Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Amnesia: The Dark Descent - [Game] - (Zulszaek)

 First-Person Survival Horror for Windows, Mac OS X & Linux.


The first time you open the game, you see a disclaimer that reads thusly.

"Amnesia should not be played to win. Instead, focus on immersing yourself in the game's world and story.

The world of Amnesia is a dangerous place and you are extremely vulnerable. Do not try to fight the enemies encountered. Instead, use your wits. Hide, or even run if necessary.

The interplay between light and dark is very important to the game and because of this it is vital to set up the gamma correctly. Also make sure to play in a dark room and wear headphones for the best effect."

The game is horrifying. The amount of detail put into making every empty room, every tiny, distant sound, every flicker of light as foreboding and nervewracking as possible is incredible. Your footsteps echo hauntingly through the ghostly hallways. Any time a bit of crumbling mortar falls near enough for you to hear but out of sight enough for you to not know if it was a monster or not, your character will begin audibly hyperventilating and panicking. The only way to survive is to hide from monsters in the dark, but the longer you remain in the dark, the more your sanity drains. You are helpless against them, completely unable to defend yourself except to run into the nearest room and barricade the door. Enormous, unknown creatures roar furiously at you through the walls and through caved-in chambers. Is that someone screaming for help, or is it simply your mind playing with you due to the effects of your rapidly degenerating mental state? No matter where you are, you never feel safe. The more insane you become, the more distorted things are. Hallways will twist and fall out of focus. Paintings hanging on the walls will inexplicably warp into grotesque mockeries of their former depictions of nobility. Hallucinations, both auditory and visual, plague you constantly.

Anyway, all ruthless plugging aside, Amnesia is a horrific masterpiece of a game. I highly recommend it to anyone who has any interest in entering a world rich in fear, with incredible immersive potential. Even if you're not normally into horror, you should play it anyway because it's just that good of a game.

And astoundingly, it wasn't even made by a large gaming conglomerate. It's five Swedish dudes working from their homes. There are a few working torrents for the game, but I suggest buying it. It's only $20, and the money is going to feed these dudes.

If you would like to purchase the game or check out some videos, here is the link to the official website: Amnesia: The Dark Descent

Monday, October 4, 2010

Bathory - Hammerheart - (Nickoli)


















Genre(s): Black Metal, Viking/Thrash Metal
Lyrical Theme(s): Anti-Christ, Satan (old), Norse Mythology, Odinism
Origin: Sweden (Stockholm)
Last Label: Black Mark Production
Status: Split-up

No matter how long ago Tomas Forsberg passed away, his music, every album lives on in each one of us that loved him and his tunes that he put out just about each year. "Hammerheart" is no different, giving birth to a whole new sub-genre is exactly what this album did, giving life to Viking Metal, as we know it today.

Every album up until "Hammerheart" was just violent, raw and aggressive, no mellowness to it at all, with this record though, Bathory brought us a sense of changes that were for the better, in my opinion. As many people love to call this record black metal, it is not that at all, it's pure, heavy "lets sail ships at dawn to take back our land" viking metal, at it's best might I add.

A lot of people have said the production is not very good on this album. I have to disagree with this. True, it’s not a high fidelity undertaking but the most impressive thing about the recording is that it always sounds rich and deep despite the limited budget. The mixing in of all those ambient sounds of fires, choral backing vocals, crashing waves, nature and movement is always convincing.

There are no clunkers to be found on this record. I think that the weakest tracks to be found here are "Baptized in Fire and Ice" and "Valhalla" and that says something because both of those songs are great. As much as I love the first four Bathory albums, "Hammerheart" continues to be my favorite and is in heavy rotation in the autumn and winter months of the year. This record is highly recommended to any fan of black, folk or viking metal that has not heard it and is, in my opinion, one of the greatest heavy metal records of all time. You’ll get swept away in it, I have no doubt about that.

Dedicated to the memory of Quorthon, 1966 - 2004.

"The vast gates to hall up high
Shall stand open wide and welcome you with all its within
And Oden shall hail YOU, Bearer of a pounding Hammerheart..."


