Zlo se vrátilo. Exhumováno z hlubin temnoty. Stojím na okraji jámy, kterou odkryl rezavý buldozer. Hromadný hrob. Prostřelené hlavy, usekané ruce a nohy. Čeho všeho je schopen člověk? Přemýšlím nad tím a poslouchám u toho nové album francouzských death metalistů DEATH FROM ABOVE. Hudba je zde ohlodána na kost a atmosféra nahrávky připomíná právě prováděné vyzvedávání zohavených těl ze země.
Tahle smečka do mě zasekla svůj dráp již v roce 2021, když světlo světa spatřila jejich předchozí deska "Altered Dimension". K albu jsem se rád a často vracel. Sepsal jsem o něm také několik skromných slov (odkaz na recenzi naleznete dole pod dnešním článkem). Oheň byl opět zažehnut a novinka vás srazí k zemi jako divoké tsunami, jako lavina z kostí, špíny a lidské nenávisti. Doporučuji poslech v naprosté tmě a tichu. Teprve potom vynikne naplno její síla.
"Reckoning of the Damned" volně navazuje na věci minulé. Je krutým a ošklivým odkazem prašivého death metalu z devadesátých let minulého století (vzorem a inspirací zde byly smečky jako MORBID ANGEL, DYING FETUS, DEICIDE, DEEDS OF FLESH, SUFFOCATION). Pravěká smrtící surovost se zde potkává s technickou precizností. Kapela si zároveň zachovává takovou tu zvířecí divokost a dravost, kterou mám u kapel samozřejmě ve velké oblibě. Nemohu tedy jinak, než novinku doporučit všem pravověrným fanouškům. Jedná se totiž o útok rovnou na solar plexus. Existuje v současné době velké množství skupin, které se snaží oživit ducha starých dobrých časů. DEATH FROM ABOVE patří mezi vyvolené a je to dle mého tím, že hrají od srdce, opravdově, reálně, autenticky. Také přidávají do skladeb spoustu svých zajímavých nápadů, invence. Určitě to znáte. Přijdete unaveni domů ze současného podivného světa a přemýšlíte, co si pustíte za muziku. Potom si sednete, zapnete play a čekáte, co s vámi kapela udělá. V případě francouzských maniaků jsem si nejdříve začal podupávat nohou do rytmu, potom bouchat pěstí do stolu a nakonec jsem skončil ve svém soukromém headbangingu. Budiž to nezvratným důkazem, že na mě album funguje ve všech bodech obhajoby. Nesmím zapomenout i na plesnivý stylový zvuk i zajímavý motiv na obalu. Zkrátka a dobře, "Reckoning of the Damned" je přesně tím druhem nahrávky, která vás srazí na kolena. Má v sobě vše, co po dobré hudbě požaduji. Drive i sílu, tlak i temnotu. Je perfektně a zajímavé složená a napsaná. Zlo se vrátilo. Exhumováno z hlubin temnoty. Stojím na okraji jámy, kterou odkryl rezavý buldozer. Hromadný hrob. Prostřelené hlavy, usekané ruce a nohy. Čeho všeho je schopen člověk? Propracovaný a surový death metal s temně chladnou aurou, který vás pohřbí zaživa! Ozvěny ze starých plesnivých katakomb!
Asphyx says:
Evil has returned. Exhumed from the depths of darkness. I stand at the edge of a pit uncovered by a rusty bulldozer. A mass grave. Shot heads, severed arms and legs. What is man capable of? I ponder this as I listen to the new album by French death metal band DEATH FROM ABOVE. The music here is stripped down to the bone, and the atmosphere of the recording is reminiscent of the ongoing recovery of mutilated bodies from the ground.
This pack sank its claws into me back in 2021, when their previous album, "Altered Dimension", saw the light of day. I enjoyed returning to the album often. I also wrote a few modest words about it (you can find a link to the review below today's article). The fire has been reignited, and the new album will knock you to the ground like a wild tsunami, like an avalanche of bones, dirt, and human hatred. I recommend listening to it in complete darkness and silence. Only then will its power be fully revealed.
"Reckoning of the Damned" loosely follows on from previous works. It is a cruel and ugly reference to the mangy death metal of the 1990s (the models and inspiration here were bands such as MORBID ANGEL, DYING FETUS, DEICIDE, DEEDS OF FLESH, SUFFOCATION). Primordial deadly brutality meets technical precision here. At the same time, the band retains that animalistic ferocity and aggressiveness that I naturally love in bands. I can't help but recommend this new release to all true fans. It's an attack straight to the solar plexus. There are currently a large number of bands trying to revive the spirit of the good old days. DEATH FROM ABOVE is one of the chosen ones, and in my opinion, it's because they play from the heart, genuinely, realistically, authentically. They also add a lot of their own interesting ideas and inventiveness to their songs. You know how it is. You come home tired from the strange world we live in today and wonder what music to listen to. Then you sit down, press play, and wait to see what the band will do to you. In the case of the French maniacs, I first started tapping my foot to the rhythm, then banging my fist on the table, and finally ended up headbanging in private. Let this be irrefutable proof that the album works for me in every respect. I mustn't forget to mention the moldy, stylish sound and the interesting motif on the cover. In short, "Reckoning of the Damned" is exactly the kind of record that will knock you off your feet. It has everything I demand from good music. Drive and power, pressure and darkness. It is perfectly and interestingly composed and written. Evil has returned. Exhumed from the depths of darkness. I stand on the edge of a pit uncovered by a rusty bulldozer. A mass grave. Shot heads, severed arms and legs. What is man capable of? Sophisticated and raw death metal with a dark, cold aura that will bury you alive! Echoes from the old moldy catacombs!
