Blazing hot reviews: Celestrial Oath, Snake Mountain, Defiant Ground, Werewolves and Iniquitous Monolith

 

Blazing hot reviews: Celestrial Oath, Snake Mountain, Defiant Ground, Werewolves and Iniquitous Monolith

Celestrial Oath-House of Chains. This is exactly what the cover art hints at stoner/doom metal riffing out heavily. Nothing super original here, but hey that's the whole genre bar a few bands. All of this is nasty, distorted stoner metal wigging out big time. Live 3/4 of the tracks here would entertain a crowd easily; still, the best moments are when they really get more unhinged vocally and man, they can harmonize and get real growling equally, but the instrumental opener as a non-stoner was not for me; just went nowhere. But the final three tracks show promise and got my head nodding-as much psych as old-school doom metal. For a debut, this gives a solid impression of what the future holds for the band, with some trimming and refining you will get a band joining the ranks of solid doom/stoner/sludge bands in Australia. In fact, the non-ep track Star Grave that dropped in May really illustrates this point clearly. So definitely suss this out:https://celestialoath.bandcamp.com/album/house-of-chains

Snake Mountain-Villainous I: Reverence.
I certainly hadn't heard of this band previously, but I listen to/watch their awesome singer, Nev who runs the legendary Everblack podcast and he does incredible interviews and always puts out quality content. So no damn surprise he is a frontman of a really sick modern death metal band that delivers on every front. This rips your head off from the start with the pummelling Extinction Through Fire, a tense and dynamic beast of an opener. One thing is certain, the band is hellishly tight and has a solid groove, whilst dipping slightly into tech death, but not as an overarching influence. Tempos are mixed over this release, and my ears loved that balance. I can certainly hear a strong Carcass, Atrocity, Death, Disincarnate etc influence on this EP and that blends well with the quite modern, but hectic production on this record. Matt from Freedom of Fear has a psychotic solo on the second track which is front foot forward and works perfectly. This release certainly has some sick guests on it and adds that special icing to the already well-written tracks, this underpins the band's solid song structure and sense of direction. The Fall Of Eternia is super substantial in most aspects, except for some guest female melodic vocals that sound out of place. Not as a diss to the vocal performance, the singer delivers a superb, almost operatic/symphonic vocal style that I just don't feel works on this track (or genre tbh), but it is a point of difference and some listeners will love that. But it's a very solid track still. The closer, Everliving bludgeons you into the bowels of hell with a catchy and brisk song that is as grim as the magnificent cover art. All in all, a dense, self-assured and captivating debut release for this excellent band. A full album will be a gift for all melodic/modern death metal fans. Out now:
Defiant Ground-Demo '24. Awesome band that personifies that solid melodic hardcore vibe/genre and makes sense where they are on Set The Fire Records with label mates Fever Shack, No Peace and Threat. This demo has four straight-out-the-park tracks with no bullshit, very youth crew meets modern hardcore style; as much Youth of Today as Foundation, Bane or Good Riddance. Every track has a message, solid lyrics, tons of energy and great riffs. But I feel the best track with the most originality and the most memorable was the epic closing track, Is This It? shows more expansion of their style and more aggression. The final crazed part of the track with a faster tempo and more metal influence was a cool throwback to the glorious Trial and Records compilation days. 
Excellent band and cannot wait for the next release.
Out now:

Werewolves-Die for Us. Yes, everyone's most insane and prolific lunatics are back with album number 5. And does it rip seven shades of shit off you-indeed track one even begins with the words-Get Fucked!!!. This is a frantic, wild-paced mix of death metal, grindcore and fast hardcore. If you think this is more of the same, you are wrong dipshit- whilst the caveman essence(and wild humour in the lyrics) is still there-the songwriting just seems crisper and chunky than before. And that is bloody awesome. The turbo-speed drums, warlike bass and riffs are neverending and just like the psychotically beautiful cover art; this is all about endless sledgehammers to the face. The vocals are as corrosive and bile-filled as previous-still don't know what mental condition these cunts have, but it is a force that channels pure hatred to the microphone. Every track builds the case why most music fans, including modern metal/hardcore elitists, have no fucking clue-Beaten Back to Life crucifies all the so-called keyboard warriors and music experts(and rightfully so-lame death metal-influenced hardcore can get fucked as well)and Werewolves are the masters of how things should be musicially. Highlights included Rok from Sadistik Exekution doing brilliant guest vocals on the killer My Hate Is Strong, Spittle-Flecked Rant with its mayhemic version of d-beat spewing from every side and Stay Down which sounds like Killing Technology era Voivod on meth covering Damaged. 
Werewolves are easily the best current Australian metal band and also better than 99.9% of the overseas shite masquerading as an extreme metal band. 
Buy this or die you scenester!!!

Iniquitous Monolith-Monstrous Degradation.From one disgusting bunch of rancid Aussie metal to another. INIQUITOUS MONOLITH is a horror-infused brutal death metal band from Perth, Australia. Featuring members from local acts Depravity, Entrails Eradicated, Nails of Imposition and DFC, they possess an insatiable desire to create a unique auditory experience and constantly pursue the heaviest, goriest grooves imaginable. These insane nutjobs excel at their form, which is brutal death metal and guttural slam. They draw tons of influence from the obvious Death Metal and Goregrind staples, mixed with a love for horror be it movies or literature. Not only do these gory wizards produce some of the hellish-paced drums vs riffs apocalypse, but the gutturals sound like a cross between Induced and 
Delusional Parasitosis. Yes, not the Sunday dinner with the family kind of music-but if you are a fan of extreme brutality, amazingly tight and well-composed brutal death metal, you are in for a fucking treat. The underlying groove(yeah, nah we ain't talking groove metal you cockhead) and unhinged vocals make for a sick time for your ears. Skin Stripper is a huge highlight, and reminds me of peak Blood Duster (cue totally on-point samples at any given point/juncture) as is Degraded and Disposed Of (which begins like a Pungent Stench banger) and A Horrific Display of Savagery.

This band is hardly reinventing the wheel, but with proper extreme metal who is?-if you like well-produced, nasty and gory-slamming brutal death, this is the best band that delivers this in Australia, but as great as the overseas competitors as well. Pre-order this beast asap:
or hit up the band:

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