LUGUBRIOUS GARMENT - In The Wide Vale Of Uncreated Night
CD 2026, 20 Buck Spin
for english please scroll down
Také cítíte ten tlak a energii? Zvedá se vítr a staří hovoří o apokalypse. Příroda, kterou jsme sami zničili, si to nenechala líbit a pomstila se. Přežijí jen ti silní, jen ti, kteří se dokáží vyznat v chaosu, ze kterého jsme kdysi vzešli. Umíráme pomalu, v tichosti a nekonečných bolestech. Je to jako vichr, jako tsunami, jako děsivá bouře, která přišla z onoho světa. Ano, mluvím o debutovém albu maniaka Gabriele Gramaglia, který je pod touto kapelou podepsán a který má za sebou působení i v mnoha dalších skupinách.
LUGUBRIOUS GARMENT jsou jeho projektem, smečkou, která hraje syrový, brutální, lehce progresivní death metal, který když uslyšíte poprvé, tak budete možná trošku zmateni. Nové album je totiž jiné, odlišné, velmi dobře napsané, má v sobě drive i potřebnou sílu a a energii. Zpočátku je ale také trošku nepřehledné a rozhodně chce čas a klid pro poslech. Když ale vydržíte, začnou na povrch vylézat velmi zajímavé a neotřelé motivy.
Kapela vám předloží velmi pestrou paletu různých odstínů death metalu. Jednou dokáže být surová, divoká a nespoutaná, jindy zase tajemná a zlověstná. Celým albem se potom jako jedovatý břečťan prolíná jakýsi těžko definovatelný neklid. Budete se ohlížet za sebe, jestli někdo nestojí ve stínu, nesleduje vás. Démon? Vlastní svědomí? Kdo ví? Skladby jsou velmi zajímavé, rád se k nahrávce vracím a pokaždé objevím něco nového, neotřelou pasáž, moment, který se mi doslova zakousne do mozku. "In The Wide Vale Of Uncreated Night" pravděpodobně nebude albem pro každého, ale myslím si, že si svoje fanoušky rozhodně najde. O kapele jsem netušil vůbec nic a je to moje první setkání. Dopadlo na výbornou, to vám klidně podepíšu vlastní krví. Co se týká formálních věcí, jako je kvalita zvuku, motiv na obalu a celkové provedení, potom můžete být v klidu, vše je zde v naprostém pořádku. Můžete se tak v klidu soustředit na hudbu samotnou. Navíc, moje přirovnání k vichřici, tsunami, lavině, které jsem naznačoval v úvodu dnešního článku, má svoje opodstatnění. Bylo to totiž to první, co mě napadlo, když jsem zapnul play na svém přehrávači. A můj dojem zůstal stále stejný, až dodnes, kdy se snažím napsat pár těchto pokorných řádků. Z mé strany nelze LUGUBRIOUS GARMENT jinak, než doporučit. V době, kdy jsou mnohé kapely již jen několikátým klonem věcí minulých, přichází Gabriele Gramaglia s něčím, co je jiné, odlišné. Ano, čerpá také ze starých archívů, ale snaží se i přidat něco nového. Vždycky jsem měl rád hudbu, která je opravdová, ryzí, autentická a zahraná od srdce. Tohle album takové je. Nekompromisní, syrové, zničující death metalové album! Lavina, která vás strhne do hlubiny!
Asphyx says:
Can you feel that pressure and energy, too? The wind is picking up, and the elders speak of the apocalypse. Nature, which we ourselves have destroyed, wouldn’t take it lying down and has taken its revenge. Only the strong will survive only those who can find their way through the chaos from which we once emerged. We are dying slowly, silently, and in endless agony. It’s like a gale, like a tsunami, like a terrifying storm that has come from the other world. Yes, I’m talking about the debut album by the maniac Gabriele Gramaglia, who is the mastermind behind this band and who has also played in many other groups.
LUGUBRIOUS GARMENT is his project, a band that plays raw, brutal, slightly progressive death metal the kind that might leave you a little confused when you hear it for the first time. The new album is, in fact, different, distinct, and very well written; it possesses drive, power, and energy. At first, however, it’s also a bit confusing and definitely requires time and a quiet setting to listen to. But if you stick with it, some very interesting and original motifs will begin to emerge.
The band presents a very diverse range of death metal styles. At times it can be raw, wild, and unbridled; at other times, mysterious and ominous. A certain hard-to-define unease weaves its way through the entire album like poisonous ivy. You’ll find yourself looking over your shoulder to see if someone is standing in the shadows, watching you. A demon? Your own conscience? Who knows? The songs are very interesting; I love coming back to this record, and every time I discover something new a fresh passage, a moment that literally sinks its teeth into my brain. “In The Wide Vale Of Uncreated Night” probably won’t be an album for everyone, but I think it will definitely find its fans. I knew absolutely nothing about the band, and this is my first encounter with them. It turned out great I’d gladly sign that with my own blood. As for the technical aspects, such as sound quality, the cover art, and the overall production, you can rest assured that everything here is in perfect order. So you can focus entirely on the music itself. Moreover, my comparisons to a storm, a tsunami, and an avalanche which I hinted at in the introduction to today’s article are well founded. That was, in fact, the first thing that came to mind when I pressed play on my music player. And my impression has remained the same to this day, as I try to write these few humble lines. For my part, I can’t help but recommend LUGUBRIOUS GARMENT. At a time when many bands are merely yet another clone of things past, Gabriele Gramaglia comes along with something that’s different, distinct. Yes, he draws from old archives, but he also strives to add something new. I’ve always loved music that’s genuine, pure, authentic, and played from the heart. This album is just that. An uncompromising, raw, devastating death metal album! An avalanche that will sweep you into the depths!
Mám toho dost. Všeho kolem mě. Tupý dav. Slepá víra, růžové reklamy, války, znásilňování. Lidé se nikdy nepoučí. Někdy mám pocit, že jsme jen zvířata s trošku lepšími technologiemi. Na jednu stranu umíme spoustu věcí, dokážeme mnohé, na tu druhou jsme zlí a zákeřní. Jak říkám, mám toho dost, mám toho plné zuby, řvu do tmy a hledám ve své diskografii album, které by ulevilo mé mysli. Belgičtí BARREN jsou dnes jasnou volbou. Stačilo několik prvních setkání a měl jsem pocit, že mi kapela propláchla mozek kyselinou. Tohle jsem přesně potřeboval. Totální restart.
Je to klasický grindový masakr, ušpiněný švédským death metalem a punkovými chvilkami poezie. Novinka má v sobě potřebný drive, temnotu i sílu, takový ten heavy efekt, který si užijete jak doma po těžkém dni v práci, tak i dole pod pódiem na nějakém koncertě. Řeže to a pálí, to jsou první slova, která mě ihned napadla, když jsem si album pustil poprvé. Poslouchejte nahlas!
