Phantasmagoric music with Phantasmal's debut 'The Reaper's Forge'

Hi my fellow metaller and rock bastard here I am again after a long time without a word. In the wake of a long week of hard exams and projects I feel renewed and ready to bring you new and fresh extreme, noxious, fucking mind-blowing metal. So, with a high spirit (not literally unfortunately) and an eagerness to spread good tidings I present you the blackened thrash metal band Phantasmal.

Hailing from the US, the young Phantasmal arose in 2012. Created by Wraith and Psychopomp, the band combines the traditional heavy metal with the agression of thrash metal and the spectral feeling of black metal.

With Wraith taking the guitar and drums and with Psychopomp delivering the harsh vocals and the bass guitar yawl, the duo makes it simple but perfect for headbanging. The sweet combination of these musicians brings that mellifluent thrill of the underground and old school atmosphere of the 80’s/90’s with a smell of today’s music.

Their debut, ‘The Reaper’s Forge’ was released on November 4th, 2014 and stands as their initial mission statement towards the following goal: “White hot metal screaming straight for your neck”. In my view they managed to prove the reality of their words with the debut.

The three track demo, entitled ‘The Reaper’s Forge’ transpires their goal and for a first release I must say – what a fucking surprise! With a total of 14:45 minutes the songs go straight to the point. As soon as you start hearing the demo you know it’s good stuff, the ideal combination of the invigorous thrash, with its strong and melodic riffs and fiery solos, and the unmistakable black metal, with its tremolo picking and demonic-like ambients.

The journey starts with title track “The Reaper’s Forge” containing five minutes of pure awesomeness. This song represents the old school scene with perfection but also contains a more recent touch, beginning with a fast-paced thrash riffing followed by a cool bass line bridge that gives place to the tremolo picking. What a crazy and smart combination!

The next tracks “The Eternal Campaign” and “Queen Nightshade” are also vigorous pieces in this demo contributing to the forceful band. With a wide range of styles in their playing they obtained a proper and unique sound variation (different rhythms, tempos and techiques) that gave them their own substance.

The phantasmagoric band can’t be taken lightly. Despite their prime of life, Phantasmal exalts outstanding metal. I can only hope to hear much more from them. Rock on \m/

One melee with the words, ideas and its paradoxes... albuns that are news, the reviews at "HeavyHardMetalmania.net", always with its watermark,  Pedro Ribeiro, with love for beer... sorry, music from an early age, he studied piano and singing from 7 to 14 years,  then, devoted himself to the study of the guitar for 5 years. "The wisdom is found in the extremes, all extreme Metal here!"

'The Reaper's Forge'

01 - The Reaper's Forge
02 - The Eternal Campaign
03 - Queen Nightshade

  facebook.phantasmal

Acid Age - The Knights of the Living Shred

Coming from Belfaaaaast, Noooooortheeeeeern IRELAAAND. With a total weight of 50,000 Pounds. I present you the Knights of the living Shred, the light speed thrashers, the hardcore cyborgs of metal – AAAACID AAAAGE!!!!

Hyper Thrash, Shreds, Kame-hame-ha, a brutal big long song with 18 seconds (maybe not that long), motherfucking Judas women, Flying assholes everywhere, serial killers, Elvis cover?!… And this is just the tip of the iceberg of Acid Age new amazing album entitled ‘Drone Shark Ethics’, released 14 November 2014 via Witches Brew. The band is one of the best things I’ve listened this year. To be precise this fantastic group is an amalgam of “in your face” hyper speed thrash, rebellion and a great deal of parody. Add all these componentes in a blender and you get a sound that fits in the New Wave of British Heavy Metal movement, “Misfits-like” or “Municipal Waste-like” harcore punk with a touch of old shool Rock ‘n Roll spirit. Why do these guys label their style as “Hyper Thrash”? well that’s easy; it’s a reflection of their hyper-active stage antics and furiously fast “Extreme-like” musical style.

With Jude as the responsible for the mic, to be more precise, as poetic vocalist (in a very brute, urban and inappropriately way), also in charge of the hyper shreds, thunder-like fast solos and tasty riffs; with the talented Jake taking the bass and with vicious Luke as drummer; they Thrash like hell!

The production of the album is not the best but what would be expected from a tempestuous genre like this? The raw production makes it better at all levels. One does not simply Thrash cleanly but just like the skaters that do it agressively right? The song ‘No Place to Skate’ is the true essence of thrash metal and explains this agressive (in the best way possible) style.

Their influences, musicaly and generaly, dictate who they are. With interests and influences ranging from Motorhead, Toxic Holocaust, Venom, Suicidal Tendencies, Van Halen, the “HE-MAN”, movies like “Toxic Avenger”, Cult comic books, true crime history, “Bruce Lee”, “Robocop”, cold banana milkshake on a warm summer day and awful humor (not that awful), it’s easy to understand why their music sounds like a freaking alucinated blood thirsty shark.

