UMUR "Cadaveric Poison" is the eponymously titled debut full-length studio album by multi-national death metal act Cadaveric Poison. The album was released through Metal on Metal Records in April 2016. Cadaveric Poison was formed in 2014 by Master frontman/bassist Paul Speckmann, guitarist Simon Seegel, drummer Felix Darnieder. The two latter from German thrash metal act Witchburner. The band released the two-track "Fight for Evil" EP (Daying Victims Productions) in July 2014. Both tracks from the EP have been re-recorded and included on this album.

Stylistically this is thrash infused old school death metal how it sounded in the mid-80s, before the style was even dubbed death metal. So in other words this pretty much sounds like a Master album, and it´s a bit of a mystery why Speckmann opted to record and release this material under the Cadaveric Poison monicker, other than the fact that the other guys in the band haven´t played with Speckmann in Master, but stylistically there are many similarities to the trademark Master sound. The most obvious give-away is of course the raw shouting/semi-growling vocals by Speckmann, but also the simple and rather primitive take on playing death metal with very little variation or dynamics...Master to the bone.

The album is well produced, although the drums are a bit clicky and could have prospered from a more punchy and dark tone, but other than that this is a decent quality release and a 3 star (60%) rating is warranted.

UMUR "Fight for Evil" is an EP release by multi-national death metal act Cadaveric Poison. The EP was released in July 2014 through Daying Victims Productions. Cadaveric Poison was formed in 2014 by Master frontman/bassist Paul Speckmann, guitarist Simon Seegel, drummer Felix Darnieder. The two latter from German thrash metal act Witchburner. "Fight for Evil" is the first official release by Cadaveric Poison.

The EP features two tracks and a total playing time of 7:56 minutes. Both tracks would be re-recorded and included on the band´s eponymously titled 2016 debut full-length studio album. Stylistically it´s thrash infused old school death metal with Speckmann´s raw shouting/semi-growling vocals in front. Basically it sounds like Master, and it´s not obvious why Speckmann didn´t just release this material under his usual monicker.

The EP is raw sounding but still pretty well produced, and it´s a decent quality release. If you´re a fan of Master or the most simple and simplistic old school death metal out there (with a savage thrashy edge) it´s certainly worth checking out. I can´t say it makes my blood boil, but a 3 star (60%) rating isn´t all wrong.

UMUR "1985 Demo" is the first demo release by US death metal act Master. The demo was independently released in 1985. Master was formed by lead vocalist/bassist Paul Speckmann and drummer Bill Schmidt after leaving War Cry. Speckmann had a lot of different projects going in those days (Death Strike and Abomination in addition to Master), and he was probably in doubt which project he should focus on, because it took quite a few years before Master released their 1990 eponymously titled debut full-length studio album and only a 1985 rehearsal demo bridges the gap between this demo and the debut album (although a full-length album was actually recorded in 1985 and shelved. It ultimately saw a release in 2003). All five tracks from the demo would be re-recorded and included on the debut album.

Stylistically this is an early extreme metal release featuring elements from both thrash metal, hardcore punk, and the extremity of death metal. It´s certainly understandable that many early death metal pioneers cite this demo as an inspiration to become more brutal sounding themselves. While many other early death metal artists like Morbid Angel, Death, Autopsy, and Obituary all experimented with song structures and creative songwriting ideas, Master is a more simple, effective and pummeling listen. Once a track gets going, the same pounding drum beat continues for the remainder of the song, and most tracks only feature very few riffs, a one-dimensional raw shouting (semi-growling) vocal style, and the occasional screaming guitar solo. In other words this is the most basic and simplistic style of death metal imaginable (and it´s interesting that Master have pretty much stuck to their guns since then).

The demo features a raw, but still detailed and well sounding production job, which helps the material shine. So it´s a good quality 1985 extreme metal demo which deserves it´s reputation as a seminal death metal release. The songwriting keeps it from being a real blast though, and a 3 star (60%) rating isn´t all wrong.

UMUR The "Leprosy Demos" is a demo recording by US, Florida based death metal act Death. The demo was released in December 1987. It was recorded during a rehearsal on December 5th, 1987. I´m not sure that it´s true, but most sources say that Chuck Schuldiner plays all instruments (including the drums) and performs all vocals on the demo. Schuldiner opted to return to his native Florida after having relocated to California in 1986 and teaming up with drummer Chris Reifert for the recording of the band´s debut full-length studio album "Scream Bloody Gore" (May 1987, Combat Records). He subsequently wanted Reifert to move to Florida with him, but Reifert couldn´t see himself living in the humid heat in Florida, and opted to stay in California and soon after formed his own death metal act Autopsy. So the tracks featured on this demo were recorded while Schuldiner was looking for new musicians to record the sophomore Death album.

All five tracks on the 22:35 minutes long demo would be re-recorded and included on "Leprosy" (November 1988, Combat Records). It´s interesting how well developed classic tracks like "Open Casket" and "Pull the Plug" already were at this point. The technical progress from the more simple songwriting found on "Scream Bloody Gore" is astonishing. If it is indeed Schuldiner who plays the drums he´s quite the capable drummer (his drumming is faster and more technically challenging than what Bill Andrews brought to the table on the final versions). The guitars are sharp sounding too, the guitar solos well played, and the vocals are snarling and aggressive. It´s all a little bit more chaotic, unhinged, and raw than the studio versions on "Leprosy", but no less rewarding. A 3 - 3.5 star (65%) rating is warranted.

UMUR "Scream Bloody Gore Aborted Sessions" is a demo release by US death metal act Death. It was recorded in July 1986 and was originally meant to be the recording sessions for the band´s debut full-length studio album "Scream Bloody Gore" (May 1987, Combat Records). At this point Death were living in California, but they opted to return to Chuck Schuldiner´s native Florida to record their debut album. After recording the basic rhythm tracks (guitar and drums), the duo of Schuldiner (vocals, guitars, bass) and Chris Reifert (drums) however weren´t satisfied with the results, and they ended up travelling back to California, to start over and record the album at The Music Grinder, L.A., CA. with producer Randy Burns. This demo features the aborted Florida sessions.

The demo features seven tracks and a total playing time of 27:10 minutes. It´s interesting to see that only four out of the seven tracks would be re-recorded and included on "Scream Bloody Gore" ("Sacrificial Cunt" was re-titled "Sacrificial"). So Death obviously imagined the album quite differently to begin with. All tracks on the demo are instrumentals featuring solely rhythm guitar and drums. So no vocals on this one and no bass or guitar solos.

The execution is sharp and professional, but the sound production is more in the treble high end and would probably be better suited for thrash metal, and Death wisely decided that it was not the right sound for their music. It´s still quite the interesting historical document though, and a 2.5 star (50%) rating is warranted.

UMUR "Mutilation" is the last demo released by Death before they were signed to Combat Records and started recording the material for their debut full-length studio album "Scream Bloody Gore" (May 1987, Combat Records). At this point Death consisted of Chuck Schuldiner (lead vocals, guitars, bass) and Chris Reifert (drums). The demo was independently released in April 1986.

The "Mutilation" demo features three tracks and a total playing time of 10:24 minutes, and it´s on this demo that Death finally found their sound. "Land of No Return" didn´t make the cut to be included on "Scream Bloody Gore", but both "Zombie Ritual" and "Mutilation" were re-recorded and included on the debut album. The demo features a raw, but still detailed and powerful sounding production. It´s sharp, brutal, and aggressive. A 3 star (60%) rating is warranted.

UMUR "Back from the Dead" is the first demo released by Death, after Chuck Schuldiner moved from Florida to California and assembled a new lineup for his project. Enter drummer Eric Brecht (formerly of D.R.I.) and bassist Erik Meade.

"Back from the Dead" features 8 tracks (one is a short intro) and a total playing time of 21:09 minutes. Some tracks had appeared on earlier demo releases, but were re-recorded with the new lineup. Only "Baptized in Blood" and "Mutilation" would be re-recorded and included on Death´s debut full-length studio album "Scream Bloody Gore" (May 1987, Combat Records). The sound quality is a bit murky and lo-fi, but it´s still audible that the band are well playing (Brecht is a skilled and fast playing drummer). Schuldiner has a raw growling vocal style, but also performs high pitched hysterical screaming. The latter sounds a little immature and doesn´t really fit the music that well.

I´m not sure if this is a rehearsal demo or if it was recorded on a 4-track recorder, but my guess would be the former, as this sounds really rough and unpolished. Some of the earlier Death demos have a superior sound quality to this one. A 2.5 star (50%) rating is warranted.

UMUR "Rigor Mortis" is a rehearsal demo release by US, Florida based death metal act Death. The demo was independently released in April 1985 shortly before Chuck Schuldiner would oust Kam Lee (Rick Rozz was already gone), and move to California to built a new lineup. "Rigor Mortis" was recorded by the duo of Schuldiner and Lee.

