Interview with Josh (Guitarist/Vocalist) of Asphyxiate - 2013

Asphyxiate, a three-piece Brutal Death Metal band from Indonesia, have a full length album being released November 23rd, 2013.  I was lucky enough to have Josh, the band's guitarist and vocalist, answer a few questions.  Check out the interview below!





Cerebral Reviewment-  Hello and thank you for answering a few questions!  First of all, who are you and what is your role in Asphyxiate?

Josh-  hello, my name is Josh, I play guitar and am the vocalist in Asphyxiate.

CR-  I am very excited to hear “Self Transform From Decayed Flesh,” your upcoming full length!  Can you tell us anything about it?  How would you describe its sound?

J-  It feels so awesome, finally we have a new album with the new line up!  We proud to join forces with New Standard Elite.  It will sound like "heavy blasting brutality."  We play a little different style from our previous album, but it still on the same atmosphere and riffing.

CR-  Who did the art for your upcoming full length?

J-   The art is a great match for the album title, killer art done by Jonrinz Art.

CR-  How did you guys start working with Jonrinz Art?

J-  Daniel Osborn give us the idea to use Jonrinz Art; he told us that Jonrinz had a unique style.  He is a great artist.

CR-  I understand the album is mixed and mastered by Josh Welshnam (Autonomy).  How did the band get in touch with him?  Are you pleased with how everything turned out?

J-  Daniel Osborn gave us three good mixers to choose from, and as a band we finally chose Mr. Josh Welshnam to work with us.  Yes, we are pleased to work with him, he did a good job on mixing and mastering this album.

CR-  Congratulations on the recent signing to New Standard Elite Records!  What can you say about the label?

J-  Thank you, we are really proud and excited to sign with New Standard Elite, good label, pure brutality label with no trends and fads. New Standard Elite know exactly what band needs.

CR-  Do you guys have any big plans in the future for touring?

J-  Maybe we will make a little promo album tour. We hope so.

CR-  Who are some of your biggest influences?

J-  Suffocation, Decrepit Birth (old), Deeds of Flesh (old).

CR-  Who are some other bands from Indonesia that we should check out?

J-  Check out Carnivored, Injury Deepen, that's it for now, to many to list bro.

CR-  Thanks a lot!

J-  You're welcome brother. Thank you for taking your time interviewing us.

ASPHYXIATE

PREVIEW OF "Self Transform From Decayed Flesh" HERE

NEW STANDARD ELITE RECORDS

Clit Commander - Tex Mex Ass Blast - Promo 2013

Artwork by Sidjime Art

GGGRRRRR..........PENIS...... GRRRRRRR......IN A HIVE......GGRRRGRRRRR!

If that doesn't have you giggling, you need to lighten up a bit.  The song however, "Penis In A Hive," is far from funny.
A steady, pounding, and well-paced track that, is really just one riff over and over again, somehow manages to be pretty catchy.  Now, if your band's name is Clit Commander, and you are releasing a promo under the moniker "Tex Mex Ass Blast," I figure you've got your work cut out for you to stop me from laughing long enough to even listen.
Congratulations to Clit Commander on a job well done; I am carefully listening.  You've caught my ear.  This five piece from Switzerland are packing quite the punch, and apparently commanding clitorises to do whatever they need done.  Okay, seriously now, all joking aside, these three songs really are good.
The band features two vocalists: Dave "Guttural" Apel (Incinerated Flesh) and René "Pussyshredder" Barthoulot (Ex-Cropment, Carnal Decay, Slamentation.)  For me, having two vocalists in this sort of music usually sounds the same as one but looks twice as stupid.  After all, who wants two guys standing on stage just growling and grunting their faces off?  I am happy to say that Clit Commander pull it off quite nicely.  I can here the added diversity in the vocals, which include those ultra-low gutturals that these sort of slams need, some Kraanium-esque, airy mids, some really great predator vocals (think Heinous Killings,) and even some actual shouting.  All of these mixed together are extremely powerful.  Even during some of the lowest of the lows you can still make out what is being said.

