6. As Eternity Fades 03:22 7. Spawn Of The Depths 03:06 8. Dagda - His Time Has Come 02:46 9. D.T's (Instrumental) 02:58 10. Degeneration 03:09 11. Elegy For The Damned (Outro) 01:18
The buried Ancestral curse , suspended perversity and an epitaph of grotesque past.. The Era Of Tribulation!
Veteran Doom/Death Legions of India, DYING EMBRACE's Discography/Compilation CD regurgitates the anatomical existence of this monstrous entity, lurking in the dark underground for nearly two decades, rejecting everything mainstream, denying to bring forth any changes in what they believe in or what they like to play and provoking the charm of true flame of underground music among maniacs. DYING EMBRACE was initially formed as MISANTHROPE as early as in 1991, heavily doused in musical influences from likes of Black Sabbath, Candlemass, Autopsy, Paradise Lost etc. Later the band changed its moniker to DYING EMBRACE after departure of the former vocalist. This Compilation is the testimony or showcase of this legendary band's work of art buried under the grave of time.
Era of Tribulation conjures up the tracks from 'Misanthrope' EP, 'Grotesque Tape' EP, 'Serenades of Depravity' MCD and 'Dying Embrace' Demo, a myriad of morbid tunes collected through out the entire career of the band. Bearing the sensibilities of blues and classic heavy metal, DYING EMBRACE's music is filthy, aural, diabolic and almost hypnotic. Blending the elements of doom spew forth the eerie, spectral and enthralling qualities. The riffs are crafted as if they are like revenants witnessing the horror in a dark alley. JIMMY PALKHIVALA, A legend in every right, needs no introduction in the underground. A maestro that he is, can evoke the most bizarre and captivating sense with every riff he writes. For example, 'Blood Rites', from 'Misanthrope' EP, would take you to an alternate state of mind, subtle, stark and gruesome. The songs are written considering the extreme fluidity and emotions. Nothing seems like they are forced upon. Everything flows like a stream producing swarming emotions and titillating our dark psyche. Listen to songs like 'Grotesque Entity' or 'Oremus Diabolum', or say 'Cromolech of Hate' to realize the band's impeccable standard in song writing. Riffs are provocative, sensual and like a razor it cuts you deep. Where the lead works would again rejuvenate and reconstruct you into your mortal form. Vocals, the less said, the better it is, Trademark vomits by VIKRAM BHAT. Uniquely textured, ugly to its core, gruesome gutturals that you really never heard before, absolutely inhumane and creature-like . And you know what, there is no effect involved here as he sounds equally gruesome and savage live, I was going through the lyrics and to my astonishment I found, he utters ever single word of the lyrics yet maintains that ghastly growls that can scare the shit out of you. Check out songs like 'Dagda - His Time Has Come' or 'Degeneration', from 'Serenades of Depravity' MCD to witness some of the best vocal productions ever. A regurgitation of phlegm infested eternity, That's how I would describe Vikram's unique singing style that sits perfectly on the doom laden riffs master crafted by Jimmy. DANIEL MARC DAVID's thick, unpredictable, filling drum line provides a perfect skeleton to each songs, not too overwhelming, just perfectly weighed. It reminds me a lot like Reifert Vibe going on, specially on the tracks like 'Blood Rites' or 'As Eternity Fades'. Bass work by JAI KUMAR does everything required for all the songs, heaviness, eeriness atmosphere and some goosebumps. 'Oremus Diabolum' sounds crushing, heavy and absolutely spooky. Its like Sabbath meeting Winter or Autopsy. Lyrically DYING EMBRACE reflects on darker aspects and themes, occult, mythologies, suffering or sorrow, suspended trauma of mankind. Excellent lyrics, not only give perfect message to scream about to the audience but also showcase the poet within. DYING EMBRACE surely summons a morbid imagery and offers great lyrical arena that absolutely befits such heavy music. And the artwork, which in one word, is sick. It is done by artisan of death, Zizi Amri and does every justice to the musical materials and the ERA OF TRIBULATION Shirts. This is an incredibly coveted ARMEE DE LA MORT RECORDS release, run by SHAXUL of MANZER(France) who also runs LEGION OF DEATH RECORDS. SHAXUL left no stone unturnedwith this release, from in lay work, which he designed himself, the jewel box to the paper which looks very chic, vintage and is expensive. Everything is fantastic.
