Sarcofago- Hate (Album Review)

Musician: Sarcofago
Album Title: Hate
Genre/ Subgenre: Black/ Thrash/ Death Metal
Label: Greyhaze Records
Release Date: May 15, 2020

The release of Sarcofago's Hate ends Greyhaze Records' complete reissues of the influential Brazilian band's recorded output (I have reviewed two of those here). Hate is often overlooked, but it stands out as a dark and fascinating release from the band. There are some bold moments, but this still has it's heart in black metal. The remastered music, taken from the original master tape, sounds fucking phenomenal.

The songs are crushing and filled with bleak and somber lyrical content. Topics such as suicide, murder, and madness are covered with punishing music. Songs tempos shift from groove filled crunch to unrelenting speed. The later is accomplished, in part, due to inhuman drumming. Mostly cause said drums are not played by an actual person but are instead programmed in.

The album opens with "Intro- Song For My Death" a blistering and full speed attack with morbid lyrics. The pure black metal assault of "Pact Of Cum" will batter you from the moment it starts. Speaking of speed, the title track has this punk meets black metal meets thrash sound, especially when coupled with the lyrics about hating, well every fucking thing and everyone. The thundering riffs of Wagner Lamounier's guitars in "The God's Faeces" are some of the coolest he's played. Meanwhile, the chorus of said somg will have signing right along. This all results in some killer fucking music.

Sarcofago's Hate isn't as talked about as some of their more classic work, but it still one hell of an album. With some bold tempo and style shifts, it manages to stand out in the band's discography. With this awesome remastered release, it will hopefully be listened to by more fans of early black metal. Just look over the use of a drum machine and enjoy the dark and ass kicking music.

3.5 out of 5

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Ampütator- Deathcult Barbaric Hell [Vinyl Reissue] (Album Review)

Musicians: Ampütator
Album Title: Deathcult Barbaric Hell
Genre/ Subgenre: Black Metal
Label: Greyhaze Records
Release date: May 18, 2017

Ampütator are a black metal band from Rhode Island/ Connecticut. Deathcult Barbaric Hell is their debut album and was originally released in 2007 on CD and cassette. On May 18 of this year, it was released and remastered for on vinyl by Greyhaze Records.

Right from the get go you realize that this band is true old school black metal. The influence of bands like classic Emperor and Darkthrone dominates the sound and feel of the music and album throughout. The consistent and almost droning blast-beat drumming is accompanied by saw like guitars and inhuman/ demonic vocals.

The album opener ''Rape Kill Annihilate'' rips from the very intro with a chainsaw sound that cuts right through the bone. The brutal blast-beats further decimate the listener. The screams of a dying pig go right into the fast and savage ''Gutterslut'', which is unrelenting its musical assault. There is almost catchy Venom-esque intro to ''Obliteration'' which heads straight into furious Darkthrone territory. Then there is the absolute killer and battering cover of the classic Repulsion track ''Slaughter of the Innocents''. It showcases the band's influences beyond Norwegian black metal. The pummeling ''With Hate'' seethes with just that as it features an angry and cold wall of brutality. ''Extinction Deathmarch'' is a blast of freezing and evil air that is filled with detest and viciousness. Brutal and face slicing annihilation mixes with some chilling riffing in ''Complete Butchery''. This, my favorite track on the album, will make you feel as if a butcher is hacking and slashing your face and body to bloody bits with an evil and uncompromising sound.

While the album, as I mentioned before is remastered, it still maintains a very dirty and low-fi sound to it. This brutal and raw black metal style is for those who wish they could go back to the glory days of the second wave of the sub-genre, when Norway ruled with pure evil. The lyrics and themes are more gore and death obsessed than those bands, were but the sound and musical style completely recall that era. As such, it doesn't break any new ground but honestly there in lies the appeal. If you crave those glory days and love vinyl, then dig right fucking in.

You can order the record, available in black and color, here: https://store.greyhazerecords.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=466

3 out of 5

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Sarcofago- Rotting (Album Review)

Musician: Sarcofago
Album Title: Rotting
Genre/ Subgenre: Black/Thrash/Death Metal
Label: Greyhaze Records
Release Date: Sept. 2, 2016

This is a reissue of Brazilian extreme metallers Sarcofago's 1989 classic album Rotting. It features a gorgeous new layout and comes with a bonus live DVD of a performance from their 1991tour with Morbid Angel (who where supporting Altars of Madness, at the time).

If you've heard this influential album, then you know that is incredibly technical proficient and impossibly fast. If you haven't, then unholy shit do you ever need to!  

There are only six songs on this EP and everyone of them are truly fucking killer. With the exception of the 29 second long intro track "The Lust", which consists of samples of a girl's orgasm sounds and monstrous shrieking, and the almost punkish "Sex, Drinks, & Metal", which clocks in at 3:27, the other four songs are long. They range from the lightning fast 6:03 "Alcoholic Coma" and the epic 8:53 "Tracy".