Recenze/review - DEATH FROM ABOVE - Altered Dimension (2021):
Někdy bývá realita krutější než ty nejděsivější noční můry. Jakoby byl svět obrácený naruby. Pravidla, která platila po staletí, jsou najednou zahozena a vzniká tu něco hrozného, šíleného. Něco, co nás jednou možná všechny zabije. Chyceni do sítí nevnímáme opravdový život. Není z toho úniku. Nebo ano? Měl bych pro vás jeden skvělý death metalový tip. Hudbu, která vás uvrhne do temnoty. Riffy ohlodané na kost, zabijácké bicí, hlas rozzuřené bestie. Tohle vše dohromady jsou němečtí HELLGRAV. Kapela, která na to jde ostře, nekompromisně, ale nebojí se ani tmy a chladu.
Tohle je reálný, na kost ohlodaný kov smrti. Žádné zbytečnosti. Pánové útočí rovnou na solar plexus a dělají to velmi zkušeně a promyšleně. Zhasl jsem všechny obrazovky a vrátil se do reality. Zde, za zvuků téhle nahrávky, jsem pochopil, o čem je temnota a nahrubo nasekané zlo. Kapelu jsem objevil víceméně náhodou, při jedné z mých nekonečných toulek podzemím. Poslechl jsem si ukázky, které mě ihned přikovaly na zeď. Staly se i mojí noční můrou.
Vy, kdo mě znáte, moc dobře víte, že mám rád, když je death metal dobře napsaný, složený, když má kolem sebe krvavou auru. Musí řezat tou správnou stranou nože. Tohle všechno HELLGRAV umí a přidávají ještě něco navíc. Kusy syrového masa podávaného na víku od rakve. Skladby v sobě mají potřebný drive i sílu, takovou tu starodávnou energii, zdravý vztek a naštvanost. Zadřou se vám pod kůži. Pánové se volně inspirovali hlavně ve švédské death metalové škole, ale zazní i odkazy na tu surovější, americkou. Výsledný jedovatý koktejl je z mé strany jasným doporučením. Myslím si, že když ochutnáte, tak zemřete v divokých křečích. Kapela vás pohřbí zaživa, spálí na popel. Líbí se mi, že hudba v podání německých tmářů je velmi návyková, opravdová, reálná, autentická. Čím jsem starší, tím víc mě štve současný falešný svět. Jeho lži, nenávist, faleš. Na jedné straně tu máme růžové reklamy plné naděje a na druhé straně tisíce lidí umírajících proto, že nemají co jíst. Krutost reality jakoby se otiskla i do tohoto alba. Na "Dehumanized" odvedli němečtí gentlemani perfektní práci. Líbí se mi zvuk, motiv na obalu, nahrávka má zkrátka vše, co si jen může starý pes jako já přát. Je slyšet, cítit, že kapela dala do hudby kus svého srdce. Věřím jim všechno. Navíc se novinka opravdu velmi dobře poslouchá. Když píši tuhle recenzi, tak je pátek. Celý týden v práci, bývám už ze všeho unavený. Potřebuji další dávku smrtícího kovu přímo do žil. Přijdu domů a stále dokola si pouštím tuhle nahrávku. Vyčistí mi totiž pokaždé mozek, jako ta nejpálivější kyselina. Někdy bývá realita krutější než ty nejděsivější noční můry. Jakoby byl svět obrácený naruby. Pravidla, která platila po staletí, jsou najednou zahozena a vzniká tu něco hrozného, šíleného. Něco, co nás jednou možná všechny zabije. Chyceni do sítí nevnímáme opravdový život. Doporučuji volume úplně doprava. U téhle desky shoříte na popel! Zuřivé silné, temné a chladné death metalové album, které vás přikove na zeď!
Asphyx says.
Sometimes reality is crueler than the most terrifying nightmares. It's as if the world has been turned upside down. Rules that have been valid for centuries are suddenly discarded, and something terrible and insane emerges. Something that may one day kill us all. Caught in the web, we are oblivious to real life. There is no escape. Or is there? I have a great death metal tip for you. Music that will plunge you into darkness. Riffs stripped to the bone, killer drums, the voice of an enraged beast. All this together is the German band HELLGRAV. A band that goes at it hard, uncompromisingly, but is not afraid of darkness and cold.
This is real, stripped-down death metal. No nonsense. These guys attack straight for the solar plexus, and they do it very skillfully and thoughtfully. I turned off all the screens and returned to reality. Here, to the sounds of this recording, I understood what darkness and roughly chopped evil are all about. I discovered the band more or less by accident, during one of my endless wanderings through the underground. I listened to the samples, which immediately pinned me to the wall. They even became my nightmare.
Those of you who know me well know that I like death metal that is well written, well composed, and has a bloody aura around it. It has to cut with the right side of the knife. HELLGRAV can do all this and then some. Pieces of raw meat served on a coffin lid. The songs have the necessary drive and power, that ancient energy, healthy rage, and anger. They get under your skin. The gentlemen were mainly inspired by the Swedish death metal school, but there are also references to the rawer American style. The resulting poisonous cocktail is a clear recommendation on my part. I think that once you taste it, you will die in wild convulsions. The band will bury you alive and burn you to ashes. I like that the music performed by these German obscurantists is very addictive, genuine, real, and authentic. The older I get, the more the current false world annoys me. Its lies, hatred, and falsehood. On the one hand, we have rosy advertisements full of hope, and on the other, thousands of people dying because they have nothing to eat. The cruelty of reality seems to have left its mark on this album. The German gentlemen did a perfect job on "Dehumanized". I like the sound, the cover art, the recording has everything an old dog like me could wish for. You can hear and feel that the band put their hearts into the music. I believe everything they do. Plus, the new album is really enjoyable to listen to. As I write this review, it's Friday. After a whole week at work, I'm tired of everything. I need another dose of deadly metal straight into my veins. I come home and play this recording over and over again. It clears my mind every time, like the hottest acid. Sometimes reality is crueler than the most terrifying nightmares. It's as if the world has been turned upside down. Rules that have been valid for centuries are suddenly discarded, and something terrible and insane is emerging. Something that may one day kill us all. Caught in the web, we are oblivious to real life. I recommend turning the volume all the way up. This album will burn you to ashes! A furious, powerful, dark, and cold death metal album that will pin you to the wall!
