[2021-01-25]

OUT NOW AND SHIPPING!!!

DIPYGUS - Bushmeat CD [MEMENTO-C] The long-awaited 2nd full-length by this U.S. band. Since the dawn of the Paleolithic age, mankind has recorded spectacular scenes of death, whether in scenes of cannibal feasts crudely etched on cave walls, massacres immortalized in glyphs adorning monuments of the ancient kingdoms, or in chance recordings of grisly accidents, compiled and sold on home video to those with a thirst for that which is denied to them by our "civilized" society. Spawned in the contaminated sewers of Santa Cruz, CA in 2013, Dipygus began as a 4-piece mutation performing rudimentary styles of Death Metal, a sonic evolution of the tradition continued from the time of Cro-Magnons. A 2015 demo recording, the earliest surviving documentation of the band, reveled in unexplained and bizarre events, including peculiar methods of whale carcass disposal and otherworldly monsters from on and off the silver-screen. After a lineup change in 2016, Dipygus recorded the "Long Pig Feast" EP, which featured terrifying rites, ritual mutilations, and ominous sightings of a Mesozoic relic in the heart of the Congo. The debut album, "Deathooze", slowly de-composed in the murky shallows of powerplant runoff in the Monterey Bay, ultimately being recorded in 2018. Though quickly banned in over 16 countries, the debut album -exhibited in North America by Expansion Abyss and Caligari Records- attracted immediate attention among slime fetishists and similarly deviant circles. Placed appropriately alongside the Fiji mermaids and other grotesque artefacts found in curio cabinets of modern-day antiquarians, "Deathooze" continued the band´s exploration of inexplicable incidents, mysterious beasts and shocking carnage, including genuine audio recovered from a fatal attack at the hands of an ape gone mad! Following their debut album, Dipygus was conjoined with an additional member, and began a new exploration in search of secrets hidden in the jungles of lost continents, where life is cheap. After successful initiation into the shadowy world of black-market cuisine, an agreement was reached with Memento Mori for the release of Dipygus´ 2nd full-length, "Bushmeat". Showcasing more exotic and repulsive themes of the supernatural and taboo, "Bushmeat" presents an uncensored and unrelenting spectacle, with each element of the previous work irresponsibly taken to a further extreme. A prime cut of raw and grueling terror, it is fit for consumption by headhunters, body-snatchers, toad-venom junkies, cargo cultists, aquatic ape theorists, disaster tourists, carriers of tropical disease, voodoo practitioners and orgone revivalists only. All others have been warned... Memento Mori recommends Dipygus for fans of Autopsy, Impetigo, Undergang, Asphyx and Nuclear Death. But why not enter the jungle in search of "Bushmeat" and find out for yourself? The album was tracked at Darker Corners Studios, the new venture of Matt Harvey (Exhumed, Pounder, Gruesome) and Alejandro Corredor (Nausea, Pounder), ensuring utterly crushing sound. And with mixing by Earhammer Studios and mastering by Mammoth Sound, not to mention form-fitting cover art courtesy of Doug Camp, Dipygus´ "Bushmeat" is guaranteed to be a grisly good time! ALTERED DEAD - Returned to Life CD [MEMENTO-CI] The highly anticipated 2nd full-length by this Canadian band. With beginnings in 2011, Altered Dead are a two-piece contributing to the tradition of early Death Metal with a simple and therefore genuine approach: no frills, filthy and raw, proudly influenced by the likes of Autopsy, Death Breath, Grave, Asphyx, Darkthrone, Unleashed, Exhumed and Carnage. Released in 2016, Altered Dead´s debut album, simply self-titled, was a cornucopia of darkness and utter death. Twisted and gross riffs ripped alongside warring treads of percussion, with the accompaniment of scalded and bellowing dual vocals mangling the listener´s mind. Similarly, lyrical themes revolved around physical and mental warfare, mutating human nature and imminent conflict and collapse. Currently residing in Esquimalt, on southern Vancouver Island, the duo have had numerous live performances and subsequently started work on their long-awaited 2nd full-length. At last it arrives, bearing the ever-fitting title "Returned to Life". Be forewarned, though, as there´s no "Life Metal" here: only utter death, once again, and