...( Info )...
Title: The Return of Gor Gor [EP]
Artist: Gwar
Year: 2025
Genre: Thrash, Glam-Metal
Country: USA

Duration: 00:30:08
Format/Codec: MP3
Audio bitrate: 320 kbps

...( TrackList )...
1. The Great Circus Train Disaster (03:43)
2. Lot Lizard (02:24)
3. Tyrant King (03:26)
4. Crack In The Egg (Live) (04:10)
5. The Founding Fathers (Live) (04:31)
6. America Must Be Destroyed (Live) (09:29)
7. Fishfuck (Live) (02:21)

...( Info )...
Title: More Balls to Picasso
Artist: Bruce Dickinson
Year: 2025
Genre: Heavy-Metal
Country: UK

Duration: 01:01:44
Format/Codec: MP3
Audio Bitrate: 320 kbps

...( TrackList )...
1. Cyclops (2025 Reimagined Version) (07:57)
2. Hell No (2025 Reimagined Version) (05:07)
3. Gods of War (2025 Reimagined Version) (05:05)
4. 1000 Points of Light (2025 Reimagined Version) (04:24)
5. Laughing in the Hiding Bush (2025 Reimagined Version) (04:21)
6. Change of Heart (2025 Reimagined Version) (05:01)
7. Shoot All the Clowns (2025 Reimagined Version) (04:35)
8. Fire (2025 Reimagined Version) (04:31)
9. Sacred Cowboys (2025 Reimagined Version) (03:54)
10. Tears of the Dragon (2025 Reimagined Version) (06:26)
11. Gods of War (Live in the Studio; 2025 Reimagined Version) (04:55)
12. Shoot All the Clowns (Live in the Studio; 2025 Reimagined Version) (05:24)

...( Info )...
Genre: Thrash Metal/Crossover
Country: Poland
Year of publication: 1990-2010
Audio codec: MP3
Rip type: tracks
Audio bitrate: 320 kbps

...( TrackList )...
1990 - Are You A Rebel?
1991 - Dirty Money, Dirty Tricks
1992 - Strip Tease
1993 - Fishdick
1993 - Vile Vicious Vision
1994 - Infernal Connection
1996 - The State Of Mind Report
1998 - High Proof Cosmic Milk
1998 - Varran Strikes Back – Alive!!!
1999 - Amazing Atomic Activity
2000 - Broken Head
2002 - Acidophilia
2002 - Maximum Overload
2004 - Rock Is Not Enough, Give Me The Metal
2006 - The Hand That Rocks The Coffin
2008 - Verses Of Steel
2010 - Fishdick Zwei – The Dick Is Rising Again

Acid Drinkers to polski zespół thrash metalowy, założony we wrześniu 1986 roku w Poznaniu. W jego skład wchodzili wówczas Tomasz „Titus” Pukacki (wokal, gitara basowa) i Robert „Litza” Friedrich (gitara, wokal). Zespół gra thrash metal z wpływami heavy metalu. Acid Drinkers to jeden z najważniejszych zespołów w polskim thrash i heavy metalu. Skład zespołu zmieniał się kilkukrotnie od początku jego istnienia. Tomasz Pukacki był członkiem zespołu od samego początku, a Robert Friedrich opuścił zespół w 1998 roku.wiki

...SIŁA I PIĘKNO MUZYKI TKWIĄ W JEJ RÓŻNORODNOŚCI


..::OPIS::..

'Szybki strzał'
Najpierw odsłuch, a następnie degustacja. Whisky taka sobie, więc nie warto poświęcać jej więcej czasu. Mogę tylko ostrzec, co by nie skusiła was cena, bo jakość jest tutaj na dalszym planie. Opinie w sieci są przeróżne ale ja odradzam zakup STORAGE Blended Scotch whisky.

Wracając do tematu głównego, czyli muzyki – to znów padło na grindcore i to prosto z pięknej Finlandii. Rotten Sound istnieje na scenie od 30 lat i co jakiś czas raczy swoich słuchaczy nowymi wydawnictwami. „Apocalypse” to ich ósmy album, który stylistycznej wolty nie przynosi. Panowie dalej eksplorują przebogate pokłady muzyki ekstremalnej, w których poruszają tematy polityczno-społeczne.

Na płycie znalazło się 18 utworów, które łącznie trwają dwadzieścia minut (no tym razem pobili rekord toru). Co bym nie napisał o tych krótkich „piosenkach”, nie odda to w pełni tego, co dzieje się na „Apocalypse”.

Poziom wkurwu sięgnął zenitu, który opakowany jest w około 1-minutowe gradobicia. Keijo Niinimaa pomimo 50-tki na karku zdziera gardło jakby miał z 18 wiosen. Jestem pełen podziwu i chylę czoła, bo takie dźwięki wydobywa tylko człowiek o nadprzyrodzonych zdolnościach wokalnych. Dane też mi było zobaczyć tego jegomościa w akcji live, to istny zwierz sceniczny.

Dla mnie „Apocalypse” to skondensowany koncentrat jadu i nienawiści, który specjalnie nie potrzebuje reklamy. I tak sobie myślę, że tego jadu to i by na dwadzieścia płyt Rotten Sound wystarczyło, więc panowie proponują rozsądne dawkowanie Grind core rządzi się swoimi prawami i w tym przypadku nie ma taryfy ulgowej. Mi te dwadzieścia minut w zupełności wystarczy.

Oczywiście zapraszam chętnych do zapoznania się z zawartością tej rozwałki, przy okazji życzę miłych wrażeń i wielu uniesień.

Pianka na piwku


The apocalypse is nigh and Finnish grindcore entity ROTTEN SOUND has crafted the perfect soundtrack to accompany humanity’s impending extinction. Aptly titled ‘Apocalypse,’ the band’s eighth studio album is dropping into 2023 with the same blistering speed and chaotic impetus as an asteroid searing through atmosphere and crushing everything upon impact. Each song delivering abrupt yet violent aftershocks, delivering an auditory assault with its unstoppable, seismic force.



..::TRACK-LIST::..

1. Pacify 00:42
2. Equality 00:46
3. Sharing 01:46
4. Apocalypse 01:04
5. Suburban Bliss 01:41
6. Renewables 00:54
7. Newsflash 01:20
8. Digital Bliss 01:16
9. True and False 00:19
10. Denialist 01:45
11. Nothingness 00:28
12. Fight Back 01:03
13. Patriots 01:14
14. Ownership 00:46
15. Science 00:48
16. Empowered 01:57
17. Breach 01:19
18. Inflation 01:23



..::OBSADA::..

Mika Aalto - guitars
Matti Raappana - bass and backing vocals
Sami Latva - drums
Keijo Niinimaa - lead vocals




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_Zh_TvB_S0



SEED 15:00-22:00.
POLECAM!!!

...SIŁA I PIĘKNO MUZYKI TKWIĄ W JEJ RÓŻNORODNOŚCI


..::OPIS::..

'Szybki strzał'
Najpierw odsłuch, a następnie degustacja. Whisky taka sobie, więc nie warto poświęcać jej więcej czasu. Mogę tylko ostrzec, co by nie skusiła was cena, bo jakość jest tutaj na dalszym planie. Opinie w sieci są przeróżne ale ja odradzam zakup STORAGE Blended Scotch whisky.

Wracając do tematu głównego, czyli muzyki – to znów padło na grindcore i to prosto z pięknej Finlandii. Rotten Sound istnieje na scenie od 30 lat i co jakiś czas raczy swoich słuchaczy nowymi wydawnictwami. „Apocalypse” to ich ósmy album, który stylistycznej wolty nie przynosi. Panowie dalej eksplorują przebogate pokłady muzyki ekstremalnej, w których poruszają tematy polityczno-społeczne.

Na płycie znalazło się 18 utworów, które łącznie trwają dwadzieścia minut (no tym razem pobili rekord toru). Co bym nie napisał o tych krótkich „piosenkach”, nie odda to w pełni tego, co dzieje się na „Apocalypse”.

Poziom wkurwu sięgnął zenitu, który opakowany jest w około 1-minutowe gradobicia. Keijo Niinimaa pomimo 50-tki na karku zdziera gardło jakby miał z 18 wiosen. Jestem pełen podziwu i chylę czoła, bo takie dźwięki wydobywa tylko człowiek o nadprzyrodzonych zdolnościach wokalnych. Dane też mi było zobaczyć tego jegomościa w akcji live, to istny zwierz sceniczny.

Dla mnie „Apocalypse” to skondensowany koncentrat jadu i nienawiści, który specjalnie nie potrzebuje reklamy. I tak sobie myślę, że tego jadu to i by na dwadzieścia płyt Rotten Sound wystarczyło, więc panowie proponują rozsądne dawkowanie Grind core rządzi się swoimi prawami i w tym przypadku nie ma taryfy ulgowej. Mi te dwadzieścia minut w zupełności wystarczy.

Oczywiście zapraszam chętnych do zapoznania się z zawartością tej rozwałki, przy okazji życzę miłych wrażeń i wielu uniesień.

Pianka na piwku


The apocalypse is nigh and Finnish grindcore entity ROTTEN SOUND has crafted the perfect soundtrack to accompany humanity’s impending extinction. Aptly titled ‘Apocalypse,’ the band’s eighth studio album is dropping into 2023 with the same blistering speed and chaotic impetus as an asteroid searing through atmosphere and crushing everything upon impact. Each song delivering abrupt yet violent aftershocks, delivering an auditory assault with its unstoppable, seismic force.



..::TRACK-LIST::..

1. Pacify 00:42
2. Equality 00:46
3. Sharing 01:46
4. Apocalypse 01:04
5. Suburban Bliss 01:41
6. Renewables 00:54
7. Newsflash 01:20
8. Digital Bliss 01:16
9. True and False 00:19
10. Denialist 01:45
11. Nothingness 00:28
12. Fight Back 01:03
13. Patriots 01:14
14. Ownership 00:46
15. Science 00:48
16. Empowered 01:57
17. Breach 01:19
18. Inflation 01:23



..::OBSADA::..

Mika Aalto - guitars
Matti Raappana - bass and backing vocals
Sami Latva - drums
Keijo Niinimaa - lead vocals




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_Zh_TvB_S0



SEED 15:00-22:00.
POLECAM!!!

...SIŁA I PIĘKNO MUZYKI TKWIĄ W JEJ RÓŻNORODNOŚCI


..::OPIS::..

THE WRATH byli jednym z tych wspaniałych, undergroundowych amerykańskich zespołów metalowych. Wydali swoje pierwsze, cztero-utworowe demo w 1985 roku i natychmiast się rozpadli. Rok później zjednoczyli się i nagrali pięcio-utworowe demo, zanim niemal zniknęli ze sceny na zawsze. Ich ostatnim znakiem życia był udział w kompilacji 'Metal Massacre 9' z 1988 roku i ich jedyne oficjalne wydawnictwo.