CULT BURIAL - Collapse of Pattern, Reverence of Dust
CD 2025, vlastní vydání
for english please scroll down
Možná jste si již mysleli, že jste potkali veškeré formy zla, kterých je člověk schopen. Pohlceni nihilismem se touláte zkaženým světem. Bez naděje, bez rozhřešení. Nikdy nenajdete klid, vaše duše bude trpět ještě dlouho po vaší nebohé smrti. Jsou kapely, u kterých na mě padne splín, u kterých se mi zastaví srdce a pomalu přecházím na druhou stranu, do nekonečné země stínů.
CULT BURIAL patří mezi vyvolené. Pánové letos přicházejí se svým třetím dlouhohrajícím albem, které je po okraj narvané tmou, absolutní nicotou. Je zlé ze své podstaty, podmanivé, návykové, uhrančivé. Má v sobě pradávnou sílu děsivých snů, takový ten syrový, drásavý účinek. Dostane se vám do žil, pod kůži i do podvědomí. A zůstane tam jako kousky ledu. Novinka je opět velmi povedeným dílem ve všech ohledech.
Na téhle smečce oceňuji, že má svůj vlastní rukopis. Jejich hudbu poznáte během několika okamžiků. Pánové mají velký talent mě zahalit do krvavé mlhy. Jsou originální, mají neotřelý přístup. Navíc se jim pokaždé povede do skladeb vložit takový zvláštní neklid, temnou energii načerpanou buď v tom nejhlubším podzemí nebo v nekonečném vesmíru. Baví mě společná setkání, která v mnohém připomínají spíše obřady, pradávné rituály, než jen obyčejný poslech. Jakoby bylo všechno kolem mě najednou zahalené do krvavé mlhy. Songy se kolem mě nejdřív plazí jako jedovatí hadi, postupně mě uhranou, abych byl nakonec uštknut a navěky proklet. Vyzdvihnout musím i velmi dobře čitelný, masivní a řezající zvuk. Zajímavý je i motiv na obalu. Je to ale hlavně hudba samotná, která mě nutí k opakovaným setkáním. Venku se setmělo a mraky jsou zase jednou hodně nízko. Skoro se dotýkají země. V ulicích ožívají přízraky a mě to nutí vylézt ven, se sluchátky na uších. Záměrně vyhledávám opuštěná místa, stará pohřebiště, katakomby. Pánové nadále rozvíjejí svoje myšlenky a za mě osobně lze "Collapse of Pattern, Reverence of Dust" považovat za jejich asi nejlepší počin. Nové album v sobě má vše. Kousky black metalového chladu, doom metalovou melancholii i surovost death metalových postupů. Tohle všechno tvoří dohromady koktejl, který když vypijete, tak zemřete krutou smrtí. CULT BURIAL na to jdou po svém, nebojí se lehce experimentovat. Hrají si s pochmurnými náladami jako šelma se svojí kořistí. Vlastně by se dalo napsat, že je zcela zbytečné cokoliv dodávat, slova stejně nedokáží vyjádřit výsledný zážitek. Tahle nahrávka je na povrchu mrazivá, ale hoří zevnitř. Je jako čerstvá láva, která právě vyvěrá z činné sopky. Budete zničeni, spáleni na popel, přesto vám bude zima. Všechno bude zničeno, všichni zemřeme krutou smrtí. Tenhle svět je odsouzen k zániku a můžeme si za to sami. Zlo se ukrývá v každém z nás! Black death doom metalové apokalyptické vize, absolutní tma a nihilismus!
Asphyx says:
Perhaps you thought you had already encountered every form of evil that humans are capable of. Consumed by nihilism, you wander through a corrupt world. Without hope, without absolution. You will never find peace; your soul will suffer long after your miserable death. There are bands that make me feel melancholic, that make my heart stop and slowly take me to the other side, to the endless land of shadows.
CULT BURIAL is one of the chosen ones. This year, the gentlemen are coming out with their third full-length album, which is filled to the brim with darkness, absolute nothingness. It is evil in its essence, captivating, addictive, mesmerizing. It has the ancient power of terrifying dreams, that raw, harrowing effect. It gets into your veins, under your skin, and into your subconscious. And it stays there like pieces of ice. The new album is once again a very successful work in every respect.
What I appreciate about this band is that they have their own style. You can recognize their music within seconds. These guys have a great talent for enveloping me in a bloody fog. They are original and have a fresh approach. What's more, they always manage to infuse their songs with a strange restlessness, a dark energy drawn either from the deepest underground or the infinite universe. I enjoy our meetings, which in many ways resemble ceremonies, ancient rituals, rather than just ordinary listening sessions. It's as if everything around me is suddenly shrouded in a bloody fog. The songs first slither around me like poisonous snakes, gradually bewitching me, so that I am finally bitten and cursed forever. I must also highlight the very clear, massive, and cutting sound. The cover art is also interesting. But it is mainly the music itself that compels me to return to it again and again. It has grown dark outside and the clouds are once again very low. They almost touch the ground. Ghosts come to life in the streets, compelling me to go outside with my headphones on. I deliberately seek out abandoned places, old burial grounds, catacombs. The gentlemen continue to develop their ideas, and for me personally, "Collapse of Pattern, Reverence of Dust" can be considered their best work yet. The new album has it all. Pieces of black metal coldness, doom metal melancholy, and the rawness of death metal techniques. All this together creates a cocktail that, if you drink it, will kill you a cruel death. CULT BURIAL does it their way, not afraid to experiment a little. They play with gloomy moods like a beast with its prey. In fact, it could be said that it is completely unnecessary to add anything else, as words cannot express the resulting experience anyway. This recording is cold on the surface, but burns from within. It is like fresh lava just erupting from an active volcano. You will be destroyed, burned to ashes, yet you will still feel cold. Everything will be destroyed, we will all die a cruel death. This world is doomed, and we have only ourselves to blame. Evil lurks within each of us! Black death doom metal apocalyptic visions, absolute darkness and nihilism!
