. If 'Plague Hymns' showed more ferocious and also intricated compositions with an amazing guitar work, 'Prayers to Oblivion' confirms this evolution with a collection of five songs, where there isn’t a single second which could be considered a filler. The more aggressive approach could let me think that the symphonic and epic touches of the first work could be gone or severely decreased, but fortunately this is not the case. Sarcoptes has managed to create and album full of blast-beasts, but without lacking the symphonic and atmospheric arrangements, and seriously elaborated compositions. There is room for straightforward aggression, and as well for truly majestic moments. In that sense, there is a great differentiation between the shorter tracks, "Spanish Flu" and "Tet", and the rest which are way longer. Nevertheless, this doesn’t mean that both short tracks lack of total variety and grandeur. But logically, a track like for example, "Spanish Flu", shows no mercy in terms of speed and pure brutality, where I would like to highlight the drums, which are absolutely smashing, remarkably with the hammering double-bass. As said, the shorter tracks show the most brutal face of Sarcoptes, although they keep the symphonic elements which is something I really appreciate. On the other hand, we have the longer compositions, and seriously, this is where Sarcoptes delivers the goods. As I always say, longer compositions can be risk because you need a certain degree of inspiration if you don’t want to create an unfinishable boresfest. But we don’t have to be worried about it in this magnificent album. From the extraordinary album opener, "The Trenches", Sarcoptes proves the amount of work they have put on this album. The production has been improved, everything sounds cleaner and especially more powerful. The debut’s sound was already very good in my opinion, but 'Prayers to Oblivion' proves that experience is always a key element. The song sounds crushing, and it is especially fast, with the mentioned devastating drums. The riffing is top-notch, excellently executed and varied. Pace wise, this composition reflects what the rest the album will give, relentless speed but never lacking variety in terms of tempo changes where it is needed. Don't expect boring monorhythmic compositions, but severely fast songs with enough changes to keep you absolutely hypnotized. As they did in their debut album, the key arrangements are very tastefully placed, never overshadowing the other instruments, but sounding equally loud, so you can appreciate and enjoy them. The arrangements add the majestic touch I love from this band and also have experienced an evolution or better said, an enrichment, as they sound more varied. Brutality meets epicness, and believe me, it really works. The third track "Dead Silence" follows similar patterns, being equally intense, majestic, and varied with a wonderful final part with all the epic feeling you could imagine. The album closer "Massacre at My Lai", has probably the longest section of all the album with a mid-tempo pace, which gives you some time to breath, but the intensity is increased till the song becomes a total apocalypse. Then, the song reaches its inevitable ending with a much more atmospheric and calmer final act. It’s like the pace you will find in a land devastated land by a hurricane. What an ending.

'Prayers to Oblivion' by Sarcoptes is definitively a tremendous sophomore album, an effort that should place them in the first line of the scene. Its incredibly well achieved mixture of speed, insane brutality, exquisite melodies, and excellent symphonic arrangements, deserves all the praise they should receive. (Alain González Artola)

(Transcending Obscurity Records - 2023)

Score: 90

https://sarcoptesblack.bandcamp.com/album/prayers-to-oblivion-black-metal

Felled - The Intimated Earth

#FOR FANS OF: Atmospheric Black/Folk

Felled is an interesting project founded in Oregon in 2014. The band was born from the ashes of Moss of Moonlight, a project previously located in Washington, where Jenn Gruningen and Cavan Wagner sang about a hypothetic independent Cascadian land. Felled, now relocated to Oregon, has become a four-piece band, and continues similar conceptual paths, but with a broader connection to nature and paganism. Felled combines black metal with some neo-folk influences, which is not an unknown combination in that area of the country. These neofolk influences usually come in the form of melancholic melodies, making this sort of bands to have a certain somber atmosphere.