Máte rádi kapely jako FULL OF HELL, NAILS, ROTTEN SOUND, TRAP THEM, GENERAL SURGERY? Potom vězte, že jste zde správně. Belgičané samozřejmě do svých skladeb narvali spoustu svých nápadů a invence. Výsledkem je nahrávka, která řeže jako čerstvě nabroušený skalpel. Je divoká, nespoutaná, vyrve vám všechny vnitřnosti z těla. Pánové ale nezapomínají ani na temně podmanivou a krvavou atmosféru. Zkrátka a dobře, pokaždé, když vlezu na jedovaté sociální sítě nebo si zapnu večerní zprávy, mám chuť si nové album "Verderf" narvat pod tlakem do hlavy. Také vám někdy připadá, že svět kolem nás je v plamenech? Potom může být tahle novinka takovým velmi návykovým soundtrackem ke konci našeho kdysi tak krásného světa. Ano, skladby na mě mají až očišťující, nebál bych se napsat terapeutický účinek. Líbí se mi zvuk, motiv na obalu, užívám si jednotlivé motivy. Jsou jako vichřice, jako mocné a naprosto devastující tsunami. Kapela se s tím moc nepáře, jde rovnou na věc, je nekompromisní, ale také jsou skladby promyšlené, mají jasnou strukturu a zachovávají si takovou tu temnou živočišnost. Je to v dnešní době umělých kapel až osvěžující. Je to v závěru vlastně jednoduché a platí stejná pravidla jako vždy. Pokud se začnu při poslechu kývat do rytmu, podupávat si nohou a mlátit pěstí do zdi, je vše v nejlepším pořádku. Mám toho dost. Všeho kolem mě. Tupý dav. Slepá víra, růžové reklamy, války, znásilňování. Lidé se nikdy nepoučí. Jejich problém. Já mám svoji hudbu. Dejte mi všichni pokoj. Amen! Death grindcoreové album, u kterého roztrhnete své vlastní řetězy! Zničující masakr, který se vám dostane do vnitřností i do podvědomí!
Asphyx says:
I’ve had enough. Of everything around me. The mindless crowd. Blind faith, rose-colored advertisements, wars, rape. People never learn. Sometimes I feel like we’re just animals with slightly better technology. On the one hand, we can do a lot of things; we’re capable of so much; on the other, we’re evil and treacherous. Like I said, I’ve had enough I’m sick and tired of it all. I’m screaming into the darkness and searching through my record collection for an album that might bring some relief to my mind. The Belgian band BARREN is the obvious choice today. It only took a few listens, and I felt like the band had flushed my brain with acid. This is exactly what I needed: a total reboot.
It’s a classic grindcore massacre, laced with Swedish death metal and moments of punk poetry. The new album has the necessary drive, darkness, and power that heavy vibe you’ll enjoy both at home after a hard day at work and down in front of the stage at a concert. It cuts through and burns those were the first words that immediately came to mind when I played the album for the first time. Listen to it loud!
Do you like bands like FULL OF HELL, NAILS, ROTTEN SOUND, TRAP THEM, and GENERAL SURGERY? Then you’ve come to the right place. The Belgians have, of course, packed their songs with plenty of their own ideas and creativity. The result is a record that cuts like a freshly sharpened scalpel. It’s wild, unbridled it’ll rip all your insides out. But the guys haven’t forgotten about the darkly captivating and bloody atmosphere either. Long story short, every time I log onto those toxic social media platforms or turn on the evening news, I feel the urge to blast their new album, "Verderf", into my head. Do you ever feel like the world around us is going up in flames? If so, this new release could be a highly addictive soundtrack to the end of our once-beautiful world. Yes, the songs have an almost cathartic I wouldn’t hesitate to call it therapeutic effect on me. I love the sound, the cover art, and I enjoy each individual track. They’re like a storm, like a powerful and utterly devastating tsunami. The band doesn’t beat around the bush they get straight to the point. They’re uncompromising, but the songs are also well-thought out, with a clear structure, while retaining that dark, primal energy. In this day and age of artificial bands, it’s actually refreshing. In the end, it’s really simple, and the same rules apply as always. If I start nodding my head to the beat, tapping my foot, and pounding my fist against the wall while listening, everything is just fine. I’ve had enough. Of everything around me. The mindless crowd. Blind faith, rose colored ads, wars, rape. People never learn. That’s their problem. I’ve got my music. Leave me alone, all of you. Amen! A death grindcore album that’ll make you break your own chains! A devastating massacre that’ll get right into your guts and your subconscious!
Historie je plná brutálního násilí. Mučení, ponižování, války a všechno hnusné nás provází od našeho narození, až do smrti. Když máte štěstí, tak zemřete ve spánku. Pokud ne, tak si můžete vybrat z pestré palety bolesti. Fantazii se meze nekladou. Přivíráme oči a díváme se jinam, když se děje něco zlého, nechceme o tom slyšet a utíkáme pryč. Jenže pak si zapnete večerní zprávy a chce se vám zvracet. Brutální death metal i grindcore vždy patřil na patologické sály, do márnic, na stará jatka. Když mi přišla na recenzi nová nahrávka australských SLAUGHTERCULT, příliš jsem toho od nich nečekal. Přiznávám se bez mučení.
Jenže pak jsem měl těžký pátek v práci, v hlavě prázdno a cloumal mnou vztek. Měl jsem sto chutí vzít do rukou kladivo a zbourat nejbližší zeď. Také se vám to někdy stává? Potom vám tohle album doporučuji. Propláchne vám mozek kyselinou, strhne vás do hlubiny a maso vám odpadá od kostí. Tihle morbidní gentlemani sice nepřinášejí nic nového do krematoria, ale novinka se velmi dobře poslouchá a splňuje všechny mé požadavky pro dobrý morbidní zážitek.
Maso je podáváno čerstvé, dobře naporcované. A je tak činěno s elegancí a nadšením zkušených řezníků. Jasně, hudba je zde extrémní, ale má velmi dobrý, čitelný zvuk, který řeže a pálí a zanechává po sobě hluboký cejch. Obal je stylový a odkazuje na další zvěrstva, kterých jsme jako lidstvo schopni. Neměli bychom zapomínat! Pokud bych potom měl zmínit nějaké kapely, kterými se tihle maniaci volně inspirovali, musel bych napsat jména jako KRAANIUM, SUFFOCATION, DISGORGE, DEVOURMENT, FLUIDS. To abyste měli představu, s kým máte tu čest. Nové album je jako čerstvě proříznutý vřed, který dlouhou dobu mokval a byl plný zkažené krve. Na jednu stranu cítíte úlevu, na tu druhou moc dobře víte, že hnis je dávno ve vaší krvi a dny jsou už sečteny. Budete se dívat na svoji vlastní pitvu a patologové se kývají do rytmu "Devoured by Perversion". Je to zkrátka a dobře velmi zajímavě napsaný masakr, který sice nijak nevybočuje ze stylových mantinelů, ale má rozhodně něco do sebe. Koneckonců, hudba se má poslouchat hlavně srdcem a ne jen ušima. SLAUGHTERCULT vás i na svém druhém dlouhohrající albu provedou děsivými hororovými příběhy, ve kterých zažijete tu největší hrůzu. Je něco morbidně přitažlivého v hudbě těchto tmářů. Jako když jdete na krvavý film nebo čtete knihu o sériových vrazích. Tma a zvrácené lidské myšlenky nás vždycky přitahovaly, co myslíte? Historie je plná brutálního násilí. Mučení, ponižování, války a všechno hnusné nás provází od našeho narození, až do smrti. Když máte štěstí, tak zemřete ve spánku. Pokud ne, tak si můžete vybrat z pestré palety bolesti. Fantazii se meze nekladou. Brutální gore death metal, který vám vyrve všechny vnitřnosti z těla! Album, po kterém zůstává kaluž krve!
