Stortregn - Singularity (LP, 2016)

Storgren is a melodic black metal band from Geneva, Switzerland, and ''Singularity'' is a 10 track LP that was released in May of 2016th via Non Serviam Records.

Dark tremolos in vain of Dissection are overwhelming and swarming this fine piece of album. Melodies are tastefully combined with thrashy riffs, sometimes followed by a blast beat, sometimes by simple drumming ''ace''. Some riffing passages can even be related to Dismember or even early In Flames. Scream vocals are great, combined with a harsh growls. Melancholic solo tunes alternate with obscure tremolos. The album is full of potent arpeggios, like the ones that start ''Acosmic Ascendant''. Modern riff on the third song ''Crimson Death'' where bass pedal riff follows its twitch is later confronted with riffs in the manner of Goetenburg death metal, and in ''Never ending singularity'' we hear a doomy recitation in order to inject the completely Swedish death riff. ''Aurora'' begins in melancholic tone and with BM riffs, and its tremolo melodies lead us to simple and beautiful solo. ''Black Moon siluette'' begins with striking melody that leads to the dark clean decomposition, and vocals shift from whisper to frantic screams. The beautiful passages of acoustic guitar are common, like the ones that open up this fine album on ''Enlighten Salvation'', later joined by interwoven doom melodies.  ''Elegy'', an instrumental with chords and their decompositions on acoustic guitar slowly progressing, and their evolution reminds me of atmosphere of earlier Opeth's works. Acoustic guitars are heard on breaks, like in ''Omega rising'', a song with beautiful dark solo melody alternates with potent arpeggios. Break in ''Aurora'' also brings quite relaxing part on clean guitars, ending the song, and dark chord decomposition on ''Nightside of Eden'' is pretty obscure, and beautiful passage on an acoustic guitar is joined by whisper in the end of ''Vertigo'', which is started with a potent dark tremolo.

Recommended for fans of Dissection.

Suffer Yourself - ''Ectoplasm'' (LP)

Suffer Yourself is a funeral doom metal band and it was initially formed in Poland in 2011. Later they've moved to Ukraine and finally to Sweden. ''Ectoplasm'' is LP which was released in 2016 as a co/release of Satanath Records, More Hate Productions and  Cimerian Shade Recordings.

Collosal dark tones are overlaid with melancholic doom melodies, all entangled with gloomy keyboards and clean guitars that evoke the best moments of Evoken. Dreadful doom/death metal, with songs which are constantly evolving with fresh parts, not allowing a moment of monotony. This album is filled with excellent deep growls, distressful recitations and eerie and stinging DSBM screams, creating leaden and dense atmosphere of imminent doom. 

Vocal arrangement at the beginning of the first song, ''Ectoplasm'' brings hurtful screams entwined with growls, followed by obscure slow riffs and bringing back the atmosphere first Wormphlegm. There is a gorgeous slow crushing riff somewhere around the 3rd minute, born in pain from the break with mournful melody that's crawling out of it. That's the first among many on this album, a riff which withers and scars everything in front of it with its massive energy, soon to be joined by severed and slashed opera/like female vocal effects, extended with deep church/like recitals.

''Abyssmal Emptyness'' is beginning with strong vibe of Morgion. It has creeping melodies followed by whispers, and clean guitar parts followed by growls. Haunting melodies constantly intertwine with crushing riffs which are sometimes followed by growls which turn to DSBM screams, like somewhere around the fifth minute. There is a break afterwards with sound like a gramophone giving birth to poignant melodies. Keyboard melody somewhere on 7 and half minutes really got stuck in my mind. Break afterwards brings ua blast/beat that draws on early MDB.

''The Core'' is beginning with clean guitars and all previously mentioned parts, and at some point crushing riff is followed by the sound of a sonar,intensified later with sorrowful melody. There's an interesting break with cranking door, and in the end we hear a female/voiced recital.

''Dead Visions'' begins with a riff that moves slowly like a river of lava, joined by the echoing solo melody. There's a lightweight and atmospheric part with clean guitars that 's caressing like a spring wind, followed by whispers, and the atmospheric riffs afterwards are followed by a melancholic melodies and recitals and disheveled growls and screams on clean-guitar parts. Recital in Russian sounds pretty harsh, shifting at slow pace, intensified at the end,  joined by creeping melodies. Ghostlike female cries really gave me chill, followed by evolving gothic keyboards and chorals. Sounds of echoing bells end this song.

''Transcend The Void'' is a great way to end this masterpiece, with a spectral recital in the background of creepy guitar sounds that constantly emerge from it.

By my humble opinion, this is one of the best doom releases in 2016 for sure, recommended for fans of Abstract Spirit, Evoken, Morgion, Swallow the Sun.

Cerebral Extinction - ''Necro Parasyte Anomaly'' (LP, 2017)

Cerebral Extinction is a Brutal Death Metal band from Italy formed in the year of 2013, and ''Necro Parasyte Anomaly'' is their second full length album. It shall be released by the Japanese label Amputated Vein Records on the 5th of May.

