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středa 21. ledna 2026

Recenze/review - CRYOXYD - This World We Live In... (2025)


CRYOXYD - This World We Live In...
CD 2025, Dolorem Records

for english please scroll down

Další noc vytřeštěných očí. Smutek a strach, deprese. Nechápeš to. Vyrostl jsi v normální šťastné rodině. Máš dobrou práci, měl bys být spokojený. Jenže tomu tak není. Prohlédneš za jediný den tisíce obrázků a videí. Mozek se ti vaří ve vlastní šťávě. Zahlcen informacemi padáš do hlubiny. Války, hladomor, násilí, hnus a lidská špína. Tenhle svět se řítí do záhuby. V mořích jsou tuny plastu a v hlavách budeme mít brzy čipy. Stal si se robotem pochodujícím pomalu na smrt. Vyděšený ve své ulitě. Mám rád kapely, které mají svůj názor, výraz, které hrají originálně, které mě dokáží vytáhnout alespoň na chvilku z téhle podivné doby.

Francouzští CRYOXYD hrají death metal a mají na svém kontě dvě demonahrávky a několik singlů. Když jsem slyšel jejich loňský debut poprvé, hrozně se mi na něm líbilo, že na něm velice šikovně a inteligentně kombinují tradiční old schoolové postupy s těmi progresivnějšími a technickými. Zkrátka a dobře, došlo ke vzájemnému přenosu emocí a každé další setkání jsem si neskutečně užíval. Možná jsme všichni spojeni v pevné šílené síti, ale tuhle smečku řadím mezi ty, které ji umí roztrhat na kusy. 


Novinka je divoká ze své podstaty. Připomíná mi má velmi častá setkání s klasickými autory sci-fi románů. Minimálně atmosféra a nálady nové nahrávky jsou velmi podobné. Možná jsme jako lidstvo jenom pokusnými králíky, jejichž chov se příliš nepovedl, ale prostou pravdou je, že pokud budou hrát podobné kapely jako CRYOXYD, bude mě bavit sledovat novou hudbu. Nechat se unášet na krvavých vlnách chladných melodií, užívat si surový a přesto melodický vokál, každý úder bicích, bublání baskytary. Novinka na mě funguje i po zvukové stránce. Líbí se mi motiv na obalu, který (opět) ve mě evokuje obálky knih, které mám tolik rád. Hudba je zde velmi promyšlená, zajímavá, nenudím se ani chvilku. Někdy bývám rád sám. V těchto chvílích si pouštím stále dokola "This World We Live In..." a přemýšlím o tom, kam jako lidstvo směřujeme? Proč je všude najednou tolik zla? Nebo se mi to jenom zdá? Jednotlivé skladby se mi zadírají pomalu pod kůži i do mozku, do podvědomí. Netuším, jak to máte nastavené vy, ale já stále, i po tolika letech, poslouchám hudbu srdcem. Musí mě něčím chytit, zaujmout, musím si podupávat nohou do rytmu. A u téhle desky jsem doslova ve svém živlu. Máte rádi PESTILENCE, DEATH, SKELETAL REMAINS? Potom neváhejte ani chvilku a myslím si, že si tohle album užijete jako já. Možná jsem díky své vytíženosti otálel trošku déle s napsáním recenze, ale přátelé, o to víc si tenhle zásek užívám. Už teď se moc těším, co od téhle smečky uslyším příště. Je něco neklidného, přitažlivého a nebál bych se napsat i magického, co mě na téhle desce zaujalo a neustále mě to nutí k dalším a dalším setkáním. Ať si svět kolem mě klidně shoří, ale tohle se opravdu velmi povedlo. Až mě bude zase čekat další noc vytřeštěných očí, určitě si album znovu rád pustím. Majestátní, temný a chladný technický death metal, ve kterém se potkává tradice s budoucností! Nahrávka, která se vám dostane až do morku kostí!

Asphyx says:

Another night of wide eyes. Sadness and fear, depression. You don't understand. You grew up in a normal, happy family. You have a good job, you should be satisfied. But that's not the case. You look at thousands of pictures and videos in a single day. Your brain is boiling in its own juice. Overwhelmed by information, you fall into the depths. War, famine, violence, filth, and human depravity. This world is hurtling toward destruction. There are tons of plastic in the oceans, and soon we'll have chips in our heads. You've become a robot slowly marching toward death. Terrified in your shell. I like bands that have their own opinion, expression, that play originally, that can pull me out of this strange time, at least for a moment.

French band CRYOXYD plays death metal and has two demo recordings and several singles to their credit. When I heard their debut album for the first time last year, I really liked how they very skillfully and intelligently combined traditional old school techniques with more progressive and technical ones. In short, there was a mutual transfer of emotions, and I enjoyed every subsequent encounter immensely. Maybe we are all connected in a solid, crazy network, but I rank this pack among those that can tear it to pieces. 


The new album is wild by nature. It reminds me of my frequent encounters with classic science fiction authors. At the very least, the atmosphere and mood of the new recording are very similar. Perhaps we, as humanity, are just guinea pigs whose breeding has not been very successful, but the simple truth is that if bands like CRYOXYD continue to play, I will enjoy listening to new music. Letting myself be carried away on bloody waves of cold melodies, enjoying the raw yet melodic vocals, every beat of the drums, the bubbling of the bass guitar. The new album also works for me in terms of sound. I like the motif on the cover, which (again) evokes the book covers I love so much. The music here is very thoughtful, interesting, I'm not bored for a moment. Sometimes I like to be alone. In these moments, I play "This World We Live In..." over and over again and think about where we are headed as humanity. Why is there so much evil everywhere all of a sudden? Or is it just my imagination? The individual songs slowly get under my skin and into my brain, into my subconscious. I don't know how you feel about it, but even after so many years, I still listen to music with my heart. It has to grab me, catch my attention, make me tap my foot to the rhythm. And with this album, I am literally in my element. Do you like PESTILENCE, DEATH, SKELETAL REMAINS? Then don't hesitate for a moment, and I think you will enjoy this album as much as I do. Maybe I took a little longer to write this review because of my busy schedule, but friends, that makes me enjoy this album even more. I'm already looking forward to what I'll hear from this pack next. There's something unsettling, attractive, and I wouldn't be afraid to say magical about this album that caught my attention and keeps me coming back for more. Let the world around me burn, but this is really well done. When another night of wide-eyed wakefulness awaits me, I will definitely be happy to play this album again. Majestic, dark, and cold technical death metal, where tradition meets the future! A recording that will get under your skin!