Jednak ludzie z wytwórni 'Arkeyn Steel Records' nie ustawali w wysiłkach przez ostatnie kilka lat i w końcu odnaleźli członków zespołu. Utwory z dwóch legendarnych taśm w końcu ujrzały światło dzienne. Początkowo zespół znalazł jedynie kasety VHS z finalnymi miksami stereo, ale w ostatniej chwili udało im się dotrzeć do oryginalnych wielościeżkowych taśm-matek, dzięki czemu 37 lat później mogą zaoferować najlepsze możliwe wrażenia dźwiękowe jak na debiutanckie wydawnictwo na srebrnym nośniku przystało...



I know that the Los Angeles 80s Heavy Metal scene rings a lot of bells and whistles to the most of you. There are many classic releases out there that are shaping a high class status when it comes to LA. Should I remind you the classic BARREN CROSS – “Believe” EP? or the “The High n’ Mighty” full length by COMMANDER? The “People in Hell Want Ice Water” by GRAVEN IMAGE? or the same titled Mini LP by DARK AGE? I guess that is needless to refer to the OMEN first two classic albums or to the “Deliver Us” Mini LP by WARLORD -one of the best Heavy Metal records ever made-. I could write hundreds of titles just to highlight the fact that Los Angeles was the Mecca of Steel back on the golden 80s Metal age:

Hundreds of new bands, mainly inspired by the success of the European Heavy Metal movement, were making their first but serious steps by recording demos, playing live shows and getting ready to record their debut albums. Lots of talent, lots of new ideas and an overall rediscovery of the Heavy Metal sound that would soon give shape to the US Metal core.

THE WRATH was one those bands that quickly jumped on the wagon of this early Heavy Metal train that was coming out straight from the LA scene of the early 80s.

They formed back in 1984 and in 1985 they recorded a demo of four songs. This demo gained the attention of Metal Blade Records and the track “Midnight Madman” was featured on the “Metal Massacre 9” compilation that was released in 1988 (after the band had split up). This was the first and last official release to feature THE WRATH moniker. In 1986 the band recorded 5 more demo songs on their own “Wrathful Studio” before they finally split up in 1987.

Through the years, both the 1985 demo songs and the “Wrathful Studio” 1986 recordings were spread among tape traders, metal fans and collectors. Everyone was trying to find some info about those songs and the band, but THE WRATH had disappeared. Forever? Well I guess not… Why? Because Arkeyn Steel Records team manages the impossible once again by tracking the band and releasing their complete recordings set on an official release under the “Pedal to the Metal” title.

All this obscure background sounds cool but what about the music? Someone may ask. Well THE WRATH delivered a very special type of guitar driven, fast tempo Heavy Metal, often touching the Speed Metal formulas -on their main riffing developments-, highlighting a combination of aggression and melody at the same time.

You can imagine a brief mixture of DARK AGE and OMEN with the vocals standing on the top thanks to both their color and their melodic lines that totally highlight an approach almost uncommon for the typical Metal of the era. The vocals are so fucking melodic that I can easily imagine a young Bob Barduba -or even Chris Cronk– locked in a garage just to shape some massive melodies upon THE WRATH’s sharp aged riffing. Well I can assure you that Dave Hughart reaches THAT KIND of high class status, when it comes to his brilliant vocal melodies.

Bill Simmons and Don Huffman are creating a massive guitar wall of sound: the riffing is huge in here and the lead and solo guitar parts are shinning.

And here I got to point that thanks to the massive work that has been done n the audio part of this particular release we are now able to actually HEAR all the above mentioned features and especially the guitars that are the big trademark on the band’s sound.

I know that Arkeyn Steel Records team have managed to track down the original multi track tapes and that Kostas Scandalis (Infinity Studios) remixed and mastered everything from scratch. I was blown away listening to those new shining versions of the songs. For me it was like hearing a totally new band: Nothing in common with the poor third or fourth generation copies of the songs that I have been storing for years. Wow, I was finally able to hear those GUITARS loud and clear!

The overall artwork and the front cover -based on the band’s original skullhammer trademark- are great. Lots of photos, the complete lyrics and an in depth biography are completing the booklet puzzle, following the usual Arkeyn Steel standards.

THE WRATH was one of the most inspired and powerful bands of the Los Angeles Heavy Metal scene. Due to bad timing their songs were never released officially, remaining in the vaults. Through this release Arkeyn Steel Records is fixing an important mistake in Heavy Metal history, highlighting one of the greatest examples of California Steel.

Chris Papadakis



..::TRACK-LIST::..

1. Number #1
2. Midnight Madman
3. Prison
4. State Of Mind
5. Bone Crusher
6. Behind The Wheel
7. Pedal To The Metal
8. Children Of The Night
9. Bombs Away

1-4 Unreleased Demo 1985
5-9 Unreleased Demo 1986
Limited to 500 handnumbered copies



..::OBSADA::..

Paul Ginsert - Bass
Eric Keck - Drums
Bill Simmons - Guitars, Lyrics (track 2)
Dave Hughart - Vocals, Lyrics
Don Huffman - Guitars




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdLPxyXxYnI



SEED 15:00-22:00.
POLECAM!!!

...SIŁA I PIĘKNO MUZYKI TKWIĄ W JEJ RÓŻNORODNOŚCI


..::OPIS::..

THE WRATH byli jednym z tych wspaniałych, undergroundowych amerykańskich zespołów metalowych. Wydali swoje pierwsze, cztero-utworowe demo w 1985 roku i natychmiast się rozpadli. Rok później zjednoczyli się i nagrali pięcio-utworowe demo, zanim niemal zniknęli ze sceny na zawsze. Ich ostatnim znakiem życia był udział w kompilacji 'Metal Massacre 9' z 1988 roku i ich jedyne oficjalne wydawnictwo.

Jednak ludzie z wytwórni 'Arkeyn Steel Records' nie ustawali w wysiłkach przez ostatnie kilka lat i w końcu odnaleźli członków zespołu. Utwory z dwóch legendarnych taśm w końcu ujrzały światło dzienne. Początkowo zespół znalazł jedynie kasety VHS z finalnymi miksami stereo, ale w ostatniej chwili udało im się dotrzeć do oryginalnych wielościeżkowych taśm-matek, dzięki czemu 37 lat później mogą zaoferować najlepsze możliwe wrażenia dźwiękowe jak na debiutanckie wydawnictwo na srebrnym nośniku przystało...



I know that the Los Angeles 80s Heavy Metal scene rings a lot of bells and whistles to the most of you. There are many classic releases out there that are shaping a high class status when it comes to LA. Should I remind you the classic BARREN CROSS – “Believe” EP? or the “The High n’ Mighty” full length by COMMANDER? The “People in Hell Want Ice Water” by GRAVEN IMAGE? or the same titled Mini LP by DARK AGE? I guess that is needless to refer to the OMEN first two classic albums or to the “Deliver Us” Mini LP by WARLORD -one of the best Heavy Metal records ever made-. I could write hundreds of titles just to highlight the fact that Los Angeles was the Mecca of Steel back on the golden 80s Metal age:

Hundreds of new bands, mainly inspired by the success of the European Heavy Metal movement, were making their first but serious steps by recording demos, playing live shows and getting ready to record their debut albums. Lots of talent, lots of new ideas and an overall rediscovery of the Heavy Metal sound that would soon give shape to the US Metal core.

THE WRATH was one those bands that quickly jumped on the wagon of this early Heavy Metal train that was coming out straight from the LA scene of the early 80s.

They formed back in 1984 and in 1985 they recorded a demo of four songs. This demo gained the attention of Metal Blade Records and the track “Midnight Madman” was featured on the “Metal Massacre 9” compilation that was released in 1988 (after the band had split up). This was the first and last official release to feature THE WRATH moniker. In 1986 the band recorded 5 more demo songs on their own “Wrathful Studio” before they finally split up in 1987.

Through the years, both the 1985 demo songs and the “Wrathful Studio” 1986 recordings were spread among tape traders, metal fans and collectors. Everyone was trying to find some info about those songs and the band, but THE WRATH had disappeared. Forever? Well I guess not… Why? Because Arkeyn Steel Records team manages the impossible once again by tracking the band and releasing their complete recordings set on an official release under the “Pedal to the Metal” title.

All this obscure background sounds cool but what about the music? Someone may ask. Well THE WRATH delivered a very special type of guitar driven, fast tempo Heavy Metal, often touching the Speed Metal formulas -on their main riffing developments-, highlighting a combination of aggression and melody at the same time.

You can imagine a brief mixture of DARK AGE and OMEN with the vocals standing on the top thanks to both their color and their melodic lines that totally highlight an approach almost uncommon for the typical Metal of the era. The vocals are so fucking melodic that I can easily imagine a young Bob Barduba -or even Chris Cronk– locked in a garage just to shape some massive melodies upon THE WRATH’s sharp aged riffing. Well I can assure you that Dave Hughart reaches THAT KIND of high class status, when it comes to his brilliant vocal melodies.

Bill Simmons and Don Huffman are creating a massive guitar wall of sound: the riffing is huge in here and the lead and solo guitar parts are shinning.

And here I got to point that thanks to the massive work that has been done n the audio part of this particular release we are now able to actually HEAR all the above mentioned features and especially the guitars that are the big trademark on the band’s sound.

I know that Arkeyn Steel Records team have managed to track down the original multi track tapes and that Kostas Scandalis (Infinity Studios) remixed and mastered everything from scratch. I was blown away listening to those new shining versions of the songs. For me it was like hearing a totally new band: Nothing in common with the poor third or fourth generation copies of the songs that I have been storing for years. Wow, I was finally able to hear those GUITARS loud and clear!

The overall artwork and the front cover -based on the band’s original skullhammer trademark- are great. Lots of photos, the complete lyrics and an in depth biography are completing the booklet puzzle, following the usual Arkeyn Steel standards.

THE WRATH was one of the most inspired and powerful bands of the Los Angeles Heavy Metal scene. Due to bad timing their songs were never released officially, remaining in the vaults. Through this release Arkeyn Steel Records is fixing an important mistake in Heavy Metal history, highlighting one of the greatest examples of California Steel.

Chris Papadakis



..::TRACK-LIST::..

1. Number #1
2. Midnight Madman
3. Prison
4. State Of Mind
5. Bone Crusher
6. Behind The Wheel
7. Pedal To The Metal
8. Children Of The Night
9. Bombs Away

1-4 Unreleased Demo 1985
5-9 Unreleased Demo 1986
Limited to 500 handnumbered copies



..::OBSADA::..

