Goatpenis: Live in Brazilian Ritual - Third Attack (2016)

Goatpenis huh? 

Yep, Goatpenis. 

Goatpenis is a Brazilian blackened death metal band whose sound fits in well with the "war metal" moniker.  It certainly helps that the band uses a LOT of militaristic imagery and lyrical content.  I have actually been attempting to track down a Goatpenis release for some time, after seeing their admittedly awesome-looking logo everywhere lately.  I figured the universe was trying to tell me something.  However, their stuff is not easy to find in my preferred format.  This was the first one I could find.

Now, this is a live album and it is my first listening experience with Goatpenis.  Live albums are not normally the best way to introduce yourself to a band.  The last one I did this with was Black Witchery, and that live album was kind of a mess, though I later discovered how great that band is.  Unfortunately, this is the only Goatpenis release that has popped up so far so I took a shot at it. 

Unfortunately, this is likely to be one of those live albums that does not do the band justice.  I'm assuming that anyway.  The biggest issue is not the songs, but the sound quality.  It is quite clear that these songs are supposed to be punishing and intense, reflecting the harsh subject matter.  But there is a complete lack of any bottom end that saps the energy that is likely there.  In addition, the vocals can hardly be heard and there is some sort of odd pitch-shifted effect to them.  That might sound okay in a studio-recorded release, but does not really work here.

It is not all bad though.  The latter quarter of the album is filled with some songs whose intensity manages to shine through anyway.  "Roman Revenge" featuring Impurath of Black Witchery on vocals is probably the best of these songs, with a terrific opening riff.  The rest of the release follows suit.

So, this is probably not the best representation of Goatpenis's sound.  I will keep my eyes open for some of the other releases in the future.

Primitive Warfare: Primitive Warfare (2019)

I kept hearing great things about this demo.  So much, that I finally decided to check it out.  The fact that it kept getting compared to "war metal" bands like Impiety, Bestial Warlust, Tetragrammacide and others sealed the deal.  Also, I kind of love the band's logo. 

This is a very quick, three-song demo, but it will leave listeners exhausted.  It is a high-speed, balls-to-the-wall intense, hyperactive few songs.  And it really does sound what warfare must sound like, with the cannon-fire drums, neck-breaking riffs, and the gruff dual vocal styles, it is absolute chaos.  It is a punishing and brutal demo that hits hard, continues hitting hard and never lets up on the throttle throughout. 

The only issue with the release is that the songs kind of blend together.  I had a little difficulty telling when one song would end and the other start.  The last track is a little easier with the ambient noise lead-in.  But the songs do sound kind of the same.  But that is bound to happen with a band who just beats the listener into submission.  Maybe it's a good thing there are only three songs here?

Longtime readers know how much of a fan I am of the "war metal" bands.  Primitive Warfare fits in with those bands very well.  I am excited to have found another group.  I am eagerly awaiting a full-length.

Atomizer: The War that Never Ended (2008)

Well this title is a little bit of a misnomer.  I assume the war that the title is referring to is the full-out assault on listeners Atomizer engaged in for a little over ten years.  Atomizer called it quits after their 2008 album Caustic Music for the Spiritually Bankrupt.  And what a ride it was.  This is a compilation album of a number of choice cuts from each of the band's albums, almost all of which I had previously heard.

Next to Deströyer 666, Atomizer was my favorite band in the Australian blackened thrash metal scene.  They were different.  The band's earlier material fit in well with the Aussie groups like D666, Destruktor, Gospel of the Horns and the like.  But Atomizer was not content to put out the same kind of blackened thrash metal as their earlier material forever.  They started to evolve, incorporating more straight-forward rock and punk elements and some impressively weird vocal stylings.  The result was a band that was not content to rest on its laurels and made some very interesting stylistic choices over the years, while not completely turning their backs on what got them there in the first place.

