Sect of Execration/Godless Truth/Sarcolytic/Devourment - Limb Splitter - 2006 - Ossuary Industries

Now THIS is a split worth caring about! 4 bands, 30 or so minutes, 2 new (by 2006 standards) tracks each!

Sect of Execration starts off with "Lord of the Sick" which pummels through some fast tempos and good switches, and the second song "Blessed Be the Whores of God" even begins with a semi-thrash riff/rhythm before evolving into a very catchy and sick slam section. Some slick mixing work on this, everything sounds very good, and the snare has an AWESOME deep, rich tone that really makes the breakdowns sound great. I'm impressed that these guys haven't done more with this project, though each member is in a few other bands, including another band on this split, Sarcolytic, Jon Zig's brutal mythical death metal project. I'd definitely like to hear this band do more, as they have a very cool style and I'd like to hear how they work in a longer format.

Godless Truth, Czech's darling slammers are up next with their brand of almost awkward death metal. Weird basslines and uneven mixing make this band sound kind of cool in a way, with non-slam riffs melding with each other through the blasting sections. The technical riffs slither around and find centers during the short equally technical breakdown sections. Zdenek, master of excellent record label Lacerated Enemy, produces some good yet typical low vocals, and there are some interesting lead guitar sections that sound nice and break the (sometimes) monotonous blasting/breakdown pattern.

Sarcolytic are of course quite awesome, a soon-to-be legendary brutal TXDM band with the equally-good Zig on vocals. And he utters forth some really fucking good vocals, powerful and deep with a good demonic tone. The songwriting is fairly good with a couple recognizable sections that are repeated in each song, and the blasting is quite good (though the snare is nowhere as cool as on SOE's part!). There are some cool layered high-low vocals which work well with the aforementioned "demonic" stylings present here. A good bassline is heard a ways into "Arras Persecute", also, which is always cool; finding new and interesting ways to implement bass always gets you extra points in this genre. I wish the guitar tone was a LITTLE clearer because it gets lost in the shuffle at times, but overall the production quality is improved from their debut demo/EP. Catchy and very high quality stuff, looking forward to more!

Devourment...well, I'm sure this was cool for every big fan of the band out there, their first new material since Butcher the Weak if I'm not mistaken. And it's really intense stuff; beginning with a crushing riff and leading into some excellent syncopated snare-blasting/catchy rhythms and slam riffs, the song immediately launches into a very fun slam breakdown, the kind Devourment are really known for. The inter-breakdown drumming is GREAT, definitely. I'm a big fan of Eric's work on this material, some really fucking cool fills and tight double bass on call here. Chris nails the bass drops, and Majewski's vocals are as utterly brutal as ever, though less guttural and "sick" than the early couple vocalists. I think his vocals fit the semi-new direction Devourment is going for, with more extreme death metal songwriting and a little more variety + better production, so that is all well and good to me. The Cannibal Corpse cover is also good; though I am really no CC fan to be honest, this makes me want to jam the original to get a feeling for how well these guys did it. It's more "melodic"/steady than Devourment usually is, but they play it seemingly well, so I have no problems.

Overall a fun, short and brutal split. Thought everyone has heard this by now, if there are any stragglers out there...get it!

Meathook

Hey guys, just a quick heads up on a promising new band that is releasing an album this year. The band is Meathook out of Phoenix, Arizona. To my ears they sound like an American Goretrade and I love Goretrade. Their album Infernal Torture is coming out this year on Sevared and I will certainly be purchasing it. In the meantime check them out on Myspace. They have shirts for sale as well.

Meathook @ Myspace

The Finnish Scene

Inspired by my recent acquisition of Cumbeast's new album and my affection for Torsofuck, I decided to look more deeply into the small but growing scene in Finland, a country long known for its black metal (Beherit, Sargeist, Horna, Behexen) and old school death (Demigod, Adramelech, Demilich) but not much for its brutal death metal. Here are the fruits of my research. Thanks to Ehrsatzmessiah from deathmetal.us for his assistance in this.

Torsofuck - I've been a fan of this band for a while, although I've had a hard time finding their releases. Ultrasick slam with some Goregrind influence. VERY heavy stuff.

Cumbeast - I've only heard Gourmet of Ill Shit which is really good, and I've been told their debut album is even better. Very good Soils of Fate sounding stuff with hardcore and even rap tinges. Somewhat ridiculous at times but if you wanted something serious you wouldn't buy a CD from a band called Cumbeast

Lithuria - Lively slam that sounds like Devourment and Dying Fetus plus some old school touches. Loses some points for generic vocals but the riffs are tight and interesting.