Paul Ginsert - Bass
Eric Keck - Drums
Bill Simmons - Guitars, Lyrics (track 2)
Dave Hughart - Vocals, Lyrics
Don Huffman - Guitars




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdLPxyXxYnI



SEED 15:00-22:00.
POLECAM!!!

...SIŁA I PIĘKNO MUZYKI TKWIĄ W JEJ RÓŻNORODNOŚCI


..::OPIS::..

Nowy projekt gitarzysty włoskiego PSYCHOFAGIST.
Szalony, odjechany, eksperymentalny metal inspirowany THE LOCUST, MELT BANANA, FRANK ZAPPA, NICK CAVE, MR BUNGLE, FANTOMAS, NAKED CITY...


Ok, another avant-garde metal band, this time coming from Italy and having lots of experimental approach, low tunes in guitars (it what seems to my ears), as tons of synths and nightmare screamed vocals. It's what SYK is about on "Atoma", so stay with open mind when dealing with this album. It's too complicated and experimental for liking it on the first listening.

This is a very difficult album to hear and comprehend, because the tunes used for the instruments are extremely non-conventional, the screamed female voice is in a completely different way of you Ol' Daddy here is used to hear... It's weird, I must say, but it's not bad as many can think (especially if we're talking about some Metal fundamentalists who thing Metal must be this or that way).

The sound production is fine, and we can hear a good quality of sound flowing from the speakers, enough to recognize the instruments with their different tunes, but be aware if you become confused, it's not to do with the quality.

The band's music is too experimental, sometimes with extremely complex tempos, non-conventional sounds and effects, but some great moments can be found on the seven songs, for all of them have many to say.

On "Atoma", a complex and very good work from drums is heard in the middle of the broken tempos and extremely strange guitars sound. "The Observer" is difficult, but the vocals do a fine work, as well as we can hear on "Obsidian". "Un-God-Known" and "Auburn" are full of good guitars. And all the tracks, if you carefully hear the album, have some good points, and as many you hear the album the more you'll get used to their musical proposal.

Good work, but truly hard to understand. Even know, I don't really know if I got their idea clearly, but I know it's good.

'Metal Mark' Garcia



..::TRACK-LIST::..

1. atoma 06:27
2. the observer 05:20
3. obsidian 05:12
4. UN-god-KNOWN 07:03
5. auburn 06:12
6. vacuum 03:58
7. herset la tari 07:13

Recorded in Jan/Feb 2014 at - Den Records Studios by Stefano Ferrian



..::OBSADA::..

VOICE - Dalila Kayros
GUITAR - Stefano Ferrian (ex-psychofagist)
BASS - Luca Pissavini
DRUMS - Federico De Bernardi di Valserra (ex-psychofagist)




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1Ve2TC7-3U



SEED 15:00-22:00.
POLECAM!!!

...SIŁA I PIĘKNO MUZYKI TKWIĄ W JEJ RÓŻNORODNOŚCI


..::OPIS::..

Nowy projekt gitarzysty włoskiego PSYCHOFAGIST.
Szalony, odjechany, eksperymentalny metal inspirowany THE LOCUST, MELT BANANA, FRANK ZAPPA, NICK CAVE, MR BUNGLE, FANTOMAS, NAKED CITY...


Ok, another avant-garde metal band, this time coming from Italy and having lots of experimental approach, low tunes in guitars (it what seems to my ears), as tons of synths and nightmare screamed vocals. It's what SYK is about on "Atoma", so stay with open mind when dealing with this album. It's too complicated and experimental for liking it on the first listening.

This is a very difficult album to hear and comprehend, because the tunes used for the instruments are extremely non-conventional, the screamed female voice is in a completely different way of you Ol' Daddy here is used to hear... It's weird, I must say, but it's not bad as many can think (especially if we're talking about some Metal fundamentalists who thing Metal must be this or that way).

The sound production is fine, and we can hear a good quality of sound flowing from the speakers, enough to recognize the instruments with their different tunes, but be aware if you become confused, it's not to do with the quality.

The band's music is too experimental, sometimes with extremely complex tempos, non-conventional sounds and effects, but some great moments can be found on the seven songs, for all of them have many to say.

On "Atoma", a complex and very good work from drums is heard in the middle of the broken tempos and extremely strange guitars sound. "The Observer" is difficult, but the vocals do a fine work, as well as we can hear on "Obsidian". "Un-God-Known" and "Auburn" are full of good guitars. And all the tracks, if you carefully hear the album, have some good points, and as many you hear the album the more you'll get used to their musical proposal.

Good work, but truly hard to understand. Even know, I don't really know if I got their idea clearly, but I know it's good.

'Metal Mark' Garcia



..::TRACK-LIST::..

1. atoma 06:27
2. the observer 05:20
3. obsidian 05:12
4. UN-god-KNOWN 07:03
5. auburn 06:12
6. vacuum 03:58
7. herset la tari 07:13

Recorded in Jan/Feb 2014 at - Den Records Studios by Stefano Ferrian



..::OBSADA::..

VOICE - Dalila Kayros
GUITAR - Stefano Ferrian (ex-psychofagist)
BASS - Luca Pissavini
DRUMS - Federico De Bernardi di Valserra (ex-psychofagist)




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1Ve2TC7-3U



SEED 15:00-22:00.
POLECAM!!!

...SIŁA I PIĘKNO MUZYKI TKWIĄ W JEJ RÓŻNORODNOŚCI


..::OPIS::..

Potrójna dawka pierwszej fali polskiego grindcore/noise nareszcie na CD!
Gdy pod koniec lat 80. gorączka grindcore'a dotarła do PL, gwałtownie rozprzestrzeniła się po salach prób, domach kultury i mieszkaniach całego kraju. Obok najbardziej znanych przedstawicieli gatunku, takich jak Schismopathic, Stigmatizer, Political Vermin czy Mortuary, istniało wiele mniejszych załóg, które skutecznie walczyły z ciszą w czasach komunistycznej beznadziei i postkomunistycznych transformacji.
Selfmadegod Records prezentuje zestaw nagrań trzech ekip grindcore z Mazowsza: BUNKIER, DISSECTION i NECROVOMIT. Nagrania zrealizowane pomiędzy 1989 a 1993 rokiem są testamentem ówczesnej sceny grindcore noise w PL i determinacji w walce ze wszelkimi przeciwnościami losu tamtych czasów. Wydawnictwo zawiera materiał z 4 kaset demo i prób - w sumie 56 utworów.
Całość zmasterowana przez Pawła Grabowskiego w JNS Studio. Pozycja obowiązkowa dla fanów brudnego, hałaśliwego, przesterowanego i źle brzmiącego grindcore noise, takiego jak FEAR OF GOD, AGATHOCLES, NAPALM DEATH, SORE THROAT, CARCASS, RIGHTEOUS PIGS, UNSEEN TERROR!



..::TRACK-LIST::..

BUNKIER - DISGUUTING REALITY REHEARSAL 1989:
1. Bunkier - Inaccessible Representation 01:05
2. Bunkier - Health Insurance 00:41
3. Bunkier - Inner Chill 00:42
4. Bunkier - Work? 01:34
5. Bunkier - Human Stench 00:48
6. Bunkier - Disgusting Reality 00:40
7. Bunkier - Go Out Cleanse Minds 00:42
8. Bunkier - Pull the Crates Out of Window 00:48
9. Bunkier - Unaccountable Mess 00:45
10. Bunkier - Controlled Impulse 00:33
11. Bunkier - Doubtful Lawyer 00:28
12. Bunkier - Misunderstanding 00:32
13. Bunkier - Sleep Near Crisis 01:14
14. Bunkier - Negligible 01:18
15. Bunkier - To Kill a Priest 00:51

DISSECTION - IS EVERYTHING OK? [DEMO 1990]:
16. Dissection - Vomitus Intro 00:19
17. Dissection - Philharmonic 01:36
18. Dissection - Suffocation 02:06
19. Dissection - Extreme Morbidity 01:09
20. Dissection - Squeeze Anton (Agathocles cover) 01:43

NECROVOMIT - REHEARSAL OCTOBER 1991:
21. Necrovomit - Intro 01:06
22. Necrovomit - After the War 00:35
23. Necrovomit - Vivisection 01:10
24. Necrovomit - Ecologic Death 00:22
25. Necrovomit - False Propaganda 01:16
26. Necrovomit - Wholesome Life? 01:06
27. Necrovomit - Solitude 00:47
28. Necrovomit - The Camp of Destruction 03:22
29. Necrovomit - Call for Help 01:20
30. Necrovomit - B.U.B.A 00:54
31. Necrovomit - People for... 00:54
32. Necrovomit - Dominant Anasthesia 01:10
33. Necrovomit - Suicide 00:57
34. Necrovomit - The Governement 00:19

NECROVOMIT - PEOPLE FOR... [DEMO-first version]:
35. Necrovomit - Intro 01:04
36. Necrovomit - Suicide 02:32
37. Necrovomit - After the War 00:31
38. Necrovomit - Away 02:30
39. Necrovomit - Vivisection 01:10
40. Necrovomit - Before I Die 01:32
41. Necrovomit - False Propaganda 01:07
42. Necrovomit - The Camp of Destruction 02:14
43. Necrovomit - B.U.B.A. 01:19
44. Necrovomit - People for... 00:58
45. Necrovomit - Solitude 01:05

NECROVOMIT - PEOPLE FOR... [DEMO-second version]:
46. Necrovomit - Intro 01:05
47. Necrovomit - Suicide 02:33
48. Necrovomit - After the War 00:29
49. Necrovomit - Away 02:30
50. Necrovomit - Vivisection 01:10
51. Necrovomit - Before I Die 01:33
52. Necrovomit - False Propaganda 01:04
53. Necrovomit - The Camp of Destruction 02:14
54. Necrovomit - B.U.B.A. 01:14
55. Necrovomit - People for... 00:57
56. Necrovomit - Solitude 00:50




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBu2poJG9Hg



SEED 15:00-22:00.
POLECAM!!!

...SIŁA I PIĘKNO MUZYKI TKWIĄ W JEJ RÓŻNORODNOŚCI


..::OPIS::..

