Füneral Rain Press Cörps

Genre: Heavy Metal, Power Metal, Speed Metal
Label: Stormspell Records

About a year ago, Darkblack released an album under the name, The Sellsword… and it was glorious. So for me and many others, Midnight Wraith’s release is an epic event in and of itself. Ah, but here’s the rub; will it live up to it’s magnificent metal masterpiece of a predecessor? The answer: Oh good lord, YES!

Right off the bat there’s a noticeable improvement: they fixed the mixing problem I bitched a little too much about in my review of The Sellsword. So now, Tim Smith’s pitch perfect for preaching the metal pipes are out front where they belong! Not to be outdone, Anthony Crocamo’s axe swingin’ is tip-top notch, akin to that of maybe a Glenn Tipton and a energetic Kyle Shutt. And since Midnight Wraith’s tempo never shifts too far from mid paced, so you’ll get some thick riffs from time to time, but he never skip on the groove. Ohhhh yeah!

Other than the obvious length issue, I have nothing to gripe about.  Midnight Wraith blends all of the truly classic forms of metal into a super metal that cannot be stopped! Darkblack RULES! Period.

Overall: This release is everything I’ve come to expect from Darkblack and am damn glad that the need for anything, even an EP went answered. They read my emails! (Only kidding folks.)

10/10

Darkblack On MySpace

Genre: Death Metal
Label: Pulverised Records, Blood Harvest Records

With a name like Bastard Priest you can’t really go wrong, right? Right? Kinda.
See, this here album Under the Hammer of Destruction is pretty kickass. It’s an old school death head’s wet dream, something that could fit in your collection with Death, early Deicide, Grave Ritual, Gravehill, Darkthrone, etc. But it doesn’t really bring anything new to the scene at all, unfortunately. And maybe that’s the point, and I’m just crazy.
But, at the same time, it does have some really killer solos, and some intense tones. Nothing too fancy as far as technique goes, keeping the main riffage simple and effective. But least affective is the vocals. Rather buried in the background at times, and a little on the samey side, with similar delivery each song, they could have had some variation going on.
In the end, Bastard Priest are pretty good. Nothing I’d reach for on a regular basis, but this is definitely some of you reader’s preferred choice I’m sure. Check ‘em out yourself.
6.5 out of 10.

Bastard Priest on MySpace.

Genres: Black Metal, Folk Metal, Pagan Metal
Label: Metal Blade Records

So the other night Mrs. Blaspheme and I are in HMV, as usual, and she said she’d grab a CD for me that’s under $22. So I saw Primordial, and liking their newer stuff that I’ve heard but not hearing the first album before, I grabbed Imrama. It was sitting at $19.99, so it passed the cash test.
And now, after hearing it twice, it passes the ear test. This album is a classic for black metal fans, and I understand why. It’s definitely grim, but unlike Scandinavian black metal, it’s not frostbitten. There is a beautiful warmth from the album that gives it a very different feel, and sound, and overall aura in comparison with Scandinavian black metal.
Must be all the Guinness and Harp.
Instrumentally, there’s nothing too special or odd, but since these guys are Irish and there is folk metal going on here, whistle and bodhran are present, which adds a really cool flavor.
Over all, Imrama kicks ass and I’m glad Metal Blade re-released it. I recommend it if you’re into folk metal like Arkona, or black metal like Hellhammer or Bathory.

Also tacked onto Imrama is the Dark Romanticism demo from 1993, which is great because trying to find it otherwise would probably prove to be a pain in the ass.
These four tracks show what would essentially become the sound of Imrama, just slightly more raw. Really great stuff.

The DVD that came with this Metal Blade re-release is a live show from 1994, in Cork. The video, the sound, the entire thing is rawer than a still living steak, and fuck is it gorgeous to behold. Stage jumpers, intense moshing, and Alan with long, flowing hair!
If you’ve already got Imrama and Dark Romanticism, this set is worth buying just for this concert footage.

CD: 8 out of 10.
DVD: 8 out of 10.

Primordial on MySpace.

11/26/10 – The Roseland Theater, Portland, Oregon

So… apparently the sign at the front of The Roseland that says, “NO CAMERAS!!!” doesn’t apply to the press. Damn you Danzig!!! You ruined my photographic mojo! And of course I found this out after I waited in the cold for about forty five minutes, saw the sign, walked six blocks back to the car to stash my camera only to be told at roll call that I have a photo pass… ugh. Long story short, no pictures. Sorry guys!