It´s a short demo featuring the title track on both sides of the cassette tape. The version on side B is a rough mix. "Rigor Mortis" is a very raw and pretty lo-fi recording but it´s still reasonably audible what´s going on. The most interesting thing on the demo is the relatively extreme vocals, which ranges from deep growling to high pitched screaming. If I have to guess I think it´s Lee performed in the growls and Schuldiner performing the high pitched screams. It´s not a track which screams to me that it´s a Death composition. It´s one of their slightly different sounding tracks from those days.

Upon conclusion "Rigor Mortis" isn´t the most interesting Death demo, but it´s still an interesting historical document, which shows a band who rehearsed a lot, composed a lot, and tried out many different ideas, before they found their unique sound. A 2 star (40%) rating is warranted.

UMUR "Infernal Death" is the third demo release by US, Florida based death metal act Death. The demo was independently released in March 1985. It´s the successor to the October 1984 "Reign of Terror" demo. The trio lineup of Chuck Schuldiner (vocals, guitars, bass), Kam Lee (vocals, drums), and Rick Rozz (guitars) is still intact.

"Infernal Death" features three tracks and a total playing time of 10:09 minutes. Both "Infernal Death" and "Baptized in Blood" would be re-recorded and included on Death´s debut full-length studio album "Scream Bloody Gore" (May 1987, Combat Records), while closing track "Archangel" never made it beyond the demo stage. It´s a real shame though, as it´s a great death metal track, and even slightly more technical in style compared to the two other tracks. The brutality factor has been taken up a notch compared to the earlier demos, but other than that Death are consistent in style and in the quality of their output.

The demo features a decent sounding production job, which suits the material well. This is not studio sound quality, but who would expect that on a mid-80s extreme metal demo? Upon concusion it´s a strong demo release by Death and a 3 star (60%) rating is warranted.

UMUR "Time Waits for No Slave" is the 14th full-length studio album by UK death metal/grindcore act Napalm Death. The album was released through Century Media Records in January 2009. It´s the successor to "Smear Campaign" from 2006. 3 years were at this point in the band´s career the longest time between album releases since they released their debut full-length studio album "Scum" in 1987...

...but I assure you that it has nothing to do with Napalm Death slowing down or showing signs of fatigue, because "Time Waits for No Slave" continues the fiercely aggressive, raw, and energetic death metal/grindcore style of the previous post-2000 releases by the band. Just as the case has been on the last couple of releases Russ Russell was brought in to produce "Time Waits for No Slave", and again he has created a massive, brutal, heavy, and detailed sound production, which suits the material perfectly. It´s maybe slightly too polished, and a little more filth and grit could have provided the album with more authentic rawness, but that´s details and not an issue.

"Time Waits for No Slave" features 14 tracks and a total playing time of 50:20 but there exists both a limited edition version and a special Japanese version, which features 2 and 3 bonus tracks respectively. The album was promoted with videos for the tracks "Time Waits for No Slave" and "On The Brink Of Extinction". Stylistically the listener is treated to aggressive, and both fast-paced and mid-paced heavy grindcore/death metal. The vocals are predominantly raw shouting semi-growling but guitarist Mitch Harris also performs the occasional higher pitched screaming vocal part. As always with Napalm Death the listener is challenged in terms of song structures, tempo changes, unconventional riffs and rhythms, but compared to the material on "Smear Campaign", the material on "Time Waits for No Slave" is actually a bit more conventional (which is of course always relative when dealing with Napalm Death).

After finishing the album it´s hard not to think that´s it´s another high quality release from Napalm Death in a now long line of high quality releases from the band, but if I have to make a slight critique it would be that "Time Waits for No Slave" isn´t a standout album in the band´s discography. It´s generally not an album where the band challenges themselves or their listeners much with new stylistic elements or experimental ideas. When it comes to Napalm Death less will of course do, and even a standard quality release from Napalm Death is still better than most of the best albums produced by other similar artists. A 4 star (80%) rating is fully deserved.

adg211288 It seems like only yesterday that the Danish progressive metal band Anubis Gate first came onto my personal radar. But, as it turns out, it was well over a decade ago. I can't rightly remember how I first heard about them, though most likely someone from the little community on YouTube that I frequented back in the day recommended them to me. At that time, Anubis Gate only had four studio albums, the most recent of which was The Detached (2009) and it would have been that album and the prior Andromeda Unchained (2007) - both concept albums – that first took my interest, not knowing just how special this band was going to prove themselves to be, not just then, but in the years to follow.

There have been some changes in Anubis Gate over these years, with the band line-up being reduced to four by the time of their fifth album, the self-titled Anubis Gate (2011) and then seeing line-up changes on Horizons (2014), a move which technically left them with no original members, as Henrik Fevre (vocals, bass) and Kim Olesen (guitars, keyboards), though mainstays of Anubis Gate, were only guest musicians/writers on the debut album Purification (2004). The modern line-up is completed by Michael Bodin (guitars) and Morten Gade Sørensen (drums), who is not to be confused with original drummer Morten Sørensen, who, along with original guitarist Jesper M. Jensen, departed the band in 2012. Jesper M. Jensen sadly passed away in 2020. Interference (2023), the band's ninth studio album, is dedicated to his memory.

Interference is also Anubis Gate's first album of original material since Covered in Black (2017). Between these two albums they did also release Covered in Colours (2020), however, so it's not like they've been idle. Their covers record turned out to be one of the best such albums I'd ever heard, really throwing their own take on a number of songs originally from different genres of music and throwing the Anubis Gate touch at them. It sounded like an Anubis Gate album, as if they'd wrote it themselves. Not the easiest of achievements for any act when dealing with covers. But the real excitement for their fans is what many will feel is the true follow-up to Covered in Black, Interference. The burning question is, was it worth the wait?

Yes.

I actually somewhat want to leave this review at that. Yes. No other words needed. Just yes. But I guess I ought to actually talk about the record itself as well as give a history lesson for newcomers to the band, who perhaps aren't as sold by that simple answer as anyone familiar with their music may be. So let's be clear about something regarding this album: it's the kind of record that is that good it makes me want to reevaluate if Anubis Gate's previous releases were actually as good as they always seemed. They're a band I have consistently had cause to review with high scores and I consider the two concept albums to be among the best progressive metal albums ever made, with several others from their discography hardly lagging behind them. But then they go and release this and it's so next level good that it breaks the rating system. I was floored by how good Anubis Gate were when I first heard then over a decade ago, this little known Danish band whose records were bloody hard to get a hold of due to the apparent bankruptcy of their then record label Locomotive Records, but as with most artists, you don't really get back that first time wow factor. Well, Anubis Gate just managed to make that happen to me once again with Interference. Wow.

Even after only taking the first exploratory spin of the album, I felt like my jaw had hit the floor like a cartoon character's does. Naturally I always expect an Anubis Gate album to be excellent, but I found myself unprepared for this one all the same. Interference is easily the most out and out progressive release Anubis Gate have yet made, yet it also has a slightly less polished production sound, giving the guitars a heavier edge than much of their work, while still of course retaining the melodic sensibility that they are known for. There are ten tracks in all and the songs are a mix between shorter and longer durations. The band have brought back some of the speedy power metal influences that had slacked off on Covered in Black so there's some real fast and aggressive sections in some songs. Henrik Fevre remains in great melodic voice, with some additional harsher vocals provided by Kim Olesen.

I truly find it a difficult album to say really all that much about how it actually sounds. Words written about it never do great music justice. What I can say is that I had listened to it a half dozen times before even contemplating this review and it lost nothing in its impact. I also went through the entire back catalogue of Anubis Gate and there isn't one among them that Interference doesn't stack up against or betters. I have long counted The Detached as their finest work and one of my all time favourite albums, so I have some bias there that's not easy to set aside, but the gut feeling down down is that Anubis Gate may have outdone themselves this time. For 2023 it is without a doubt an Album of the Year contender. It's hard to believe really, after all this time since I first heard them, that they remain relatively unknown, with their back catalogue remaining hard to get physical copies of to this day. Even Interference itself is only being released in a limited quantity of CDs. Get in there and get one already!

UMUR "Acid River" is the 5th full-length studio album by German progressive metal act Dark Millennium. The album was released through Massacre Records in January 2022. It´s the successor to "Where Oceans Collide" from 2018 and features the exact same lineup who recorded the predecessor. Dark Millennium formed in 1989 and initially disbanded in the mid-90s after releasing two demos and two full-length studio albums. They returned to the scene after 23 years and released "Midnight in the Void" in 2016. With the release of "Acid River" they have now released more albums after reuniting than they did during their original run.

Stylistically the material on "Acid River" continues in the rather unique progressive death/doom metal style which Dark Millennium have produced since their comeback. It´s adventurous, progressive, and often darkly melodic death/doom with omnipresent use of atmosphere enhancing keyboards/synths, melancholic guitar leads, heavy riffs, and Christian Mertens expressive and aggressive growling vocals in front. He is probably an aquired taste, but personally I think his voice and singing style are quite brilliant and certainly unique.