tracklist:
1. Cowered Under Darken Skies
2. Day After Day
3. Dismal Fate
4. Injected Minds
5. Trapped in a Mirror
6. Effigy of the Unknown
7. Ambivalent Feelings
8. Bodycell
9. Emptiness of Life
10. For All Whom Suffered
11. Mindless Human Form
12. This World We Live In...

A few questions - inteview with death metal band from France - CRYOXYD.


A few questions -  inteview with death metal band from France - CRYOXYD.

Answered Eron (Guitars, Vocals, Synths), thank you! 

Ave, can you introduce your band to our readers? – When was it founded and what style of music do you play etc.?

Hello, I formed Cryoxyd (Eron) from the ashes of my former band „In Memory Of…“ around 2000, I think. At the time, we released two demos between 2003 and 2006, but the band split not long after I moved to Paris, mainly because—oddly enough—I couldn’t find a drummer.

It has to be said that the style back then was a bit more unusual: a mix of death metal, industrial elements, and overly elaborate song structures. I publicly put the project on hold. I then composed the album on my own between 2006 and 2008, before reviving the band around 2019. It went on hiatus again during the Covid period, and afterward I ran into lineup issues.

Today, the style is definitively rooted in 90s Tampa Bay–style death metal.


Where and under what conditions were you recording the new album? Who was in charge of sound, production and mastering?

We recorded the album at home, each of us in our own space, as it was originally meant to be a studio project—my project—and I neither had the financial means nor the intention to record it in a professional studio.

The mixing and mastering were handled by Kristian Ogir at Everloud Studios in Denmark, and I’m very satisfied with the result.

How many copies were released and which medium was used for this new edition (CD, digital, vinyl, cassette)?

For now, Dolorem Records has only released 400 CDs. We don’t yet have the financial means to press vinyl, but we’ll be opening pre-orders soon. I don’t think there will be a cassette release, as I admit it raises a kind of ecological dilemma for me. That said, I’m not even sure what pollutes more in the end—physical formats or digital.

Of course, the album is available on all streaming platforms.


Who is the author of the lyrics, how were they created, and what do they deal with?

The lyrics were written by me.
They broadly deal with humanity and society, touching on subjects meant to provoke reflection without being overtly philosophical. Beliefs are also addressed, as well as introspection, all set against a fundamentally misanthropic backdrop.

Who created the logo of the band, and who took care of the graphics and the website? What about you and social networks? Do you consider these things important?

I created the logo myself, and a friend of mine, Kevirus, handled the cover artwork, while the layout was done by David Fakrikian.

At the moment, we don’t have a website yet, but we’ll be working on that soon. As for social media, to be honest, I’m not very comfortable with it and I don’t particularly like it, but nowadays everything goes through social platforms, so there’s really no choice.

There’s also an ecological dilemma involved, because during a promotion period you inevitably overuse social media—posting constantly, reels, stories in every direction—and you start wondering whether it’s really useful compared to the pollution it generates. It’s a real issue.


Which label did you choose for releasing your album and why this label? Are you satisfied by how your label represents you and takés care about you?

Dolorem Records was the best option among those who showed interest in this album.

I used to hang out on Sunday afternoons at a small nightclub/concert venue in Paris called Le Klub, where I discovered several bands whose albums I immediately bought—albums that were released through Dolorem Records.

I also had friends on the label who spoke very highly of them; I’m thinking in particular of Infern and Misgivings. Alex, the head of the label, does a solid job with promotion, and above all he’s someone who is genuinely passionate about the underground scene.

Which bands do you idolise and where do you get your inspiration?

Obviously, all late-80s and 90s death metal bands, but more specifically from the Florida scene, even though there are also some European influences. That said, I think Cryoxyd’s style clearly fits within the 1990s Tampa, Florida wave.

My favorite band is, of course, Death, but also Mercyless, Pestilence, Monstrosity, Brutality, Nocturnus, and Morbid Angel—these are, I think, the influences that come through the most on this album.


Did you send your record to some Labels - which are the labels? How was the response?

Obviously, I first sent the album to the bigger labels—some replied, others didn’t. I reached out to all the well-known labels, both larger and mid-sized, but not so much to smaller ones, because I was already thinking about Dolorem Records for that category. To me, they seemed like the best option based on what I knew, and above all, I really like the bands signed to the label, which is naturally a mark of quality in my eyes.

I did receive very encouraging feedback from an American label, but they didn’t want to commit to a debut album yet. They advised me to first build and develop the project with the first release, and potentially consider working together on a second album if the project proves to be sufficiently established.

How many gigs have you played? Which type of gigs do you prefer, whether it's (clubs or festivals) and which of your performances would you consider as the best?

For the moment, we haven’t played live yet.
Our first show will take place on March 28th in Nantes, and we’ll most likely play another show the day before on the Paris–Nantes route. That said, we really need to find a proper deal with a booking agent, because I don’t want to exhaust the band by playing tiny, poorly structured shows.