Mobile Deathcamp – They’re loud. They’re rude. They’re twelve tons of awesome! They’re Mobile Deathcamp and they rained all sorts of doom upon the eager heads of the doomed punks and metalions that crowed The Roseland. I was pleased to find out that they were just as high energy live as they are on their album. Their set was kind of short (or maybe it just felt that way) but they made one hell of an impact! I WILL be seeing these guys again!

Infernaeon - Whoa! I didn’t know Abigail Williams was on the bill… oh wait. Never mind. That was a little inaccurate. They would of sounded more like Abigail Williams if the vocalist didn’t look like Glen Benton Jr., shut the fuck up about how religion is the root of all evil and thinks that throwing out random thoughts on weed and shrooms makes him cool (it doesn’t). Goddamn it, that was annoying! Other than that though, they were pretty cool. Old school(ish) Florida death metal with the addition of keyboards and a pinch of black metal. They also played a cover of Creeping Death… really? Creeping Death was your choice? No Hammer Smashed Face? No Chapel Of Ghouls? No Kill the fucking Christian?! Creeping Death? …lame.

The Casualties - I was told that The Casualties were a little bit on the mainstream side of punk… yeah. I can see that. But who the hell cares! They brought their A-game and gutter-slimed their way through a set of mohawked, D.I.Y. punk! Lots of leaping around and tons of head banging followed the torrent loudness that is Jorge Herrera’s wild fucking screams! The Casualties covered Blitzkrieg Bop and a Discharge song that got knocked out of my memory after I got kicked in the face by a crowd surfer (there were a TON of those out tonight)! Most of their material was newer, so a lot of the old schoolers seemed to be left high and dry… and angry when their set was over.

GWAR - And we’re reached the top! The Scumdogs Of The Universe! GWAAAAAAAAAAAR!!! They ruled. There was never a doubt in my psychotic little mind that they wouldn’t. They impaled Sarah imPalin while playing Vlad The Impaler and Butchered Lady Gaga while she ate human excrement. The pit slaves took such care to make sure that everybody in the audience was dripping with blood, semen and whatever the green shit is supposed to be. And you know what? There is something magical about that GWAR-Goo. It hits you and you’re just energized! …or maybe that’s just the xenophile in me…

GWAR dipped into their new album for a couple of songs and then blew our minds with Maggots, Bring Back The Bomb and Sick Of You. I have a little bit of a complaint though: why do they keep changing Techno-Destructo? First it was Bozo, now it’s Buzzsaw or some shit. Is it cause the actors keep changing? It’s kinda annoying. But whatever. A drop piss in an ocean of ambrosia.

Overall: …and for the third time in my life, an alien has jizzed on my face.

Mobile Deathcamp On MySpace

Infernaeon On MySpace

The Casualties On MySpace

GWAR Official

Genre: Black Metal
Label: Independent

Not only are these guys carrying my favor for sending me some ultra-depressive, ultra awesome black metal, but they also drop a little something extra in the envelop. In the past, I’ve received buttons, patches, stickers, photos, signed posters, t-shirts and on one occasion a pair of voodoo dolls. This time, incense. I love incense! And the stuff they sent (I can’t place the fragrance and it’s driving me mad!) complements this split perfectly! I can still smell it as I’m listening to it again while writing this review! It’s crazy!

…so. Two fiendish, hooded individuals from Santa Cruz collaborated on a wickedly evil piece of metal and set it free among the general populace? Seems a bit reckless all things considered, doesn’t it?

At Dusk – Slow to start, like a frustrating joint… but once it hits, you’re on your way to a wonderful evening. Muddied and bleak, At Dusk presents a gripping audio journey through the overgrown forests, burning churches and empty solitude. The music simply cannot be described here. It’s epic on a grim scale. Easily some of the best black metal I’ve heard from 2010. It gets a little static-y (lots of hissing and feedback, NOT the music) as The Profaned Temple begins around five tracks in, but I think I can forgive that due to the overwhelming awesome.

Idolater – The Idolater serves up two tracks of Black Sexual Blasphemy on this split and he hardly wastes anytime ramming it down your throat! Idolater’s form of black metal is more traditional than heard from the previous contributor, but rad none the less. Evil, low production, fast paced with raspy as hell vocals, blistering riffs and maddening snare abuse! That’s about as close to the good ol’ tape trading days as you can get! These two tracks also suffer from some annoying static. But again, whatever. The blasphemy bleeds through.

Overall: If you can manage to get your hands on this split, I STRONGLY urge you to do so.

9.5/10

At Dusk On MySpace
Idolater On MySpace