The album features seven tracks which are all 7 minutes long (give or take), which is a bit of an oddity really. It´s not something I noticed before I had a closer look at the tracklist, but I´m sure it must be deliberate. I can´t figure out why though, but rest assured that all tracks can easily handle a 7 minutes long playing time. It´s not that the tracks feature complex playing or overtly progressive structures, but they all build and go through various sections, which make them interesting throughout. The sound production is clear and detailed, but still heavy and raw enough for the album not to sound too polished. It´s a sound which suits the atmosphere and heaviness of the material.

Upon conclusion "Acid River" is another quality release by Dark Millennium. It doesn´t quite reach the mysterious and creative peaks of "Ashore the Celestial Burden" (1992), but for a 2022 release by a reunited death/doom metal act from the early 90s, it´s still quite the adventurous and intriguing album release and a 3.5 star (70%) is fully deserved (and that rating is maybe a bit too low).

UMUR "Reign of Terror" is the second demo release by US, Florida based death metal act Death. The demo was independently released in October 1984. It was recorded only a month after the "Death By Metal" demo. The latter was originally released under the Mantas monicker, but the band changed their name to Death before the recording of "Reign of Terror". The trio lineup who recorded the first demo is intact on this demo.

Stylistically the material is a continuation of the brutal and aggressive thrash infused death metal style of the "Death By Metal" demo, which is of course only natural since the two demos were recorded only a month apart. Kam Lee handles all vocals on the demo in addition to playing drums. At this point a feud between Lee and Schuldiner had started, as Schuldiner wanted to take over the vocalist role. Lee however had other ideas and wanted to stop playing the drums and fully concentrate on performing vocals. This would eventually lead to Schuldiner continuing Death without Lee and Rozz.

On this release harmony still existed though, and Death churn out one powerful, brutal, and aggressive track after another. Five tracks and a total playing time of 13:39 minutes and your ears will be rinsed by the razor sharp riffs, energetic and well playing drums, and the angry semi-growling vocals. "Corpse Grinder" opens the demo and it´s the only track which has survived from the demo stage, but not as a Death song. Instead Lee took it with him to his new band Massacre, and it´s since become a classic Massacre composition.

"Reign of Terror" features a decent sounding production considering the time and the loudness of the music style, and upon conclusion this is another seminal death metal demo from Death. A 3 star (60%) rating is warranted.

UMUR "Death By Metal" is the first demo release by US, Florida based death metal act Death. The demo was independently released in late 1984. It´s actually a reissue of the "Death By Metal" demo by Mantas with some tracklist changes. Death originally formed under the Mantas Monicker in 1983 but after releasing the September 1984 "Death By Metal" demo, they changed their name to Death, and opted to reissue the Mantas demo under their new monicker.

The four tracks from the Mantas demo are also featured on this version of the demo, but some tracks have changed place on the tracklist. In addition to those changes Death have included "Beyond the Unholy Grave", which was not included on the Mantas version of the demo.

Stylistically the material is brutal thrash/an early take on death metal. It´s actually quite savage and brutal for the time, and while it´s still heavily thrash metal infused, I´ll dare call this the first example of death metal brutality. Lee is the primary vocalist, while Schuldiner sings on one song and the vocals vary from growling to higher pitched snarling screaming. The band are well playing considering their young age (I´m especially impressed by Lee´s drumming and the sharpness of the guitar riffs, but the vocals are also very well performed), and the sound production is actually decent too for a late 1984 extreme metal demo. The remaining tracks wouldn´t survive and be included on Death´s debut full-length studio album "Scream Bloody Gore" (May 1987, Combat Records), but "Evil Dead" would. It´s presented here in a version which really isn´t that different from the subsequent studio version.

Upon conclusion "Death By Metal" is an important historical document (both the Mantas and the Death versions of the demo) because it´s such an influential release on the early death metal scene and in addition to being a seminal death metal release, it´s actually a pretty entertaining and powerful listen too, featuring a decent sounding production. A 3 star (60%) rating is warranted.

UMUR "Death By Metal" is the first and only official demo release by US, Florida based death/thrash metal act Mantas. The demo was independently released on cassette tape in September 1984. Mantas was formed in 1983 by guitarist/vocalist Chuck Schuldiner, guitarist Rick Rozz, and drummer/vocalist Kam Lee. They released a string of rehearsal demos and the "Death by Metal" demo before changing their name to Death in late 1984.

The demo features four tracks and a total playing time of 12:27 minutes. Stylistically the material is brutal thrash/an early take on death metal. It´s actually quite savage and brutal for the time, and while it´s still heavily thrash metal infused, I´ll dare call this the first example of death metal brutality. Lee is the primary vocalist, while Schuldiner sings on one song and the vocals vary from growling to higher pitched snarling screaming. The band are well playing considering their young age (I´m especially impressed by Lee´s drumming and the sharpness of the guitar riffs, but the vocals are also very well performed), and the sound production is actually decent too for a late 1984 extreme metal demo. The remaining tracks wouldn´t survive and be included on Death´s debut full-length studio album "Scream Bloody Gore" (May 1987, Combat Records), but "Evil Dead" would. It´s presented here in a version which really isn´t that different from the subsequent studio version.

Overall "Death By Metal" is a good quality demo by Mantas, and it´s arguably a seminal release on the early death metal scene. A 3 star (60%) rating is warranted.

UMUR "The Second Coming" is the third studio demo release by US, Florida based death metal act Massacre. The demo was independently released in November 1990. Massacre were originally active from 1985-1987, but folded when three out of four members left to join Death, leaving lead vocalist Kam Lee on his own. Lee was however contacted by Earache Records boss Digby Pearson after he had listened to the early Massacre demos and as guitarist Rick Rozz had been recently fired from Death, the two of them opted to ressurect Massacre and hired bassist Butch Gonzalez and drummer Joe Cangelosi. The latter fresh out of a stint with Whiplash. Pearson almost immediately offered Massacre a recording contract and the band soon began to compose new material and send it to Pearson (six tracks and a total playing time of 33:03 minutes). However Pearson showed no interest in releasing the material featured on "The Second Coming", and after Lee and Rozz reunited with bassist Terry Butler and drummer Bill Andrews (both had recently departed from Death), the quartet recorded material which was primarly written in 1985-1987 and included it on their debut full-length studio album "From Beyond" (July 1991, Earache Records).

So the material featured on "The Second Coming" is a bit interesting, as it was Massacre´s attempt to write new original material, but as they were turned down by Earache Records, they had to shelve the material and work on recording old material instead. So why wasn´t the material on "The Second Coming" worth releasing? Well...for starters it´s pretty thrash metal oriented and only partially death metal oriented. Kam Lee doesn´t sound as brutal as he once did and would again only a year down the line, and the music is simply too advanced. What the people (and Earache Records) wanted at that time was something simple, brutal, and effective. "The Second Coming" features relatively complex drum work, pretty technical bass playing (I hear some pretty intrusive and unfitting slap bass a couple of times), shouting thrashy vocals, and some pretty unremarkable riffs. So while this is packed in a relatively well sounding production considering that it´s a demo, it´s overall not that interesting as a death metal demo, which was what Earache Records was expecting from Massacre. So how history went down is actually perfectly understandable in retrospect, but it must have been a real blow for Massacre when they were confronted with reality (your new music sucks, we only want to release the material you wrote several years ago). A 2 - 2.5 star (45%) rating is warranted.

UMUR "Chamber of Ages" is the second studio demo release by US, Florida death metal act Massacre. The demo was independently released in June 1986. It´s the successor to the April 1986 "Aggressive Tyrant" demo, although the two studio demos are bridged by the April 1986 "Official Livetape" demo. Since the release of the "Aggressive Tyrant" demo guitarist Allen West has left and has been replaced by Rick Rozz. Although bassist Mike Borders plays on this demo he would soon be replaced by Terry Butler. It wouldn´t be long though before Massacre folded as a consequence of all members minus lead vocalist Kam Lee joining Death.

The pace has generally been increased since the first demo and "Chamber of Ages" is a fast-paced, aggressive, and raw sounding demo. It´s still thrash metal oriented death metal and Lee performs both low grunting vocals and higher pitched screaming vocals. Three out of the four tracks featured on the 15:14 minutes long demo were re-recorded and included on Massacre´s debut full-length studio album "From Beyond" (July 1991, Earache Records). "Clangor of War" is exclusive to this demo, although it has since been included on the "Tyrants of Death" (March 2006, Iron Pegasus Records) compilation album. The sound quality is raw and unpolished, which in this case suits the rawness of the material perfectly. A 3 star (60%) rating is warranted.

UMUR "Official Livetape" is the second demo release by US, Florida based death metal act Massacre. The demo was independently released in April 1986 (shortly after the release of the band´s first studio demo "Aggressive Tyrant"). It was recorded live in Brandon, Florida on April 20th, 1986.

It´s a very rough lo-fi recording which the band probably mostly recorded for their own ears. It features three tracks and a total playing time of 10:17 minutes. The first track is a cover of "Corpse Grinder" by Death (it first appeared as the opening track on Death´s October 1984 "Reign of Terror" demo), and lead vocalist Kam Lee introduces the song reminding the audience that some of the members of Massacre (himself and Rick Rozz who had just joined Massacre) used to be in Death. "Infestation of Death" follows and the sound quality suddenly drops to the point where the listener is barely able to hear what´s going on. The demo closes with a cover of "Black Magic" by Slayer.

