CELESTE Nihiliste(s) Review

CELESTE (France) – Nihiliste(s)
CD 2008 – Denovali Records
10 tracks - 44'56
Rated: 7,5/10
Some people would probably choke on their vomit if they saw CELESTE's name in these pages, sorry folks but the reason for this band being reviewed here is that I loved their fucking record!
I can hardly give you an exact style to describe CELESTE. I read many shits everywhere like postcore, blackcore, hardcore/black metal, sludge black metal, etc... Something sure about this album is that you feel uncomfortable and oppressed while listening to it. CELESTE creates a suffocating cocoon of dissonant tracks, very heavy and so yes similarities with black metal atmospheres are true. But mentioning black metal would probably gave our elitists a heart attack, but even if CELESTE doesn't belong to this stupid inner circle, they are able to create sticky and dark parts worthy of any actual black metal release, if not worthier. The vocals are medium screams and they can hardly be belonging to hardcore or black metal exclusively as they fit both style in my opinion. The French lyrics would also please any worshipper of Lautreamont by their sick and sadisitc side.
On a rhythm matter, CELESTE has more in common with the hardcore or sludge style, it's mostly mid tempo parts, sometimes double bass drums, slow parts and even if that fits to the whole mood of the album there is a certain violence, but a psychological one than a physical. And to avoid deception about it you can download this album on the label's webpage, so at least you can't be too much disappointed.
Contact: http://www.denovali.com/ order@denovali.com
http://www.myspace.com/unhiverdeplus

DISCOSHIT / DISLAYNÖM split 2009 review

DISCOSHIT (Indonesia) / DISLAYNÖM (France) – Split
Split CDR 2009 – La Topographie des Erreurs
10 tracks - 18'43
Rated: 2/10 – 0,5/10
Here's is one of the first release by this young DIY label ready to offer you the most marginal stuff ever and let's star with Indonesian DISCOSHIT and their awful thrash/punk metal. If the music is tight rhythmically, one can't say the same thing about the instruments and especially the guitars (the bass probably was fucked up during the mix, or the guy was too drunk to record his basslines, who knows...) because they sound terribly wrong as if the guys didn't tuned them. What people know about melody and harmony is blasphemed here due to tuning problem. The solos, leads and harmonies would make a goat puke its guts through its ass, it's just unbearable. Imagine a wasted version of VENOM and you're probably far from the truth about this band's non-potential.
DISLAYNÖM shall be probably proud to give its contribution to the UG but UG isn't synonym of garbage. I got this impression with DISLAYNÖM and their noisy stuff with bass guitar, fake drums and above this, the shouted and horrible vocals. Luckily, their part of the split is short and my torture ends quickly. I can't give you any comparison coz DISLAYNÖM plays nonsense shit to me, probably it could please the most crack-addict punk out there but I don't think they read my rag which is the wrong publication for this kind of crap.
Contact anf hatemail: dislaynom@live.fr

EMBALMED SOULS Six rites of possession demo 2009 Review

EMBALMED SOULS (Brazil) – Six rites of possession
Demo 2009 – Self released
11 tracks - 57'54
Rated: 7/10
EMBALMED SOULS the death metal band that plays with their souls without thinking about what others say. Created in 1990, the band slowly and quietly do what they will, defending a certain idea of what is their own death metal. Here you have 6 new tracks (+5 tracks from their good demo 2005 « The Temple of bizarre cult » that I can only but recommend) recorded in their rehearsal room. When talking about rehearsal recordings people usually have a forced smile thinking the sound may be crappy. Surely the sound on « Six rites... » isn't the most perfect but that is merely acceptable. It's a bit crude with some feedback here and there but that definitely gives an idea of what the band is able. If you already know the band before you'll be pleased to hear they still play their occult old school death metal with haunting and dark melodies. I always enjoy their slow parts not far from death/doom metal reminding stuff like early KATATONIA or GOREMENT. But they don't forget to play more extreme parts, always in the old school way, with an early GRAVE touch and the usual low guttural vocals. If you like their previous recordings, this one is for you.
Contact: Paulo – Caixa Postal 8062 – Sudoeste Brasilia – DF 70 673 970 – BRAZIL
souls666@terra.com.br embalmedsouls@gmail.com

KRUPSKAYA / BLACK SISTER split EP 2009 review

KRUPSKAYA (UK) / BLACK SISTER (Scotland) – Thrash until you puke
Split EP 2009 – Ignore This / Problem? Records
3 tracks
Rated: 5/10 - 6/10
I'm not familiar with KRUPSKAYA (whose name comes from Lenin's wife Nadezhda Krupskaya) which usually performs a kind of psychotic grindcore, and who here pays tribute to KREATOR's « Flag of hate ». Musically that's a pretty good restitution of the original (where is the fucking solo?), except that the vocals are in the KRUPSKAYA style: screaming sick vocals, but that's ok if you can bear this kind of vocals. Nothing astonishing but it allows me to discover KRUPSKAYA's music, intriguing band, I shall check more about them.
BLACK SISTER is not unknow to you if you regularly the previous issue of PEZ. BLACK SISTER still got a thrash metal basis but always had a vile pleasure to mix it with punk, hardcore or whatever they feel the will to puzzle or piss you off! They offer a new thrash metal track with a cool lead (heavy metal is the law!) but it's damn short! They also pay tribute to a German legend but they chose SODOM and their « Ausgebombt », it's well played, close to the original (and they play the guitar solo here ;).
A cool split EP for vynil eaters but that's not mandatory and certainly not the best stuff to discover these two bands.
Contact:
http://www.myspace.com/problemrecordsuk
dirty_little_punk@hotmail.com