Kataplexia - Blasting brutal band with a rather Californian sound similar to that reminds me of slightly less technical Disgorge and Cenotaph - Reincarnation in Gorextasy. One of the few brutal bands I have heard that uses solos which I am a fan of.

Inimicality - Another band that sounds like it was influenced by CADM, Inimicality are rather new, although most of the band members have participated in other projects. I can hear influence from Inherit Disease, Intestinal Strangulation and Defeated Sanity. They have only released a demo but it sounds very impressive.

Tamakeri - Surprisingly melodic riffs and catchy grooves are interspersed with your usual crushing slams. Very headbangable and surprisingly good.

Virulent Blessing - Technical brutal death plus some experimental parts. This isn't for everyone but I think it's pretty cool. It can be a little jarring at times. I recommend at least giving it a shot as I have a feeling that some people will like it and some won't.

My overall impression of Finnish BDM is quite good. It sounds like they have a good core group of talented musicians and there is a little bit from all parts of the brutal death spectrum. I wouldn't say there is anything truly outstanding, but the average band is very quality compared to say the Phillipines, which has some fantastic bands, but a few bad ones as well.

Interview with Barrett of Sevared Records!

We finally got the opportunity to talk with US brutal genius Barrett Amiss II of Sevared Records in regards to a number of various wonderments we had. Sevared looks to be busy as hell this year, so we get the news straight from the man himself's mouth! Read on...

Hey Barrett! Good to finally get to this interview. Glad you could join us at Slam-Minded to share a few words!
Andy & Nick, I would start by saying, thank you very much for this interview!!!!

First of all, what's your earliest recollection of liking the more brutal side of death metal?
Well, I started on the Misfits, COC, Metallica, and was always looking for something heavier, and asked some people around and they said Sepultura, so I went out and go their albums, then actually on a bus to school in 9th grade, this guy in front of me heard my head phones, and suggested Cannibal Corpse "Eaten back To Life" and he let me borrow it, and from that day on, I was hooked!!!!!

How and why did you start Sevared? How has it changed over the years?
I started Sevared simply for my love of Death Metal!!! Nothing has changed over the years, my reason stays the same, I love Brutal Death Metal!!!!!!

What's the absolute hardest part of keeping Sevared running?
Wow, the hardest part, that's a hard question! There are so many elements to running a label! I would say the hardest part is getting started, and getting your label known in the underground!! Then comes getting bands on your label that people want to hear, then promoting the hell out of them. But I would say the hardest part is picking out of the hundreds of bands, which one to release!!!

What kind of qualities do you look for in brutal death metal that keeps you finding new great bands?
I don't think I really look for the quality that you're thinking of, I like to find the band that (it may sound funny) but that has the most heart, and the guys, that each member of the band actually loves the music, doesn't just play it for whatever reason, they play this style because they love it!! And to me if you don't love Brutal Death Metal, you can tell when you hear the music, whether or not the band are fans or not!!

You've been known lately to do some work with bands who are from places that are kind of out of the ordinary. You're doing Hideous Deformity's new album this year, and they're from Norway. Last year you released one of 2007's best slam releases, Down From The Wound's album, and they are Filipino. Are you inspired to find bands from countries not known for their large brutal scenes?
To start with that I really appreciate you saying that about Down From The Wound, Fucking Incredible band!!!!!! I do like to find bands that are great, that maybe most people wouldn't hear of for whatever reason, and make them known to the Brutal Underground! Hideous Deformity for example, crush the world and I can't exactly remember where I heard them at 1st or how me and Jorgen got to talking, but any one who hears their incredible music will say that H.D. is one of the best bands to emerge in a long time! And coming from Norway, known for black metal, a Brutal Death Metal band really stands out, and when you hear H.D., you'll know what I mean!!But back to your question, I love to discover bands from all over that are fucking sick, that not to many people would or would not know about and make them known!!
As Nick so accurately phrased when sending me some draft questions for this interview: "All I know is that you say it's coming out and 10 dollars later it's in my mailbox." Can you bring to light for us what the actual process of releasing an album is on your label?
Well, you made that question to simple! To answer Nick's question, any album is not really mentioned until it's in the closing stages of being ready to be released, that's why when I say the album will be out soon, you send $10 the day I get the CD, it ships right out to you!! What happens before that, is let's say the band already recorded (to make it simpler) then we need to get a cover, get that made, get the album mastered, and to make a very long story short get it back from the press, and then I send it out to pretty much every country in the world!
Without slighting other bands, can you name some that have been awesome to work with? We know it's like picking between kids in some cases, but...
I don't want to answer that question, I'm honored to have worked with every band that has ever been on Sevared Records!!
Can you tell us about anything else you've got going this year? Any more releases down the pipe?
Damn bro, tons of Brutal releases coming up on Sevared Records, new CD from Corpse Fucking Art, Hideous Deformity, Soaking In Entrails, Human Mastication, Rest In Gore, Blaze Inside, Gortuary, Lacerated Dominion (Demo Series), Gortuary (Demo Series), Viral Load new CD "Decades Of Deepwood Debauchery" CD (w/ James King on Drums (Unmerciful)), Sanatorium, and a fucking sick Ultra Brutal new Death Metal band from Arizona MEATHOOK!! Incredible band, check them out. Also, a ton more Brutal releases coming soon from Sevared Rec.