This is the epitome of a diehard fan release, as it´s almost unlistenable to the casual listener and although it arguably has historial value, it´s just not a good quality release. A 1.5 star (30%) rating is warranted.

UMUR "All Tomorrow's Funerals" is a compilation album by US, California based death metal act Autopsy. The compilation was released in February 2012 through Peaceville Records and bridges the gap between the band´s 2011 comeback album "Macabre Eternal" (May 2011, Peaceville Records) and "The Headless Ritual" (June 2013, Peaceville Records), which are their fifth and sixth full-length studio albums. "All Tomorrow's Funerals" compiles all previously released material from EPs and singles, rarity tracks, and four new original compositions. The previosly released material are culled from the 1991 "Retribution for the Dead" EP, the 1992 "Fiend for Blood" EP, the 2009 "Horrific Obsession" single, and from the 2010 "The Tomb Within" EP. There´s also a rarity track which was originally released as a one-track flexi-disc and given away with Decibel Magazine no. 88, Feb. 2012., and one track from the 1992 "Peaceville Volume 4" compilation album.

There´s no demo material featured on the compilation, although both "Human Genocide" and "Mauled to Death" were originally featured on the December 1987 "1987 Demo". Here they both appear in the re-recorded versions which Autopsy opted to do and which they included on the "The Tomb Within" EP (in the case of the former) and in the case of the latter as the above mentioned give-away single-track flexi-disc with Decibel Magazine no. 88, Feb. 2012.

You get 22 tracks and a total playing time of 72:46 minutes, so there´s a lot of quantity here, but fortunately also a lot of quality. Autopsy were always a pretty unique sounding old school death metal act. Sure enough and naturally too Autopsy´s debut album "Severed Survival" (April 1989, Peaceville Records) did have a few similar traits to Death´s "Scream Bloody Gore" (May 1987, Combat Records), as Autopsy lead vocalist/drummer Chris Reifert performs on both albums. Autopsy however soon found their own more gory and doomy death metal style with hardcore punk elements and especially Reifert´s deranged growling style and organic drumming have always made them stand out.

"All Tomorrow's Funerals" is a consistent quality release with no real low points, although the material from the early releases is maybe slightly more unique considering the time of release. The sound production of the various releases which the tracks are culled from differs sligthly, but all tracks have been remastered by the band themselves, which makes "All Tomorrow's Funerals" a relatively homogene release. Upon conclusion this is of course a mandatory listen if you´re a fan of the band and old school death metal in general, although it´s honestly more of the same if you already own the major (album) releases by Autopsy. A 3.5 - 4 star (75%) rating is deserved.

UMUR "Critical Madness" is the second demo release by US, California based death metal act Autopsy. The demo was independently released in July 1988. It´s the successor to "1987 demo" from December 1987 and there´s been a couple of lineup changes since the first demo as bassist Eric Eigard has been replaced by Ken Sorvari and Danny Coralles has been added as a second guitarist making Autopsy a quartet on "Critical Madness".

The demo features three tracks and a total playing time of 12:42 minutes. All tracks would be re-recorded and included on Autopsy´s debut full-length studio album "Severed Survival" (April 1989, Peaceville Records). The demo versions of the songs were later made available on the 2000 "Ridden with Disease" (Necroharmonic Productions) compilation album and the 2010 "Awakened by Gore" (Nuclear War Now! Productions) compilation album.

Stylistically the material continues in the same old school death metal style initiated on "1987 demo", but this time a bit more brutal and doomy and less thrash metal oriented. "Ridden With Disease" is a real peach, but "Charred Remains" and "Critical Madness" are also high quality old school death metal tracks. Drummer/lead vocalist Chris Reifert´s vocals have become slightly deeper growling, although they still have a higher pitched screaming quality to them, which makes him sound deranged and the whole demo has a nasty vile atmosphere to it, that only some of the earliest death metal releases were able to deliver. The raw and brutal sounding production job further enhances that feeling, and it´s definitely one of the best sound productions on a mid/late-80s extreme metal demo that I have ever encountered. A 3.5 - 4 star (75%) rating is deserved.

UMUR "1987 demo" is the first demo release by US, California based death metal act Autopsy. The demo was independently released in December 1987. Autopsy was formed in August 1987 after drummer/lead vocalist Chris Reifert left Death and teamed up with guitarist Eric Cutler and bassist Eric Eigard. After recording Death´s debut album "Scream Bloody Gore" (May 1987, Combat Records), Chuck Schuldiner wanted to move back to his native Florida, but Reifert was reluctant to move from California to Florida. He had done it once when Death unsucessfully recorded the first version of "Scream Bloody Gore" and he felt uncomfortable in the humid Florida heat. Hence Reifert´s departure from Death and the birth of Autopsy.

"1987 demo" features four tracks and a total playing time of 13:16 minutes. "Embalmed" and "Stillborn" would be re-recorded and included on Autopsy´s debut full-length studio album "Severed Survival" (April 1989, Peaceville Records), while "Human Genocide" and "Mauled to Death" were at the time exclusive to this release. The former would however be re-recorded and included on the 2010 "The Tomb Within" EP while the latter would be re-recorded and released as a flexi-disc single and given away with Decibel Magazine no. 88, Feb. 2012. Both were subsequently included on the February 2012 "All Tomorrow's Funerals" (Peaceville Records) compilation album. Before that the original demo versions were made available on the 2000 "Ridden with Disease" (Necroharmonic Productions) compilation album and the 2010 "Awakened by Gore" (Nuclear War Now! Productions) compilation album.

Stylistically the material is old school thrash oriented death metal to the bone and listeners who enjoy "Scream Bloody Gore" should find a lot to like here. While the tracks are pretty simple, they are both catchy, brutal, powerful, and effective old school death metal. Reifert´s vocals are slightly higher pitched than they would become just a year or two down the line, but they are still pretty sick and deranged growling/screaming. The tracks are relatively varied and features both fast sections, mid-paced heavy sections, and slow and doomy sections.

The demo is well produced featuring a raw, but still detailed and powerful sounding production job. Considering that this is a late 1987 extreme metal demo, I´d say it´s exceptionally well produced. Autopsy had only existed for five months at the time of recording this demo and I assure you it doesn´t sound like it. This is quite the brilliant demo and a 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.

UMUR "Aggressive Tyrant" is the first demo release by US, Florida based death metal act Massacre. The demo was independently released in April 1986. Massacre formed in 1985, but the roots of the band go back to 1983 when drummer/lead vocalist Kam Lee, guitarist Rick Rozz and guitarist/additional vocalist Chuck Schuldiner formed Mantas, which would later morph into Death. When Lee and Rozz were ousted from Death in 1985, Lee formed Massacre with drummer Bill Andrews (Lee had now given up playing the drums and only concentrated on singing), bassist Mike Borders, and guitarist Allen West, which is the lineup who recorded "Aggressive Tyrant".

Stylistically this is aggressive and brutal death metal with strong thrash metal leanings, which isn´t surprising given the early date of release. Kam Lee´s vocals are intelligible deep semi-growling and the music is both fast-paced and heavy. It´s interesting to hear that West´s guitar tone is very similar to the tone he would use on the early Obituary releases once he joined them. I´m usually not keen on calling anything before "Scream Bloody Gore" death metal, but this demo comes close to me calling it just that. It´s still slightly too much in thrash metal territory to be labelled a 100% death metal release, but it´s damn close and you are arguably exposed to some of the early traits of death metal like the deep grunted vocals, the heavy and intense guitar tone, and the fast double bass drums.

The three tracks on the 10:42 minutes long demo are quite catchy and effective too, and the demo is also well produced considering that it´s an April 1986 extreme metal demo. A 3 star (60%) rating is warranted.

sensedatum Barry Manilow. Thats what came to my mind when I first listened to the ballad "I never cry". I liked Barry Manilow when I was a child and kept listening to the Copacabana Lp. Well in this Alice Copper album there are quite a few songs that reminds me Barry Manilow. And yes, if you are into pop, some may be nice songs, others are much oversweetened. And you find strings arrangements everywhere. Cooper did indeed went to hell for making this record. A little odd that this album nowadays has almost the same rating as the first Alice Copper greatest hits album (!?)

UMUR "Cannibal Corpse" is the eponymously titled first demo release by US, Buffalo, New York based death metal act Cannibal Corpse. The demo was independently released in May 1989. Cannibal Corpse was formed in December 1988 by three members of Tirant Sin and two members of Beyond Death. Both contemporary Buffalo thrash metal acts. It´s the only demo by Cannibal Corpse before they were signed to Metal Blade Records for the release of their debut full-length studio album "Eaten Back to Life" (August 1990).