In its seven years of existence, Felled hasn´t been particularly prolific, releasing a demo in 2017 only, but the band has finally signed a deal with the respected underground label Transcending Obscurity Records, and releasing in these days the debut album 'The Intimate Earth'. As soon as the album begins with the first track "Ember Dream", we have a clear picture of how Felled sounds. Aggressive rasped vocals domain accompanied along the song by guitars with a raw tone, yet melodic when its needed. The pace varies constantly between fast and slower sections, creating an interesting piece of music. But what stands out is generous use of the violin, an instrument I personally love and that has a brilliant participation in this album. Tiffany’s mournful melodies add the expected neo-folk touch to Felled’s music, not sounding straightforwardly depressing, but with this melancholic tone that a genre like neo-folk usually has. The second track "Fire Season on the Outer Rim" follows similar patterns, even though it adds a greater contrast between the heaviest parts and the calmer ones, including some short atmospheric and folk interludes, which serve as a bridge between the different sections of the song. The addition of occasional clean female vocals, usually done by Jenn, with the help in the backing vocals by Tiffany, also enriches the compositions, which are tastefully composed and executed. As mentioned, the mixture between the raw guitars, which include also melodic riffs, and the violin, create a truly hypnotic atmosphere, which makes you feel the profound connection to nature, specially to the vast and beautiful landscapes that can be found in Oregon and Washington states. The album contains only five songs, but their length is quite long as they have an average of almost seven minutes. This length usually works well with this genre as the compositions need time to expand and create the wanted absorbing atmosphere. Its hard to pick a favourite song, but the album closer "The Salt Binding" is a wonderful way to close this excellent debut. The feeling is strong in this track as the melodies are truly outstanding. The mournful beauty of the riffs is captivating, the violin is as beautiful as you can expect, but the novelty here is related to a more presence of clean female vocals in the first half, which gives a truly unique touch to this song. They sound like a farewell song sung in the middle of distant forest. Moreover, when they are combined with the raspy vocals in the heavier second half of the song, they sound like a storm suddenly appearing in the horizon. This is indeed a classy song to leave the listener totally satisfied with this album.

In conclusion, 'The Intimate Earth' is the remarkable debut album by Felled, which has created a quite emotional release full of great melodies, where the violin has a predominant role, though the rest of instruments, and obviously the excellent vocals, help to create a very recommendable album. (Alain González Artola)

(Transcending Obscurity Records - 2021)
Score: 85

https://felledblackmetal.bandcamp.com/album/the-intimate-earth-folk-black-metal

Dødsferd - Skotos

#FOR FANS OF: Hellenic Black Metal

The Greek trio Dødsferd is one of those interesting projects, that lives under the long shadow of legendary acts like Rotting Christ or Septic Flesh. Being the Greek scene so rich in terms of quality and quantity, it is particularly difficult to gain some recognition, but this project, founded exactly twenty years ago, has managed to build a long career with some quite good releases. Maybe, they won´t have a particular masterpiece, which could have helped them to reach the top of the scene, but their music undoubtedly deservers our attention.

Having said that, its time to focus on the most important thing, the band´s new album, which is released in the twentieth anniversary of its existence and it should be a representative opus of this current sound. 'Skotos' is the name of the new beast, which is unfortunately a short EP of two songs, being extended by the previous full-album 'Diseased Remnants of a Dying World' as a bonus track. In any case, our attention goes for the new pieces. This stuff is firmly rooted in the black metal genre, which will not surprise its fans, though we are talking about a band that has experimented with DSBM or black/punk influences during its career. In contrast to its predecessor, 'Skogos' contains clearly shorter songs that get to the point. "Skotadi" is the EP opener, and it is a furious piece, whose pace varies between remarkably fast sections and a few slightly slower ones, but with a clear predominance of the speediest sections. The mixture is done quite well as the mid-tempo parts give us the chance of headbanging a little bit. This is traditional black metal as its best, with a tremolo main riff, that gives a hypnotic touch to the song. The vocals are vicious and high-pitched screams, nothing new, but they are solidly performed. The second track, "Cursed to Die at First Light", follows quite similar patterns, as it is another fast track dominated by a relentless rhythmic base. It also contains a tasteful main tremolo riff in the speedy sections, and a slightly more dissonant ones in the slower parts, which are nevertheless combined with more tremolo riffs here and there. One aspect I like is how audible the bass is, something that sadly doesn´t happen many times.

