CD reviews - M

M.S.I. (TASMANIA) "Rhythmic Slamish" CD-R 2000. My first try with this unknown band and I don't regret it! Groovy Death Metal in the old INTERNAL BLEEDING & CYANOSIS veins and a production similar to Devourment, but the band still shows some weaknesses, they need to improve again playing their instruments especially the guitars & drums that sometimes failed in my ears but maybe I'm too much exigent! The style is quite slow sometimes, very CIANIDE alike riffings, that's certainly why the album lasts nearly one hour long, I won't complain about that, I love long albums! You definitely get what you invest with money! I won't give them the ultimate rate because they bring some boringness to the scene with this album, the next one can only be better in my opinion, so let's see it coming more mature & original now.
MACABRE (USA) "DAHMER" CD 2000 HAMMERHEART. Hell, they return now after quite some years! The serial killing Metal still alive & speed, crazy as fuck! Many people described them as a grind band, whilst I disagree completely, they're more Metal & original talented musicians than many Grind bands for sure! Their musicianship is more similar & equals the old DEATH materials for example, more than the old Napalm Death or Carcass styles... The two first songs of the album are quite ok with me, then the rest is plain funny melodies & parodies with hardcore, Heavy Metal, punk tunes... That's what they've always been since their two first vinyls "Grim Reality" & "Gloom" which were fucking cult at that time! MACABRE's very own style has been copied by many but they always stayed true & unequalled since 1987. This album is quite fun and recalls the story of Jeffrey Dahmer, sick but hilariously performed! Quite entertaining album where you can eat Jeffrey at all sauces imaginables, "Dahmer's Dead" BUY OR DIE! www.mindmelt.com macabre@mindmelt.com
MACHETAZO (SPA) "CARNE DE CEMENTERIO" CD 2000 RAZORBACK. I don't like this Grind band anymore for that it sounds too much like many other Grind bands now, they can be more extreme than IMPETIGO but they seem not to care about progressing to a more extreme level. Such kind of Grind is definitely a too basic style that sounds too weak for me these days to find it interesting, I need it more extreme in every aspects, fuck it, I'm bored...for fans of Haemorrhage... RAZORBACK: c/o BILLY NOCERA, PO BOX 321, FARMINGVILLE, NY 11738 USA. wnocera@aol.com
MALEDICTIVE PIGS (GER) "BLOODSHED" CD 2001 CUDGEL. Cool new album with a great intro, their music has evolved more into the American sound, still with that old-school dark feeling they had in their previous disc. Interesting riffs and total morbidity exults from "Bloodshed", a damn catchy album with a dark ambience the way Death Metal was conceived and with some Grind elements here & there but not that much, it makes me think of a brutaller & more varied version of old AVULSED sometimes. "Bloodshed" truly sounds like an old underground classic, certainly soon to be such! BUY OR DIE! POSTFACH 100147, 06871 LUTH. WITTENBERG GERMANY. office@cudgel.de www.cudgel.de c/o RONNY ANDRICH, PSF 110123, 14937 LUCKENWALDE 2 GERMANY.
MALEDICTIVE PIGS (GER) "REBORN" CD 99 TRAUMA. Fast Death Metal, heavy & brutal in the vein of old Swedish bands with some grinds here and there. They remind me of FLESHCRAWL quite a lot! A very massive sound assault of ancient saturated brutal Death Metal tunes resurrected now with catchy, semi-melodic riffs and an impressive dark ambience all the time, like it ruled in the old days, also reminds me of Dutch DISSECT's "Swallow Swouming Mass" CD '94. Pretty good band that will please the old fans for sure, BUY OR DIE!!
MALEVOLENT CREATION (USA) "ENVENOMED" CD 2000 PAVEMENT. Excellent surprise!! The band is returning back to their ungodly 3 first albums!! Yes, the pure rage is back and the boring power chords/vocals are gone! Now re-sounding like old DEMOLITION HAMMER, MONSTROSITY and DIABOLIC! Hatred reigns supreme in this new album which delivers an awesome energy of total skilful speed & blasting unrelenting Death Metal intensity! Long timing of true spiritual abominations like it ruled in early nineties when Florida was (and still is!) breeding an unholy place of wild Death Metal demons!! If you didn't like what was going on after "Stillborn", I promise you'll adore this one because it's a reminder of the old days! BUY OR DIE!!!
MALIGNANCY (USA) "Ignorance is bliss" CD 2001 PRIMITIVE. This unites Demos 93, 97 & Promo 98 all together, having seen them two times in five days this year and mocking the hu-hu-hu-hu a la Garcimore (rip) of the singer between songs (c'est pas moi, c'est m'sieur Pascal B.!), taking our kidding with humour and having one of the most guttural voice of the underground ("Le Jour De La Bête" approche…!), I couldn't resist of stage-diving during all their Live performance, in fact I was the only one in the crowd to do such thing that night! Thanx to the organizers for making this happening a damn memorable night of Death! Hope this will happen again!! Well, talking about MALIGNANCY is like talking of the most malefic form of obscure Death Metal music, haunting words are missing to say how Evil & diabolical they are, just imagine MORTICIAN more skilled and twisted with an apocalyptic drummer called… Roger Beaujard himself, what do you say now?! This gives an interesting experience about their obscure past which was totally unknown to me, at least who knows that they had a Demo recorded in 1993?? ça vous la coupe ça, hein? Moi aussi! Damn brutal like it must be done, heavy & sulfuric as Hell, fuming like a charred remain…..hu-hu-hu-hu!!!!! BUY OR DIE!