The demo features five tracks and a total playing time of 11:52 minutes. All tracks were re-recorded and included on "Eaten Back to Life". Although tracks like "A Skull Full of Maggots" and "Scattered Remains, Splattered Brains" are easily recognisable, these demo versions are quite different from the studio versions which would appear on "Eaten Back to Life". First and foremost as a result of Chris Barnes vocals, which are raw thrash metal shouting. There are very few growling vocals and a few higher pitched screams here, which could be labelled death metal vocals. So to my ears this demo isn´t really a death metal demo, but more a death/thrash metal hybrid release. The instrumental part of the music could also be mistaken for really brutal thrash metal (Dark Angel and Devastation are for example not much less brutal than this). I imagine that fans of this demo who subsequently purchased and listened to "Eaten Back to Life" must have been in shock at what they heard.

The sound production is of a pretty good quality considering that this is a demo, but it´s not like this demo could have been released as an official studio release. For that it´s too raw and unpolished. Upon conclusion it´s a good quality first demo release by Cannibal Corpse, but don´t expect a fully matured Cannibal Corpse on this release...don´t even expect this to be a fully fledged death metal release. A 3 star (60%) rating is warranted.

UMUR "Yuk Fou" is the second demo release by US, Buffalo, New York based thrash metal act Beyond Death. The demo was independently released on cassette tape in 1988. The six tracks on the 23:39 minutes long demo were recorded live at the River Rock Cafe in Buffalo, New York in 1988. This was the last Beyond Death release to feature bassist Alex Webster and guitarist Jack Owen before they left and formed Cannibal Corpse along with three members of contemporary Buffalo thrash metal act Tirant Sin. Beyond Death folded a year later, but was revived again (without Webster and Owen) releasing a 1990 and a 1991 demo before disbanding.

Despite being a live demo recording from 1988 "Yuk Fou" is pretty well produced perfectly capturing the aggressive and well played live show, which also features some nice interplay with the audience who are also suitably active. It´s funny to hear instructions from the band to the audience that they will be thrown out of the club if they stage dive. It´s obvious Beyond Death had developed their sound and their skills since the release of their relatively immature first demo, and the fact that this was recorded live only adds to the authenticity and power of the release (video material exists from this show and it´s pretty great should you come across it). A 3 star (60%) rating is warranted.

UMUR "A Slice of Death" is the first demo release by US, Buffalo, New York based thrash metal act Beyond Death. The demo was independently released on cassette tape in November 1987. Beyond Death formed in 1986 and originally existed until bassist Alex Webster and guitarist Jack Owen left to form Cannibal Corpse along with three members of contemporary Buffalo thrash metal act Tirant Sin.

"A Slice of Death" features three tracks and a total playing time of 6 minutes. "Victims" and "Agonizing Death" are both aggressive thrash metal tracks influenced by the likes of Slayer and Dark Angel, which actually isn´t far removed from what Tirant Sin did at the same time, although Tirant Sin was slightly more aggressive and also leaned a bit towards the caustic teutonic sound. "I Love You, I Hope You Die" is a short "funny" crossover track, which opens in silly rock mode and ends in fast-paced crossover thrash metal mode. The sound production of the demo is decent, but there´s nothing out of the ordinary for the style found here, and to my ears the most interesting thing about this demo is you get to hear Alex Webster sing. A 2.5 star (50%) rating is warranted.

UMUR "Mutant Supremacy" is the third demo release by US, Buffalo, New York based thrash metal act Tirant Sin. The demo was independently released in 1988. It´s the successor to the October 1987 demo "Chaotic Destruction" and there´s been one lineup change since the predecessor as lead vocalist Dennis John Glinski has been replaced by Chris Barnes. Barnes was actually a founding member of Tirant Sin, but he was only shortly in the band in 1985.

The addition of Barnes to the lineup means that "Mutant Supremacy" features three future members of Cannibal Corpse in the lineup in Barnes, Paul Mazurkiewicz (drums) and Bob Rusay (guitars). Tirant Sin would soon fold and along with some members of fellow Buffalo thrash metal act Beyond Death, the three above mentioned members of Tirant Sin would form Cannibal Corpse.

Stylistically there´s nothing on "Mutant Supremacy" which points in the direction of death metal though, as this is through and through aggressive and brutal thrash metal, just as the band also played on the first two demos. Barnes performs screaming throaty vocals which are completely different from the growling vocals he would start performing just a year down the line.

The sound production on the demo is raw and unpolished but it´s decent enough and you´re able to hear all details. Just as the case was on the first two demos the songwriting is what holds Tirant Sin back. It´s not awful or anything like that, but it´s very standard for the genre, and the tracks aren´t particularly memorable. A 2.5 - 3 star (55%) rating is warranted.

UMUR "Chaotic Destruction" is the second demo release by US, Buffalo, New York based thrash metal act Tirant Sin. The demo was independently released in October 1987. It´s the successor to the February 1987 demo "Desecration of the Graves" and there have been a couple of lineup changes since the last release, as guitarist Cam V. has been replaced by Joe Morelli and vocalist Dennis John Glinski has been added to the lineup to make Tirant Sin a quintet on this release. The vocals on the first demo were handled by bassist Rich Ziegler and drummer Paul Mazurkiewicz, and a permanent and more professional sounding solution was needed.

Tirant Sin formed in 1985 under the Satan´s Angel monicker but soon changed their name to Tirant Sin. Tirant Sin released three demos before morphing into Cannibal Corpse along with members of another Buffalo thrash metal unit Beyond Death.

Stylistically "Chaotic Destruction" continues the aggressive and brutal thrash metal style Tirant Sin initiated on "Desecration of the Graves" but it´s audible that the band have honed their playing skills and that the addition of a "real" singer have boosted their sound. "Chaotic Destruction" also features a better sounding production than the first demo, and overall it´s the step up in quality you´d expect from a sophomore release. The songwriting is still very standard for the genre though, and it´s in that department that "Chaotic Destruction" doesn´t do anything out of the ordinary. A 2.5 - 3 star (55%) rating is warranted.

UMUR "Desecration of the Graves" is the first demo release by US, Buffalo, New York based thrash metal act Tirant Sin. The demo was independently released on cassette tape in February 1987. Tirant Sin formed in 1985 under the Satan´s Angel monicker but soon changed their name to Tirant Sin. Tirant Sin released three demos before morphing into Cannibal Corpse along with members of another Buffalo thrash metal unit Beyond Death.

Stylistically this is aggressive and brutal thrash metal influenced by Slayer and also the contemporary German scene. The four tracks on the 11:42 minutes long demo are pretty standard for the genre, but still pretty solid. It´s obvious the band are pretty young and immature at this point (especially the vocals), but when that is said "Desecration of the Graves" is overall decent enough. The sound production is raw and unpolished, but it´s not unlistenable. A 2.5 - 3 star (55%) rating is warranted.

UMUR "Under the Scalpel Blade" is a one-track flexi-disc single release by UK death metal act Carcass. The 7" flexi-disc single was given away with copies of the 4th of December 2019 Decibel Magazine. At that point it was meant to be a teaser release for the then forthcoming release of Carcass seventh full-length studio album "Torn Arteries", but it ended up being a teaser release coming out 2 years before the actual release of the album in September 2021, as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic. Carcass opted to include "Under the Scalpel Blade" on the October 2020 "Despicable" EP release, which they ended up releasing as a stop-gap release, because they had to postpone the album release a couple of times.

Stylistically it´s one of the heaviest, fastest, and most old school death metal/deathgrind tracks on "Torn Arteries", and it´s an absolutely brilliant composition. It´s no wonder Carcass chose this as their first single for "Torn Arteries" and also released a promotional video for the track. A 4 star (80%) rating is deserved.

UMUR "Zochrot" is a a one-track single release by UK death metal act Carcass. It´s a flexi disc single which was given away free with the October 2013 issue of Decibel Magazine. "Zochrot" was upon release an exclusive track, but it was reissued as one of the tracks on the November 2014 "Surgical Remission / Surplus Steel" EP, which features leftover material from the "Surgical Steel" (2013) sessions. So "Zochrot" is one of the tracks which didn´t make it unto Carcass comeback album.

Stylistically it´s a mid-paced heavy death metal track, featuring death/thrashy riffs, heavy beats, nice melodic leads and harmonies, and Jeff Walker´s signature snarling vocals on top. Quality wise it could just as easialy have made the cut as any other track which did make the cut to be included on "Surgical Steel". It´s packed in the same powerful, detailed, but also slightly sterile sounding production as the other material recorded during the same sessions. Upon conclusion "Zochrot" is a great but maybe not spectacular Carcass track. Still a 3.5 - 4 star (75%) rating is deserved.

UMUR "Death Metal" is a 4way-split release featuring German artists Running Wild, Helloween, Dark Avenger, and Swiss group Hellhammer. The split was released in October 1984 through Noise Records. None of the band´s have had their breakthrough at this point, and all material on the split are demo recordings. Each artist are featured with two tracks.

"Death Metal" opens with the two tracks by Running Wild, which are culled from their 1984 "Demo 4". They are fairly well played but not particularly interesting heavy metal/speed metal tracks. Hellhammer is up next, and their two tracks are culled from the March 1984 recording sessions which ended up becoming the "Apocalyptic Raids" EP. The two tracks featured on this split, are however leftover tracks from the recording sessions, which originally didn´t make it unto "Apocalyptic Raids". Stylistically Hellhammer played a primitive and raw blackened speed metal style, which subsequently influenced a lot of extreme metal artists. They are arguably the most raw and extreme band on the split.