'Skotos' is a good release, which doesn’t offer anything new, but it contains two very enjoyable tracks that makes us expect more stuff, which sadly doesn´t happen. Let´s see if Dødsferd can release a full album with the same characteristics, even though a greater variety would be welcome. If not, the first positive impression would be ruined in case that we have a bunch of songs, that follow exactly the same structures and main characteristics. (Alain González Artola)

(Transcending Obscurity Records - 2021)
Score: 69

https://dodsferd.bandcamp.com/album/skotos-atmospheric-black-metal

Crypts of Despair - All Light Swallowed

#FOR FANS OF: Brutal Death Metal

Even though the Lithuanian scene is not one of the most well-known ones, it has always delivered some interesting bands. Personally, I had some previous experience with some black and doom metal bands, but this time is the moment to discover one of those obscure bands that plays a clearly more brutal style. Crypts of Despair is a four-piece founded almost twelve years ago, though the band required almost a decade to release its first effort entitled 'The Stench of the Earth'. This was a self-release with a good quality that made possible that the always prolific underground label Transcending Obscurity Records showed interest in them. So, thankfully we did not have to wait so much time and after three years, Crypts of Despair are going to release its sophomore effort 'All Light Swallowed'.

Crypts of Despair plays death metal with a modern and clearly brutal touch, although it doesn´t reach the level of relentless speed and brutality to be tagged as brutal death metal band. Anyway, the ferocity of its sound is out of discussion. 'All Light Swallowed' has a very strong production, dense and profound, which sounds totally professional and fits the style of the band. Stylistically, as said, this is a pure death metal with a modern touch as the guitars have a distinctive disharmonic touch, that makes them sound more chaotic and smashing. Here we can find two tips of vocals, deep growls combined with more high-pitched ones. Anyhow, the first ones have a greater room, but the combination of both is always an interesting touch of diversity. The album opener "Being-Erased" is a clear example of it, with maybe a greater presence of the screaming vocals in this case. This first opus is one of the fastest of the whole album, albeit it has some nice changes in the tempo, especially in the second half with the inclusion of some mid-tempo and even slower parts. This diversity of pace is a constant touch, even if we can always expect the speedy fury so common in this genre. In any case, Crypts of Despair likes to make a clear contrast between the sections full of blast-beasts and the much slower and heavy parts. We have plenty of examples like the excellent "Anguished Exhale" and "Synergy of Suffering", where the song evolves abruptly from super-fast sections to mid-tempo ones, and in these parts the double-bass sounds absolutely smashing. No one can deny that Crypts of Despair tries to extract all the potential from this formula and they actually do it in the right way, creating songs with an undeniably crushing sound and strength independently of the chosen pace. The album flows between tracks with this aforementioned formula, where the songs, whose structure maybe doesn’t differ that much, achieve a very effective combination of rhythmic changes, making this album a fun listen.

All in all, 'All Light Swallowed' is a super solid death metal album from a band that has done a good step forward in terms of production and refinement in its compositions. A refinement done to achieve a focused brutality, that will satisfy fans of modern death metal done right. (Alain González Artola)

(Transcending Obscurity Records - 2021)
Score: 74

https://cryptsofdespairdeath.bandcamp.com/album/all-light-swallowed-death-metal

Revolting - The Shadow at the World’s End

#FOR FANS OF: Swedish Death, early Entombed, Edge of Sanity

The Swedish metal scene is undoubtedly one of the most prolific ones in almost every subgenre of this music. Moreover, if we speak specifically about death metal, no one will deny that this Scandinavian country has given to us some iconic bands, both in classic death metal and also in the more trendy melo death, with some notorious examples that we all know. It was during the '90s, when some bands forged what was a particular form of death metal, being its influence in the scene undoubtedly huge. From that time and including some highs and downs in the popularity and level of inspiration of the scene, new bands appeared playing this iconic form of music, staying loyal to this particular sound. The Swedish trio Revolting is one of them. The band was formed in 2008 and has maintained a very stable line-up, being quite active as the band has released seven albums, including the new opus 'The Shadow at the World's End'.

