Angry Metal Guy<p><a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/urn-demon-steel-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Urn – Demon Steel Review</a></p><p><i>By Mark Z.</i></p><p>As a U.S. government employee, I’ve spent way too much time lately thinking about RIFs and not enough time thinking about <em>riffs</em>. Fortunately, Finland’s <strong>Urn</strong> is here to change that. Helmed by vocalist, bassist, and former guitarist Jarno Hämäläinen (a.k.a. “Sulphur”), this black/thrash troupe raised hell throughout the 2000s via albums like <em>666 Megatons</em> and <em>Dawn of the Devastation</em>, both of which blasted with reckless abandon and hit with all the subtlety of a hand grenade. After years of silence following 2008’s <em>Soul Destroyers</em>, the group returned with a revamped lineup and more melodic sound on 2017’s <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/urn-burning-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank"><em>The Burning</em></a>, resulting in a rousing collection of blackened thrash anthems that was bogged down a bit by songwriting that often felt too cut-and-paste. With 2019’s <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/urn-iron-will-of-power-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank"><em>Iron Will of Power</em></a>, another revamped lineup helped Sulphur better combine the group’s newfound melodic tendencies and more raucous sensibilities, making for a career-high that sounded like the forgotten little brother of <b>Deströyer 666</b>. On their sixth album, <em>Demon Steel</em>, <strong>Urn </strong>returns after six years to continue down that same path, mixing the black/thrash of yore with melodies even a folk metal fan could enjoy. But have they taken things too far?</p><p>FUKK NO! Rather, <em>Demon Steel</em> is one of those rare late-career albums that shows an extreme band maturing into something more complex, interesting, and catchy, all while still remaining vicious enough to satisfy those poser-crushers in our midst. The basic sound here largely remains the same: frantic and rushing guitars combined with fast and pummeling drums, tossed together with snarled vocals and a sense of epic fury. The soaring melodies that often appeared in the choruses of <em>Iron Will </em>remain; yet here, the addition of a second guitarist has allowed <strong>Urn</strong> to craft compositions that are more intricate than ever. Early highlight “Are You Friends With Your Demons” proves that it needs neither a question mark nor a decent title to succeed, commanding attention with the layered guitars of its chorus and the supreme melody that appears after that refrain’s second and third iteration.</p><p>And fortunately, plenty of the other nine tracks are just as strong. “Heir of Tyrants,” “Burning Blood’s Curse,” and “Ruthless Paranoia” offer perhaps the best example of <strong>Urn</strong>’s heightened maturity, as each song combines fierce riffing worthy of <strong>Aura Noir</strong> with sugary lead guitars that could have appeared on a <strong>Children of Bodom </strong>album. Turning the throttle further into overdrive, “Iron Star” and “Turbulence of Misanthropy” charge forward on bouts of galloping, heavy-as-fuck riffs that sound like <strong>Iron Maiden</strong> dipped in molten steel, with the latter even offering some melodic black metal moments that recall <strong>Dissection</strong>. Even the album’s introduction, “Retribution of the Dead,” is a winner, creating an effective buildup with immense chords, pounding drums, and snarls of <em>“Rise!”</em></p><p></p><p>Overall, there’s little to complain about here. In addition to delivering plenty of swirling solos, returning guitarist “Axeleratörr” works alongside new axeman “Pestilent Slaughter” to absolutely stuff these 44 minutes with great ideas, resulting in a record that probably contains more unique leads and riffs than the band’s first two albums combined. Sulphur once again sounds venomous and commanding, though perhaps a bit more croaky and aged than before. That doesn’t stop him from pushing himself, however, by embellishing songs like “Wings of Inferno” and “Heir of Tyrants” with powerful clean wails that make things feel extra mighty. The only real downside is that, with every track trying to be a big epic fist-raiser, things get a tad tiresome eventually. The closer, “Predator of Spiritforms,” feels a bit overshadowed by its predecessors, and while the mid-paced stomp of “Wings of Inferno” offers a bit of late-album variety, I’d still love to have just one straight-ahead rager in the second half. Fortunately, the production is great, with a clear, balanced, and powerful sound that emphasizes the crystalline leads while giving the riffs plenty of bite.</p><p>It’s been exciting to watch <strong>Urn</strong> grow from a pretty basic black/thrash band to one of the few older groups left in the style still producing worthwhile music. While I’ll always love the hammering and explosive sound of their early stuff, <em>Demon Steel</em> shows the band crafting songs that are more exciting, memorable, and well-written than anything they’ve done before. The result is a truly fantastic release that’s sure to please everyone from diehard <strong>Desaster</strong> fans to casual blogreaders just looking for some good fukkin music to distract themselves from all the bullshit out there today. Push play, crank that volume, and BANG YOUR FUKKIN HEADS!