A Positive Post For A Change

Guess I've been pretty negative on this blog, even if it's mostly in the service of humor. But I don't want readers to think I'm a jaded jerk who only finds pleasure in the dismal. So here's three quickie reviews of albums from this year that I really dig, and you might to! See? Wasn't that pleasant?

Perversor- Demon Metal (Hell's Headbangers)

Just got this today, and I gotta say that as much as I liked this band's debut album, this little 5 track EP is pretty damn hot as well. Like Bathory and Bestial Warlust getting into a scrap and finally agreeing to call a truce. Great production, great bestial, yet controlled feel, just killer stuff. And the vinyl pressing from Hell's Headbangers is great, very generous with a big lyric book and heavy duty vinyl. Can't say fairer than that.

Kerasphorus - Cloven Hooves at the Holocaust Dawn (Nuclear War Now!)

Yet another in the line of bands involving the axis of Order From Chaos-Blasphemy-Conqueror-Rvenege etc., this is quite a strong piece of work, moving away from the sheer war noise of Revenge, and in some ways back towards the OFC/Angelcorpse manner of death metal. It woiuld be prety impossible to picture this being anything but professional with people like J.Read and Pete Helmkamp involved, and it sure as hell is. A great compromise between modern extremes and old school values. Very much recommended.

Hour of Penance - Paradogma (Unique Leader)

Now clearly of the world's finest death metal bands, Hour Of Penance will be scrutinized more heavily than ever on this work. Here the band move into a vein that favorably reimds me of Nile, the crushing, deliberate riffs of the title cut hammering down with amazing authority. And the production, which is really just about perfect, helps a lot. A really strong album this one, once again driving the point home that some of the world's best bands in this genre are just not coming from the USA. Us and Sweden once ruled the death metal world, but the times they is a changin'. Hey, that's a good song title idea. Somebody should use that.