Asphyx says:
History is full of brutal violence. Torture, humiliation, wars, and all manner of horrors accompany us from the moment we’re born until we die. If you’re lucky, you’ll die in your sleep. If not, you can choose from a wide variety of pain. There are no limits to the imagination. We close our eyes and look away when something bad happens; we don’t want to hear about it, so we run away. But then you turn on the evening news, and it makes you want to throw up. Brutal death metal and grindcore have always belonged in operating rooms, morgues, and old slaughterhouses. When I received the new album by the Australian band SLAUGHTERCULT to review, I didn’t expect much from them. I’ll admit it without hesitation.
But then I had a rough Friday at work my mind was a blank, and rage was shaking me to the core. I was itching to grab a hammer and tear down the nearest wall. Does that ever happen to you? If so, I recommend this album. It’ll flush your brain with acid, drag you into the depths, and make your flesh fall off your bones. These morbid gentlemen may not be bringing anything new to the crematorium, but the new album is a pleasure to listen to and meets all my requirements for a good morbid experience.
The meat is served fresh and expertly portioned. And this is done with the elegance and enthusiasm of experienced butchers. Sure, the music here is extreme, but it has a very good, clear sound that cuts and burns, leaving a deep mark in its wake. The cover art is stylish and alludes to other atrocities of which we, as humanity, are capable. We must not forget! If I were to mention some of the bands that loosely inspired these maniacs, I’d have to name acts like KRAANIUM, SUFFOCATION, DISGORGE, DEVOURMENT, and FLUIDS. Just so you have an idea of who you’re dealing with. The new album is like a freshly lanced abscess that had been oozing for a long time and was full of rotten blood. On the one hand, you feel relief; on the other, you know all too well that the pus has long since entered your bloodstream and your days are numbered. You’ll be watching your own autopsy as the pathologists nod their heads to the beat of “Devoured by Perversion”. In short, it’s a very interestingly crafted massacre that, while not straying from the genre’s conventions, definitely has something going for it. After all, music is meant to be listened to primarily with the heart, not just with the ears. On their second full-length album, SLAUGHTERCULT will guide you through terrifying horror stories in which you’ll experience the utmost terror. There’s something morbidly alluring about the music of these dark artists. It’s like watching a gory movie or reading a book about serial killers. Darkness and twisted human thoughts have always drawn us in don’t you think? History is full of brutal violence. Torture, humiliation, wars, and all manner of depravity accompany us from birth until death. If you’re lucky, you’ll die in your sleep. If not, you can choose from a wide variety of pain. There are no limits to the imagination. Brutal gore death metal that will rip all your insides out of your body! An album that leaves a pool of blood in its wake!
Brodíš se kalužemi plnými zkažené krve. Překračuješ mrtvoly v různém stádiu rozkladu. Vypálené domy, postavy kývající se do větru. Visí na stromech, s vnitřnostmi vytahanými ven. Vyděšené tváře, nekonečná bolest a utrpení. Ne, to není žádný béčkový hororový film, ale krutá, hnusná a špinavá realita. Stačilo si zapnout večerní zprávy a podívat se na jednu z dalších válek v různých oblastech světa. Lidé se nikdy nepoučí, jsou horší než zvířata, protože ta alespoň nevyhlazují vlastní druh.
PROFANATION jsou death grindová motorová pila z Francie. Jsou to také maniaci, jejichž hudba připomíná mokvající scény z úvodu dnešní recenze. Kapela má na svém kontě ještě jedno EP "Skull Crushing Violence" z roku 2023, které vám také doporučí každý ze zkušenějších patologů. Poslouchat nové album je jako se procházet nedávno vypálenou vesnicí. Mezi hromadami mrtvol, po spálené zemi. Mraky jsou zase jednou nízko, skoro se dotýkají země a ovládla nás temnota.
Je to klasický, poctivý, upřímný, surový a naprosto autentický death grindový masakr. Je to obrovský mlýn na maso, ve kterém jednou rozdrtí i vaše tělo. Zvuk bych popsal jako naprosto masakrující, velmi zahnívající. V samotných skladbách potom lze vystopovat stejnou DNA jako u kapel typu TERRORRIZER, ARCHGOAT, REVENGE, HADEZ, NECROVORE, DOOM. Samozřejmě s tím, že tihle řezníci přidávají i kus svých zvrácených nápadů. Poslouchat "Ultra-Noise Warfare" je jako se procházet po dávno opuštěných jatkách, ve kterých je ale stále otištěna bolest a utrpení. Možná je i návštěva patologických sálů, ve kterých je právě prováděna veřejná pitva. Pacient ještě trošku žije. Vše je tedy v naprostém pořádku. To samé mohu s jistotou říci i o tomto albu. Rád jsem se k němu vracel. Nejčastěji ve chvílích, když mě začal štvát podivný svět kolem mě, když jsem viděl večerní zprávy, když se objevil v řece v našem městě poprvé lidský hnis. Novinka má v sobě potřebný tlak, energii, je dobře napsaná. Setkáte se zde jak s nekompromisními pasážemi, tak i s těmi volnějšími, chladnými jako dávno uleželá mrtvola. Pokud máte tento styl rádi, nelze jinak, než vám PROFANATION doporučit. Album v sobě totiž obsahuje vše, co si srdce fanoušků žádá. Navíc budete mít potom mozek i myšlenky očištěné od zbytečností. Jasně, tihle gentlemani nepřinášejí nic nového, ale to zde ani není účelem. Je to smršť, tsunami, jaderný výbuch, je to pohřeb zaživa, je to totální vyhlazení. Brodíš se kalužemi plnými zkažené krve. Překračuješ mrtvoly v různém stádiu rozkladu. Vypálené domy, postavy kývající se do větru. Visí na stromech, s vnitřnostmi vytahanými ven. vyděšené tváře, nekonečná bolest a utrpení. Ne to není žádný béčkový hororový film, ale krutá, hnusná a špinavá realita. Hnisavý, surový, temný a bolestivý death grindcore, který vám vystřelí mozek z hlavy! Trepanace lebky! Krvácení, které nelze zastavit!
Asphyx says:
You wade through puddles of rotten blood. You step over corpses in various stages of decomposition. Burned-out houses, figures swaying in the wind. They hang from trees, their entrails torn out. Terrified faces, endless pain and suffering. No, this isn’t some B-grade horror movie, but a cruel, disgusting, and filthy reality. All you had to do was turn on the evening news and watch yet another war unfolding in various parts of the world. People never learn; they’re worse than animals, because at least animals don’t exterminate their own kind.
PROFANATION are a death-grind chainsaw from France. They’re also maniacs whose music evokes the gory scenes from the opening of today’s review. The band has one other EP to their credit, "Skull Crushing Violence" from 2023, which every experienced pathologist will also recommend to you. Listening to the new album is like walking through a recently burned-down village among piles of corpses, across scorched earth. The clouds are low once again, almost touching the ground, and darkness has taken hold of us.
