Füneral Rain Press Cörps

Genre: Black Metal
Label: Moribund Records

It kind of sucks that I gave a 10/10 to Away From The Haunts Of Man. I mean, I don’t regret it on a journalistic level. Just a personal level since there is no way in Hell that Thrall is going to be able to top themselves. It doesn’t matter fucking awesome Vermin To The Earth is, I don’t see it being better than their 2010 release.

…and this is the part where you expect me to say something like, “Welp, looks like I was wrong derpa-derp!” Well, this time I was serious. Vermin To The Earth remains in the shadow of it’s older brother Away From The Haunts Of Man.

…ha! But only by ::holds fingers incredibly close together without them touching:: thiiiiiiiiis much! Thrall’s 2011 outing is surprisingly phenomenal! I say surprisingly since I honestly thought that, like most fresh acts nowadays, Thrall was going to fizzle out immediately. I’ve said it once before and I’m sure I’ll say it a bunch more, I love it when I’m wrong!

Thrall comes at ya with an all out doom en-”crusted”, black metal barrage! Keeping the patent fresh on their exclusive brand of whip smart riffing, songs like Disease’s Maiming Carcass and Plague Of Man are filled to the brim with “Whoa! Lemme hear that one again!” moments. Vocally, Thrall is where they were last year, so there’s no need to repeat how awesome these vocals are… d’oh! Lyrically, what do you expect? Evil shit about how awful humanity is and the like? Yeah, it’s all here and it’s all put in a way that makes me hate myself…

The only thing I’m going to waste your time with here would be the awkward pacing and jerky tempo changes. I mean, these are those “Look what I can do!” nerd-tech, mathcore tempo switches or anything. In face, I can’t even tell if they were done on purpose or not. What I do know is that they break the fluidity that I enjoy in my metal. I frown at this.

Overall: Other than the oddly placed tempo changes that break the flow, Vermin To The Earth knocks it out of the park once again. I told you in my last review to keep your eye on these guys. (F.Y.I. – I also love it when I’m right.)

9.5/10

Thrall Official 
Thrall On Facebook 

Genre: Death Metal, Thrash
Label: Independent

You’ve read the interview, now read the review! Diabolical Demon Director: The Movie!!!

Just fucking around… anyway, I guess the Awesome Aussie Trio of Death Justice, Death Angel and Necrohammer, decided to let me have another shot at their library, so I present to you, The Demon Chamber: The Review!

Keeping true to their metallic nature and to the beloved genre of metal as a whole, Diabolical Demon Director play they’re souls black in The Demon Chamber. The most noticeable difference since their last effort, Inside The Cistern, the production value has risen tremendously! Other than that, it’s the same rippin’ metal that I fell in love with a few months ago; heavy, shredding riffs, throat searing growls and gravels, Earth splitting bass and megaton drumming. If I had room on my vest, I patch these guys on up! Diabolical Demon Direct lives, breaths, eats and shit METAL!!!!

Overall: As unpleasant a time it seems like it would be in The Demon Chamber, it fucking rules! Blackened, thrashy death metal that scorches the soul and feed the beast!

9/10

Diabolical Demon Director On MySpace

Originally posted at E-MetalSpace

Genres: Melodic Death Metal, Folk Metal
Label: Unsigned

An now we’ve heard it all! Folk metal that blends the merciless attack of melodic death metal and the colorful mythology of the Far East! Not only is this demo original in concept and execution, but it also boasts a squeaky clean production that lends to the powerful experience that is Shangren! And I shout a hearty “FUCK YEAH!” to master of ceremonies, one Leonard Ong (key tickler from Starforge) from for his tour de force performance on all instruments on this five song demo! The vocals bounce from a brutal death roar (akin to Johan Hegg of Amon Amarth) to a blackened rasp (in the song The Battle Of Water And Fire, he kind of sounds like Harvey Firestein. Funny and cool!)  that blend very well. The riffing is heavy, fast and melodic and the solos play their part in making you believe you’re being transported to a mythical realm of the Monkey King and Sky Dragon within the Jade Empire! As far as I can tell, it’s not quite traditional, but it sure hit’s the spot as far as entertaining and fascinating metal goes!

Overall: Hopefully, this demo is the beginning of more Oriental folk metal! I don’t know how long exactly I’ll have to wait to hear the full length album Mr. Ong has planed, but I can tell you that it’s not coming out fast enough for me!

10/10

www.myspace.com/shangrenmetal

Originally posted at E-MetalSpace