The Dark Avenger tracks are epic heavy/speed metal tracks, which are well performed, well written, and relatively well produced. As far as I know the two tracks are exclusive to this release. Dark Avenger only released a 1985 demo in addition to the material featured here and then folded. The two Helloween tracks are culled from their June 1984 "Death Metal Demo". Helloween play a more powerful, sharp, and hard edged version of the speed metal style Dark Avenger introduced on the tracks before these ones. The Helloween tracks are also well produced.

Although Hellhammer stick out a bit with their more savage sounding music style "Death Metal" is a pretty good quality split release, featuring some decent quality demo material (in some cases pretty good quality) and some of these bands would of course go on to future greatness. It´s only Dark Avenger who has more or less disappeared from metal history other than their contributions to this split. A 3 star (60%) rating is deserved.

adg211288 Gloire Éternelle (2021) is the second full-length studio album by Canadian technical death metal act First Fragment. The band's debut album Dasein was released in 2016 and in the interim there have been some changes. Co-founding guitarist Gabriel Brault-Pilon has left the band to pursue a career in law enforcement while bassist Vincent Savary has also moved on, though has a cameo as a guest musician. Drums on the debut were recorded by a session member, with the permanent role now filled by Nicholas "Le Fou" Wells. Replacing the departed band members are guitarist Nick "Thriller" Miller and in what may just be the band's biggest coup, bassist Dominic "Forest" Lapointe (Augury, ex-Beyond Creation). Only vocalist David AB and guitarist Phil Tougas remain from the debut's line-up.

The music on Gloire Éternelle is, at its core, technical death metal of more the progressive flair, but the edge on the music is much more orientated in a neoclassical approach. The musicianship of First Fragment is of an impeccable level and the band really go full tilt with their soloing, including bass soloing. The highest about of solos in a single track on the album is nineteen, jointly held by Pantheum and the epic suite In'el, a nearly nineteen minute long track. Conversely Pantheum is among the album's shortest tracks.

The overall sound is highly melodic without ever really being melodeath, but it would not be wrong I think to make a connection to power metal in the First Fragment's sound. They also add some acoustics which have a decidedly flamenco touch to them, which isn't something you hear everyday in death metal! The production values may be too pretty and polished for old school death metal fans to get behind, but for those who love insane musicianship Gloire Éternelle is an easy album to become captivated by and is perfect for the neoclassical leads to shine.

All bass on the album is fretless, which always adds a rather unique edge to a technical death metal act, as already displayed by Lapointe in Beyond Creation and other fretless favouring players like Obscura's Jeroen Paul Thesseling. Man, I really love this sound actually. With a lot of metal bass I often find it getting a bit lost amongst everything else going on and as such there's only really a handful of bass players I really consider essential to their band (like Steve Harris in Iron Maiden), but here Lapointe has a lead role in things and it sounds glorious. I would love to hear more bands doing this, not just in tech death.

Clocking in with a big run time of 71:28 it is perhaps a fair criticism to say they do let things meander a bit, although the epic piece, In'el, stands for me as a true crowning achievement of what makes Gloire Éternelle such a great release. It's not an album that I think will please every death metal fan, it seems clear that this one was meant more for the progsters. For this death metal fan it hits the spot absolutely deliciously.

UMUR "Captive Bolt Pistol" is a two-track single release by UK death metal act Carcass. The single was released through Nuclear Blast in August 2013. It was released to promote the release of the band´s September 2013 comeback album "Surgical Steel". "Captive Bolt Pistol" is featured as track number 10 on "Surgical Steel" and appears here in the exact same version as on the album. "Intensive Battery Brooding" is on the other hand an exclusive track, and obviously an outtake from the "Surgical Steel" sessions. It would subsequently be included on the November 2014 "Surgical Remission / Surplus Steel" EP, which features leftover tracks from the "Surgical Steel" sessions.

"Captive Bolt Pistol" is a fast, sharp, and brutal death metal track, which is reminiscent of the early- mid-90s output by Carcass. "Intensive Battery Brooding" is a heavy track featuring more traditional heavy metal elements. A 3.5 - 4 star (75%) rating is deserved.

UMUR "Peace Through Tyranny" is the debut full-length studio album by US death metal/deathgrind act Kill Division. The album was released through Redefining Darkness Records in September 2022. Kill Division formed in 2021 and features quite a few prominent musicians in drummer Dirk Verbeuren (Megadeth, Aborted, Soilwork...etc.), guitarist Gus Ríos (Create a Kill, Gruesome...etc.), bassist Jeramie Kling (Ex Deo, Ribspreader, Dritt Skit. etc.), and lead vocalist Kyle Symons (Upon Infliction, HatePlow, Malevolent Creation...etc.). Ríos is predominantly responsible for composing the tracks, and the various instrument and vocal tracks were recorded at different recording studios and put together afterwards. I might be wrong, but I´m guessing the band never met and played together.

Stylistically this is deathgrind in the vein of Terrorizer (they even cover "Barely Alive" by Terrorizer) with the occasional nod toward Misery Index (when the music is most hardcore influenced). It´s audible right away that these guys are seasoned veterans of the scene as the performances are technically flawless and there´s both bite and conviction in the way the parts are delivered. While the material isn´t particularly unique and certainly not groundbreaking, it´s quite powerful and intense. It´s also packed in a sharp, brutal, and raw sounding production, which suits the material well, so while this may come off as a bit of a Terrorizer worship project, it´s still a high quality release and a 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.

UMUR "Unfit for Human Consumption" is a one-track single release by UK death metal act Carcass. The single was released through Nuclear Blast in 2013 to promote the release of the band´s September 2013 comeback album "Surgical Steel". "Unfit for Human Consumption" is featured as track number 8 on "Surgical Steel" and appears here in the exact same version as on the album.

It´s a brilliant death metal track, which makes me think of how Carcass sounded on "Heartwork" (October 1993, Earache Records). It´s a track loaded with fast-paced energetic riffs, melodic lead- and harmony guitar work, snarling aggressive vocals, and a powerful playing rhythm section (I love the blast beat section around the 3 minutes mark). A 4 star (80%) rating is deserved.

UMUR "Go to Hell" is a 2-track single release by UK death metal act Carcass. The single was released through Earache Records in 1995 as a promotional single preceding the release of the band´s fifth full-length studio album "Swansong".

"Go to Hell" appears as the twelth and closing track on "Swansong", but "Emotional Flatline" is an outtake track from the sessions, which wasn´t included on the original version of the album. It was subsequently included on deluxe versions of the album and it was also included on the November 1996 "Wake Up and Smell the... Carcass" compilation album (Earache Records).

Both tracks are in the death´n´roll style loaded with traditional heavy metal elements which Carcass played on "Swansong", although "Emotional Flatline" is not as hard rock/heavy metal infested as "Go to Hell", until the cowbell middle section. The quality of both tracks is high, and there´s nothing wrong with the performances or the well sounding production job, so while this release may seem a little redundant today, now that both tracks are available elsewhere, this is still a worthwhile single release. A 3 - 3.5 star (65%) rating is warranted.

UMUR "The Peel Sessions" is an EP release by UK goregrind/death metal act Carcass. The EP was released through Strange Fruit Records in January 1989. After BBC DJ John Peel discovered "Reek of Putrefaction" (June 1988, Earache Records) and made it has album of the year, he showed great interest in recording a Peel session with Carcass, which came into fruitation on the 13th of December 1988, were Carcass recorded early versions of "Crepitating Bowel Erosion", "Slash Dementia", "Cadaveric Incubator of Endo Parasites", and "Reek of Putrefaction", which were all tracks which would eventually be re-recorded and included on the band´s sophomore full-length studio album "Symphonies of Sickness" (November 1989, Earache Records). The band´s Peel Session was first transmitted on the 2nd of January 1989.

Compared to the predominantly short and blasting tracks featured on "Reek of Putrefaction", it´s audible right away when listening to the material on this recording, that Carcass were evolving at a rapid pace. The material here is much more evolved, complex, and varied, and the tracks are longer too, giving them room and time to evolve. While it´s still a pretty raw and unpolished affair, the development is impressive considering the short amount of time which had transpired since the band formed in early 1987. So if you want to hear early drafts of four of the tracks which would eventually appear on "Symphonies of Sickness" this "Peel Sessions" EP is worth a listen. To the more casual fan the versions of the tracks featured on "Symphonies of Sickness" will most likely suffice. A 3 star (60%) rating is warranted.

