I know. I know. I have been gone for quite awhile and I have been mostly terrible about album reviews. As such, my annual late year-end list will be broken into two parts and will show off all of the albums I have purchased from 2018. I will list the releases in descending order of preference. For example, of the four demos listed immediately below, the last one listed is my favorite. This is in lieu of having a numbered system because I am not doing a simple Top 10 or whatever. The top albums list will likely come out this weekend. I just have to finish up a few reviews.
So in this post, I am listing the demos and the EPs. This is not a huge post. The next one will be however. The other thing I should note is that this entire year, I picked up just two CDs, one of which was included with a vinyl album and the other was one my wife bought, ripped, and then gave to me. I already bought the cassette. Yes, cassette. That has been an obsession of mine lately. Almost every single release in these two posts was purchased on cassette. There are a few albums I have yet to buy from 2018 because they were never available on cassette and I did not get around to buying them on vinyl.
So, without further ado, here are the demos and EPs. I did not pick up nearly as many as I intended, but there are some solid releases here:
DEMOS
BLOOMING CARRIONS: NECROSIS TWILIGHT
Atmosphere is the name of the game for these Finnish death merchants. Finland has a long history of being a breeding ground for off-kilter metal bands across all subgenres. Blooming Carrions definitely qualifies. They are much more concerned with presenting a sense of foreboding than with razor sharp riffs. Their riffs are murky and the production murkier still. The structures are meandering and not really headed in any real direction. It is an interesting demo and their prior one was too. They have a future.
TELEPORT: THE EXPANSION
I was sort of disappointed with this one, which is why it is placed where it is, moreso than about the quality of the music. I had their Galactic Usurper/Stellar Damnation compilation and absolutely loved it. It was a sort of black metal Voivod, a very unique take. Unfortunately this album is much more straightforward prog death. The music is very good and Teleport is the most polished of the four bands presented in this post. Unfortunately they no longer provide anything new and different and are not that distinguishable from any other progressive death metal band. A shame.
NOOSE ROT: THE CREEPING UNKNOWN
Okay, now I think we are just taking two vaguely creepy-sounding words and throwing them together. I'm not sure "noose rot" makes sense. If it is a rotten noose, it's unlikely to be functional. Is it rot caused by a noose? Is that a thing? Anyway, Noose Rot is an impressive doomy death metal band that has the kind of dark, cavernous sound that Incantation, among other bands, popularized. It is full of heavy bottom-end and riffs that lurch and crawl. Second track "Worship the Crypt" is a monster with a thunderous opening riff. Time will tell if Noose Rot is able to do anything that will separate them from the rest of the Incantation-clone pack.
SUPERSTITION: SURGING THRONG OF EVIL'S MIGHT
The first of two demos from this New Mexico-based OSDM band. I am reminded of the time when one of the support staff women from the first law firm I worked for asked me what was the difference between Mexico and New Mexico. Anyway, Superstition's point of reference is most likely Morbid Angel, with their twisted, crawling riffs and sepulchral vocals, complete with the occasional haunting keyboard melody. They sound like a horror movie. I am certainly impressed with the band. Hopefully a full-length is coming soon, and I may have to find that second demo.
EPs
FUNERARY DESCENT: OV CHASMS BEYOND
At almost 40 minutes in length over four songs, this is hardly an EP, yet that is its official designation. Black metal and doom metal do not get crossed over all that often, but Funerary Descent is certainly up to the task. The music is morosely slow, sometimes barely moving at all, with rasping, shrieking vocals as is typical for black metal. It is an incredible dark and evil sounding release, which is definitely what the band is going for. Funerary Descent has not been around long, releasing just a couple of demos prior to this EP, but they are unusual enough to potentially catch on, particularly with the recent wave of atypical doom metal bands. Funerary Descent definitely belongs on a play list with Bell Witch.
PROFANATICA: ALTAR OF THE VIRGIN WHORE
Profanatica, the vile and filthy black metal project of former Incantation member Paul Ledney, re-emerges once again to spread its hateful message. Profanatica has never had a pretty sound, and this EP is no different. The production is murky, the riffs fast and simple, and the vocals delivered in a typical raspy shout. This is evil as music gets. This is a quick and dirty EP, which is frankly how I would prefer Profanatica's releases. Much longer than 20 minutes and things become a little tiresome from the band. This is eight songs and less than 20 minutes in length. It comes on, blasts away in complete chaos, Ledney spouts out some Anti-Christian lyrics, and then it is over. Just like that. Profanatica is fun.
DESTRÖYER 666: CALL OF THE WILD
First of all, any year Deströyer 666 releases new music, you can bet they will find themselves near the top of my list. Secondly, if this were a full-length, instead of a four song, 20 minute EP, you can bet this would have been near the top of my Top Albums list. Instead, it is at the top of EP list. The band has ramped up the traditional metal and 80's thrash metal influences on this release, particularly during "Call of the Wild" and "Violence is Golden", respectively. They also close things out with the slow-burning epic "Trialed by Fire". Incorrect conjugation aside, it is a terrific song. This is probably the release I listed to most often this year, it helps that it is so short, but the songs really are some of the best this band has ever released.
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