MARK MY WORDS THE GATEKEEPER MUSIC REVIEWS; CAUSTIC WOUND, MACHINE HEAD, MESSA, DZIRE & LAMENT, RESOLVER, LIK, CONAN, NAUGRIM, HATE,CELESTIAL SANCTUARY,INDUSTRIAL PUKE, DARK HORSE/BLIGHT WORMS and HEMATEMESIS/GOREOSSION

 


(I believe this because I AM THE GATEKEEPER)

THESE ARE MY STRAIGHT TO YOUR FACE REVIEWS, AGREE OR DON'T I DON'T GIVE TWO SHITS IF YOUR TASTE IS POOR.

I AM SHORT ON TIME AND PASSIONATE ABOUT WHAT IS GOOD AND WHAT IS SHITE. PEACE, LOVE AND HATRED BY MARK JENKINS.

CAUSTIC WOUND-GRINDING MECHANISM OF TORMENT. Fuck me with a chainsaw, this actually beats the debut DEATH POSTURE, which was a unhinged ride thru the gritty, dirty and pus-filled world of supreme brutal death/grind. This takes it even deeper into the psychotic realm, insane tempos, demented riffs and off-the-charts guttural vocals. This makes Blood Duster seem like a school choir. Essential, brutal and chaotically gorgeous. Off it's fucking head, yet groovy as fuck.

https://profoundlorerecords.bandcamp.com/album/grinding-mechanism-of-torment

MACHINE HEAD-UNATONED. From an album so heavy and inspiring, to a very pedestrian release. I enjoyed the band's last Australian tour, but this album seems like an unfinished or quite confused mess. It definitely has at times some solid riffs, but then transitions to such mediocre clean vocals, almost Nickelback-like vocals, and I am being serious. Not sure if it is aiming for a new market or trying to be modern, but it is lacklustre, mundane and very flat. Even a semi-reasonable track descends into dull city. This band has some savage albums, so I'm not sure what the hell has happened with this album. I respect the band and Rob Flynn, but I definitely have no intention of listening to this album again.



MESSA-THE SPIN. MESSA is a doom rock band that uses great tangents of goth and post-punk/metal to its advantage. Not only does this amazing band have tight songwriting and a brilliant vocalist, but it also excels in creating mood and suffocating tonal soundtracks that are mindblowing. Whilst not energetic, it is more about the ethereal journey and damn this band takes you on a dramatic ride to deliver its goods. From top to bottom, this is a solid album, like the rest of the band's catalogue. Quite simply, it is one of the best alternative/metal adjacent albums you will hear this year. Everything is resonating, wildly full of depth and rocks hard as hell.


DZIRE & LAMENT-CATCH YOUR DAYS. We rarely cover singles or video tracks; but this one is an absolute banger. Described as: 

Dzire + Lament, is an exciting and unique collaborative project born of the evocative imaginations of a melancholic songstress and her sonic alchemist producer whose catchy and captivating offerings tread that elusive path that winds between light and dark. 

This is a cool project that features the sublime vocals of Desiree Cameron combined with the production wizardry, plus guitar magic from Afshin Nikouseresht. Equal parts PJ Harvey mixed with jazzy, trip hop influenced 90's style classic Indie Pop overlaid with some scorching riffs to deliver an absolute anthem. This is a track that is equally at home at a seedy bar or at a major music festival. Production and mixing are 
blisteringly fierce, and let's hope they do a full EP or album. Brilliant debut.


RESOLVER-BETTER THAN WHAT?. At last a new streetpunk modern classic, seems like forever since a real hard arsed and roaring Oi! release has dropped. The six tracks on this are all absolute rippers and really no surprise given the lovely hooligans in this band. Razorcut, The Opposition and The Clinch are stalwarts for the streetpunk genre, and these legends hail from these bands. Better Than What? is sensational because of super tight songwriting, brilliant vocals (and backing vocals to be fair), very punchy, but groove-driven bass and drums, all interspersed with vigorous riffs. Resolver delivers what we all want from a killer Oi!/Streetpunk band-boisterous, tough anthems with catchy sing-alongs that are instant earworms from the first listen. Highlights: the whole damn EP because it's fucking awesome, it rips hard and every track is a classic. Go see them, buy their music/merch ASAP!!
LIK-NECRO. If you haven't heard this ripping Swedish death metal beast, you are in for a savage treat. Think of the classic bands like Dismember, Entombed and In Flames, etc, you get the picture. Think chunky, dirty, gory and crushing OSDM with skin peeling riffs and insane vocals. But not just straight aggression, take Morgue Rat-the atmospheric elements make it more aggressive, the pacing and song structures are clever and super effective. You need this album now, just another wild gem in this band's brilliant catalogue.