It’s a classic, no-nonsense, raw, and utterly authentic death-grind massacre. It’s a massive meat grinder that will one day crush your body as well. I’d describe the sound as utterly devastating, deeply putrid. In the songs themselves, you can trace the same DNA as in bands like TERRORRIZER, ARCHGOAT, REVENGE, HADEZ, NECROVORE, and DOOM. Of course, these butchers also throw in a dose of their own twisted ideas. Listening to “Ultra-Noise Warfare” is like walking through a long-abandoned slaughterhouse where pain and suffering are still etched into the walls. Perhaps it’s also like visiting a pathology lab where a public autopsy is currently being performed. The patient is still barely alive. So everything is perfectly fine. I can say the same with certainty about this album. I enjoyed coming back to it most often in moments when the strange world around me started to annoy me, when I watched the evening news, or when human pus appeared in our city’s river for the first time. This new release has the necessary intensity and energy; it’s well-written. Here you’ll encounter both uncompromising passages and looser ones, as cold as a corpse that’s been lying there for ages. If you like this style, I can’t help but recommend PROFANATION. The album contains everything a fan’s heart desires. Plus, afterward, your mind and thoughts will be cleansed of all superfluous clutter. Sure, these gentlemen aren’t bringing anything new to the table, but that’s not the point here. It’s a whirlwind, a tsunami, a nuclear explosion; it’s a burial alive; it’s total annihilation. You wade through puddles full of rotten blood. You step over corpses in various stages of decomposition. Burned-out houses, figures swaying in the wind. They hang from trees, their entrails torn out. Terrified faces, endless pain and suffering. No, this isn’t some B-grade horror movie, but a cruel, disgusting, and filthy reality. Festering, raw, dark, and painful death grindcore that will blow your brains out! Skull trepanation! Bleeding that can’t be stopped!
Pokaždé, když se setmělo, tak jsem musel dolů, do sklepa. Světla v přízemí poblikávala a ihned mě obejmul nasládlý pach rozkládajících se těl. Stará nemocnice s ještě starší patologií. Nakládal jsem orgány, maso, kosti, lebky, mozky, do krabic. Stoly jsou plné dalších mrtvol, které šeptají. Dnes je ale něco jinak. Ohlédnu se za sebe a tam stojí překrásná sexy sestřička, se kterou běžně chodím na kávu, a drží v ruce čerstvě nabroušený skalpel. Prořízne mi hrdlo a když padám k zemi, tak se usmívám. Konečně přecházím na druhou stranu. Všichni, živí i nemrtví, u toho posloucháme nové album maniaků CARTILAGE.
Pozorný čtenář našich stránek moc dobře ví, že jsem o téhle smečce patologů již psal. Bylo to u příležitosti vydání EP "Tales from the Entrails: A Necrology". Užil jsem si předchozí nahrávku a novinka se mi také ihned dostala pod kůži i do vnitřností. A opět tam způsobila hnisavý vřed, který každým dalším poslechem tepe a pálí víc a víc. Myslím si, že jsem zde správně. Hromada mrtvol roste a krev stříká proudem. Tohle je death grindový stroj, který je velmi dobře seřízený a zabíjí na potkání.
Při poslechu téhle nahrávky budete mít ruce ponořené po lokty ve vnitřnostech. Budete spolu s kapelou pitvat ještě trošku živé pacienty. Krev poteče proudem a ušpiněni se budete kývat do rytmu. Já to tak mám alespoň pokaždé, když zapnu play na svém přehrávači. CARTILAGE vás pozvou do své morbidní galerie smrti, pustí vám žilou, vytahají vám střeva z břicha a vystřelí mozek z hlavy. Vy se tu toho budete usmívat, užívat si syrový a dobře čitelný zvuk, s chutí se podíváte na motiv na obalu a když album dohraje, tak se ve vás rozleje nekonečná prázdnota. Nemohu si zkrátka pomoci, mám pro tuhle smečku zdivočelých řezníků velkou slabost. Jejich hudba je samozřejmě nakažena stejnou DNA jako kapely typu CARCASS, EXHUMED, GENERAL SURGERY, IMPALED, HAEMORRHAGE, IMPETIGO, MORTICIAN, DEICIDE, MORBID ANGEL. Pánové elegantně tančí nejen na svých vlastních hrobech, ale i mezi death metalem a grindcore. Vše je samozřejmě náležitě syrové, zahnívající, jak se sluší a patří na daný styl. Sem tam vylezen na povrch i thrash metal a album tím získává na ještě větší intenzitě. Poprvé jsem nahrávku "Operating Altar"slyšel, když jsem si zlomil nohu a strávil spoustu času po nemocnicích. Moje fantazie pracovala na plné obrátky a když jsem potom při jedné návštěvě viděl lehátko s mrtvolou, bylo mi zcela jasné, že patříme k sobě, já i kapela. Marně jsem hledal, co bych albu vytknul, ale na rovinu - na nic jsem nepřišel. A teď, už mě prosím nechte, mám něco na práci. Musím dolů, do sklepa. Světla v přízemí poblikávají a ihned mě obejme nasládlý pach rozkládajících se těl. Už se na tu sestřičku moc těším. Jsem zvědavý, co bude mít dnes na sobě. Temná, syrová, drásající pitevní zpráva z death grindových patologických sálů! Album, které vás vyvrhne zaživa!
Asphyx says:
Every time it got dark, I had to go down to the basement. The lights on the ground floor flickered, and I was immediately enveloped by the sweetish smell of decomposing bodies. An old hospital with an even older morgue. I packed organs, flesh, bones, skulls, and brains into boxes. The tables are full of more corpses, whispering. But today, something is different. I look back, and there stands the beautiful, sexy nurse I usually go out for coffee with, holding a freshly sharpened scalpel in her hand. She slits my throat, and as I fall to the ground, I’m smiling. Finally, I’m crossing over to the other side. All of us the living and the undead are listening to the new album by the maniacs CARTILAGE.
Attentive readers of our site know very well that I’ve already written about this pack of pathologists. It was on the occasion of the release of the EP “Tales from the Entrails: A Necrology.” I enjoyed the previous record, and this new one also immediately got under my skin and into my guts. And once again, it’s caused a festering ulcer there that throbs and burns more and more with every listen. I think I’m in the right place here. The pile of corpses is growing, and blood is gushing out. This is a death-grind machine that’s finely tuned and kills everything in its path.
When you listen to this recording, your hands will be elbow-deep in guts. Together with the band, you’ll be dissecting patients who are still barely alive. Blood will flow freely, and, covered in it, you’ll sway to the beat. At least that’s how it is for me every time I hit play on my player. CARTILAGE will invite you into their morbid gallery of death, bleed you dry, rip your intestines from your belly, and blast your brains out of your head. You’ll be smiling through it all, enjoying the raw and crystal-clear sound, eagerly checking out the cover art, and when the album ends, an endless void will wash over you. I simply can’t help it I have a huge soft spot for this pack of feral butchers. Their music is, of course, infected with the same DNA as bands like CARCASS, EXHUMED, GENERAL SURGERY, IMPALED, HAEMORRHAGE, IMPETIGO, MORTICIAN, DEICIDE, MORBID ANGEL. These guys dance elegantly not only on their own graves but also between death metal and grindcore. Everything is, of course, appropriately raw and rotting, as befits the genre. Here and there, thrash metal breaks through to the surface, giving the album even greater intensity. I first heard the album “Operating Altar” when I broke my leg and spent a lot of time in hospitals. My imagination was running wild, and when I saw a stretcher with a corpse on it during one of my visits, it was completely clear to me that we belonged together me and the band. I searched in vain for something to criticize about the album, but to be honest I couldn’t find a thing. And now, please let me go I’ve got work to do. I have to go down to the basement. The lights on the ground floor are flickering, and I’m immediately enveloped by the sweetish smell of decomposing bodies. I’m really looking forward to seeing that nurse. I’m curious to see what she’ll be wearing today. A dark, raw, harrowing autopsy report from the death-grind pathology labs! An album that will tear you apart while you’re still alive!
