Season of Mist are proud to announce the signing of Polish atmospheric black metal band MISANTHUR.
MISANTHUR comment: “We are honored to announce our signing to Season of Mist and we’ll do our best to proudly represent the musical and artistic quality of SoM. It’s extremely exciting and motivating to be able to paint our ruined wasteland landscapes under wing of this eminent label. Our first full length prophecy shall come in 2019.”
The three prophets collected under the banner of MISANTHUR herald the fall and spiritual putridity of humanity by creating art resonating fully with pain, anxiety and degradation. Founded in Częstochowa, Poland in one night in 2015 by Hellscythe and Draugr, and after the joining of Dimin Bishop, MISANTHUR begun to take form.
Inspired by metal and non-metal genres, MISANTHUR merge trance percussion, earthbreaking bass, crushing guitars and hellish vocals with (post)apocalyptic ambient landscapes and noise to create it’s own ouvre and paint the stories and scenery of mundane spiritual wasteland.
The only constant thing is change. The only sure thing is entropy.
Season of Mist are proud to announce the signing of VLTIMAS. The three-piece extreme metal formation, consisting of David Vincent (ex-MORBID ANGEL), Rune ‘Blasphemer’ Eriksen (ex-MAYHEM, AURA NOIR) and Flo Monier (CRYPTOPSY), have completed the work on their debut album. This death metal masterpiece is slated for release early 2019 via Season of Mist.
Rune Blasphemer Eriksen comments: “Feels like aeons ago since I last ventured into these musical shores, but alas, here we are. Its been an intense year and a half with lots of planning, hard work, personal sacrifice and yeah, traveling. I believe I speak for all 3 of us on this matter. Nevertheless, the beast has been summoned and recorded and I am overly confident about the outcome. Having had the opportunity to work with some of the finest of craftsmen in the genre, the level of experience speaks volumes. The mutual understanding, vision and drive, everything as if for a greater purpose. That’s how the end result sounds like to me. A special thank you goes out to longtime partner in crime Michael Berberian and Season Of Mist for the immense belief in this entity, as well as my companion Jaime Gomez Arellano over at Orgone Studio (UK) for a job superbly done!
We are VLTIMAS”
After some years of absence from the black metal scene, guitarist Rune Eriksen (AURA NOIR, EARTH ELECTRIC, ex-MAYHEM), decides to venture back into the aural landscapes he’s widely known for. Having played with one of Norway’s leading extreme metal bands for years, Eriksen seeks to coalesce classic, cold Scandinavian riffing with an air of darkness and the signature force of death metal.
Combining strengths, Eriksen brings in veterans of the extreme, David Vincent of legendary death metal formation MORBID ANGEL, as well as acclaimed drummer Flo Mounier from CRYPTOPSY. The three-piece have completed the work on their debut album, which is slated for release early 2019 via Season of Mist. The new death metal powerhouse will be known under the moniker of VLTIMAS.
The foundation for VLTIMAS was laid when Rune, after collecting a handful of riffs, presented drummer Flo Mounier with the idea of forming a band together. For the two musicians, having composed and recorded numerous songs together in the past, the musical chemistry was already tried and tested. However, one thing was still missing. This extraordinary musical project needed an extraordinary voice and Eriksen got in touch with David Vincent, with whom he had been in contact for years, to finalize the line-up.
Vincent had just exited Morbid Angel and was ready for a new chapter in his long spanning career. Everything fell into place, and VLTIMAS came into being.
During the Noize Factory sessions (Georgetown, USA), the musicians started writing a substantial amount of music. The sessions proved to be a fruitful endeavor and the first ideas and song skeletons were later fleshed out by Rune at his home studio in Portugal, then finalized when Flo Mounier and Eriksen returned to Texas, in order to put the final touches to the material at David’s home studio. In a more controlled surrounding the songs started to unveil themselves and the studio was booked.
