Memento Mori Records

Ruin – Human Annihilation Review

By Diabolus in Muzaka on October 23, 2018 in 2018, American Metal, Death Metal, Memento Mori, Reviews, Death Metal, 31 comments

“The mystique surrounding Ruin — the band started in the ’90s, but members were incarcerated and institutionalized, and now their twisted musical vision is coming to life and they’re some sort of cult — seems, at the very least, exaggerated. To dive fully into — and thus to fully enjoy — their sophomore release Human Annihilation, we have to suspend our disbelief and think of Ruin not as a band but as a ‘death metal cult,’ as they would describe it. Only then can we dive into what they’re doing and what they seem to be trying to portray.” Metal from the big house.

Cardiac Arrest – A Parallel Dimension of Despair Review

By Ferrous Beuller on May 2, 2018 in 2018, American Metal, Death Metal, Grind, Memento Mori, Reviews, Death Metal, Grind, 31 comments

“According to the inexhaustibly kvlt amongst our readership, we don’t review death metal. This is, of course, rubbish, mostly because, musically speaking, death metal is just about my favorite thing, and while I enjoy all of its increasingly technical incarnations, a platter of the traditional riff-beast is always certain to set my chops salivating. Cardiac Arrest are a band after my own heart — perhaps literally — serving the kind of classic cruelty the northern peak of my decades compromised vertebral column can freely enjoy without having to break out the algebra function of my old calculator.” Death for the olde.

Shrine of the Serpent – Entropic Disillusion Review

By Grymm on May 1, 2018 in 2018, American Metal, Death Metal, Doom Metal, Memento Mori, Reviews, Death Metal, Doom Metal, 47 comments

“I don’t know what it is with the water in Portland, Oregon lately that’s causing this recent influx of heady, destructive doom/death metal. With Bell Witch dropping an almost-90-minute megaton bomb in Mirror Reaper last year, Portland is starting to become the city where all things slow and guttural go to blossom into incredible, epic-length cascades of the downtrodden. Throwing their hats into that collective summoning circle is upstarts Shrine of the Serpent.” Dirges over Portlandia.

Rotheads – Sewer Fiends Review

By Diabolus in Muzaka on January 26, 2018 in 2018, Death Metal, Doom Metal, Memento Mori, Reviews, Romanian Metal, Death Metal, Doom Metal, 14 comments

“From Leonitus in the Republic of Plato to sad, lonely, middle-aged women reading the barely literate depravity of Fifty Shades of Grey, the ugly, vile, visceral, and disgusting has a wide-ranging abhorrent appeal. Death metal, our chosen disgusting delicacy, revels in refuse instead of aiming for transcendent beauty. Romania’s Rotheads have, with their debut Sewer Fiends, gone straight for the most repugnant place they could envision, and through their music they try to bring the listener down to grovel alongside them.” Filth hounds.

Rapture – Paroxysm of Hatred Review

By Diabolus in Muzaka on January 23, 2018 in 2018, Death Metal, Greek Metal, Memento Mori, Reviews, Thrash Metal, Death Metal, 47 comments

“Everyone pictures themselves as the protagonist. Ask one hundred people what they’d do in a zombie apocalypse and they’ll all give you the same answer: survive. And yet, someone has to be that guy who gets mauled right near the beginning of the outbreak, or who foolishly stands near a window and is promptly eaten alive by the horde, squirming helplessly for their last miserable minutes. Nobody thinks they’re cannon fodder; that is something proven and earned by an individual. Paroxysm of Hatred, the sophomore release from Greece’s Rapture, have proven themselves to be just that.” No, not THAT Rapture.

War Possession – Doomed to Chaos Review

By Diabolus in Muzaka on November 1, 2017 in 2017, Death Metal, Greek Metal, Memento Mori, Reviews, Death Metal, 66 comments

“The extreme genres of metal are utterly obsessed with war, death, and violence, suggesting the view that the human experience is one of cruelty largely restrained, with all of us united by the cold embrace of death. Extreme metal seems to explore these ideas intently, attempting to find a certain beauty or, at the very least, excitement in the worst impulses of man. Art, at its core, seems to try and explore and express a particular facet of the human experience and imbue it with some sort of message or worldview. We’re naturally repulsed by death and destruction, but, like the story of Leonitus looking at corpses in Plato’s Republic, we’re also fascinated by it: ‘Look for yourselves, you evil wretches! Take your fill of the beautiful sight!'” Man Unkind.

Ruin – Drown in Blood Review

By Lokasenna on April 23, 2017 in 2017, American Metal, Death Metal, Memento Mori, Reviews, Death Metal, 24 comments

“Hailing from Who-the-hell-knows-where, USA, the generically named Ruin originally formed in 1991, only to have its membership swallowed by time in the slammer and/or sanitarium. Reformed in 2015, they’ve sluiced out a swampy sort of old-school death metal their label promises will be reminiscent of early Abhorrence and Bolt Thrower.” Out of the penal league, into the venal league.

Infamovs – Under The Seals of Death Review

By Ferrous Beuller on January 18, 2017 in 2017, Chilean Metal, Death Metal, Labels, Memento Mori, Death Metal, 19 comments

“Introducing Chile’s very own Infamovs, champions of that perennially classic style of exhumed, grave dusted death metal, which we all love to love. And, yes, I did spell the band name correctly; you’re going to have to be extra kvlt to read this one.” There is no “v” in old school.