Probudím se do ticha. Čeká mě další nudný den obyčejného člověka. Ranní cesta do práce, rozšklebené, naštvané tváře v tramvaji, šedé stíny v ulicích. Továrna plná chladných ševelících strojů. Osamocen v davu, odpovídám na otázky, řeším problémy a celou dobu si připadám totálně mimo. Tisíce nepodstatných informací, pořád mi někdo něco říká. Utíkám pryč, od reklam, od válek, od tupého davu. Hledám nějakou kapelu, která umí říznout do živého, která je jiná, odlišná, která má svůj vlastní originální výraz a obličej.
!T.O.O.H.! se toho stále nebojí. Jsou sví, nespoutaní, hraví. Musím si, jako u každého alba, chvilku zvykat na jejich styl humoru, ale stačí několik poslechů a zjišťuji, že mě stále jejich umně umíchaný energetický koktejl, plný technického death metalu, grindu, avantgardy, touhy ničit hudbou, stále baví. Vítejte ve světě plném úchylů, tupých "dezolátů", zajímavě pojaté češtiny, ale hlavně hudby, která vás dokáže vytrhnout ze šedi všedního dne.
Pokud máte otevřenou mysl, líbí se vám, když si někdo hraje s českým jazykem, pokud máte bohatou fantazii, pokud toužíte po neotřelých chvílích morbidně úchylné poezie, potom jste zde správně. Dovedu pochopit, že ani nové album "Po ovoci poznáte je" nebude pro každého. Někdo se zkrátka rád drží jen zavedených schémat, ale to vůbec nevadí. Stejně se tu hraje spíše pro fanoušky, co rádi přemýšlí, kteří se ještě nestali starci, křičícími na mraky. Hudebně jsou !T.O.O.H.! stále sví, nadále rozvíjejí vlastní styl. Nutno rovnou dodat, že to dělají pořád dobře. Už to sice není nic šokujícího jako kdysi, ale pořád z jejich skladeb cítím vášeň, originalitu, talent i hráčské umění. Osobně se mi líbí, že se nejedná jen o dnes tolik častá technická preludia bez duše. Naopak, z jednotlivých momentů doslova odkapává taková ta poctivá živočišnost. V některých chvílích jsou skladby až "nepříjemné", přesto zvláštně přitažlivé. Jakoby se kapele povedlo do skladeb promítnout problémy dnešního světa. Činěno to je s takovou tou lehkou elegancí, která se dle mého ani snad nedá naučit. Vychovali jsme generaci digitálních zombie, kterým smrdí lidé, nadáváme na ně, místo toho abychom jim podali pomocnou ruku. Hádáme se v diskuzích, stále neodpouštíme, když je někdo jiný. Necháváme se ovlivnit falešnými sliby a věříme růžovým králíčkům v reklamách. Pak přijdou !T.O.O.H.! a všechno nám zbourají jako domeček v satelitu. Zkrátka a dobře, já se pořád bavím, usmívám, jsem nadšený a povznesený. A to i v momentech, když se ráno probudím do ticha. Když mě čeká další nudný den obyčejného člověka. Ranní cesta do práce, rozšklebené, naštvané tváře v tramvaji, šedé stíny v ulicích. Továrna plná chladných ševelících strojů. Svět dovede být někdy pestrý a veselý, tak si to užívejme. Než nás restartují. Technicky intenzivní, avantgardně poetický death grindcore, který řeže do živého!
Asphyx says:
I wake up to silence. Another boring day of an ordinary person awaits me. The morning commute, grinning, angry faces on the tram, gray shadows on the streets. A factory full of cold, buzzing machines. Alone in a crowd, I answer questions, solve problems, and the whole time I feel totally out of place. Thousands of irrelevant information, someone is always telling me something. I run away, from commercials, from wars, from the dull crowd. I'm looking for a band that can cut into the live, that is different, distinct, that has its own original expression and face.
!T.O.O.H.! is still not afraid of it. They are their own, unfettered, playful. As with every album, I have to get used to their style of humor for a while, but after a few listens I find that I still enjoy their skillfully mixed energetic cocktail, full of technical death metal, grind, avant-garde, and the desire to destroy with music. Welcome to a world full of perverts, dull "desolates", interesting Czech, but most of all, music that can pull you out of the gray of everyday life.
If you have an open mind, you like it when someone plays with the Czech language, if you have a rich imagination, if you long for fresh moments of morbidly perverse poetry, then you're in the right place. I can understand that the new album "Po ovoci poznáte je" will not be for everyone. Some people simply like to stick to established patterns, but that doesn't matter at all. Anyway, this is more for fans who like to think, who haven't yet become old people shouting at the clouds. Musically, !T.O.O.H.! are still their own, they continue to develop their own style. It must be added that they still do it well. It's nothing shocking like it used to be, but I still feel passion, originality, talent and playing art from their compositions. Personally, I like that these are not just technical preludes without a soul that are so common today. On the contrary, such honest animality literally drips from individual moments. At times, the songs are even "uncomfortable", yet strangely appealing. It's as if the band has managed to project the problems of today's world into their songs. It's done with such a light elegance that, in my opinion, it can't even be taught. We have raised a generation of digital zombies who stink at people, we curse at them instead of giving them a helping hand. We argue in discussions, we still don't forgive when someone else is there. We let ourselves be influenced by false promises and believe pink bunnies in commercials. Then !T.O.O.H.! comes along and knocks everything down like a house in a satellite. In short, I'm still having fun, smiling, excited and uplifted. Even in the moments when I wake up in the morning to silence. When another boring day of an ordinary person awaits me. The morning commute to work, grinning, angry faces on the tram, gray shadows in the streets. A factory full of cool, buzzing machines. The world can be colorful and cheerful sometimes, so let's enjoy it. Before they reboot us. Technically intense, avant-garde poetic death grindcore that cuts to the living!
