Carnal Savagery – Graveworms, Cadavers, Coffins and Bones Review

By Steel Druhm

HM-2 pedal worshiping Swedeath purveyors Carnal Savagery have a strange way of doing business. In 2022 they released not one, but TWO full-length albums. The product was the same both times: Dismember and Entombed worship with enough buzz and fuzz on the guitars to disrupt air traffic over Scandinavia. I covered Worm Eaten and found it to be “meat n’ scab taters death” and enjoyable if not essential. They were pretty quiet in 2023, but in January of this year, they dropped Into the Abysmal Void, which our man Felagund considered a standard issue “Meat and potatoes”1 death platter with enough good bits to hit the spot. Now, 10 months later they drop a second album. Graveworms, Cadavers, Coffins and Bones may sound like the companion album to Autopsy’s Ashes, Organs, Blood and Crypts, but it’s another dose of Dismembercore with only occasional nods to American stenches. Can the band keep producing fresh sounds with such an ambitious release schedule and a style that was already dated at the turn of the century? Let’s examine their burial plan.

You know exactly what you’re getting with these guys, so when opener “Nailed to the Cross” mimics the sound of Dismember’s magical debut, it won’t come as an everflowing stream of surprise. It’s quite good and those H(e) M(an)-2 riffs are potent and packed with raw power. It’s thrashing, brutish, and reeks of 1991 so I’m hard-wired to enjoy it. If the rest of Graveworms were this stout, I would put myself on a strict Diet of Worms. Unfortunately, the album swings from tasty gravecakes to bland and timid entries, suitable, perhaps, for patients recovering from a Taylor Swift deprogramming. First the good. “Gallery of Flesh” is a slashing, flaying warbeast full of sharp riffs and bulldozing momentum. It got moved to Steel‘s Leg Day Playlist after half a spin and there it will live in eternal infamy. The title track is also highly enjoyable, ripping away with whirring riffs and thunderous drumming only to segway into hideously massive death doom that smells like Autopsy looks. At one point vocalist Mattias Lilja bellows something that sounds like “PAPA JOHNS” and it makes me want to order crappy, salty pizza every time I hear it. “Burnt to Death” also stands out with a mighty d-beat and some shockingly nimble and slick solo work.

On the flip side of the casket garden, several tracks feel stock standard or suffer from issues that derail otherwise decent tuneage. “Carnal Blasphemy” has a jaunty swagger that feels out of place with the rest of the album and the song never really clicks into high gear. “Bind, Torture, Kill” is the most rudimentary caveman shit imaginable and it never leaves mom’s basement despite melodic soloing that stands out like a turd in a Cannibal Corpse. The low point comes with “Autopsied Alive” which is just painfully listless and dull as fook. Things wind out with back-to-back lackluster nuggets, making the bulk of Graveworms underwhelming. The 35-minute runtime helps the entire concoction go down relatively easy though, aided by song lengths that generally run 2-3 minutes. The production is fine for the style with a mastering job by Dan “the Fucking MAN” Swanö that accentuates that harsh, raw guitar tone to the nth degree.

Mikael Lindgren handles guitars, bass and drums here and his riffing is the most appealing aspect of the Carnal Savagery experience. He has the classic Dismember sound and style down cold, but he also borrows from the likes of Bolt Thrower and every so often, Cannibal Corpse and Autopsy. He really breaks out of the mold when it comes to soloing, at times reminding of prime James Murphy. He even goes neo-classical here and there, creating an interesting counterpoint to the Neaderthal thuggery the album marinates in. His bass work is also tasty and often quite present. Mattias Lilja is a solid death croaker with a sound somewhere between L.G. Petrov and Marduk’s Mortuus. He fits the material just fine. It’s the inconsistent writing that submarines things, with less than half of the songs delivering a nasty wallop.

I’m not in the business of giving free advice, but it might be in Carnal Savagery’s best interest to release one album a year. If you take the best moments from Graveworm and add them to the top bits on Into the Abysmal Void, you’d be cooking with cadaver gas. Sometimes less is Moar when it helps the less BE MOAR. You can count on a few ace moments, but this trip to the chopping mall gets boring.