MANGLED (HOL) "MOST PAINFUL WAYS" CD 2001 THE PLAGUE. They accelerate a little more brutal with this new album and it's a good point! They're now heavier and punishing like MORTICIAN, ROTTREVORE or CYANOSIS & CANNIBAL CORPSE with a great raw grinding sound! It's really surprising to hear, I couldn't suspect such an interesting brutal turn but here it is and I really enjoy the whole album very much. That's a good Death Metal brutality with heaviness & catchiness, it crushes! They don't go super fast but they're faster and more technical than some other bands I heard (like C.B.T. or Mucupurulent...), definitely better & heavier than expected, really! There are also some dooming moments within the songs that makes it even tastier with many breaks and varied structures, it's catchy as fuck, 100% non-boring album, BUY OR DIE!! VERMEERSTRAAT 8, 5961 AV HORST THE NETHERLANDS. goreju@hetnet.nl
MANIPULATED SLAVES (JAP) "THE LEGENDARY BLACK JADE" CD 2001 WORLD CHAOS. Powerful & melodic, catchy Metal in the vein of the Swedish trend, good production but honestly this relates more to the Heavy Metal styles with hardcore alike vocals, some modern Metal if I can say with clean sound & crystal production, this is not underground enough for me but the band is good no problem, it's just not my style at all! Trendy Metal never get praised here. #406 NEW LIGHT BLVD., 2-25-6 HONGO BUNKYO-KU TOKYO JAPAN 113-0033. worldkdm@syd.odn.ne.jp
MANTICORE (USA) "RITUAL CLEANSING OF THE WHORE" CD 2001 MERCILESS/BREATH OF NIGHT. Excellent new band, from USA this time, not the also excellent band from Australia I knew a few years ago, this new one's quite different, being more obscure and Evil, it crushes with intense grinding raw sound like old Carcass and Order From Chaos, darkness induced Metal Satanery, yeah not for the weak! Invoking all demon-beasts of the afterworld, at least MANTICORE isn't american sounding but more old-school Black Metal such as BLASPHEMY or BESTIAL WARLUST, quite doomy and grinding obscure! Note an excellent cover version of SAMAEL's "Beyond The Nothingness" proves that they like it Dark & haunted! Music for the Evil spirits & phantomatic souls... BUY OR DOOM! 1241 CRANFORD, LAKEWOOD, OH. 44107 USA. aypslou@netzero.net yautja666@hotmail.com www.breathofnight.com
MANTICORE (USA) "BOWELS OF THE HOLY ANOINT US IN EVIL" CD 2004 WAR HAMMER. New album of grinding abominations, same comments as above and this time covering BEHERIT's "The Gate Of Nanna", quite cult to hear performed by MANTICORE, a real great band believe me! It has now more in common with ANGELCORPSE than the previous CD but no solos and grinding the holy bones & flesh! Includes one ghost-track. BUY OR DIE!!
MARTYR (CAN) "Warp Zone" CD 2001 WARFARE/SEKHMET. I remember well their previous release, it was a technical Death/Thrash Metal album in the vein of DEATH, this new one follows the same path, not clone but very similar in every aspects, just the riffs are more twisted & complex with also a modern touch into their sound, really good to hear and original, not an easy melodic album, it's very thrashy, varied & technical, mainly Death Metal of course! Those who can appreciate the skilfulness of technical Death Metal bands such as MASS PSYCHOSIS, WICKED INNOCENCE, DEATH and old ATHEIST will definitely turn their ears onto MARTYR from Canada because they equal these bands and benefit of a great production, very professional & challenging! Definitely not for trendy bastards, BUY OR DIE! PO BOX 832, CAP-DE-LA-MADELEINE (QUEBEC) CANADA G8T 8Y7. martyr@canada.com www.welcome.to/martyr 7/9 RUE GASTON CHARLE, 94120 FONTENAY SOUS BOIS FRANCE.
MARTYR (CZECH/USA) "MURDER-X THE END OF THE GAME" CD 2000 SYSTEM SHOCK. Don't mistake them for the one above! Featuring Christopher from KRABATHOR and legendary Paul Speckman from MASTER, this new project is a strong Thrash/Death played fast, pounding & crushing. Reminds me BOLT THROWER at times but also their two respective bands, old-school Metal is what you crave? So look no further as this doesn't differs from stuff of ten years of age, just the sound is more modern but the music is the same powerful mix. For the die-hard fans & freaks.
MASACRE (COL) "Muerte verdadera muerte" CD 2001 DECADE. Old-school Colombian warriors are back still with a raw production and cool catchy soulful Thrash/Death Metal in the South-American traditions, it's cool to listen these days when trends only wants you to listen to the well-promoted bands, it will make everyone remember that the real underground isn't dead at all but still survive, trends or not! I appreciate a lot their structures, efficient & fluid with great solos & doomy moods, it's something that many newer bands won't perform anymore, the obscures ambiences are something that not all the bands can do and it is the essence of the underground to me! For old Death Metal fans only!