Někdy mívám děsivé sny o tom, jak se procházím mezi troskami našeho města. Spálená země, mrtvoly v ulicích, krev a nenávist. Žádné zpomalené záběry z války, žádné pečlivě nafocené snímky. Naopak, jenom smrad, bolest a utrpení. Ležím v zákopech a slyším samotnou Smrt, jak chodí kolem mě. V rukou mám zbraň z pečlivě ukované oceli. Je přes čtyřicet let stará, stejně jako italští maniaci NECRODEATH. Kapela, která používá úplně stejně zbraně jako já. Surový death metal, temný black metal i ostrý thrash. Další album v řadě, stále zahrané s velkou silou a nadšením.
Žádná válka nejde v závěru vyhrát, přesto si myslím, že lze italské bardy hrdě nazývat legendou. Jestliže jsou někteří jejich spolubojovníci dávno už jen svým bývalým stínem, NECRODEATH stále řežou tou správnou stranou nože. Důkazem budiž nové album "Arimortis", které je ostré jako břitva.
Je to stále neutuchající schopnost napsat dobrou skladbu, je to vždy vynikající zvuk, jsou to zajímavé nápady, ale i pokaždé podmanivá atmosféra - tohle všechno mám na NECRODEATH rád. Navíc, a na to se občas zapomíná, se nové songy opravdu velmi dobře poslouchají. Stačilo několik společných setkání a pamatuji si jednotlivé motivy, pochmurné pasáže i nakumulovaný vztek, který je riffech i vokálu obsažen. Jasně, je to stále hudba, kterou všichni známe, lze v ní vystopovat odkazy třeba takových SODOM, KREATOR, PROTECTOR, SLAYER, SARCÓFAGO, POSSESSED, AURA NOIR, NIFELHEIM, DESASTER, DESTROYER 666, VENOM, ale to se mi právě líbí. Italové měli vždy svůj jasný a nezaměnitelný rukopis, výraz. Dokáží být ostří a nekompromisní, ale nezapomínají ani na chlad a temnotu. Změny tempa, různé melodické linky, zpěvák musí snídat hřebíky, tohle všechno tvoří dohromady celek, který musí vyhovovat nejen všem starým metalovým psům, ale i každému, kdo má rád poctivou a upřímnou muziku zahranou od srdce. Je vám asi jasné, že jsem fanoušek kapely od jejich počátků a jako takový musím smeknout a poklonit se až k zemi. Zachovat si i po tolika letech drive, sílu, schopnost zabíjet hudbou, je úctyhodné."Arimortis" je nahrávkou, která se povedla po všech stránkách. Jsou v ní obsaženy jen ty nejkvalitnější ingredience. Svět kolem nás hoří a na NECRODEATH je stále spolehnutí. Někdy mívám děsivé sny o tom, jak se procházím mezi troskami našeho města. Spálená země, mrtvoly v ulicích, krev a nenávist. Žádné zpomalené záběry z války, žádné pečlivě nafocené snímky. Naopak, jenom smrad, bolest a utrpení. Ležím v zákopech a slyším samotnou Smrt, jak chodí kolem mě. Black thrash death metal ukovaný z té nekvalitnější oceli! Surový, temný útok, po kterém zůstává jenom spálená země!
Asphyx says:
Sometimes I have terrifying dreams of walking among the ruins of our city. Scorched earth, dead bodies in the streets, blood and hatred. No slow motion shots of the war, no carefully shot images. On the contrary, only the stench, the pain and the suffering. I'm lying in the trenches and I can hear Death himself walking around me. In my hands is a weapon of carefully forged steel. It's over forty years old, just like the Italian maniacs NECRODEATH. A band that uses the same weapons as I do. Raw death metal, dark black metal, sharp thrash. Another album in a row, still played with great power and enthusiasm.
No war can be won in the end, yet I think we can proudly call the Italian bards a legend. If some of their comrades-in-arms have long been a shadow of their former selves, NECRODEATH still cut with the right side of the knife. The proof is the razor-sharp new album "Arimortis".
It's the ever-elusive ability to write a good song, it's the always excellent sound, it's the interesting ideas, and it's the captivating atmosphere every time - all of these things I love about NECRODEATH. Plus, and this is sometimes forgotten, the new songs are really very easy to listen to. Just a few sessions together and I remember the individual motifs, the somber passages and the accumulated anger that is contained in the riffs and vocals. Sure, it's still the music we all know, you can trace in it references to the likes of SODOM, KREATOR, PROTECTOR, SLAYER, SARCÓFAGO, POSSESSED, AURA NOIR, NIFELHEIM, DESASTER, DESTROYER 666, VENOM, but that's what I like. The Italians have always had their clear and unmistakable signature, expression. They can be sharp and uncompromising, but they don't forget the coldness and darkness. Changes of tempo, different melodic lines, the singer has to eat nails, all this makes together a whole that must suit not only all old metal dogs, but also anyone who likes honest and sincere music played from the heart. It's probably obvious to you that I've been a fan of the band since their early days, and as such I have to bow my head and take a bow all the way down. To retain the drive, the power, the ability to kill with music after so many years is impressive. "Arimortis" is a record that succeeds in every aspect. It contains only the finest ingredients. The world around us is on fire and NECRODEATH can still be relied upon. Sometimes I have scary dreams about walking among the ruins of our city. Scorched earth, dead bodies in the streets, blood and hatred. No slow motion shots of the war, no carefully shot images. On the contrary, only the stench, the pain and the suffering. I'm lying in the trenches and I can hear Death himself walking around me. Black thrash death metal forged from the lowest quality steel! A raw, dark attack that leaves nothing but scorched earth!