Rating: 2.5/5.0
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Moribund
Websites: carnalsavagery.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/carnalsavagery | instagram.com/carnalsavagery
Releases Worldwide: November 22nd, 2024

#25 #2024 #Cadavers #CarnalSavagery #CoffinsAndBones #DeathMetal #Dismember #Entombed #Graveworms #IntoTheAbysmalVoid #MoribundRecords #Nov24 #Review #Reviews #SwedishMetal #WormEaten

Svartfjell – I, the Destroyer Review

By Dr. A.N. Grier

As many of you already know, Nietzsche is not an uncommon subject for metal—specifically black metal. The UK’s newest addition to the black metal scene, Svartfjell, focuses highly on this philosophy source for their debut record, I, the Destroyer. This album uses Nietzsche’s “The Will to Power” concept to provide a journey of self-betterment. Beginning by destroying the unsavory elements of one’s life, the album guides the listener through a journey of enlightenment in hopes that the result is self-fulfillment and blissful egoism. On paper, this is a fitting concept for a black metal outfit, especially for this project whose sole member appears to be a practitioner and evangelist of this kind of thinking. After the initial destruction of one’s previous life, the album’s eight tracks follow a process of rebirth, providing moments of recollection to understand what was left behind in favor of this new existence. But, drawings on paper only go so far. Execution can make or break an album of this caliber. So, will this theme materialize with matching songwriting, flow, and album structure?

Shrouded in mystery, the only concrete evidence I can find that Svartfjell is real and not a figment of my imagination is that its only member goes by the name of Hearne. While providing typical guitar, bass, and drum contributions, Hearne also incorporates a range of vocal approaches and even some keys. From black metal rasps to death growls and pained screams, I, the Destroyer has a rich variation that lends well to the songwriting—not to mention the skills this gent has on the album’s crucial instruments. Not the kind to slap away on the snare as olde purveyors of the style, Svartfjell’s drumming style is aggressive and powerful, rising to the surface to lend heft to the crushing riffs. The guitar work is also quite impressive for this style of metal. Soaring solos and intricate leads create a blanket over the splashes of headbangable riffage that range from black to death. The variation on I, the Destroyer is satisfying as hell and guides the Will to Power theme quite well.

The title track “I, The Destroyer” kicks the album off in a fucking hurry, providing the correct amount of oomph and angst for the first stage of your re-enlightenment. Opening with some vicious black metal tremolos and pounding drums, the song ventures into the first of many instances of melodic atmoblack before it explodes into a killer riff that hints at what’s to come. Throughout, the drums lay a perfect foundation for the riff and mood changes, letting the guitars meander and flow as the vocals begin to layer in various ways. Hell, even the bass surfaces, adding a somber mood to the melodic passages. Like many of the album’s tracks, “I, The Destroyer” is a grower that continues to scale the fiery pit until the bitter end. The follow-up track begins Part I of the “Will to Power” trilogy. Starting with some dissonant sustains and galloping drum work akin to Old Man’s Child, the song morphs into second-wave elements that bring to mind Gorgoroth. The riff changes continue, alternating the mood from pure aggression to melodic beauty. With each build comes a new reset that brings new and reimagined riffs that push the song to its climactic conclusion.

While there are plenty of great tracks to talk about on I, the Destroyer (like the death-riddled “Black Mountain”1 and sorrowful “A Mournful Setting Sun”), other standouts are “Will to Power II – Strength” and “A Fire to Light the Skies.” After opening with a standard black metal approach, the drums of “Will to Power II – Strength” shock the flow with a nifty drum gallop that breathes new life into something we’ve heard a thousand times. One of the reasons this song is so memorable is the multi-guitar leads that somehow overlap even though they aren’t playing the same thing. The bass also floats to the surface far more than any other song, taking control of the rhythm. The song acts very little like a black metal song, introducing subtle heavy metal touches that make it pleasant while being unique. “A Fire to Light the Skies” delves deeper into the band’s melodic character, introducing sheer beauty and passion. Taking its time to get going, it creates a gentle atmosphere that matches the dark, hypnotizing plod. Like the opener, it also climaxes with a swirling tapestry of overlapping vocal variety.

For a debut album from a little-known black metal band, I didn’t expect to enjoy this album or listen to it as many times as I have. Though song lengths clock in around seven minutes on average, only a couple overstay their welcome. But, none suffer from the typical unbearableness of many black/atmoblack outfits. The only song that does drag on too long is the closer, “Will to Power III – Spirit.” That might be because the album is a touch longer than I’d like, but it’s also because it follows “A Fire to Light the Skies” with a similar gentle flow, slowing the album down too much for a strong finish. The other issue is the dynamics. The intricate instrumentation, at times, includes more than two guitars flying around in the ether. But, this compressed master doesn’t quite let the listener enjoy every nook and cranny. But the instrument that’s hurt the most by the compression is the bass. That said, I, the Destroyer is an impressive debut record that keeps it simple while tying a theme tightly to its song structure.

Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 5 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Moribund Records
Websites: svartfjell.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/svartfjell.official
Releases Worldwide: November 22nd, 2024

#2024 #35 #BlackMetal #Gorgoroth #ITheDestroyer #MoribundRecords #Nov24 #OldManSChild #Review #Reviews #Svartfjell #UKMetal

Sathanas – Into the Nocturne Review

By Mark Z.

They always said consistency and hard work pay off. I’m starting to think they fucking lied. Pennsylvania quartet Sathanas have been peddling their witch’s brew of black, death, and thrash metal since 1988, yet the poor saps still have less than 1,000 monthly listeners on Spotify at the time of this review. That’s not for lack of trying, either. Over the years the group have released eleven full-length albums, along with a shitload of splits and even a few EPs. After listening to their back catalog, I’ve started to think that the group’s unwavering devotion to the old school makes them their own biggest enemy. Since their formation, the band have been practically militant in their refusal to progress beyond crunchy mid-paced songs that sound a bit like Hellhammer with whiffs of 90s black and death metal mixed in. Other than improvements in production, there is virtually no development throughout their discography, let alone many hooks or standout riffs. A lack of highlights was certainly my main gripe when I reviewed the band’s tenth album Necrohymns in 2018, but has the group finally upped their game with their twelfth record Into the Nocturne?

Opener “Beyond the Witch” certainly offers something slightly different. While the band’s typical primitive riffs and mid-paced rhythms are still here in full force, the track also features frosty chords that carry a more prominent than usual influence from 90s black metal. “Raise the Chalice” kicks off the record’s second half in similar fashion, with chilly and reflective progressions that are augmented by a catchy half-time thrash break and anthemic snarls of the track title. A slightly different strain of black metal appears on “There Will Be Demons,” with the song marching forward on stomping riffs that sound like a devolution of Bathory’s Hammerheart era. The vocals, which are presumably once again performed by guitarist Paul Tucker, consist of a biting and evil rasp that perfectly captures the wicked spirit of these songs.

Sadly, other than the aforementioned tracks, Into the Nocturne is largely business as usual for Sathanas. As before, many of these songs simply coast along on languid riffs that sound like transitional moments between better ideas that never actually come. “Reaperlord,” for example, is full of stock progressions that haven’t excited anyone since 1985, and the song’s shouts of the track title are hardly enough to redeem it. Much of the album also becomes monotonous, with many of these tracks featuring overly similar vocal patterns, riffs, and tempos.

While some attempts at diversity work, often they don’t go far enough. On songs like “To Bring the Sabbat,” drummer James Strauss (ex-Acheron) throws in a few brief blast beats, but doing so adds little energy to the proceedings and instead just feels like a halfhearted attempt to add variety. Closer “Where Death and Darkness Entwine” is more successful in this regard, with its peppier beats offering a sense of urgency and inspiration that’s lacking elsewhere. The album’s production also works well, with a sharp guitar tone, a clear overall sound, and a wide dynamic range that gives everything plenty of space. And, with the album moving through its ten tracks in just 33 minutes, neither any song nor the record as a whole feels too long.

This is exactly the kind of review I hate to write. Sathanas seem like a devoted bunch of dudes, and I can’t imagine they’re playing this music for any reason other than their love of it. They’re also competent musicians, and Paul’s raspy voice sounds more venomous and evil than many of his peers. Unfortunately, I just don’t find myself particularly excited about this record. If I want to experience this type of primitive extreme metal, I’d much rather listen to Gravewürm, who have a similar style but with far more catchy material in their spellbook. Though Sathanas have certainly put in the work over the years, it seems their steadfast devotion to a very specific sound has become their undoing. Into the Nocturne is, unfortunately, simply the latest example of this. Thus, despite a few decent moments, this album is ultimately not something I can heartily recommend.

Rating: 2.0/5.0
DR: 10 | Format Reviewed: 192 kbps mp3
Label: Moribund Records
Websites: sathanas666.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/sathanasmetal
Releases Worldwide: September 27th, 2024

#20 #2024 #Acheron #AmericanMetal #Bathory #BlackMetal #DeathMetal #Gravewürm #Hellhammer #IntoTheNocturne #MoribundRecords #Review #Reviews #Sathanas #Sep24 #ThrashMetal

Mausoleum – Defiling the Decayed Review

By El Cuervo

After nearly two months away from writing,1 I wanted something straightforward – something down the middle of the road – for my first review back. Something to reconnect with the core of the music I have largely omitted of late. And what could be straight-forward than old school death metal? Though Defiling the Decayed may be the third full-length by Mausoleum, it’s their first since 2011. In this way it’s ideal; a return for them as much as it is for me. Left for more than a decade to rot in a musical grave, are the compositions here appropriately decomposed?