Recenze/review - CARTILAGE - Tales from the Entrails: A Necrology (2025):
Další mrtvá těla. Další kusy zbytečného masa. Co z nás nakonec zbyde? Jenom hromada tkání, kostí a možná i duše, která bývá nakonec spálená na popel. Beru do rukou kladivo a drtím všechno na prach. Lidská kafilerie, hromadný hrob, který je nutné zklikvidovat. Na kameru jsme všem řekli, že ostatky důstojně uložíme, ale to by bylo moc práce. Otřu si z čela krev, sundám si rukavice, chci si užít ten neopakovatelný pocit na plno. Usmívám se, jsem starý hrobník a právě jsem znovu zapnul play na svém přehrávači. Hraje mi v něm nové album polských patologů F.A.M. Kapely, která je pro mě vždy skvělým soundtrackem k mé morbidní práci.
Mám tuhle smečku rád. Každé jejich nové album očekávám s napětím, abych si jej vždy narval pod tlakem do hlavy. Žádné zbytečnosti, žádné kompromisy. Jenom ostrý, čerstvě nabroušený nůž, divoké riffy, death metal a grindcore ve své syrové podobě. I letos je novinka jako rána kladivem přímo do ksichtu. Poláci vám vystřelí mozek z hlavy a opět to dělají s elegancí starých mistrů.
Mám rád i živá vystoupení, která bývají vždy velmi divoká, nespoutaná a plná temné energie. I letos se u nové nahrávky kývám spokojeně do rytmu. V ruce držím sekyru a toužím po čerstvém mase. "Pleasure Of Torture" mi připomíná veřejnou pitvu z dávných časů. Prováděnou samozřejmě za plného vědomí pacienta. Jakoby mě Poláci zavřeli do sklepa, ve kterém ukrývá sériový vrah své oběti. Hudba je zde ohlodaná na kost, jako náš strach, jako bolest a utrpení, které zažíváme. Pánové jdou na hranu, překračují ji, střílejí ostrými náboji a v mém případě pokaždé zasáhnou cíl. Pokud bychom si měli promluvit o zvuku, musel bych jenom chválit. Je plesnivý, surový, dobře čitelný a bolí mě. Vše je v nejlepším pořádku, stejně jako motiv na obalu, který je stylový a ve člověku probudí spoustu vzpomínek na pitvání živých těl. F.A.M. se ve své tvorbě volně inspirovali kapelami jako MUMAKIL, NASUM, NAPALM DEATH, TERRORIZER, GADGET, LOCK UP, BRUTAL TRUTH, PHOBIA, CARCASS. I letos jsou odkazy patrné, ale jako vždy tahle smečka přidává velkou spoustu svých nápadů a invence. Nenudím se ani chvilku. Naopak, sedávám dlouhé hodiny ve sklepě, u svého starého přehrávače, neustále přehrávám tohle album a připadám si jako na starých, dávno opuštěných lidských jatkách. Skladby jsou samozřejmě náležitě nechutné, mokvající, zahnívající, připomínají kompostování shnilého masa. Poláci mě i letos přikovali svým novým albem na zeď, vyvrhli mě zaživa a trepanovali mojí lebku. Nemohu jinak, než vám novinku doporučit. Ocení ji všichni pravověrní, patologové, řezníci i jedinci, kteří stále touží po čerstvé krvi. Perfektně odvedená morbidní death grindcoreová práce! Surové, autentické, zabijácké album, u kterého budete vyvrženi zaživa! Nakrmte prasata lidským masem!
Asphyx says:
More dead bodies. More pieces of useless flesh. What will ultimately remain of us? Just a pile of tissue, bones, and perhaps even a soul, which is eventually burned to ashes. I pick up a hammer and crush everything to dust. A human rendering plant, a mass grave that must be disposed of. On camera, we told everyone we’d lay the remains to rest with dignity, but that would be too much work. I wipe the blood from my forehead, take off my gloves I want to enjoy this once in a lifetime feeling to the fullest. I’m smiling; I’m an old gravedigger, and I’ve just hit play again on my music player. It’s playing the new album by the Polish pathologists F.A.M. a band that’s always been the perfect soundtrack to my morbid work.
I love this crew. I eagerly await each of their new albums so I can blast them into my head. No frills, no compromises. Just a sharp, freshly sharpened knife, wild riffs, death metal, and grindcore in their raw form. This year’s new release is, once again, like a hammer blow right to the face. The Poles will blow your brains out and they’re doing it once again with the elegance of the old masters.
I also love their live performances, which are always very wild, unrestrained, and full of dark energy. This year, too, I’m nodding contentedly to the beat of their new album. I’m holding an axe in my hand and craving fresh meat. “Pleasure Of Torture” reminds me of a public autopsy from days of old performed, of course, while the patient is fully conscious. It’s as if the Poles have locked me in a basement where a serial killer hides his victims. The music here is stripped down to the bone, just like our fear, just like the pain and suffering we experience. These guys push the limits, cross the line, fire live rounds and in my case, they hit the mark every time. If we were to talk about the sound, I’d have nothing but praise. It’s moldy, raw, crystal clear, and it hurts me. Everything is in perfect order, just like the cover art, which is stylish and evokes plenty of memories of dissecting living bodies. F.A.M. drew loose inspiration for their work from bands like MUMAKIL, NASUM, NAPALM DEATH, TERRORIZER, GADGET, LOCK UP, BRUTAL TRUTH, PHOBIA, and CARCASS. The influences are evident again this year, but as always, this pack adds a whole lot of their own ideas and creativity. I’m not bored for a single moment. On the contrary, I sit for hours on end in the basement, by my old record player, constantly playing this album, and I feel like I’m in an old, long-abandoned slaughterhouse. The tracks are, of course, appropriately disgusting, oozing, rotting reminiscent of decaying meat being composted. Once again this year, the Poles have nailed me to the wall with their new album, flayed me alive, and drilled into my skull. I can’t help but recommend this new release to you. It will be appreciated by all true believers, pathologists, butchers, and those who still crave fresh blood. A perfectly executed, morbid death grindcore masterpiece! A raw, authentic, killer album that will have you flung out alive! Feed the pigs human flesh!
Zažil si již všechno. Polámané kosti, různé děsivé choroby, trepanaci lebky, přesto žiješ dál. Poslední roky na tebe ale padá z podivného světa kolem tíseň. Drásáš si tělo i duši do krve, jakoby se do tebe otiskla veškerá bolest. Vybíráš si větev, na kterou se pověsíš, kupuješ si ostré žiletky a čteš si o jedech. Ne, dnes ještě ne, říkáš do ticha samoty. Pouštíš si nové, debutové album grindových NOISES a mlátíš hlavou do zdi.