What really helps Tex Mex Ass Blast stand out from every other promotional 2-3 song release is its production.  Some real time and energy has been put into the recording, mixing, and mastering of this very short release.  Everything is tweaked just enough to be perfectly audible, even hammer-ons and pull-offs from Utti, the bass guitarist.  I also quickly noticed every drum having a really nice, welcoming tone.  Drummer, Cornel Betschart, displays an array of comfort and ease playing at different tempos and switching around patterns.  I also heard a reverse snare in there, something I hadn't  heard used since the last Raped By Pigs release.  Some electronic, technical touches such as that, and a couple on the vocals, are done in great taste and shouldn't steer you away from this promo.

Overall, Tex Mex Ass Blast is a three song promo that shows a renewed Clit Commander, with far better production and song writing than on there 2011 demo recordings.  Definitely worth checking out.
They also have some cool merch to check out!

CLIT COMMANDER FACEBOOK

CLIT COMMANDER

BIGCARTEL

Interview with Lack of Truth - 2013

As 2013 comes to its end, Lack of Truth's "Under the Torn Flesh" (REVIEWED HERE) remains my favorite release of the year.  The debut full-length from this Russian brutal death metal band stays true to the genre's roots AND manages to be original!  I was lucky enough to conduct a short interview with the band.  Thanks for checking it out!




Cerebral Reviewment-  Could you tell everyone your name and what you do in the
band?

Lack of Truth-

Valentin Khramtsov - bass,
Alexey Grigoriev - drums,
Sergey Minaev -guitars,

and two past members:

Anton Kazakov - guitars
Alexey Remizov - vocals.


CR-  Could you give a brief history of Lack of Truth?

LOT-  Lack Of Truth is a brutal death band from St. Petersburg (Russia).  The group
was founded in the late summer of 2010 by musicians who previously played in
various local groups. bIn a short period of time we released a demo entitled Graveyard
Of Fools and played concerts in St. Petersburg and other Russian cities.  2013 brought the release of our debut, full-length album, "Under the Torn Flesh" on Italian label Death Metal Industry.


CR-  How did you guys decide on the name Lack of Truth?

LOT-  Very good question!  We wanted our lyrical themes to be more than just gore and the usual things many BDM bands write about.
We decided to add things into our lyrics such as topics on social problems and politics.  And most importantly, about the lies that the media reports.  Then came the name Lack Of Truth.

CR-  “Under The Torn Flesh” is an amazing piece of brutal death
metal. Did it receive good feedback from your fans?   Is the band pleased with how that album came out?


LOT-  Yes!  Many people in Russia and all around the world write to us to give good feedback!  We are very pleased with how everything turned out.

CR-  Can you tell us how your relationship with Death Metal Industry came about?

LOT-  Eddy Smith, the owner of the Death Metal Industry, wrote to us saying that he had listened our songs, and was interested in releasing our first album on his label.  The band is very grateful to the label Death Metal Industry for the publication of our debut album.

CR-  Have you lost or gained any members since the release of “Under The Torn Flesh?”


LOT-  We have recently parted ways with our vocalist Alexey Remizov because we had some disagreements.  Currently, the group has found a new frontman!  He will participate in the recording of our second album and we hope that the new voice of band will appeal to all our fans.  Soon we will announce the name of our new vocalist.

CR-  What can you tell us about the upcoming album and how it’s coming along?

LOT-  We are planning to start recording a new album at the beginning of the new year.  It will be more fast and brutal than “Under The Torn Flesh,"  and the group plans to change the style of lyrics but for now it's a secret.




Thank you so much to Lack of Truth!  We cannot wait to hear more!

Check out a preview of the new album HERE!