As mentioned, Revolting plays death metal in its purest essence. There is no need to add more adjectives like melodic, brutal o technical. Revolting's formula is clear and honest, and it includes all the main and expected features of the genre, including profound growls, a pretty heavy and strong wall of guitars, and a consistent rhythmic base. The new album doesn't differ from this formula, so if you want some great surprises or novelties, you will feel disappointed. On the contrary, if you want some strong stuff with the aforementioned characteristics, 'The Shadow at the World’s End' will be an album that you will enjoy for sure. This work is iconic also in its artwork, with this mysterious and dark painting depicted in the cover album, which I consider excellent. Starting from the opening track "Defleshed", you will notice that the band´s sound is totally linked to the genre core aspects. Rogga’s vocals are excellent with super consistent growls, exactly what the genre requires. Both the guitars and rhythmic base have a powerful and clear sound and thanks to the good production, they are very distinguishable. The guitar work is excellent, being equally crushing and diverse when it is needed. I would like to mention that some short, yet melodic solos are also introduced, giving a melodic touch to the overall dense sound of the band. Pace-wise the band’ compositions flow between mid-tempo sections and some faster or slower sections, but never falling into ultra-speedy sections, so typical in the brutal death metal scene. The cadence here always calls for a good session of headbanging. The second track, "1888", is a good example of it, varying from slightly faster to mid-tempo sections and some slow and super heavy sections, where the band sounds particularly well. "Dragged Back to the Cellar" is maybe more representative of the general pace of the album, being generally faster, but with a slower final section which sounds great. Apart from it, as said, the album has a slightly faster pace but with a controlled speed, giving room to implement some great riffs, the expected crude aggression and lite melodic touches here and there.

In conclusion, 'The Shadow at the World’s End' is a pretty consistent album, it won´t break the scene but it is a good addition to the band’s career and will please any fanatic of old school death metal. (Alain González Artola)

(Transcending Obscurity Records - 2020)
Score: 76

https://revoltingdeath.bandcamp.com/album/the-shadow-at-the-worlds-end-death-metal

Sarcoptes - Plague Hymns

#FOR FANS OF: Black/Thrash

California-based duo Sarcoptes was one of the biggest surprises of 2016 with its impressive debut entitled 'Songs and Dances of Death'. This debut came after some years of existence where the project only released an EP called 'Thanatos'. It took a decade, but this duo was able of releasing a collection of songs with a remarkable quality. Personally, I have never been a great fan of thrash influenced by black metal, but this project combined both genres with an indisputable inspiration, creating songs which were a truly riff fest. Furthermore, they introduced some symphonic influences, which never overshadowed the metal side of the music but complementing it, giving an epic touch to its compositions. All these ingredients where the perfect match to release which was an acclaimed debut.

As it has happened earlier in its career, Sarcoptes has taken its time to compose new songs in order to take the necessary time to compose new songs with the highest standards of quality. The result of this work is a new EP, which should serve as a presentation of a very awaited sophomore album. 'Plague Hymns' is the name of the new beast and it comes with two new songs. Firstly, the production seems to have made a step forward in terms of strength in every single aspect, but more importantly with the drums, which sound more consistent in terms production. All the other aspects like vocals and riffs sound as powerful and clean as expected, but step forwarded as well in terms of quality and strength. In contrast to the debut, I would say that guitars and drums are slightly more prominent than the keys this time, but thankfully not shallowing them completely, something I had initially feared. I love more prominent atmospheric arrangements, but this balance is also objectively satisfying. Regarding the compositions, the fusion between black and thrash metal riffs is still there, being merged once again in a very tasteful and inspired way. The initial song "The Vertigo Soul" sounds as fast and brutal as the heaviest songs of the debut album, but it still maintains the richness in terms of pace variation and the range of riffs, which are more melodic or more extreme when it is needed. No one can deny that these two guys know how to compose extreme metal songs based on a top-notch guitar work and ferocious drums. Garret’s vocals are also excellent this time with his raspy tone fitting the music very well. On the other hand, Sean’s work with the keys and symphonic arrangements (as well as for the guitars) is excellent, with maybe a slightly bigger range of sounds and influences. This is good because this work to find a greater variety in the atmospheric arrangements is a key factor to improve the overall sound of the band. The second song, "La Moria Grandissima", follows the same basic patterns of the EP opener, but thanks to its longer length it has a greater room to introduce a more epic tone which sounds simply wonderful. Sarcoptes has indeed shown that it knows how to create long and epic songs yet keeping a great balance between fury and grandeur.