We all have a solid musical background. For instance, Greg on drums plays or has played in several bands such as Deathcode Society on Osmose Productions, Glaciation on the same label, and Ufych on Holy Records. Jeff previously played in an Iron Maiden tribute band alongside Denis Stratton himself, guitarist on Iron Maiden’s self-titled debut album. As for me, I played in a punk band, Metal Urbain, with whom I toured internationally and recorded an album in San Francisco with Jello Biafra, former singer of Dead Kennedys.

We’re not newcomers to music, and as a result, we won’t accept just any conditions.


What about your plans for the future? What do you want to achieve with the band?

Obviously, we want to tour as much as possible and overthrow Metallica!

How and where can your fans contact you? Can you provide some contact information?

I don’t even know if we already have any fans, haha.

Well, they can contact us directly through social media messaging—it’s always a pleasure to reply!

Thank you for this interview.

Thanx for the interview.

úterý 20. ledna 2026

Recenze/review - HYBRIS - Viva Exploitation (2025)


HYBRIS - Viva Exploitation
EP 2025, Great Dane Records

for english please scroll down

Hromadíme majetek, ale už se skoro neusmíváme. Svým dětem zaplatíme raději hry, ve kterých se vraždí, než abychom si s nimi promluvili. Spojeni v jednu všemocnou síť ukazujeme, jak se máme dobře, s falešnými úsměvy na rtech, ale uvnitř jsme smutní a prázdní. Prachy vládnou všemu a všem. Někdy mi z toho všeho bývá špatně a znovu a znovu se uzavírám do svého pokoje, abych tam vzpomínal na časy, kdy byl svět ještě v pořádku. Je mi najednou jedno, že všechno kolem hoří. Mám svoji hudbu, svoje záhrobí i rozdrcené kosti.

HYBRIS je jednočlenný projekt, kapela, pod kterou je podepsán německý maniak Johan de Jager. Ten se, stejně jako moje maličkost, zhlédl hlavně v hudbě osmdesátých a devadesátých let. V hudebním death metalovém a grindcoreovém extrému. Nové EP "Viva Exploitation" je ohlodáno až na kost. Vaše mysl i tělo budou rozdrceny! 


Pokud se ve vašem playlistu často objevují kapely jako NAPALM DEATH, staří CARCASS, REPULSION, NASUM, BENEDITION, určitě by se vám mohlo líbit i EP "Viva Exploitation". Johan de Jager na mě působí jako muzikant ze staré školy, který ještě sází na opravdovost, reálnost, autenticitu. Jeho melodie jsou ostré, nekompromisní, ale zároveň chladné a temné jako čerstvě vykopaný hrob. Když si to vezmu kolem a kolem, tak jsem kdysi začal tenhle styl poslouchat hlavně kvůli tomu, že jsem si připadl jiný, štvalo mě na společnosti i světě spousta věcí. Netuším, jak se to stalo, ale mám to nastavené v hlavě stále stejně, i po skoro více než třiceti letech poslechu podobných záležitostí. Vždy ocením více syrový zásek do mé hlavy, než nějaké umělé nahrávky bez duše. Nevadí mi špína, ani hnis, které ke mě při poslechu této desky stékají z reproduktorů. Naopak, užívám si surový zvuk, divoké postupy, chorobný vokál. Novinka je pro mě nastaveným zrcadlem současnému podivnému světu. Kývám se spokojeně do rytmu, užívám si jednotlivé motivy a stále řvu do tmy fuck you všem hajzlům. Jiný už nebudu a jsem pokaždé rád, když potkám na svých toulkách podzemím kapely jako jsou HYBRIS. Zkrátka a dobře, je to vlastně hrozně jednoduché. Když poslouchám tohle album, říkám si stále dokola - jo, to je přesně ono, tahle muzika koluje i v mých žilách. Cítím, vnímám, že je zahraná od srdce. Nemohu tedy opět jinak, než vám EP doporučit. Troufám si tvrdit, že by nemělo chybět ve sbírce každého opravdového fanouška stylu. Perfektně seřízená grind death metalová mašina na zabíjení, po které zůstává hluboká krvavá stopa! Temnota a chlad lidské duše!

Asphyx says:

We accumulate wealth, but we hardly ever smile anymore. We would rather pay for our children to play games in which people are killed than talk to them. Connected in one almighty network, we show how well off we are, with fake smiles on our lips, but inside we are sad and empty. Money rules everything and everyone. Sometimes it all makes me sick, and I lock myself in my room again and again to remember the times when the world was still okay. Suddenly, I don't care that everything around me is burning. I have my music, my afterlife, and my crushed bones.

HYBRIS is a one-man project, a band signed by German maniac Johan de Jager. Like myself, he is mainly inspired by the music of the 1980s and 1990s. Extreme death metal and grindcore music. The new EP "Viva Exploitation" is stripped down to the bone. Your mind and body will be crushed! 


If bands like NAPALM DEATH, old CARCASS, REPULSION, NASUM, and BENEDITION often appear in your playlist, you might also like the EP "Viva Exploitation". Johan de Jager strikes me as an old-school musician who still values truthfulness, realism, and authenticity. His melodies are sharp and uncompromising, yet cold and dark like a freshly dug grave. When I think about it, I started listening to this style mainly because I felt different, and a lot of things about society and the world annoyed me. I don't know how it happened, but I still feel the same way, even after more than thirty years of listening to similar stuff. I will always appreciate a raw punch to my head more than some soulless artificial recordings. I don't mind the dirt or pus that drips from the speakers when I listen to this album. On the contrary, I enjoy the raw sound, the wild techniques, the morbid vocals. For me, this new release is a mirror reflecting the strange world we live in today. I sway contentedly to the rhythm, enjoying each motif and still yelling "fuck you" to all the assholes in the dark. I won't be any different, and I'm always happy when I come across bands like HYBRIS on my wanderings through the underground. In short, it's actually very simple. When I listen to this album, I keep saying to myself - yeah, that's exactly it, this music runs through my veins too. I feel, I sense that it is played from the heart. So once again, I can't help but recommend this EP to you. I dare say that it should not be missing from the collection of any true fan of the genre. A perfectly tuned grind death metal killing machine that leaves a deep bloody trail behind it! The darkness and coldness of the human soul!



