In their endless quest to push and support current underground acts that perpetuate the odor of vintage death metal, Memento Mori are extremely thrilled to announce a new signing: Obscurial, from Malaysia.
Obscurial is one of the most promising, up-and-coming death metal bands from Asia, being spawned in the sewers of K-Hell (Kuala Lumpur) back in 2019 and breaking into the local underground scene with Exaltation, their debut 2020 demo. Funeral, Burial and Rites, the band’s opera prima in full-length format, was self-released in December 2021, helping them obtain more recognition and following in the underground death metal community. Obscurial‘s approach to timeless death metal includes gut-wrenching riffs, somber melodies, and a dismal atmosphere influenced by the likes of Brain Dead, Grave Miasma, Morbid Angel, Bloodbath, Incantation, Dismember, Deicide, Grave, and Soulside Journey-era Darkthrone.
Memento Mori will unleash the CD version of their second full-length during the first half of 2024. Further details to follow in the coming months. For more info, consult the links below.
On March 24th internationally, Dying Victims Productions will release Hellcrash’s highly anticipated second album, Demonic Assassination, on CD, vinyl LP, and cassette tape formats. And today, we premiere the new track “Okkvlthammer.” Hear Hellcrash’s “Okkvlthammer” in its entirety here:
Despite forming in 2013 and a couple demos and a split over those first few years, it wasn’t until Hellcrash’s debut album, Krvcifix Invertör, where the band started to make a dark name for itself. Released on vinyl by Dying Victims in 2021, Krvcifix Invertör proved Hellcrash were a power-trio in the grand tradition of domestic legends Bulldozer, brewing a similarly sleazy (and EVIL) style of speed metal. Simple but sublime it was, and diehards definitely took notice.
Now, two years later, arrives Hellcrash’s second album, Demonic Assassination. On first glance (and especially THAT COVER), it would seem that Hellcrash are sticking to their guns, sowing the same seeds as earliest Slayer, Venom, and of course Bulldozer. Peer deeper and this latest expurse of sodomy shows that there’s more – much more – to Hellcrash’s cauldron. Immediately, their attack’s more refined here: some would call it “cleaning up,” but the fine-tuning of songcraft and polishing of production have paid off in spades across Demonic Assassination. As such, there’s far more variation in that songcraft – sometimes more speed metal, other times more thrash, or even metalpunk before it was such a thing, often all in the same song – and Hellcrash ably finesse this transition with tighter execution that, thankfully, doesn’t sacrifice an ounce of energy. In fact, if there’s on guiding aspect here, it’s energy: while Hellcrash sometimes seem on the verge of self-combustion, so juiced-up is their rollercoaster sound, it all spills over into the listener as a celebration of filth, fury, and FUN. Could this be their The Final Separation? Perhaps…
Still sick, still sleazy, and definitely still crude & rude, Hellcrash are firing on ALL cylinders here, and not just the old ones. So, while the aforementioned references still apply, Demonic Assassination is equally recommended for maniacs of later GBH, Carnivore, Warfare, Crumbsuckers, and contemporaries Children of Technology.
Aforementioned cover and tracklisting are as follows:
Tracklisting for Hellcrash’s Demonic Assassination 1. Intro 2. Volcanic Outburst 3. Okkvlthammer 4. Satan’s Crypt 5. Usurper of Hell 6. Abyss of Lucifer 7. Serpent Skullfuck 8. Finit Hic Deo 9. Graveripper 10. Demonic Assassinatiön 11. Outro
Today, American death metallers Obscene announce tour dates for this spring. The tour will encompass the American Midwest and East Coast, and joining Obscene will be Molder. Full list of dates as well as poster art are as follows: 3/31 – Chicago, IL @ Reggies 4/1 – Youngstown, OH @ Westside Bowl 4/2 Philadelphia, PA @ Kung Fu Necktie 4/3 – Cambridge, MA @ Middle East 4/4 – Brooklyn, NY @ Saint Vitus 4/5 – Washington, DC @ DC Hell 4/6 – Cleveland, OH @ No Class 4/7 – Detroit, MI @ Outer Limits Lounge 4/8 – Indianapolis, IN @ Black Circle
Conjured in 2016, Obscene are a death metal quartet from Indianapolis, Indiana. Following their Sermon to the Snake demo in late 2017, they quickly caught the attention of Sweden’s Blood Harvest, who reissued the demo on cassette and digital formats in early 2018. 2020 saw the release of Obscene‘s debut LP, The Inhabitable Dark. The record, earning year-end accolades from the likes of Zero Tolerance, Invisible Oranges, Grizzly Butts, Last Rites, etc. continues to garner praise of fans and critics internationally. 2020 prevented Obscene from performing live; in 2021, the band resurfaced for successful festival appearances at Tri State Terror and Full Terror Assault alongside acts such as Nunslaughter, Wraith, and Bat as well as a Chicago crusher with Skeletal Remains and Molder while resuming writing and recording …From Dead Horizon to Dead Horizon.
Now 2022 sees the release of that highly anticipated second album, ….From Dead Horizon to Dead Horizon. Recorded by engineer Noah Buchanan (Midnight, Nunslaughter) at Mercinary Studios and mastered by Dan Swano (Bloodbath, Hail of Bullets) at Unisound AB, the follow-up to the band’s critically acclaimed The Inhabitable Dark full-length is as bulldozingly devastating as it is infectious and memorable. Far and away their most surgical performance to date, …From Dead Horizon to Dead Horizon bursts at the seams with world-eating rhythms, barbaric riffs, and pained howls at the moon. Obscene don’t care about reinventing the wheel; rather, they opt to keep the faithful wheel turning. The album is suitably adorned with the cover art of Skadvaldur (Coffin Rot, Ripped to Shreds). Cover and tracklisting are as follows:
Tracklisting for Obscene (U.S.)’s …From Dead Horizon to Dead Horizon 1. From Dead Horizon 2. I Shall Drink the Earth’s Blood 3. Deathless Demigod 4. Faith Through Pain 5. Insensate Cruelty 6. The Burrowing Hiss 7. Shrew’s Nest 8. Children of the Static 9. Open Grave of a Forgotten Past 10. To Dead Horizon
Today, Shadow Kingdom Records announces the signing of legendary Cleveland speed/thrash metal band Destructor. A new album has been completed and will be ready to unleash in 2023. As usual, Shadow Kingdom will be doing all formats (vinyl, CD, cassette, t-shirt).
Destructor became an ’80s speed/thrash metal cult phenomenon with their cult-classic debut album, Maximum Destruction, from 1985. The album was raw and dirty, with a heavy dose of sinister riffs. The band back then was definitely listening to the evil sounds of Exciter, Metallica, Overkill, etc. They even shared the stage with these legendary bands – Anthrax, Slayer, and Megadeth among others – both opening up for them and headlining.
More news is going to follow regarding the new album on Shadow Kingdom, but we can tell you, without a doubt, that fans of Maximum Destruction will not be disappointed with this next offering. Almost 40 years since the debut and this band is still a relentless force of speed and destruction! For more info, consult the links below.