This is 'The' perfect discovery, flawless in every aspect. Every song has stood the test of time. Steeped in nostalgia and old world charm, DYING EMBRACE's ERA OF TRIBULATION is 'The' Triumph of Death and a 'must have' possession for any self respecting Metalhead and everyone who values arts and believes in purchasing original music. This is one serious piece of art from the dark abyss from a band that kept the flag of Indian Metal flying high in International Underground.
Sri Lanka, a land shrouded by political warfare, oppression and inter-racial hatred would be ideal breeding grounds for the birth of bands
following similar lyrical themes and a similar approach to their music.
However, Genocide Shrines, hailing from the capital city of Colombo,
have little but no hints of such influences in their music or lyrics and
pursue a much darker and more primitive approach to their music, the other sides of primordial Sri Lankan ancestry and the wages of muted grudge manifested for defeated eternities, from fearsome and heroic Ravanakult and all
of their blasphemous vomits are compiled to give birth to their monstrous debut EP
‘Devanation Monumentemples'.
Furious, ritualistic Black/Death Metal spat out with tantric
animosity and unearthly desires, an apotheosis of the mighty king whom even Lord Shiva praised and adored, who once ruled the land and his terror is still unforgotten, Genocide Shrines, comprising of
Tridenterroccult, BlasphemousWarGoat, NarkotikPerversor and Khaoshiva,
perform a unique blend of black metal and death metal with earnest
emphasis on providing total chaos. Heavily distorted razor-like riffs,
steam-rolling drums, sinister bass-lines and atrocious vocals,
that would recreate a sense of getting drowned in a primal sea of black chaos. The vocals appear like the incoming turbulent waves on the shore, ravaging, sometimes dominant, some absolutely tidal but never submissive. Deep Gutturals are superbly complemented with those blood-chilling echoed and highly reverbed shrieks creating a multidimensional and aural sonic landscape. The
production is an added bonus as all the instruments are audible while
managing to sound “raw” at the same time which trust me is not an easy task to perform. Like, if you listen to similar releases in past, one of the remarkable releases has been 'Seven Chalices' by Teitanblood of Spain. That album created an absolutely terrifying sonic impression. Almost flawless record in every account except the drums in the mix, which was too buried under the guitar distortions and vocals. But in this case of 'Devanation Monumentemples" the drums are perfectly mixed, giving the riffs enough support and structures.
The addition of an
intro, interlude and an outro(Each called a Pillar) add a better dimension to this EP and
enhances the listening experience. Personally I loved the 'Submission' Pillar II, which somehow sounded like a clipping from a movie but it definitely added a kind of contrast or juxtaposition to the music. Even though all the tracks here are
stellar, ‘Nectars of Tantric Murder’ and ‘Apparitions of Spiritual
Obliteration’ stand out from the rest, in my opinion, And if you want to sample pure black flame of chaos of Lord Shiva, you must check out Shivatandavaiolence, which would slowly evolve into true fucking terrifying state of tandava after 1:55 minutes. The end riff of ‘Apparitions of Spiritual
Obliteration’ is as memorable and deadly as the infamously infectious 'In the Grip of Winter' riff of Autopsy from Mental Funeral.
Lyrically the band had done really appropriate to their absolutely indoctrinating theme and penchant for spiritual warfare. Deeply rooted in eastern esoteric darkness, Genocide Shrines penned some of the most provocative, igniting and liberating war poetry that would not hesitate a bit to glorify death, chaos, holocaustic wrath and apocalypse, very much like they already said before, 'In his(Raavan) name, We desecrate'.
Genocide Shrines have carved
out a perfect sound of their own with their below-20 minute EP and I have to say
that ‘Devanation Monumentemples’ is becoming one of my favorite EP’s
the more I listen to it. Putrid Ascendancy already mentioned of this EP in its list of 2012's best releases and do consider Genocide Shrines are the best break-through band of 2012.