‘Drone Shark Ethics’ is a 13 track piece that gives the listener cricks in the neck. Listening to this work takes me a few years back to the underground punk concerts where I used to mosh like crazy and headbang till getting a stiff neck. Thirteen fast and brutal songs with no more than 4 minutes each compose the album giving it an hardcore attitude. They also cover the Elvis song “Hound Dog” with their own flavour… sweet!

Overall – Fucking amazing!

One melee with the words, ideas and its paradoxes... albuns that are news, the reviews at "HeavyHardMetalmania.net", always with its watermark,  Pedro Ribeiro, with love for beer... sorry, music from an early age, he studied piano and singing from 7 to 14 years,  then, devoted himself to the study of the guitar for 5 years. "The wisdom is found in the extremes, all extreme Metal here!"

01. Knight of the Living Shred (01:13)
02. F.T.P.L. (Fuck the Poor Legislation) (01:38)
03. Hyper Thrash (02:47)
04. Fall on Your Sword (02:11)
05. Charles Gein (02:37)
06. Drone Shark Ethics (01:43)
07. 50,000 Robot Archers (02:50)
08. Big Long Song (00:18)
09. No Place to Skate (03:05)
10. Women with No W (03:48)
11. Septic Butcher (01:56)
12. U.F.A. Attack (02:35)13. Hound Dog (01:36)

DISCOGRAPHY:

"Cyborg Thrashterpiece" - Demo (2013) Self-released

"Enter The Zomborg" - EP (2013) Punkerama Records

"The Troma-Tized" - EP (2014) Self-released

"Drone Shark Ethics" - CD (2014)Witches Brew

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Apontokation with blood, sweat and tears

Apontokation is a death/thrash group coming from Guadix, Spain. The group arose in the beginnings of 2010 by the hand of Sijmen (Drums) and Patxi (Guitars), ex-members of bands from the same region. Little by little they composed some themes and tried to gather new players for the band. Before long Tito (guitars), Paco (Bass) and Antonio Vera (Vocals) were welcomed. After many shows they recorded their first demo ‘Awakening the Beast’ through Matxete Prod. Soon to follow the band played more concerts in Granada, Almeria and other citys. A few months later Tito leaves the band and returns to his home city where, due to an unfortunate accident, he passed away in 2013. Despite the emptiness feeling in all members of the band they move on and record their second demo entitled ‘Bloody Carnival’. Thereafter Paco also decides to leave Apontokation for personal reasons and Gustavo enters in his place. After a few months of rehearsing the band was prepared to participate in Exorcismo Vaginal Fest with bands such as Avulsed, Manica, Death Illusion and Ever Silence. Antonio Vera also left the group and in his places comes Manu Garzon, an old acquaintance of the regional metal scene. With Patxi, Sijmen, Gustavo and Manu Garzon the new formation recorded ‘Human Chaos’ single. The single is a taste of what the forthcoming work of the band will be.

I listened to the various works the band released, and from what I could hear they’ve been evolving well. Their initial sound (‘Awakening the Beast’ demo) was litlle produced, very raw but strong still. They presented that old school rooted death/thrash metal with some very nice musical phrases. The quartet second demo ‘Bloody Carnival’ demonstrated a solid growth of the band’s sound. The production of the demo also changed displaying a better quality in terms of fluency. Nevertheless there are some passages that could be a litlle different. Take the intro of the song ‘M.O.S.H’ for an exemple – before the blast beat drumming you can hear an awesome guitar “screaming” that could be mixed higher. And that happens again almost in the end of the song. When the fast riffing enters after the solo you can hear a pick slide technique that could be also mixed higher. In the album-titled song you can hear some fails in the music especially in the solo. The hammer-ons and pull-offs aren’t perfect but it doesn’t make big difference since it makes the work more “real” with a “live-act” feeling.

What made me excited about Apontokation was the single ‘Human Chaos’. This single was a huge leap for the band. I can actually say that hearing this single was a totally new experience. It was almost like hearing a different band. The fact is that the music bears a much more professional touch in all aspects, be it the composition, be it the production. The contrast between the “child” Apontokation and the “matured” Apontokation is so high that i got the impression of “blood, sweat and tears” in their work. What got me to think was that in ‘Human Chaos’ the band didn’t conform with the death/thrash style. They went further using vocal techniques used usually in black metal.

If this new single is a bit of what is to come then it can only be good.

You can hear Apontokation below.

One melee with the words, ideas and its paradoxes... albuns that are news, the reviews at "HeavyHardMetalmania.net", always with its watermark,  Pedro Ribeiro, with love for beer... sorry, music from an early age, he studied piano and singing from 7 to 14 years,  then, devoted himself to the study of the guitar for 5 years. "The wisdom is found in the extremes, all extreme Metal here!"

Intro
Bloody Carnival
M.O.S.H

Human Chaos

Apontokation.facebook