Potrójna dawka pierwszej fali polskiego grindcore/noise nareszcie na CD!
Gdy pod koniec lat 80. gorączka grindcore'a dotarła do PL, gwałtownie rozprzestrzeniła się po salach prób, domach kultury i mieszkaniach całego kraju. Obok najbardziej znanych przedstawicieli gatunku, takich jak Schismopathic, Stigmatizer, Political Vermin czy Mortuary, istniało wiele mniejszych załóg, które skutecznie walczyły z ciszą w czasach komunistycznej beznadziei i postkomunistycznych transformacji.
Selfmadegod Records prezentuje zestaw nagrań trzech ekip grindcore z Mazowsza: BUNKIER, DISSECTION i NECROVOMIT. Nagrania zrealizowane pomiędzy 1989 a 1993 rokiem są testamentem ówczesnej sceny grindcore noise w PL i determinacji w walce ze wszelkimi przeciwnościami losu tamtych czasów. Wydawnictwo zawiera materiał z 4 kaset demo i prób - w sumie 56 utworów.
Całość zmasterowana przez Pawła Grabowskiego w JNS Studio. Pozycja obowiązkowa dla fanów brudnego, hałaśliwego, przesterowanego i źle brzmiącego grindcore noise, takiego jak FEAR OF GOD, AGATHOCLES, NAPALM DEATH, SORE THROAT, CARCASS, RIGHTEOUS PIGS, UNSEEN TERROR!



..::TRACK-LIST::..

BUNKIER - DISGUUTING REALITY REHEARSAL 1989:
1. Bunkier - Inaccessible Representation 01:05
2. Bunkier - Health Insurance 00:41
3. Bunkier - Inner Chill 00:42
4. Bunkier - Work? 01:34
5. Bunkier - Human Stench 00:48
6. Bunkier - Disgusting Reality 00:40
7. Bunkier - Go Out Cleanse Minds 00:42
8. Bunkier - Pull the Crates Out of Window 00:48
9. Bunkier - Unaccountable Mess 00:45
10. Bunkier - Controlled Impulse 00:33
11. Bunkier - Doubtful Lawyer 00:28
12. Bunkier - Misunderstanding 00:32
13. Bunkier - Sleep Near Crisis 01:14
14. Bunkier - Negligible 01:18
15. Bunkier - To Kill a Priest 00:51

DISSECTION - IS EVERYTHING OK? [DEMO 1990]:
16. Dissection - Vomitus Intro 00:19
17. Dissection - Philharmonic 01:36
18. Dissection - Suffocation 02:06
19. Dissection - Extreme Morbidity 01:09
20. Dissection - Squeeze Anton (Agathocles cover) 01:43

NECROVOMIT - REHEARSAL OCTOBER 1991:
21. Necrovomit - Intro 01:06
22. Necrovomit - After the War 00:35
23. Necrovomit - Vivisection 01:10
24. Necrovomit - Ecologic Death 00:22
25. Necrovomit - False Propaganda 01:16
26. Necrovomit - Wholesome Life? 01:06
27. Necrovomit - Solitude 00:47
28. Necrovomit - The Camp of Destruction 03:22
29. Necrovomit - Call for Help 01:20
30. Necrovomit - B.U.B.A 00:54
31. Necrovomit - People for... 00:54
32. Necrovomit - Dominant Anasthesia 01:10
33. Necrovomit - Suicide 00:57
34. Necrovomit - The Governement 00:19

NECROVOMIT - PEOPLE FOR... [DEMO-first version]:
35. Necrovomit - Intro 01:04
36. Necrovomit - Suicide 02:32
37. Necrovomit - After the War 00:31
38. Necrovomit - Away 02:30
39. Necrovomit - Vivisection 01:10
40. Necrovomit - Before I Die 01:32
41. Necrovomit - False Propaganda 01:07
42. Necrovomit - The Camp of Destruction 02:14
43. Necrovomit - B.U.B.A. 01:19
44. Necrovomit - People for... 00:58
45. Necrovomit - Solitude 01:05

NECROVOMIT - PEOPLE FOR... [DEMO-second version]:
46. Necrovomit - Intro 01:05
47. Necrovomit - Suicide 02:33
48. Necrovomit - After the War 00:29
49. Necrovomit - Away 02:30
50. Necrovomit - Vivisection 01:10
51. Necrovomit - Before I Die 01:33
52. Necrovomit - False Propaganda 01:04
53. Necrovomit - The Camp of Destruction 02:14
54. Necrovomit - B.U.B.A. 01:14
55. Necrovomit - People for... 00:57
56. Necrovomit - Solitude 00:50




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBu2poJG9Hg



SEED 15:00-22:00.
POLECAM!!!

...( Info )...
Title: The Dance Of Time
Artist: Fernando Neri's Aeon Fracture
Year: 2025
Genre: Progressive, Power-Metal
Country: Brazil

Duration: 01:16:28
Format/Codec: MP3
Audio bitrate: 320 kbps

...( TrackList )...
01. Machine
02. Whispers in the Air
03. Burn Beneath the Lies (I- A Mind Left to Roam)
04. Fractured
05. Damned to Fail
06. The Dance of Time
07. Burn Beneath the Lies (II-A Flame That Never Dies)
08. A Man's Will Won't Wither Away
09. Comatose
10. Dreams
11. Burn Beneath the Lies (III- A Life Without Despair)

...( Info )...
Title: Force From The Grave
Artist: Verdalack
Year: 2025
Genre: Speed-Metal
Country: Japan

Duration: 00:29:29
Format/Codec: MP3
Audio bitrate: 320 kbps

...( TrackList )...
01. Axehead
02. Heretic Flights
03. Desecrater
04. Blood Eagle
05. Final Assault
06. Force from the Grave
07. Into the Flames
08. Rites of Hell

...( Info )...
Title: The Delusional Mystery Of The Self Part II
Artist: Mental Devastation
Year: 2025
Genre: Thrash-Metal
Country: Chile

Duration: 00:41:47
Format/Codec: MP3
Audio bitrate: 320 kbps

...( TrackList )...
01. Genetic
02. Symbiosis
03. Mankind
04. Judge and Jury
05. Pulsions
06. Mental Devastation
07. Primitive Paths
08. Dō
09. The Delusional Mystery Of The Self
10. Esperanza

...( Info )...
Title: Putrid Reign
Artist: Necrotic Insurgence
Year: 2025
Genre: Melodic, Death-Metal
Country: USA

Duration: 00:29:59
Format/Codec: MP3
Audio bitrate: 320 kbps

...( TrackList )...
01. Vessels for Decay
02. Garou
03. Flay His Skin
04. The Restless Less Dead
05. Carnegie Rots in Hell
06. Baptized by Death
07. Hex All Those Who Prey
08. Wraith

...( Info )...
Title: Visions Of Escape
Artist: Metal Charm
Year: 2025
Genre: Death, Thrash, Groove-Metal
Country: Turkey

Duration: 00:30:03
Format/Codec: MP3
Audio bitrate: 320 kbps

...( TrackList )...
01. The Respect Of Hate
02. Future In That Moment
03. Unjust World
04. Time To Restart
05. A Biased Side
06. Bare Souls
07. Visions Of Escape

...( Info )...
Title: Opera Ab Aeterno
Artist: Parakletos
Year: 2025
Genre: Melodic, Symphonic, Black-Metal
Country: Finland

Duration: 01:12:58
Format/Codec: MP3
Audio bitrate: 320 kbps

...( TrackList )...
01. Opera Ab Aeterno
02. Satans Fall
03. Skapelsen
04. Människans Fall I
05. Sång av Ensamhet
06. Människans Fall II
07. Brödradråpet
08. Syndafloden
09. Högfärdens Dom
10. Den Utvalde
11. Löftets Son
12. Opera Ad Infinitum

...( Info )...
Title: From The Grave
Artist: Iron Spell
Year: 2025
Genre: Heavy Metal
Country: Chile

Duration: 00:40:45
Format/Codec: MP3
Audio bitrate: 320 kbps

...( TrackList )...
1. Curse of the Ushers
2. Sorceress
3. Release from Darkness
4. While Witches Dance
5. Whispers of Sorrow
6. Devil King
7. Deep in the Night
8. Black. Hot & Heavy
9. From the Grave
10. Children of the Night

...( Info )...
Title: Encuentros Guanakos Del Tercer Tipo
Artist: Torniquete
Year: 2025
Genre: Thrash-Metal
Country: El Salvador

Duration: 00:34:38
Format/Codec: MP3
Audio bitrate: 320 kbps

...( TrackList )...
1. Avistamientos instrumental
2. Amenaza clandestina
3. Rompiendo el silencio
4. Gritos de la insurrección
5. Pesadilla
6. Psicopata
7. El loco mosh
8. Encuentros guanakos del tercer tipo
9. Viajeros
10. Quien
11. Subversivos

...( Info )...
Title: Delusion
Artist: Liliac
Year: 2025
Genre: Hard, Heavy-Metal
Country: USA

Duration: 00:37:46
Format/Codec: MP3
Audio bitrate: 320 kbps

...( TrackList )...
1. Human (05:47)
2. Breathe (03:03)
3. Delusion (03:07)
4. Holy Odyssey (07:05)
5. Anxiety Kills the Beautiful (03:29)
6. Cover Up (03:10)
7. Prisoner (03:01)
8. Me Myself and I (03:26)
9. Au Revoir (03:14)
10. Bad Boyz (02:20)

...SIŁA I PIĘKNO MUZYKI TKWIĄ W JEJ RÓŻNORODNOŚCI


..::OPIS::..

Bez wątpienia 'Pillars of Salt' to bardzo przemyślane i świetnie wykonane dzieło. BALMOG doskonale wiedzą, co chcą osiągnąć swoją muzyką, tworząc tak potężny, rozległy, surrealistyczny i mroczny album, nie trzymając się żadnych reguł.
Dzięki takiemu nastawieniu osiągnęli coś całkowicie surrealistycznego, enigmatycznego i tajemniczego, co przyciągnie słuchaczy ze wszystkich kręgów metalowej społeczności.



The most ambitious recording of the band: an introspective journey into the darkest tradition of rock and extreme metal is hidden,
18 minutes of oppression and mysticism contained in a single track...



..::TRACK-LIST::..

1. Pillars of Salt 18:23



..::OBSADA::..

Morg - Bass
Virus - Drums
Balc - Vocals, Guitars



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lq_ZYvU2v10



SEED 15:00-22:00.
POLECAM!!!

...SIŁA I PIĘKNO MUZYKI TKWIĄ W JEJ RÓŻNORODNOŚCI


..::OPIS::..

Bez wątpienia 'Pillars of Salt' to bardzo przemyślane i świetnie wykonane dzieło. BALMOG doskonale wiedzą, co chcą osiągnąć swoją muzyką, tworząc tak potężny, rozległy, surrealistyczny i mroczny album, nie trzymając się żadnych reguł.
Dzięki takiemu nastawieniu osiągnęli coś całkowicie surrealistycznego, enigmatycznego i tajemniczego, co przyciągnie słuchaczy ze wszystkich kręgów metalowej społeczności.



The most ambitious recording of the band: an introspective journey into the darkest tradition of rock and extreme metal is hidden,
18 minutes of oppression and mysticism contained in a single track...