The band entered Orgone Studios in Woburn, England in May 2018 with producer Jaime Gomez Arellano. Here, the three-piece recorded nine crushing tracks that will appear on the full-length debut album.
The new record offers a vast array of influences, but most notably the distinguished symbioses of these three respected and talented musicians. A dark and sinister ambiance meets a majestic and a commanding death metal energy.
Today, Austrian extreme metal iconoclasts Anomalie premiere a provocative new video for “Temples”. The track hails from the band’s highly anticipated new EP, Integra, set for international release on November 9th via AOP Records. See & hear Anomalie’s “Temples” video in its entirety HERE.
Authenticity. Creativity. Passion. Since 2011, the fundament of Anomalie lies within the boundless will to surpass the past by constantly evolving those intense soundscapes that became the trademark of this Austrian collective led by multi-instrumentalist Marrok, also known for his live duties for Harakiri for the Sky.
Featuring all-new material, Integra delivers nearly a half hour of hauntingly atmospheric and multi-dimensional metal that underlines what made Anomalie’s critically Visions album last year such a far-reaching and devastatingly emotional experience. The four highly dynamic tracks comprising the EP reveal Marrok’s strong connection to his black metal roots clearer than ever, all while opening the gates to a profound musical voyage telling of metaphysical reincarnation and ways to manifest your very own identity beyond social and cultural barriers.
As ever, Anomalie continue to push beyond those barriers – and plenty of others – with Integra, pointing the way forward for redemption and renewal. The path has been cleared by Marrok…who will follow?
Continue following by seeing (and hearing) the video for “Temples” exclusively HERE
Begin following by hearing the previously revealed “Aurora” exclusively HERE, courtesy of Germany’s Metal Hammer.
In support of the new EP, Anomalie will be touring Europe with Schammasch and Naglfar later this November and December (dates after the jump).
Cover art, by Irrwisch, and tracklisting are as follows:
Today, Primitive Reaction sets December 7th as the international release date for Disciples of the Void’s striking debut album, fittingly titled Disciples of the Void.
While the pioneers of second-wave black metal went expanding musical approaches from pure black metal to different variations of metal music, Finnish black metal duo Disciples of the Void wanted to create black metal the way it was back in the mid ’90s. “The idea behind this project is not to come up with something new and different, but instead perform BM the way it was at first when we discovered it and the way it was at its best,” says the band.
In order to enter the black metal scene in the purest way possible, Disciples of the Void’s founding members have chosen to remain nameless, thus leaving the image as a secondary thing and putting the music as their top priority. Anonymity also supports their lyrical themes, which deal with nihilism, death, and emptiness.
Despite the anonymity, the session drums on Disciples of the Void were played by Trish Kolsvart – known from Urarv, Elände, and as a live member for Craft and Necrodelirium to name a few. Together, Disciples of the Void whip forth a stargazing fury that literally sounds frozen in the mid ’90s, before the scene started worrying whether a black metal band was too “symphonic” and such things. Indeed does Disciples of the Void exhibit something of a symphonic aspect, but again one that is rooted in the rich traditionalism of second-wave black metal. References to be made include the Norwegian vanguard of Obtained Enslavement, Covenant, and Troll as well as contemporaneous Finnish pillars like Darkwoods My Betrothed, Thy Serpent, and Tunrida.
Rounded out by a reverent cover of Bathory’s epic “Home of the Once Brave,” Disciples of the Void’s self-titled proves that the past is alive – and it’s more frozen in time than ever! Thaw out with the new track “Per Aspera Ad Noctum” HERE
Cover and tracklisting are as follows:
Tracklisting for Disciples of the Void’s Disciples of the Void
1. Ad Gloriam Invictus Satana
2. Dominion
3. The Apocalypse Reign
4. Enter the Void
5. Per Aspera Ad Noctum
6. The Harvest
7. The Heirs of Wormwood
8. Choronzon
9. Home of the Once Brave (Bathory cover)
On December 1st internationally, Helldprod Records in collaboration with Chaosphere Recordings will release Grog’s cult classic debut album, Macabre Requiems, on picture-disc vinyl format.