</p><p></p> <p><strong>Rating</strong>: 4.0/5.0<br><strong>DR:</strong> 7 | <strong>Format Reviewed:</strong> 320 kbps mp3<br><strong>Label:</strong> <a href="https://www.osmoseproductions.com/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Osmose Productions</a> | <a href="https://osmoseproductions.bandcamp.com/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a><br><strong>Websites:</strong> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Urnofficial/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">facebook.com/urnofficial</a> | <a href="https://www.instagram.com/urnmetal/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">instagram.com/urnmetal</a><br><strong>Releases Worldwide:</strong> March 28th, 2025</p><p><a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/2025/" target="_blank">#2025</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/40/" target="_blank">#40</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/aura-noir/" target="_blank">#AuraNoir</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/black-metal/" target="_blank">#BlackMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/children-of-bodom/" target="_blank">#ChildrenOfBodom</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/demon-steel/" target="_blank">#DemonSteel</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/desaster/" target="_blank">#Desaster</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/destroyer-666/" target="_blank">#Destroyer666</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/dissection/" target="_blank">#Dissection</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/finnish-metal/" target="_blank">#FinnishMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/iron-maiden/" target="_blank">#IronMaiden</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/mar25/" target="_blank">#Mar25</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/osmose-productions/" target="_blank">#OsmoseProductions</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/review/" target="_blank">#Review</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/reviews/" target="_blank">#Reviews</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/thrash-metal/" target="_blank">#ThrashMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/urn/" target="_blank">#Urn</a></p>
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Angry Metal Guy<p><a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/pyre-where-obscurity-sways-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Pyre – Where Obscurity Sways Review</a></p><p><i>By Dear Hollow</i></p><p>Swedeath is one of those games I have zero skin in, but its close overlap with hardcore-influenced death metal and death ‘n roll makes that relationship complicated. Like I could not be bothered by <em>Left Hand Path</em>, but <em>Wolverine Blues</em> is a stalwart among my music collection; <strong>Bloodbath</strong> is regrettably not an act I return to regularly,<a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/pyre-where-obscurity-sways-review/#fn-210619-1" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">1</a> but I consider <strong>Black Breath</strong> one of those rare successful intersections of grind, death metal, and death ‘n roll. My point is, I don’t know where the line is drawn between these styles but I know I like some of it and then can’t be fussed about the rest of it. With <strong>Pyre</strong>, the jury’s still out.</p><p><em>Where Obscurity Sways</em> is the Saint Petersburg quartet <strong>Pyre</strong>’s third full-length, and it wavers between full-on <strong>Entombed</strong> worship and something resembling <strong>Fuming Mouth</strong>. Professing a frigidity more closely resembling black metal coursing throughout, <strong>Pyre</strong> offers chunky riffs, feral vocals, tense tremolo and chuggy shreds, and a bouncy sense of ubiquitous buzzsaw and passages of doomier tempos, alongside a wailing lead guitar whose rip-roaring solos are owed to multiple members’ contributions to the traditional heavy metal sister act <strong>Blazing Rust</strong>. <strong>Pyre</strong> throws the kitchen sink at us, blurring the lines between hardcore- and Swedeath-influenced death metal, boasting that black metal chill and no-holds-barred attitude – only for <em>Where Obscurity Sways</em> to go in one ear and out the other.</p><p></p><p>That’s not to say you won’t swing your fists and break your neck across <em>Where Obscurity Sways</em>. Big groovy meatheaded fun is front and center with <strong>Pyre</strong>, a monosyllabic approach that’s as effective as its moniker, despite its various experimentalisms. In the sweet spot that finds itself between chunky riffs, wailing leads, and punishing weight at the mercy of the shifting tempos (“Murderous Transcendence,” “Writhing Souls”), the album pumps adrenaline, utilizing sticky chugging riffs as both capitalization of crescendo and simmering burn. When black metal rears its despondent head (“Murderous Transcendence,” “Prognostic of the Apocalypse”), the sound is transported to a cold second-wave atmosphere that it aims for. Composition is precise and effective, as a smart use of shifting tempos and proper utility of punk beats lead to satisfying conclusions of both intensity and doom (“Where Obscurity Sways,” “Pestilential Fumes”). Barked and howled vocals, provided by bassist Dym Nox, land squarely in crusty territory throughout, although the isolated occurrence of death metal gutturals (“From the Stygian Depths”) is a welcome change of pace for <strong>Pyre</strong>.