MASACRE (COL) "TOTAL DEATH" CD 2005 XTREEM. Another true Death Metal album by these Columbian veterans, they definitely get right in with an excellent powerful production, dark stuff as always and probably more brutal this time, the solos are still there haunting and fitting perfectly like listening to ACHERON, VITAL REMAINS, DEICIDE, SADISTIC INTENT or even MORBID ANGEL! I haven't experienced such a killer Obscure & crushing Death Metal apparition in a long time with its hatred & vile vibes! MASACRE don't need to go ultra-fast, they just know how to compose good songs & catchy riffs with sublimes solos, another good reason to support the real underground bands: they're true to the scene! This is the european version where you'll find one bonus track + a video clip: BUY OR DIE!!! A.A. 81366, ENVIGADO (ANTIOQUIA) COLOMBIA. alexokendo@hotmail.com www.masacre.cjb.net
MASSACRE (USA) "Infestation Of Death" CD MASTERCULT. Once again, a mastercult bootleg including "Aggressive Tyrant" Demo1/'86, "Chamber Of Ages" Demo2/'86 and a "Live at Side Streets, Florida 20/04/86", good to hear these days with all its imperfections when all new releases comes aseptized with trend-clean sound, makes me vomit! MASSACRE were somewhat pioneers because of Kam Lee's grunting appearence in 1986 and it's always cool to hear how the songs sounded before they got released on the first album, quite different shapes than what we're all used to hear, that's always interesting to me!
MASTER (USA) "LET'S START A WAR" CD 2002 SYSTEM SHOCK. Old-school Paul MASTER Speckman is back with his legendary eternal rage as his style never changed from day one (1983 saw the beginning of MASTER for all of you ignorant fools!). So after nearly twenty years in the scene, it is without a surprise to hear some old Venom & Motörhead re-appearing through MASTER of Death! The unforgettable beats & moods induced will always make my head banging & feet taping, it's something like a Cult now! BUY OR DIE!!
MAUSOLEUM (USA) "CADAVERIC DISPLAYS OF GHOULISH GHASTLINESS" CD 2003 RAZORBACK. Everything in this album smells the rancid now defunct devoured by worms Death Metal band AUTOPSY! Yes, the sound, the vocals, the solos, the whole ambience & atmosphere... Zombie addicts! Certainly nothing to do with the band called Mausoleum who had a Demo tape out on Wild Rags in 1992. This new band knows how to write songs in the exact same vein as old AUTOPSY and they bring back ancient riffings & feelings that were almost forgotten by now. Some things were really meant to be coming back to the scene as you can't kill what's already dead... Gore will rise again in fevers and plagues among the infected bowels of the underground, rancid juices will never coagulate for sure!!! As for those who will treat them as just being an AUTOPSY rip-off band, I can just answer yes maybe true, but they do it so well that it sounds like a real AUTOPSY album! Try it with your friends, just make them listening to it and tell them that it is an hidden AUTOPSY album, no one will ever complain nor notice the difference! Well, MAUSOLEUM aren't denying this fact because they're doing a cover of... AUTOPSY's "Destined To Fester" of courpse! This is a must for all zombies into morbid Death/Doom, a masterpiece in fact! BUY OR DOOM!!!!!! PO BOX 5235, JOHNSTOWN PA. 15940-5235 USA. mausoleum@hornedmoon.com www.hornedmoon.com
MEDIUM (CUBA) "BLINDER" CD 2001 AMERICAN LINE. Ah, here's a band I'm super-glad to see coming back again!! Remember, I reviewed their "God's Perdition" Demo 93 in issue #3 of my Newsletter, they didn't change style at all, still very morbid & obscure old-school thrashing Death Metal the way it was meant to be! The song "Crowning With Thorns" was on their Demo. My only complaint will be about the drum mix, it's sometimes irritating to hear it too up front and sounds too much like a computer drumming but my ears adapt to it from song to song. Old-school fans might adore this anyway because it contains all what you need to enjoy the entire album: raw sound like Exmortis (but clearer), many cool intros, solos, catchy riffs & great Evil vocals with damned arrangements to make the old days revive again, all in all the band performs an old but original Death Metal style that is a little similar to INFERNAL from Brazil of Death! Check out "Blinder" and let your dyingfetus clones being recovered by the dust of trends... BUY OR DIE!!! c/o JORGE DOMENECH, APTDO POSTAL 25, SANTA CLARA 1, VILLA CLARA C.P. 50100 CUBA.
MEDULLA NOCTE (UK) "DYING FROM THE INSIDE" CD 2000 COPRO. Fuck that bullshit screaming hardcore metal, linear as Impaled Nazarene but more trendy and boring... If it's not shit for you, it's not far to be for me! Sure it's powerful & they go fast but it doesn't impress me for that millions of bands sound like that today and their musicianship is very primary. The music gives no feelings and is too predictable/repetitive. Please Copro, don't send me anymore of those uninteresting boring power "metal" bands you signed, thanx! This should please fans of hardcore/thrashcore/speed...