Originally released in 1996 but out of print for many years now, Macabre Requiems was the grand culmination of Grog’s hard work in the underground during the early ’90s. The band, in fact, was one of the very first extreme metal bands to hail from Portugal, and thereby influenced generations to come. Hearing Macabre Requiems, whether it was during its original release or especially now, it’s not difficult to imagine why it was influential: ghastly and grinding, grisly and gutted, the album is pure and total DEATH METAL of a most early ’90s vintage, horror-ridden and heavy as fuck. Utterly raw and flesh-ripping, Grog assault the listener with 43 minutes of ungodly deathgrind across these Macabre Requiems, with songs ranging from five minutes to some under a minute, altogether exhibiting a lively and dynamic flow that ends in the listener being completely pulverized!
The past is always alive, and at last does Grog’s Macabre Requiems see a vinyl release – and given that classically disgusting cover art, all the more fitting that it’s on picture disc! In the meantime, hear the track “Dawn of the Living Dead” HERE
Preorder info can be found HERE.
Cover and tracklisting are as follows:
Tracklisting for Grog’s Macabre Requiems
1. Embrace My Cold Body
2. Tribal Flesh Ceremony
3. Dawn Of The Living Dead
4. Monstrous Anatomic Deformation
5. Splashterized Autopsy
6. Excreted And Vomited Abortions
7. Spontaneous Gore
8. Cannibal Feast
9. Rotten Grave
10. Sado-Masoquist Butchery
11. Cannibalistic Devourment
12. Blood In My Face
13. Drowned In The Pleasure Of Tortured Flesh
BEYOND CREATION are now streaming their complete forthcoming album ‘Algorythm’ which is slated for release today October 12th, 2018.
The Canadian masters of progressive technical death metal are streaming their new offering here
BEYOND CREATION comment: “It is with immense excitement that we are finally able to present you the entirety of ‘Algorythm’. In this album, you will find yourself traveling through a wide array of diverse sounds, textures and ambiances, meticulously balanced with our classic, signature production of fast-paced and energetic songwriting. ‘Algorythm’ is our representation of modern, cohesive progressive death metal with an extra touch of dynamic arrangements, vigorous rhythmic patterns integrated with tamed, refreshing atmospheres.”
BEYOND CREATION have previously announced a European tour with GOROD, ENTHEOS and BROUGHT BY PAIN this November. A full list of confirmed dates can be found below.
BEYOND CREATION
+GOROD +ENTHEOS +BROUGHT BY PAIN
02 Nov 18 Hamburg (DE) Headcrash
03 Nov 18 Hannover (DE) Faust
04 Nov 18 Berlin (DE) Musik & Frieden
05 Nov 18 Prague (CZ) Nova Chmelnice
06 Nov 18 Vienna (AT) Viper Room
07 Nov 18 Munich (DE) Feierwerk
08 Nov 18 Ljubljana (SL) Orto Bar
09 Nov 18 Retorbido (IT) Dagda Club
10 Nov 18 Venice (IT) Revolver
11 Nov 18 Kiff (CH) Aarau
12 Nov 18 Grenoble (FR) L’Amperage
13 Nov 18 Barcelona (ES) Upload Club
14 Nov 18 Madrid (ES) Caracol
15 Nov 18 Porto (PT) Hard Club
16 Nov 18 Donosti (ES) CC Larratxo
17 Nov 18 Angouleme (FR) La Nef
18 Nov 18 Paris (FR) Petit Bain
19 Nov 18 Manchester (UK) Satan’s Hollow
20 Nov 18 Glasgow (UK) Audio
21 Nov 18 Dublin (IE) Voodoo Lounge
22 Nov 18 London (UK) Underworld
23 Nov 18 Birmingham (UK) Asylum2
24 Nov 18 Drachten (NL) Iduna
25 Nov 18 Oberhausen (DE) Kulttempel
BEYOND CREATION have previously revealed the artwork for ‘Algorythm’, which can be viewed together with the album details below.
