Honorable Mentions from the Abyss #10: Bloodsoaked Necrovoid/Pestilent Death/Vistery/Thrombus

Hey brutalbangers,

in these last days I listened to a lot of death metal, so this new episode of "Honorable Mentions from the Abyss" is entirely dedicated to this genre. Sure, every band featured here plays death metal in an old-school approach (the better one, undoubtedly), as it's regular for this 'zine. And, in addition, this time I touched also exotic countries like...but no spoiler, so please read this article and enjoy it!

Black Cilice - "Banished from Time" (Iron Bonehead Productions, 2017)

Band: Black Cilice
Title: Banished from Time
Genre: Noisy Black Metal
Year: 10th March 2017
Time: 37 min
Rating: 74/100













Black Cilice did it again! It's incredible but this band release every album always after 2 years from the previous one, so this "Banished from Time", anticipated one year ago by the EP "Nocturnal Mysticism" reviewed on these pages, isn't an exception. But, at the same time, it is an exception. In fact, "Banished from Time" is the first album by this mysterious Portuguese kult including only 5 songs and not the 6 ones of the previous full-lenght efforts, as if they ended their trilogy based on 666. In addition, it has a cover artwork on grey scale while the other albums were presented through a cover artwork in an impenetrable black and white. But, for the rest, "Banished from Time", released again by Iron Bonehead Prod, is in pure Black Cilice-style, 666% guaranteed, so prepare to listen to something very painful!

Weregoat - "Pestilential Rites of Infernal Fornication" (Vault of Dried Bones/Iron Bonehead Productions/Parasitic Records, 2017)

Band: Weregoat
Title: Pestilential Rites of Infernal Fornication
Genre: Bestial Black/Death Metal
Year: 5th May 2017
Time: 38 min
Rating: 91/100













2017 is to be considered an year truly amazing for the bestial black/death metal genre. In fact, its fans have to choose among many cults as young promises like Barbaric Horde, veterans as Death Worship, bands which confirm again their inherent bestiality with a sophomore album like Goatblood or other ones that have released, finally, their debut album after many years into the ranks as Necroblood. And Weregoat falls under this last category since they are a trio born in 2009 emerging from the very vital extreme metal scene of Portland, Oregon, already strong of bands like Shroud of the Heretic, Triumvir Foul or Ritual Necromancy. Well, Weregoat, after many efforts, have released some months ago their devastating full-lenght album "Pestilential Rites of Infernal Fornication", edited on CD by the Canadian label Vault of Dried Bones (unfortunately closed just in these days) and on tape and vinyl by Iron Bonehead Prod in co-operation with the US Parasitic Records. But do you remember that I anticipated this review into my article about "Abhorrent Manifestation" of Ascended Dead, where the same Weregoat's singer/bassist plays now?

Necroblood - "Collapse of the Human Race" (Amor Fati Productions/Iron Bonehead Productions, 2017)

Band: Necroblood
Title: Collapse of the Human Race
Genre: Bestial Black/Death Metal
Year: 31st March 2017
Time: 45 min
Rating: 80/100













After Ritualization, here you are another band coming from the dark and morbid side of Paris: Necroblood. They are one of those bands able to be into the ranks for over a long period before realizing their long-held debut album, and this because Necroblood were born even in 2006 as Evynkar but they have their current moniker only since 2010. From that moment, Necroblood released with a good periodicity a series of minor productions included the 2012 "The Rite of Evil" compilation and a split in 2015 titled "Jesus Fucking Wept vol. 1" along with war machines like the Danes Ogdru Jahad, the Canadians Necroholocaust, the US Weregoat and the Aussie Impure Worship, a firing squad perfect for every diehard fan of the bestial black/death metal like me. So, it is with great pleasure I review the long anticipated first album of Necroblood "Collapse of the Human Race", released on CD by the German Amor Fati Productions and on vinyl by Iron Bonehead. Let the collapse begin!

Ritualization - "Sacraments to the Sons of the Abyss" (Iron Bonehead Productions, 2017)

Band: Ritualization
Album: Sacraments to the Sons of the Abyss
Genre: Death Metal with Black Metal elements
Year: 13th February 2017
Time: 43 min
Rating: 89/100













VIVE LA FRANCE! France is living today a death metal explosion with a bunch of fantastic bands but I said this some months ago in occasion of my review about Venefixion. These Ritualization are a fundamental part of this explosion also because, in a certain sense, they have anticipated it being formed even in 2006. Despite this and after changing their logo (now their logo is truly amazing!), they released only recenlty their debut album, besides through the German Iron Bonehead Prod with the cover artwork made with the sulphur by Chris Moyen aka Thorncross. And do you know what I think? That these 11 long years into the ranks were very useful to Ritualization to create slowly their own sound and their own loyal following for an incredible ballsy album! If all the bands could have this kind of mentality instead than recording the debut album after only 6 months of existence, I think this world would be a better place to live haha!

