Amputated "Dissect, Molest, Ingest"

Just tip your head back slightly and say,  "Aaaaarghh". Today's treatment is going to be brutal as you, the patient have really bad teeth that are beyond fixing.  We'll just put you to sleep.  Here's some brutal death metal to listen to while we operate.

Bristol band, Amputated's album, "Dissect, Molest, Ingest" warns the listener what's in store for them with radio samples from murder reports.  If you hadn't guessed from the album cover and song this band revels in brutality.  When the song titles include "Gorging On Putrid Discharge", "Skullfuck Lobotomy" and "When Whores Meet Saws" there's no way these guys have a huge collection of Disney movies.  All Disney movies that I watched as a kid always had generic endings even if the guts of the story differed.   It may be points in Amputated favor that they don't have the same Disney quality in this regard either instead they sound like tons of other bands flying the brutal death metal flag.

The vocals sound like a zombie puking out recently ingested innards and the guitars and drums are well played with the beats varying from crunchy and slow to million mile an hour blastbeats.  The samples are fitting with the music and the production sound is clear but the major problem is it's generic brutal death metal.  By the way, if you want to keep your teeth as a souvenir, they're on the table next to your feet.

The album can be listened to and bought at the bandcamp link below.

2.5/5


Album on bandcamp


Amputated on Facebook

Toxic Waltz "Decades of Pain"

  Is it even necessary to explain which genre a band who picked a moniker from an Exodus song and have an album title that isn't miles away from that of a Slayer live album?  If you're guessing that these five Bavarians are in a jazz fusion band, then you're reading the wrong blog.  It's highly possible that the title to the opening song " Intro" was chosen as a tribute to a Testament ballad.

Toxic Waltz are a throwback to the peak of eighties thrash metal.  Exodus is indeed a major influence on the bands sound and style however there are pieces of 80's Metallica and Slayer in there too.  The vocals fall somewhere between the spitting razor blades style of Steve Souza and the louder and throatier hardcore style of Gordo from Ratos De Paroa.  The riffing is tight as hell.  With two guitarist, it's the guitar sound that is in the forefront here with the drums mostly playing second fiddle despite the fact that the drummer is no slacker.  The gallop leading into "World of Hate" proves this but it's the guitar sound that provides the crunch and there's a Metallica of old style slowing and breathing before going for the throat.  "Toxic Hell" is pure Exodus but really what else would you expect?  It's an enjoyable romp although not quite as hooky as the band Toxic Waltz take their major inspiration from.  "Suicide Squad" however is catchy number that has hooks and riff in spades.  "Priest of Lies" simply thrashes.  Tight and fast.  It's difficult not to imagine the song causing utter chaos in the front row whenever it's played live.   Slayer plays a part in the serial killer ode "Obsession to Kill" with insane vocals that are a cross between Steve Souza and Scooby Doo.  If this was an 80's song, this track would be considered proto-death metal.

A weakness on "Decades of Pain" is that a few of the songs do seem a little too similar to each other.   The two closing songs, "Suicide Squad" and "Obsession to Kill" are the highlights as they veer a little from the path these Bavarians have set for themselves.
However, Toxic Waltz's thrashing is very welcoming.  I'll definitely dive in and give it another try.  Check out "Priest of Lies" on the band's facebook bandpage.

3/5

Toxic Waltz on facebook

Signs Preyer -"Signs Preyer"

  Too often music gets talked about as being dated when really what has changed is the writer's taste as they've grown older although some releases of yesteryear don't stand up in the present but there's bound to be someone out there that enjoys the retro feel and doesn't care that much for what's presently happening in music.  It's not just your parents, man.  It really

could happen to anyone

Italian band Signs Preyer have a sound that is set steadfastly in the nineties. The band's first track "Anger" is very Alice In Chains influenced despite starting out at a pace similar to nineties era Pantera.

There's a stoner rock vibe meets Load era Metallica to "Killer Instinct", which is understandable as Signs Preyer admit to a Corrosion of Conformity influence and 90's Metallica was definitely heavily influenced by C.O.C.   A lot of quick riffing is the highlight of "Painless Pain" which has some quick near rap which doesn't detract from the song at all.  The spoken part at the end is a moment Phil Anselmo would be proud of.

 "Dark Soul" contains a laid back vibe that would have fit on my local rock radio station when Creed, Pearl Jam and Alice In Chains were on heavy rotation.  Alice In Chains were never really a grunge band and Signs Preyer channel all that was good about that band in  "Hell".   Signs Preyers weren't content to only have a self-titled album but decided a self-titled song was a necessity and it's an ode to rock 'n' roll with the vocalist sounding somewhere between Bon Scott, Layne Stayley and James Hetfield.

This album may be a mixed bag for many but it's definitely worth checking out if you were a fan of both grunge and metal during the nineties.  It'll be interesting to see which direction Signs Preyer choose to go in the future.

