With exception of Hallucination, Necrolepsy and mighty Barzak (they changed their name in mean time), I think I have never heard of any Bangladesh-based Metal-band before. Don’t worry; it’s not that Bangladesh houses such a huge scene. But one cannot deny the qualities of the few bands that (seem to) dwell out there. Brings me to this band, Morbidity, also from the capital of Dhaka, debuting with Revealed From Ashes on mighty Memento Mori.
Deviator are a project from Ukraine around Dmitry ‘Lord Hastner’ Kundelski. As from 2007, there were quite some releases (demos, some contributions to splits, some singles / EPs, and two full lengths; compilations and this specific album not included). A couple of months ago, I wrote a review for the compilation To Forgotten Path – Triumph Of The Will, published on October 11th 2014, released via Pesttanz Klangschmiede. But the last ‘real’ full length release dates from 2012, actually.
In quite an impressive series of majestic albums, Germany’s Castellum Stoufenburc release a fantastic four-way split, consisting of (new) hymns by all projects involved (three compositions each), as well as some collaborative compositions. Great Aural Art once again, but the visual aspect is at least as impressive (once again done by Cold Sun Arts). One sad remark, however: the limitation to 200 copies only; as a matter of fact, that’s a sad thing for you, for I have mine ;-) (indeed, undersigned did add a smiley…)…
Apocryfal are a band from Jyväskylä, Finland. In 2012 they recorded and independently released their demo Ravens, which I unfortunately didn’t have the chance (yet) to listen to. This release, the Aberration Of Mind-five tracker, follows the very same path, but, so says the band, it is ‘much more controlled and prepared manifestation’.
2014 was truly a year that did put the Doom-Sludge scene on the highest step. There were so many releases, including lots of disappointments, but amongst them also tens of fabulous ones; something we didn’t experience since this genre was sort of ‘born’. We have to make sure that this trend does not overrule itself, but as for now, I think there is no silly overcrowding.
Gag isn’t the guy behind this label only (Vomit Bucket Productions, for your information, will focus on his own projects only as from now on), but he’s the same dude who plays in Vomitous Discharge (review on the split with No One Gets Out Alive: see January 24th 2015), Sewage Cocktail, Splattered Nachos or The People’s Noise Project (review on Man! I Feel Like Noise! … coming soon).
One of the most satisfying 2014-discoveries for undersigned was the roster of Germany’s Castellum Stoufenburc, a label named after the Staufenburg Castle aka Feste Stauf. It’s not a new label, though still very young, but they sort of fill a hiatus I underwent for quite some time.
I don’t feel like writing an extended introduction to Polish act Vesania, because there is no way to express my appreciation for their sonic assaults anyway. Let’s say that their debut, 2003’s Firefrost Arcanum, was one of the most impressive debuts I’ve ever experienced, and it surely was one of the best albums that very same year (let’s call it end year’s list top-5 material, if you want to). Afterwards they continued impressing me, time after time, with each single album they recorded. Okay, these guys are enormously experienced (cf.
It’s not because I’m lazy (at least, it’s not only because I’m lazy right now) that I am not going to write a huge introduction about this band, but you know, Varathron are so ‘huge’; they do not really need a full introduction anymore, do they? They are one of the oldest (formed at the end of the Eighties) and most influential bands from Greece (along with, let’s say, Necromantia and Rotting Christ), which I do follow as from the release of their first demo-tape, Procreation Of The Unaltered Evil.
Vacant Eyes are a band from Easthampton, Massachusetts, which were formed in 2011 by Josh Moran. Initially it was a solo-project by this multi-instrumentalist, whom you might find back nowadays in the modern / progressive Black-outfit In Human Form too, or in Groove / Death band Krakatoa (twice as guitar player). After a while, Josh recruited some members, and Vacant Eyes evolved into a real band.