Špinavé ulice, tma a blikající lampy, pod kterými někdo zvrací včerejší den. Všichni jsou již dávno mrtví, pomyslíš si, když jedeš s ostatními do práce. Jsme otroci doby, jsme vyděšení z ranních zpráv. Jenom vraždy, násilí a válka. Politici se dál usmívají a slibují lepší život a ty nemáš peníze na pohřeb vlastní matky. Sníš na sociálních sítích o lepším světě, aby ti nakonec zbyly jenom oči pro pláč.
Kdysi dávno, na začátku devadesátých let minulého století, jsem šel poprvé s davem do továrny. Tehdy ještě jako student. Se sluchátky na uších, s metalovými a punkovými kapelami ve walkmanovi. Když se ohlédnu za sebe, tak se toho kolem mě příliš nezměnilo. Máme sice lepší technologie (i na zabíjení), ale v jádru jsme zůstali stále stejní. Bohužel nebo bohudík. Těžko říct. Poslední roky to moc pozitivně nevidím. A s obsahovou stránkou nové desky lovosických grinderů LUDRA se tudíž plně shoduji. Většinou mě české texty spíše ruší, ale tentokrát si říkám - jasně, to je přesně ono. A tak zase jedu ráno do práce a ulice jsou špinavé. Je tma a pod lampami někdo zvrací včerejší den.
Říkám si zaplať Satan za to, že se pánové (jinak také muzikanti, kteří působili nebo působí v kapelách jako DPK, SMASHING DUMPLINGS, INCARNATE) vydali surovou grindovou cestou a ne tou většinou hloupě veselou a taneční. Naopak, zde je všechno ohlodané na kost, na dřeň. Ostré riffy se zde potkávají s rychlými bicími a vokálem, ve kterém je vztek všech, co tráví většinu svého času ve smogu a kyselých deštích. O kapele jsem se dozvěděl klasickým, starým způsobem. Vystupovala u nás ve městě a ihned si mě získala na svoji stranu. Neznal jsem dopředu ani notu, ale již po několika skladbách jsem věděl, že tohle je přesně odrůda grindcore, kterou mám rád. LUDRA se zkrátka a dobře inspirovala ve Velké Británii, Finsku i Švédsku. Pokud máte rádi kapely jako ROTTING SOUND, CARCASS, NASUM, NAPALM DEATH, EXHUMED, je tohle divoké a šílené album určené i pro vás. Osobně se mi potom líbí taková ta až punková neurvalost, neučesanost, které jsou patrné po celou dobu poslechu. Jednotlivé songy jsou ostré jako hřeby, které jednou zatlučou i do tvé rakve. Budete nasáklí jedovatými plyny, budete se potácet ve špinavých stokách, v kanálech, ve kterých končí všechno zbytečné. Tuhle recenzi píšu v pátek a abych pravdu řekl, tak jediné, co mi kazí zážitek z poslechu "Hysterie Doby" je to, že nemůžu EP pustit do ksichtu všem hajzlům, co jsem dneska potkal. Pokud žiješ v krásném městě plném růžových jednorožců a miluješ romantické filmy, tak není tahle hudba pro tebe. Pokud ale každý den ráno vstáváš brzy ráno mezi šedivé domy, potom si zde správně. Špinavé ulice, tma a blikající lampy, pod kterými někdo zvrací včerejší den. Všichni jsou již dávno mrtví. Nebo ne? Masakrující, syrový a zahnívající grindcore s příchutí špíny a nenávisti! Trepanace lebky!
Asphyx says:
Dirty streets, darkness and flickering lamps under which someone is vomiting yesterday. They're all long dead, you think as you drive to work with the others. We're slaves of the times, we're terrified of the morning news. Only murder, violence and war. Politicians keep smiling and promising a better life and you have no money to bury your own mother. You dream on social media of a better world, only to be left with eyes to cry in the end.
Once upon a time, in the early 1990s, I went to a factory for the first time with a crowd. I was a student then. With headphones on, metal and punk bands on my Walkman. Looking back, not much has changed around me. We may have better technology (even for killing), but at the core, we're still the same. Unfortunately or unfortunately. It's hard to say. I don't see much positive in the last few years. And therefore I fully agree with the content of the new LUDRA grinder board. Usually Czech lyrics disturb me, but this time I think - yeah, that's exactly it. And so I go to work in the morning and the streets are dirty. It's dark and someone is vomiting yesterday's day under the lampposts.
I say pay Satan for the fact that the gentlemen (otherwise also musicians who were or are in bands like DPK, SMASHING DUMPLINGS, INCARNATE) went the raw grind route and not the mostly stupidly happy and danceable one. On the contrary, here everything is gnawed to the bone, to the marrow. Sharp riffs meet fast drums and vocals that contain the rage of everyone who spends most of their time in smog and acid rain. I found out about the band the classic old fashioned way. She performed in my town and immediately won me over. I didn't know a note beforehand, but after just a few songs I knew this was exactly the variety of grindcore I like. LUDRA was inspired by the UK, Finland and Sweden in a nutshell. If you like bands like ROTTING SOUND, CARCASS, NASUM, NAPALM DEATH, EXHUMED, this wild and crazy album is for you too. Personally, then, I like the almost punk-like rawness, the unkemptness that is evident throughout the listening experience. The individual songs are sharp as nails, which will one day hammer into your coffin. You will be soaked in poisonous gases, you will stagger in dirty sewers, in the sewers where everything useless ends up. I'm writing this review on Friday, and to be honest, the only thing that ruins my experience listening to "Hysterie Doby" is that I can't let the EP get in the face of all the assholes I've met today. If you live in a beautiful city full of pink unicorns and love romantic movies, this music is not for you. But if you get up early every morning amongst the grey houses, then you're right here. Dirty streets, darkness, and flickering lamps under which someone is vomiting up yesterday's day. They're all long dead. Aren't they? Massacring, raw and rotting grindcore with a taste of filth and hate! Trepanation of the skull!