3/5

Signs Preyer on facebook

Suffer The Wrath - Divine Sign

   As the TV commmercials often tell us, there's nothing quite like a refreshing beverage after a hard day's work and often after listening to a lot of Scandinavian metal hearing bands from countries where English is spoken as the main language can be a refreshing change.  Suffer the Wrath are a death metal band from Illinois who list a bunch of pronounceable pseudonyms on their band bio.

The drumming is fast with furious blast-beats.  The vocals fall somewhere between the breathless Scooby Doo rasps and Cookie Monster grunts with occasional growls.

If you get the feeling you've read this review before its because there isn't really anything that separates Suffer The Wrath from the herds.  Thankfully this EP is only 4 songs long.  Now where's that Goatwhore CD?

2.5/5

Suffer the Wrath's bandcamp


Suffer the Wrath on Facebook



The Small Takeover on Facebook

Shrapnel Storm - We Come in Peace

Shrapnel Storm are a five piece Finnish death metal band who have been brutally knocking around about since 2007.  The band aren't into chaotic speed for speed's sake as Shrapnel Storm are strongly influenced by 90's mid-tempo death metal acts.

There are only two tracks here so this is short and sweet death metal.  While sweet death metal may well be an oxymoron, Shrapnel Storm is a band that favours the organic sound made by rotten humans over computerized perfection.  There aren't any auto-tuned guitars or drum click tracks to be found here and as such the music falls somewhere between  a lot of 80's thrash metal and Carcass's Heartwork.  The vocals are clear audible death grunt   If you didn't realize that's two thumbs up here.  They also get another thumb up for having their own website that is more than just links to their social media sites.  Good stuff from Finland once again.

 If any record labels are out there reading this, these guys are currently shopping around for a record label.

3/5




Shrapnel Storm's website



Shrapnel Storm on facebook



The Small Takeover on Facebook

Amok - Somewhere In Time

  Many of the UK thrash metal bands back in the 80's never managed to get into the first or second tier.  Xentrix and Slammer are possibly the only thrashers from that period of time and corner of the world that ever managed to leave an impression but it was never as large as their German and American cousins.

  Decades later Evile have fought their way into the first tier of retro-thrash but there's a Scottish band called Amok following hot on their heels.  These guys don't sound the average pub metal band who have plugged away for years playing the requisite Metallica/Megadeth and Slayer due to the melodic vocals of Stephen Matulevicze   being close to Joey Belladonna which lends Amok that sound Anthrax achieved when they were on the top of their game.  There are a few moments here and there were he sounds like late 80's Chuck Billy as some of the echo effects could have come from "Practice What You Preach" .  This is a thrash metal frontman isn't scared to prove that he has singing ability.  When was the last time you heard an Anthrax cover in your favorite music dive bar?  Yeah, I can't remember either.  Deciphering the lyrics isn't difficult due to the vocals and the fact that they come through crisp and clearly.

The music backing up the vocals is largely reminiscent of Anthrax too.  The riffing is crunchy and technical and backed with strong speedy drumming. Despite the speed, it never sound like the individual musicians are competing in a race to the finish line.   It's not all full-on thrash either as some of the guitar sounds are clearly from the Maiden songbook but throughout "Somewhere in the West", it's Joey Belladonna period Anthrax that come to mind.  "Lawbreakers" has an undeniable New York sound as there's a tinge of New York hardcore bands like Gorilla Biscuits in the guitar sound and rhythm section.   Some may write Amok off as a clone band but in an age of  Cookie Monster soundalike bands putting brutality ahead of writing music , Amok's easily accessible Anthrax sound is both very welcome and highly enjoyable.  Wherever you are on the globe, it's time to listen to Amok run so make time to kill time and click their bandcamp link to listen this album.

3.5/5

Amok's bandcamp



Amok on facebook




Small Takeover on facebook

Noumena - Death Walks With Me

Noumena are a Finnish death metal who contrast their dirty death dealing with symphonic female vocals.  The male vocals are of the death metal scooby-doo ilk.  It may be due to the symphonic influence but there's a clean sound that fights through paper bags and finds out way out in tracks like "Play Dead".  If it weren't for the male death metal vocals "Sleep" could pass for a ballad. The female vocals don't really work here as the  incongruous sound of the male vocals and the quietly lulling music is all that is needed for this track.  The title track is a fast burner and the duet between the two vocalists comes together perfectly.  Rockers will sink their teeth into "Let It Run Red" as much as diehard death metal fans with its effectively speedy but simple head nodding beat.

  "The Storm" originates with the calm female vocals that recall the likes of Clannad before a whirlwind of death metal torments and then without warning leaves.  This number is a typhoon. You know it's coming but have no idea what damage it will do or when it'll be calm enough to go outside again.  When the female and male vocals really come together for Noumena on tracks like "Nothing" the band's gothic tinge and metallic death leave no bad aftertaste.  "Only The Silent" punches with speedy death metal with undertones of classical guitar.

When Noumena get it right, they slay and fortunately these risk-takers get it right most of the time.  There's not a shred of doubt that this slab of music is some of the more innovative death metal out there.  The whole album is linked below on the band's bandcamp site so check it out for yourself!

3.5/5


Noumena's bandcamp site



Noumena on facebook



Small Takeover on facebook