Hey there, beak geeks; it’s been a while. Your boy Waldo has been suffering from a seed allergy.The theme for this week is old-school, so let’s just dig right into it, shall we?
The most overlooked “tion,” IMMOLATION hit us with a new record called Kingdom of Conspiracy on Nuclear Blast. Right in time for the Decibel tour, eh? This is pretty good. I can’t really understand why these guys have been passed over as a great band all of these years, but this record will not disappoint. A lot of bands try to transcend genres, play technical for technicality’s sake. Not Immolation: They just do what they do best, and that’s being themselves. The production here is clear, but not too crisp or clear. This is like a good steak: hearty, beefy, and you know exactly what you’re getting without disappointing. This doesn’t have the fury or rage of Dawn of Possession, but at a time where most bands would be WAY beyond their prime, Immolation are still going strong. 7 Fucking Pecks.
GRAVEWURM, Infernal Minions: This is some kvlt fvcking stvff here. Not to be confused with “Graveworm,” this, their ninth record, comes across as pretty amateur… or tr00, depending on your take, really. I kinda enjoy this for the sheer fun of it, but it’s not a great or even good record by any stretch of the imagination. For a band that’s been together 23 years, you would think they’d get a little better; maybe I’m just too “mainstream.” The production here is pretty low-budget, but not in an intense, grating way; more like a “we didn’t have any money” way. This is warm-sounding and not frostbitten: pedantic black/death rock riffs that just sort of plod along, with some vocals that sound like they could be done by this guy:
Get your bullet belts on. SODOM release Epitome of Torture, and, well, it’s a Sodom record, amirite? There’s nothing surprising here. Sodom know how to write a couple of catchy thrash riffs here and there, but this sounds a little watered-down, and that is due in part to the production AND the fact that no one needs another Sodom record. Never considered the braintrust (note how they pronounce the word “epitome”) of the thrash world, they prove it with the subject matter of the songs and some of the riffs (see the self-referential track “S.O.D.O.M.”), but there are some hooks here and there. This doesn’t suck or top anything they’ve ever done. If thrash without teeth is your thing, then be my guest. 4 Fucking Pecks.
I would’ve reviewed the new DEP, but c’mon…