Track-list
1. Disenthrall (1:44)
2. Entre Suffrage Et Mirage (4:20)
3. Surface’s Echoes (6:54)
4. Ethereal Kingdom (5:19)
5. Algorythm (7:40)
6. À Travers Le Temps Et L’Oubli (1:48)
7. In Adversity (3:19)
8. The Inversion (7:26)
9. Binomial Structures (6:32)
10. The Afterlife (5:37)
Bonus tracks
11. Surface’s Echoes (Instr) (6:53)
12. The Afterlife (Instr) (5:37)
Total playing time: 1:03:09
Feel the onrush of sweeping arpeggios, crushing waves of fretless bass, complex rhythmical patterns and erupting scales peppered with jazzy feeling and masterful execution under the mark of ‘Algorythm’, which names the third full-length of BEYOND CREATION.
The French part of Canada is home to a vibrant culture of technical Death Metal fostered by outstanding acts such as GORGUTS, CRYPTOPSY, MARTYR, and NEURAXIS. This illustrious family tree has produced many sprouts in the past, yet none of them are as brilliant as Quebec’s amazing scion: BEYOND CREATION!
BEYOND CREATION saw the light of day in 2005 in Montreal, Canada but it wasn’t until 2010 that the band was ready to hit the stage with their original line-up consisting of Simon Girard, Kevin Chatré, Guyot Bégin-Benoît and Dominic ‘Forest’ Lapointe. A year later, the band self-released their debut full-length album ‘The Aura’ (2011), which quickly became a highlight in the genre. Since then, BEYOND CREATION has been known as the progressive, innovative and exciting new metal sound of their homeland, Quebec.
In late 2012, the band had Philippe Boucher (Ex-FIRST FRAGMENT, INCADESCENSE, CHTHE’ILIST, DÉCOMBRES) take Guyot’s place on drums and things started moving at a faster pace in 2013, when they joined Season of Mist, re-releasing ‘The Aura’ and touring North America and Japan. In 2014, BEYOND CREATION released their second masterpiece ‘Earthborn Evolution’.
After the addition of Hugo Doyon-Karout (BROUGHT BY PAIN, EQUIPOISE, CONFLUX) on bass, the band focused on touring as much as possible on the ‘Earthborn Evolution’ album cycle compiling 3 North American tours, 3 European tours, countless shows in Canada, appearances in Mexico, Colombia and Dubaï, sharing the stage with heavy weights like ARCH ENEMY, HATE ETERNAL, MISERY INDEX, DYING FETUS, PSYCROPTIC and OBSCURA. They also took part in multiple large-scale music festivals such as Hellfest (FR), 70 000 Tons of Metal (US), UK Tech-Fest, Montebello Rockfest (CA), Heavy MTL (CA) and Damnation Fest (UK).
In 2018, BEYOND CREATION recorded their highly-anticipated third album ‘Algorythm’ at The Grid Studio in home land Canada, which is set for release on October 12th, 2018. With the new album, BEYOND CREATION delivers a ferocious blend of technicality, melody, and brutality aided by fang-filled growls, which is interwoven with beautiful progressive interludes. Prepare for the lightning evolution of the progressive technical death metal revolution!
Current line-up
Simon Girard: Vocals & Guitars
Kevin Chartré: Guitars & Back Vocals
Hugo Doyon-Karout: Bass
Philippe Boucher: Drums
Today, on October 11th, W.T.C. Productions will release Sargeist’s highly anticipated fifth album, Unbound.
By now, Sargeist require no introduction. For nearly 20 years now, the band – led by erstwhile Horna guitarist / songwriter Shatraug, who’s arguably the most prolific metal musician of that same period – have been at the forefront of the ever-fertile Finnish black metal scene. In fact, alongside Horna, one could say that Sargeist are the most influential band of that scene, which has gone on to influence countless other worldwide scenes in this millennium.