darkness eternal, of course. The strikingly sick and psychedelic cover art by Matt Sidney should give some clues as to where Altered Dead are coming from here: tendrils of slimy and viscous riffage rising from the muck to ensnare martial mid-tempo gallops and frequent detours into doomed-out despair. The sum effect is infinitely headbanging as it is scabrously sewer-dredging, but rest assured that Altered Dead place a premium on stridently classic songwriting as their aforementioned forebears did at the dawn of the 90´s: hooks, line and sinking... into the primordial abyss! Thus, "Returned to Life" is both backwards-looking as well as inward-looking -as in inward into that very same abyss. And, it also bears re-emphasizing that Altered Dead are a duo; however, for only two people, the band create a world-eating sound far larger than their pared-down membership may convey on paper. Credit due to Loïc Fontaine for his clear and crushing mastering job at Krucyator Studio, France. Closing with a faithful cover of Celtic Frost´s "Into the Crypts of Rays", Altered Dead deliver traditional Death Metal perfection with "Returned to Life". DEVOTION - The Harrowing CD [MEMENTO-CII] The classy 2nd full-length by this Spanish band. Devotion was founded in the autumn of 2012 in some rehearsal rooms near Valencia, where some seasoned veterans of the local underground Death Metal scene were summoned by Julkarn (bass/vocals in Graveyard) to provide backing vocals on a track of their last opus to date. The recruited crew consisted of Sergio (Profundis Tenebrarum, Domains), David Agressor (Domains) and Vicent Riera (ex-Obscure / Nadir). When the recording sessions were over, they decided to start up a new band, featuring Julkarn on guitar, David Agressor on bass, Sergio on drums, and Vicent on vocal duties. After a number of lineup changes over the years, with Julkarn and Vicent remaining the core of the band, it´s the addition of David Garcia (ex-Obscure, Nadir) on drums and Txito (Visceral Damage, ex-Voice Of Hate) on bass that finally stabilize the band´s lineup. In 2016, Devotion recorded their debut album, "Necrophiliac Cults", only released on CD format through the Spanish labels The Horror Dimension and Pathologically Explicit Recordings. For this recording, the quartet counted on the priceless participation of Igor Mesmer (Circumcelion) on keyboards, who unfortunately passed away shortly after the release. Following the album´s release, Devotion played several shows with bands such as Interment, Dead Congregation, Graveyard, Korgull the Exterminator, Mercyless, Putrid Offal, Primigenium, Dead, Schirenc plays Pungent Stench, Oniricous, Balmog, Himura and Convulsions among others, and even despite the current Covid-19 pandemic, the band´s more than willing to continue spreading their Metal of Death anywhere possible. At long last, nearly 5 years later, Devotion deliver their 2nd full-length: "The Harrowing". Very aptly titled, "The Harrowing" sees the Spaniards taking their eldritch death in a darker and much-more-haunting direction. The throb is filthy and utterly crushing, and tastefully embellished with otherworldly synth; ghosts could very well linger underneath these megatons of sewer-reeking riffage. Likewise, the 13-track album is structured into "chants" and "dirges" -the former atmospheric interludes no less crucial to the experience, the latter lumbering Metal of Death par excellence. As ever, the ilk of Death Metal that Devotion display is not affiliated to any particular school, let alone any current trend, for it´s all about uncompromising, organic, putrid, crushing and timeless Death Metal as we knew it in the early/mid 90´s: eminently mid-paced and drenched in a rotting atmosphere, with a strong penchant for memorability and catchiness, which is a trait that seems to be lost in most of today´s Death Metal. Fans of über-classic acts such as Asphyx, Bolt Thrower, Morgoth, Benediction, Grave, "The Key"-era Nocturnus, and especially "Testimony of the Ancients"-era Pestilence, are wholeheartedly encouraged to witness "The Harrowing" and partake in Devotion´s masterful lurch and crunch. With mastering by Javier Felez at Moontower Studios, you´re guaranteed it´s crushing as fuck and hauntingly atmospheric, and this monument of madness is suitably completed by Diko Nursyahra´s regal cover art.

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