LACK OF TRUTH
DEATH METAL INDUSTRY
PURCHASE

Epicardiectomy - Deranged Self-Mutilating Emasculation - 2013 Demo -Coyote Records

The tin-can drums and bass heavy, fuzzy production that they are known for has quickly gone from a negative asset to a positive one for Epicardiectomy.  Whether it's their catchy, down tempo slams that pull you in or the raw power of all aforementioned production characteristics, matched against some of the nastiest gutturals of the genre, you are no doubt pulled in.  This year's two track demo only furthers the excitement.
Epicardiectomy was first widely noticed for THIS VIDEO, one that was not that flattering.  The video was hated on by nearly everyone who saw it.  Luckily, it got the name "Epicardiectomy" out there, and when they started releasing more music, people checked it out.  Maybe some of us were checking it out expecting to laugh at it, maybe not.  None of that matters anymore; one full-length and two demos later, Epicardiectomy have gained a huge following and more importantly, respect.
Musically, nothing substantial has changed over the years for this three-piece from Prague; mid-paced riffs colliding into slow slams over accent-heavy, surprisingly detailed drumming.  What has noticeably changed, for the better, are the vocals.  2012 brought us the band's first full length, "Abhorrent Stench of Posthumous Gastrorectal Desecration" and disappointed almost no one in doing so.  Drummer Milan Moškon has seemingly mastered controlling the pace of a song with technically simple drumming but creatively accenting things to be very impressive.  Serge Gordeev's guitar riffs are as catchy as ever but thankfully a little less saturated with static.  Clearer production on this demo has really done wonders to bring out even more of each band member's talent.  The previously shoddy vocals of Tomas are presented here with a renewed clarity and power.  His vocals are my favorite part of this release because of their clarity, power and thickness.
This demo displays a band that is calm, cool, collected and very good at what they do; aurally bashing your skull in.  I highly recommend that you pick this demo up!!!!


"Deranged Self-Mutilating Emasculation"

Obsessed by visions of dreadful necrophilia
The scenes of horrifying mutilation
Sweet stench of mortuary atmosphere
Grotesque mutilation
Desecrating the putrified cadavers
Longing lust for dead meat copulation
Zero tolerance and no respect
For ugly human remains

Dragging the corpse of the dead whore
Violently thrown on the ground
Entrails splashed out
From the unsewn stomach
Head cracked in half
And green stenchy pus
Spilled out on my legs

Furiously masturbating
Fingering her rotten holes
With the other hand
Deranged beast inside me unleashed

Start tearing off my foreskin
Screaming along with hideous crunch
My cock half-torn off, dripping with gore
Mixed with belch and rotting liquids
Ejaculating from the disgusting chasm
Where my cock used to be
Premortal satisfaction
Remain dead with my face
In the shredded corpse's womb

EPICARDIECTOMY FACEBOOK
EPICARDIECTOMY BIGCARTEL
COYOTE RECORDS

Interview with Execrated drummer Tadz - 2013

Execrated, the relentless four piece Brutal Death Metal band from Davao, Philippines, have proven themselves a force to be reckoned with.  With only one EP (Reviewed HERE) under their belts, the next thing they release will have to be pretty amazing to top its predecessor.
I was lucky enough to conduct a quick and to-the-point interview with the band's drummer. Read on.

Cerebral Reviewment- Could you tell us who you are and what you do in the band?  

Tadz- My name is Tadz and I am the drummer of Execrated.

CR- Why did you guys decide to change the name of the band?

T- Well we made a mistake naming our band Degrade Incinerate in those past years. We received some negative feedback and reconsidered it, and it's not too hard for us to change our name because we are just getting starting.

CR- The death metal scene in the Philippines has always been known as a good one. Do you guys also feel that your scene there is supportive and strong?

T- Actually there is a lot of support from this country but the support is not that strong. We are still very grateful for the support we receive. We bow down and give great respect to those who support us, and for the record we will still make brutal music if they will support it or not.

CR- “Condemnation To Eternal Punishment” is a great EP! Do you have plans in motion for your next release? 
T- Yes! Actually, we are pursuing the writing of more songs to get ready for our 1st full length album.

CR- Art of Gore did an amazing job on the artwork of “Condemnation To Eternal Punishment”. How did the band get in touch with this artist and decide to work with him? Will you work with him in the future? 