Vomit Angel - "Sadomatic Evil" (Headsplit Records, 2016; Iron Bonehead Productions, 2017)

Band: Vomit Angel
Title: Sadomatic Evil
Genre: Bestial Black/Death Metal
Year: 9th October 2016 (Headsplit Records)/10th March 2017 (Iron Bonehead Productions)
Time: 18 min
Rating: 70/100










I think that the bestial black/death metal genre, now enough popular, is the realm of the purest metal orthodoxy. This is shown by many bestial bands like Blasphemy (obviously!), Black Witchery or James Read, all people so faithful to the exterminating fury of their genre of reference to play it for years WITHOUT true variations to their unwavering formula! Among all these heroes devoted to this kind of orthodoxy with few rivals, there are also the three Danish demons known as Sadomator, once named as Sadogoat from 1998 to 2005 and authors of 3 full-lenght albums adored by their fans. Now, their singer/guitarist Seventh Blasphemer (renamed this time as NecroDevil), along with the old Sadogoat's drummer Lord Titan, has founded in 2014 Vomit Angel, a kind of continuation of the original project responsible, for the moment, of the "Sadomatic Evil" EP, initially conceived in October 2016 on cassette format by the US label Headsplit Records but recently reissued on vinyl by Iron Bonehead Productions. Good fuckin' move! I am sure that "Sadomatic Evil" will be a true collector's item for every bestial/war metal cultist!

Sacrificio - "Guerra Eterna" (Iron Bonehead Productions/Nuclear War Now! Productions, 2016)

Band: Sacrificio
Title: Guerra Eterna
Genre: Proto-Black Metal
Year: 9th December 2016
Time: 34 min
Rating: 73/100













You can read my review (in Italian) about the demo of Sacrificio through the following link:

http://www.heavymetalwebzine.it/2015/01/22/sacrificio-sacrificio-2014/

There are bands always eager to explore new borders like Bölzer while other ones are completely deep-rooted into the most primordial black metal like Sacrificio. Proud of their radical sonic immobilism influenced by Venom as well as the Brazilians Holocausto or the Czechoslovakia's Master's Hammer, Sacrificio are a trio of  studded Satanic crusaders yet known by me in occasion of their 2014's homonymous demo. But, behind this young band founded in 2014, there is the same trio of Proclamation, one of the better Blasphemy-clones of all times that are responsible of an album's quadrilogy known as "AMEN" released between 2006 and 2012. Hence, here you are a good explanation about the sonic immobilism of Sacrificio and their will to play in a very ancient way similar to the Greek Principality of Hell or the Slovaks Malokarpatan, also if offering an interesting sound. So, Sacrificio have recently released their debut album "Guerra Eterna" through Iron Bonehead Productions in unholy co-operation with Nuclear War Now! Productions.

Bölzer - "Hero" (Iron Bonehead Productions, 2016)

Band: Bölzer
Title: Hero
Genre: Black/Death metal
Year: 25th November 2016
Time: 46 min
Rating: 93/100













You can read my review (in Italian) about the EP "Soma" through the following link:

http://www.heavymetalwebzine.it/2015/03/17/bolzer-soma-2014/

There were big expectations for the debut album of Bölzer. In fact, this no bass Swiss duo founded in 2008 has succeeded to attract the attention of a lot of metalheads due to their very original sound developed thorugh one only demo and two EPs released between 2012 and 2014, without forgetting their very intense live activity able to bring them to the today underground pantheon. But now that all we were habituated to a specific sound of Bölzer, they have bravely evolved it so to be more original and interesting than before, also if wrongfooting some people, starting with the loopy cover artwork of the debut album of the band. So, here you are "Hero", for which Bölzer have also changed their label because, if before they were under the Irish Invictus Productions, now they belong to the roster of the very respected German label Iron Bonehead Productions.