MELANCHOLY PESSIMISM (CZECH) "Evil Planet" CD 2000 EPIDEMIE. Still got that pounding production and fast brutality that seems to get even more extreme at each new release, good evilution! The CRYPTOPSY' style had influenced more than a couple of bands for sure! MELANCHOLY PESSIMISM is a good twisted Death/Grind band with a real sick, blasting approach to the style, it contains some fun & hardcorish mutations which is not real good for me but I can live with this anyway. "Evil Planet" is a damn catchy, twisted album that all brutallers may appreciate for that it is very entertaining but I personally won't praise it that much because of the boring hardcore fun they made here and there...
MENTAL HORROR (BRA) "PROCLAIMING VENGEANCE" CD 2001 NECROPOLIS/DEATHVOMIT. This band finally got an album out and it's fuckin' extreme & fast Death/Black Metal like the old KRISIUN, very intense as Hell!!!!!! I only thought that they could find something more from their own but since KRISIUN decreased a little in intensity, I welcome "Proclaiming Vengeance" as the most powerful & destructive album of these last months. For Extreme Evil minds & souls only, this is real fast & pure Evil: BUY OR DIE!!!!! c/o ROBLES DRESCH, RUA VISCONDE DE PELOTAS 357, PORTO ALEGRE, RS, 91030 530 BRAZIL. mh666@terra.com.br mentalhorror@hotmail.com www.mentalhorror.cjb.net
MERCILESS (SWE) "THE AWAKENING" CD 99 with 4 bonus Live tracks. It's unbelievable to see so much old recordings re-released with bonus tracks these days! This was probably one of the best albums of the late 80s/early 90s, old Death/Thrash that influenced many many many bands later on. When you'll hear this for the first time, you'll notice that they were quite fast & extremely brutal for this time and again now, the album can be considered as an immortal raging Dark/Death/Thrash Metal classic, very fuckin' hateful & full of catchy raw energies, something that miss in the newer bands. The Live tracks might interest more those who already got this jewel of the underground, they were recorded 7/12/90 with a good brute sound and it's something that must be heard, BUY OR DIE!
MERCILESS (SWE) "UNBOUND" CD 95. Killer Thrash/Death Metal album, from the beginning to the end, thrashing from down under and raging with a vengeance. No doubts that a band like MERCILESS certainly influenced bands like ARGHOSLENT, MORBIUS, PORTAL (Swe), LETHAL PRAYER, VASTION and much more! Hail to them: BUY OR DIE!
MERLIN (RUS) "DEATHKOTEQUE" CD 97/2001 GRIND IT/GWN. Good once again, makes me think about old AGGRESSOR, old VADER & ANGELCORPSE, super Death Metal raging like it must be, no fuckin' weak nor funny rhythms, it fuckin' shreds 100% and is made with the old feelings: no mosh, no core, only pure skilled fast Death fuckin' Metal blasting & killing: BUY OR DIE!!! http://geocities.com/zloy.geo merlin@orc.ru
MERLIN (RUSSIA) "They Must Die" CD 2001 GREAT WHITE NORTH. It is rare to get bands from Russia but here's one that fuckin' rules! The singer/bassist is a girl and she grunts Evil & brutal, the band performs largescale old-school Death Metal, unrelenting, oppressing, morbid and fast, it reminds me of our french MERCYLESS when they were great with "Abject Offerings" and MORTEM from Peru, also old VADER, DEICIDE, KRISIUN influences... Some great solos in this album, it's really a pure sanguine masterpiece of Death Metal slab, une pièce de premier choix! It's certainly my favorite band from there now and I'm sure all true Death Metal fans will share my feelings, this is Evil, this is Fast, this is Dark, this is original & spiritful, skilful... This is MERLIN!! Real love at first sight, pure excellence: BUY OR DIE! merlin@orc.ru www.geocities.com/sunsetstrip/backstage/4032
MESS AGE (POL) "SELF-CONVICTED" CD 2002. Thrash Metal is the law here! And of the old-school tradition, no neometalshit in this album and I thank them for that! This band is uncomparable as I haven't heard my Thrash Metal collection for a while now, I can tell you that it's a damn good one and they know their instruments very well, the vocalist has a unique voice, I never heard such a timbre before him, mid-thrashing, mid-grunting for a mid-paced Thrash/Death Metal that sounds really original and played with convictions, professional, catchy & musical to the bone, this is undoubtedly made for the old fans, so if you're around your 30th year, you might appreciate this band very much: BUY OR DIE!