T- Dmitry Simlyansky of Anopsys Records helped us find a good artist for our cover art. He showed us the work of Art of Gore and damn, it was a pretty sick piece of art and we have no regrets choosing Art of Gore. We are looking forward to working with him again. By the way, thank you so much Art of Gore!!!

CR- Will you guys be touring anytime soon? 

T- We don't know (real talk). We don't have plans to at this point, but if someone is willing to invite us then it will be no problem!

CR- Who are some of your biggest influences? 
T- Putridity, Antropofagus, Plasmoptysis, Woundeep, Disgorge, Dying Fetus, and also all Davao city based brutal bands.

CR- Thank you very much for taking the time to answer some questions!
T- Thanks for the interview!

EXECRATED
ART OF GORE
ANOPSYS RECORDS

Intestinal Rancid Flesh - Demo 2013

Intestinal Rancid Flesh are a Slamming Brutal Death Metal band from the city of Carmen in the southwest of the mexican state of Campeche.  I was introduced to them through a forum where people were talking about a band that sounded a lot like, what they were calling, a simple style of brutal slam pioneered by Cephalotripsy on their 2007 debut "Uterovaginal Insertion of Extirpated Anomalies."  While I am not sure I would call it simple, I cannot disagree with calling them pioneers.  "Uterovaginal Insertion" is a quintessential album for any Slam connoisseur; it deserves a listen and an opinion of your own.
Needless to say, I was somewhat interested, but only to hear how similar they may sound.

Going into it with that mindset may have put me at a disadvantage, but I have waited months and months since that day to let this demo sink in and I think it contains a few things worth discussing.  Cephalotripsy worship this is not.
This demo is only four songs long; just long enough to see if you like it or not and, if you do, leave you wanting more.  Production wise, it is very quiet and gentle.  That makes it really easy to hear everything going on here.  The similarities to an older style of slam are evident in the undeniable groove of the steady guitar over the simple pounding drums.  The vocals actually are pretty kindred to those of Angel Ochoa(Cephalotripsy.)

Vocalist Alexander Welt has disgustingly low gutturals and a wide, not range, but array of shapes, keeping everything extremely low but also very precise and quick when needed.  The vocals are the perfect instrument to go over the guitar, and he makes them seem effortless.  Guitarist Erick Járrin is constantly moving from beefy riff to groovy slam and injecting harmonics right before tempo changes that may hurt your neck.  With everything this heavily palm-muted and thick, the absence of a bassist is of no concern.  At the helm of all groove, the drums, sits Hector Lara Baez.  The tempo changes that I spoke of would be nothing without these amazing drum accents and tones.  Symbol splashes on broken up beats and playful snare patterns make the drums fun and impressive.
Now I can only sit around and hope Intestinal Rancid Flesh are busy writing a full length album, one with similarly simple production.  In the meantime, take thirteen minutes out of today and give this demo a listen!

INTESTINAL RANCID FLESH

LISTEN HERE

Cerebral Incubation - Gonorrhea Nodule Mastication - 2012 Sevared Records

I had no idea gonorrhea came in the form of a nodule. If I had known, I'm sure the first thing to come to mind would have been to start chewing.  I guess if you take that disgusting image and try to imagine an equally repulsive sound to accompany it, you may hear something close to this album.
"Gonorrhea Nodule Mastication" is the second release from Las Vegas quintet Cerebral Incubation.  It is even better than 2009s "Asphyxiating On Excrement", a well received, twenty minutes chunk of self proclaimed "Caveman Slam".