CONAN-VIOLENCE DIMENSION. Conan does sludge/doom so damn well. Because I have a major issue with two riff bands that seem to record an album as a stoner event, rather than create decent music. Conan recently destroyed audiences in Australia again, as expected, with their antagonistic and vigorous version of the genre. In previous reviews, I stated that the band has a punk or hardcore element about them, in an extreme style that lifts them and puts Thou above the generic doom/sludge bands. And this unrelenting heavieness or a commitment to brutality makes bands like even EYEHATEGOD seem boring as batshit. The tone of this album is gritty and nasty, the vocals are utterly abrasive, and there is a perfect amount of evil atmosphere mixed with a punishing groove. One of their finest albums, easily. Every track is essential, but the closing opus Ocean of Boiling Skin is breathtaking and so damn gripping. This band should get more love and praise, as they are the kings of doom/sludge for me. Buy or die!!!

NAUGRIM-DESOLATION. This is the new drop from the Blue Mountains demigods of metalcore/death metal, Naugrim. And to say they have stepped it up since their last EP is a huge understatement.
Everything is more aggressive, the riffs more shredding, the tone dark and grim, and the vocals completely overpowering. I dug how it pairs old school metalcore with both death metal and possibly deathcore. Reminds me as much of classic Swedish Death Metal and old school early Aussie metalcore. The songwriting is super clever, really maximises the well-crafted skills of this band. These two tracks are evil in atmosphere and also cruel as they have us listeners hanging for a full EP or even better, an album of this savage brilliance. Production is more crunchy on these tracks, and check the frenzied tempo and structure changes on Bitter End. Wicked two-track release, please, Sir GIVE US MORE!!!

Watch this:

Listen:

HATE-BELLUM REGIIS.This Polish battering ram I have also never heard (PS their previous releases are fucking killer also) of and this is carnal, crushing blackened death metal, that is so unrelenting. The album reminds me of when Behemoth were still heavy, but actually most of their tracks are way heavier. There is a consistent level of nasty tone and pure vitriol in every track. The production is super in-your-face and savage, and the vocals are raging. Even the addition of female vocals adds a barbaric edge to the psychosis seemingly raging in every track. It has the classic hallmarks of black metal with endless tremolos punishing you, and no time to take a breath. The album is like a war between a grim atmosphere and dissonant abuse. Classic album.
This is the true cvlt metal band of Poland.


CELESTIAL SANCTUARY-
VISIONS OF STAGNANT BLOOD.Again, a band that I have never heard before, but this is UK pure gory death metal that is dirty, slimy, and so, so crushing. This pounds as hard as Bolt Thrower, yet has the tone and vocals of peak Death, Deicide and Morbid Angel. So much punishment in four tracks and incredible. Insane groove runs through each track as well. This is phenomenal and you need to buy it now. Best Death Metal band I have heard in years.


INDUSTRIAL PUKE-ALIVE TO NO AVAIL. Again, another band I have never heard and these Swedes lay it all on a plate for me; groovy riffs, psychotic vocals and a sordid mix of crust, dbeat and thrashy death metal. All 12 tracks fly by in the blink of an eye and there's also a maddened powerviolence foundation to everything mixed with almost Cancer Bats-like harmony, or is that disharmony?. Who gives a fuck, this is the most frenzied extreme music I have heard in ages, mixed with a borderline Slayer vibe. Buy or die, this is brilliant, incredible, and it rips.

DARK HORSE/BLIGHT WORMS-SPLIT EP. What a stunning combo, too unrelenting cooked units, Dark Horse with their venomous stadium crust and Blight Worms grinding your mere existence into pixie dust. Dark Horse drop three of their best tracks, BYO Rage is pure psychotic rage whilst being grim as hell, Too Far Gone shows why Sydney has a stylistic hatred in their hardcore that has worked for decades and Dealing With It is like a classic Toe to Toe track on meth. Impressive, and it bodes well for this classic band to drop a new album. No calm on the farm for this band. Blight Worms destroy your eardrums and innards in less than a minute, which is the modus operandi for 4/5 tracks. The tempo is out of control, and I hope you like blastbeats and classic grind vocals, because these tracks have that in bucketloads in this unhinged grindy powerviolence display. I love their stuff, so I wasn't surprised how excellent their side of the split was. Great combo, maximum audio overdrive all the fucking way. Buy and terrorise your neighbours with ASAP!!!



HEMATEMESIS/GOREOSSION-SPLIT ALBUM. I had the pleasure a few weeks ago of catching Hematemesis at a local venue, and they are my fave new band. Think of the peak time when powerviolence and savage grindcore were more punk than a trend-driven metal stereotype. Everything about this band is brilliant, savage drumming, corrosive riffs, thundering bass and pleasantly demented vocals. People often forget that grindcore has strong links/connections to hardcore/crust. Think Slap A Ham records, and you get the vibe. Perfect band, lovely people and sick music. GOREOSSION is straight up demented goregrind, very old school, and this Polish crew does it perfectly. Everything is raw, the riffs and drumming are savage, and of course, the vocals are absolutely ridiculous. Banging split album that you need, grab a copy asap, deranged brilliance.































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