THE BOTTLE DOOM LAZY BAND Blood for the bloodking Review

THE BOTTLE DOOM LAZY BAND (France) – Blood for the Bloodking
CD 2008 – Emanes Mëtal Records
7 tracks - 47'06
Rated: 7,5/10
The French doomsters return with their first album. The band despite its many line-up changes, keep on its slow ascension towards the throne of doom metal, heavier than ever with a massive sound (Echoes Studio). TBDLB reached another step and offers a more mature music where the bass guitar got an important place, when lead guitars appear here and there.
The first CATHEDRAL is still the milestone, as well as BLACK SABBATH and its bastard son PENTAGRAM. The music gets darker and even has a melancholic touch (not depressive shit) but something nice though. It immediately reminds me the approach of a band like RUNEMAGICK.
BottleBen vocals kept the way they were on the demo, but are more mastered (no more compliments coz' I know he doesn't give a shit about that!); still a mix between singing and declaiming (Father BottleBen, pray for us!). The vocals are here used parcimoniously, as there are instrumental tracks, here vocals are used as an instrument. It's why you get a track with vocals, then an instrumental, then another tracks with vocals, and so on... This build a kind of funeral in several parts, quite a good idea, even if at the end you only got 4 tracks with vocals, it makes « Blood for the Bloodking » an enjoyable album without being boring like a REVEREND BIZARRE release with more than hour of doom preaching.
A first convincing release showing TBDLB has at least something to say about doom metal with a band like RISING DUST. Better get the LP version for a different but darker artwork.
Contact: emanesmetalrecords@orange.fr
http://www.myspace.com/thebottledoomlazyband

GRAVES OF VALOR Salarian gate Review

GRAVES OF VALOR (US) – Salarian gate
CD 2009 – Relapse Records
11 tracks - 35'33
Rated: 4/10
Never heard of this band before, the info behind the CD says these guys are ex-THROUGH THE EYES OF THE DEAD, never heard of them either, but a wind of suspicion blows. The label put forward many shining statements (what won't they do to sell their bands?), for fans of C.CORPSE, BEHEMOTH, DYING FETUS, BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, ... is written, hu?
I put the CD in the player and woaw! I was really impressed! GRAVES OF VALOR are brutal, they can play fast, the sound is like a full-speed train smashing your body, they are competent with their instruments... You guess well, this is brutal deathcore the US way, and no, they have nothing in common with C.CORPSE or DEICIDE. They belong to this wave of deathcore I don't really know and I don't want to. The obvious influence is the AT THE GATES way of playing guitar harmonies for the melodic touch, apart from this, they can remind NEURAXIS or ABORTED (during their deathcore period). Not that it's badly played, I just don't feel anything while listening to GRAVES OF VALOR, I just don't feel concerned by this sterile music. There are no mood, dark vibe or anything malignant. Next please!
http://www.myspace.com/fromgravesofvalor

TRIMEGISTO Subterranean streams Review

TRIMEGISTO (Chile) – Subterranean streams
CD 2008 – Obscure Domain
9 tracks - 39'23
Rated: 7,5/10
Another spawn from the Chilean death metal mafia with names like THORNAFIRE, SHEOLGENNA, DOMINUS XUL and MELEKTAUS, some members of TRIMEGISTO also play or have played in the bands previously mentioned. Something good with a band like TRIMEGISTO is that they know how to play death metal with a dark mood. Of course, there's nothing outstanding coz they didn't create something new neither reach inhuman speed nor reinvent guitar scales, or whatever...
TRIMEGISTO « simply » unleashes some occult death metal the old school and obscure way. Their roots surely came from the old masters like IMMOLATION, INCANTATION, INFAMY for the way they create evil riffs, but they also add guitar leads and harmonies typical from heavy metal and it helps to create dark and esoterical atmospheres, a bit like PESTILENCE did on « Testimony... » or ESQARIAL on their first album. They also have this occult vibe like the Ancient Ones worship reminding the brazialian band SANCTIFIER.
The album loses a bit of catchiness sometimes but that's a serious and solid death metal release for anyone into exotical or dark death metal with skillful musicians.
Contact: http://www.obscuredomain.com/
Hacker – Grosser Buechel 6 – 53619 RHEINBREITBACH – GERMANY
http://myspace.com/trimegisto