A very special mention goes ‘Cyclopean Eye Productions’, an Indian Record Label with eyes set on true talents in the underground, for signing this very talented group of musicians and giving them the right opportunity, promotion and platform. I am sure it would be a great feeling for the label now seeing their debut release making it to list of "Best of 2012", internationally.
Genocide Shrines's work in this EP could be compared to the western standards set by prolific acts like Archgoat, Proclamation or Teitanblood. With endless of
blessings from Raavan, Genocide Shrines are surely here to annihilate with no mercy and
could be depended upon to produce more captivating violent slabs of occult Death Metal in the future and what I just heard is that they are already on their first full length that would be released in coming months for mass obliteration.
This solid,
mature and aggressive release from these Sri Lankan blasphemers should
not be missed by metal maniacs out there who worship true bestial black metal
or old school death metal.
DECEASED, needs no introduction. Truly a pioneering underground force to reckon with and one of the most influential extreme metal acts in our list. Along with bands like Exmortis, Revenant, Ripping Corpse, Goreaphobia, Death Strike/Master, Dr. Shrinker Etc, Deceased churned out some of the menacingly extreme, extreme music that survived the test of fading time; Recently we had an honour to get in touch with 'One and Only - Kingsley King Fowley' and we cant express the magnitude of our happiness enough to be able to speak with one of the most inspiring figures in the extreme underground. Putrid Ascendancy extends the hands of immense gratitude to Mr. King Fowley for his time and this interview!
PA: Let us begin with hearing a couple of words about Deceased, what would you like to tell us?
KF:CHEERS! Well here it is 2012 December. Band’s about to enter its 28th
year together. A new album is in the works and we’re about to go out on
an American tour as well. Very happy and pleased to still be hard at
work in a band that means everything to me.
PA: being a band
from the 80's and starting off with a very primitive and old school
sound earlier, how would you shed light on the influences which helped
you in shaping us such a tight sound for Deceased ?
KF: We’ve
grown up through it all. We’ve learned to play our gear and with that
the proper adding and subtracting has come to the forefront. We’ve
always played with the fast and thrash ideas as well as the heavy metal
melodies too. We’re just able to do more now due to learning to
write/create songs and all that come with it. I’ve shaped my voice into
how I enjoy singing for Deceased. It’s come a long way too! The band is a
fine tuned machine these days!!!
PA: As your lyrical themes tell
us about zombies and classic works of horror from 'The Twilight Zone'
and of Edgar Allan Poe, what in particular compelled you towards that
theme and how do you frame it so well in terms of creating music with?
KF: It’s fitting to what this band is all about. We’ve always gone for
morbid topics and ‘fitting’ themes to our sound. I have many things I
love from the horror genre. From written works to film to fiction ideas
in my mind. Even nonfiction horrors are a part of it. This was very
prominent on the ‘Surreal Overdose’ record.
PA: We would like to
know from you, about the sound of Deceased. How is it different now
compared to the earlier sound? Please tell us how the sound had evolved over
years and how significant do you find this change?
KF: We were
young and on drugs and just teens. We wanted to turn the amps all the
way up play the fastest tempos and just be ugly raw and aggressive. We
learned dynamics to make those fast parts stand out more in time. We
learned how to keep guitar solos in key. We learned to layer vocals and
to layer guitar ideas. All this to us is very fun and a dream to grow
into better song writers. Only time and trial and error can get you
there. We still love the turn it up and go for it attitude and we surely
haven’t ‘mellowed’ with age either. It’s all still there just in a more
professional package overall.
PA: Do you prefer using ‘Vintage Gear' or Analog Technology for the construction of your music. If yes, tell us more about it?
KF: We use what’s fitting to us. We still just buy our guitar heads and
cabs and go for it on that ideal. We’re not much for ‘today's sounds’ in
gear. Classic sounds are stuck in our heads and I’m sure always will be.
When it comes tr recording we dabble in technology now and then but
most of the time we don’t like what it brings so we abandon it.
PA: Please name a couple of Heavy Metal bands which you love and never forget to listen to?
KF: Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath, Voivod are 3 of our main metal influences and always will be.
PA: We would like to know about the metal scene in Virginia presently,
tell us about the local bands and upcoming metal bands from there?