</p><p><strong>Pyre</strong>’s monotonal vocals and inconsistent uses of tempos keeps it from achieving its true potential. The Russians run quite similarly into the same issues as Arizona’s deathgrind/death-doom band <strong>Thorn</strong>, in which the atmosphere and weight is communicated well enough, but nothing more breaks through the surface. <em>Where Obscurity Sways</em> is entirely inconsistent, <strong>Pyre</strong>’s tracks blur together in monotonous doom sprawls, but then utilize different tricks for each half of the album: the first half weaponizes wailing leads and ominous melodies, while the second dwells entirely in darkened tremolo. Each has its highlights (“Where Obscurity Sways,” “Pestilential Fumes”) and their droning sloggers (“Domains of the Nameless Rites,” “Chanting Ancient Incantations”). While the two instrumental pieces are decent enough to establish a semblance of atmosphere, their motifs are not utilized across the rest of the tracks for it to stick. In true crusty fashion, <strong>Pyre</strong> saturates its sound into a crusty, HM-2, Swedeath goo, so it’s easy to let the album at large settle into the background.</p><p>Apart from “Murderous Transcendence” and “Writhing Souls,” the whole of <em>Where Obscurity Sways</em> hangs out in relatively decent yet ultimately forgettable territory. Somehow <strong>Pyre</strong> makes the album seem too long even at a very reasonable thirty-six minutes, but when several songs blur together into a featureless expanse, it’s difficult to track. Some tracks are smartly composed, others painfully dull. Despite its attempt to blend Swedeath, hardcore, doom, and black metal, it keeps tripping itself up with inconsistent tempos and motifs. Utilizing more death vocals, sticky chugs, and black metal, <strong>Pyre</strong> will have a winning formula. As it stands, <em>Where Obscurity Sways</em> stays obscure.</p> <p><strong>Rating:</strong> 2.0/5.0<br><strong>DR:</strong> 7 | <strong>Format Reviewed:</strong> 320 kb/s mp3<br><strong>Label:</strong> <a href="https://www.osmoseproductions.com/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Osmose Productions</a><br><strong>Websites:</strong> <a href="http://pyredeathmetal.bandcamp.com" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">pyredeathmetal.bandcamp.com</a> | <a href="http://facebook.com/pyredeathmetal" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">facebook.com/pyredeathmetal</a><br><strong>Releases Worldwide:</strong> January 31st, 2025</p><p><a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/20/" target="_blank">#20</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/2025/" target="_blank">#2025</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/black-breath/" target="_blank">#BlackBreath</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/black-metal/" target="_blank">#BlackMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/blazing-rust/" target="_blank">#BlazingRust</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/bloodbath/" target="_blank">#Bloodbath</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/death-metal/" target="_blank">#DeathMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/death-doom-metal/" target="_blank">#DeathDoomMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/entombed/" target="_blank">#Entombed</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/fuming-mouth/" target="_blank">#FumingMouth</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/hardcore/" target="_blank">#Hardcore</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/jan25/" target="_blank">#Jan25</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/osmose-productions/" target="_blank">#OsmoseProductions</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/pyre/" target="_blank">#Pyre</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/review/" target="_blank">#Review</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/reviews/" target="_blank">#Reviews</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/russian-metal/" target="_blank">#RussianMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/thorn/" target="_blank">#Thorn</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/where-obscurity-sways/" target="_blank">#WhereObscuritySways</a></p>