There is something sort of strange about a compilation of songs from a band that has received little to no radio play ever in their careers.  It cannot really be a Greatest Hits album, because the band had no hits.  I suppose you can argue that it is a "Best Of..." album.  I was kind of surprised this release even existed honestly.  I suppose if I were to consider pulling my favorite Atomizer songs for a compilation release, I would include many of the songs found here.  "When I Die, I Wanna Die Violently" is my personal favorite track from them, featuring everything that makes them stand out from other bands in their scene.  Particularly the kind of "campfire" vocals that the band used more and more later in time.  Others like "The Only Weapon of Choice" and "A Song to Swing To" are also essential Atomizer tracks.

I like the idea of this release, it is a decent way to get the better songs by Atomizer, but it just feels unnecessary.  Atomizer was never even close to a mainstream band.  Most people who are into them are just going to go out and get all of their albums.  It is kind of silly to have a compilation album of album cuts.  I could see a compilation of demo tracks or something like that a little better than this.  But hey, I still bought the damn thing, so whatever.

Gospel of the Horns Box Set

Over the past year, I have picked up a number of box sets, whether complete or only partial.  The bands have ranged from incredibly obscure (Nuclear Death, Treblinka (who eventually became Tiamat)) to the more well-known, at least in metal circles (Primordial, Cirith Ungol, Possessed).  This one falls in the former category, though it is a band with whom I am well familiar.

As longtime readers of this blog know, and there may be a few of those still out there somewhere, I am a big fan of the Australian blackened thrash metal scene, often known as "war metal".  Gospel of the Horns fits in well with that scene and, as is common in these bands, features members who have played with Destroyer 666, among others.  Howitzer remains the only member of the band that has been a constant in the band's lineup, and he played drums for D666 on Unchain the Wolves. 

This is a mostly complete box set of the Gospel of the Horns material.  It consists of three tapes, and includes both of the band's full-length releases and one album features their 1998 and 2012 EPs.  The only other material out there is another EP and a couple of demos, so this comes close to being the complete Gospel of the Horns experience.  I previously owned both of the full-lengths, so only the two EPs on the first tape were new to me. 

One thing that becomes clear upon listening to all of the material in this set is that Gospel of the Horns has never changed their sound.  The earliest material still has the same thrash-infused black metal sound as any of the later material.  It is still delivered in a blistering crunch and Howitzer's vocals have always sounded like he is gargling with battery acid. 

I can not find any information about Gospel of the Horns breaking up, but they have not released anything new since the 2012 EP Ceremonial Conjuration, included herein.  If they have broken up, this is a relatively cheap and easy way to access all of their vital material.  It would be nice to see something else from them again though. 

*Image was taken from the Invictus website.

Craven Idol: The Shackles of Mammon (2017)

Anytime I come across a blurb recommending a band for fans of groups like Destroyer 666, Gospel of the Horns, and other groups of their ilk, I have to check it out.  That was just the case with Craven Idol, a British blackened thrash metal band on their second full-length release.  I am damn glad I did.  This is a contender for Album of the Year here.

Apparently, the band has undergone a bit of a stylistic shift coming into this album.  Where previously they had been more of a traditional/speed metal band, now they have amped up the black metal influences resulting in a sound similar to the Australian "war metal" sound that I love so much.  That certainly does not bother me one bit. 

Much of the music is fast-paced with lightning-fast riffs, pounding drums, and the psychotic shrieking of singer Immolator of Sadistik Wrath.  The true star of the album though is dual guitar work of Immolator and Obscenitor, particularly the soaring lead guitars that come out of nowhere to lend an epic feel to the songs.  The songs are also infectious as hell.  Picking one best song is damn near impossible, but if pressed, I suspect I would name "A Ripping Strike".

This is an absolutely epic slab of blackened thrash metal.  It is exactly the kind of style that I have spent a lot of time tracking down, without being too derivative as to be a copycat.  Craven Idol does have their own spin on the sound, but still captures a lot of the elements that make the style so fascinating.  And that makes it a top contender for Album of the Year.

Initial Impressions: Denouncement Pyre: World Cremation

This album was listed as Metal Maniacs' Album of the Year for 2010. That coupled with the fact that Denouncement Pyre is a black/thrash/death metal band from Australia finally convinced me that I needed to check them out. After forming in 2003 and releasing a number of demos, EPs, and splits, this is the band's long-awaited full-length debut album.