98% out of 100%

Download Album Here

Sunday, October 3, 2010

Akphaezya - Anthology II: Links from the Dead Trinity - (Nickoli)


















Genre(s): Avant-garde Gothic/Progressive
Lyrical Theme(s): Fiction, Fantasy
Origin: France (Orleans, Centre)
Current Label: Ascendance Records
Status: Active

When you hear anything Avant-garde, it's not normal, it's a special form of being that will best listened if you are on some form of acid or shrooms, "Anthology II: Links from the Dead Trinity" is no acception either. This is the most "all over the place" album I've heard in a long time and I fucking love it with all my heart. Nehl Aelin drives this wrecking force of a band, perfecting everything from growls to low end jazzy type vocals, even an operatic style that seems to be very welcome in avant-garde these days.

If you are asking yourself, "Where is Anthology I.....?", there is no album that exist.....yet. It seems as if Akphaezya works in a weird form of developing music and releasing stuff. Listening to this record, you might hear things that don't exist, at times it feels like they have a whole orchestra behind them but that is far from the case. Normal band: Guitar, Bass, Vocals, Keyboards and Drums, doesn't make sense to me either people but I go with it, not sure why though. One minute you could be headbanging so hard your face is smashing against your keyboard and the next second you could be listening to one of the most beautiful, mellow piece of art you'll ever heard in your entire life.

This review may not make sense at all, that's because it's hard to review an album that doesn't make any damn sense. You will scratch your head while listening to this album, on the other hand you'll fall in love with it from the very beginning.

In the world of Akphaezya, everything is possible but nobody can do anything but Akphaezya. A beautiful world filled with unexplainable objects and floating elephants, that's what you get in when you travel to Akphaezya. Enjoy the time you spend at this place because they only have one album as of right now.

Overall Rating: 97% out of 100%

Download Album Here

Machete (2010) [Cunthulhu]

Two words, and two words only, describe this movie:



FUCKING GLORIOUS

Plot-wise, this is the worst piece of shit ever laid onto film. But that is far, far besides the point. The point of this movie is to entertain mindlessly, and that it achieves in flying colors of red and skin-tone. From the moment a woman pulls a phone out of her cunt and makes a call, to the time a weedwacker is used as a weapon, this is the most entertaining movie of the year, and one of the most all-time.

The acting is terrible, and the script is overloaded with cheesy one-liners. This is a throwback to a time when movies were more focused on being memorable rather than as an outlet to show off a director's pretentiousness, ie the 80s. The physically impossible and completely absurd moments make this a really creative movie, even if the plot is laughable. I saw this in theaters with two friends and we were all pissing ourselves laughing, as was the rest of the audience.

This film got some hype for Lindsey Lohan acting in it, and her acting is God-tier awful, but it is countered the uber-awesome fact that she is a fucking nun.


Praise the Lord!


To sum it up, this movie is just plain awesome and hilarious. It needs not be taken seriously.

9/10

Not feeling so hot....

A headache, running nose, stomach pains and a bladder that never lets me sit or lay for more than 10 minutes, I am sick.

Nearly every time I get sick, it's pretty crucial stuff but I rarely get sick, maybe once ever 2 years or so.

With that being said, no review for me until I get to feeling better. I'll be in bed, watching X-Files and Sanctuary Season 1 & 2, trying to catch up before October 15th when Sanctuary Season 3 premieres on Sci-Fi (SyFy) @ 10/9c. Check the link here for any info you may need: http://www.syfy.com/sanctuary/index.php

Also, I will be reviewing Sanctuary Season 1, Sanctuary Season 2 after I finish them. Stay tuned for those.

Sorry for the inconvenience and I hope to be reviewing again very very soon, just have to get better, that's all.

Thank you all and I hope you are enjoying this blog.

Saturday, October 2, 2010

My name is...

Cunthulhu, and I like cunts.

Big, juicy ones. The kind that come on mini-van driving soccer moms.

Anyways, I am a new contributor at this blog which focuses on the finer things in life. Thank you to Nick for the invitation, this will (hopefully) be more successful than my top 500 blog which I have abandoned for a limited time due to lack of interest/having a fucked up computer.

Cheers.

Vesperian Sorrow - Psychotic Sculpture - (Nickoli)

Genre(s): Symphonic Black Metal
Lyrical Theme(s): Astral, Sadness, Sorrow, Darkness
Origin: Austin, Texas, USA
Current Label: Unsigned
Status: Active


First thing's first, this album has an opening that no other band can touch, roaring pedals with a slight touch of symphonic keyboards in the background sets the mood perfect for the smooth road ahead, this is the world of Vesperian Sorrow, hope you enjoy it.