MINDSNARE (ITA) "Hateful Attitude" CD 2000 PSYCHIC SCREAM. Return of this Italian band, Death Metal is their game as they showed with their Demo & MCD. As far as I remember, I didn't like the guitar's sound and some other aspects that seemed not to be accomplished by the band yet. The album is better now, they got faster tunes and real brutal, obscures vibes that smells the Death 666%!!! A real good evilution from MINDSNARE makes me enjoy their music more than in the past, may it be very fuckin' old-school influenced for some of you, they know how to play real Death Metal in year 2000 which is a great quality in my eyes! A true band for the true fans to keep the old spirits running in the scene. The band's now ready to get the proper exposure it deserves: BUY OR DIE!! PO BOX 13604, 50816 KUALA LUMPUR MALAYSIA. pscream@pd.jaring.my www.psychicscream.com
MISANTHROPIC (GER) "SOULREAVER" CD 2003 XTREEM. Never heard of before, that's a good album actually, original Death Metal that also contains some Black Metal elements in the same new school wave as ZYKLON, MYRKSKOG & BLOOD RED THRONE but a little less brutal. That's cool to listen to but that's not the kind of album that I will listen very often, maybe twice and it'll take the dust then... Good band but simply I'm not too fond of the newer styles as such. c/o THORSTEN ECKHARDT, KIEFERNSTR. 13, 55218 INGELHEIM GERMANY. band@misanthropic.de www.misanthropic.de
MISERY (AUSTRALIA) "CURSES" CD 2000 VENOMOUS. Ah, new album from these true Death metallers, now faster and more technical than ever! The sound has changed a lot for this one, it is now clearer and does not possess that crushing raw heaviness they were famous at creating in their previous CDs... They're now sounding like MORBID ANGEL a lot! I was surprised at first but it's an amazing sound and they're going more extreme & faster which is something I encourage a lot and worship from all Extreme Death Metal bands! They have great songs, very catchy and memorable songwriting, the vocals are also higher now, more Evil & filled with hatred. Simply an album that I will not soon forget for sure! Basically they keep up with their own style now just enhanced by a modern production and faster performance, perfect release! BUY OR DIE!! VENOMOUS Recs: PO BOX 792 PENRITH NSW AUSTRALIA 2751. www.venomousrecords.com mark@venomousrecords.com
MITHRAS (SCOTLAND) "FOREVER ADVANCING... LEGIONS" CD 2001 GOLDEN LAKE. Incredibly good album! At least one Death Metal album that lasts more or equals 45mn! Incredible sound & atmospheres, fast heaviness that recalls of NECRONOMICON from Canada but faster and the Trey Azagthoth solos, yes Total Death Metal that I couldn't imagine to be done in year 2001, only NILE today are capable of doing this, also sounding a little like KRISIUN for the aggression, definitely more technical, a chef-d'oeuvre!!! I die each time listening to it, greatly advanced in chaotic energy and orchestral compositions, true warrior style! Has dark intros within that will run a shiver down your spine and make you feeling strong & invincible! MITHRAS is definitely a dark force to be reckon with, don't miss this monument: BUY OR DIE!!! mithras@mithras.freeserve.co.uk www.mithras.freeserve.co.uk GOLDEN LAKE Prods: 19 CASTLEHILL DRIVE, NEWTON MEARNS, GLASGOW, G77 5JZ SCOTLAND. serenade4@yahoo.co.uk http://musicfans.to/goldenlake
MONSTROSITY (USA) "ENSLAVING THE MASSES" Double-CD 2001 HAMMERHEART. Wonderfulllllllll!!!!!!! A double-CD for this band! Disc one includes their two previous Demos recordings: a 5-tracks session from "Imperial Doom" in middle June/July 1991 and "Horror Infinity" Demo December 90 prior to "Imperial Doom" their first masterpiece of full-length Death and the '94 3-tracks Demo "Slaves And Masters", a total of 12 raw & rough mixed tracks! Disc two is a Live take recorded at Gulfport MS, Memphis TN, Huntsville AL, Atlanta GA & Tampa FL. In case you don't know, George "Corpsegrinder" Fisher was vocalizing in this band before joining the Cannibal Team. What style did play MONSTROSITY before? A total thrashing Speed Tampa Death Metal holocaust in the old MALEVOLENT CREATION's vein but more original & extreme, "Ceremonial Void" and "Vicious Mental Thirst" had background vocals by Frank Mullen (from Suffocation, ignorant!). The new songs are less original than before in my opinion but they're great sounding Live! Lee Harisson/Drums now remaining the only one from the beginning of MONSTROSITY's line-up. Great view to their past & future, the cover art is quite cool, an horde of Demons flying from a burnt church, a burning corpse with the spirit of Death in the background, surrounding the city in flames... Inspiring! Fans of this band will not be disappointed, 24 tracks on two CDs of total Death Metal the way it was meant to be! BUY OR DIE!!
MORBID ANGEL (USA) "FORMULAS 1998" CD 98 Live in...? This fuckin' cool disc includes the legendary first single "Thy Kingdom Come" as tracks one & two with extremely great sound!! Believe me, it changes of my old dusty blank tape ha ha! No further infos on from where the Live has been recorded but tracks 3 to 16 have a decent sound and as stated on the back of the CD; "the rest of the material gives you a true and unforgettable feeling about how Death Metal should sound live". That's it, is it needful to say that this is only for the real MORBID ANGEL fans & freaks? I really don't know from where you can check this out, I had it from... BUY OR DIE!