Viděl jsem ještě klip ke skladbě "Suicidal Right", než jej facebook zakázal. Myslím si, že přesně vystihoval to, co se na novince odehrává. Tahle kapela, složená ze samých zkušených muzikantů, řeže do živého. Zazní na kost ohlodaný grindcore vysoké kvality, i nahrubo nasekané kousky ozvěn, vzniklých při sekání zahnívajícího masa. To vše zabalené v masivním, ostrém a divokém zvuku. Společná setkání jsou tak opravdu velmi podobná lobotomii, prováděné samozřejmě za plného vědomí. Je to smršť, je to intenzivní tsunami, po kterém zůstává jenom spoušť.
Je to hodně živelná nahrávka, zahraná od srdce. Je cítit, i slyšet, že se pánové sešli a nechali průchod svým nejtemnějším hudebním emocím. Jako posluchač vnímám hlavně energii, tlak, takovou tu pradávnou zuřivost, sílu, které jsem měl vždy u starých grindových kapel tolik rád. Na neznalé a nebo slabší povahy bude album "Werther Effect" působit možná jen jako hluková stěna, ale nenechte se mýlit. Album je opravdu hodně propracované, každý riff, melodie, výkřik do tmy, zde má své jasné místo. U patnácti skladeb, ostrých jako břitva, se sází na rychlost i temnotu. Možná vám přijde svět okolo poslední roky také divné místo k žití. Jsem pokaždé rád, když potkám podobné smečky. Nabijí mě energií a ujistí mě v tom, že nejsem sám, kdo se dívá okolo sebe podobným, do krvavé mlhy zahaleným, pohledem. Kapela vzešla z toho nejhlubšího podzemí, patří do malých, zaplivaných klubů, do starých katakomb, na opuštěná jatka, do sklepů nemocnic. Včera brzy ráno, když jsem šel do práce, tak našli v jedné špinavé ulici další rozkládající se tělo. Bezdomovec, který nikoho nezajímal. Vzduchem se vznášela taková pochmurně bolestivá a tíživá atmosféra. Velmi se podobala té, kterou zažívám u každého poslechu této desky. NOISES jsou jako zanícený, mokvající vřed, který tepe a pálí. Proříznut rezavým nožem, se zkaženou krví. Tahle smečka vás strhne do hlubiny. Pokud jsi oddaný a opravdový fanoušek stylu, je pro tebe nové album doslova povinností. Zažil jsem již všechno. Polámané kosti, různé děsivé choroby, trepanaci lebky, přesto žiju dál. Poslední roky na mne ale padá z podivného světa kolem tíseň. Drásám si tělo i duši do krve, jakoby se do mě otiskla veškerá bolest. Surový, nespoutaný, špinavý grindcore, u kterého odpadává maso od kostí! Trepanace lebky, lobotomie duše!
Asphyx says:
You’ve been through it all. Broken bones, all kinds of terrifying illnesses, a craniotomy and yet you keep on living. But in recent years, a sense of dread has been weighing on you from the strange world around you. You tear at your body and soul until they bleed, as if all the pain in the world were imprinted on you. You pick out a branch to hang yourself from, buy sharp razor blades, and read up on poisons. “No, not today,” you say into the silence of solitude. You play the new debut album by the grindcore band NOISES and bang your head against the wall.
I saw the music video for the song “Suicidal Right” before facebook took it down. I think it perfectly captured what’s going on in the new album. This band, made up entirely of experienced musicians, cuts right to the bone. You’ll hear high quality grindcore stripped down to the bone, along with roughly chopped pieces of echoes created by chopping through rotting flesh. All of this is wrapped up in a massive, sharp, and wild sound. Their live shows are truly very similar to a lobotomy performed, of course, while fully conscious. It’s a whirlwind, an intense tsunami, leaving only devastation in its wake.
It’s a very raw recording, played straight from the heart. You can feel and hear that these guys got together and gave free rein to their darkest musical emotions. As a listener, what I perceive most is the energy, the intensity, that primal fury and power that I’ve always loved so much about old grindcore bands. To the uninitiated or those of a weaker disposition, the album "Werther Effect" might seem like nothing more than a wall of noise, but don’t be fooled. The album is actually very well crafted; every riff, melody, and scream into the darkness has its clear place here. With fifteen razor-sharp tracks, the focus is on both speed and darkness. Perhaps you, too, have found the world around you to be a strange place to live in recent years. I’m always glad when I come across bands like this. They energize me and reassure me that I’m not alone in looking at the world through a similar lens one shrouded in a bloody fog. The band emerged from the deepest underground; they belong in small, seedy clubs, in old catacombs, in abandoned slaughterhouses, and in hospital basements. Early yesterday morning, as I was walking to work, they found yet another decomposing body on a filthy street. A homeless man whom no one cared about. There was such a gloomy, painful, and oppressive atmosphere hanging in the air. It was very similar to what I experience every time I listen to this album. NOISES are like a festering, oozing ulcer that throbs and burns. Sliced open with a rusty knife, with tainted blood. This pack will drag you into the depths. If you’re a devoted and true fan of the genre, this new album is literally a must-have for you. I’ve been through it all. Broken bones, various terrifying illnesses, a craniotomy and yet I’m still alive. But in recent years, a sense of oppression has been weighing on me from the strange world around me. I tear at my body and soul until they bleed, as if all the pain were imprinted upon me. Raw, unbridled, filthy grindcore that makes the flesh fall from your bones! Skull trepanation, a lobotomy of the soul!
Ave DGS! I haven’t been able to find any interviews with you in Czech anywhere. So first, I’d like to ask you to introduce the band to readers who aren’t familiar with you yet. Feel free to start from the very beginning and walk us through the entire bloody history of DGS.
Alpo: Well, to start, we are a deathgrind trio from Helsinki Finland! We are mellow guys with serious passion in playing music in its many forms. DGS was founded in 2021 from the ruins of our previous band with the idea of playing some uplifting and fun deathgrind. Quite soon the idea of playing something fun and uplifting changed into playing something melancholic, crushing and devastating. During the first couple of years we were just playing for the fun of it at the rehearsal space. But once the album started to take its form we wanted to start doing gigs and grow as a band. We started recording the album in 2024 and released the first single from it in 2025. We played our first gig after the release of the single in October 2025.
Juho: We never released any demos or anything before so our recently released debut album pretty much stands as our current histroy. After the album was mixed we were looking for potential labels and reached an agreement with Great Dane Records, so here we are.
This year you released your brand-new album, “Delusional Grasp of Sanity.” It’s dark, raw, and honest death grindcore metal. Did you approach the recording differently than in your home bands, or did you stick to tried-and-true methods?
Alpo: We approached the recording with a bit of a do-it-yourself kind of attitude. We wanted it to sound as authentic as possible. A sound engineer was used for the mixing of the album as well as the drum recordings to make it sound professional while still maintaining the raw and honest feel.
Juho: For me it was a must to have the guitars recorded with an actual amp instead of using plugins. Not that there's anything terribly wrong with plugins, but because I wanted the guitars to sound raw and have all that natural feedback happening whenever needed. Occasionally the guitars ended up feedbacking perhaps a bit too much and sometimes even whenever not needed, hahaha, but as a fan of Celtic Frost’s album Monotheist and that album’s feedback drenched sound, I’d say it ended up sounding nice and definitely raw.
Iain: In the end, everything went quite smoothly with the recording of the album, as we were able to use the skills, knowledge, and experience gained from playing in other bands to really focus on the kind of vision that we had for the album. This also allowed us to work more freely without outside distractions and opinions, as we knew what we wanted to achieve, and how to get there.