9 years ago, these dudes released a little album called "Psychotic Sculpture" and proving that a very underrated band from Austin, Texas has mastered the sound that so many bands have been trying to accomplish for years.

Dark, foggy, gruesome and cold are the words that I picture as this album blasts into my ears, it seems to be the soundtrack that you don't want playing as you're getting chased through the woods by some mass murderer, yet the only enjoyable part is the music while getting chased by some insane killer. Even though throughout this whole album it seems dark and dreadful with no light at the end of the tunnel, you're smiling at this beautiful dark melody of wonderful tunes. In what crazy world can you listen to something so sadistic and evil but still have a huge smile on your face? The world of Vesperian Sorrow, of course. The guitars are just raw enough to give you the feel of a straight raw black metal project yet they slam you with the melody to brighten it up a bit. As most symphonic black metal bands count on their keyboards to make it as "kvlt" as possible, Vesperian Sorrow does the exact opposite, using the keys just the right amount and not to loud that you can't hear anything else on the record. What about the drums, you ask? Kristoph can bring the fucking noise, with the super fast pedals and the amazing organized beats he creates. One of my favorite drummers of the new era, he never lets up with his speed or creativity.

It's incredibly hard to compare this band with anyone or even mention a band they sort of sound like. I can say one thing though, at least you don't sound like Cradle of Filth because if you did, this album would of been turned off within the first 2 to 3 minutes. With sweeps and very clean production, this album needs more light shined upon it, period. More symphonic black metal projects need to look at this band for inspiration, something had to change inside the walls of the symphonic BM tower and this is it.

Download it. Buy it. Steal it. Listen to it. Love it.

Download Album Here

Friday, October 1, 2010

Wormrot - Abuse - (Nickoli)

Genre(s): Grindcore
Origin: Singapore
Current Label: Earache Records
Status: Active

"Here's your Patriot Act! Here's your fucking abuse of power!". If this sounds familiar, it's probably because you've seen the video on youtube and everywhere else. Wormrot's Abuse opens with this sample from the cell phone video that captures Iranian-American student, Mostafa Tabatabainejad, being tasered in the UCLA library after refusing to show his ID to officers during a "random" ID check. If you didn't know where these grind phenom's were from, you probably wouldn't guess Singapore, considering it's not the worlds jackpot for grind bands. After a few listens to this album you get the feel of Brutal Truth and an older Napalm Death with a splash of modern act Magrudergrind.

Many people praise this album and it does deserve it but when it comes to grind albums as a whole, it's not the best I've heard nor is it in the top 5, it is an amazing album though for modern times. This being Wormrot's only full-length, I am ready to see what else they can do, what kind of switches they can hit on the next LP. Far from original, Wormrot does throw in some different stuff that not many people would expect to hear from a grind project. The track "Fuck......I'm Drunk" has a very groovy melodic riff to it which is rather uncharacteristic for any grind band to have, shit, that one song is totally different then the rest of the album, honestly. Another track that stands out is a cover track from a more popular MTV act called the "Yeah Yeah Yeah's", Wormrot covers their song "Rich" but not the exact version of the song. If you don't look at the track-listings then you most likely won't see that they even cover it, it's super unorganized and sloppy but we are listening to grindcore here, aren't we?

Most grind albums clock in around the 25 minute or less, "Abuse" is no different, with 23 tracks and only lasting 21 minutes and 46 seconds, it's a trill ride all the way down to the last track, properly named "Scum Infestation and Last Song". It may not be the best grind album of all-time but it is one of the better grind albums in recent years, hands down.

Check out all the other stuff Wormrot has to offer, including a demo, two EP's and 2 splits, one with Diseptic and another with I Abhor. Amazing splits, great EP's and a decent demo, so get on that shit, quick, fast and in a hurry.

In the words of Wormrot: SO FIERCE FOR FUCK!