'Plague Hymns' is undoubtedly an excellent EP and maintains Sarcoptes as one of the most exciting new bands of the extreme scene. I can't wait to listen to their second album, because if they can, at least, maintain the same level of quality, it will be a masterpiece.  (Alain González Artola)

(Transcending Obscurity Records - 2020)
Score: 83

https://sarcoptesblack.bandcamp.com/album/plague-hymns-black-thrash-metal

Officium Triste - The Death of Gaia

FOR FANS OF: Death/Doom, early Paradise Lost

The death-doom scene was rather prolific during the second half of the '90s and it has maintained a healthy level of quality during the first years of the current century. One of the most respected bands, founded in the '90s, is the Dutch project Officium Triste. Prior to the inception of Officium Triste, the original members played in a pure death metal band called Reincremated. However, it didn´t last too much as the project disappeared and the same members founded a new project, which was more influenced by the sound of early Paradise Lost, just to mention an obvious influence of the project, which evolves from standardized death metal to something darker and slower. Even though Officium Triste has had a long career, their discography is not particularly extensive, as the band has released six albums only during almost three decades of their existence. From the first line–up, almost half of the band still continues in the band, which it's a great example of their compromise with this project.

As already mentioned, the band hasn´t been particularly prolific with its releases, especially from the 2000s to onwards. Anyway, the quality has always been present and though the wait is usually long, as it has happened since ‘Mors Viri’, issued in 2013, the release of a new album is always a matter of excitement for the fans. Finally, and after six years of silence, Officium Triste released in 2019 their new opus ‘The Death of Gaia’. The band´s core sound is still present and, fortunately, with a bunch of quite inspired tunes. Officium Triste plays a classic death-doom full of sorrow and mid/slow paced compositions, where the melancholic feeling is present in every note. From the first track, "The End is Nigh", we can feel this sense of misery in every melody. The guitars sound powerful with slow paced riffs, always full of sad melodies, which are a pleasure for my ears. Pim’s vocals sound as strong and dramatic as always and the keyboards are present in many moments, but without being overused. They added an extra point of atmosphere to the compositions, like the fog wraps the mountains in an autumnal day. The pace is, as expected, quite slow but never sounding overwhelmingly monotonous. This is possible thanks to the excellent guitar work and the solid and well composed rhythmic base. Apart from the mentioned guitars and keys, the band tries to enrich its compositions with the use of classic instruments like the cello or violin in the opening track, or in songs like "The Guilt". This one is a marvellous piece of the best and most emotional death-doom you can imagine. Even though the tracks may have a similar structure due to the nature of the genre, each composition has always a distinctive melody, which is reasonably easy to keep in mind. The album maintains a very high level but I personally enjoy its second half with a particular brilliant song, the already mentioned "The Guilt", where the singer Mariska van der Krul shows us her great voice. The following "Just Smoke and Mirrors" and "Like a Flower in the Desert" complete a trilogy of impressive tracks, the true highlight of this excellent album. The first one has an awesome keyboard introduction and some outstanding guitars, making this song a little hypnotic, while the later has a more slightly vivid pace with some vicious riffs and a totally addictive melody.

At the end, Officium Triste is, thankfully, another fine example of how a veteran band can still deliver quality stuff after many years. ‘The Death of Gaia’ could be considered one of their finest releases, clearly indicating how good this work is. No doubts about it, this is a must for every fan of death-doom. (Alain González Artola)

(Transcending Obscurity Records - 2019)
Score: 89

https://officiumtriste.bandcamp.com/album/the-death-of-gaia-atmospheric-death-doom-metal

Eternal Storm - Come the Tide

#FOR FANS OF: Melo Death, Insomnium

As the melodic death metal scene collapsed after some years of success, it was clear that the surviving bands or the new ones were going to struggle to gain the same recognition. The positive aspect of this fall in disgrace was that the new projects were actually going to try to forge their own sound, without being obsessed to copy what the leading bands were doing at a certain moment. A fine example of one of these interesting projects is represented by the Spanish band Eternal Storm. This project was founded in 2009, though the band members have needed ten years to release their debut album. In this period of time the band has released an EP and a split album. Moreover, as often happens, the project suffered several line-up changes, which are always problematic. Anyway, the hard work has paid off and the band managed to catch the attention of the underground label Trascending Obscurity Records releasing in 2019 its first effort entitled ‘Come the Tide’.