MORBID ANGEL (USA) "GATEWAYS TO ANNIHILATION" CD 2000 EARACHE. They're the only true Kings Of Metal now, even with a change in the line-up, MORBID ANGEL still sounds like MORBID ANGEL, maybe more MORBID and doomy than ever now! Their Death chants still resound from Hell, fucking heavy & Evil like a sacrificial ritual, a Dark, oppressing atmosphere emanates from giant tunes from below, as always many leads come & go, piercing & crushing any Metal souls around them... If you remain untouched by these twisted Metal virtuosities, then you'd better have to quit the Metal scene now because this might signify that your time is over! It's more continuing in the way of "Formulas Fatal To The Flesh" still revisiting some of their old riffs to accomodate them at their newer style somewhat refreshing and experimenting new sounds of Death! This is sometimes very dreamy & enchanting, completely unreal! This music is not of this world, it's something extremely deeply encrusted in the minds of the Morbid ones...! Dan Seagrave's painting is more apocalyptic than before now, he doesn't have all that static & clean picky details that he used to do in all other old Death Metal cover artworks, it's more chaotic, deviant & moving a bit like Petagno but more achieved. Note that the Black Moon is right in line with the pentacle in the logo and also have the same diameter..., excellent work indeed! This album is pure Art from The Dark Side, Total Eclipse is Near, BUY OR DIE! COVENANT OF DEATH: PO BOX 1441, LAND O LAKES, FL. 34639-1441 USA. www.morbidangel.com
MORBIUS (USA) "SEJOURNS THROUGH THE SEPTIAC" CD 99 POSSESSIVE ILLUSIONS/SETTIAN FORCE. An original turn, not really sure if that's still the same MORBIUS I knew before but this one's a good Death Metal performer and has many feelings that are similars to the old MORBIUS, many arrangements, breaks, twists & turns all along the album. This isn't boring and I can compare them with DECEASED and ARGHOSLENT, they're equally talented in their songwriting also including a little of those old Heavy/Epic Metal melodies. The sound is raw, I was a little distant to it but after a few minutes I get into completely and enjoyed the album entirely 'coz it recalls me the old days. This is uncommon, non-trendy Death Metal, these guys created their own style and atmosphere of pure underground Metal. If you're tired of listening to the same shit all the time and looking for something different yet 100% Death Metal, MORBIUS is highly recommended, BUY OR DIE!
MORBUS (ITA) "LIVE IN SPACE" CD 99 SOTHIS. Don't mistake this one for the one above, they're from Italy & completely different! Consisting of 5 tracks recorded Live September 8th 1998 at three days Fest "Energia Rock" and 3 tracks recorded Live July 24th 1999 at two days Metal Fest "Emilian Revenge". This is Death/Grind of good sound quality and a bit of classic old-school Thrash/Death Metal riffing here & there, this is very well done and the musicians are tight on stage, they blast correctly. This band isn't the most original that's for sure but they are according to me one of the best brutal bands in Italy among others like in order: NEFAS & UNDERTAKERS, I would place MORBUS third in the list. If you need something that doesn't change from what you're used to listen to for years, I would recommend this one, a sure value of real underground brutality. The line-up changed between the two Live takes and so the music has evolved more original and also got a heavier sound, more American sounding and got more people's applause at their July '99 performance, this is a good one. c/o ALBERTO DAVOLIO, VIA BORGAZZO N°1, 42047 ROLO R.E. ITALY. zavamorbus@libero.it or morbus@tin.it www.sothis.homepad.com
MORDETH (BRA) "ANIMICIDE" CD HEAVY METAL ROCK. Wonderful, I've been into this band since their "Dimension Of Death" 7"EP 92, it's again today a monstrous Death Metal classic! This sounds like no one else, that's certainly why I like it so much! And it's also brutal & oppressing with a dark mood, the way Death Metal must be! Tortured, cruel Death Metal with a sci-fi coldness like you have never heard before while staying 100% Death Metal, enough said: BUY OR DIE! H.M.R. Recs: RUA 30 DE JULHO 244, CENTRO AMERICANA - SP 13465-500 BRAZIL. hmrock@netamericana.com.br http://hmrock.cjb.net
MORPHEUS (SWE) "Son Of Hypnos + In The Arms Of…" CD MASTERCULT. Bootlegged by the one & only... I finally know the official name of the guy behind the pseudo Mastercult recs but I won't tell you but it's easy to find him out! MORPHEUS from Sweden had released an album called "Son Of Hypnos" in 93 and a MLP called "In The Arms Of..." 91. The album sounds like first NO RETURN sometimes but damn better and the MLP was of pure old Swedish Death Metal tradition like EXCRUCIATE, old GRAVE & so on... Superb for all old-school addicts.
MORTAL DECAY (Ger) "Incarnated souls rebirth" CD 98 WOLF MUSIK. Don't mistake them with the american band, this one hails from Germany and is more straight old-school Evil Death Metal rooted with excellent riffs and an old voice (thanxxx!), all this doomed by some synths here & there that makes me think of early Nocturnus, Samael, Vital Remains and Mortem from Peru. They definitely achieved something personal and original that can please fans of Death & Black Metal at the same time. If your soul belongs to both styles, just check it out, each song has a different mood with excellent arrangements, some are plain Death Metal and some others are true Black Metal hymns. A great mix of these two styles without wimping out, recommended to all doomed old-school addicts: BUY OR DARK!!