Download Album Here

Thursday, September 30, 2010

Evil Dead - (Nickoli)

One word can cover this film: classic. Bruce Campbell is a truly talented actor with anything he has been apart of but this film and the trilogy shows what he can really do. The film might start a bit slow but it is a 1981 film and we all know that most movies in that era took a bit to warm up before the real action started. Evil Dead is one of the very very few films that can combine horror and dark comedy and make it work so perfectly. If you watch this as a horror film, you may miss little stabs of humor, keep your mind open a bit and you'll fall in love with the little stitches of funny they throw at you.

Starting off in the woods of bum-fucked Tennessee, you follow 5 young people that are on a form of vacation it seems (don't ask me why anyone would vacation way out in the middle of nowhere with shitty bridges). After reaching the cabin, they are settling in and hear some strange noises coming from the basement. They discover Necronomicon, or the Sumerian Book of the Dead, wrapped in flesh and written in blood. Along with the book, they find a tape recorder, of course, they play the tape and things take a turn for the worse from that moment forward, awaking evil spirits is the last thing they through they would do. Welcome to the forest of the damned!

The best thing about Evil Dead is the camera angles, oh, how I love the camera work in this film. They brought new light to a dying genre that desperately was in need of CPR, one part I'm really trying to point out is the "chase" scenes through the woods and the house at the end. The cabin was also a very nice touch, it was small yet it always seemed to be a lot larger than what it looked like on the outside. As amazing as this film is it does have flaws and I hate to admit that more than anything. Without Campbell in this film, this project would of never taken off, he's the only one that actually show's charisma, the others seems spiteful, annoying and just out of it, honestly. Another thing that is considered one of the more "nastier" parts of the film is the "rape" scene in the film. I won't consider it a full blown rape scene but it is rather awkward seeing a tree rape an annoying woman that thinks it's perfectly okay to walk in the woods alone on a foggy night.

Overall, this film will always stand alone as hall of fame greatness, defining the way "...Living Dead" and "Chainsaw" horror/dark comedy movies are made for the modern times. If you haven't seen this film, you'd probably been living under a rock for the last couple decades and deserve to keep living under that shitty rock.

Overall Rating: 94% out of 100%

Zihard - War of Fantasy (Nickoli)


















Genre(s): Neoclassical Heavy Metal
Lyrical Theme(s): Life, Love, Fantasy
Origin: South Korea (Seoul)
Current Label: Doremi Media
Status: Active

Let it be known that I am not the biggest fan of Neoclassical, Heavy Metal or Power Metal so take this review with a grain of salt. Forming in the capital of South Korea, Seoul, this band has formed into a beast in every sense of the word. 12 million people live in Seoul and not many bands from that place can do what they have done so they get major props with that alone.

Giving you just a little big of a tease with the opening track, "Prologue-Sarabande" is an instrumental track that will have you begging for more. As most bands from the any Asian country, you will get outrageous songs about random things, such as T-Rex. The second track blasts through your speakers with an amazing chorus and killer riffs, if this chorus doesn't get stuck in your head after a few listens, we've got some things to work on as a Metal fan. One of my favorite tracks on this record has to be "Rainbow of Hell", it brings me back to a time when Iron Maiden ruled the world and Ronnie James Dio was the reigning king of vocals. Memories just unleash inside my mind as I listen to this song, anything that brings back my childhood and classic 80's Heavy Metal is a great and wonderful thing. Of course, being a Neoclassical album, you'd think they'd have a beautiful masterpiece somewhere on the record, right? "Honestly" is that track, a breath of fresh air that after a long road down Heavy Metal-ville, you can sit back and listen to great soft vocals.

Extreme metal has recently taken over my life and I do miss just a good clean album every once in a while, I'll be coming back to this album most definitely for more listens and hopefully this album might get me into other Neoclassical stuff. That being said, it's an album that won't ever get old, it's also an album that most don't know of and if they seen it they might just overpass it as a "normal power metal album".

Since this album fills my heart with warmth and curiosity, I'm off to wonder in the forest and dance like a little Asian boy.

Download Album Here

A Serbian Film - (Nickoli)

Any film that opens up with a scene where a child is sitting in the living room watching a porn flick where his own father is fucking some broad, it's gonna be a great film with a ton of surprises. I'll say this right now, if you have a weak stomach at all, this film is not for you. I don't say it because of the blood or gore in it, I say this because of the subjects they touch on and how far they push those certain subjects. You can tell that director/co-writer Srdjan Spasojevic is looking for the most grotesque and shocking images ever existed and he has conquered it all.

