Grave Upheaval / Manticore - Split (2012)

Split, Nuclear War Now! Productions
July 9th, 2012

Genre: Death Metal
Region: Australia / USA

Once again the twisted minds behind Impetuous Ritual and Portal, through their heinous Death/Doom Metal project Grave Upheaval, unleash more crawling chaos in this split with Manticore; who also contribute to their own seasoned catalogue of filthy death metal.

Probably the only thing that bothers me about Grave Upheaval (other than not having recorded a full length yet) is the fact that all their tracks are "untitled" which can make things a little confusing. A minor and insignificant complaint considering whenever they raise from their earthen tomb to project cold doom-infused death metal upon the underground community it is uncompromisingly destructive.

They contribute two tracks to this record, both of which I saw performed at Rites of Darkness III not long ago and both are suffocating, crushing and dirty as a smoker's lungs. The production is slightly clearer on this compared to their split with Encoffination which to some might take away from their murky atmosphere but to me the riffs and groaning vocals are no less oppressive and lurching with a little more clarity in the mix.

The first track is a little shorter but the severely low tuning and creeping pace is such that it feels just as torturous as any ten minute doom track, hammering the listener with drawn out tremolo riffs as the moans crawl forward — drums flickering ominously with the sudden appearance of a gong. The pacing is set slightly faster by the drums as the riffs continue to weigh down with a single set of notes which continues right to the finish, so low and dirty.

This tone is only altered slightly once you hit the second track which pulses with crunchy, slow doom powerchords punctuated by an occasional hammer-on. It's pure darkness as the track somehow hits an even lower pitch when the rasping growls enter. They hold this nice groove with very slight changes in the dismal sway, drums only picking up a touch in the final moments of the track. Every chord struck is a granite slab in the face to be savored on their side. Their material is growing stronger with each short step and I long for a full release even more at this point.

Honestly I'm not all too familiar with Manticore's releases prior to this but their side is great regardless. Manticore definitely take a more traditional approach compared to their partners here, though they remain filthy and evil in their own right. "Unleashing Unholy Temptations" opens slowly, demonic rasps uttered with palpable hate as the chunky riffs plow for a short time. The pace is decided more thrashy and oldschool immediately after this short intro: a choppy onslaught of death metal with some nice hooks near the end before an abrupt close.

"Insemination of the Sycophant" is just as vicious. Powerful percussive blasts pummel you the entire way through — the pace only slows in the middle where a crushing section briefly interrupts the thrashing before tossing you back into the blackened fury. It all ends so quickly you'll definitely need to run through both tracks a few times to get a proper dose of the whirlwind chaos, something that shouldn't be any trouble at all.

If you're aching for another taste of what Grave Upheaval are conjuring in their dark pit in Australia, or what Manticore have been working on since their 2006 full length and last years split then jump on this one. Buy this shit from the Nuclear War Now! Productions store, the diehard version comes with two patches. You can also stream this in full on their bandcamp page.

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Anhedonist - Netherwards (2012)

Full Length, Dark Descent Records
April, 2012

Genre: Death/Doom Metal
Region: USA

One of the albums I've been anticipating greatly this year has finally arrived. With more excellent artwork from Alexander Brown and released on the great Dark Descent Records this had all the makings of something epic even prior to having heard it.

Netherwards presents four behemoth songs equaling 40 minutes that perfectly straddle doom and death metal, more leaning towards doom the majority of the time. And man can they blend the two expertly. The writing here is excellent, placing slow gulfs of abyssal doom metal then at the perfect moments cranking up the intensity with bursts of slow, almost Portal or Witchrsit-esque chunky, filthy gallops and tremolo riffs. Reverb and other effects are used carefully to bring out the cavernous tone even more so. This is a mighty step up from The Drear.

Putrid growls shudder forth from chasms unknown, only in one section do they switch to a cleaner moan in the middle of one track. The bass quakes under the rhythm with a snarl, as the spellbinding drumming swings easily and comfortably from slow, plodding smashes for doom and the faster torrent of clattering in the more death-like moments. Each track offers something different with simple elements but entirely saturated with suffocating atmosphere, sorrow and pain.

"Saturnine" definitely shows off clearly how well these guys use both of the genres. It opens with a low hissing and cycling as rumbles slowly emerge growing in volume. Suddenly we're met with the first wicked riff, dirty and dark. This slams into a slow groove soon and just as you're nodding your head, a more hypnotizing chunky doom gallop appears with a well placed bend/pinched harmonic. A solo dives behind it for several measures, disappears, and we return to the death riffs after a nice string scrape. After a return to that wicked galloping grove there's a section with effects, and then the filthy death rears it's head, closing with an eerie clean section.