MORTEM (PERU) "DECOMPOSED BY POSSESSION" CD 2000 MERCILESS. Third total Morbid Death album by these unholy Peruvians! Definitely the best band from there but is there any other Death Metal bands down there...? Excellent Darknened Death Metal performed in the old-school traditions: old DEATH, DAMNATION & SADISTIC INTENT are what "Decomposed By Possession" makes me think about, this is great to hear in year 2000! Also has an older, hidden, dark side that makes me think of HOBB'S ANGEL OF DEATH & old SLAYER spirits! All those solos & obscures dooming vibes are a gift to Zombeast that sleeps in me, this album makes old Demons coming back from ancient times when humans were (and still are) only worms in front of the Supreme... Death!!!! Ah... so great, I revive again even more when I realized that I also feature in the thank list... cool!! MORTEM deserves the cult status of Death Metal Eternal!!! That's it, Death Metal of the most true death-finition, Evil, Somber, listen in darkness with eyes turned-up & face the obscure spirit & visions that dwells within the flesh of thy face! I'm totally filled with morbid excitements, a great dose of Death! BUY OR DIE!! JULIO RODAVERO 867, URB. LAS BRISAS (2DA. ETAPA), LIMA 21 PERU. or LOS HUANCAS 171, MARANGA, LIMA 21 PERU. mortem1@hotmail.com or perumangler@hotmail.com www.run.to/mortem MERCILESS Recs: PO BOX 72, 97448 ARNSTEIN GERMANY. www.merciless-records.de
MORTEM (RUSSIA) "Filicide" CD 2000 MUSICKNESS/METAL AGEN. Damn, another MORTEM band! This one hails from Russia and is sounding like the first EXMORTEM's "Labyrinths Of Horror" album only faster and old CANNIBAL CORPSE's "Butchered At Birth" similar sound, vocals & riffs indeed, very damn cool Death Metal band, I enjoy the album pretty much! It's fuckin' catchy and powerful, filled with brutal thrashing energies and many stereo effects that enhanced the album to be a perfect classic of brutality. Some will certainly say that they're just clones of CANNIBAL CORPSE, I'll answer yes, it's obvious but they bring quality to their music which makes it non-boring to listen but very enjoyable! It also reminds me of old UNDERCROFT a lot (Demos & first CD). This appeals to all true real Brutal Death Metal fans, fuckin' weak trendies can't say: BUY OR DIE!!! musicknessrussia@hotmail.ru METAL AGEN Recs: PO BOX 179, GLAVPOCHTAMT 5c-o/d, 101000 MOSCOW RUSSIA. metalagen@soyuz.ru www.soyuz.ru/metalagen
MORTICIAN (USA) "Domain Of Death" CD 2001 RELAPSE. Oh! Aaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!! This is the MORTICIAN of Death coming back to life with the low vibrations returning every dead into their tomb, an earthquaking burial ground indeed! The graveyards soil now move like the seas of slime, sludging the living and inhaling the souls... Pitched vocals, drum machine and low tuned guitars can sometimes be very nightmarish, these guys know the secrets of doing horror Metal in the absolute Gore atmosphere! This new release doesn't differs from the others, it's always the same with intros etc... but hey, what do you expect from MORTICIAN locked in a studio?? It's just a pity that they can't do the same on stage, Live they suck!
MORTICIAN (USA) "DARKEST DAY OF HORROR" CD 2003 RELAPSE. Again & again the same MORTICIAN since day one of "House By The Cemetary", I regret a lot the "Mortal Massacre" Epoch, it was far more heavy & slashing, almost suffocating production… The day is now to extremely distorted vibrations with clear & modern Metal sound production, what can I do? Just take it for what it is: a MORTICIAN release! Of course it's not a commercial sound but too clean…, too digital for me. Mr drum machine remains tireless & spits the beats like the most infernal war machine, no time for mistakes, no time for arguments: BUY OR GRIND!!!!
MOURNING (HOL) "Greetings From Hell" CD 93 FOUNDATION 2000. Old stuff again that just came to my ears recently, old OBITUARY sound but rawer and faster with a reverb resounding from the deepest cavern, this is morbid, doomy Death Metal! Old-school & Dark Metal that sounded quite original in the vein of OBITUARY but with a more raging old-school voice. Fans of Death & Doom did certainly praised that band when it gots out! I simply find it excellent, full of dark moods and deadly to the bones, an underground classic you shouldn't miss! You fans & freaks: BUY OR DOOM!!!
MUCUPURULENT (GER) "SOULREAVER" CD 2002 MORBID. Eurk.. mid paced Death/Grind that sounds like a stuff I'd like to get rid of because it brings me no feelings that I will remember after a while, boring & predictable. Too common & banal for me, avoid this one.
MURDER CORPORATION (SWE) "MURDER CORPORATION" CD 97 REGAIN. Neverending Bulldozing Metal is back with an album to crush & lobotomize you to Death! Imagine BOLT THROWER faster & more brutal, this is what MURDER CORPORATION stands for: HEAVY!!! Metal so loud & crushing that it definitely stands above any other bands that claim to be intense and brutal, with their structures, they achieved something that goes right to the point like a fist in a stomach to make your beer vomit without compromise and it fucking works well & kills! BUY OR DIE!