tracklist:
01. Hybris 
02. Human Plague 
03. Dictoracy 
04. Depopulate 
05. Pollution Vortex

band:
Johan de Jager - everything



pondělí 19. ledna 2026

Recenze/review - UNCHURCH - Unchurch (2025)


UNCHURCH - Unchurch
CD 2025, Chaos Records

for english please scroll down

Pokaždé, když jsem šel okolo, tak jsem měl divný pocit kolem žaludku. Jakoby se ve mě začal šířit pach rozkládajících se těl. Něco zkaženého bylo ve vzduchu, sirnatého, zlého. Navenek vypadalo vše jako vždycky. Malý kostel v horách, u něj hřbitov a na něm pohřbení prokletí mniši. Nic neobvyklého. Až do dnešní noci, kdy byl jeden hrob vyrabován. Nebo ne? Nestojí náhodou někdo ve stínu? Nesměje se jedovatě? Nemá v rukou nůž a v očích nenávist? Poslední, co si pamatuji, tak je rozšklebená tvář démona.

Chile je poslední dobou země, kterou se, pokud posloucháte death metal, vyplatí rozhodně sledovat. Skvělá alba nevydávají jenom staří bardi a veteráni, ale vzniká i spousta nových kapel, které pokračují v nekonečné cestě utrpení, zla, hudební špíny a beznaděje. UNCHURCH patří mezi ně. Mezi vyvolené a prokleté. Alespoň takto vnímám jejich debutové album já, starý pes, který hlídá vchod do podzemí již od devadesátých let minulého století. 


Určitě znáte ten pocit, když si poslechnete nějakou nahrávku poprvé a ona vás smete z povrchu zemského. Téhle smečce démonů se to povedlo. Jsou divocí, nespoutaní, technicky velmi zdatní a umí perfektně zkombinovat syrovost, tlak a absolutní tmu v jeden zabijácký celek. Ano, nové stejnojmenné album hoří zevnitř, rozseká vás na kusy a pohřbí zaživa. Za velmi povedený považuji zvuk (Rod - recording mixing, mastering), motiv na obalu (Daniel Hermosilla), ale hlavně skladby samotné, které obsahují potřebný drive a sílu, takové to "nepříjemné" chvění, které v sobě má dobrý smrtící kov mít. Líbí se mi rukopis těchto démonů, jejich schopnost napsat dobré motivy. Chilané se volně inspirovali u kapel typu IMMOLATION, NILE, MORBID ANGEL, OBSCENITY, MONSTROSITY, HATE ETERNAL, MORBID ANGEL. Dělají to ale s vkusem, nadhledem a schopností zaujmout svými nápady a invencí. UNCHURCH na to jdou navíc opravdově, uvěřitelně, autenticky, každá skladba je ostrým nožem, který vám zajede do vnitřností. Jako bychom spolu s kapelou opravdu exhumovali nějaký starý hrob padlého kněze, který za svého života páchal děsivé a nechutné věci. Jeho činy a atmosféra exhumace se promítly i do jednotlivých skladeb. Hlavní a zásadní pro mě je potom to, že mě baví se k albu vracet a rvát si ho stále dokola pod tlakem do hlavy. Pořád rád a s chutí objevují nové smečky, které pochopily pravého ducha tohoto stylu a tahle kapela se pro mě stala velkým překvapením minulého roku. Doporučuji poslech v naprosté tmě, chladu, nejlépe na malém hřbitově u znesvěceného kostela. Surový, zničující, temný a chladný death metal ze starých katakomb kolem kterého se vznáší krvavá aura!

Asphyx says:

Every time I walked past, I had a strange feeling in my stomach. It was as if the smell of decomposing bodies was spreading inside me. Something rotten was in the air, sulfurous, evil. Outwardly, everything looked the same as always. A small church in the mountains, a cemetery next to it, and the cursed monks buried there. Nothing unusual. Until tonight, when one grave was robbed. Or was it? Isn't someone standing in the shadows? Smiling maliciously? Holding a knife in their hands and hatred in their eyes? The last thing I remember is the grinning face of a demon.

Chile is a country that, if you listen to death metal, is definitely worth keeping an eye on these days. Great albums are not only released by old bards and veterans, but there are also a lot of new bands emerging that continue the endless journey of suffering, evil, musical filth, and hopelessness. UNCHURCH is one of them. Among the chosen and the damned. At least that's how I, an old dog who has been guarding the entrance to the underground since the 1990s, perceive their debut album. 