And while each Sargeist full-length has been a stunning snapshot of the band’s headspace during that point in time, so, too, does the long-awaited Unbound provide a poignant portrait – one of a nearly reinvented lineup, but one just as vital. Gone is the “classic” Sargeist lineup that included longstanding co-conspirators Torog and Horns (vocals and drums, respectively). Now, a rhythm section – bassist Abysmal and drummer Gruft – who together possess a wealth of experience in the Finnish metal underground; erstwhile Nightbringer and Adaestuo guitarist VJS, whose activities also span other bands and continents; and vocalist Profundus, who’s been an incredibly prolific drummer the last couple decades, and who’s lately most renown as the vocalist for Desolate Shrine.
Despite this seemingly significant change, the Sargeist aesthetic remains resolute and unyielding – indeed, they are more Unbound than ever. Grimy yet spectral, icily melodic but burning with a desperation beyond compare, songwriting that cuts to the heart of the purest black metal but reverentially receives it blood: the Sargeist of Unbound are a band renewed and revitalized, prepared to keep the throne they’ve occupied these many years through a subtle yet studied refinement. Not for nothing has this lineup been active on the live front, and upon the release of Unbound are heading out on a European tour with esteemed labelmates Acrimonious and Chaos Invocation (dates after the jump).
Unshackle thyself with Sargeist’s Unbound! Cover art, courtesy of Chris Kiesling, and tracklisting are as follows:
Tracklisting for Sargeist’s Unbound
1. Psychosis Incarnate
2. To Wander the Night’s Eternal Path
3. The Bosom of Wisdom and Madness
4. Death’s Empath
5. Hunting Eyes
6. Her Mouth is an Open Grave
7. Unbound
8. Blessing of the Fire-Bearer
9. Wake of the Compassionate
10. Grail of the Pilgrim
Unbound in Madness Tour, October 2018 – with ACRIMONIOUS and CHAOS INVOCATION
THU 11/10 Erfurt /D – From Hell [INFO]
FRI 12/10 Leiden/NL – Gebr. de Nobel [INFO]
SAT 13/10 Arnhem/NL – Willemeen [INFO]
SUN 14/10 Roeselare/B – De Verlichte Geest [INFO]
MON 15/10 Paris/F- Gibus [INFO]
TUE 16/10 Lyon/F – Rock`N Eat [INFO]
WED 17/10 Geneva/CH – Undertown [INFO]
THU 18/10 Wetzikon/CH – Hall of Fame [INFO]
FRI 19/10 Grosserlach/D – VFRR Clubhaus [INFO]
SAT 20/10 Oberhausen/D – Helvete [INFO]
Black metal legends MAYHEM are announcing the re-release of ‘Grand Declaration of War (2000), which is completely remastered by Jaime Gomez Arellano at the Orgone Studios (UK). The album is slated for release on December 7th, 2018.
To get a taste of the new offering in comparison of the original 2000 version, please check out the special made video.
The cover of ‘Grand Declaration of War (2018)’ has been created by renowned Polish artist Zbigniew M. Bielak (GHOST, PARADISE LOST, BÖLZER, ZHRINE) and can be viewed together with the track-list below.
Tracklist
1. A Grand Declaration of War (4:15)
2. In the Lies Where upon you lay (6:01)
3. A Time to Die (1:49)
4. View From Nihil; Pt. 1 (3:05)
5. View From Nihil; Pt. 2 (1:17)
6. A Bloodsword And A Colder Sun, Pt. 1 (0:34)
7. A Bloodsword And A Colder Sun, Pt. 2 (4:28)
8. Crystalized Pain In Deconstruction (4:11)
9. Completion In Science Of Agony, Pt. 1 (9:47)
10. To Daimonion (3:27)
11. Untitled I (4:54)
12. Untitled II (0:07)
13. Completion In Science Of Agony, Pt. 2 (2:15)
Total: 46:10
In 2018, “Grand Declaration of War” was remastered by Jaime Gomez Arellano in the Orgone Studios (UK). He comments on the remaster:
“It was a challenging remix to do, starting with the now obsolete format it was recorded in (ADAT). When we got the tapes, they were sent to a tape transfer specialist here in the UK and they were in a tape incubator for a couple of days to ensure the the tapes weren’t destroyed when played back on the ADAT deck (tape doesn’t age well if not stored correctly). Although the overall recording of GDoW was done to a very high standard, the main two things that bugged me was the drum sound and the overall crispiness/digital thin-sound of it (ADAT’s don’t sound very good IMO). The biggest challenge (you guessed it) was the drums.