Denouncement Pyre is the project of Decaylust from Hunters Moon and InVotan from Portal and Misery's Omen, more bands that I enjoy quite a bit. So yeah, this thing should be pretty much right up my alley. And of course it is.

Denouncement Pyre definitely has the sound of Aussie "war metal" down. This is dirty and sleazy blackened death that calls to mind Abominator, Bestial Warlust, and non-Aussie groups like Sarcofago and Blasphemy. It is brutal and dark and has some qualities of old school black metal and occult death metal woven in as well. There is also a hint of 1980's era grind boiling just beneath the surface.

The riffs are sinister and grind along throughout the album. It is clear that Decaylust cited a number of influences for his riffing style, including Deicide, Mayhem, and others. Decaylust roars out his vocals with a ferocious snarl and InVotan contributes with some amazingly dexterous drumwork. This is a bleak and hostile album. Just the way I like them.

The Australian "war metal" scene has stagnated in recent years with the dissolutions of Atomizer, Gospel of the Horns, and other groups. Denouncement Pyre breathes new life into the sound and this is one of the best such releases in some time.

My Favorite Metal Band from Australia

Yes, some of these favorite bands from each country will also be featured in my 100 Favorite Bands Series, so there will be some repeats.


Well I think most long-time readers would be able to guess that my favorite metal band from Australia is Destroyer 666, the incredible war metal band. D666 mixes black, death, and thrash metal into a sound that brings to mind the soundtrack for an extremely brutal battle, hence the name of the genre.

HONORABLE MENTIONS
Abominator
Atomizer
Gospel of the Horns
Portal
Slaughter Lord

NOTABLE SCENES
Australia of course has the whole "war metal" scene down to a science.

Blind Buy Surprise Albums Pt. 12: Destroyer 666: Cold Steel...For an Iron Age

Longtime readers of my blog (if such a thing exists) will probably be expecting this album to show up in this series. I have already listed this album as my favorite album of the last decade. I also offered a little bit of a backstory behind buying it. Since I have already done a long, full review of the album, I will not spend much time rehashing the musical aspect of it. Just note that it is one hell of a dirty blackened-thrash metal album, a perfect example of the Australian "war metal" scene, and an album I could listen to endlessly without ever growing tired of it. I did a Top 100 albums list at one point with this album somewhere in the 20's, it has not vaulted up the list to somewhere within my Top 10 favorite albums of all time.

Now, for the humble beginnings of my acquisition of this album. I found this at a used music store. I had only been visiting the Encyclopedia Metallum for a couple of weeks and when coming across this CD, I vaguely remembered having seen this band's name mentioned along with some praise. I had no idea it would quickly become a favorite album. I also picked up several other albums that day including Crisis, Flotsam and Jetsam, and more. But this album made the entire purchase worthwhile. This is apparently a somewhat rare album. I could not believe I found it at a used music store in Lincoln, Nebraska of all places. Even more, who the hell wanted to get rid of it?

Random Thoughts: Atomizer: "When I Die, I Wanna Die Violently"

This song is almost anthemic. Seriously, it's unintentionally hilarious but it's such a blood-pumping, fist-raising, rollicking barn burner that it keeps me going back and relistening to it time and time again. The vocalist sings about being ripped apart by sharks or torn apart by wolves.

Choice lyric: "Any idiot can die, but it takes someone truly special to go out in what I call a spectacular kind of way."

It is interesting to note that he's singing about his own death and not that of others. I guess metal has progressed a little bit in some corners.

Australian War Metal Scene

The War Metal scene is a name given to a bunch of Australian bands who draw influences from thrash, death, and black metal. They all play very fast, evil, chaotic sounding music. Guitar solos come out of nowhere in a frenzy of riffs and pummelling drums, and vocals typically consist of raspy death growling. This is one of my favorite scenes because of the extreme energy of the bands involved. Destroyer 666 is the most well-known of the bands, but there are several others. The scene gets its name because many of the bands prefer lyrical themes about warfare. Many of the band members switch from one band to another frequently.