UMUR "Eleanor Rigor Mortis / Under the Scalpel Blade" is a two-track single release by UK death metal act Carcass. The single was released on 12" vinyl through Church of Vinyl in Februrary 2023 and is limited to 666 copies. Both tracks are available in the same versions on Carcass seventh full-length studio album "Torn Arteries" (September 2021, Nuclear Blast). So while the material is of a high quality (both tracks are among the more early 90s death metal sounding tracks on "Torn Arteries"), there´s nothing new here if you already own the full-length album. So this is definitely a hardcore fan item. The 12" vinyl is shaped like a heart and features a picture of the vegetable heart which is also featured on the cover of "Torn Arteries". The picure disc format and the unique shape of the vinyl make this quite the rare and exquisite release. A 4 star (80%) rating is deserved.

UMUR "Symphonies of Sickness" is the second demo release by UK goregrind act Carcass. The demo was independently released in December 1988. It bridges the gap between Carcass debut- and sophomore full-length studio albums "Reek of Putrefacation" (June 1988) and "Symphonies of Sickness" (November 1989). The demo features five tracks and a total playing time of 20:10 minutes. All five tracks would appear in re-recorded versions on the "Symphonies of Sickness" album.

The sound quality is pretty lo-fi, murky, and noisy, and it can best be described as listening to the tracks from "Symphonies of Sickness" with the raw and unpolished production of "Reek of Putrefacation". It´s interesting to hear the band members talk between the tracks, and while I´m not 100% sure, this sounds a lot like a rehearsal demo recorded live in the band´s rehearsal space. So while it´s certainly an interesting historical document and a testimony to how creative and skilled Carcass were already this early on, it´s a demo which is hard on the ears. A 2.5 - 3 star (55%) rating is warranted.

UMUR "Flesh Ripping Sonic Torment" is the first demo release by UK goregrind act Carcass. The thirteen tracks on the 20:20 minutes long demo were recorded more or less live in the studio during one session in the summer of 1987. This was just a few months after guitarist Bill Steer has also become a permanent member of Napalm Death, who at that point had a higher underground profile than Carcass, but Steer´s heart was primarly in Carcass with his two friends Jeff Walker and Ken Owen. The early incarnation of Carcass featured the trio of Steer on guitars, Owen on drums, and the former Electro Hippies lead vocalist Walker bass. The vocals were performed by weirdo Liverpool local Andrew Pek (credited here as Sanjiv), who was only a member of Carcass long enough to sing on this demo and perform one show with them, before the other three opted to share the vocal duties between them. Soon after releasing "Flesh Ripping Sonic Torment", Carcass was signed by Earache Records for the release of their debut full-length studio album "Reek of Putrefaction" (June 1988). All tracks from "Flesh Ripping Sonic Torment" (except "Die In Pain") were re-recorded and included on "Reek of Putrefaction", although some appear with altered titles.

Stylistically this is probably one of the earliest goregrind releases, although US grindcore/death metal band Genocide/Repulsion had done something similar the year before (Impetigo could also be mentioned as a contemporary artists with some similar musical/thematic traits). Carcass just took the next step and added ultra fast blast beats, vile and nasty lyrics/imagery, and a level of chaotic brutality unheard of at that point. You had artists like Siege, Napalm Death, Extreme Noise Terror, Discharge, and Heresy, who all pushed the limits of hardcore punk to the extreme (some more than others), but the added gore/horror elements and murky nature of the early Carcass releases made them stand out from most other contemporary grindcore artists who primarily dealt with sociopolitical lyrical themes (except of course Genocide/Repulsion and Impetigo who also dealt in gore and horror).

The sound quality of the demo is murky, lo-fi, and raw, but a bit surprisingly it´s better and more clear sounding than the ultra murky and noisy sound production on "Reek of Putrefaction", and it´s more audible on "Flesh Ripping Sonic Torment" that Carcass already this early on wrote some pretty sharp, brutal, and catchy riffs. The tracks alternate between mid-paced heavy brutality and chaotic blast beat sections, with Sanjiv´s raw shouting/growing vocals on top. Although his vocals aren´t quite as sick as the vocals which would appear on "Reek of Putrefaction", they are still well performed, effective, and fitting the music perfectly. While this is arguably a seminal goregrind release which along with "Reek of Putrefaction" would influence hordes of artists to play fast grindcore/death metal and produce vile, sick, and outrageous imagery and lyrics, it´s naturally also a very raw, primitive, and unpolished release, which leaves a bit to be desired if you´d like to hear every detail in the mix. Yeah you guessed right, that´s not possible...still a 3 star (60%) rating isn´t all wrong, and it´s definitely worth seeking out for historical value alone, but you may actually also find some ear melting sonic output to enjoy.

UMUR "Death Metal" is a 4way-split release featuring German artists Running Wild, Helloween, Dark Avenger, and Swiss group Hellhammer. The split was released in October 1984 through Noise Records. None of the band´s have had their breakthrough at this point, and all material on the split are demo recordings. Each artist are featured with two tracks.

"Death Metal" opens with the two tracks by Running Wild, which are culled from their 1984 "Demo 4". They are fairly well played but not particularly interesting heavy metal/speed metal tracks. Hellhammer is up next, and their two tracks are culled from the March 1984 recording sessions which ended up becoming the "Apocalyptic Raids" EP. The two tracks featured on this split, are however leftover tracks from the recording sessions, which originally didn´t make it unto "Apocalyptic Raids". Stylistically Hellhammer played a primitive and raw blackened speed metal style, which subsequently influenced a lot of extreme metal artists. They are arguably the most raw and extreme band on the split.

The Dark Avenger tracks are epic heavy/speed metal tracks, which are well performed, well written, and relatively well produced. As far as I know the two tracks are exclusive to this release. Dark Avenger only released a 1985 demo in addition to the material featured here and then folded. The two Helloween tracks are culled from their June 1984 "Death Metal Demo". Helloween play a more powerful, sharp, and hard edged version of the speed metal style Dark Avenger introduced on the tracks before these ones. The Helloween tracks are also well produced.

Although Hellhammer stick out a bit with their more savage sounding music style "Death Metal" is a pretty good quality split release, featuring some decent quality demo material (in some cases pretty good quality) and some of these bands would of course go on to future greatness. It´s only Dark Avenger who has more or less disappeared from metal history other than their contributions to this split. A 3 star (60%) rating is deserved.

UMUR "Monolith Of Inhumanity" is the 6th full-length studio album by US, California based deathgrind/death metal act Cattle Decapitation. The album was released through Metal Blade Records in May 2012. It´s the successor to "The Harvest Floor" from 2009 and features one lineup change since the predecessor as bassist Troy Oftedal has been replaced by Derek Engemann.

"Monolith Of Inhumanity" is the album where Cattle Decapitation moved on to something new and produced a more mature version of their sound. It´s still furiously fast-paced, aggressive, and brutal technical deathgrind, but the memorability of the material and the level of songwriting sophistication are on a higher level here than before. Lead vocalist Travis Ryan delivers all sorts of extreme vocal styles, from deep growling, unintelligible effect laden growling, high pitched aggressive screaming, and his raw semi-melodic vocals. The latter vocal style has now become a fully integrated part of the band´s music, and when they appear, those parts often work like semi-melodic breathers amidst the otherwise chaotic soundscape. A good example is the slower middle part of "Lifestalker", where the "clean" vocal part provides that section with an almost epic quality. The clean vocals are also quite effective on "Dead Set on Suicide", where they appear over a fast-paced chaotic sounding part.

"Monolith Of Inhumanity" is generally a very busy and technically challenging release, and it´s definitely not an easily accessible album. There´s a progressive/avant garde edge to Cattle Decapitation´s sound which sometimes takes the listener off guard. It for example took me many listens to fully grasp album opener "The Carbon Stampede". The chaotic and almost avant garde nature of that track was a real challenge, but after some spins it clicked with me, and I understood the brilliance of the composition. So for some listeners (myself included) work is needed to learn to appreciate an album like "Monolith Of Inhumanity".

"Monolith Of Inhumanity" features a sharp, detailed, and powerful sounding production, which suits the material perfectly. I´ve always had at least some minor issues with the band´s previous sound productions, but Cattle Decapitation have finally managed to produce a near perfect sound for their music. Upon conclusion "Monolith Of Inhumanity" is a high quality release by Cattle Decapitation. A 4 star (80%) rating is deserved.

UMUR "The VIIth Coming" is the 7th full-length studio album by UK doom metal act Cathedral. The album was released through Spitfire Records/Dream Catcher Records in October 2002. It´s the successor to "Endtyme" from 2001. An album which marked a change in sound from the last couple of album´s stoner doom metal style, towards a darker, slower, and heavier doom metal sound.

While "The VIIth Coming" isn´t quite as dark and heavy as "Endtyme (2001)", it´s still a very heavy doom metal release, and although Cathedral occasionally move into stoner doom territory and "lighter" moods, the most silly psychadelic shenanigans fortunately seem to have been left behind in the 90s, although the shenanigans had their time and place too, but there is a limit to how many uhs and ahs and other odd psychadelic outbursts one can take. On "The VIIth Coming" the atmosphere shifts between dark and heavy, and slightly lighter but still heavy, and it´s good for the variation of the album, that not all tracks are similar in sound. A track like "Aphrodite's Winter" for example stands out as more melodic and atmospheric.