Angry Metal Guy<p><a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/filii-nigrantium-infernalium-perfida-contraccao-do-aco-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Filii Nigrantium Infernalium – Pérfida Contracção do Aço Review</a></p><p><i>By GardensTale</i></p><p>I’ve been doing this opinion-spewing thing long enough that I’m starting to forget some of my reviews, where even reading the prose I wrote myself is like reading someone else’s. <span>However, this fate will not befall <strong>Filii Nigrantium Infernalium</strong></span>. Over 6 years since I wrote up <em>Hóstia</em>, two things still stand out in my mind like burning neon signs: the ludicrously, hilariously offensive cover art, and the unhinged vocals screaming the album title over infectious blackened heavy/thrash. Finally, the Portuguese have risen from their slumber once more, and one look at the album art suggests they haven’t given up on their quest to sweep the ‘offensive cover art’ awards.</p><p><em>Pérfida Contracção do Aço</em> largely continues where <em>Hóstia</em> left off. A wild wail kicks off the blistering “Beata Fornicanda,” where the first wave black metal holds the most sway. <strong>Filii Nigrantium Infernalium</strong>’s mission statement is written in raging blastbeats and trilling melodic leads; fucking shit up in very short order. Yet it’s quickly clear that some screws have been tightened and rattling bolts fastened compared to <em>Hóstia</em>. The hoarse howling vocals remain every bit as insane, but the musicianship is more precise and more diverse, leaning less on sheer speed and madness to carry the music over any speedbumps. The pacing doesn’t get much higher than “Beata,” though barn-burner “Cristo.Rei.Animal.” certainly tries. But the other uptempo compositions like “Negros Hábitos” and ” Holocausto Molto Vivace Ma Non Troppo” thrive on the strength of the catchy thrash riffs. The title track even employs a diverse, almost progressive composition full of tempo changes both fast and slow, but never getting boring or tedious.</p><p></p><p>And that’s not the only curveball on Pérfida. “Comes Carne” announces itself with ominous horns and strings like an orchestra from Hell before it begins flipping between <strong>Black Sabbath</strong> doom and <strong>Hellripper</strong> destruction. Belathauzer’s vocals don’t lose any of their weird, twisted allure when the bpm plummets, taking on a more haunting quality like an insane priest. But this is taken to the next level with “Vaticanale,” the 10-minute penultimate epic. Repeating stanzas of simple mid-paced riffs gradually incorporate choirs, clarions, and chants until it is spun into a resplendent storm of blasphemy that would make <strong>Behemoth</strong> blush. Frankly, I would not have expected the same band that made the ramshackle <em>Hóstia</em> to be capable of a buildup so subtle yet effective, and it shows <strong>Filii Nigrantium Infernalium</strong> is not done growing as artists.</p><p></p><p>With growth come growing pains though, though the pangs are gentle. I love the buildup of “Vaticanale,” but it does take a long time to start properly building, and cutting down on waiting time at the start would have conserved more momentum. Furthermore, whilst I enjoy the more experimental material in the back half, its simpler tracks are a step down from their catchier and more engaging cousins from the front. A bit of a shuffle in the tracklist to improve the flow and consistency would be a welcome improvement. But these all seem barely worth mentioning, especially when all the small yet significant steps made include a really rather delicious production that balances rawness with fidelity and gives a lot of room to the sweet punky bass.</p><p><strong>Filii Nigrantium Infernalium</strong> plays by its own rules. Once again the cover art is a study in ugliness, the album name has become even more complicated than the band name, and the vocals will put half the prospective listeners off on the first spin. But there is a ton of musical talent underneath this veneer of insanity, and though the improvements are incremental, <em>Pérfida Contracção do Aço</em> successfully refines and adjusts an already energetic and addictive formula. At this rate, it’s gonna turn real lethal, real damn soon.</p> <p><strong>Rating:</strong> 3.5/5.0<br><strong>DR:</strong> 8 | <strong>Format Reviewed:</strong> 320 kb/s mp3<br><strong>Label:</strong> <a href="https://www.osmoseproductions.com/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Osmose Productions</a><br><strong>Websites:</strong> <a href="http://filiinigrantiuminfernalium.bandcamp.com/album/p-rfida-contrac-o-do-a-o" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">filiinigrantiuminfernalium.bandcamp.com/album/p-rfida-contrac-o-do-a-o</a> | <a href="http://facebook.com/FiliiNigrantiumInfernalium" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">facebook.com/FiliiNigrantiumInfernalium</a><br><strong>Releases Worldwide:</strong> November 29th, 2024</p><p><a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/2024/" target="_blank">#2024</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/35/" target="_blank">#35</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/behemoth/" target="_blank">#Behemoth</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/black-metal/" target="_blank">#BlackMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/black-sabbath/" target="_blank">#BlackSabbath</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/filii-nigrantium-infernalium/" target="_blank">#FiliiNigrantiumInfernalium</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/heavy-metal/" target="_blank">#HeavyMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/hellripper/" target="_blank">#Hellripper</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/nov24/" target="_blank">#Nov24</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/osmose-productions/" target="_blank">#OsmoseProductions</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/perfida-contraccao-do-aco/" target="_blank">#PérfidaContracçãoDoAço</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/portuguese-metal/" target="_blank">#PortugueseMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/review/" target="_blank">#Review</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/reviews/" target="_blank">#Reviews</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/thrash-metal/" target="_blank">#ThrashMetal</a></p>