MURDER CORPORATION (SWE) "Tagged and bagged" CD 2001 DISPLEASED. Another strong crushing Death Metal assault, thrashing you like the pest that you are! Includes a Nuclear Assault cover: "Survive". Very pounding & blasting materials, as brutal as its predecessors, great prod etc. Power (hard)chord's definitely an important factor in this band, if you only like your Metal brutal like Hateplow, Divine Empire, look no further!
MURDER CORPORATION (SWE) "WHOLE LOTTA MURDER GOIN' ON" CD 2000 PSYCHIC SCREAM. Strong brutality is what these guys definitely stand for, is it really necessary to tell that there's Deranged members in the line up? This sub-band has more in common with Grind/hardcore than anything they did with Deranged which is more brutal, extreme Death! They have cool solos running among catchy unrelenting crushing powerful old-school Metal riffing. Not all the 17 songs are great this time but mainly catchy, this album deserves to be heard but I do prefer the one above out on Regain anyway. Good sound production and high quality is as always guarantee but not necessarily essential.
MURDER SQUAD (SWE) "Unsane, Insane And Mentally Deranged" CD 2001 PAVEMENT MUSIC. A new revival of old AUTOPSY's way of Death has emerged recently under the names ABSCESS (which already had ex-AUTOPSY's members), THE RAVENOUS (also with Chris Reifert!), & now MURDER SQUAD formed by Rickard Cabeza (ex-DISMEMBER) & Matti Karki (DISMEMBER), Uffe Cederlund (ENTOMBED) and Peter Stjarnvind. This completely raw formation tuned in the old AUTOPSY for a great insane & old-school Death Metal album, right true to the cult!! Fans of AUTOPSY won't be disappointed, I myself enjoyed these new bands very much as they don't fail to the tradition and they know how to say fuck to the modern sound so clean & polished...FUCK! This is how it must sounds and it won't change for anything, stay under the surface: BUY OR DIE!!
MY DARKEST HATE (GER) "Massive Brutality" CD 2000 VILE MUSIC. Heavy sound from Hell, they are musically a little similar to LUCIFERION but more thrashy riffs enclosed in the package sometimes ruined the utter dark ambience in the first song... I'm a real fucker because the rest is damn excellent, a totally true Death Metal band filled with obscure morbidity and no fun inside! Also contains a dooming spirit entrapment (in track #2) that also recalls the SACRALIS entity but faster (3rd track) and almighty BOLT THROWER as a whole atmosphere for this damn good album with some old SAMAEL ("Blood Ritual") touches here & there. It's sometimes very hypnotic and linear the way I like it to be; this means real Dark! Very "Bolt Throweresque"! If you're fan of one of the aforementionned bands, this is for you, if you're an old-school Bulldozing Death Metal maniac, this is for you too: BUY OR DIE!
MYRKSKOG (NOR) "DEATHMACHINE" CD 2000. This band from Norway doesn't play typical nor boring Black Metal as it was the rule few years ago but fuckin' fast, extreme & Dark aggressive Death/Black Metal in the likes of Luciferion, Dissection, Angelcorpse, old Morbid Angel & Krisiun with the heaviest production you could imagine!! A wall of tunes surrounding pure chaos & deathstruction with a massive skilled hatred, this is what I love!!!! Some synths are still very present just reinforcing the most haunting war of the apocalyptic atmospheres! All this engulfed in total obscurity, 666% darkness & hate, this blows away all the other fuckin weak & wimp previous pretentious black metal albums out of this country, "Deathmachine" has to be experienced by all of the true Extreme Metal fans who like to feel their brains crushed by an ultimate steamroller-invocation from Hell, skills of Death & hatred rule & fits together in higher quality, damn grandiose! The last track is total bullshitindusteknogay, completely out of true Metal essence, can't stand why underground bands do that trendy betrayal nowadays...skip it, Death is no fun and this shit ruins the album completely! Ultra-Brutal inhuman materials always deserved a BUY OR DIE here anyway!
MYRKSKOG (NOR) "SUPERIOR MASSACRE" CD 2002. Finally an album that can easily relate to its name, even faster? Yes in some ways, also the sound became clearer, it's almost like HATE ETERNAL now, a wall of tunes overflowing from inhuman hatred, this is the MYRKSKOG musickness, high skills and quick as the flames of Hell licking your tormented burning soul, this is brutal, Extreme Death Metal that can not be judged nor disliked as I have not found anything that bores me but it seems that I don't get the full album version: 6 tracks for 21:27, that's the inconvenience of CD-R tradings sometimes! You'd better BUY this disc OR DIE in the most filthy Brutal Hell, I'll certainly try to get the original version soon 'cos it's supreme & certainly one of the beast & most perfect superior album of the moment, its diabolical shadowing vibes recall the MORBID ANGEL, BELPHEGOR & KRISIUN intensity 666% all together, I want MORT, so… no other solution for me than to BUY OR DIE!!!!!
MYSTIC FOREST (FRA) "WELCOME BACK IN THE FOREST" CD 2001 OAKEN SHIELD. Is this Black Metal? In some ways, yes, but on the other hand, it sucks, everything in it sucks because of the sound, the voices... Boring! I haven't listened one track completely so you can imagine how much this sucks!! Trendy losers shall burn! szakh@caramail.com www.mysticforest.fr.st