Hellhammer recorded on an early Roland Vdrum kit with real cymbals. Back then those clicky, super compressed drum sounds were cool, but I think most of us agree these days that it’s an unnatural sound and the samples themselves weren’t that good. I had to split each tom hit into a separate track, which was very time consuming. I literally had to go pretty much though every drum hit to make sure the new samples were triggering correctly and believe me, there are A LOT of drum hits on this album. My goal was to make it sound more like a real kit. After much work and refining, Hellhammer came to visit me at my studio for a few days where we went through every drum track to ensure it was accurate to his performance.
The bass guitar pretty much didn’t exist on this album! After bringing it it forward and beefed it up, I was surprised to hear some very cool bass lines that I’ve never noticed before. The recorded guitar sounds were killer actually, they were just a little thin and crispy so I gave them more “body” and a bit more “warmth” without hindering Rune’s quantum precision. I was told by Rune that Maniac didn’t want any changes to his voice and I totally respect that. I painstakingly compared the original album vocal effects and levels to preserve it as close as I could. I ended up mastering the album to analogue tape to get a bit more warmth, depth and bottom end. I hope you all enjoy this new mix of this legendary album!”
On further news, MAYHEM are releasing a unique box, containing not only both LP versions of ‘Grand Declaration of War’, but also the 12″ LP’s of ‘Chimera’ (2004) & ‘Ordo ad Chao (2007)’, the 10″ EP of ‘Wolf’s Liar Abyss’ (1997), and two 10″ EP’s containing never released bonus tracks all bound together in a very special leather box.
Today, Belarusian black metal mystic Pa Vesh En streams the entirety of his highly anticipated debut album, Church of Bones. Set for international release on October 12th via Iron Bonehead Productions, hear Pa Vesh En’s Church of Bones in its entirety.
2018 has already been an extremely busy year for Pa Vesh En. In the span of six months, this singular ‘n’ shadowy entity from Belarus released through Iron Bonehead the Dead Womb demo, the two-song A Ghost 7″, and a split album with Temple Moon. Each step of the way, Pa Vesh En has exhibited a stark ‘n’ unsettling style of black metal. From stifled-violence miserablism to seemingly formless drift, from bent-askew melodicism to echo-chamber murk, always with a tortured soul guiding everything, he’s almost effortlessly created a soundworld beyond compare – and has done so with the restlessness of a lost specter.
Now arrives Church of Bones, proving with no small amount of finality that Pa Vesh En is creating some of the most mysterious and vital black metal of modern times. At seven songs spanning 37 minutes, Church of Bones feels far more vast than its otherwise-compact runtime suggests. If the preceding split with Temple Moon marked a momentous shift toward total and utter desolation, then Pa Vesh En dives deepest – and equally, both in manner and quality – into both the fog and the murk here, further developing that malodorous melodicism that likewise crept forth on the split. Returning to misery and comfort (and the comfort of misery), the long ‘n’ languorous landscapes laid out across Church of Bones beckon the listener in a most seductive manner, all before those cursed tendrils ensnare the subconscious and suck it dry, any last semblance of hope extinguished. This celestial drift-unto-descent feels somewhat familiar in the grand scheme of black metal which uses rawness as a weapon, and yet there’s that elusive X-factor (or, literally, just literal elusiveness) that makes Pa Vesh En sound completely and utterly ALIEN.