Let's see if I can get you folks interested in the story at all. As said above, the film opens up with a child watching a hardcore porn film in the living room of his parents home. You later go on to learn that the male lead in the flick is his own father that used to be in the porn game but retired some time ago, yet he may be reconsidering joining back because he is having tough times and not making enough money to raise his family. A certain mysterious man contacts Milos (the lead character), he has a contract that Milos might be interested in with a large sum of dough attached to it. I won't ruin anything for you so watch the film and be just as disturbed as I was while watching in horror and disgust.

In a awkward and terrible way, I feel bad for director Srdjan Spasojevic, you see, with this being his debut film, how can he top this? Will he top this? Hell, can any film maker top this film as far as Srdjan pushed it? With so much anger and raw violence all thrown into one film, this has to be one of the most incredibly sick and twisted/raw films I've ever seen in my entire life. Not saying that's a bad thing though, I wouldn't take back one second I spent watching it for anything. Something sparks with you as you watch this film, something deep inside that you never knew existed inside you. Maybe it's a whole bundle of thoughts that you would of never guessed you had, maybe it's the fact that you're watching rape and decapitation on a film you may love. Whatever it may be, you can't deny this film is all about violence, violence, violence with a bit of an amazing story, very well written story, might I add.

If at any given moment during this film you stop breathing and quite possibly start to cry, the film has done it's job. If you question yourself about, "Why am I still watching this?", the film has done it's job. We've seen past snuff films be used in movies before but even if you've seen real snuff films, this is on a whole different level.

Be warned though, watching this movie after eating any form of food is just bad news, watch it on an empty stomach with a glass of water. The water is mainly to keep your mouth from being dry, trust me, it's going to be wide-open with your chin on the floor about half way into the film.

It's time for me to try to sleep but nightmares of rape and disfigured, badly beaten women will probably wake me up in the next 2 to 3 hours, fucking joy.

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Unfortunaut - Of Here & Now - (Nickoli)

Genre(s): Stoner/Sludge/Instrumental
Origin: Chicago, Illinois, USA
Label: Feast of the Unicorn Records
Status: Active

While most reviewers and metal fans love to compare this band to the likes of Isis, Neurosis, Pelican, Kyuss and even Minsk to a degree, I have to agree with all of those people. You simply can not go wrong with a 5 piece band with no vocals and 3 slamming guitars. This may not be a full-length and it is the only bands release to date but it's an EP that will get more plays then most full-length's from your favorite bands. Actually, I bet if you do listen to this EP, you'll love it from the first second till the last pound on the kickdrum.

Now, since the album is only 3 tracks long, that gives me the perfect amount of space to cover each song in this review. We start off with "Basil & Ginger", a very smooth, laid back tune that comes in at a nice 9 minutes an 28 seconds. Opening the track with a very catchy and fun melody, some drums here and there but nothing to much. Around the 2 minute mark is when gravity is lifted and everything picks up to a normal pace, it's just an overwhelming feeling you get from "Basil & Ginger" as it lets you float through the sky with no worries. Before you know it, the 9 and a half minutes is up and you are on board the ship we call "AMAZING".

"Lunarover" is a track that caught my ear from the very beginning, never letting me go and making sure to keep me on the edge of my chair. Melodies all over the place, rushing up-beat tempo's from the drums and even a little something different around the 5 minute mark. Only a gushing 6 minutes and 29 seconds, this is my favorite track on the EP, not only because it caught my attention but this track alone highlights the band doing what they do best and that's making my ears bleed orgasms all over the place.

Lastly but definitely not least, the track called "Ursa". Without a doubt, this piece of art can stand alone with anything from Electric Wizard or Sleep, in my opinion. It's by far the heaviest track on the album and will blast you through the wall behind you if you turned up your speakers to max. With not as much melody as "Lunarover", it still pushes the heavy factor by how hard everything hits while they play. Remember children, just because you play fast doesn't not mean you play heavy, it's that simple.

As a whole, this EP will have me waiting for the next release from this Chicago based project but with only one EP out and none of them working on other projects, how soon will we hear about a full-length or at least another EP?

