Shrine of the Serpent - Entropic Disillusion

Band: Shrine of the Serpent

Title: Entropic Disillusion

Label: Memento Mori

Release Date: April 23rd 2018

Country: USA

Format reviewed: Digital CD quality

"Entropic disillusion" begins with a chord that immediately drags us into a world of misery and desolation. The rottenness of daily life is shattered swiftly, taking every fiber of our being through an endless culvert. How could it be otherwise, again we are facing a launch from Oregon, a place that, little by little, is becoming the Finnish epicenter of the new millennium (If we take into account the number of Doom bands that are taking over the scene).

Srine of the Serpent is a relatively new band, with only one EP and a split edited before "Entropic ...", its first long-duration. What do we have in our hands? A collection of monoliths in tune with the old Death / Doom of the old school, corrosive, sharp and extremely slow and atmospheric. 

Undoubtedly, the most positive characteristic of the band is the tone and sound textures acquired during the agonizing course of these compositions. The guitars steal the show, showing implacability and insane density, placing themselves within the most crunchy and scandinavian Death spectrum. Imagine Entombed trying to play Worship songs. 

The compositions are long (most of them are between 8 and 10 minutes long) and the trip translates into an endless nightmare lasting almost an hour.

I think there are two very marked factors that identify work. While all the songs are caricatured for being too slow, the first half shows a glimpse of the band to be fully shown as a Death/Doom band. This is something that then begins to blur a little, showing a facet more located within the Funeral Doom, maintaining its more extreme aspect, by the way. 

It is in this dichotomy that the group begins to show some flaws in the compositional department. Given the lack of riffs, the compositions begin to stand alone in successions of chords, but flooding the entire proposal with some monotony.

Undoubtedly, Shrine of the Serpent is a band that shows great potential in the technical aspect, with a great naturalness to find an identifying sound, but that is torn between being a Death/Doom or Funeral entity. At no time I feel that the two spectra achieve cohesion as in, for example, the classic band Asunder. Maybe in future releases the compositional aspect will be taken into account to achieve a certain dynamism and cohesion of ideas that, although very good, still do not manage to amalgamate to be placed in a panorama already very well explored by heavyweights of these magnificent genres. Anyway, I would not hesitate to ask all Doom lovers to listen to "Entropic Disillusion", even once. 6/10 Sergio.

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6/10 We may survive!
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Cardiac Arrest - A Parallel Dimension of Despair

Band: Cardiac Arrest
Title: A Parallel Dimension of Despair
Label: Memento Mori
Release Date: April 23rd, 2018
Country:  U.S.A.
Format reviewed: CD

 Back with a new full-length and their sixth album to date, along with some past splits, Eps and demos as well, Cardiac Arrest are doing what they do best. Having discovered this band, years ago and lucky to see them live when they played in Canada a few years back, I originally heard out their past album "Cadaverous Presence" and have followed them since. The impact that album made, with its catchy, heavy riffing and reflecting on an early 1990’s influenced death metal style, had me instantly 
hooked! Now, after hearing this new release for 2018  "A Parallel Dimension of Despair", it certainly brought back more of the past influences with elements of old school death metal and grindcore and topping it all off with a superior, beefy production to go with it all too! Continuing on with their heavy, horror themed, old school death metal traditions, each track after the other, just pummels and draws one in, with a combination hooks, groove and sometimes, all out fast-blasting parts, for total head banging madness. For example, the first track titled "Immoral and Absurd" begins in an introductory style, building up upon itself as the volume and intensity increases, until a drum roll hits and all instruments let loose, driving all into a classic mid-paced tempo of death metal rage. Track five "When Murder is Justified, is an example of hooks and some slower groove parts with its very catchy beginning and heavy chugging riffs, while monstrous vocals roar over top, solidifying this death metal beast. Overall, there is not one bad or off kind of song here. All the songs are well written and cover the elements of catchy, heavy riffing, while varying tempos occur within the songs for the most part through out.
"A Parallel Dimension of Despair" by Cardiac Arrest is their best one yet and keeps traditional, old school death metal on the map to say, this is how its done! 10/10 Wolven Deadsoul





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10/10 Immortal Classic
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Rotheads "Sewer Fiends"

Band: Rotheads
Title: Sewer Fiends
Label: Memento Mori
Release Date: January 22, 2018
Country: Romania

Hailing from Romania and forming in 2014, Rotheads have an EP (Unfazed by Death) and of recent, a new full-length release titled Sewer Fiends.
This seven track release features songs that range from a little over three minutes to up to almost eleven minutes in length. Hearing this band out for the first time and honestly listening to their new debut full-length many more times as well, I got more familiarized with Rotheads and their recent release. Sewer Fiends seems to utilize the classic styles and types of old school death metal and thrash combined with their added in dynamics, emphasizing on catchy rhythms, leads and harmonic soloing. There is not only a sense of heaviness and familiar territory here but also an eerie atmosphere that is created out of that combination together. With prominently delayed and reverberated effects that hold sway in various leads and solos and are generally well heard in the mix, it tends to add to the dark and creepy story behind Sewer Fiends. This is especially demonstrated at the beginnings and through out parts in track 4 (Psychic Leech) and with the longest track on this, being track 6 (The Mad Oracle of Seweropolis) too. Overall, a certain crispy, clear sound presence is captured and while the rawness is present but not overly done either, it is more in the guitar tones and with the style of low to mid range growling vocals applied. The bass tone here is fairly clean sounding yet it carries a lot of bottom end EQ, helping push the heaviness in the entire sound. While there are familiar styles and combinations that are present here, there are unique ways upon how all this is put together too which makes it stand out. Is this for better or worse or a preference thing on what a person wants more or less of…? Possibly, yet opinions and preferences can always differ of course but to me if it works, if it draws you in and provides that sense of darkness you long for, then so be it! 8.5/10 By Wolven Deadsoul

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Ectoplasma "Cavern of Foul Beings"

Band: Ectoplasma
Title: Cavern of Foul Beings
Label: Memento Mori
Date: January 22, 2018
Country: Greece

Hailing from Greece, Ectoplasma began in 2013. They have a demo, two splits, an EP, and two full length releases to date with the newest release being, “Cavern of Foul Beings.”
Belting out riff after riff with a punchy guitar sound and melodic harmonies reminding me a bit like the tones of Brutality and Sinister, Ectoplasma offers a consistent and aggressive form of death metal that keeps things traditional without getting to technical or just blasting their way through all either. There is a lot of catchiness and hooks in the overall writing here with both American and Euro influences that has varying tempos from slow introductory riffs drawing the listener in, to some fast blast beat parts with all going full out in speed and mid-paced beats leading all for the most part through out this old school madness that Ectoplasma do. On top of this, there are powerful bellowing vocals of a low demonic-like roar that just punch through everything like a wrecking ball demolishing a building. From topic matters of horror, death, the supernatural and so forth, this 11-track death metal beast even features an Unleashed cover too and you can’t go wrong with that! What a way to begin a year! Already being impressed with a lot of the various death metal from Greece that I have heard over the years, Ectoplasma represent extremely well and are at the top of my list for 2018 so far! 10/10 By Wolven Deadsoul

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