..::TRACK-LIST::..

1. Pillars of Salt 18:23



..::OBSADA::..

Morg - Bass
Virus - Drums
Balc - Vocals, Guitars



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lq_ZYvU2v10



SEED 15:00-22:00.
POLECAM!!!

...( Info )...
Title: Ül
Artist: Mawiza
Year: 2025
Genre: Groove-Metal, Metalcore
Country: Chile

Duration: 00:40:27
Format/Codec: MP3
Audio bitrate: 320 kbps

...( TrackList )...
1. Wingkawnoam (03:38)
2. Pinhza Ñi Pewma (04:29)
3. Ngulutu (03:49)
4. Nawelkünuwnge (05:06)
5. Mamüll Reke (04:23)
6. Wenu Weychan (06:13)
7. Lhan Antü (04:07)
8. Kalli Lhayay (03:57)
9. Ti Inan Paw-Pawkan (feat. Joe Duplantier) (04:41)

...( Info )...
Title: Grip of Ancient Evil
Artist: Entrails
Year: 2025
Genre: Death-Metal
Country: Sweden

Duration: 00:48:23
Format/Codec: MP3
Audio bitrate: 320 kbps

...( TrackList )...
1. Grip of Ancient Evil (01:54)
2. Untreatable Decay (04:15)
3. Skin 'em All (04:12)
4. Conquering the Unknown (03:06)
5. Hunt in the Shadows (05:35)
6. Fed to the Dead (04:56)
7. Wings of Death (04:23)
8. Graveyard Rising (03:39)
9. Inner Demon (06:11)
10. Insane Death (04:57)
11. Consumed by Insects (05:11)

...SIŁA I PIĘKNO MUZYKI TKWIĄ W JEJ RÓŻNORODNOŚCI


..::OPIS::..

Koszmary jeszcze nigdy nie brzmiały tak pięknie. Szwedzcy arcymistrzowie melancholijnego ciężaru z Katatonii powracają w nowym składzie z albumem Nightmares as Extensions of the Waking State, który ukaże się 6 czerwca 2025 roku za pośrednictwem Napalm Records. Po raz kolejny ta pochodząca ze Sztokholmu formacja po mistrzowsku porusza się między mrokiem a skandynawską rozpaczą, wplatając jednocześnie w serce słuchacza poczucie nadziei.

Nightmares as Extensions of the Waking State wyznacza kolejny krok w ewolucji Katatonii, bazując jednak na fundamentach ich poprzedniego albumu, Sky Void of Stars (2023). Krystalicznie czysta produkcja podkreśla wzajemne oddziaływanie ciszy i intensywności. Jednocześnie kontrast ciężkich riffów, delikatnych gitarowych harmonii, eterycznych syntezatorów i atmosferycznych niuansów tworzy urzekające napięcie. Utwory takie jakb Thrice i Warden pulsują dynamiczną energią, natomiast Lilac to niepowtarzalny wokal Jonasa Renkse przeplatający się z hipnotycznymi rytmami i progresywnymi elementami. Niemal ceremonialny Wind of No Change łączy subtelne, elektroniczne tekstury z enigmatycznymi pejzażami dźwiękowymi, zaś Temporal równoważy kruchość i siłę - jego intensywne wersy kończą się emocjonalnie naładowanym refrenem. Zapierający dech w piersiach Efter Solen (ang. After the Sun), ze szwedzkim tekstem, przywołuje echa zbioru opowiadań Jonasa Eiki z 2018 roku, z minimalistyczną ale uderzającą instrumentacją. Z dźwiękowymi krajobrazami, które przywołują dystopię, wewnętrzne demony, czystość i piękno, Nightmares as Extensions of the Waking State jest świadectwem ich trwałego rozwoju. Album został wyprodukowany przez Jonasa Renkse, nagrany przez Lawrence'a Mackrory'ego w NBS Audio i The City of Glass, zmiksowany przez Adama Noble'a i zmasterowany przez Robina Schmidta w 24-96 Mastering.

Przypomnijmy, że na albumie tym nie zagrał współzałożyciel i gitarzysta formacji, Anders Nyström, który opuścił grupę w minionym miesiącu (grupa poinformowała o tym 18 marca). Na gitarze nie zagra także znany z poprzednich płyt Roger Öjersson. Muzyków zastąpią Nico Elgstrand i Sebastian Svalland.

Art Rock


Całkiem niedawno recenzowałem płytę The Man-Eating Tree Night Verses i wmawiałem Wam, że temu zespołowi blisko jest do tego, co tworzy Katatonia. Tymczasem dzisiejszej Katatonii wcale nie tak blisko jest do samej Katatonii, a dokładniej do jej muzyki, jaką pokochaliśmy jakiś czas temu. W swojej historii zespół miał różne okresy twórczości: od black/doom metalu, poprzez udany epizod death/doom w postaci Brave Murder Day. Później depresyjny gothic, aż do dziś, kiedy mamy coś, co śmiałbym nazwać samobójczo-rockowo-gotycką alternatywą. Były płyty marne, lepsze, dobre i te znakomite, które po dziś dzień powodują ciarki na karku i szybszy oddech. I to wszystko tak naprawdę teraz nie jest już istotne, bo Katatonia wkroczyła w nowy etap swojego rozwoju artystycznego. Skład zespołu został przewrócony na lewą stronę i jedynym oryginalnym artystą jest Jonas Renske. Ten nieśmiały, nieco zakompleksiony wokalista, bez którego istnienie tego zespołu byłoby niemożliwe, ale też bezcelowe. Bo tak naprawdę jego głos stanowi o charakterystycznym, niepowtarzalnym uroku zespołu.

Nowi muzycy, stare waśnie, skrywane ambicje i świeży album. Nightmare as Extensions of the Waking State. Czego się spodziewać po nowej muzyce Katatonii? Ja spodziewałem się kontynuacji Sky Void of Stars i tak właśnie jest. Kocham ten zespół bezwarunkową miłością już wiele lat, niemalże od początku istnienia, ale niestety zjadanie własnego ogona nieco zaczyna mnie już męczyć. Jest tu, a jakże, kolosalna dawka uczucia, które wyzwala we mnie różne emocje, od wzruszenia, łez tęsknoty, radości, po wzburzenie i czasem nawet gniew. Niewiele zespołów tak na mnie działa, ale Katatonia zawsze miała taki dar.

Nowa płyta to niewątpliwie nowy etap dla samego zespołu, ale także nowy etap dla nas, fanów twórczości Szwedów. I to słychać. Płyta to kawał dobrej muzyki, niestety lata wzlotów Katatonia ma już niestety dawno za sobą i teraz, piszę to z przykrością, to tylko faza upadku, powolnego, ale jednak upadku. Na Nightmare as Extensions of the Waking State po raz kolejny brakuje finezji i momentu zaskoczenia, które jako kompozytor gwarantował Anders Nyström, główny motor, pomysłodawca i animator sztuki pod nazwą Katatonia. Takie utwory jak Warden czy The Light Which I Bleed świetnie się słucha i znakomicie wkomponowują się one w kanon Katatonii Jonasa Renske, ale to już było na City Burials i Sky Void of Stars. To cały czas Katatonia przepełniona smutkiem, nostalgią i toną emocji, to Katatonia pełna bólu, rozpaczy, tęsknoty i odrzucenia.

Nightmare as Extensions of the Waking State to podróż pełna mroku i nadziei. I rzeczywiście, koszmary nigdy nie brzmiały tak pięknie. Katatonia cały czas mistrzowsko balansuje na granicy mroku i skandynawskiej rozpaczy, jednocześnie subtelnie wplatając w serce słuchacza poczucie nadziei. Oferuje ukojenie tym z nas, którzy chcą zatracić się w immersyjnych pejzażach dźwiękowych. Błyszcząca niczym lustro produkcja tylko podkreśla współgranie ciszy i intensywności, podczas gdy kontrast ciężkich, niemal miażdżących riffów, delikatnych harmonii gitarowych, eterycznych smaczków klawiszowych i atmosferycznych detali tworzy urzekające napięcie. Otwierający album Thrice pulsuje dynamiczną jak krew energią, podczas gdy singlowy Lilac pokazuje unikatowy, pełen pasji wokal Jonasa przeplatający się z hipnotycznymi elementami. Prawie ceremonialny, momentami pompatyczny Winds of No Change łączy subtelne tekstury z enigmatycznymi pejzażami dźwiękowymi Katatonii, a Temporal równoważy kruchość i siłę przekazu. Zapierający dech w piersiach Efter Solen z tekstami po szwedzku hipnotyzuje minimalistyczną, ale uderzającą instrumentacją.

I wszystko ładnie, pięknie, ale to nadal tylko solowy projekt Jonasa Renske. Tyle tylko, że już oficjalnie pod nazwą Katatonia.

Adam Pilachowski


Maybe it is totally unrelated or perhaps it isn’t but now as KATATONIA has parted ways with one of their founding members, Anders Nyström, the new studio album, “Nightmares as Extensions of the Waking State,” released on June 6th, 2025, via Napalm Records, turns out one of the darkest chapters in the band’s musical saga. That is by no means a small feat, considering the band has never been a stranger to crafting heart-wrenching, melancholic narratives. Whether by leaving the profound sense of Gothic gloom hanging in the air like a frozen halo or by projecting our darkest desires against the backdrop of slow-crushing, melancholy prog, KATATONIA albums have had a habit of growing on me slowly over time. Apart perhaps from “The Great Cold Distance” (2006) and “Dead End Kings” (2012), their albums usually haven’t blown my mind immediately. However, after some time, I always find myself listening to the albums on repeat for days on end. The two singles released ahead of the new album – “Lilac” and “Temporal” – seem to follow this tradition down to a tee; at first, the songs did not impress me that much, but only after a few weeks, I cannot seem to get enough of them now. So, I guess this is a good omen for the album. I’m not sure how the band actually does it. Maybe through some dark magic? It is almost as if the songs become fixed in the mind on some subliminal level, even if you do not seem to be affected by the music; the songs lurk somewhere in the subconscious, ready to jump out at you the first chance they get, like a suppressed memory. It’s something nigh impossible to articulate but easy to appreciate – and the band has done it again.

The opener, “Thrice,” kicks off rather riff-heavy. Then again, it makes sense as the band features two new guitarists now – Nico Elgstrand of ENTOMBED fame and Sebastian Svalland, formerly hooked up with PAIN. The song sets the tone for the whole album, almost as though the band’s primus motor, Jonas Renkse, had intended to break in the new axe-slingers with extra emphasis on the guitar riffs this time. The familiar, atmospheric melancholy that has become the band’s trademark in the past 10 years is still prominently present, but it isn’t perhaps as front and center as on the last couple of albums. On occasion, “Thrice” and the follow-up track, “Liqud Eye,” almost harken back to the band’s 2009 album “Night Is the New Day,” albeit the latter does gear up on the atmospherics, especially in the verses, almost bordering on going full-on ambient.