Here are just some of the bands involved in the war metal scene:

ABOMINATOR

Abominator was discussed briefly in one of the reviews, so I won't go into too much detail here. Abominator was one of the earlier bands in the scene. They took the groundwork laid by groups like Slaughter Lord and added various extreme elements to it. Abominator is much more of a death metal band with black and thrash influences than many of the other bands. They are heavier, dirtier, and rawer than some of the others. The band is still active, although they have not released anything since 2006.

ATOMIZER

Atomizer is probably my favorite band from this scene, next to Destroyer 666. Atomizer started off playing a style of blackened thrash with death metal influences. The vocals were harsh and extreme and there really was not anything making them different from the litany of other bands that played that style. Then, they started experimenting a little bit with a cleaner sound. It's tough for me to tell just what their other influences are, but the music got significantly catchier. The vocals were still harsh but were not quite as raspy, they were more spoken that screamed and it was much easier to tell what Jason Healey was saying. The music was a little more restrained, still fast with driving drums and frequent guitar solos, but not as out of control as it was previously. The music was calculated to be infectious and the band succeeded. They went a little too far away from the thrash sound on their final album, which was not as good as their prior albums. Unfortunately the original drummer Suds died in 2006 which is why the band split. A great band who had a bright future, it's unfortunate.

BESTIAL WARLUST

Along with Abominator, Bestial Warlust was one of the earliest bands in this scene. Unlike Abominator, Bestial Warlust has split up. However, their influence can be heard in many of the other bands. Bestial Warlust also played an extremely raw and brutal style of death metal with black and thrash influences. The production value on their albums is terrible, making them a little difficult to hear well, but the speed, power, harsh vocals, and blazing guitar solos that make up the war metal sound are all here. While Bestial Warlust was still together, guitarist KK Warslut formed a side project called Destroyer 666, the leading band in the scene. The band recorded two full length albums, each one extremely ugly and brutal.

DESTROYER 666

Destroyer 666 is probably the most well-known band in the scene. I have discussed Destroyer 666 before, so I won't go into a lot of detail here. They play a frequently evolving mix of black, death, and thrash metal. On their earlier recordings, they were mostly a black metal band but they began mixing in the other genres as they continued to record. The most recent full length Cold Steel...For an Iron Age was essentially just blackened thrash and was an amazing album. They have recently posted a new song on their Myspace, so apparently a new album is coming, finally.

DESTRUKTOR

Destruktor is very similar in style to later Destroyer 666 and for good reason as former members of Destroyer 666 are in this band. They play mostly blackened thrash metal with some death metal influences. Their sound is fast, chaotic, and powerful. They play thrashy riffs with a heavy bass tone and feature similar raspy screams as Destroyer 666. They are not real well-known yet as they have only released a couple of EPs, splits, and demos, but they are a force to be reckoned with.

GOSPEL OF THE HORNS

As ugly-sounding as many of the bands in this scene are, few hold a candle to Gospel of the Horns. Gospel is the only band that is far more influenced by black metal than thrash or death, other than the earliest recordings by Destroyer 666. The vocals of Mark Howitser are extremely raspy and half-growled at the same time. He achieves a tone rarely heard before, actually sounding like some of the instrumentation at times. Gospel does use a better production than many of the other bands from the area, but that doesn't make their sound any less filthy. The band's status is constantly changing, it would appear at this time that they have split up, but they tend to reunite quickly.

GRENADE

I am not entirely convinced of Grenade's inclusion in this scene. They seem to meet the style requirements, playing mostly blackened thrash with some death metal elements. The riffs are similar, the tremolo swirling guitar riffs are there, the vocals are raspy, but the lyrical theme is different. Grenade, despite the band's name, does not actually deal much with warfare. Many of their themes are anti-Christian, humorous, or about metal. Grenade is kind of a throwback band, with a lot of speed metal parts, solos that whizz by, and strange lyrical themes, it's easy to imagine them coming out of the 1980's. They have only released one full length so far, but it is a good one.

RAZOR OF OCCAM

Razor of Occam is a band made up of Shrapnel and Matt from Destroyer 666. The band plays music mostly similar to Destroyer 666's Cold Steel. The lyrical themes do not always deal with warfare, choosing instead to deal with diverse themes. The band is actually on Metal Blade, which is a surprise for a mostly underground movement. Their first full length Homage to Martyrs was released earlier this year and is a frontrunner for album of the year at this point.