Mausoleum’s inventive song names go some way to indicate the sort of music you’ll hear here. “Gravefucked” is a personal highlight and tracks against the one sheet that describes a zombie-infested, grimy sort of death metal. But “Nine Eternities in Doom” also signifies the doomier, slower passages that occasionally fall on the back half of the mid-song transitions that the band clearly enjoys. It’s nothing you haven’t heard before but not a bad example of it. Devout fans of the old school style should find enough to enjoy, from the throat-ripping growls to the razor-sharp guitars. Diverting from a remainder marked more by consistency than inventiveness, the extremely enthusiastic lead guitarist is likely the most distinctive quality of Defiling the Decayed. The solos are uniformly insane but enjoyably so, conferring an unhinged edge to proceedings. The entire final minute of “Curse of the Tomb” sounds like layers of frantic guitars spasming. It’s all a bit silly but conveys a sense of fun, in a grave-defiling, corpse-molesting sort of way.

If I have a fundamental complaint, it’s that Mausoleum aren’t really good enough to push beyond the novelty of nostalgia for the late 80s and early 90s. In particular, this type of music lives and dies by The Riff. There are a small handful of stronger exceptions – hear the groovy opener on “Catacombs of Eternal Dead,” for example – but the majority of the leads here are more ‘solid’ than ‘outstanding’. This will always consign a death metal record to the middle of the pack for quality. Likewise, there’s a lack of memorable choruses or vocal passages. I’m not seeking the catchiest singles from popular radio, but my favorite bands in the style, like Lik and Scolopendra, revel in morbidly shoutable choruses. There’s nothing wrong with the wretched, guttural growls chosen. But they’re not molded into those memorable refrains that the best death metal bands use.

Those dramatic transitions mentioned above represent some of the more engaging moments on the record. “Nine Eternities in Doom” decelerates into grand, slow chords with spoken word samples, forging a passage that feels more climactic than is otherwise heard here. This becomes a motif on most songs, reforming their style from frenetic chaos to something groovier and more potent. As a lover of musical dynamism, my attention is refocused in these moments. But the negative angle is that these passages re-emphasize that the remainder is very predictable. Even when the guitar solos are flying and the grimy atmosphere clings on, Defiling the Decayed will quickly become predictable across your first listen. This is partly a consequence of the style (which was already perfected nearly 35 years ago) and partly a consequence of the songwriting (which follows structures and riffing that remain consistent throughout). It’s more competent than excellent.

More than anything, Defiling the Decayed made me want to listen to other old school-style death metal bands. Mausoleum offer a perfectly adequate platter of messy death metal but it’s not better than its scene competitors and it won’t change any pre-existing conceptions about the sub-genre. I’m left with a sense of mild enjoyment while it’s playing but no incentive to return once my attention has wandered elsewhere.

Rating: 2.5/5.0
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 192 kbps mp3
Label: Moribund Records
Websites: mausoleum.com | facebook.com/mausoleum
Releases Worldwide: August 9th, 2024

#25 #2024 #AmericanMetal #Aug24 #DeathMetal #DefilingTheDecayed #LIK #Mausoleum #MoribundRecords #Review #Reviews #Scolopendra

Carnal Savagery – Into the Abysmal Void Review

By Felagund

I’m a sucker for a gnarly album cover. Give me a detailed image of a zombie, ghoul or otherwise undead creature holding a bladed instrument for use in committing appalling acts, and I’m a happy guy. It was this passion for putridity that led me to choose Into the Abysmal Void, the fifth album by Gothenburg, Sweden-based death metallers Carnal Savagery. While I wasn’t at all familiar with the band’s music, I just couldn’t say no to this most common of death metal tropes. Sure, we’ve all seen our fair share of monsters, madmen and mayhem gracing album covers, but unlike some buzzkills out there, I’ve never grown tired of this pastime. And so I grabbed Carnal Savagery in my grungy mits, hoping that they would prove to be just as grimy and gratuitous as their artwork.

Carnal Savagery are nothing if not grimy n’ gratuitous, and that’s exactly what I was hoping for. They traffic in a pungently pleasant, meat-and-potatoes style of OSDM (a similar point the Good Lord Steel made in his review of the band’s fourth outing in 2022), overflowing with guts, gore, filthy guitar tones, crunchy riffs, beastly grooves, and inhumane snarls. Is it any surprise these Swedish carnal savages kneel and worship at the combined altars of Dismember and Entombed? One of the more interesting aspects of Into the Abysmal Void is the light layer of blackened char that crusts over this death metal behemoth’s scarred hide. Vocalist Mattias Lilja’s vox are a bit higher pitched and dynamic than your average OSDM growler, and the guitar is muddy while still maintaining a dangerous, highly-honed edge. Taken together, these elements result in an album that, much like a Bowie knife duct taped to a sledgehammer, both pummels and slices.