'Caveman Slam' isn't a bad description of the stylings of brutal death metal executed by Cerebral Incubation.  You are not going to hear technical guitar riffs and for the most part, you are not going to hear a change in tempo.  Just straight forward skull bashing.  The silver lining of these simple slams, however, are what make this record so catchy.  The perfectly timed and tuned snare blasts and the downright disgusting vocals are the perfect layers on top of the wall of static guitar.
Think Cephalotripsy slams and a similar vocal style only more squeals, meets a dumbed down Engorgement.
Compared to the band's last full length, the drums, provided by Ricky Nunez, are much tighter and more precise this time around.  There is excellent use of the pinch harmonics; brilliantly placed to punctuate through the wall of repeated guitar riffs.  And oh, those riffs.  Mark Candelas' guitar parts blend together and are recorded to sound like warm, comforting static.  For the most part the simple bass, played by Ben Martinez, cruises along nicely with the guitar, providing a nice warm low end.

By now I hope these kinds of vocals (toilet, frog, sewer, or just gutturals) are being accepted as an awesome thing by more people.  When vocals are this low, they truly do sound guttural.  It becomes easy to forget that this vocalist, Andrew LoMastro, is human and not just a weird instrument.  He also goes smoothly from his ultra lows to his pig squeals.  If you're anything like me and cringe at the mention of pig squeals, don't worry, they are done quite tastefully here.  They are used similarly to the aforementioned pinch harmonics.  Take the outro of "Alcoholic Encephalopathy" for example, where Andrew Lomastro's squeals actually match up with the harmonics of the guitar perfectly.
The whole record is engulfing in its warmth and groove.  If you do not like this kind of music, every song on here will sound the same.  If you do, most of these songs will sound similar, but are all prime slabs of slam after slam.  If you are a vocalist, you'll love this.  If you are a drummer, you'll love this.
If you watch Tim and Eric, you may recognize a sample.  If you are a Chris Farley fan, you may recognize a few samples.
No new ground is really broken here but as far as old school plain and simple barbaric slam goes, Cerebral Incubation have definitely put Las Vegas on the map, twice.  

Korpse - Korpse - 2013 Morbid Generation Records

A wall of fuzzy guitars and groovy slams surrounding you from every angle.  Deep, steadily pulsing gutturals scarcely interrupted by the occasional high shriek.  Blastbeats acting as serving platters for juicy build-ups to the main course; beefy slams.  Fist there was Devourment.  Then there was Sick.  Now we have Korpse.  Founded by Drummer Marten van Kruijssen (Houwitser, ex-Dictated) just this year, these four Dutchmen are already proving themselves to be a nasty force to be reckoned with in the realm of Slam.  
The band's vocalist, Sven (Visionary 666, ex-Dictated) has some very disgusting, phlegm filled gutturals that fit the groove very well.  Guitarist, Bart (I Die You're Dead, ex-Divine Sins) is just really, really good at slamming you to bits and peices, but with finesse; He seems to sort of 'round off' his riffs, making them almost flow together as one.  Last we've got the bassist.  Mart Wijnholds (Dr Doom) definetly makes himself known on the lower end.  He is the reason this debut feels more like a release of seasoned slammers.  Everything is just so warm and fuzzy!

If the mention of bands like Devourment and Sick didn't inform you of what Korpse is all about, then you need to be educated.  No but really, think head bobbing groovy goodness, causing you to hum along to the pinch harmonic peppered riffs that hardly prepare you for the face bashing that ensues.  The formula of every track on here is of that ilk.  If you must to check one song out to see what I am getting at, let it be "More Funerals To Come."  This debut is twenty-three minutes long and absolutely flies by.  The production is impressively warm but not over done, everything seems mixed in very well and the bass guitar is superb, heavy, and thick.  Korpse is fun and addictive, pick this one up physically when it is released, in the meantime, purchase it digitally HERE.

KORPSE
MORBID GENERATION RECORDS

Guillotined - Demo 2013

I am very pleased to be writing about yet another unsurprisingly promising group from the Philippines.  Guillotined are a Brutal Death Metal band that has been around for a few years now.  They released a full length in 2010 entitled "Souls Eternally Devoured," a decent debut that contained an equal mix of super technical guitar parts and heavy, chugging, memorable slower riffs.  That album, for whatever reason, seemed to go unnoticed by many.  It is a rather impressive release considering it is only two guys; AC Estandian on guitars and drum programming and Bin Bautista on Vocals.  The bands first material was actually on a 2008 Demo.  At the time, they went by the name Uteral Regurgity.  I kind of wish they would've kept the name!  With only one remaining member of that band, I guess a new name was in order.  If you are a new fan of Guillotined, check out their first full length as well as this three song 2013 demo I am about to talk about.