Juho: Yeah, but to be precise even we didn’t have everything completely planned out in advance. At one point after the instruments and the vocals were recorded Alpo suggested that a friend of his, Hannes Kaukoranta could play the french horn on the album. I figured that if the french horn worked for Celtic Frost, it would work for us too. So we went to the rehearsal space to record the horn sections without having even a single note composed beforehand. So we started experimenting and a few hours later we headed out for a few beers feeling very satisfied about how the horn parts ended up sounding.
At first, the new album strikes me as perhaps less accessible, rawer, yet at the same time incredibly dark and evil. Was that intentional? How did the album actually come together, and how did you compose the music?
Alpo: I think the dark and evil sound of it started to take its place the more we played together. All of us participate in composing the music. Most songs are (almost) fully composed by one member at home, while some songs get their first notes composed at the practice place. All songs are finalized together to make them sound like they fit our musical style.
Iain: It all came together instinctively , and the direction sort just kind of evolved to what it is now in a very natural way. We never really tried to pigeonhole ourselves into any one style of music, nor did we try to limit ourselves with the kinds of elements that should be included.
Juho: As Alpo said, we compose songs separately but the final arrangements are quite often polished and finalized together and everyone adds his personal touch playing his own instrument slightly different than originally written. Some songs came out pretty much the way as initially intended, but some songs went through a whole lot of re-arranging.
And talking about songwriting, I usually write stuff all the time: while on the bus or train, while driving the car, while I'm at work and so on. I have riffs going on inside my head, I think about how the drums should be played, maybe how vocal lines could go and then I try to memorize it until I get to sit down with my guitar and figure out if I imagined the riffs correctly. Sometimes I tend to forget stuff, which really sucks and pisses me off, so I also try to write some ideas on paper or on my phone if I don't have my guitar at hand.
Occasionally I come up with songs while playing the guitar too like the case was with ‘Obliterate’. I was just playing random stuff at rehearsals and Alpo asked “what was that?” and I said I just started jamming some notes by myself. He then suggested we should make it into a song. Then we added blastbeats and Iain's rumbling bass guitar on top of it. So we had the intro/verse riff ready and jammed through the beginning of the song. Then when we were approaching the point when the chorus riff would logically start, I came up with the chorus riff without thinking about it. So it took maybe 5 or 10 minutes to write the whole song starting from scratch, haha. We didn't want to prolong the song too much so the structure was kept very simple to have maximum effect.
Usually I bring my own riffs, ideas or complete songs to rehearsals and show them to the guys and then we collectively work on the arrangements. For some songs I prefer doing MIDI drums at home and recording demos, but usually I use this method for songs that have more details and are more difficult or feel like too time consuming to explain.
As musicians, you’ve played in bands like GOD DISEASE, NEUROSURGERY, PUTRID DEFECATION, ELEGEION, FRAGILE HOLLOW, DIABLERIE, RAPTURE, and STRANGLE CHAIN. Each of you is experienced and has your own style. The advantage is probably that you know what and how you want to play. But don’t you have trouble agreeing on things? You know, egos and such. By the way, how do you manage to keep up with concerts, for example?
Alpo: Haha, we don’t have very large egos, so it hasn’t been an issue to agree on things at all. All of us are experienced musicians and quite busy with our other bands, so scheduling is sometimes a bit difficult. However, DGS is still quite a new band with little experience in gigging, so scheduling hasn’t been a huge issue yet.
Iain: We also are in the fortunate position in that we all work very well together. I don’t believe that we’ve ever had any disagreements about the direction of the music (although Alpo and Juho may disagree). We went with the attitude that everyone brings something to the table, and that we can try any and all ideas that may be presented. As for concerts, as Alpo previously mentioned it hasn’t really been a problem yet. Let’s see what the future brings, but as long as we are all well organised, then I feel that there shouldn't be any major scheduling issues for shows.
Juho: Trouble with agreeing? Well just as Iain hinted, I just hate it when I have an awesome idea regarding some song's arrangement and Alpo disapproves of it and has another idea. Iain has suggestions too but he is generally more laid back and adaptive and usually doesn't try to start questionizing stuff I write, hahaha. But then if Alpo and I can't decide which way to go, we decide it by voting. And yeah, I think I should mention that Alpo is usually right but I only realise it afterwards, haha. But of course for us having three dudes discussing structures and arrangements will have a better outcome than someone of us just figuring out stuff on his own. I think that's what being in a band is all about: expressing yourself and your creative side and having a good time with your friends to make the best of it. And of course having more ideas to choose from might lead you to doing something you would never have thought about otherwise. But no, there's no ego bullshit going on and in my opinion occasionally disagreeing about something only shows that we have passion for what we are doing.
I have “Delusional Grasp of Sanity” on my MP3 player, and I have to say I’m literally absorbed by it. It’s not just great ideas, but also the sound, which is, in a word, devastating. I’ll be sitting on the tram, for example, and suddenly catch myself tapping my foot. I’m dying to start dancing. If I weren’t already a bit older, I probably would have. Where did you record the album, and who handled the mastering?
Alpo: Thank you for the kind words! Everything was recorded at our practice place. Atte Karm (from Fearmonger) took care of recording the drums and mixing while all the other instruments and vocals were recorded by ourselves. And I have to say, Atte did a fantastic job with the mixing! Mastering was done by our guitarist Juho.
Iain: Thank you so very much for the awesome feedback! We were discussing not so long ago that the response has been surprising and very humbling, as DGS started just by wanting to hang out and play together without any thoughts on where we wanted to take it. We are very pleased with the end result, and Atte and Juho did a fantastic job with mixing and mastering the album respectively.
Juho: I also want to highlight the mix Atte did. Anyways, after Atte had finished mixing the album, we were talking about the mastering and were supposed to have it done by a professional even though I had done some experimenting and was trying to learn more about mastering. Suddenly we were in a bit of a rush since we had our first gig coming up and needed at least one song published online. So we ended up using my mastering for it. Iain and Alpo liked the master so we decided to have the album released that way with slight adjustments. Then when we had handed out the master to our label Great Dane Records for the album to be pressed, I was on a vacation in London and the label was asking for the master in a fancy industry standard format which I hadn't unfortunately checked in advance. Luckily we got Peter from Putrid Defecation to help us out with that so thank you very much Peter!
Who wrote the lyrics for *Delusional Grasp of Sanity*? And what are they about? Where do you get your inspiration for the themes?
Alpo: All of us take part in writing the lyrics. The lyrics revolve around themes including alcoholism, depression, existentialism, society. The lyrics are often dark and gloomy, but so is our music! The inspiration for the lyrics come from our real life experiences and how we view the world around us.
Iain: As I said previously, we all work very well together, and so coming up with lyrical ideas happened quite easily and naturally. I guess that it’s quite fortunate that we feel the same way about people, society, and the world as a whole.
Who designed the cover art for *Delusional Grasp of Sanity*? I really like their work. How did you go about choosing the cover art in the first place?
Alpo: The cover art was designed by Niilas Nissilä (from Sepulchral Curse)! A talented artist and a friend of ours. Looking at his previous work we knew he would do a great job for our cover art!
Juho: Niilas first made a sketch according to how he felt the album sounded. Then we threw in a few additional ideas and he worked on them but eventually the cover art started taking a slightly different direction and I really love how it turned out. It pretty much looks as dark, desperate and grimy as the album sounds like. Really beautiful.