Black Cilice - "Nocturnal Mysticism" (Iron Bonehead Productions, 2016)

Band: Black Cilice
Title: Nocturnal Mysticism
Genre: Black Metal
Year: 16th December 2016
Time: 15 min
Rating: 69/100












You can read my review (in Italian) about the third album "Mysteries" through the following link:

http://www.heavymetalwebzine.it/2015/05/23/black-cilice-mysteries-2015/

Our journey into the most tumultous Portuguese black metal continues (and ends, for now) with a name very notorious to the fanatics of the genre: Black Cilice. Totally mysterious entity emerged maybe from the Beyond, Black Cilice has released a 7'' EP in vinyl intitled "Nocturnal Mysticism" at the end of 2016, so continuing its unholy alliance with Iron Bonehead Productions after the release in 2015 of its third album "Mysteries" through the aforementioned label.

Verberis - "Vexamen" (Iron Bonehead Productions, 2016)

Band: Verberis
Title: Vexamen
Genre: Black/Death metal
Year: 2016
Time: 59 min
Rating: 83/100












You can read my review about the "Vastitas" EP through the following link:

http://www.heavymetalwebzine.it/2014/07/07/verberis-vastitas-2014/

Still I remember when I listened “Vastitas”, the 2014 EP of Verberis, a New Zealand very interesting band with completely unknown identities, like it’s the norm for many today extreme metal bands. Well, now Verberis are back with a new production titled “Vexamen” (Iron Bonehead Productions, 21st October 2016) for which they have preferred to unveil their faces for their very first promo pics, also if keeping substantially secret their own real identities to the mere mortals. So, expect an album able to go beyond the premises of “Vastitas” for a musicality now more unpredictable and darker than before.

Venefixion - "Armorican Deathrites" (Iron Bonehead Productions, 2016)

Band: Venefixion
Title: Armorican Deathrites
Genre: Death/Thrash metal with Black metal elements
Year: 2016
Time: 12 min
Rating: 77/100











You can read my review about "Defixio" through the following link:

http://www.heavymetalwebzine.it/2016/03/12/venefixion-defixio-2015/

Be prepared for the next times to an overdose of French death metal because there will be a lot of blasphemous laughs with the new releases of Venefixion and Ritualization and also with the upcoming debut album of Skelethal. Today we starts with Venefixion, yet reviewed enthusiastically by me in occasion of their 2015’s demo “Defixio” when they were still a trio just to be considered  already like one of my favorite new bands of death metal. Now they are a quartet due to the addition of the guitarist J. Obscene with which Venefixion have recently released their very first EP via Iron Bonehead Prod: “Armorican Deathrites”. Needless to say, this new production by Venefixion is a devastating punch directly into the soul of the listeners leaving good hopes for the future of this band.

Solar Mass - "Pseudomorphosis" (Iron Bonehead Productions, 2016)

Band: Solar Mass
Title: Pseudomorphosis
Genre: Black/Death/Thrash metal
Time: 18 min
Year: 2016
Rating: 73/100












Behind the curious moniker of Solar Mass (in astronomy, the solar mass is a unit of measurement used to indicate the mass of the stars and various bigger space objects like the galaxies) there is a trio coming from New Zealand, a small land nowadays famous for 3 of some more devastating war-machines of the extreme metal: Witchrist, Heresiarch and Diocletian. Coincidentally, B.S. plays both in Diocletian and Solar Mass. Besides, this young band formed in 2015 in Auckland had the good fortune to be supported by Rok of the seminal Aussie band Sadistik Exekution, so just he made the Voivod-ish cover artwork of the very first demo of Solar Mass, “Pseudomorphosis”. And so, the German label Iron Bonehead Productions is distributing recently this demo in a tape printed in 500 copies.

Temple Nightside - "The Hecatomb" (Iron Bonehead Productions, 2016)

Band: Temple Nightside
Title: The Hecatomb
Genre: Black/Death/Doom metal
Year: 2016
Time: 42 min
Rating: 85/100












You can read the review (in Italian) about the "Call of the Maelstrom" split through the following link:

http://www.heavymetalwebzine.it/2015/09/08/vassafor-temple-nightside-call-of-the-maelstrom-2015/

One year ago I met a terrifying Australian band: Temple Nightside. The occasion was their split “Call of the Maelstrom” with the New Zealand veterans Vassafor, a band very similar to the Temple Nightside but playing the same style in a different way. That time I was surprised by the tremendous oppressive aura of the Temple Nightside’s music, weighted by a very dark production. But now the band returns not with another split but directly with their second album, “The Hecatomb” (like the homonym Ancient Greek ritual based on the animals’ sacrifice to honour the Gods), released by the German label Iron Bonehead Productions on 5^th August 2016, so in full Summer. But I decided to listen to it only now, in full Autumn!