KF: I don’t live in Virginia for over 7 years now but when I visit and we
practice nearby in Washington d.c area (only Mike lives in Virginia
there these days) I don’t see much. The music scene is pretty beat down
there. Used to have a damn good scene and we’d be the band to promote it
all and set up shows. It seems the music down that way is pretty low
key and not really moving up.
PA: Any recent tours out of U.S? Are you working on a new Deceased release, is it going to be a
full-length? Name some places, festivals you like to tour and why? Also
tell us about about new venues you'd like to play at or places, that
Deceased is planning to visit in future?
KF: We are going to do a
U.S tour in march going west coast and in between some too. A new LPs is
in the works. It’s called ‘Ghostly White’ and it’ll be put out on Hell’s
Headbangers records. We hope by 2013 end to have it out. I love playing
anywhere big or small! All shows are a good time with us. We just love
to set up and have a blast. We’d love to get to Europe in 2014 and do a
full European tour. That’s next on our ‘things to do’ list!!!
PA: Which Deceased album would you give an aesthetic importance and why ? What in your opinion are the important aspects of producing a proper
and complete metal record?
KF: I think all we’ve done is
important in our growth. Many consider ‘Fearless Undead Machines’ as our
best. I’m more into the sound and style of ‘Supernatural Addiction’
this is my fave Deceased record. It all comes together just right to me
on that one. To make a complete record first off you need good songs.
Memorable and with substance and variation! You need to take your time
and do it right. Hurrying really never does a lot of good to anything.
And if its of standard in time it might be considered a classic to the
heavy metal world. I’m from the school that if as an artist I enjoy the
finished product then I’m satisfied for all time!
PA: What do
you have to say about trendy, posing genres like Death core and
Metalcore?How much has it helped the 'Metal Scene' all around the world?
KF: Music is music. There would be many fools and trend jumpers. I ignore
it the best I can and that’s all you can do. Be strong at what you do
and don’t let that stupidity slow down your dreams in the music field.
The strong will survive!
PA: What is your call on Grindcore? Name
the bands you are fond of and you support, in that genre.Also tell us
how bands like Dead Kennedys and the rest of the hardcore punk bands
help give Deceased the rawness to its sound?
KF: I love a lot of
hardcore from the old days and punk from the Ramoners to
Plasmatics,Dk’s, Mdc, English Dogs, The Accused etc. These bands have a
good raw angle and it really added to the vibe we are a part of.
Grindcore is cool if the drummer can keep up and the riffs are
ferocious. Bands like Repulsion are amazing.
PA: How do you differentiate the American Metal Scene to that of the Europe? What is
the dissonance you find in European Metal compared to the rest of the
world?
KF: Well its so interchanged these days most of it matches
up now on all shores. But younger I noticed the Europeans had a lot of
musical ideas from guitar harmonies and a lot of melody that America had
to catch up on. They kept the heavy edge and still made viable intense
metal music.
PA: What in your terms is called a 'real establishment' for a
metal band? How important is Deceased to you and the others in the
band?
KF: I live for the band. It is my life. To speak for the
other guys they love doing what we do and even though we’re in our 40s
now still find time to make it all happen. We know when time comes to
write new material that we won’t rush or shit it out. We will do it with
the love and care we give our songs we create. We don’t believe in half
ass and we wont ever fall into that.
PA: What is the amount of
time you spend with Deceased and what impact does it lay on you at the
end of the day? What is Deceased other than just being music to you?
Tell us about your involvement in the band?
KF: Oh every day is
about the band. From booking shows to setting up jams to making shirts
to talking to folks who support us like yourself. My involvement is the
‘leader’ of the band. The guys know I’m always in the best interest of
the band. It’s what I do and what ill always do. It’s my life. Music is
my wife!!
PA: What good news about Deceased do you want to share with us so we cherish it on its name?
KF: We’re still doing our thing! We’ve never swayed or faltered. On we go!
Proud to be 100% still ourselves all these years later!~!!
PA: Its a tradition of Putrid Ascendancy to ask you to name 5 of your favorite metal albums of all time.go ahead.......