Angry Metal Guy<p><strong><a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/mercyless-those-who-reign-below-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Mercyless – Those Who Reign Below Review</a></strong></p><p><i>By Steel Druhm</i></p><p>The tale of France’s <strong>Mercyless</strong> has been told before on these pages so I don’t want to recount the saga of their rise, fall from grace, and eventual redemption. I will however endlessly blather on about how great their early releases are. 1992s <em>Abject Offerings</em> was a top-notch example of furious thrashing death metal with chops to spare. However, it was 93s <em>Coloured Funeral</em> that cemented their legacy, taking their brutish bashing and smartly seasoning it with the progressive energy of mid-period <strong>Death</strong>. It’s technical and intelligent, full of twists and turns, but the war hammer is ever-present. It’s a deeply underappreciated classic that deserves far more attention. Since reforming in 2011, <strong>Mercyless</strong> have released 3 albums of good to very good old school death, no longer pushing boundaries and content to rehash the glories of the early 90s. 2020’s<em> The Mother of All Plagues</em> was an entirely solid if not exceptional blast of familiar deathery, harkening back to the stuff I harassed dormmates with in my drunken college years. 2024 sees them return with 8th full-length <em>Those Who Reign Below</em>, and <strong>Mercyless</strong> remain locked in their late-career comfort zone, delivering 90s-centric thrashing death in the vein of old <strong>Pestilence</strong> and <strong>Morbid Ange</strong>l. Can these olde dawgs still bring the war to your front door?</p><p>At this point in their resurgence, <strong>Mercyless</strong> are a known quantity. You get meat n’ taters death with heaping helpings of thrashing fury and enough technical know-how to make things interesting. There’s nothing new to what <strong>Mercyless</strong> are doing here, but they know how to clobber and cudgel nonetheless. Opener “Extreme Unction” is the nastiest filth on offer and it hits like a concrete truck flying down a steep hill. The riff phrasing bears the stench of vintage <strong>Morbid Angel</strong> and original vocalist/guitarist Max Otero has a death croak rather similar to that of David Vincent. The speed and savagery are spot on and the guitar work is very good. This is<strong> Merycless</strong> at their best and they can still kill it. While the quality of songcraft doesn’t remain at this elevated level, you still get crop-dusted by burly thrashers like “I Am Hell” where bits of <strong>Vader</strong> slam into <strong>Behemoth</strong> and <strong>Angel Corpse</strong>. Both “Thy Resplendent Inferno” and “Prelude to Eternal Darkness” check all the 90s death thrash boxes, being invigorating if not gobsmacking nuggets of fugly noise.</p><p><br></p><p>There are a few cuts that underperform too. “Phantoms of Cain” is generic in structure and leaves me unfulfilled despite reminding me of a basket of death deplorables I loved back in the day. The inclusion of a 2-minute instrumental and a dull outro pads out the runtime without enhancing the listening experience, and closer “Sanctus Deus Mortis” weaves early days <strong>Death</strong> influences throughout, but it doesn’t have much of a payoff. At a trim 42-plus minute with most songs in the 3-4 minute window, <em>Those Who Reign Below</em> moves at a brisk pace and rarely drags. It just doesn’t soar often enough.</p><p>Max Otero and Gautier Merklen are very skilled six-string assassins and the riffage is consistently solid throughout. The solos are varied and slick and the duo borrows from all the best legendary acts as they burn and loot the countryside. I especially like it when they venture into Azagthothian slitherscapes, which is common here. I’ve been a fan of Otero’s vocals since the beginning and they’re still good and grisly today. Johann Voirin (<strong>Mortuary</strong>) tags in to man the kit and does a great job skinning the skins and scraping the brain wax from your ears with a thunderous performance. I often found myself more focused on what he was doing than everything else, which is unusual for me.</p><p><strong>Mercyless</strong> will never recapture the elusive magic heard on <em>Coloured Funeral</em> but I’m more than happy to see them churning out albums of the caliber. <em>Those Who Reign Below</em> won’t top many best-of lists this year but it’s a competent, effective death metal biscuit with enough frills and chills in the meat gravy to hold its place in the rotation for a while. Well worth a brutal spin.