If we go back to the beginning… What was actually the initial impulse that led you to form the band? And why death/grindcore metal specifically? I’d guess some good pub, one thing leading to another… or am I wrong?
Alpo: I think the initial impulse was that we were practicing with our previous band, but only the three of us showed up at the practice place week after week. We decided to start making our own music just the three of us instead of continuing with the other band. The initial idea was to play uplifting grindcore, but it quite quickly evolved to something darker and gloomier. We are all fans of fast and heavy music, so having lots of blast beats was non-negotiable! A lot of ideas for the band and its musical style came up at a good pub, though.
Iain: On a personal level I really enjoyed playing with and hanging out with Alpo and Juho, and we were all quite frustrated with what in our previous band. I suggested to them that we just get together to hang out and play some grind, as grind is always fun to play and DGS just kind of started to evolve from there.
Juho: In the beginning after playing for some while as a three-piece we were thinking of getting a vocalist and had one rehearsal with a friend of Alpo’s auditioning for vocals. He eventually declined joining because he felt he was after all too busy at the moment. For me it felt like a total bummer because I really liked his vocals. After that Alpo suggested that he himself could try doing vocals and playing the drums simultaneously because he had been doing backing vocals in other bands. My jaw then pretty much dropped to the floor upon hearing him playing and singing at the same time without even having any lyrics at the moment, you know: just improvising with vocal patterns and singing random words. Iain then started doing backing vocals so the final touches of our sound started taking its shape.
Iain: We’ve never limited ourselves to what should be in our music. If there was something that we liked then we used it. It’s been a really refreshing process, as we don’t really write to a formula. We just play what we enjoy, and if other people like it, then that’s a bonus. However, as Alpo has already said: blast beats are mandatory!
You’re from Helsinki, Finland, and you play extreme death grindcore metal. Our readers would definitely be interested in how the death grind metal scene works in Finland. To tell you the truth, lately I’ve been hearing nothing but great bands from you guys (CONCRETE ICON are excellent!, INFERIA (I still love this band!)). Does that mean the scene is really strong over there right now? What about shows, how many people show up?
Alpo: The death metal scene in Helsinki (and generally in Finland) is alive and well! A good example of this is the great Helsinki Death Fest! There are also new death metal bands popping up in Finland frequently. The amount of people showing up to death metal shows varies a lot by the band, though.
Juho: I think the scene is currently vibrant but not only just death metal but also on a wider scale with bands from different kinds of underground subgenres playing in the same events and so on. And I like it that way because listening to different kinds of bands at the same event has a bit more to offer for everyone in the audience and also for those who are on stage. Like playing this year at the same venue with three bands, a doom metal band, a sludge band and a hardcore punk band. I think it was fun because we ourselves have at least some elements from each genre.
Your music clearly shows that you’re influenced by both the Finnish death/grindcore metal scene and older European bands. What about you as fans? Do you prefer the original death metal of the ’90s, or do you also draw inspiration from newer albums? If so, I’d be curious to know which bands have had the biggest influence on DGS.
Alpo: To me personally, the biggest influences to DGS music are Rotten Sound and Ulcerate. Rotten Sound due to the sheer brutality and the exceptionally good drumwork in the early albums, and Ulcerate due to the chaotic and gloomy atmosphere. I personally listen to anything that sounds good and am not that much limited to certain genres.
Iain: On a personal level I can say Napalm Death, Nasum, and Teethgrinder would be my biggest influences from the world of grindcore, but it was Portuguese grindcore band called Axia that really showed me that there’s no limit to the kinds of influences that can be used in this style of music. I highly recommend that you check them out! But generally speaking I tend to pick up musical ideas from all over the place, regardless of genre, and have been listening to a lot of dark industrial music lately for some reason.
Juho: Talking about death metal, I pretty much grew up with the 90's death metal stuff but I like newer stuff too and the same goes with grindcore. I’ve got many influences but instead of carbon-copying them it’s usually like some single riff might remind me of some band. For example: “this riff sounds like Rotten Sound or Nasum and the next one sounds like Anti Cimex”. Then I might be using a riff that reminds me of Bolt Thrower, Autopsy or whatever. Still I wouldn't say there's a single biggest influence for DGS because we get inspired by many bands and genres.
What about you and concerts in general? Are you a band that plays as many shows as possible, or are you pretty selective? Do you have any dreams, like a band you’d like to tour or play a festival with, or a city where you’d like to perform? The Obscene Extreme festival is a must for you!
Iain: I can’t speak on behalf of Alpo and Juho of course, but personally I absolutely love to play live, and will happily play anywhere anytime with anyone.
Alpo: We are quite a new band and haven’t had many shows yet, but we would like to do as many shows as possible. It would be amazing to tour or play festivals with bands like Rotten Sound. Any good metal festival would be a dream come true for us, though. In Czechia we would like to play for example in Obscene Extreme, Brutal Assault and Nice to Eat You deathfest!
Juho: The lineup of Obscene Extreme looks very enticing so I'd definitely be thrilled to play there. And what comes to bands, playing with bands like Napalm Death and Rotten Sound would be very awesome.
What does music mean to you? I’ve been listening to extreme metal since the ’90s, and I can’t imagine a day without playing something new or even something old. I love going to concerts, I enjoy the atmosphere, I like the people hanging around actually, you could say it’s my lifestyle, hobby, and addiction all at once. How about you? Feel free to get philosophical.
Alpo: Music is the air we breathe. Playing music, listening to music and going to concerts of various musical styles is a great passion for us. The atmosphere in metal concerts and festivals is amazing, and one of the best parts of it is hanging around with people who enjoy the same music and atmosphere. One of my favourite parts of gigging and touring in general is meeting the people who play in the other bands with us and to have a beer with them. It is a lifestyle generated by the love of music but also by the love of playing the instruments.
Iain: To me music is like the blood in my veins, in that I can’t live without it. Words cannot explain the joy that music gives to me, and I feel very fortunate in that I’ve found two very like-minded people to play with like Alpo and Juho.
What does DGS have planned for the near future? How about a tour for the new album? If you have a message for fans, labels, or promoters, this is the place…
Alpo: Our plans for the near future is to do gigs and work on our second album. We would love to tour with the debut album, but I think we still need to grow our fanbase to get more people coming up to our shows. The message we have to our fans is: thank you for listening to our album! Tell a friend and come to our shows! For promoters: if you are interested in booking DGS for an event, contact us via our email dgs.grind.official@gmail.com, instagram (dgsgrind) or facebook (DGSgrind)!
Juho: Currently we have a few shows coming up in Finland and possibly a few shows abroad. And we have some new songs already written and quite a lot of sketches to work on, so as soon as we get them finished, we’ll be heading to the studio to record our second album.
I’m going to listen to your new album, “Delusional Grasp of Sanity,” again. I have to say that, for me personally, it’s essentially a perfect death grind metal masterpiece. A total inferno. I hope the album does well and reaches as many fans as possible. It deserves it. I wish you all the best in your personal lives as well. Good luck, cheers!
Alpo: Thank you very much for the kind words! We really appreciate it!
Iain: Thank you for the interview! It was a pleasure to do!
Juho: Thank you very much and hopefully we’ll get to play in Czechia some time soon!
Recenze/review - DGS - Delusional Grasp of Sanity (2026):