Do yourself a favor and download the EP, you won't be disappointed nor will you hate me for recommending it to you. Once you have it downloaded, hit play, lay back and close those eyes because you're about to go on one massive journey through the sky (you don't have to be on blow or acid to get the same satisfaction).

Enjoy and Welcome another flawless Stoner/Sludge band with open arms.

Download Album Here

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Pete's Dragon - (Nickoli)

As most people in my generation grew up on Disney films, there were always certain Disney films that got overlooked because or most popular one were released or they just didn't "jump out at you". Pete's Dragon IS the most underrated Disney film they have ever released, a favorite of mine, this film is the best Disney release of all time. You can disagree all you want but you will never make me think different on the subject nor will I side with any other film that's against this masterpiece.

Let's get to the story, shall we? Pete's Dragon is a live-action/animated film about a very misfortune orphan boy that has had it very hard in the world, his sidekick is a very large dragon that speaks in a mumbling, click-clack tone but acts like a 10 year old school boy on a field trip, he also goes by the name of Elliot. Interested yet? After escaping the family that adopted Pete, they arrive in a town called Passamaquody, a small, everyone knows everyone type of town that isn't prepared for the havoc that Pete and Elliot are going to reign down upon them, on accident.

When I hear certain people talk about musicals and the likes, nobody ever mentions this film and that's a damn shame. For a film that was made in 1977, it has the catchiest songs I've ever heard in a musical in a very very long time, Annie is the closest thing that touches it, in my opinion. It's also one of those films where you get very attached to the characters, feeling then they hurt or any pain they feel inside their hearts. As for the picture and quality of the film, it does seem pretty dated for the year it was released. Remember though, at this time Disney was still using the same technology they used in the 60's while other companies were using much more high quality stuff (Star Wars and Encounters of the Third Kind). Fun little fact for you guys, the story for this film was actually written 40 years prior to filming it, S.S. Fields was a mastermind, period.

As for the cast in this film, it's one of a kind and really close to my heart. Helen Reddy, Jim Dale, Mickey Rooney, Red Buttons, Shelley Winters, Sean Marshall, Walter Barnes & Charlie Callas does the voice of Elliot. It's the perfect cast for a film of this magnitude, I couldn't see anyone else being apart of it.

Truly a classic and a must-see if you are a Disney fan or even if you just wanna see a great picture that you might of missed in the hype of other films that were coming out at this time. Download it, buy it, hell, I don't care how you get your little fingers on it, just do it and enjoy a true masterpiece of film making.

Outbreak - Outbreak (Ocrd) - (Nickoli)

Genre(s): Hardcore Punk, Crust
Origin: Maine, USA
Current Label: Think Fast!
Status: Active

The newest record from a band that is without a shadow of a doubt one of the hardest working bands in the Hardcore/Punk scene today, Outbreak continue to blow me away with with another flawless album. With over half of the band leaving Outbreak to pursue a full-time passion in Cruel Hand (another great Hardcore project), they still get together when they can to work on new jams for Outbreak. On this particular record, Outbreak decided to go all in and produce a landmine that would simply bash your head against a gravel paved road. Clocking in at just over 20 minutes, this fifteen-song godsend has some of the elements that bring us all back to the days we loved in Hardcore, the 1980's & 1990's.

Lyrically, it's still the same ol' angry as fuck Outbreak, nothing has changed in that boat at all. With this album they seemed to keep a steady generic punk feel to it with a bit of hardcore vibes thrown in there for good measure. With most hardcore leaning towards this whole metalcore/deathcore era bullshit, I am very pleased that a band stays true to their roots and bangs out real tunes for real people. Now if anyone wants to tell me that production is a huge part of being "Hardcore" or "Punk" then you need to open those eyes. "Outbreak (ocrd) has production that's very well off yet it still has this raw and gritty feel to it, which I love, I can't get enough of it.

The album does have some low points overall but nothing that totally ruins the record. The biggest low of the album is a track called "Down Not Out", which is also the opening track on the album. It isn't a horrible track, I just personally feel that the whole album clouds that single track, it's easily the weakest song on the album but it's still a decent track, just not great.

Having listened to everything this band has put out, if you are looking for a more mediocre, new-user friendly album to start out with, this is the album for you guys and girls. Earlier work such as "Failure", "Eaten Alive" and "You Make Us Sick" are a lot heavier, faster and take more of the "long term" fan route. The self-titled album though is outstanding, damn near close to flawless in my eyes but most of you probably won't agree, all depends.