''Induced Transition'' opens up the jaws of this monstrous LP with bestial disharmones, followed by a sharp growl vocals that are sometimes deep grunts, sometimes sounding like Glen Benton, sometimes periodically replaced or racing with scream vocals, like in the beginning of ''Necro Parasite Anomaly''. Barking scream vocals somewhere in the mid  of ''Collision Identity'' lead us into slamming  groove riff, and at the end of ''Face to Face'' singer sounds inhuman as demonic beast-like roaring maniacally evolves into screams that end the song.

Melodic riff that ends ''Logic and Conspiracy'' is quite striking, as well as the end of ''Nemesis The City Of Madness (Part I)'', which ends with melodic tremolo in the manner of Deeds Of Flesh. In the 'Nemesis The City Of Madness (Part II)'' , at one point a monolithic slow riff is formed, and later tremolo melodies feel like a rollercoaster ride through the halls of insanity. ''The End of All Worlds'' has a striking slower riff, ''Obscure portal'' has a crushing massive riff too, and in '' Necro Parasite Anomaly'' and ''Face to Face'' grinding riffs is intertwined with tremolo melodies, bursting one from another.

Brutal Death Metal release solid as concrete, where furiously elusive tremolos are accompanied by wild drum nailings. Blast beats shift with massive slow segments in this ruthless, chaotic and quite schizoid maelstrom of potent melodies that demonstrate excellent technical background and synchronicity.

Hereza - ''I Become Death'' (LP, 2017)

Hereza is a band from Beli Manastir, Croatia, founded in 2014 and ''I become death'' is their second full length album,  released on 13 of February, 2017 via Godz ov War Productions.

Title song, ''I become death'' begins with Oppenheimer's famous quote of Shiva from Bhagavad Gita,  "Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds." It perfectly suits this album. The Openheimer is known as the father of nuclear weapons, the man behind the Manhattan Project and the creation of the atomic bomb, and this LP is just like nuclear bomb - extremely fast, efficient and absolutely devastating. Incredible whipping power of these guys amazed me. In the first, above mentioned song we have a striking tremolo melody that stays stuck in mind. Tremolos are constantly intersected with amazing groove, death, thrash and HC passages, not allowing monotony. Growl vocals are deep and sharp, reminding me of Brutality, usually paired up with the roars, especially on a chaotic chorus on the first song and ''Unisti Pali Ruši'', while ''Jebem vas u usta 'ladna'' has mighty twin growl vocals on the chorus, crushing everything in their way with the most powerful impact. Solo melody that is joined in one segment is great, and ''Homo Homini Lupus Est'' solo passage that swirls with the chorus leaves a strong impression. ''In the Name of God '' has a nice solo that leads to Black Metal inferno, ending the song, and the dark and obscure solo on ''Tombcrawler'' has gloomy oriental overtones. Hereza sometimes sounds like a Swedish old school death, but on steroids, and it is most noticeable in the ''Full Moon Slaughter'', a song that has incredible vibe of Dismember, especially with beautiful terzas in the chorus. ''Torn from the death's bed'' begins with groove of potent HC riff, ''Uništi Pali Rusi'' starts with military command for  attack. Thrash riff in this song leaves no one indifferent. Above mentioned ''Tombcrawler'' begins with sound of waves and dark sinister chord decomposition on clean guitar and this song is a great ending to an excellent album.

Furious, energetic and devastating blackened crust is tastefully combined with thrashing death elements, not allowing even a second of rest. Like we say in our language, ''Ko preživi, pričaće''.

Official FB Page : https://www.facebook.com/herezametalband/?ref=ts&fref=ts

Scath Na Déithe - ''Pledge Nothing But Flesh'' (LP, 2016)

Scath Na Déithe is a band from Dublin, Ireland, founded by Cathal Hughes and Stephen Todd. ''Pledge Nothing But Flesh'' is their first full length album independently published 13 January 2017, which will be released in cassette format for Metal Defiance Productions.

''Sí Gaoithe'' is ghostly and eerie instrumental, which introduces us to a quite atmospheric metal release, characterized by poetic and nihilistic lyrics, guitars in a lower tuning, beautiful and somehow melancholic ethereal tremolo passages. Songs are extended, with the drum arrangement that's changing from fast ''aces'' and blast beats to slow and heavy doom metal-vibed courses. The listener is lost in dense fog of atmospheric  features that constantly give birth to remarkable and epic tremolo melodies. Vocal is resounding and quite striking growl combined with scream, and its directness is a great contrast to the mystifying arrangement of guitar passages, growing one from another like hydra heads. The band sounds like a clash of Fen  and Ruins Of Beverast, having unique and original sound.

