[2018-10-22]

OUT NOW AND SHIPPING!!!

MORBID MESSIAH - Demoniac Paroxysm CD [MEMENTO-LXXV] The highly anticipated debut album by this upcoming Mexican band. Morbid Messiah was formed in 2015 after Anubis Sandoval (drums) moved from Cancun to Guadalajara, and teamed up with Roberto Trejo (guitar) and Jose Rivas (vocals). All three young musicians shared a burning passion for the authentic sound of underground death metal that blossomed during the late 80´s and early 90´s, and felt compelled to give shape to a brand-new, iniquitous entity that would follow in the gods of yore´s footsteps. Morbid Messiah played their first live show a few months later and then proceeded to record their debut EP, suitably titled "In the Name of True Death Metal", which was self-released in October 2016 on CD format. Guillermo Lopez (bass) had already joined their ranks by then, solidifying the lineup for depraved endeavors yet to come. Fast forward to April 2017 and the Polish label Godz ov War Productions gave the EP the tape treatment, and all 100 copies sold out shortly after. To depict Morbid Messiah´s approach to the Metal of Death is no laborious chore, for it is nothing more -but certainly nothing less- than a dank, impenetrable, lightless, decimating and unadorned concoction of the finest, heaviest and vilest elements of bands such as Sadistic Intent, Possessed, Incantation, Grotesque, Mortem, Death and Imprecation, as well as those prevalent in the early works of their countrymates Cenotaph and Shub Niggurath. Thus girded with such proud and powerful influences, "Demoniac Paroxysm" thus invokes its very title, whipping the listener into a fury of rotten, sewer-dwelling possession. Rubbed raw and blasted about like a boombox from the bowels of Hell, this is DEATH METAL in all caps, and forever be it so: Morbid Messiah are not recommended for trendy ears nor those with weak stomachs. But if the flame burns true within you, by all means, take this torch now! Naturally, for a record so foul and filthy, it´s only fitting that "Demoniac Paroxysm" is gracelessly graced with classic cover artwork courtesy of the esteemed Mark Riddick. Bow down and pray to Morbid Messiah! RUIN - Human Annihilation CD [MEMENTO-LXXVI] The long-awaited second album of America´s Ruin. Not much is known about the anonymous aural torturers known as Ruin. At least, that was the case a couple years ago, before the band´s rebirth. The small amount of information that we did know was that the band was formed back in 1991, somewhere in the United States. Due to various members of the band being incarcerated and institutionalized, Ruin was disbanded at some point later that year. Rumors have also swirled that the band members were/are part of some sort of cult. Now free from any obstacles, the Ruin Death Metal machine was re-started again in 2015, and work began in earnest for what was to become their debut album, "Drown in Blood". Released last year by us to worldwide critical acclaim, Ruin´s "Drown in Blood" was everything that everyone had been waiting for, and then some: mean, vicious, spiteful, raucous and sickening Death Metal. Sonic debauchery is what you wanted? Sonic debauchery is what you got! Alas, Ruin strike while the iron´s red-hot and deliver another foul cauldron of filth with "Human Annihilation". Shit-heavy and strewn with shit, "Human Annihilation" picks up exactly where their "Drown in Blood" ended, and delivers pure and utter ugliness enriched with doomed-out passages, crusty tempos and sudden blasts that are meant to turn your stomach without care. And yet, compared to its predecessor, "Human Annihilation" goes even deeper into the creepiness; its soundfield is still vile and viscous, but there´s an even-more-pronounced lurking dread haunting their no-less-heavy ruminations. If "Drown in Blood" was some sort of bastard child spawned from Hellhammer covers being slammed out by "Realm of Chaos"-era Bolt Thrower taking place in the jam room of Finnish sickos Abhorrence in 1989, then "Human Annihilation" is the beyond-drunk and drugged-out aftermath, where there´s simply no escape from the disease-ridden basement. They say absence makes the heart grow fonder. Well, this time, Ruin weren´t gone very long for us to feel any warm feelings for them, and so they deliver the more sickening and hateful "Human Annihilation". Cover art by Caleb Dickenson (Cosmic Void Dark Art) and mastering by Ted Tringo, so you know this one´s gonna rot your soul with Ruin! BARÚS - Drowned CD [MEMENTO-LXXVII] The striking debut album by this French band. Hailing from Grenoble, Barús formed in 2015 and soon released their self-titled debut EP through Emanations (a division of Les Acteurs de l´Ombre Productions). Since mid-2016, work has been focused on their debut full-length album. Bearing the ominous title "Drowned", this is a bolt-from-the-blue work of unimaginable vision and towering might. Indeed, the term "βαρύς" evokes a weight, an overbearing burden. Through Barús, this takes musical form through a complex and utterly atmospheric -but, above all, completely and totally visceral- approach to Death Metal. Call it an alchemy of sorts, but "Drowned" presents a moltenly monolithic, ceaselessly churning sound merged with palpably progressive structures, frequently stretching into Black and Doom Metal territories -and effortlessly, at that- all compellingly completed by bowels-of-Hell deep vociferations and vocalizations spanning semi-clean moans, spoken word, chants and everything in between. Truly, it´s a nightmare made flesh, its dissonance instilling an unshakable tension and terror, and yet Barús manage to make it sound so alluring, so tempting, to literally drown in the enormity they lay bare for the helpless listener. Drowned indeed! We don´t usually dip our toes into "progressive" or "post" waters, favoring the musty odor of vintage Death Metal. However, when presented with Barús´ "Drowned", we couldn´t help but submit to their visionary onslaught on the senses. So, while we could describe them as "Autopsy reinterpreted by Meshuggah" or "Gojira and Gorguts jamming out to an old Demilich tune with Ulcerate´s instruments," we´re confident Barús should definitely appeal to fans of such daring bands as Gorguts, Triptykon, Ulcerate, Emptiness, Meshuggah, Portal, Diskord, Akercocke, Gojira, Sumac, Deathspell Omega, Altars and Chaos Echoes. Featuring 9 songs in a vast yet time-evaporating 56 minutes, the production on "Drowned" is absolutely stellar. It was recorded between 2016 and 2017 at Plastic Lobster Studios & Eptagon, with drum recording and additional reamping done at Octavox Studio, while mixing and mastering were done by James Leonard at Plastic Lobster Studios. Completed by cover art courtesy of the masterful Timo Ketola, with inner artwork by Stephen Wilson, Barús´ "Drowned" is this year´s dark-horse classic in the making!

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