Cerekloth - Pandemonium Prayers (2008)

Genre: Death Metal
Country: Denmark
Year: 2008

1. Pandemonium Prayers
2. Lunatic of God's Creation (Deicide cover)
3. Touch of the Scythe

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"What is it? What's going on?" ... "It's death." Right from the start, I knew this EP was going to slay. With an intro like that, you've got to prepare yourself for some hard-hitting, insane death metal, and that's exactly what you get with Cerekloth's debut EP.

I'm noticing some grindcore influences in this whiplashing style of death metal, notably the ferocity and unrelenting speed, coupled with several vocal types, ranging from the low guttural all the way up to the gurgling spitting of inaudible sacrilege. Everything is fast to the max on Pandemonium Prayers, and the only downside is that it ends too quickly! Only two original songs and a Deicide cover, but I'll take quality over quantity any day, and this appears to be something Cerekloth are good at.

The last song, "Touch of the Scythe" is probably my favorite and this EP's highlight. The intensity from the first song is present, except now with the addition of soloing, providing great contrast in that they're somewhat melodic and slowed down, considering the pace of the rest of the music. About halfway through, we're hit with a slower, doomy part and more melody; very powerful as it gives the EP an identity beyond your typical grind/death album. It even closes with a soft piano outro!

Bastard Priest - Merciless Insane Death (2008)

Genre: Punky Death Metal
Country: Sweden
Year: 2008

1. Under the Hammer of Destruction
2. From Beyond
3. Merciless Insane Death
4. Graveyard Sacrifice
5. En Hälsning Från Helvetet (Bombanfall cover)

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Metal Archives Rating: 100% (1 review)
Last.fm

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Bold name, I know, but Bastard Priest serves to assert the boldness behind their 2008 demo entitled Merciless Insane Death. Hailing from Sweden, "primitive" is probably the most appropriate descriptor for this style of music. These guys don't give two shits about technicality or making their music unique through experimentation; no, Bastard Priest has set out to record some of the most raw and filthy death metal of this decade!

There is nothing about this demo that won't kick your ass. Everything from the production to the soloing is wildly chaotic and out of control, pushing the envelope, and tearing a warpath through everything standing in its way. Pure aggression is king, especially in the crusty punkish vocals. Not so much growled, but more yelled, bumping up the overall intensity a few notches. Nicely complementing the vocals are the drums and guitars, both lightning fast--even the riffing seems unnaturally sped up at points like toward the end of the title track. Still, there's the occasional slowed-down part, most likely to give the listener a chance to catch his breath, but those never last long, and we're back up to full speed, maniac solos throwing jabs and hooks left and right, not letting up until you're lying bruised and bloodied on the ground.

Emotion. You just don't get death metal these days with this sort of heart and desire to make such mutilating music. I see a bright future for Bastard Priest; let us raise our glasses to them!

FUN FACT: Blog post #200!

Sinistrous Diabolus - Promo 2008 (2008)

Genre: Doom/Death Metal
Country: New Zealand
Year: 2008

1. Hollow Eyed
2. Necromantic
3. The Essence of Divinity Given to Abstractions of the Human Mind

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Risen from the ashes, Sinistrous Diabolus are back at it again, an entire 15 years after their release of Opus One. This is merely a promo and the tracks are considered "rough recordings" by the band, so hopefully this means we'll see something even better in the future!

Even if these tracks aren't completely mastered, you can tell right off the bat that nothing's changed in their hiatus. The first half of the first song "Hollow Eyed" morbidly depicts this with slow, droning funeral doom metal, then slowly erupts into a slightly faster-paced display of atmospheric, spacey death. Not much for vocals in this first song; we mostly get squeals, growls, and heavy, labored breathing, meshed with creepy keyboard overtones toward the end. This is the groundwork for awesomeness.

"Necromantic" is quickly becoming one of my favorite tunes, mainly for the sad, sorrowful, yet somehow lighthearted main riff/guitar lead. We first hear it at about 1:35, and I was instantly hooked. My only knock is that the song isn't long enough! This is a beautiful instrumental...

The final song is a great summation of the two previous songs, somewhat melodic, but also plodding and miserable. Still not much in terms of vocals, but for now, it's nearly perfect without 'em. I'm just amazed at how well this promo was structured, and I'm even more shocked at the potential for the next release by these New Zealanders. Holy shit. Wow. Recommended.

Odium - Decay (2008)

Genre: Melodic Doom/Death Metal
Country: Russia
Year: 2008

1. Decay
2. The Last Spring
3. Storm

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A relatively recent release, Odium have sprung up out of nowhere (read: Russia) with this incredibly well-polished demo of impressive melodic proportions. They've since changed their name to Inner Missing, and perhaps I'll throw their other EP up here sometime, but for now, I'm really into this one! Only three songs, but all fairly long and in-depth, displaying an artistic talent, full of life and energy. They've got a knack for coming up with infectious guitar leads and lethal melodies to keep the listener hooked all throughout

Cosmic Atrophy - Codex Incubo (2008)

Genre: Death Metal
Country: USA
Year: 2008

1. Prelude to Phantasmagoria
2. Consumed from Within the X-Zone
3. Shattering of Terrestrial Reality (Invasion of Aberration)
4. Cydonic Adulations
5. Doomed by the Cancer Domus
6. The Granfalloon
7. Adrift in the Lifeless Sea of Black

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Metal Archives Rating: 92% (3 reviews)
Last.fm

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Oh boy, where to start... Obviously influenced by Demilich, Cosmic Atrophy play a more modern style of Death Metal, with touches of technicality and old school obliteration. A very impressive album, both technically and structurally. I'm reminded all too much of Timeghoul in that "Codex Incubo" exudes a certain mystique and spacey sound. I can hear the Lovecraft and sci-fi not only through the vocals, but through the music itself. Full of shining guitar leads and an abundance of riffs, this is a very enjoyable listen. Each song is quite unique and, I've got to mention it again, brimming with riffs. The riffs are spectacular and inventive, further adding to the solidity of such a promising debut. Recommended!

Cretaceous - Demo 2008 (2008)

Genre: Crusty Death/Thrash/Dinosaur Metal
Country: USA
Year: 2008

1. Torn To Pieces
2. What Once Was...
3. Terror-Dactyl
4. Tsunami of Blood
5. Megalodon of the Dead

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Metal Archives
Last.fm

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Plain and simple, this is a fun release. And you heard me right... Dinosaur Metal! These guys sing about those ancient creatures, while adding in their own touch of old school deathy thrash chaos to make for a wild ride. Very fast-paced and with quick riffs that'll leave you nodding your head and tapping your foot along.

Oh, and I came across this recording many many months ago, but when I tried to search for them again, I had no luck, so you may as well download this here, as you won't be able to anywhere else! Enjoy!

Credits go to this guy at this blog in this post!

Miasmal - Miasmal (2008)

Genre: Death Metal
Country: Sweden
Year: 2008

1. Abduction of the Soul
2. Kallocain
3. Apocalypse Legion
4. Anima Sola

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Metal Archives Rating: 95% (1 review)
Last.fm

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Here we have a delightful piece of Swedish Death Metal, reminiscent of Carnage, Entombed, and Dismember. Yeah, this is good. All four tracks are filled with a fiery ferocity with good, clear, full-sounding production and cutting riffs. Quite the impressive first demo, truly showcasing their obvious talent. Keep an eye out; Miasmal is going places!