The quality and memorability of the material are generally relatively high, although "The VIIth Coming" isn´t the most standout release in Cathedral´s discography. The album is well produced and the sound succesfully brings out the organic qualities of the band´s music and performances. Cathedral were always a very organic playing act, and a more sterile polished production would not have suited the material on "The VIIth Coming". The musicianship is generally strong, although lead vocalist Lee Dorrian still hasn´t learned to hit the notes clean. His personality and presence shine through his performance here though, and there is therefore still something oddly charming about his vocal performance. It´s not pretty, but at least it´s distinct sounding and unique. A 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.

UMUR "Werk 80" is the 5th ull-length studio album by German metal act Atrocity. The album was released through Swanlake Records in April 1997. That´s less than a year after the release of "Willenskraft" from July 1996. "Werk 80" is a covers album, featuring covers of 80s pop/new wave tracks by artists like The Human League, Tears for Fears, and Frankie Goes to Hollywood. Considering that Atrocity started out playing deathgrind in the late 80s, and technical death metal in the early 90s, that´s a bit of a surprise move, but then again if you´ve payed attention to the stylistic diversity of the band´s material in the few years between their early death metal releases and the release of "Werk 80", it really shouldn´t come as a huge surprise. Atrocity have tried their hands on industrial metal, goth metal, groove metal, and neo-folk to varying degrees of success, so why not make a covers album of 80s pop/new wave hits, to add to the tally of strange/adventurous musical choices?

Atrocity manage to put their own spin on the cover tracks on "Werk 80", in terms of putting heavy jagged guitar riffs on the songs and goth and industrial tinged vocals (and the occasional harder edged shouting vocal part). There are both keyboards and samples used too, and the occasional female vocal part (mostly performed by lead vocalist Alexander Krull´s wife Liv Kristine). Some tracks are more interesting than others, but that goes for the originals too, and some tracks are better suited for Atrocity´s treatment than others, but "Werk 80" is overall a decent release. It´s nothing groundbreaking, and in most cases I´d rather listen to the originals, but it´s a well produced and well performed covers album and a 3 star (60%) rating isn´t all wrong.

Warthur When it comes to the monster King Crimson boxed sets I've covered so far, I'd put The Road to Red on a tier above Sailors' Tales and the Larks' Tongues box, but below that of Starless.

In terms of sound quality, whilst it's a bit less consistent than the Starless box, it's nonetheless streets ahead of most of the material on Sailors' Tales and Larks' Tongues. In terms of the live sets presented on the box, there's obviously a lot of fantastic performances here, but I'd say that by and large the performances on the Starless box have the edge on them, with some exceptions.

In addition, there's a more nuanced reason why I think Starless is a five-star set whilst The Road to Red is more four- and-a-half stars. On the European tours covered in Starless, King Crimson were typically the headliners, with set lengths giving them space to sprawl. Conversely, in many of the US dates chronicled here, their improvisations where greatly curtailed due to the fact that they were working as a support act. Consistently, the better gigs here are the longer concerts where they were headlining and had the space to really get into it.

It's still a fantastic collection for anyone who loves mid-1970s King Crimson (and the new mix of Red is great), but I just don't think it hits five stars.

Pekka What if Metallica had a different drummer? The wet dream of thousands upon thousands of comment section Lars bashers was actually answered one night in the middle of the Madly in Anger with the World tour in June 2004. On the flight towards Donington something happened that prevented Lars from performing that night, and while nothing of substance was said at the time it has been at least insinuated later that it was something to do with complete exhaustion and and some sort of health episode related to that.

While a full show was out of the question, in an effort to offer the crowd at least something the rest of the 'tallica boys went around the backstage area looking for drummers who might know some of their songs and found three. Some decent drumming chaps called Dave Lombardo and Joey Jordison answered the call, and Lars' drum tech Flemming Larsen got the nod as well, with Jordison playing the lion's share of the set.

I've often wondered what went through James Hetfield's mind, after the concern for the ailing bandmate subsided and he's in the moment playing Battery with Dave fucking Lombardo driving the beat behind him. The obvious lack of rehearsal time is apparent in many places but the power behind every cymbal hit and bass drum beat is quite incredible. On his two tracks Lombardo follows the recorded arrangements somewhat closely, just with everything powered up to 150%, but Joey Jordison takes a ton more liberties with his playing.

Jordison's portion of the show is regrettably Black Album oriented since his Creeping Death is the other definite highlight of the show, with extra fills and bass drum bursts at every turn. One is left to wonder what he could have done with some other thrash classics instead of the tamer material heard here. Someone other who might have had a lot going through his mind was Lars' long time right hand man Flemming Larsen who does a competent job on Fade to Black.

Two days later Lars was back in the saddle and this remains the only show ever that Metallica has played without one of the four members at any given time. A really fascinating glimpse into an alternate universe.

UMUR "Midnight Wraith" is an EP release by US heavy/speed metal act DarkBlack. The EP was released through Stormspell Records in December 2010. It´s the successor to "The Sellsword" debut album from September 2009. DarkBlack formed in 2004 in Pennsylvania, but later relocated to Oregon. They released "The Barbarian's Hammer" EP in 2005 and the above mentioned debut full-length studio album "The Sellsword" in September 2009. After releasing "Midnight Wraith" DarkBlack disbanded.

Stylistically the material on "Midnight Wraith" is a continuation of the traditional heavy metal style featuring elements from speed metal and power metal, which DarkBlack also played on "The Sellsword". The quality of the songwriting is on the same level as on the previous release, which means it´s entertaining while it plays, but not particularly memorable beyond that, despite featuring many melodic leads and harmonies.

It´s the vocals which are pretty much sung in the same range and vocal style on all tracks, and when the melody lines aren´t that memorable, that part of the music isn´t a positive. The old school organic nature of the performances is otherwise very charming and authentic. The same can be said about the sound production. The drums are maybe a little more sharp and stand out in the mix, than they would have, if this had been recorded in the 80s, but other than that, this could well have been an 80s release. A 3 star (60%) rating is warranted.

UMUR "The Sellsword" is the debut full-length studio album by US heavy/speed metal act DarkBlack. The album was released through Stormspell Records in September 2009. DarkBlack formed in 2004 in Pennsylvania, but later relocated to Oregon. They released "The Barbarian's Hammer" EP in 2005 and didn´t release anything else before releasing "The Sellsword". After releasing the 2010 "Midnight Wraith" EP they disbanded.

Stylistically the material featured on the 9 track, 41:39 minutes long album is traditional heavy metal with a few nods towards speed metal and power metal. It´s a retro sounding music style, and if the already organic and rough sounding production had been a little more raw and unpolished, "The Sellsword" could easily have been released sometime between 1982 and 1984. There´s nothing here which signals that this album was recorded in 2009.

DarkBlack are a well playing band, and they manage to create a huge sound with thundering drums, a rumbling bass, traditional heavy metal riffs, melodic lead guitar work, and a screaming lead vocalist in front. Unfortunately they´ve opted to place vocalist/singer Tim Smith too low in the mix, which has the consequence that the vocals are not nearly as powerful and commanding as they could have been. To my ears it´s a pretty bad production choice.

The music is well composed, well performed, and other than the issue with the vocals, also well produced. So it´s a good quality release it most departments. When that is said the tracks really aren´t that memorable beyond the album´s playing time, and that´s a minor issue too. The vocals sound like they are singing the same melody on all tracks, and there aren´t many hooks to be heard. A 3 star (60%) rating is warranted.

UMUR "Death Metal" is a 4way-split release featuring German artists Running Wild, Helloween, Dark Avenger, and Swiss group Hellhammer. The split was released in October 1984 through Noise Records. None of the band´s have had their breakthrough at this point, and all material on the split are demo recordings. Each artist are featured with two tracks.

"Death Metal" opens with the two tracks by Running Wild, which are culled from their 1984 "Demo 4". They are fairly well played but not particularly interesting heavy metal/speed metal tracks. Hellhammer is up next, and their two tracks are culled from the March 1984 recording sessions which ended up becoming the "Apocalyptic Raids" EP. The two tracks featured on this split, are however leftover tracks from the recording sessions, which originally didn´t make it unto "Apocalyptic Raids". Stylistically Hellhammer played a primitive and raw blackened speed metal style, which subsequently influenced a lot of extreme metal artists. They are arguably the most raw and extreme band on the split.

The Dark Avenger tracks are epic heavy/speed metal tracks, which are well performed, well written, and relatively well produced. As far as I know the two tracks are exclusive to this release. Dark Avenger only released a 1985 demo in addition to the material featured here and then folded. The two Helloween tracks are culled from their June 1984 "Death Metal Demo". Helloween play a more powerful, sharp, and hard edged version of the speed metal style Dark Avenger introduced on the tracks before these ones. The Helloween tracks are also well produced.

Although Hellhammer stick out a bit with their more savage sounding music style "Death Metal" is a pretty good quality split release, featuring some decent quality demo material (in some cases pretty good quality) and some of these bands would of course go on to future greatness. It´s only Dark Avenger who has more or less disappeared from metal history other than their contributions to this split. A 3 star (60%) rating is deserved.