"Estrangement" was the first track released and is far more like The Drear than the rest of the album, taking us back to a somewhat melodic, depressive traipse. Starting with clean ghostly notes, this is amped up quickly with a switch to high gain. The kickers start to pound as the riff turns very old school doomy (think Lycus or Pallbearer) and the growls surface. The pace is slowed and the riffs are sustained longer before repeating, then we're faced with a new slow tremolo riff and shrieks, which alters and picks up pace at points. Near the end a bleak solo is heard before the final riff starts: dark and gloomy and ever-entrancing. It's a melancholic track and the most straight-up doom song on the album.

"Carne Liberatus" is the shortest track. Just over five minutes but no less devastating then the others and almost entirely death metal. We're treated with death tremolo riffs immediately, a very satisfying one at that, which switches to another high intensity section which they cycle through several times. Suddenly the bottom drops out and a chunky doom rhythm emerges with spectral moans occasionally swirling out behind the echoes; a solo with a warped bends whining midway through, and then a cold out.

The final track, "Inherent Opprobrium", is the longest and again shows off Anhedonist's fantastic ability to bring the best of both genres out and craft something breathtaking. It's a clean and somber open with slow pounds from the drums — a second guitar explodes as the other continues the clean riff. The distortion is turned up on the first guitar as the gloomy riff is continued with a solo to heighten the atmosphere. As a new bleak section is continued there's a short pause for a bass line, and then both guitars crash back in with pained howls shaking throughout. After returning to earlier riffs a more death-like passage is heard with tasty coarse gallops. As the album closes previous riffs come back, haunting and desolate, before a ending with a sudden drop of all instruments except the kickers from the drums — then a swift return of the sharp lead guitar and tortured screams to seal the record with a final, slow, morose passage.

I cannot recommend this enough. Definitely one of the best releases so far this year. Huge and heavy with the perfect balance of death metal and melodic doom. Never boring, always entrancing. Don't hesitate to pick this up if you haven't already preordered it. Go to Dark Descent right now and grab the cd.

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Grave Upheaval / Encoffination - Split (2011)

Split, Psychedelic Lotus Order
November 11th, 2011

Genre: Death/Doom Metal
Region: Australia / USA

A fucking oppressive, crushingly dark release. Would you expect anything less from these bestial, gloom-ridden acts?

This is the second release for Grave Upheaval (who I'll be seeing at Rites of Darkness III in a few days) and the first split for Encoffination, released just before their recent somber, crawling and terrifying second full length "O' Hell, Shine In Thy Whited Sepulchres".

I think you all know what lies within this split: unbearable darkness and suffering in sonic form. Encoffination open with "Inurnment of Fleshless Disembodied Remains", their classic use of chiming cathedral bells emanating throughout the track followed by a slow build of feedback and a quick sample dragging you into a down-tuned apocalypse. If you love their recent release this will be greatly satisfying. Grave Upheaval's untitled track follows with a muffled and turbulent hatefilled atmosphere. The riffs are pitch black and unbearably heavy, with grievously haunting rasps permeating the spiraling ferocity. This track has a huge low end as well — it will shake your place without question.

A truly perfect pairing of bands on this release. It couldn't be more appropriate. Highly recommended, do not pass this up. It's limited to 250 copies on vinyl from various places (I got mine from Dark Descent Records but it looks like they're out). This is a vinyl rip, any problems let me know.

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Encoffination - O' Hell, Shine In Thy Whited Sepulchres (2011)

Full Length, Selfmadegod Records
November 15th, 2011

Genre: Death/Doom Metal
Region: USA

Listening to this record is basically like being pounded in the face in excruciatingly slow intervals continuously for 40 minutes with a mace as you choke on your own blood and splintered skull, lying in a dark battlefield. The crawling scent of a thousand torn up corpses piled in the center of a ruined castle ready to be burned.

I'd say it's an improvement over Ritual Ascension Beyond Flesh which was quite an impressive record, more chilling samples of ringing monastery bells strewn amongst the incredibly heavy and slow riffs, drumming and vocals. No disappointments here.

There are a few moments where the pace picks up slightly but this is largely a slithering, suffocating cloud of doom-drenched death metal and it is brutal. Pick it up here.

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Hooded Menace/Anima Morte Split [2010/320]

Two tracks totaling out to 11 minutes. Beautiful and heavy doom metal from each band.

Artist: Hooded Menace/Anima Morte

Album: Split

Release Year: 2010

Genre: Death/Doom Metal

1. A Decay of Mind and Flesh

2. Grasp of the Beastwoman

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