Ave VANHELGD! It's been a while since your label Dark Descent Records sent me an album to review. And immediately with "Atropos Doctrina" you got to the imaginary top of my personal black death metal chart. The first time I encountered the new album was in the cold weather, when it got very cold. It was very pleasant for me to just listen, read and let the time pass. How was the album made and how do you think it differs from the previous album "Deimos Sanktuarium"?
It took a while to make since the pandemic got us out of track. We were back in writing mood after a small tour supporting At the gates when Sweden shut down and we were unable to rehearse on a regular basis. When we finally started to rehearse again we lost interest in the few songs we had done so far so we started up again with the demos I made during the pandemic. I think it took almost 2 years to write the album, rehearse everything and prepare for the studio . We entered Endarker Studios in the spring of 2023 and it was mixed and mastered sometime around august.
I think it's a bit different from Deimos Sanktuarium. First of all it's overall a bit faster and has little more energy. It's also less complicated when it comes to arrangement and song structures. Ok “Atropos Hymnarium” and “I ovigd jord” could fit Deimos Sanktuarium as well but the rest of the songs on ATROPOS DOCTRINA are a bit more straightforward in my opinion.We also spent a lot more time fine tuning this album. Westman was also quite new in the band when recording DS so I guess he feels more comfortable with AD.
In hindsight I kind of overlooked the back-up vocals for AD, it would have been nice with som more parts from Jimmy.
Let's go back in history a bit. VANHELGD was formed in 2007. The band is composed of all experienced musicians. Nowadays it's not easy to start again. How did you get together in the first place and why did you choose black death metal?
Me and Jimmy ( guitars) were in a band called Ceremonial Execution + me and Björn ( drums 2007- 2016) were in another band called the Jam Session. we shared rehearsal space and both bands were put on ice about the the same time so Björn got the idea for us three to start a new band. We wanted things to be simple so we decided that I shpuld do the vocals and guitars ( only did back-ups previous to Vanhelgd) After a few months or so Viktor joined ( bass 2008-2013) It’s so many years ago now but we see ourselves as a new band still but it is the longest I’ve been in the same band!
Jonas, bass ( ex thy Primordial, Retaliation, King of asgard) joined in 2013 and Westman, drums ( ex Throne of Heresy , King of Asgard) joined in 2016. I guess we always had some kind of nordic misery, strokes of black metal and folk songs in our songs but it has become more apparent on the last albums. When we started the band was more punkish and had a lot more Autopsy and old school death metal stuff going on. We have since then evolved more into a slower form leaning more towards hopelessness and misery rather than gore, zombies and beer. I think that a lot of songs from our first two album still works but I’m also glad we took the steps in this direction since the other way would have been a dead end for me creatively.
The new stuff has exactly the kind of cool, clear sound that I like a lot. It's signed by the master Magnus "Devo" Andersson. We all know his work for MARDUK and many other bands. I'm curious to know how you guys worked together and why him? With what feelings did you leave the studio?
Jonas and Westman had recorded there many times before so it was not hard to convince me and Jimmy to try it out. Devo was very easy to work with and had a lot of respect for our DNA as a band but still gave a lot of great input. When I leave the studio I’m always alternating between saying that our albums are just strange and not very good and that we did a hell of an album, the truth is often that we did ok :-)
When I look at the cover, it reminds me terribly of a scene from an old mural, from the catacombs. Beautiful work. Who's the artist and why did you choose this particular motif?
I work part time as an illustrator, a career I started making covers and merch for the bands I was in and for my friends' bands. So I have made all the merch and all the album covers for Vanhelgd. Atropos is the oldest of the three fates, the Moirai, in Greek mythology. She is the one cutting the thread of life after her sisters spun and measured it. She is the metaphor of death. Her attributes are among others the scissors and the veil.
The lyrics on your records are about death, anti-religion, pain. You're not afraid of horror themes either. Where do you get inspiration for them? And what are the lyrics on the new album about?
I get inspiration from different sources, mostly art and literature but also things in my personal life and things happening in these turbulent times. The lyrics on ATROPOS DOCTRINA are about misery, defeat, rebellion, suffering, war, death and famine.
VANHELGD are a band that when I listen to them, I immediately know who they are. You have your own unmistakable signature, expression. A strange dark mood that has a very urgent effect on me. How do you explain that? Do you have a secret formula, a recipe? How do you create new material? I'm talking about the process now.
We focus a lot on the expression, we don't care much about the technical aspect, riffs can be really boring and simple, the important thing is that it fits the song and has the right feeling. We work a lot in the rehearsal space trying out different aspects and perspectives on the riffs such as dynamics, tempo, drum beats. We re-arrange, play a black metal riff as if it would be a doom riff and stuff like and trust our gut-feeling. It is a frustrating slow process but very rewarding when you solve the puzzle. We can wrestle with a song for hours at a rehearsal and be about to turn the amps off, put the drumsticks down and go home when someone gets an idea or a perspective on the song or a riff that turns things around and gets everybody excited again. There are a lot of “what would happen if…” and “ can we try to...” followed by “ no, but maybe if we try to…” at our rehearsals. So writing songs is a very organic and kind of an investigative process for us and at the same time an uphill battle.
Does Swedish nature influence you in any way? Every time I hear a band from your country, I think that you can put such a special mood, melancholy in your songs. A lot of times I would take the album to the woods near my home, just outside the city, and it felt like I was somewhere up north.