You surely know the feeling when you listen to a recording for the first time and it blows you away. This pack of demons has managed to do just that. They are wild, unrestrained, technically very skilled, and know how to perfectly combine rawness, pressure, and absolute darkness into one killer whole. Yes, the new album of the same name burns from within, tears you to pieces, and buries you alive. I consider the sound (Rod - recording, mixing, mastering), the cover art (Daniel Hermosilla), but mainly the songs themselves, which contain the necessary drive and power, that "unpleasant" vibration that good death metal should have, to be very well done. I like the style of these demons, their ability to write good motifs. The Chileans were loosely inspired by bands such as IMMOLATION, NILE, MORBID ANGEL, OBSCENITY, MONSTROSITY, HATE ETERNAL, and MORBID ANGEL. However, they do it with taste, perspective, and the ability to captivate with their ideas and inventiveness. UNCHURCH also approach it in a genuine, credible, and authentic way; each song is a sharp knife that cuts into your guts. It's as if we, together with the band, had actually exhumed the grave of a fallen priest who had committed terrible and disgusting acts during his lifetime. His deeds and the atmosphere of the exhumation are reflected in the individual songs. The main and most important thing for me is that I enjoy returning to the album and playing it over and over again at full volume. I always enjoy discovering new bands that understand the true spirit of this style, and this band was a big surprise for me last year. I recommend listening to it in complete darkness, in the cold, preferably in a small cemetery next to a desecrated church. Raw, devastating, dark, and cold death metal from the old catacombs, surrounded by a bloody aura!


tracklist:
01. Ode To Blasphemy 
02. Traitor 
03. Unchurch 
04. Pilgrimage To Abyss 
05. Al Infierno No Entras 
06. Stone The Repentants 
07. No Eres Dios 
08. Outcast From The Eden 
09. Sacred Chalice

A few questions - interview with death metal band from Chile - UNCHURCH.


A few questions - interview with death metal band from Chile - UNCHURCH.

Ave, can you introduce your band to our readers? – When was it founded and what style of music do you play etc.?

Ave for you as well.

We started playing together in 2022, after deciding to form a band. Since the three of us had good experiences playing together in previous bands, we got in touch, and our first sessions began in December of that year. From the start, we naturally gravitated towards playing classic death metal, almost unconsciously, always using and developing diverse playing techniques. These techniques gave us our own unique language, allowing us to gradually shape our style and find the path we wanted to follow.

Where and under what conditions were you recording the new album? Who was in charge of sound, production and mastering?

We recorded our current LP mostly at our guitarist Rod's GSR Studios, while the drums were recorded at Nihil Studios, both in Santiago, Chile. Rod also handled the mixing and mastering. We didn't use triggers on the drums, nor samplers; the guitars were recorded with a real amplifier, a Peavey 5150II, and a BOSS SD1 pedal. We always strive to make everything sound as organic as possible.


How many copies were released and which medium was used for this new edition (CD, digital, vinyl, cassette)?

By now, our LP has been released digitally through various platforms, including Bandcamp, YouTube, and Spotify. It has also been released in two physical formats: CDs and cassettes. The cassettes were pressed in a limited run of 50 copies in Chile by Proglótida Grávida, while the CD was pressed in a limited run of 300 copies by the Mexican label Chaos Records. A vinyl edition and a cassette edition are also planned for release by the same label, with both expected around mid-2026.

Who is the author of the lyrics and how were they created and about what do the lyrics deal with?

The lyrics are written by Rod and Cram, and address various themes related to existence and our vision of the universe, particularly the refutation of Christianity and its fallacies, as well as all forms of human weakness from a metaphorical point of view, which translates into a strong critique of harboring religious beliefs, adhering to churches and hiding behind them, instead of cultivating oneself individually and properly through knowledge and the search for the greatest personal mental and physical strength.


Who created the logo of the band, and who took care of the graphics and the website? What about you and social networks? Do you consider these things important?

The logo was created through a collaborative effort between Cram, who made the initial sketch; designer and tattoo artist Adrian Bascur, who digitized and refined it; and Rod, who made the final adjustments.

Regarding social media, we consider it a useful tool for promoting and reaching our music. It also allows us to stay in touch with other producers and people in the industry interested in our art.

Which label did you choose for releasing your album and why this label? Are you satisfied by how your label represents you and takés care about you?

The label responsible for releasing our LP on CD was Chaos Records in Mexico, who have widely distributed our work through various websites and zines dedicated to extreme metal. While we've had some setbacks in receiving our CD copies in Chile, we hope to continue improving and growing in these areas. In Chile, the label Proglótida Grávida released a cassette edition, which has become quite popular, and thanks to the work of this Chilean label, we've also been able to reach various metal-focused sites like ours.


Which bands do you idolise and where do you get your inspiration?

Our undeniable influences include Morbid Angel, Deicide, Death, and other death metal classics. However, the three of us also listen to other musical styles outside of metal, such as classical music, classic rock, and other influences that shape how we make our music.

Did you send your record to some Labels - which are the labels? How was the response?

Yes, we sent proposals to various labels around the world, many of whom expressed immediate and strong interest in releasing our LP. Some others also expressed their appreciation for our work but couldn't take on the project right away due to time constraints. Ultimately, we chose the option that seemed best to us: Chaos Records.


How many gigs have you played? Which type of gigs do you prefer, whether it's (clubs or festivals) and which of your performances would you consider as the best?

For now, we play at various venues that invite us, where we evaluate the technical and identity aspects of the event, but we don't discriminate between venues and festivals. We really enjoy playing live, so we're always open to offers.

What about your plans for the future? What do you want to achieve with the band?

Our goals are to continue playing devastating death metal, composing and creating new works, playing live, and continuing to project our message of death musically with the band.

How and where can your fans contact you? Can you provide some contact information?

Our email address is unchurchmetal@gmail.com, we also have accounts on Instagram and Facebook, as well as a YouTube channel, through which people contact us.

Thanx for the interview.





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sobota 17. ledna 2026

Interview - UNDERSAVE - Dark, raw, and cold dissonant death metal with a taste of rotten blood!


Interview with death metal band from Portugal - UNDERSAVE.

Answered Nuno Braz (vocals, guitars), thank you!

Recenze/review - UNDERSAVE - Merged In Abstract Perdition (2025):

Ave UNDERSAVE! Greetings to the Portuguese underground. I hope everything is going well for you. It should be, since you have released the third great album of your career this year. I must admit that it literally pinned me to the wall. It's dark, energetic, and cuts like a sharp knife. It's very clear that you've done a great job and that you have a lot of talent. How do you perceive the new album in relation to your previous works? Where did you want to go with it, and how do you think the recordings are different?