Up to this point, the album has not really surprised the band’s old-time fans, but the single, “Wind of No Change,” probably will. I mean, the song comes off almost like an evil version of GHOST on sedatives, what with the choir in the background and lyrics flirting with Satan. You sure as hell have not heard anything like this on a KATATONIA album before. The verses unfold like any other atmospheric song from this bunch. For some reason, I got rather strong “Dead End Kings” vibes – but then the chorus makes a twisted U-turn with the choral part coming off almost like a tribute to THERION. First, I wasn’t sure what to make of the song. Is it some inside joke to hail Satan all of a sudden? The more I listen to the song, the more it starts to stick in my head, though. It’s that familiar KATATONIA effect in action, I reckon. The Old Nick has the best of tunes.

By now, the first single “Lilac” has become one of favorites by the band, pulling off a rather brilliant balancing act between atmospheric melancholy, banging riffs, and heart-wrenching melodies. While the song is not exactly a catchy beast, like that instant heart-churner “Lethean” on “Dead End Kings,” it resonates with the air of that 2012 album rather nicely. The same holds for the second single, “Temporal,” pretty much. When it came out a while ago, my first thoughts were something like “Meh,” but now I just frigging adore it for the very same reasons.

The latter half of the album kicks off on a tad more atmospheric footing. “Departure Trails” traverses the slow-burning, melancholy waters of “The Fall of Hearts” (2016). The song isn’t as memorable as the gems on that album, but I guess, over time, it might yet reveal the dark magic woven into its core. Positioned in the middle of the album, it serves as a breather of sorts, albeit I’m not sure that it is exactly called for – none of the songs are uptempo punch-ups that would necessitate such a thing. Depending on the day, I either like the song quite a lot or not at all. Anyhow, it makes the album flow seamlessly forward, so there’s that.

Next, “Warden” and “The Light Which I Bleed” pick up the pace, rolling out nice riffs with more punch. The main riff in the latter, especially in the song’s coda, where it is doubled with some (synth) strings, subtly recalls the symphonic sound of THERION, once again. That’s not something I get to say about KATATONIA very often. This would have worked as the album’s closer much better than “In the Event of,” which lacks the appropriate epic feel. The last two tracks are probably to blame for why so many have written the album off as a rather bland effort altogether. “Efter Solen” is an atmospheric ballad sung in Swedish, and the closer is a nice, atmospheric riffer that gets maybe a little too atmospheric at times, at least for a closer. Neither of the songs is necessarily lame, but I think they are sorely misplaced in the selection.

Considering the band’s recent lineup changes, “Nightmares as Extensions of the Waking State” sounds unexpectedly unsurprising. I mean, if this album is to mark some kind of a new start for the band, it sounds rather samey. Then again, Jonas Renkse has been the band’s most prominent songwriter for some time already. So, the album keeps on pushing ever deeper into the atmospheric realm, but fortunately, with some newfound faith in the power of the almighty guitar riff. It has peaks and valleys, of course, but like so many KATATONIA albums of late, it bears all the hallmarks of a slow grower. The first two singles have already won me over in just a couple of months. Putting an album that is so remarkably comprised of “autumn music,” the release date on the brink of summer was a rather counter-intuitive choice, but I reckon, when the autumn eventually falls upon us, this album will show its true colors.

Jani L.



..::TRACK-LIST::..

1. Thrice 04:39
2. The Liquid Eye 03:44
3. Wind of no Change 04:52
4. Lilac 04:51
5. Temporal 04:10
6. Departure Trails 05:01
7. Warden 04:18
8. The Light Which I Bleed 03:56
9. Efter Solen 05:51
10. In the Event of 04:53



..::OBSADA::..

Vocals - Jonas Renkse
Bass - Niklas Sandin
Drums - Daniel Moilanen
Guitar - Nico Elgstrand
Guitar - Sebastian Svalland




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VhMdOKDTC6s



SEED 15:00-22:00.
POLECAM!!!

...SIŁA I PIĘKNO MUZYKI TKWIĄ W JEJ RÓŻNORODNOŚCI


..::OPIS::..

Koszmary jeszcze nigdy nie brzmiały tak pięknie. Szwedzcy arcymistrzowie melancholijnego ciężaru z Katatonii powracają w nowym składzie z albumem Nightmares as Extensions of the Waking State, który ukaże się 6 czerwca 2025 roku za pośrednictwem Napalm Records. Po raz kolejny ta pochodząca ze Sztokholmu formacja po mistrzowsku porusza się między mrokiem a skandynawską rozpaczą, wplatając jednocześnie w serce słuchacza poczucie nadziei.

Nightmares as Extensions of the Waking State wyznacza kolejny krok w ewolucji Katatonii, bazując jednak na fundamentach ich poprzedniego albumu, Sky Void of Stars (2023). Krystalicznie czysta produkcja podkreśla wzajemne oddziaływanie ciszy i intensywności. Jednocześnie kontrast ciężkich riffów, delikatnych gitarowych harmonii, eterycznych syntezatorów i atmosferycznych niuansów tworzy urzekające napięcie. Utwory takie jakb Thrice i Warden pulsują dynamiczną energią, natomiast Lilac to niepowtarzalny wokal Jonasa Renkse przeplatający się z hipnotycznymi rytmami i progresywnymi elementami. Niemal ceremonialny Wind of No Change łączy subtelne, elektroniczne tekstury z enigmatycznymi pejzażami dźwiękowymi, zaś Temporal równoważy kruchość i siłę - jego intensywne wersy kończą się emocjonalnie naładowanym refrenem. Zapierający dech w piersiach Efter Solen (ang. After the Sun), ze szwedzkim tekstem, przywołuje echa zbioru opowiadań Jonasa Eiki z 2018 roku, z minimalistyczną ale uderzającą instrumentacją. Z dźwiękowymi krajobrazami, które przywołują dystopię, wewnętrzne demony, czystość i piękno, Nightmares as Extensions of the Waking State jest świadectwem ich trwałego rozwoju. Album został wyprodukowany przez Jonasa Renkse, nagrany przez Lawrence'a Mackrory'ego w NBS Audio i The City of Glass, zmiksowany przez Adama Noble'a i zmasterowany przez Robina Schmidta w 24-96 Mastering.

Przypomnijmy, że na albumie tym nie zagrał współzałożyciel i gitarzysta formacji, Anders Nyström, który opuścił grupę w minionym miesiącu (grupa poinformowała o tym 18 marca). Na gitarze nie zagra także znany z poprzednich płyt Roger Öjersson. Muzyków zastąpią Nico Elgstrand i Sebastian Svalland.

Art Rock


Całkiem niedawno recenzowałem płytę The Man-Eating Tree Night Verses i wmawiałem Wam, że temu zespołowi blisko jest do tego, co tworzy Katatonia. Tymczasem dzisiejszej Katatonii wcale nie tak blisko jest do samej Katatonii, a dokładniej do jej muzyki, jaką pokochaliśmy jakiś czas temu. W swojej historii zespół miał różne okresy twórczości: od black/doom metalu, poprzez udany epizod death/doom w postaci Brave Murder Day. Później depresyjny gothic, aż do dziś, kiedy mamy coś, co śmiałbym nazwać samobójczo-rockowo-gotycką alternatywą. Były płyty marne, lepsze, dobre i te znakomite, które po dziś dzień powodują ciarki na karku i szybszy oddech. I to wszystko tak naprawdę teraz nie jest już istotne, bo Katatonia wkroczyła w nowy etap swojego rozwoju artystycznego. Skład zespołu został przewrócony na lewą stronę i jedynym oryginalnym artystą jest Jonas Renske. Ten nieśmiały, nieco zakompleksiony wokalista, bez którego istnienie tego zespołu byłoby niemożliwe, ale też bezcelowe. Bo tak naprawdę jego głos stanowi o charakterystycznym, niepowtarzalnym uroku zespołu.

Nowi muzycy, stare waśnie, skrywane ambicje i świeży album. Nightmare as Extensions of the Waking State. Czego się spodziewać po nowej muzyce Katatonii? Ja spodziewałem się kontynuacji Sky Void of Stars i tak właśnie jest. Kocham ten zespół bezwarunkową miłością już wiele lat, niemalże od początku istnienia, ale niestety zjadanie własnego ogona nieco zaczyna mnie już męczyć. Jest tu, a jakże, kolosalna dawka uczucia, które wyzwala we mnie różne emocje, od wzruszenia, łez tęsknoty, radości, po wzburzenie i czasem nawet gniew. Niewiele zespołów tak na mnie działa, ale Katatonia zawsze miała taki dar.

Nowa płyta to niewątpliwie nowy etap dla samego zespołu, ale także nowy etap dla nas, fanów twórczości Szwedów. I to słychać. Płyta to kawał dobrej muzyki, niestety lata wzlotów Katatonia ma już niestety dawno za sobą i teraz, piszę to z przykrością, to tylko faza upadku, powolnego, ale jednak upadku. Na Nightmare as Extensions of the Waking State po raz kolejny brakuje finezji i momentu zaskoczenia, które jako kompozytor gwarantował Anders Nyström, główny motor, pomysłodawca i animator sztuki pod nazwą Katatonia. Takie utwory jak Warden czy The Light Which I Bleed świetnie się słucha i znakomicie wkomponowują się one w kanon Katatonii Jonasa Renske, ale to już było na City Burials i Sky Void of Stars. To cały czas Katatonia przepełniona smutkiem, nostalgią i toną emocji, to Katatonia pełna bólu, rozpaczy, tęsknoty i odrzucenia.

Nightmare as Extensions of the Waking State to podróż pełna mroku i nadziei. I rzeczywiście, koszmary nigdy nie brzmiały tak pięknie. Katatonia cały czas mistrzowsko balansuje na granicy mroku i skandynawskiej rozpaczy, jednocześnie subtelnie wplatając w serce słuchacza poczucie nadziei. Oferuje ukojenie tym z nas, którzy chcą zatracić się w immersyjnych pejzażach dźwiękowych. Błyszcząca niczym lustro produkcja tylko podkreśla współgranie ciszy i intensywności, podczas gdy kontrast ciężkich, niemal miażdżących riffów, delikatnych harmonii gitarowych, eterycznych smaczków klawiszowych i atmosferycznych detali tworzy urzekające napięcie. Otwierający album Thrice pulsuje dynamiczną jak krew energią, podczas gdy singlowy Lilac pokazuje unikatowy, pełen pasji wokal Jonasa przeplatający się z hipnotycznymi elementami. Prawie ceremonialny, momentami pompatyczny Winds of No Change łączy subtelne tekstury z enigmatycznymi pejzażami dźwiękowymi Katatonii, a Temporal równoważy kruchość i siłę przekazu. Zapierający dech w piersiach Efter Solen z tekstami po szwedzku hipnotyzuje minimalistyczną, ale uderzającą instrumentacją.