Eternal Storm proposes a pretty elaborated form of melodic death metal with a strong atmospheric touch in the vein of bands like Insomnium, one of the finest examples of how melodic death can still be an interesting and touching genre. ‘Come the Tide’ is a long album clocking almost one hour of time, with songs around 6 minutes. This detail clearly shows that the band likes to compose songs with variety and interesting structures. The band´s compositions flow between the most aggressive sections, with fast drums, powerful riffs and remarkably strong growls performed by Kheyron, who sadly is no longer in the band, and calmer sections which are tastefully introduced. The high and lows in the song’s pace sound awesome and make the songs a very exciting experience. Technically speaking, the band members sound very skilled, as the guitar patterns have some elaboration and richness, fluctuating tough different ranges of riffing styles. We could say the same about the drums which sound technically impeccable and varied. One doesn´t need to seek deeply in the album to fine great examples of this technicality and quality, as the album opener itself, called "Through the Wall of Light Pt.I (The Strand)" shows the impressive potential of this band. The calmest sections can appear as a bridge between different heavier sections, commonly in the form of delicate guitar chords, or as an introduction of the song. This happens with the second track, where we can even listen to a saxophone, a surprising add which works fine in my opinion. In this as per other compositions, we can listen to some clean vocals, which are also pretty solidly performed. It seems that the band has used some guests in order to enrich vocally this album, complementing the aforementioned excellent growls, which nevertheless play a major role on this album. Even though I wouldn´t define this band as progressive, the clean vocals, some guitar chords, especially those we can listen to in certain tranquil sections, and looking how the songs evolve, it´s undeniable that the band has a progressive nature in its music. This progressive touch is present in the way how they try to create songs with an evolving and rich nature.

In conclusion, although Eternal Storm spent a long time to release this first opus, ‘Come the Tide’ is unquestionably an impressive first album due to its variety, quality and richness in its compositions, with a tasteful balance between a straightforward fury and a melodic and atmospheric mood. Therefore, this album should appeal not only all the melodic death metal fans, but all the metalheads who want to enjoy an inspired and excellent metal album. (Alain González Artola)

(Trascending Obscurity Records - 2019)
Score: 88

https://eternalstorm.bandcamp.com/album/come-the-tide-death-metal

Chalice of Suffering - Lost Eternally

#FOR FANS OF: Funeral Death Doom

Chalice of Suffering is a band coming from Minnesota, USA. The ensemble is certainly new as it was created in 2015 maintaining a quite stable line-up consisting of six different musicians. The only change was the departure of Robert Pollard in 2018. Almost all the members have a rich experience in other current or past projects, especially the guitarists Will Maravelas and Nikolay Velev, who play or have played in more than different 10 bands. Taking into account this, it’s not a surprise that the band managed to release its debut only one year after its foundation. The first release was called 'For You I Die', whose eye catching album cover was indicative of the subgenre the band was playing. Chalice of Suffering navigates between the thin borders of funeral doom and atmospheric doom/death metal. Though generally speaking, the pace is influenced by the former style, the music includes some aspects which inevitably remind some atmospheric doom/death metal bands.

Three years after the releasing of the debut, these guys come back with their sophomore work entitled 'Lost Eternally'. Although the album artwork could led us think that the band has gone to a more atmospheric black metal style, the core sound of Chalice of Suffering is still dominant. In fact, the band continues to mix the aforementioned styles, though the funeral doom influences are undeniably strong. Once again the songs are quite long, reaching in the whole album a full hour of duration. 'Lost Eternally' has 7 different pieces whose style is strongly atmospheric, something which I really appreciate in bands with such a slow pace. I wouldn’t say that keys play a main role, though their presence is noticeable and important through the whole record, being a nice example the third track “Forever Winter”, which has an evocating atmosphere. Vocally, the band tries to escape from the monotone vocals as the use of clean and narrated vocals add a welcoming variety. The narrated and whispered vocals, when they are used correctly, add a dramatic touch and the idea of an ongoing history. As it happens with the keys, the third track is able to show also how the band successfully used this resource, creating a typically doom metal song, but with some interesting characteristics and a healthy variety. The guitars are quite good, being as heavy as expected and playing with a very slow tempo. Thankfully, and though they have in many moments the characteristic monorithmic tone, they retain a melodic touch which enhances the cold yet dramatic atmosphere of the band´s compositions. In songs like the title track, the guitars play a major role accompanied by melancholic and sorrowful keys. This song is a fine example of how Chalice of Suffering is a purely funeral doom metal band, but still adding a slightly more melodic tone. Probably, the most intense track is “Miss me, But Let Me Go”, which includes some double bass sections and very interesting tempo changes, which make this song stylistically one of the most different and captivating of this album. The band has some Celtic influences considering that a band member who plays bagpipes. Strange enough, I can only recall the use of this instrument in the opening track “In The Mist of Once Was”, which I must say it’s my favourite track, thanks to the initial hypnotic and mysterious atmospheric introduction and the inclusion of the bagpipes themselves. This instrument fits surprisingly well with this genre, reminding me the positive debut of Downfall of Nur.