Hi Jakub and Deadly Storm Zine!! Thanks for the interview! This album can be seen as a natural evolution/regression of previous works. Not better, just different. Six years have passed since the release of Sadistic Iterations... Tales of Mental Rearrangement, and everything was composed afterward, it’s something natural; We don't strive to do something different, but we also don't want to repeat ideas that have already been used.

Regarding the recording, it was quite different. It was a much longer process, and we chose a new person to do the mixing and mastering of the album – Diogo Santana – Noise Portrait Recordings! Paulo Vieira had recorded the previous two albums, but for this one we decided to change!


"Merged In Abstract Perdition" has all the attributes of good death metal. For me personally, it's an album I love to come back to. How did it come about? How does UNDERSAVE compose new material?

It all starts with riffs. Basically, we start with some good riffs created at home to begin a song, and then in the rehearsal room, with the help of a few beers, we start developing ideas. The creative process is what attracts us most in Undersave. We need to test, record and listen, do and undo, and undo again until someone is satisfied.

Who is responsible for the sound? I have to admit that the sound is literally killer. It keeps making me turn up the volume on my hi-fi system. You have a sound that is cruel, raw, and at the same time dark and animalistic, almost analog. How did you work with it in the studio? Where did you record and how did everything go?

Diogo Santana! He's a long-time friend who has followed us since our first album. He's done excellent work with other bands, so we decided to record with him. Furthermore, we share a vision with him of how we like Death Metal.

Regarding the recording, the guitars, bass, and vocals were recorded by us in our rehearsal room, and the drums were recorded in the studio with him. Then the mixing and mastering was done at his studio, Noise Portrait Studio.

We try to avoid the compressed, undynamic sound that characterizes modern Death Metal. We've received good reviews of our sound, as you mentioned.


An integral part and a kind of bonus for fans today is the music CD (cassette, vinyl). You released it on Transcending Obscurity Records and it has interesting, dark cover art. Who is the author? How did you choose the motif and how does it relate to the music on the new album?

This is a painting by Nuno Zuki from Belial Necroarts. He has been doing very good paintings in various styles, so we were already paying attention to his work. As soon as he published the painting that would become our cover, we immediately decided to contact him.

The cover fits to us, seems to exude the feelings of our music - Despair, Anxiety and Perdition. This cover has received very good feedback.

I've been wandering around the underworld for over thirty years, and I go to Portugal for music because I know I'll find something good there. I think we have a similar nature and taste when it comes to metal. I really like your bands and follow your scene closely. Maybe I'm even a little jealous of you, because we only have a few death metal bands that are worth listening to. How do you explain the fact that death/black doom metal is so successful in your country? How do you perceive your scene, fans, and labels?

Portugal is a country with many good bands, but I don't think metal is successful in Portugal!

Maybe because we are far from the center of Europe, many bands never gain recognition and mature, and the bands break up after a few years. Another thing that doesn't help is that we are not a particularly rich country, so bands end up losing motivation. In the underground Black Metal scene, we have quite a few good bands! Regarding Death Metal/Grindcore, we have good examples like Holocausto Canibal, Grog, Bleeding Display, Dead Meat, and more recently Phenocryst, Tvmvlo, Pestifer, and Resurge!

Regarding Labels, we have some pretty good ones – Vomit Your Shirt, Larvae, Caverna Abismal, Helldprod Records, Selvajaria Records, Miasma etc.


You play old-school-influenced death metal, but at the same time, you are progressive in a way. Nowadays, bands can't avoid comparisons, but I'd be interested to know how the idea to form UNDERSAVE came about, who your role models were and are, and where you want to take your band. Are you attracted to big international festivals, are you willing to go on tour with a more famous band?

When we started the band, we were three cousins ​​discovering Heavy Metal and beginning to learn to play instruments. We were around 13 years old, so our tastes at the time, when Nu Metal was booming, were quite questionable. But our main influences at the time were Sepultura, Slayer, and Pantera. The idea was to do a Thrash/Death Metal band, but something went wrong.

Our main goal as a band is to make music that puts us alongside the bands we worship. But this is a process of disillusionment because, since we haven't been able to achieve that, we must try again.

Yes we would like to do a proper tour someday. We are attracted to Underground Festivals! For booking us – undersave@gmail.com

When I started my website eight years ago, I had a vision that I would try to support bands that I thought weren't so visible. To let the world know about them. I think I'm doing pretty well, at least according to the feedback. How do you approach promotion? Do you leave it to the label, or do you send CDs out for reviews yourself? For example, I buy albums that I really enjoy. How about you? Are you also fans who like to support your colleagues often? Do you go to concerts? Do you party?

It's so important that there are people with your vision! Some of my favorite bands are quite unknown, and without promotion like yours, I probably wouldn't know them.

We did some promotion for our album, but between rehearsals, composing music, and concerts, we ended up having little time on the release date to promote it.

About the concerts, yes, I go to a lot and spend also lots of money on CDs, vinyl records, and beer! I really value the physical format!


On the one hand, a band starting out today has lots of opportunities to make itself known, but on the other hand, there are so many bands that fans get lost in the crowd. Lots of people just download MP3s from the internet and instead of going to concerts, they prefer to spit venom on Facebook. How does modern technology influence you as UNDERSAVE? What do you think about downloading music, Google metalheads, streaming music, etc.?

In my opinion, everyone should listen to music from whatever source they want, but bands should receive fair royalties from legal streaming.

The strangest thing is that so much promotion should guarantee venues with larger audience and more underground concerts... but it doesn't.

I like to ask musicians what death metal means to them. How would they define it, is it more of a philosophy and lifestyle for them or "just" relaxation. What does it mean to you? How do you perceive and experience it?