All I can say is that this record brings out the "rage" side of me and it'll quite possibly do the same to you, if you aren't careful. Give it a shot and if you hate it then just delete it from your HDD, pretty easy, right?

Download Album Here

Wormphlegm: In An Excruciating Way Infested With Vermin And Violated By Executioners Who Practise Incendarism And Desanctifying The Pious - (Zulszaek)

Genre: Doom metal
Lyrical themes: Torture, rape, blasphemy
Origin: Finland
Label: Self-released
Status: Indeterminate

Finland is largely known within metal for its large quantity of quality folk metal bands, but from this pool of traditionally-based music has come something very different.

Wormphlegm is a funeral doom metal act with some of the most intense, disturbing atmosphere and themes this reviewer has heard thus far. Not much is known about them, other than that the members are also members of other prominent doom acts like Tyranny and Hail, which is honestly a breath of fresh air. The general lack of information on the band leads the listener to experience the music solely for what it is, rather than associating it with something else.

And what it is is something truly remarkable. Now, keep in mind, Wormphlegm is not for the faint of heart. Not because of pounding rhythm or tearing melodies, but because the lyrical content is so incredibly grotesque as to be nauseating to anyone possessed of a weak stomach. Rape, sodomy, torture; These things are commonplace within the world of Wormphlegm.

In An Excruciating Way… in particular consists of one track, roughly thirty minutes long, full of droning, torturous guitar riffing, slow drumming, and the horrific shrieks and screeches of Conqueror Worm, Apostatic Excrementor, and Dirtmaster Maggotworm (full names contracted for the sake of this reviewer’s patience) clawing at the ears. The album is described quite appropriately by the band as “torture metal,” and this is very evident while listening. Every horrifying minute is packed with anguished screams, to the point that the listener is unsure as to whether some of the sounds were recorded within an actual torture chamber or not.

The album (and indeed, anything this group has produced) is a must-own for any fan of doom metal, or anyone with a fancy for songs about the rape of victims to the point of vomiting, intestinal prolapse, and various bodily mutilations.

Keep a vomit bag handy, just in case.

Nefarium - Haeretichristus (Album)

Genre(s): Black Metal
Lyrical Theme(s): Satanism, Darkness
Origin: Italy (Saint-Christophe, Aosta Valley)
Current Label: Agonia Records
Status: Active

Hailing from one of the most religious based countries in the world, Italy, Nefarium has made their mark on the black metal scene and if I may say so myself, it's a very deep and sadistic mark at that. If anyone remembers, Cradle of Filth got banned from England for a period of time because of their lyrics and their live show but Nefarium is 100 times worse. I am down right surprised these dudes have not been banned nor stopped in some way from playing in Italy with as much blasphemy that's on this album.

As must black metal albums, the atmosphere to an album must be dark, foggy and evil as fuck, Nefarium hits the point right on the head with this release. One of the most stand out things about this album are the guitars, they drive this album the whole way home. When I think of black metal guitars, I think of a shit load of distortion and not really any melody, "Haeretichristus" brings a whole new melodic feel to the meaning of black metal. Raging none stop through the whole album, Carnifex and Adventor have brought the best of breakneck speeds yet they keep the melody in just about every song. As some other reviewers have said about this album "Nefarium wouldn't be much without the lead guitarist", I would have to agree but they do have a talented drummer a  bassist.

If you are a fan of Dark Funeral or Dissection then you might wanna check this album out. Hell, Chaq Mol from Dark Funeral even makes a special guest appearance on the album, that should be enough to at least check this highly recommended release out. The stand out tracks for me are: "136 Bastard Priests Murdered", "Thirty Coins of Judas" & "Episcopal Whip", although the whole album is amazing, those have to be my favorite tracks on the whole record.

In closing, lets just say that if Hell had a soundtrack, this would be it and it would be blasting over the loudspeaker while you were getting fucked by some flaming demon with a 14 foot wingspan. If you close your eyes while you listen to this album, there is no telling what you'll see but it won't be pretty. I'm sure you'll see God getting torn apart by unfaithful, wicked souls that have a burning hatred for him but that's just my opinion.

HAIL SATAN!!

Download Album Here!!