SLAUGHTER LORD

Slaughter Lord is another band that really doesn't belong in this scene, but I am mentioning them only because they were a major influence on it. Slaughter Lord is more of a thrash metal band taking influences from German thrash metal bands like Sodom and Destruction. They are long since broken up and only released three demos in the 1980's. The demos were collected together and released as a compilation in 1998. Other influences on the scene included Sadistik Exekution, Hobbs' Angel of Death, and Blasphemy (from Canada).

TRENCH HELL

Trench Hell is a relatively new band to the scene. They wear their very clear Hellhammer/Celtic Frost influence on their sleeve, even covering the classic "The Third of the Storms" on their demo. They do play a little faster than the much doomier Swiss icons, but with the same punk energy, down-tuned riffs, menace, and even a pretty good approximation of Tom Warrior's husky grunting vocals. Thus far, Trench Hell has only released a demo, and EP, and a promo for the EP. I am eagerly anticipating a new full length album. Hellhammer worship is never a bad thing.

URGRUND

Urgrund is one of the lesser-known bands in this scene. Urgrund plays a slower form of thrash metal with black metal influences and filthy-sounding production. The band basically sounds like a combination of Kreator and Mayhem. The band is not as chaotic-sounding as groups above like Abominator and Gospel of the Horns. Instead, they are a little bit more restrained in the speed department, but make up for it in the heaviness. This band is extremely heavy.

Other bands that I have yet to hear include: Denouncement Pyre, Nocturnal Graves, and others.

Abominator/Mornaland: Prelude to World Funeral...Split Review

This is a split album between Abominator, one of the leaders in Australian “war metal” scene and the Swedish melodic black/death metal band Mornaland. Neither band was particularly well-known at the time of this split’s release, although they have since gone in separate directions. Abominator has thrived in the scene that it helped to spawn, releasing four full-length albums while Mornaland released an EP and a couple of demos following the split and then broke up.

Mornaland plays first on the split, providing seven songs. Their sound is very similar to other Swedish black/death metal bands like Naglfar, Dissection, and Lord Belial. They attack the listener with swirling tremolo riffs played over constantly blasting drums. There is a lot of melody going on with the rest of the music. The band is a little calmer and not as aggressive as Dissection, but they still play at a moderate tempo most of the time, although they do occasionally break out a faster song. They are not a completely relaxing band to listen to, but compared to the other band on the split, they are much more passive.

The vocals are delivered in a fairly typical rasp that does bring to mind their countrymen as well as second wave of black metal vocalists from Norway. The lyrics are easily understood. The most interesting point with the vocals is on the track “Silent Forest” with the clean, melancholic vocals in the chorus. It gives the song an eerie feeling.

The production on the album is crisp and clear. No one instrument is higher in the mix than any other and all instruments can be heard well. This is a very good recording by an unknown band.

Abominator comes rumbling in ready for battle after Mornaland’s half is over and this band is significantly more aggressive. Abominator’s six tracks all came from one of their demos. The band plays an extreme, hateful mix of thrash, black, and death metal with lyrics focusing on war, death, and anti-christian themes.

The first track is a bit of a spooky ambient intro with deep growling vocals. Then gunshots ring out, spoiling the uneasy serenity. The band charges in with blast beats and a blazing guitar solo. The singer roars a few times and the band never slows down from here. The drumming is raw and unchecked in its brutality. The drummer holds nothing back as he pounds away. Guitar riffs twist and coil around the rhythm section with intermittent squealing solos. The vocals remain at a deep guttural roar throughout.

The songs are all performed at incredibly fast speeds and those speeds are maintained sometimes for five minutes at a time. The songs are chaotic and powerful, the soundtrack to an extremely violent and bloody battlefield. The sound quality is often a little murky, but it sounds right with the music. All the listener can hear is the violence and aggression behind the music.

These two bands are markedly different even though they share influences from death and black metal. Where Mornaland is somewhat somber and melodic, Abominator is intense and chaotic. Abominator probably wins this split, acting like a steamroller over the listener.