I wouldn't just say Death Metal, but Metal in general. By the way, I'm listening to Bulldozer's “The Day of Wrath” right now, great album!

I'd say metal is a philosophy and a lifestyle, because some of our life decisions are related to it! And you can draw similar conclusions when you analyze a group of people devoted to metal.


Finally, a classic but important question. What does UNDERSAVE have planned for the coming months? Where can we see you in concert? If you have something on your mind and would like to say it to your fans, labels, promoters, here's your chance.

We have some concerts scheduled for the coming months in Porto, Barroselas Metal Fest, and Lisbon! And we're trying to organize some dates to promote the album outside of Portugal.

Thank you all for your support! Come to the concerts and buy us drinks!

Thank you very much for the interview. I wish you every success with your new album and hope your fan base grows as much as possible. I look forward to seeing you live somewhere and wish you all the best, both musically and personally. I'm going to listen to "Merged In Abstract Perdition" again!

Thanks Jakub! Cheers

Recenze/review - UNDERSAVE - Merged In Abstract Perdition (2025):



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Rozhovor - UNDERSAVE - Temný, syrový a chladný disonantní death metal s příchutí zkažené krve!


Rozhovor s death metalovou skupinou z Portugalska - UNDERSAVE.

Odpovídal Nuno Braz (zpěv, kytara), děkujeme!

Recenze/review - UNDERSAVE - Merged In Abstract Perdition (2025):

Ave UNDERSAVE! Zdravím do portugalského undergroundu. Doufám, že je u vás vše v pořádku. Mělo by, máte na kontě letos třetí dlouhohrající skvělé album své kariéry. Musím se přiznat, že mě doslova přikovalo na zeď. Je temné, energické, řeže ostrou hranou nože. Je hodně slyšet, že jste odvedli skvělou práci a taky velká porce talentu. Jak vnímáš novou desku v souvislosti s předchozími počiny? Kam jak jste se chtěli posunout a v čem jsou podle tebe nahrávky odlišné?

Ahoj Jakube a Deadly Storm Zine!! Díky za rozhovor! Toto album lze vnímat jako přirozený vývoj/regresi předchozích děl. Není lepší, jen jiné. Od vydání Sadistic Iterations... Tales of Mental Rearrangement uplynulo šest let a vše bylo složeno až poté, což je přirozené; nesnažíme se dělat něco jiného, ale také nechceme opakovat nápady, které již byly použity.

Co se týče nahrávání, bylo to docela jiné. Byl to mnohem delší proces a vybrali jsme si novou osobu, která se postarala o mix a mastering alba – Diogo Santana – Noise Portrait Recordings! Paulo Vieira nahrál předchozí dvě alba, ale pro toto jsme se rozhodli pro změnu!


„Merged In Abstract Perdition“ v sobě obsahuje všechny atributy dobrého death metalu. Pro mě osobně se jedná o desku, ke které se hrozně rád vracím. Jakým způsobem vznikala? Jak skládají nový materiál UNDERSAVE?

Všechno začíná riffy. V zásadě začínáme s několika dobrými riffy, které jsme vytvořili doma, abychom mohli začít skládat písničku, a pak v zkušebně, s pomocí několika piv, začneme rozvíjet nápady. Tvůrčí proces je to, co nás na Undersave přitahuje nejvíc. Musíme zkoušet, nahrávat a poslouchat, dělat a rušit, a rušit znovu, dokud není někdo spokojený.

Kdo je podepsán pod zvukem? Musím potvrdit, že zvuk doslova zabíjí. Pořád mě to nutí na hi-fi věži přidávat volume. Máte zvuk, který je krutý, surový a zároveň temný a živočišný, působí až analogově. Jak se vám s ním spolupracovalo ve studiu? Kde jste nahrávali a jak vše probíhalo?

Diogo Santana! Je to náš dlouholetý přítel, který nás sleduje už od našeho prvního alba. Odvedl skvělou práci s jinými kapelami, takže jsme se rozhodli nahrávat s ním. Navíc s ním sdílíme stejnou vizi toho, jak má vypadat death metal.

Co se týče nahrávání, kytary, basu a vokály jsme nahráli sami v naší zkušebně a bicí jsme nahráli ve studiu s ním. Mix a mastering pak proběhl v jeho studiu Noise Portrait Studio.

Snažíme se vyhnout komprimovanému, nedynamickému zvuku, který charakterizuje moderní death metal. Jak jste zmínil, dostali jsme na náš zvuk dobré recenze.


Nedílnou součástí a jakýmsi bonusem navíc je pro fanoušky dnes hudební CD (kazeta, vinyl). Vy jste jej vydali u Transcending Obscurity Records a je opatřeno zajímavým temným obalem. Kdo je jeho autorem? Jak jste motiv vybírali a jak souvisí s hudbou na novince?

Toto je obraz od Nuna Zukiho z Belial Necroarts. Vytváří velmi dobré obrazy v různých stylech, takže jsme jeho práci již dříve věnovali pozornost. Jakmile zveřejnil obraz, který se stal naší obálkou, okamžitě jsme se rozhodli ho kontaktovat.

Obálka se k nám hodí, zdá se, že vyzařuje pocity naší hudby – zoufalství, úzkost a zatracení. Tato obálka získala velmi dobré ohlasy.

Toulám se podsvětím již přes třicet let a do Portugalska si chodím pro muziku vlastně na jistotu. Myslím, že máme podobnou náturu i vkus, co se týká metalu. Mám vaše kapely hodně rád a pečlivě sleduji vaši scénu. Možná vám i trošku závidím, my máme u nás jen pár death metalových smeček, které stojí za to. Čím si to vysvětluješ, že zrovna u vás se death/black doom metalu tolik daří? Jak vnímáš vaši scénu, fanoušky, labely?