Since then, the band has lost one member and added three new ones.  AC Estandian, also in the band Anal Fissure, stands strong as the only remaining original member of Guillotined.  If you like the guitar riffs on this demo, and you will, then you've him to thank.  This demo premiers a brand new vocalist, drummer, and bassist.  No wonder things sound a little different!
It is safe to say that the addition of vocalist Myke Pardo has greatly improved the bands range of dynamics, something they struggled with before.  Also the drummer for Anal Fissure, Myke Pardo is apparently a man of many talents.  Choppy, accurately placed, and much lower gutturals give these three tracks a rawness that Guillotined adopt very well.  Guitarist AC Estandian provides his usual brand of stop and go palm muted riffs, only at a slower pace than "Souls Eternally Devoured" had us accustomed to.  Things are not presented in a neatly wrapped package but rather laid out before the listener as a raw sample of what is to come.  That being said, I think there will be some very good things to come from the band's new and improved line up.  The debut of the band's first human drummer, Em Lozano (Discreate), is a very effective one.  He brings these recordings alive with his blasts and oddly timed fills.  Red Mendoza is the bassist on this demo.  Unfortunately, his low-end thickening is thwarted by the production.  The mixing here sends the listener on a scavenger hunt for any bass guitar at all.
At under twelve minutes, this demo is a very quick listen.   A listen that effectively leaves you hanging and hoping for more.  Soon.   Not to worry, Guillotined is currently working on their second full length album, hoping to have it released by the first quarter of year 2014.

GUILLOTINED

Execrated - Condemnation To Eternal Punishment - Anopsys Records- 2013

Artwork by ART OF GORE



These days, if you listen to a lot of Brutal Death Metal, your ears ought to perk up when you hear of a new group coming out of the Philippines.  The country has been widely known, to the underground metal community, as a hotbed of Brutal Death Metal talent for almost 10 years now.  Next to bands such as Human Mastication, Disastrous, Sagrado, Lamaw, Pus Vomit, Perverse Molestation, Down From The Wound, and countless others that you don't know of yet, Execrated prove with this 4 song release that they are well on their way to standing amongst Brutal Death Metal legends. Now, let's hope another release is on its way.
Execrated used to go by the name Degrade Incinerate but hadn't released anything to speak of until they recently changed their name to Execrated.  Execrated means to be hated or to be thought of as evil.  Degrade Incinerate is a mash-up of two verbs, the first meaning to break something down into smaller parts and the second meaning to completely burn something to ashes.  I am all for the name change.  The band is about to release "Condemnation To Eternal Punishment" through Anopsys Records, and you'd be committing a crime to not pick this up.
This EP is four tracks of fast paced Brutal Death Metal with just enough originality thrown in to excite us for a proper full length.  At times the guitars come across a bit too staticky and fuzzed out, with being as quick as they are.  This production flaw is quickly thrown to the wayside when the raw power of the vocals perfectly carries every riff, effortlessly transitioning alongside the relentless drums.
Every time your ear catches the 'ping' of that beautiful snare in the sparsely occuring slammier parts, you are reminded of why you love this nonstop, belligerent, groove inducing style of music.
All the necessary ingredients are here folks; The songwriting is here, the vocals are here, the riffs are here, all confidently flowing above the concrete steady drums.
This is a very detailed EP and begs multiple listens.  In doing so, you won't be disappointed.  You also wouldn't be too pressed for time.  I mean, you could listen to this whole thing four times in one hour.
"Condemnation To Eternal Punishment" is a very solid release, it's just way too short.  No excuses not to grab this one!

EXECRATED
ANOPSYS RECORDS
ART OF GORE