I wszystko ładnie, pięknie, ale to nadal tylko solowy projekt Jonasa Renske. Tyle tylko, że już oficjalnie pod nazwą Katatonia.

Adam Pilachowski


Maybe it is totally unrelated or perhaps it isn’t but now as KATATONIA has parted ways with one of their founding members, Anders Nyström, the new studio album, “Nightmares as Extensions of the Waking State,” released on June 6th, 2025, via Napalm Records, turns out one of the darkest chapters in the band’s musical saga. That is by no means a small feat, considering the band has never been a stranger to crafting heart-wrenching, melancholic narratives. Whether by leaving the profound sense of Gothic gloom hanging in the air like a frozen halo or by projecting our darkest desires against the backdrop of slow-crushing, melancholy prog, KATATONIA albums have had a habit of growing on me slowly over time. Apart perhaps from “The Great Cold Distance” (2006) and “Dead End Kings” (2012), their albums usually haven’t blown my mind immediately. However, after some time, I always find myself listening to the albums on repeat for days on end. The two singles released ahead of the new album – “Lilac” and “Temporal” – seem to follow this tradition down to a tee; at first, the songs did not impress me that much, but only after a few weeks, I cannot seem to get enough of them now. So, I guess this is a good omen for the album. I’m not sure how the band actually does it. Maybe through some dark magic? It is almost as if the songs become fixed in the mind on some subliminal level, even if you do not seem to be affected by the music; the songs lurk somewhere in the subconscious, ready to jump out at you the first chance they get, like a suppressed memory. It’s something nigh impossible to articulate but easy to appreciate – and the band has done it again.

The opener, “Thrice,” kicks off rather riff-heavy. Then again, it makes sense as the band features two new guitarists now – Nico Elgstrand of ENTOMBED fame and Sebastian Svalland, formerly hooked up with PAIN. The song sets the tone for the whole album, almost as though the band’s primus motor, Jonas Renkse, had intended to break in the new axe-slingers with extra emphasis on the guitar riffs this time. The familiar, atmospheric melancholy that has become the band’s trademark in the past 10 years is still prominently present, but it isn’t perhaps as front and center as on the last couple of albums. On occasion, “Thrice” and the follow-up track, “Liqud Eye,” almost harken back to the band’s 2009 album “Night Is the New Day,” albeit the latter does gear up on the atmospherics, especially in the verses, almost bordering on going full-on ambient.

Up to this point, the album has not really surprised the band’s old-time fans, but the single, “Wind of No Change,” probably will. I mean, the song comes off almost like an evil version of GHOST on sedatives, what with the choir in the background and lyrics flirting with Satan. You sure as hell have not heard anything like this on a KATATONIA album before. The verses unfold like any other atmospheric song from this bunch. For some reason, I got rather strong “Dead End Kings” vibes – but then the chorus makes a twisted U-turn with the choral part coming off almost like a tribute to THERION. First, I wasn’t sure what to make of the song. Is it some inside joke to hail Satan all of a sudden? The more I listen to the song, the more it starts to stick in my head, though. It’s that familiar KATATONIA effect in action, I reckon. The Old Nick has the best of tunes.

By now, the first single “Lilac” has become one of favorites by the band, pulling off a rather brilliant balancing act between atmospheric melancholy, banging riffs, and heart-wrenching melodies. While the song is not exactly a catchy beast, like that instant heart-churner “Lethean” on “Dead End Kings,” it resonates with the air of that 2012 album rather nicely. The same holds for the second single, “Temporal,” pretty much. When it came out a while ago, my first thoughts were something like “Meh,” but now I just frigging adore it for the very same reasons.

The latter half of the album kicks off on a tad more atmospheric footing. “Departure Trails” traverses the slow-burning, melancholy waters of “The Fall of Hearts” (2016). The song isn’t as memorable as the gems on that album, but I guess, over time, it might yet reveal the dark magic woven into its core. Positioned in the middle of the album, it serves as a breather of sorts, albeit I’m not sure that it is exactly called for – none of the songs are uptempo punch-ups that would necessitate such a thing. Depending on the day, I either like the song quite a lot or not at all. Anyhow, it makes the album flow seamlessly forward, so there’s that.

Next, “Warden” and “The Light Which I Bleed” pick up the pace, rolling out nice riffs with more punch. The main riff in the latter, especially in the song’s coda, where it is doubled with some (synth) strings, subtly recalls the symphonic sound of THERION, once again. That’s not something I get to say about KATATONIA very often. This would have worked as the album’s closer much better than “In the Event of,” which lacks the appropriate epic feel. The last two tracks are probably to blame for why so many have written the album off as a rather bland effort altogether. “Efter Solen” is an atmospheric ballad sung in Swedish, and the closer is a nice, atmospheric riffer that gets maybe a little too atmospheric at times, at least for a closer. Neither of the songs is necessarily lame, but I think they are sorely misplaced in the selection.

Considering the band’s recent lineup changes, “Nightmares as Extensions of the Waking State” sounds unexpectedly unsurprising. I mean, if this album is to mark some kind of a new start for the band, it sounds rather samey. Then again, Jonas Renkse has been the band’s most prominent songwriter for some time already. So, the album keeps on pushing ever deeper into the atmospheric realm, but fortunately, with some newfound faith in the power of the almighty guitar riff. It has peaks and valleys, of course, but like so many KATATONIA albums of late, it bears all the hallmarks of a slow grower. The first two singles have already won me over in just a couple of months. Putting an album that is so remarkably comprised of “autumn music,” the release date on the brink of summer was a rather counter-intuitive choice, but I reckon, when the autumn eventually falls upon us, this album will show its true colors.

Jani L.



..::TRACK-LIST::..

1. Thrice 04:39
2. The Liquid Eye 03:44
3. Wind of no Change 04:52
4. Lilac 04:51
5. Temporal 04:10
6. Departure Trails 05:01
7. Warden 04:18
8. The Light Which I Bleed 03:56
9. Efter Solen 05:51
10. In the Event of 04:53



..::OBSADA::..

Vocals - Jonas Renkse
Bass - Niklas Sandin
Drums - Daniel Moilanen
Guitar - Nico Elgstrand
Guitar - Sebastian Svalland




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VhMdOKDTC6s



SEED 15:00-22:00.
POLECAM!!!

...( Info )...
Title: Cold Awakening
Artist: AsaCordis
Year: 2025
Genre: Heavy-Metal
Country: Austria

Duration: 00:51:35
Format/Codec: MP3
Audio bitrate: 320 kbps

...( TrackList )...
01. Sea of Time (04:13)
02. Savage Mountain (05:24)
03. Fearless (04:26)
04. Cold Awakening (06:49)
05. The End of October (05:25)
06. Chosen Sacrifice (05:01)
07. Eye to Eye (04:38)
08. Fable (06:00)
09. Haunted Wasteland (05:04)
10. Guided (04:28)

...( Info )...
Title: Addicted to Power
Artist: Nefarious
Year: 2025
Genre: Thrash, Heavy-Metal
Country: USA

Duration: 00:43:09
Format/Codec: MP3
Audio bitrate: 320 kbps

...( TrackList )...
01. Mirror Death (06:18)
02. Addicted to Power (05:44)
03. Master Plan (04:22)
04. Together We Rise (04:38)
05. Day After (05:31)
06. Snarler (04:57)
07. Avatar of Chaos (05:05)
08. One Nation Enslaved (06:30)

...SIŁA I PIĘKNO MUZYKI TKWIĄ W JEJ RÓŻNORODNOŚCI


..::OPIS::..

Trudno dostępny drugi album experimental grind/deathmetalowej załogi z Czech!!!

Utrzymany jest ten sam styl muzyczny, tak charakterystyczny dla zespołu. Grindowa baza wciąż jest podstawą, ale wzbogacona jest o sporo technik HC, deathmetalowych pasaży i, co nie mniej ważne, elektroniki, która dodaje całości świeżości i pikanterii... i tak naprawdę, dzięki tym syntetycznym dźwiękom, CONTRASTIC to dla mnie oryginalnie brzmiący zespół z własnym obliczem i podejściem do kompozycji, co bardzo mi się podoba.

FA


Coming hot off the heels of fellow countrymen !T.O.O.H.!'s attempt at relevancy comes this most unexpected of releases: Contrastic's sophomore(!!!) effort, Mamun. Much like yet another fellow Czech extreme metal luminaries, Lykathea Aflame, Contrastic released a sole masterpiece 20 years ago and seemingly decided they had done enough. Unlike the aforementioned band, they didn't spend the next 15 years promising a grand return. Unlike the aforementioned band, they now present a grand return.

Imagine my dread when I saw the album announced. Most of my experiences with big-name-comebacks ("big-names" as understood in the context of niche extreme metal, in this case) throughout the freshly finished decade have amounted to little more than depressing Memento Mori(s), a front-row seat to the spectacle that is the decay of creativity and the ruining of legacies. I was absolutely ready for this trend to continue. After all, what else can I expect from a band that stood dormant for two entire decades, only burst into the scene again in pretty much the same way a brick burst through a window, carrying an ominous message on a piece of paper tied to it? This time around, however, it wasn't much of a brick bursting through a window. It was rather like bumping into an old friend with whom one had lost contact in a pub right in the middle of Happy Hour. Fuck knows I needed something like this to put a slightly less depressive cap to the decade.

Contrastic has, either by virtue of unadultered genius, by quietly and slowly developing ideas before commiting them to tape, or by paying close attention to what's been going on in the past ten years, shown that they can still write challenging and imaginative music. Surely they have not reinvented the wheel; what this album has to offer has been offered before by other bands, tellingly by bands that seem to have been influenced by the immediately idiosyncratic and easily recognised extreme experimental Czech scene of the early 2000s. With that in mind, what we have here seems to be a sort of Gorguts situation: The band has come back to offer us their say in these current times, to show that, while maybe not as revolutionary as they once were, they're at the very least at the same level as all those bands that came after, walking the now-trodden path they had left behind. That's a relief, to say the least, and I cannot realistically expect a better outcome for an album 20 years in the making.