Either way, Pa Vesh En has triumphed with the masterful Church of Bones, truly finding his voice and singing the most damned songs. Will you enter that church and join in the choir? Dare to step fully forward.
Cover and tracklisting are as follows:
Tracklisting for Pa Vesh En’s Church of Bones
1. The Wilderness of Cursed Souls
2. A Funeral Procession
3. La Valse Macabra
4. Pale Body Desecration
5. The Venom Seed
6. My Obscure Obsession
7. With Pain He Waits in Vain
On December 15th internationally, Nuclear War Now! Productions will release the rare lone recording of Canada’s Necrosleezer, Pope Kill, on CD and 12″ vinyl formats.
Following Blasphemy’s temporary dissolution in 1993, the band members went their separate ways and for the most part remained musically silent—with one notable exception. After a year or so of relative inactivity, former Blasphemy vocalist and bassist Ace Gestapo Necrosleezer and Vaginal Commands partnered with Blasphemy drummer 3 Black Hearts of Damnation and Impurity sometime around 1994 or 1995 to work on a new project called Necrosleezer. Contrary to widespread speculation and misinformation, there were never any other band members.
The two rehearsed in a barn in the rural area surrounding Vancouver near where 3 Black Hearts was living at the time. Over the next year, the two-piece wrote around 11 songs and entered the legendary Fiasco Bros. Studio in 1995 to record a four-song demo. Upon completion, they dubbed copies of the tape and sent them to labels, but the tape received no serious attention, and the band disintegrated. Very few copies of the demo were released into the scene, and those that exist generally feature degraded audio. Although the demo has long been referred to as Recruit for Conflict, 3 Black Hearts always called the tape Pope Kill, and that alternate name, which is also the name of the opening track on the tape, has been adopted for this first official release.
The demo’s historical importance is undeniable—these are the only recordings from this era by any Blasphemy members—but it is equally impressive from a musical point of view. Although similar influences are present, Necrosleezer’s sound reflected a marked departure from the work that Ace Gestapo and 3 Black Hearts did with Blasphemy. Necrosleezer was repetitious and hypnotic, more sinister-sounding and European-influenced than anything Blasphemy did. Bathory is an obvious point of reference, but other influences, such as Norwegian black metal, German thrash, and grind, are all buried just beneath the surface. The songs are largely constructed around the monotonous intensity of 3 Black Hearts’ blastbeats—the snare’s commanding presence dictating the movement of the track. Laid out across the percussive frenzy, Ace Gestapo’s riffs slide and shift into place. The execution is militaristic, but the sound is wretched. Only two of the songs feature guitar leads, and their unhinged nature adds to the feral sound of the demo. The vocals, repugnant and grim, hang above the mix, draped over the low-end matrix of the bass and drums.
Even though Necrosleezer recorded the material in a studio, it still sounds like a demo, retaining the primitive nature of the performance. Indeed, the astute listener might even notice someone coughing in the background on one of the tracks. Necrosleezer’s sound on Pope Kill is consistent and coherent, but there is more than enough diversity and nuance in the songwriting to distinguish the tracks and provide depth. The band’s approach is controlled cacophony—unrefined but not imprecise.
These four songs provide one of the few glimpses into the work that any of the members of Blasphemy did between the Gods of War album and the band’s return to the stage in the early 2000s. Long in need of a proper release, this version of the Pope Kill/Recruit for Conflict recordings has been remastered and restored as much as possible to its original form by James Plotkin. And while the original tapes the band sent out to labels lacked cover art, this edition features new artwork by Chris Moyen created specifically for this release. The unearthing of these tracks, their restoration, and the new presentation of this demo recording is, therefore, a monumental event.
In the meantime, the entirety of Pope Kill can be streamed HERE.
Cover and tracklisting are as follows:
Tracklisting for Necrosleezer’s Pope Kill
1. Pope Kill
2. Moonlit Chants
3. Prudent Sinner
4. Mistress Rotten Church
