Sadistic Drive - "Anthropophagy" (Headsplit Rec/La Caverna Rec, 2020)

Band: Sadistic Drive

Title: Anthropophagy

Genre: Punkish Death Metal

Time: 27.59 min

Release date:  5th July 2020 (Headsplit Rec)

                       11th August 2020 (La Caverna Rec)

Vote: 83/100

Here comes the band that exactly one year ago I claimed to be "one of the sickest death metal bands that I ever listened in these times". So, I'm presenting you "Anthropophagy" by Sadistic Drive!

Benvenuti all'Inferno!: in uscita saggio sulla first wave of black metal!

Se ben vi ricordate, un anno fa pubblicai l'ebook "Nel Segno del Marchio Nero", saggio totalmente incentrato sulla cosiddetta "first wave of black metal", trattando così di gruppi come Mercyful Fate, Slayer, Sodom, Bathory e moltissimi altri anche poco conosciuti che durante i burrascosi anni '80 proposero un modo satanico e blasfemo di intendere l'heavy metal.

CRUCIFIXION - "DESERT OF SHATTERED HOPES"/"A COLD SEA OF HORROR" (LA CAVERNA RECORDS, 2020)

Band: Crucifixion

Title: Desert of Shattered Hopes/A Cold Sea of Horror

Genre: Death Metal

Time: 58.39 min

Release Date: 10th August 2020

Vote: 87/100

And so, the Colombian label La Caverna Records reissued this year also the outstanding debut album of Crucifixion, "Desert of Shattered Hopes". Released in 1993 by the historic Belgian label Mausoleum Rec (strange that it published a so extreme album!), "Desert..." shows a band already with a great self-confidence playing a death metal that is more ferocious and direct in comparison with "Paths Less Taken". But this without forgetting to spew forth a dark and cursed atmosphere , that is determined by various factors: the doom tempos here and there; the bestial but, at the same time, spectral vocals of Danny Martinez; and by the nice guitar solos.

THE FLAVIO'S HARDCORE PUNK TOP TEN OF ALL TIMES!

Some days ago I asked to Francesco to write his personal top ten of metal albums... and ultimately I asked the same thing to myself but with my favourite hardcore punk albums. Yes, as every top ten worthy of this name, also this one is a bit restrictive. But I featured mainly the bands that have had a strong impact on me, for a reason or another.

But why did I write a hardcore punk top ten and not a metal one also since I was born as a metalhead? Because in these times infested by the Covid-19 terror, hardcore punk has been particularly important for me, as you'll see soon, and not only for the compilation about the LazioHC that I did some months ago with the same Francesco.

Now, I discovered this genre something like 12 years ago when I bought "American Hardcore", a book by Steven Blush released in 2001 but published in Italy only 6 years later. Thanks to it, I knew the existence of bands like Dead Kennedys, Bad Brains, Minor Threat and many many others. Only reading the book, I liked already a lot the energy of these people, their courage to face everything also simply by their moniker (never heard an act naming MDC, acronym for Millions of Dead Cops?), talking about in their songs not only of State and society often in an anarchist way but also about their local musical scene, in a creative way to discuss themselves. In fact, I thought already that you had to have some pair of very big balls to be into the '80s hardcore punk! And so, it started my journey into this music that, in a more conscious way, still continues.

But, actually, hardcore isn't only a music. For me, it's a lot of things: it's fun, it's energy, a place where the different is accepted, a violent but healthy way of dancing... but also a struggle. It can be a struggle against the world, a struggle against the society, a struggle to have a better life and even a struggle against yourself. Yes, it's also a struggle to liberate you from your demons, your negativity, the toxic elements, in order to feel good about yourself.

But this introduction is maybe becoming too a (scant!) philosophical treatise, so let's start to discover this new top ten and enjoy it!

INTERVIEW TO MILKSNAKE!

Hey brutal bangers and punk rockers,

it's time to read this interview that I did to Milksnake after reviewing their "The Real Eye of God", an excellent debut album showing an energetic punk rock style mixed with some hardcore punk and rock'n'roll influences! The interview was answered by the entire band, even though their singer/bassist Giulia aka "Giuzu" answered to some questions for herself. Ha, speaking about the "entire band", now they are finally a quartet after a lot of time thanks to the addition of Alessandro, their new guitarist, and this is a very good news for a band living this absurd 2020!

Ok, the introduction is over, so let's start to read this fantastic interview!

Honorable Mentions from the Abyss #33: The Bastard Within/Stench of Profit/Thrasherwolf/Utilitarian/Orlando Furioso HC/The Passing/Kratzer/Beast Within the Sound

Hey brutal bangers,

welcome to a new episode of "Honorable Mentions from the Abyss", that this time is particularly rich because it contains even 8 different bands, with some of them that I received from the British press agency Imperative PR and another one from the Italian Anubi Press. It was since April of this year that I didn't publish a so long episode!

Between the aforementioned 8 bands, there is a connection: in some ways, they show an hardcore punk attitude, so to range from classic hc tunes to the grindcore massacre, to crust punk but without forgetting a bit of thrash metal mania.

And so, let's start to read this article and enjoy it!