Portugalsko je země s mnoha dobrými kapelami, ale nemyslím si, že metal je v Portugalsku úspěšný!

Možná proto, že jsme daleko od centra Evropy, mnoho kapel nikdy nezíská uznání a nedozraje, a kapely se po několika letech rozpadnou. Další věc, která tomu nepomáhá, je to, že nejsme nijak zvlášť bohatá země, takže kapely nakonec ztrácejí motivaci. V undergroundové black metalové scéně máme docela dost dobrých kapel! Pokud jde o death metal/grindcore, máme dobré příklady jako Holocausto Canibal, Grog, Bleeding Display, Dead Meat a v poslední době Phenocryst, Tvmvlo, Pestifer a Resurge!

Pokud jde o vydavatelství, máme několik docela dobrých – Vomit Your Shirt, Larvae, Caverna Abismal, Helldprod Records, Selvajaria Records, Miasma atd.


Hrajete death metal ovlivněný starou školou, zároveň jsme ale svým způsobem progresivní. Dnes se vlastně kapela nemůže vyhnout srovnání, mě by ale zajímalo, jak vlastně vznikl nápad založit UNDERSAVE, kdo byl a je vaším vzorem a kam vaši kapelu chcete posunout? Lákají vás třeba velké zahraniční festivaly, jste ochotni vyrazit na turné s nějakou slavnější smečkou?

Když jsme založili kapelu, byli jsme tři bratranci, kteří objevili heavy metal a začali se učit hrát na nástroje. Bylo nám kolem 13 let, takže náš vkus v té době, kdy byl na vrcholu nu metal, byl dost diskutabilní. Naše hlavní vlivy v té době však byly Sepultura, Slayer a Pantera. Chtěli jsme založit thrash/death metalovou kapelu, ale něco se pokazilo.

Naším hlavním cílem jako kapely je dělat hudbu, která nás postaví na roveň kapelám, které uctíváme. Ale je to proces deziluze, protože jsme toho dosud nebyli schopni dosáhnout, musíme to zkusit znovu.

Ano, rádi bychom někdy udělali pořádné turné. Lákají nás undergroundové festivaly! Pro rezervace nás kontaktujte na – undersave@gmail.com

Když jsem před osmi lety zakládal svoje stránky, měl jsem vizi, že se budu snažit podporovat kapely, které podle mě nejsou tolik na očích. Dát o nich vědět světu. Myslím, že se mi to celkem daří, alespoň podle ohlasů. Jak přistupujete k propagaci vy? Necháváte to na labelu nebo sami posíláte CD různě na recenze? Já si třeba alba, která mě opravdu baví, kupuji. Jak jste na tom vy? Jste také fanoušci, co rádi a často podporují své kolegy? Chodíte na koncerty? Paříte?

Je tak důležité, že existují lidé s vaší vizí! Některé z mých oblíbených kapel jsou poměrně neznámé a bez propagace, jako je ta vaše, bych je pravděpodobně neznal.

Udělali jsme nějakou propagaci pro naše album, ale mezi zkouškami, skládáním hudby a koncerty jsme nakonec měli v den vydání málo času na jeho propagaci.

Co se týče koncertů, ano, chodím na ně často a utrácím také spoustu peněz za CD, vinylové desky a pivo! Opravdu si cením fyzického formátu!


Na jednou stranu má dnes začínající kapela spoustu možností, jak o sobě dát vědět, ale zase na druhou stranu, skupin je obrovské množství a fanoušci se v nich ztrácejí. Hodně lidí jen stahuje mp3 z internetu a místo koncertu raději plive jedovaté sliny na facebooku. Jak vás, jako UNDERSAVE ovlivňují moderní technologie? Co si myslíš o stahování muziky, google metalistech, streamování muziky apod.?

Podle mého názoru by každý měl poslouchat hudbu z jakéhokoli zdroje, který si vybere, ale kapely by měly dostávat spravedlivé autorské honoráře z legálního streamování.

Nejpodivnější na tom je, že taková propagace by měla zaručit větší návštěvnost koncertů a více undergroundových koncertů... ale není tomu tak.

S oblibou se ptám muzikantů na to, co pro ně znamená death metal. Jak by jej definovali, jestli je pro ně spíše filozofií a životním stylem nebo „jen“ relaxem. Co znamená pro tebe? Jak jej vnímáš a prožíváš?

Neřekl bych jen death metal, ale metal obecně. Mimochodem, právě poslouchám album „The Day of Wrath“ od Bulldozer, skvělé album!

Řekl bych, že metal je filozofie a životní styl, protože některé naše životní rozhodnutí s ním souvisejí! A podobné závěry můžete vyvodit, když analyzujete skupinu lidí oddaných metalu.


Na závěr klasická, ale důležitá otázka. Co chystají UNDERSAVE v nejbližších měsících? Kde vás můžeme vidět na koncertě? Pokud máš něco na srdci a rád bys to vzkázal fanouškům, labelů, promotérům, tak zde je prostor…

Na příští měsíce máme naplánované koncerty v Portu, na Barroselas Metal Festu a v Lisabonu! A snažíme se domluvit i několik termínů, abychom mohli album propagovat i mimo Portugalsko.

Děkujeme vám všem za podporu! Přijďte na koncerty a kupte nám drinky!

Děkuji moc za rozhovor. Přeji nejen nové desce spoustu úspěchů a ať se co nejvíc rozšíří řady vašich fanoušků. Budu se těšit někde naživo a ať se vám daří jak po hudební stránce, tak i v osobní rovině. Jdu si „Merged In Abstract Perdition“ zase narvat do hlavy!

Díky, Jakube! Na zdraví!

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