</p><p><strong>Rating:</strong> 3.0/5.0<br><strong>DR:</strong> 6 | <strong>Format Reviewed:</strong> 320 kbps mp3<br><strong>Label:</strong> <a href="https://osmoseproductions-label.com/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Osmose Productions</a> | <a href="https://osmoseproductions.bandcamp.com/music" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a><a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/mercyless-those-who-reign-below-review/#fn-205332-1" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">1</a><br><strong>Websites:</strong> <a href="https://mercyless.bandcamp.com/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">mercyless.bandcamp.com</a><a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/mercyless-those-who-reign-below-review/#fn-205332-2" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">2</a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/mercylesscult/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">facebook.com/mercylesscult</a> |<a href="https://www.instagram.com/mercylessofficial" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank"> instagram.com/mercylessofficial</a><br><strong>Releases Worldwide:</strong> October 25th, 2024</p> <p><span><strong>Dolphyless</strong></span></p><p><strong>Mercyless</strong> is far from a household name, as are many from the short-lived French death/thrash scene.<a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/mercyless-those-who-reign-below-review/#fn-205332-3" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">3</a> But the olde and wise like legendary AMG alum <span><strong>Al Kikuras</strong></span> heard their fabled <em>Coloured Funeral</em> back in the days of wound magnetic tape and FM radio as a major discovery tool. Yes, it’s true the 90s weren’t kind to acts of all varieties, with <strong>Mercyless</strong> too succumbing to the pressures of groove and hiatus. Yet with their revitalization in the modern age, the French underground stalwart has managed to both <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/65308-2/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">impress</a> and <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/mercyless-the-mother-of-all-plagues-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">remain solid</a> in their golden years. In a back-to-basics move, <em>Those Who Reign Below</em> serves as both an ode to the lords of the underworld and an outing of classic death metal from a time when genre lines were but a suggestion.</p><p>Sharing fresh blood with <strong>Mortuary</strong>—another aged French act revitalized in this modern era—this current version of <strong>Mercyless</strong> continues to tackle death metal with a thrash-rooted flair alongside ears who grew up with <strong>Mercyless</strong>’ contemporaries. More so than their original run (really their first two albums), <strong>Mercyless</strong> has picked up some of the low-end grooves you’d hear in late 90s <strong>Morbid Angel</strong> (“Crown of Blasphemy,” “Sanctus Deus Mortis”) along with a jagged melodicism that fed into increased aggression of early <strong>Hate Eternal</strong> works (“Phantoms of Cain”). But as a band born of a certain time, it’s hard to escape that early <strong>Celtic Frost</strong> influenced death/thrash that powered primal Florida bruisers <strong>Master</strong> or <strong>Obituary</strong>, with heavy skanks and ragged vocals leading the charge (“I Am Hell,” “Prelude to Eternal Darkness”). And still, that same gritty sense of harmony that composed <strong>Mercyless</strong>’ career highlights presents itself through founder Max Otero’s chunky guitar charms (“Thy Resplendent Inferno,” “Chaos Requiem”).</p><p>While a falling out of interest with deathly happenings drove <strong>Mercyless</strong> into hibernation all those years ago, Otero and co. have no lost love, at this stage, for ugly tones that carve monster riffs. With dialed incision whammy dives, tracks that rip from the start (“I Am Hell”), or find a fluttering catch in wild solo land (“Evil Shall…,” “Crown of Blasphemy”), have no problem rolling back eyes and flaring nostrils for a fully-torqued pit frenzy. A fuzzy twang provides weight to each riff embarkment, allowing techier expeditions (“Extreme Unction,” “Phantoms…”) to land with a precision that plays off the force of drummer Johann Voirin’s textbook accelerating kicks and pounding snare drive. On the low-end bassist Yann Tligui doesn’t provide the same depth of performance that popped about in the distant past, but his gravely throb provides a grit necessary to ensure that <strong>Mercyless</strong> wrecks bodies in a circular, tumbling fashion.</p><p></p><p>However, <strong>Mercyless</strong>’ increased theater around anti-Christian themes hinders <em>Those Who Reign Below</em>’s more direct offerings. Though <strong>Mercyless</strong> has never shied away from elements that spit at Christianity, their renaissance from 2013’s <em>Unholy Black Splendor</em> has increased its upfront presence. And, likewise, <em>Those Who Reign Below</em> finds itself the holder of both a built in liturgical intro (the first section of “Extreme Unction”) and an unannounced—but still present—closing modulated sermon (“Zecheriah 31”) to reinforce its ham-fisted camp. This book-ending also creates an awkward framing around the true closer, “Sanctus Deus Mortis,” which runs preceded by a low-in-tension instrumental (“Absurd Theater”). These blunders, though, don’t tack much time onto the total run of forty-two minutes, so they are forgivable. But those looking for a steady blaze from snout to tail may encounter more of an ending fizzle than desired.