Now, that said, you'd expect the music itself is quite different from that of their self-titled, and it very much is. There is a lot, and I mean a LOT, going on here. The band managed to condense a fuckoff amount of ideas and approaches in this tiny, ~25min. long album without ending up with an overbearing mismash of pointless eclecticism and tackiness. The music overall has a slightly industrial edge to it. Not "industrial" in the sense that most people think of, which roughly translates to "it has keyboards but it's not symphonic", but rather in the Dødheimsgard sense of electronic 'sounds' used to enhance a sense of inhumanity or otherwordliness as they see fit. There are samples, digitally distorted vocals, the works. And the works work. One thing that struck me is how I couldn't really point out to anything that felt out of place. If anything my only complaint is that the album is too short, but then again that might be a blessing in disguise, especially when it comes to both comebacks and deathgrind in general. Their first album, tellingly, was also below the half-hour mark.

Riffing and drumming, let's talk about that. Let's talk about how varied they are, how contemporary they sound. Some people still reel and gnash their teeth when exposed to the rather straightforward idea that time, well, passes. The Internet has made it easy for an entire generation (mine, sadly enough) to build their entire personality around the constant shock of learning that time moves forward, and that 2000 was 20 years ago. Yes, it's true: My generation's main contribution to the history of culture seems to be their complete inability to wrap their heads around basic arithmetic (that, and the glorification of a new kind of "oldness", which they insist starts at age 25). Anyway. the point is that, yes, 20 years is indeed a sizeable chunck of time, and, especially when it comes to popular culture, 2000 was a long time ago. It happens. That was the main reason why I was more than ready to discover an absolutely mediocre, lukewarm attempt at music that, while always fresh and ready for revisiting, would be rather ridiculous to present as a new product today. If there's any band out there releasing new albums comprised of new material that sounds pretty much exactly like, say, Bloodflowers-era The Cure, they'd be laughed off of the stage. However this continues to be perfectly acceptable in the world of metal, for some fuckdamned reason. The term "contemporary" no longer covers that decade, like it or not. And that's a lesson that Contrastic seems to have learned straight away, with no need of intermediate albums. I don't know what it is, since the lineup seems to be pretty much the same except the bass player (R.I.P.) and the musicians involved haven't really been active for over ten years.

Where did they learn to stay acceptably fresh? Where did they learn to alternate straightforward deathgrind with somewhat "post-metal"-ish flirtings that's been all the rage in the 2010s, with the start-stop rockish approaches and the juxtaposition of thick distortion and thin cleanliness? The melodiousness that doesn't compromise aggressivity? The tactful dynamics in tempo and timbre which allows the band to shine in somewhat un-metal ways? Whence cometh this occasional burst of dissonance? Have they been taking notes frome DsO and the Icelandic scene? Terribly unlikely, and yet here we are, a veteran arriving at the same conclusion as his disciples, through completely different means and through no cross-pollination (that I know of). Kind of makes me sad that these good folk have had nothing to say throughout the decade, because with an effort as strong and imaginative as this one coming after 20 years of silence, maybe exercising their musical abilities throughout the decade could have established them as a main driving force instead of joining the ranks of the numerous Comeback Kids of the 10s, which is always an ugly title to bear, regardless of how good the comeback is.

As it is, it's nothing short of miraculous that a band that released one legendary album two entire decades ago would release a second effort that is at the very least up to the challenge of a now thankfully concluded decade. They were never going to rediscover fire nor trailblaze their way into an entire new subgenre, but that doesn't matter anymore. That, I don't believe will be happening again. This sort of pleasant surprise is as good as it will ever get. I declare this album nothing short of a miracle. One that no other Czech band that has been scratching their arses for 20 years now will be able to pull off. You hearing me, Lykathea Aflame?

Avestriel



..::TRACK-LIST::..

1. Na márách 03:08
2. Tarvas Maniacus 02:27
3. Mentální výtok 03:07
4. Tenkrát na severu 02:45
5. Košile 02:21
6. Oni 02:17
7. Služebně starší nacista 01:38
8. National razor 02:37
9. Homoheresy 04:07




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h53toP9zN5U



SEED 15:00-22:00.
POLECAM!!!

...SIŁA I PIĘKNO MUZYKI TKWIĄ W JEJ RÓŻNORODNOŚCI


..::OPIS::..

Trudno dostępny drugi album experimental grind/deathmetalowej załogi z Czech!!!

Utrzymany jest ten sam styl muzyczny, tak charakterystyczny dla zespołu. Grindowa baza wciąż jest podstawą, ale wzbogacona jest o sporo technik HC, deathmetalowych pasaży i, co nie mniej ważne, elektroniki, która dodaje całości świeżości i pikanterii... i tak naprawdę, dzięki tym syntetycznym dźwiękom, CONTRASTIC to dla mnie oryginalnie brzmiący zespół z własnym obliczem i podejściem do kompozycji, co bardzo mi się podoba.

FA


Coming hot off the heels of fellow countrymen !T.O.O.H.!'s attempt at relevancy comes this most unexpected of releases: Contrastic's sophomore(!!!) effort, Mamun. Much like yet another fellow Czech extreme metal luminaries, Lykathea Aflame, Contrastic released a sole masterpiece 20 years ago and seemingly decided they had done enough. Unlike the aforementioned band, they didn't spend the next 15 years promising a grand return. Unlike the aforementioned band, they now present a grand return.

Imagine my dread when I saw the album announced. Most of my experiences with big-name-comebacks ("big-names" as understood in the context of niche extreme metal, in this case) throughout the freshly finished decade have amounted to little more than depressing Memento Mori(s), a front-row seat to the spectacle that is the decay of creativity and the ruining of legacies. I was absolutely ready for this trend to continue. After all, what else can I expect from a band that stood dormant for two entire decades, only burst into the scene again in pretty much the same way a brick burst through a window, carrying an ominous message on a piece of paper tied to it? This time around, however, it wasn't much of a brick bursting through a window. It was rather like bumping into an old friend with whom one had lost contact in a pub right in the middle of Happy Hour. Fuck knows I needed something like this to put a slightly less depressive cap to the decade.

Contrastic has, either by virtue of unadultered genius, by quietly and slowly developing ideas before commiting them to tape, or by paying close attention to what's been going on in the past ten years, shown that they can still write challenging and imaginative music. Surely they have not reinvented the wheel; what this album has to offer has been offered before by other bands, tellingly by bands that seem to have been influenced by the immediately idiosyncratic and easily recognised extreme experimental Czech scene of the early 2000s. With that in mind, what we have here seems to be a sort of Gorguts situation: The band has come back to offer us their say in these current times, to show that, while maybe not as revolutionary as they once were, they're at the very least at the same level as all those bands that came after, walking the now-trodden path they had left behind. That's a relief, to say the least, and I cannot realistically expect a better outcome for an album 20 years in the making.

Now, that said, you'd expect the music itself is quite different from that of their self-titled, and it very much is. There is a lot, and I mean a LOT, going on here. The band managed to condense a fuckoff amount of ideas and approaches in this tiny, ~25min. long album without ending up with an overbearing mismash of pointless eclecticism and tackiness. The music overall has a slightly industrial edge to it. Not "industrial" in the sense that most people think of, which roughly translates to "it has keyboards but it's not symphonic", but rather in the Dødheimsgard sense of electronic 'sounds' used to enhance a sense of inhumanity or otherwordliness as they see fit. There are samples, digitally distorted vocals, the works. And the works work. One thing that struck me is how I couldn't really point out to anything that felt out of place. If anything my only complaint is that the album is too short, but then again that might be a blessing in disguise, especially when it comes to both comebacks and deathgrind in general. Their first album, tellingly, was also below the half-hour mark.

Riffing and drumming, let's talk about that. Let's talk about how varied they are, how contemporary they sound. Some people still reel and gnash their teeth when exposed to the rather straightforward idea that time, well, passes. The Internet has made it easy for an entire generation (mine, sadly enough) to build their entire personality around the constant shock of learning that time moves forward, and that 2000 was 20 years ago. Yes, it's true: My generation's main contribution to the history of culture seems to be their complete inability to wrap their heads around basic arithmetic (that, and the glorification of a new kind of "oldness", which they insist starts at age 25). Anyway. the point is that, yes, 20 years is indeed a sizeable chunck of time, and, especially when it comes to popular culture, 2000 was a long time ago. It happens. That was the main reason why I was more than ready to discover an absolutely mediocre, lukewarm attempt at music that, while always fresh and ready for revisiting, would be rather ridiculous to present as a new product today. If there's any band out there releasing new albums comprised of new material that sounds pretty much exactly like, say, Bloodflowers-era The Cure, they'd be laughed off of the stage. However this continues to be perfectly acceptable in the world of metal, for some fuckdamned reason. The term "contemporary" no longer covers that decade, like it or not. And that's a lesson that Contrastic seems to have learned straight away, with no need of intermediate albums. I don't know what it is, since the lineup seems to be pretty much the same except the bass player (R.I.P.) and the musicians involved haven't really been active for over ten years.

Where did they learn to stay acceptably fresh? Where did they learn to alternate straightforward deathgrind with somewhat "post-metal"-ish flirtings that's been all the rage in the 2010s, with the start-stop rockish approaches and the juxtaposition of thick distortion and thin cleanliness? The melodiousness that doesn't compromise aggressivity? The tactful dynamics in tempo and timbre which allows the band to shine in somewhat un-metal ways? Whence cometh this occasional burst of dissonance? Have they been taking notes frome DsO and the Icelandic scene? Terribly unlikely, and yet here we are, a veteran arriving at the same conclusion as his disciples, through completely different means and through no cross-pollination (that I know of). Kind of makes me sad that these good folk have had nothing to say throughout the decade, because with an effort as strong and imaginative as this one coming after 20 years of silence, maybe exercising their musical abilities throughout the decade could have established them as a main driving force instead of joining the ranks of the numerous Comeback Kids of the 10s, which is always an ugly title to bear, regardless of how good the comeback is.

As it is, it's nothing short of miraculous that a band that released one legendary album two entire decades ago would release a second effort that is at the very least up to the challenge of a now thankfully concluded decade. They were never going to rediscover fire nor trailblaze their way into an entire new subgenre, but that doesn't matter anymore. That, I don't believe will be happening again. This sort of pleasant surprise is as good as it will ever get. I declare this album nothing short of a miracle. One that no other Czech band that has been scratching their arses for 20 years now will be able to pull off. You hearing me, Lykathea Aflame?

Avestriel



..::OBSADA::..

1. Na márách 03:08
2. Tarvas Maniacus 02:27
3. Mentální výtok 03:07
4. Tenkrát na severu 02:45
5. Košile 02:21
6. Oni 02:17
7. Služebně starší nacista 01:38
8. National razor 02:37
9. Homoheresy 04:07




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h53toP9zN5U



SEED 15:00-22:00.
POLECAM!!!