The music showcases technical superiority and complexity. It firmly puts the music in a death metal category and exemplifies just how influential they were in the extreme metal world. Lyrically the band may talk a little bit about boozing, but they mostly lean towards dark and evil subject matter like killing and fucking one's dead, lying girlfriend, anti-Christianity, and hell. In other words, good, wholesome, and tender fun!

Making this even more of a most own is the excellent, quality in sound in this reissue. Sure it sounds dirty and rough, but it's also clear and full. Combine everything I just said and you have an absolute most own for fans of early death and black metal, and those who love to learn about the history of extreme metal.   

5 out of 5

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Sarcofago- Die Hard (Album Review)

Musician: Sarcofago
Album Title: Die Hard
Genre/ Subgenre: Black/Thrash/Death Metal
Label: Greyhaze Records
Release Date: Oct. 7, 2016

Brazilian underground act Sarcofago were a huge influence on extreme metal, most especially, the second wave of black metal bands (Darkthrone, Mayhem, etc). This is a vinyl LP reissue of the 2015 compilation, the only to officially be released with their demos. It sounds like this will be a stunning looking release. 

From the official press release:
Beautifully packaged as a double-LP with Gatefold Jacket, the album will be available on black and limited-edition yellow vinyl, including an over-sized booklet and poster, as well as liner notes by SARCOFAGO front man Wagner Antichrist.

Sounding like Venom at an even more furious pace, this is fast, heavy, and dirty sounding music. Chaotic and angry, it's a an all out aural assault. While, perhaps not as well known as the aforementioned band or other proto-black metal acts like Bathory and Celtic Frost, the influence on the genre can be felt from the initial riff. As one would expect, the vocals are harsh and growling. Signer Wagner Antichrist also has a ear shredding, high pitched almost King Diamond like scream that he throws in for a few bursts here and there in s couple of songs. It really sets him apart from others in the subgenre. The dirty sounding guitars have blade shredding riffs that help to punctuate it. While, the drumming is fast and furious blasting it's way through the songs. 

Included in this upcoming compilation are a couple of demo versions a select batch of songs, showcasing the various versions of them. But, no matter what version you hear songs like "Satanas", "Nightmare", the vicious "Third Slaughter", and the unrelenting machine gun assault of "Satanic Lust" are full throttle blasts of speed. Being that these are all from demos, one should bare that in mind when hearing the songs, as far as sound quality goes.

Aside from the sound in music style the songs are righteously Satanic in nature so that coupling with the hellish musical sounds are Satanic and blasphemous lyrics. While, all the songs are good, a couple, beyond the aforementioned, like the blistering, evil, and wonderfully over-the-top obscenity of "Desecration Of Virgin" really stand out. It is just such a furious attack on the senses! "Satanic Lust"opens up a catching little groove that heads right into a speed metal bashing. The crunching riff of "Secrets Of A Window" will have you banging your head. 

Available to buy on Oct. 7, 2016 (you can pre-order it here: http://store.greyhazerecords.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=440) this is a must have for LP collectors and black metal fans, in particular those interested in the genre's history and influences.

   
5 out of 5

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Doomsday Ceremony- Black Heart (Album Review)

Musician: Doomsday Ceremony
Album Title: Black Heart
Genre/ Subgenre: Black Metal/ Blackened Thrash Metal/ Traditional Metal
Label: Greyhaze Records

Doomsday Ceremony is a Brazilian band that mixes black metal with thrash and traditional metal to deliver some amazing sounding music. They have been around since the year 2000. This album, Black Heart, is actually their second release. They started working on it in 2011 and didn't finish it till early 2012. The album is set to be released on April 22, 2016 worldwide by Greyhaze Records. And, let me tell you, this fucker totally rips!!

Thrash style speed mixes excellently with the soaring melody from the twin guitar attack of Rieche and Ciriato. There is a wonderful flowing and shredding sound that comes from this extremely talented duo that showcases a real love for both NWOBHM and thrash that should definitely appeal to older school fans. Meanwhile, the lyrical content and feel of the album give it that nice and evil black metal edge. Vocalist Moloch further ensures it's inclusion in the black metal world with his raspy vocals. Meanwhile, drummer Wolff keeps things fast and searing, with some blastbeats to further mix things up.

The resulting product is one of the most exciting and refreshing sounding albums I have yet, to hear this year. It opens up with the dark melodic heaviness and speed of "Vultures of War", and just keeps going from there. The groove filled "Voice of the Darkness" has this very cool midsection where the music turns to midtempo crunching and it plays excellently when coupled with the vocals. Other highlights include the melodic speed of "Slaves of Sin" and absolutely awesome title track. The later includes an anthemic lyric when they say that they are "Warriors of black metal" That line right there is the coolest fucking thing I have yet to hear in 2016.

I can't stop listening to Black Heart. It's an amazing, ass kicking album that I highly recommend to fans of bands like Immortal, Mercyful Fate, and Skeletonwitch. In all, Doomsday Ceremony and this album are a fucking amazing export from Brazil!

****1/2 out of *****

 

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