KF: Sure some albums I live for, Black Sabbath ‘Mob Rules’, Voivod ‘Killing
Technology’, Jag Panzer ‘Ample Destruction’, Y&T ‘Mean Streak’ and
Whiplash ‘Power and Pain’ are 5 of them! All classics in every sense to
me.
PA: It was a pleasure! We wish you great success with your career and
future; and the best of wishes to Deceased. So lastly, what message do you
want to send out to your fans?
KF: Thanks to all for reading and the
support. Wishing everyone well over the holidays 2012. Be yourself and
stay wild! UP THE TOMBSTONES!!!!! Hails and greetings!
3 - Sacred Warfare 4 - Idol Of The Blinds 5 - Not A Step Back (Order No. 227)
Total Playing Time - 15 Minutes
Thrash is not a very easy genre to make a mark in. One can argue that
all the major innovations in the style were done in the 80's, the
decade that gave birth to the genre. However true that may be, it must
be stated that thrash in the modern day is a genre that is full of
copy-cats that lack originality and just want to do the same thing that
the next band is doing. To put it bluntly, most thrash bands just look
the same and sound the same. In fact, the most unfortunate thing is that
I can pick a random band from Spain and pair them up with a band from
Canada, and they could have both been from the same den in the west
coast of the USA.
Nuclear Winter are not just another ripple in
the endless stream, however. Right from the outset, the band
differentiate themselves with their dark sounding, gritty production
that manages to be clean at the same time. The guitar tone bursts out
the gates like a battering ram, crashing into everything and beating the
opposition into submission, while the drumming provides a constant
barrage of bullets to aid the assault. The bass has a healthy clunky
tone that is a bit behind in the mix but is not without its own presence
as it adds another layer of heaviness to the overall mix, and helping
create the ultimate aura of endless warfare taking place before our very
eyes.. or ears, in this case. Speaking of war, the vocal performance by
Reza is akin to a general barking orders from the trenches, but never
hesitating to fire some rounds himself.
The music is played out
at breakneck tempos throughout, sometimes giving way for a mid-tempo
approach, but never ever slowing down. The riffage leads the way
forward, armed with the great tone as mentioned earlier, with the tight
rhythm section giving the aggression a contained and compacted feel. The overall
effect is devastating, when the sounds of war break through your
speakers. In the midst of all this high speed metal madness, a guitar
solo drops in and makes its presence known every now and then to keep
this Bangla blitzkrieg marching forward. It is really something to
behold, and if you don't sing along to the choruses when you witness
this band live... you shouldn't be at the gig in the first place. I know
I will personally go apefuckingshit when I some day am blessed enough
to see them live.
The songs are all well balanced. The first
track, the promo single, starts off in crushing fashion and eventually
leads way to the band's trademark fast tempos and barking vocal style.
Father Of All Bombs is a short but sweet effort clocking in around two
minutes with some interesting riffage and an addictive chorus section.
This song will have you guzzling beer can after beer can while smashing
your heads against the stage. The next two songs – Sacred Warfare, and
Idol of the Blinds – are notably more nefarious in nature, with some
harsher vocal styles on display as well as some riffs that wouldn't be
out of place on a death/thrash song. These two songs make it clear to
the listener that this band brings variety to the table as well, before
the EP finally closes off with a sick crossover influenced track in Not A
Step Back (Order No. 227). This last one finishes as soon as it begins,
leaving behind a mass of collateral damage in its wake.
Musically,
you would be pretty ill-informed to claim that this band is a Sodom
worship band just after reading their name. Their influences upon the
initial listenings, vary from the aforementioned German thrash masters
to acts such as Destruction, Exodus, Sacred Reich, Sacrifice and Morbid
Saint. However they are not any generic retro-homage to 80's acts. At
the end of the day, Nuclear Winter just provide an eclectic mix of
elements of their favorite bands, and manage to create their own sound
in the process.
