Bombs of Hades – Carnivores
I get a lot of music to review. A good deal of it is full length releases that really could have done with some editing, be it in number of songs, length of songs, etc. So I can really appreciate these 7 inch releases. They've got a few songs, usually the bands best work, you're in, you're out, you're feeling good about that band. 7 inches is a good size, it's a good fit, it's good for both parties. There's nothing wrong with a good 12 incher if you're ready for it, but it can be a lot to take in. Most of the time, 7 inches is just right.
So our inaugural 7 incher comes from Bombs Of Hades. It's called “Carnivores”. When it first started, it sounded like it was going to be a long, dragged out affair, and since it's digital, I thought that they were just playing around with the 7” designation. But they got right down to business and I think it's plausible you could fit these 5 songs on a 7” vinyl. Hell some of these grindcore bands fit, like, 27 songs on a vinyl single.
This is really good death metal. There is some very inventive song writing and every song has a really killer riff that pulls you in. It veers a little into the melodic death metal scene and that's fine by me. You can be brutal and melodic, I don't always want to just have the crap pummeled out of me. I dig every song on this release. “Necronimicus Kanth (The Hounds Of Hell)”, “Twisted Decay”, “Slaughter The Dead”, “Disrespect Their Bones”, and “Coffins” all have something a little different to offer, which shows some talent in their writing abilities, and the lyrics are well written as well. The singer is one of those rare guys who pulls off the death metal growl in such a way that you actually understand the lyrics. All around top notch effort and well worth your time to hunt this one down.
Horrifying – Euphoric Existence
Next up we have Horrifying with a tasty little black metal nugget called “Euphoric Existence”. I think maybe they were having a little fun with that title because there is absolutely nothing euphoric about this release unless being chained in torment is your idea of euphoria. Basically two songs on offer here with a short intro, this is black metal that hews pretty closely to the formula, but it is done very well. There's even a little taste of death metal in the guitar tones used and the guitar playing itself, and that works really well with the songs. Unlike our first band, I couldn't tell you about the lyrics because in true black fashion, they're doused in reverb, buried somewhat in the mix, and done with shrieks and growls. Perfection.
This one start off with the short intro, “An Agonic Death”, which leads straight into “Euphoric Existence”, so maybe what they are saying here is that once you die, the euphoria really begins. Just my guess, I didn't create this music and don't want to put words in their mouths. But they wouldn't be the first band to posit that theory. “Petrifying Hallucinations” wraps things up nicely, and if you could see what those opening guitar sounds are conjuring up, I would be petrified indeed. I love it when the music that the band comes up with matches the title of the song like that. This is another one for which you should pop down to your local record store and look for right away.
- ODIN
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