</p><p>Regardless, <strong>Mercyless</strong> harbors too high a quality of hammering riff, slobbering shout death metal in its unlikely second-coming—a length of time that now spans as many albums and almost as many years as the first. In many ways, this new path of old sounds represents a more fitting distillation of <strong>Mercyless</strong>’ evil worshipping ambitions than its detour into weird 90s industrial death land.<a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/mercyless-those-who-reign-below-review/#fn-205332-4" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">4</a> For those easily moistened by the call of a sweat-stewed pit, <em>Those Who Reign Below</em> offers a practiced and visceral window into an aged like fine jerky take on rippin’ death/thrash. So give it a listen and be sure to hit the classics too—<em>Abject Offerings</em> and <em>Coloured Funeral</em>—if you’re new to <strong>Mercyless</strong>’ ancient callings.</p> <p><strong>Rating:</strong> 3.0/5.0</p><p><a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/2024/" target="_blank">#2024</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/30/" target="_blank">#30</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/celtic-frost/" target="_blank">#CelticFrost</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/coloured-funeral/" target="_blank">#ColouredFuneral</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/death-metal/" target="_blank">#DeathMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/death-thrash/" target="_blank">#DeathThrash</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/french-metal/" target="_blank">#FrenchMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/hate-eternal/" target="_blank">#HateEternal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/loudblast/" target="_blank">#Loudblast</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/massacra/" target="_blank">#Massacra</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/master/" target="_blank">#Master</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/mercyless/" target="_blank">#Mercyless</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/morbid-angel/" target="_blank">#MorbidAngel</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/mortuary/" target="_blank">#Mortuary</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/obituary/" target="_blank">#Obituary</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/oct24/" target="_blank">#Oct24</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/osmose-productions/" target="_blank">#OsmoseProductions</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/pestilence/" target="_blank">#Pestilence</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/review/" target="_blank">#Review</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/reviews/" target="_blank">#Reviews</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/the-mother-of-all-plagues/" target="_blank">#TheMotherOfAllPlagues</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/those-who-reign-below/" target="_blank">#ThoseWhoReignBelow</a></p>
Angry Metal Guy<p><strong><a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/butcher-on-fowl-of-tyrant-wing-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Bütcher – On Fowl of Tyrant Wing Review</a></strong></p><p><i>By Steel Druhm</i></p><p>Where is the goat and the chariot? Where is the meat Billy horn that was blowing? The days have gone down in the West behind the hills into the fowl of a Tyrant. 2020 saw the metalverse shaken to its core by the massively infectious sophomore album by Belgian black/trad/thrashers <strong>Bütcher</strong>. So much rowdy fun was <em>666 Goats Carry My Chariot</em> that it mattered not a wit that it was entirely composed of well-trod metal tropes. The hyperactive 80s speed with blackened edges was just the right mixture of heavy, catchy, and over-the-top with songs that had teeth. Fast-forward to 2024 and we get the much-anticipated follow-up <em>On Fowl of Tyrant Wing</em>. Can these unheralded goat hoarders rebottle the lightning and magic that made <em>666</em> such an out-of-left-field brain smasher? That’s no small ask and no easy feat to manage, even with unlimited goatpower at their disposal!</p><p>Things open with a slick intro loaded with NWoBHM flavor with regal guitar lines that reek of <strong>Savage Grace</strong>. From there you get launched into burning chaos with the crazy speed-thrashing rampage of “Speed Metal Samurai.” Yes, it’s a cheeseball title but the song is this album’s version of “Iron Bitch” off of <em>666</em>, so you’ll get shaken, slapped up, and brutally prodded. R Hellshrieker is once again an unhinged maniac at the mic, screaming, growling, shrieking, and singing with lunatic gusto and verve. He even adopts very ICS Vortex high-register cleans for dramatic effect. Rabid riffs and crazed harmonies storm with menace beneath his ravings and the hyperkinetic energy cannot be denied or restrained. The commitment to excess splashes over into “Blessed by the Blade” and the 80s live loudly in the resulting mayhem. It’s speed metal all day with a slight blackened touch and it’s madcap, raucous fun. Hellshrieker straddles the line between enthusiastic thrash bark and wailing King Diamond-esque dramatics to good effect and classic metal elements round out the bashing and add a veneer of accessibility and class. An especially wild outburst arrives with “Keep the Steele (Flamin’ Hot)” where all the chains come off and the Mad <strong>Bütcher</strong> runs amok. It’s a nuclear speed bomb with no guard rails to keep it safe and things get out of control fast. Hellshrieker really goes off the reservation here, screaming, roaring, and adding little King Diamond theatrics in a vocal slurry. His commands to “bow down to the Powerlord” are especially endearing as that was my nickname in high school.