If I had to complain about this album, this would be the issue. The bagpipes should be used more frequently as they would give a higher touch of originality to the music by Chalice of Suffering. Apart from that, 'Lost Eternally' looks a very competent album able to satisfy every single doom maniac out there. (Alain González Artola)

(Transcending Obscurity - 2019)
Score: 75

https://chaliceofsuffering.bandcamp.com/album/lost-eternally-atmospheric-death-doom-metal

Eremit - Carrier of Weight

#FOR FANS OF: Sludge/Doom

True to doom form, a massive lumbering lead guitar inhales the smoke of dying civilizations as growling and hacking vocals heave their ways across the desolation of “Dry Land”. Eremit becomes its own beast of burden in 'Carrier of Weight' and stumbles through the sludge of its reverb in search of relief from this treacherous strand. A very John Tardy feel comes with the vocals as the gravely unhinged scream of Florida's sickest sound finds its mirror in Moritz Fabian's voice, making the guitar billow clouds of grain to choke away such anguish. The pacing throughout over twenty-three minutes of “Dry Land” is reminiscent of the Altar of Betelgeuze's 2017 album, 'Among the Ruins', without the final step into the rays of an expanding sun to melt you away. Instead, you slowly starve to death as this agonizing song saps you of your nutrients and leaves you to finally be washed away by the incoming tide.

“Froth is Beckoning” brings that deluge with a massage of strings, fingers that become the legs of spiders, curling around you like the tireless onslaught of a lunar tide. This grimy and enchanting sound follows you for a few minutes before tumbling deeper into a chasm of inescapable darkness.

Epic longitude through three tracks is difficult to pull off. Flowing in a thought provoking manner from movement to movement without compromising the integrity of a song to keep a listener's focus makes it difficult to negotiate the distances a song will trek and what baggage it is willing to carry with it along the journey. Where “Dry Land” lost its luster, the energy of “Froth is Beckoning” absolutely brought that power back and, in the tips of its second riff, left me wondering where the soar of Pelican may come swooping by or, in its lowest register, when the intensity of a blast would squeeze its way in. Instead, none of that expected release would loosen Eremit's grip on a my neck, choking the throat and refusing to let go with the release for which I was so hoping. Like the torture of hanging by a hook waiting for your captor to return, the walls start to close in with a slight kick that speeds up the riff and drumming to make for a sloshing flow.

Then comes the monstrous final portion of the album, dragged out into a half-hour epic. Where “Dry Land” flowed like the dirty water of a receding flood into “Froth is Beckoning”, “Cocoon of Soul” takes a cleaner approach in its first minutes with an echoing atmosphere humming across the register. It is a satisfying payoff after nearly thirty-five minutes of very samey droning to hear a song that moves and varies while it drowns in the despair of doom. Like the chrysalis to which its title refers, this song wraps you tightly in its ever more claustral walls of guitar, slowly evolving and savoring every mutating muting of a previously plodding pace before crystallizing in the scream of a soul to escape its confines and be reigned in again over long progressions that last minutes at a time.

Though the imposing entirety of this package aims to daunt the listener with its ever-thundering power, there are few drum fills and deviations from form to bend the structure. Instead, these three tracks come more like a soundtrack to one's interment in a prison, an engrossing experience transfixing the listener with its subtleties throughout such minimal variation. 'Carrier of Weight' sews itself into your sinews, like a cancer that cannot be removed without splitting the brain and sacrificing who you are. The cage becomes the Stockholm syndrome love that you cannot live without, until the tiniest crack in the seams is spied. For a moment there is a way out. All of your self-denial, the indoctrination and convincing and the lies that lighten the load dissipate as you plunge towards the crack, blasting and screaming, wailing and tearing in time to the instruments in the hope that such raucous fury can quake these confines. The heart leaps, fingernails bend and break in the thrashing at the wall, and finally the force of this eruption, the deluge so long desired, breaks the thickness of these walls to set you free. Eremit has finally found catharsis. (Five_Nails)

(Transcending Obscurity Records - 2019)
Score: 76

https://eremitdoom.bandcamp.com/album/carrier-of-weight-atmospheric-sludge-doom-metal