Mark Z.

Wömit seasön!

Hellsodomy – Morbid Cult Review

By Mark Z. on December 5, 2019 in 2019, Black Metal, Death Metal, Reviews, Saturnal Records, Thrash Metal, Turkish Metal, Black Metal, Death Metal, Thrash Metal, 21 comments

“I’m willing to bet Voidhanger’s Working Class Misanthropy is a legal means of execution in some countries and Goatwhore’s live performance remains the only thing that has caused me to piss my pants in my adult life. Hellsodomy don’t sound too much like those bands, but the raging energy this Turkish quartet exudes with their whirlwind of blakk, thrash, and death is enough to make me consider shoving their second album Morbid Cult right into the flabby folds of my Year End List.” Are you cultish?

Avslut – Tyranni Review

By Mark Z. on November 25, 2019 in 2019, Black Metal, Osmose Productions, Reviews, Swedish Metal, Black Metal, 17 comments

“I don’t like black metal. Not in its traditional form, anyway. Give some blakkened fukkin thrash or blakkened fukkin death and I’ll bang my head till my skull cracks open, but usually traditional black metal just leaves me shrugging. Often the riffs feel secondary to the atmosphere and it’s telling that a band like Mgla could get as big as they did with a shtick that was essentially “we play black metal, but with riffs you actually care about.” Of course, there are always exceptions. Swedish quintet Avslut earned some acclaim on forums I frequent with their 2018 debut Deceptis, which I enjoyed for its ability to work clever riffing into a traditional black metal template.” Riff tiff.

Casket Huffer – Filth Ouroboros Review

By Mark Z. on November 12, 2019 in 2019, American Metal, Black Metal, Death Metal, Hibernation Release, Reviews, Black Metal, Death Metal, 9 comments

“Casket Huffer. There’s a name that begs the question “because why the fuck not?” Given their moniker, I originally expected this Wyoming quartet to produce noxious fumes of the bestial blackened death metal variety. And while there’s always room in the house of Z. for the Conquerors and Caveman Cults of the world, what Huffer have produced on their second album Filth Ouroboros is actually quite a bit different.” Smell the casket.

Necronomicon – Unus Review

By Mark Z. on October 29, 2019 in 2019, Black Metal, Canadian Metal, Death Metal, Reviews, Season of Mist, Symphonic Metal, Black Metal, Death Metal, Symphonic Metal, 21 comments

“Necronomicon are death metal underdogs. Formed in 1988, this Canadian trio have been toiling in the underground for decades yet have never achieved widespread popularity. Admittedly, that’s somewhat understandable given their sound hasn’t always been the most innovative. My first encounter with them was “The Time Is Now” from 2010’s Return of the Witch, which (while a decent song) made the band sound like they were trying to copy Behemoth’s The Apostasy.” Into the Unus.

Stomachal Corrosion – Stomachal Corrosion Review

By Mark Z. on October 27, 2019 in 2019, Brazilian Metal, Crust Punk, Greyhaze Records, Grind, Reviews, 3 comments

“As one begins to explore metal more and more deeply, one comes to the realization that there are certain ‘legendary’ albums that seem to be appreciated more for being innovative than actually being good. I would argue, for example, that Napalm Death’s Scum is a pretty mediocre album overall and was far surpassed by the material that followed it, even if it remains a critical piece of extreme metal’s history. This becomes a problem when bands create new releases similar in style to these ‘innovative but not very good’ albums, resulting in records that are neither innovative nor good. But maybe Stomachal Corrosion could escape this fate” Tummy trouble.

Slutvomit – Copulation of Cloven Hooves Review

By Mark Z. on October 8, 2019 in 2019, American Metal, Black Metal, Death Metal, Invictus Productions, Reviews, Thrash Metal, Black Metal, Death Metal, Thrash Metal, 20 comments

“I return to my chambers, cackling madly. I’ve just dropped a heap of Witch Vomit on a bunch of unsuspecting n00bs in favor of something even fouler: Slutvomit, a Seattle quartet who play a raw and devilish union of thrash, black, and death metal. Madam X took on the band’s 2013 debut Swarming Darkness and found it a reasonably enjoyable release with similarities to early Sodom. But now, second album Copulation of Cloven Hooves is upon us, an album that I feel especially qualified to review given it was made by a band with ‘vomit’ in the name.” I don’t want to know what that says about you.

Wömit Angel – Under Sadistic Pressure Review

By Mark Z. on October 4, 2019 in 2019, Black Metal, Finnish Metal, Reaper Metal Productions, Reviews, Black Metal, 15 comments

“When I first saw we’d received promo from a band named Wömit Angel, I assumed one of our staff had playfully misspelled Vomit Angel, which confused me because I already reviewed a pretty terrible album by that band earlier this year. But no, it turns out Wömit Angel is an entirely different group, a Finnish black metal trio who also happen to be inspired by the expulsion of partially digested food from one’s stomach. Given they formed in 2010 and apparently harbor both punk and thrash influences, I’m pretty surprised I haven’t heard of these guys given my proclivity for seeking out this sort of thing.” You know you Womit.

Eternity – To Become the Great Beast Review

By Mark Z. on September 29, 2019 in 2019, Black Metal, Norwegian Metal, Reviews, Soulseller Records, Black Metal, 6 comments

“When’s the last time you heard a new “traditional” black metal album? These days it feels like every new black metal release is either symphonic, melodic, dissonant, atmospheric, post, or some variation thereof. What happened to the good old days of blast beats, tremolo riffs, and Satan worshippin’? That’s exactly what Norway’s Eternity seem to be asking with sophomore album To Become the Great Beast.” Beast or famine.

M:40 – Arvsynd Review

By Mark Z. on September 25, 2019 in 2019, Crust Punk, Halvfabrikat Records, Hardcore, Reviews, Suicide Records, Swedish Metal, Crust Punk, Hardcore, 9 comments

“I find it hard not to like crust. It’s savage, primitive, and typically comes packaged with a thick DIY vibe that emanates like the stench of a gutter punk whose pants are held together by Discharge patches and broken dreams. Like most things, I prefer it with a little black or death metal mixed in, but even more traditional crust bands like Disfear and Wolfbrigade are plenty enjoyable now and then. Like those two acts, M:40 hail from Sweden and are heavily influenced by all things crust.” Crust lovers unite.

Cemetery Lights – The Underworld Review

By Mark Z. on September 23, 2019 in 2019, American Metal, Black Metal, Nuclear War Now! Productions, Reviews, Black Metal, 6 comments

“When I was younger, I didn’t care much about production. Usually, I would look past an album’s sound and simply focus on its riffs and songwriting. That’s changed in my time writing here, as I’ve listened to a lot more music and started to care more about how an album sounds. Even still, it’s rare to find an album whose production outright ruins it. Most of the time, awful production goes hand in hand with awful music.” Ruins to their memory.