Yes I think it does, the nordic melancholy that comes with the short summers and nature have a more or less subconscious impact on the song writing. The nordic folk music often has this vibe too and we have some influences from that in our melodies. The song “I ovigd jord” ( in unconsecrated soil ) have a lot to do with nature, the elements, man made borders, ideology and religion. Both when we wrote and recorded the album I went on long walks listening to the demos to figure out the vocals and later to listen to the mixes. I often did this in the evenings and the mixes were during the late summer period so for me personally the album is very associated with the landscape and the summer evening light.
According to wikipedia, Sweden has 10.59 million inhabitants. The Czech Republic has ten. We have a lot of metal bands here too, but definitely not as many as you. Does that mean you have a musician in every family? I wonder why you have so many bands? And I'm not talking about the mainstream, I'm talking about the underground. How do you explain that?
I think it has to do with that there were a lot of cheap or free rehearsal places ( often with instruments to loan) in Sweden for kids back in the 80ies and 90ies .You just had to start a study circle and report to one of the many public education organizations that got money from the state. There were also a lot of shows at youth centers in every town. So many kids started bands those days, first metal and punk bands in the 80ies, then a lot of death metal, black metal and hardcore bands in the 90ies.
How do you perceive your scene? Gigs, fans, labels? There are quite a lot of gigs here, but only some of them are well attended. Plus, it seems to me that young fans are already listening to something a bit different.
I think we don't get as many touring acts here as in the rest of europe since we are a bit off geographically. There are quite a lot of metal gigs going on but I live in a small village so I have to travel to see shows. We don´t do many shows a year so we are not really well connected to the scene in that way but we have contact with some bands and listeners of course.
Personally, I find "Atropos Doctrina" to be such a perfectly polished stylistic gem, but it can also appeal to fans outside of black death metal. The album is raw, but it also has a lot of memorable melodies. Where do you want to take the band? What is your goal? Someone is attracted by big festivals, someone wants a famous label. What are your dreams?
Personally, I just want to continue to write music and record albums. It is nice to do shows and we are happy to play when it works but the goal is not to tour a lot and so on, probably because it takes so much energy to plan and book shows and tours on our own. My goal for Vanhelgd is to keep evolving and make a superb death metal album.
How did you get into music in the first place? Who was your role model? First gig? First gig as a musician? How about some wild experiences, readers are always interested in that:)).
Oh I don't have many wild experiences since I've never done many tours and my memory always fails me so I´m the worst at talking about the past. As for role models, I would say Entombed and Paradise Lost since they were the bands that got me into death metal in the early 90-ies, soon followed by At the Gates, Death and Edge of Sanity
Me and Jimmy and Viktor did our first gig as a musicians with our metal band BLUMP in the afternoon at a fair in our hometown back in 94. We played a 15-20 min set of bad covers and one or two original songs. We started out together with Hans on drums. I remember drawing Obituary influenced death metal logos for the band that I wanted to be named Sauron but the first songs we did were punk songs and we soon got Stefan on vocals and became a metal band. Back then the Hardcore scene was huge in Sweden and many of our friends were involved in one way or another. I wasn't a big fan, I was into heavy metal, black and death. I always wanted to play death metal and did some rehearsals in two or three local death/black metal bands during the 90-ies but there were only 2-3 songs made with each of them before the interest faded… so I didn´t play extreme music for real until I joined a grind/hc/punk/doom band called THE JAM SESSION in 1998 or 1999 where Björn was playing the drums. We did a lot of strange songs and drunk shows for a couple of years, rehearsing two times a week and drinking together as often as we could and got to do shows together with bands like The Locust, Switchblade, Trapdoor Fucking Exit, From Ashes Rise, Catharsis and Totalt Jävla Mörker. It was a great time. When BLUMP split up in 2001 after releasing 5 demos me and Jimmy formed CEREMONIAL EXECUTION together with Robert from THE JAM SESSION on vocals. We got David on drums and Tommy followed by Jonas on Bass for a while and after him Björn Ahlqvist joined. We played some kind of US-influenced death metal with a bit of an old-school vibe and released 1 demo, a split 7, an album and another 7” before splitting up in 2007 at the same time as THE JAM SESSION was put on ice. We started Vanhelgd in 2007 and our first gig was probably the one we did in a non-offical club in our hometown together with King of Asgard ( where Jonas were playing bass) back in 2008.
I'd be interested in your relationship to music. What does it mean to you? Is it a hobby? A lifestyle?
It's a part of my daily life for sure and specifically it's about a passion for death metal. I´ve been in bands since 1994 and rehearsed weekly or monthly and in some periods even up to 4 times a week since then. Even though I find it hard to call myself a musician. I realized that I'm only interested in playing music if I can write my own stuff and that my technical skills are poor for playing guitar for so long, I only play guitar at home when trying to figure out an old song that we will start playing again or when writing. I wish I've spent more time practicing but don't find it interesting. I would never join a band without being part of the writing process and I can't understand why anyone would be in a cover band. I also realized that I can't do things half hearted when it comes to being creative. I love being in the rehearsal space with the others creating songs together and releasing the aggression you build up in your everyday life. It's been about a year now since ATROPOS DOCTRINA was finished and as much as I want to play those songs live I also want to start making new material. So I guess it's all about passion for me.
What is VANHELGD going to do in the near future?
We are having a release show at Palatset in Linköping on the 16th of august, then we are booked for Malmö Massacre at the end of august and a show in Umeå in october. I hope we can do some shows and festivals in Europe in 2025.
Thank you very much for the interview, I appreciate it. I guess you can guess what I'm going to do. Yeah, I'm going to go out into the woods and take your new book "Atropos Doctrina" with me.
Thank you! Sounds like a good plan!
Recenze/review - VANHELGD - Atropos Doctrina (2024):