Death by Dawn is a very overlooked band in the thrash death genre
leaning closer to thrash. With vocals by Martin Van Drunen we all know
that part is well taken care of. the music is not his normal forte
except maybe Comecon stuffs. the production is pretty raw and the album
is equally as comparable to their demos, earlier and later. I hear a bit
of punk and hardcore influences at times as well. When I listen to this
album I wonder how something so fucking awesome could be so overlooked,
especially with the caliber of musicians and vocals. STF was a
relatively small label so I am thinking they might have not pressed many
but its a shame. any fans of thrash/death in the vein of Comecon or
Pestilence.
The nicotine lobby is by far my favorite track on
the album just because of the brutal beginning and the vocals. there
isn't a bad song on the album and if you haven't heard this you are
missing a very solid album. I do not do in depth reviews or embellish as
I leave that for you to decide.this is basically just to get your
attention to listen to a very fucking good album you might not know
about.
When exploring the subterranean realms
of the genre we call “death metal” one finds a lot of gems, most of
them unpolished and likely never to see the light of day. Indeed, these
realms are inhabited by a loyal, chosen few who are dedicated to the
finding of such gems, searching the caverns for whatever they can find.
Albums, LP's, EP's, demos, live recording, splits. Everything goes. One
of the most populated caves within this unholy underground land is that
of Swedish Death Metal. Anyone with a basic knowledge of Old School
Death Metal knows what Sweden is all about. Gut ripping chainsaw guitar
tones, primitive neanderthal vocal deliveries, beastly animal like
drumming, gurgling distorted bass-lines all blend in together seamlessly
and deliver a type of death metal that is so simple, yet so addictive.
Technicality is shunned for pure brutality. And with this we come to one
of the many gems of Swedish Death Metal – Altar's No Flesh Shall Be
Spared demo.
Entering the fray in 1991, this demo differs a bit
from its counterparts and their interpretation of the style, while being
completely within the confines of Swedish Death Metal. The chunky,
Baphomet-esque riffs hack away at your limbs with utmost glee, as the
demo lives up to its promise of not sparing any flesh. Baphomet is not
the only reference point for this mind you, Bolt Thrower and Autopsy
influences collide in equal parts and the result is some
headbang-friendly compositional randomness – inherently present,
however, in most if not all Swedeath. The drumwork smoothly transitions
from grooves to blasts to d-beats to crushing double bass assaults,
sometimes giving you a different beat than what you would expect on a
riff that further gives the band a feel of its own independent of other
Swedeath bands. Everything is here, the bass provides the low end as
expected and the icing on the cake if of course the ghastly vocal
delivery ultimately ensures that every moment is just quite simply
downright fun as fuck, and disgustingly filthy at the same time – it's
like watching a group of girls have a mudfight.
In terms of
production, this is pretty solid for what is supposedly a demo. The
clarity here stands at contrast with other demos of the time, which
gives it an even more crushing vibe. The classic Swedeath demo murkiness
remains a standpoint of the production though the chainsaw sound is
lacking, instead containing more of a British – Benediction, Bolt
Thrower – type rounded and thick guitar tone. Though, there is nothing
wrong with that! Overall this is how DM is supposed to sound. Like
something out of a classic horror flick, not something out of someone's
arse - which is how most modern death metal production sounds like to be
fairly honest, a mass congregation of farts intermingling with each
other and creating one massive uber-fart.... but that is another story.
My only gripe with the production is that the snare sound becomes a bit
annoying at times but for a demo it's very cool how the mixing is done
in a way that makes everything very clear.
There's not a whole of
negatives here in all honesty. They seemed about ready to release an
album – a badass one at that. However, compositionally they don't come
off as being as mature as Entombed or Grave – they seem more interested
in delivering one headbanging riff after another and being as
unpredictable as possible than following any strict way of doing things.
However it becomes clear after a few listens that they at the time
pershaps were lacking the maturity to piece all the ingredients
together. None of the songs on the demo are instantly memorable, though
they do grab your attention and make you want to give it spin after spin
until the songs are embedded inside your brain. But as I have stated
before, this is massively fun stuff. Recommended for fans of Swedish
Death Metal and also fans of Baphomet and Bolt Thrower. 8/ 10 ! I envy
anyone who saw this band live back in the day.
Hails! Team: Putrid Ascendancy Note: This compilation is for promotional purpose for extreme black and death metal. PA encourages listeners to buy original music if audiences like anything compiled in this album.