Prominent tremolo melodies followed by smooth doom drum rhythm begin my favorite track, ''Bloodless'', staying stuck in the memory. A melody somewhere after the third minute is personally the most beautiful moment of the album. Old school Death metal tremolo like the ones in the second half of ''This Unrecognized Desease '' and the death doom tunes in the first half ''Search Unending'' are great way to avoid monotony of decomposing chords and long atmo-trem passages. The motif in '' The Shackled Mind '' reminded me of the early death metal period of  Darkthrone. Both ''Search Unending'' and '' The Shackled Mind '' end with stunning atmospheric passages on clean / acoustic guitars, and '' At Marbh Fáilte'' is a beautiful instrumental where the acoustic guitar is accompanied by eerie keyboards.'' The Shackled Mind'' ends with slow chords with the howling wind in the background, similar to the way the album was started through intro.

Bandcamp: https://scathnadeithe.bandcamp.com/

Mindful of Pripyat/Stench of Profit - New Doomsday Orchestration (split)

Band: Mindful of Pripyat/Stench of Profit
Album:  New Doomsday Orchestration split
Year: 2017
Label:  Everlasting Spew Records (http://everlastingspew.com/)
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ecrbuik2iTU
Bandcamp: https://everlastingspewrecords.bandcamp.com/album/new-doomsday-orchestration

Tracklist:
Mindful Of Pripyat:

1.Resigned
2.Statement of Dominion
3.Exposure
4.Shrapnel Rain
5.Behind the Judgement
6.Hostage
7.Specimen
8.Civilization Comes, Civilization Goes
9.Mutant Genoma

Stench of Profit:
10.Intro
11.Forced Control
12.Fuck You! You are nothing
13.Mental Depravation
14.Pathological Bastard
15.Daily Hatred
16.Know Your Shit or Live in Ignorance
17.Calve Fast
18.Divine Education
19.The Small Minded
20.World’s Human Rudeness
21.No Sense
22.Torture Bliss
23.How Will You Talk After I Cut Your Tongue?
24.The Dance of Deceit
25.Regression Index
26.Passive State
27.Outro

Being one of the most exciting bands of 2015, MINDFUL OF PRIPYAT have released their debut self-released EP on January the 6th the same year, entitled ‘’…and Deeper I Drown in Doom’’. I saw the EP instantly online, and started blasting it, and I instantly fell in love with it. The aggression, the power, the raw force this Italian band has is simply incredible. Their EP consisted of 16 tracks, and now they’re back, after 2 years of silence, with a brand new split entitled ‘’New Doomsday Orchestration’’, released via Everlasting Spew Records, on March 1’st, 2017. The split contains 27 tracks, 18 done by STENCH OF PROFIT, and 9 done by MINDFUL OF PRIPYAT. The constantly radiation and death inspired band never ceases to impress me with their brilliant lyrical themes, and the new one is just about the same on my excitement level. The EP sounds brutally aggressive, much better than their previous material, which did sound pretty aggressive, too, but this is something completely different. I can feel that the signing to this label did only good to them. The first side of the EP where the previously mentioned band is, is more of a raw, brutal, and nasty grind core/death metal oriented side, while the other side is more of a crust, punk, and a bit metal influenced side. If you’re a fan of NASUM, PHOBIA, or ASSÜCK, give both of these bands a well worth spin on their newest split, and support the shit out of them!

Review done by Andrej Romić of Nekrst/Morbid Future fanzine & Metal Temple, exclusively for Bog Otac Reviews.

Nazghor - Death's withered chants (2016)

Nazghor is a band from Sweden founded in 2012, and ''Death's withered chants'' is their fifth full length album. Beautiful melodies submerged in dense and obscurely melancholic atmosphere of this band are impressive. The album was released via Satanath Records in 2016.

''Hymnum Mortis'' is an intro with organs magically intertwined with female voice, like a gate to the storm of beautiful and melodic tremolo melodies, characterizing each song and making them easily memorable. A variety of motives is noted, ranging from the gloomy chord decompositions, slow black metal riffs that are alternating and shifting with with the faster ones, and all of it is decorated with discreet smoothness of keyboards, ranging from organs that I've mentioned, strings, piano, choirs, and even harpsichord in the background of a doom riff  in '' Death's withered chants ''. The song is having the Summoning-like atmosphere, and clean vocals mixed with chanting in the background leave a great impression. It ends with the sound of heartbeats, beating weaker and just stopping, leaving an eerie silence completing the album. Excellent motive of which really gave me chills. Thrash riff in the middle of the ''Requiem black mass'' is a great way to avoid the monotony of repeating the previous parts of the tremolo based arrangements, and the '' Empire of graves'  also has excellent thrash riff, born isolated in a sudden break ''Under a venomous Spell'' begins with smooth soloing on clean guitars, and ''Complete unholiness '' has a clean guitar part, from which the solo twirls like a flame. ''Inheritance of the cross'' has an intro taken from some movie, introducing us to the Khold-like crushing mid tempo riff. '' Aeternum Regno Diaboli'' is an instrumental based on melancholic piano melody giving birth to  dreadful sounds that sound like awakening an ancient demonic creature.

Recommended for fans of Angantyr, Sorhin and some DSBM bands that craft and nourish epic, majestic and most memorable melodies.