The first track is called “Defleshing The Bones.” What more do I need to say? This is a buzzy, bloody, and brief OSDM onslaught with a memorable chorus to boot (albeit just a hearty repetition of the song title). It’s also a perfect roadmap for the rest of Into the Abysmal Void. You get plenty of frenetic blast-beats, screaming solos, and a guitar that should be legally required to have “The Saw Is Family” inlaid on fretboard (thank you, Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2, for making that tortured reference possible). “Stench of Burnt Decay” slices through your eardrum with crunchy, eviscerating riffs, as does the mutilating maelstrom that is “Reek of Decomposing Flesh.” At the same time, Carnal Savagery are more than willing to slow things down, building atmosphere and crushing you beneath more unbearable heaviness than Giles Corey. “Morbid Death” is a true groove fest that weds sparse drumming with plodding, hefty riffing. “Column of Maggots,” which wins the award for best song title, leans into that doomy groove, while also throwing in some ominous keys that establish a perfect, unsettling tone and serve as the ideal setup for the return of a grimy, Swedeath adrenaline surge.

Where Carnal Savagery fall a bit short on Into the Abysmal Void is their overreliance on repetition. While there’s no bad song on the album, there are certainly ones that tend to drag, especially on the back half, and I chalk most of that up to too much emphasis on the band’s established songwriting structure. By the time you’ve gotten to the seventh song “The Revenant,” you realize it sounds a lot like the previous tune “Choked to Death.” And while the deathened charm is still there, it’s not quite strong enough to make you forget that even fun filler is still filler. Add in the nit-picky observation that nearly every chorus is simply the song title emphatically growled several times, and it’s clear that while repetition is a generally effective part of Into the Abysmal Void’s formula, Carnal Savagery could stand to shake things up a bit more.

The term “Meat and potatoes” seems to have garnered a negative connotation, and that’s a shame. I used it earlier in this review, and I meant it as a genuine compliment. The idea, as far as I see it, is that something doesn’t have to reinvent the wheel to be engaging and enjoyable. Sometimes comfortable, straightforward and reliable is good. And for us unwashed miscreants, old school death metal is just that. Despite some of its issues, Abysmal Void’s latest is honest to goodness meat and potatoes, and for that, I give thanks. I’ll happily clean my plate and go back for seconds, just do me a favor and don’t tell me where this slab o’ protein came from.

Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 192 kbps mp3
Label: Moribund Records
Websites: carnalsavagery.bandcamp.com | instagram.com/carnalsavagery
Releases Worldwide: January 26th, 2022

#2024 #30 #CarnalSavageryIntoTheAbysmalVoid #DeathMetal #Dismember #Entombed #Jan24 #MoribundRecords #Review #Reviews #SwedishDeathMetal

The second Triskelyon album is all recorded. Release coming in Fall 2023. Here's a short teaser: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYQzvY3-Rcs Details on who has joined me on the album can be found here: https://bravewords.com/news/canadas-triskelyon-complete-recording-of-sophomore-album #ThrashMetal #PowerThrashMetal #HeavyMetal #MoribundRecords

Thanks to Matt Coe for the review!:
"Multiple vocalists participate on the melodic thrash material – Pete Healey possessing killer upper pipes on “Find a Way”, while Hyperia’s Marlee Ryley slays in maniacal form on the heads down basher “Apex Predator”. Loads of late 80’s influences come across on the progressive riffing and stellar transitions..." #thrashmetal #melodicthrashmetal #PowerThrashMetal #heavymetal #MoribundRecords #Thrasher #Metalhead #Metal

Enhanced version of the back cover photo for the debut #triskelyon album DOWNFALL. Out now on #MoribundRecords. #metal #thrashmetal #melodicthrashmetal #powerthrashmetal #canadianmetal #metalhead #guitarist #ibanez

My first solo project. #triskelyon. #thrashmetal #melodicthrashmetal #powerthrashmetal - CDs are available from #MoribundRecords (cat not included) or hey, if you wanna ensure us little guys never see a cent, stream it and continue to make the Spotify’s richer lol. But if you stream it and like it, it’s better to buy from the label or from our #Bandcamp page https://triskelyon.bandcamp.com