</p><p>The second half of <em>On Fowl of Tyrant Wing</em> is a different beast of an altered color. The last few songs are all much longer and more involved, trying to suture a ton of ideas into cohesive pieces of music with varying degrees of success. “A Sacrifice to Satan’s Spawn” welds NWoBHM bits to <strong>Mercyful Fate</strong>-esque pieces and slathers it all with guitar-forward excess and a somewhat “restrained” performance by Hellshrieker. It works because it asserts a modicum of moderation. 9-plus minute closer “An Ending in Fyre” exercises not such discipline, dumping Viking black metal, NWoBHM, and classic metal into an industrial cow juicer with unusual flavors flopping out of the thresher. It has good bits and interesting moments but it’s messy, feels a bit forced and duct-taped together, and after 6 minutes it starts to drag. Though the album is only 43-plus minutes, the presence of back-to-back-to-back long songs on the back end makes things feel longer than they are. Worse, the material lacks the same wild novelty and raw hooks that <em>666</em> had in abundance. I like it all but I’m only really impressed by certain tracks. That’s a bit of a letdown.</p><p></p><p>Musically, <strong>Bütcher </strong>has a lot going for them. KK Ripper and KV Bonecrusher go all in guitar-wise with furiously jagged riffs stacked on melodic NOWoBHM harmonies and grooves. The six-string insanity flows like blood from the n00b recycling unit at AMG HQ, making every track kinetic. There are many slick, memorable moments scattered over the album, and the duo never seems hard up for inspiration. Hellshrieker is a special kind of monster. He’s like 15 people trapped in one body and they all want their time in the spotlight. Screams, death roars, blackened cackles, croons, everything just comes out in seemingly random fashion and it all kinda works. It’s really just an issue of the songs having less bite and staying power this time that undermines the goatworks.</p><p>There’s never going to be a dull <strong>Bütcher</strong> album. Their all-gas, no-brakes approach guarantees that much. I enjoy <em>On Fowl of Tyrant Wing</em> and several songs are good enough to make playlists. I just don’t see blasting this as much as I did <em>666 Goats</em>, because I was obsessed with that goatwomit nonsense. I can still recommend it though because good times will be had and the milk of Black Phillip will season your beer salad with many exotic blessings. Go get bucked.</p><p></p> <p><strong>Rating:</strong> 3.0/5.0<br><strong>DR:</strong> 6 | <strong>Format Reviewed:</strong> 320 kbps mp3<br><strong>Label:</strong> Osmose<br><strong>Websites</strong>: <a href="https://osmoseproductions.bandcamp.com/album/on-fowl-of-tyrant-wing" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">osmoseproductions.bandcamp.com</a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Butcherspeedmetal/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">facebook.com/butcherspeedmeta</a>l | <a href="https://www.instagram.com/butcherspeedmetal/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">instagram.com/butcherspeedmetal</a><br><strong>Releases Worldwide:</strong> October 25th, 2024</p><p><a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/2024/" target="_blank">#2024</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/30/" target="_blank">#30</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/belgian-metal/" target="_blank">#BelgianMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/black-metal/" target="_blank">#BlackMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/butcher/" target="_blank">#Bütcher</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/heavy-metal/" target="_blank">#HeavyMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/iron-angel/" target="_blank">#IronAngel</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/mercyful-fate/" target="_blank">#MercyfulFate</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/oct24/" target="_blank">#Oct24</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/on-fowl-of-tyrant-wing/" target="_blank">#OnFowlOfTyrantWing</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/osmose-productions/" target="_blank">#OsmoseProductions</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/review/" target="_blank">#Review</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/reviews/" target="_blank">#Reviews</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/thrash-metal/" target="_blank">#ThrashMetal</a></p>
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