Will you be at this year's Maryland Deathfest, Central Illinois Metalfest or New England Deathfest? If so, can we hang out with you at either MDF or NEDF? We promise to be cool, but we do regret to inform you that we can't buy you beers...OK I might've just ruined our chances there but...
Yeah bro, I already have tables paid for at the Maryland Death Fest and CIM! Absolutly stop by and hang out!!!! Everybody stop by the Sevared Rec. table and hang out!!

Personally I (Andy) have always wondered why your label is called what it is. Why not "Severed"? Is there some portmanteau or pun I'm not getting here? Please try not to make fun of me too much.
I've always been asked that same question, the name comes from an ancient Chinese ninja art..... No, really back in 1997 I was fed up with the guys in my band, so I decided to start my own band where I played everything myself, and the idea was that I was severed from all band members. Then I had a logo made,and pretty much just kept it after that! And also, that way nobody can take the name!!

Also, I understand you have a goregrind project with a certain Mike who also plays as noise artist ACIN. Anything in the works for Venereal Messiah?
Yeah, our Full Length CD "Decorations Of Decapitation" will be out in May on Imbecil Entertainment from the Ukraine~ Fucking sick Ultra Guttural Death Gore Grind w/ a sense of humor!! Great disc, incredible layout and cover art, the CD compiles everything we've ever recorded with new never before released tracks, and I even play drums on one of the tracks, sick shit bro, I'm proud of it!!

Since you are so interested in the widespread genre of brutal death metal, do you see different countries/regions as having specific "styles" or sounds? There are people who talk about Colombian death metal, for instance. Do you think by doing a US release of Down From The Wound you opened up a greater possibility for more people to consider the Filipino scene an up-and-coming, burgeoning scene?
Absolutely, for me anyway, you can hear a band and pretty much tell which part of the world their from! You mention Down From The Wound, incredible band!!! Yes, I think that will open a lot of peoples eyes to the Filipino Death Metal Scene!! That album is hard to be missed!! Incredible!! I also have coming out in Sept. of this year the debut Full Length CD of Human Mastication on Sevared Records!!

Thanks for the intervew, man. I promise I'll send you money for those 'zines soon. If I don't, I'll buy you beers through someone else or something.
Take care! Andy and Nick, thank you very much for the interview, much appreciated! Everyone be sure to check out HTTP://SEVARED.COM, the cheapest prices in the underground, buy 3 get 1 free, postage paid in the USA!!

Flesh Consumed - Mutilate Decapitate Eviscerate - 2008 - Sevared Records

Sevared is off to a good start this year, releasing this new California technical slam outfit's debut album after a few EP/demo releases. Barrett has a great ear for brutality, as evinced by his constantly good picks for releases, and of course this is no different. Thick and downtuned chunky slam riffing combined with technical flourishes a-la last year's Inveracity album definitely brings this one up a little bit into a slightly higher tier than what is expected from California slam nowadays. Having found Condemned pretty overrated, this is a breath of fresh air, combining an almost Japanese sound similar to Infernal Revulsion and the first Infected Malignity album with the technical US edge influencing lots of foreign bands nowadays also. Some awesome solos peek out over the rubble caused by the devastating riffs and rhythms.

I would describe this album primarily as "fun", its playful and idiosyncratic hyper-speed drumming and almost-funny vocal histrionics really putting the icing on the proverbial cake. The funnest part would definitely come into play as the lightning-fast technical breaks full of scales/arpeggios galore, which just make the listener go "...what the fuck, did they really just do that?". Indeed, this album heavily deviates from the typical Devourment style slam, which can be dangerous but also very rewarding. However, it seems like these guys have done it well with class and style and chose a great label to work with, and that is rare and pretty awesome to see.

Songwriting-wise, there are a lot of good slam breakdowns infused among the blasting fury, but overall, fans of the new Abominable Putridity and that kind of thing might be kind of disappointed by the lack of pure groove rhythms. With its wacky solo tone and frankly insane sense of rhythmic technicality, this is an album for fans of Hour Of Penance, the new Decrepit Birth and Odious Mortem as well as fans of Infernal Revulsion and Defeated Sanity who just need a change (and more fucking solos!).