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But OK, Gabriel from Nihilistic Holocaust █ █ █ █ came with helpful hand once more and provided a copy of █ █ █ █ ôEngulfedö. This split features also band called Altars û I █ █ █ █ never heard of them before û with their Promo 2012 songs █ █ █ █ and then Heaving Earth presents completely new material █ █ █ █ from ôRedemption Ablazeö promo. █ █ █ █ So, starting with Altarsà theyÆre Australian and play very █ █ █ █ brutal, almost grinding (not tempo wise though) at times, █ █ █ █ but also very old school death metal. The sound on their █ █ █ █ material is very harsh, filthy as hell and brutal as fuckà █ █ █ █ I really mean that. When I first started to listen to their █ █ █ █ first track û ôHuskö û I was like: ôShit, have they █ █ █ █ recorded that in a dungeon or tomb or what???ö. It did take █ █ █ █ me several minutes to adopt and get used to this raw █ █ █ █ production and I must be honest, I still feel like it lacks █ █ █ █ something. But the music is fine, it is extreme, brutal old █ █ █ █ school death metal. ThereÆs quite a lot of complexity in █ █ █ █ their music, but all is devoured by that brutal and tight █ █ █ █ feeling and gloomy, deep vocals. I donÆt feel crazy about █ █ █ █ Altars music, to be honest, but I like the slow parts of █ █ █ █ their music, from the other hand though this promotional █ █ █ █ material definitely lacks a better production, especially █ █ █ █ the drums. This band definitely managed to create an eerie █ █ █ █ and obscure, almost suffocating atmosphere, so fans of the █ █ █ █ likes of Incantation or Ignivomous, watch them! Currently █ █ █ █ Altars have been signed to Nuclear Winter and expect the █ █ █ █ release of the debut album ôParamnesiaö (LP version will be █ █ █ █ released by Blood Harvest). █ █ █ █ And now Heaving Earth: well, I already mentioned that I █ █ █ █ liked their debut CD, so I was really looking forward to █ █ █ █ hear ôRedemption Ablazeö promo. And man, they did not fail. █ █ █ █ Great, tight, fast and technical death metal, in the vein █ █ █ █ of Morbid Angel, Monstrosity, Immolation, Malevolent █ █ █ █ Creation and few more, mainly American death legends. Both █ █ █ █ songs from ôRedemption Ablazeö rip the guts out and I must █ █ █ █ say that I really like them bothà the riffs, the vocals, █ █ █ █ drumming and the production - everything sounds great and █ █ █ █ right from the first second I felt very pleased with █ █ █ █ Heaving EarthÆs music. This stuff is aggressive, is filled █ █ █ █ with pure energy and if Altars lacked that spark, which █ █ █ █ would ablaze the speakers, this Czech band did that in █ █ █ █ three seconds. And that ending part of ôI am Nothingö just █ █ █ █ shreds totally, what an awesome piece of death metal!!!! █ █ █ █ Cannot wait then for the second album of Heaving Earth, █ █ █ █ which I hope those guys will do very soon. █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ --- █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ Classifying Altars as a meat and potatoes death metal band █ █ █ █ is like classifying Portal as a boring fucking death metal █ █ █ █ band. I call bullshit on myself fellas. In fact, there is a █ █ █ █ connection there, both bands do not only hail from the same █ █ █ █ side of the world, but both share some sonic aesthetics. █ █ █ █ What we are talking about is the same curled up and twisty █ █ █ █ thing. Some may call it Lovecraftian and others opt for the █ █ █ █ word oppressive. Whatever term or adjective you use to █ █ █ █ describe what a band like Altars does is irrelevant. The █ █ █ █ effect of their music is always the same, disorientation █ █ █ █ and the uneasy feeling of having been possessed by one █ █ █ █ hundred demons. The exorcism has been performed by a █ █ █ █ dimwit, therefore you are scarred for life. As AltarsÆ half █ █ █ █ starts with ôHuskö, it is obvious that there is nothing █ █ █ █ straightforward here. Yeah, it is all fast, it is all █ █ █ █ convoluted but is also fluent, dexterous, intelligent and █ █ █ █ well-laid out. There is also the complexity, the forward █ █ █ █ thinking structures, the intricate drum patterns and the █ █ █ █ guitars which pummel, recede and stay in the foreground █ █ █ █ most times and in the background at others, but they are █ █ █ █ always menacing. Man, how wrong was I! █ █ █ █ Their second song is called ôDescentö and is less rapid. █ █ █ █ ItÆs a solid an disturbing slab of sludge death metal, if █ █ █ █ you know what I mean. The guitars suppurate with crunch and █ █ █ █ the deep growls of Cale Schmidt hover omnipresent. The █ █ █ █ drumming is insane, in its own supernatural plane. First █ █ █ █ time listeners of metal who are introduced to the genre via █ █ █ █ Altars may be tricked into thinking that all death metal is █ █ █ █ this sophisticated. It is not, but Altars definitely think █ █ █ █ of it on its own terms. █ █ █ █ Heaving Earth have a difficult job ahead of them. They need █ █ █ █ to at least leave up to the same enervating levels of █ █ █ █ extremity of Altars. A few riffs into their half it is █ █ █ █ obvious that Heaving Earth are definitely up to the task. █ █ █ █ Their style of death metal is if not as unorthodox at least █ █ █ █ as forward thinking. Can you say Morbid Angel? Sure, you █ █ █ █ can you son of a bitch. Their songs seem assembled by █ █ █ █ adding oblique riff after oblique riff, but somehow through █ █ █ █ it all, their songs come as much more straight forward. ôI █ █ █ █ am Nothingö for instance, serves coiling riffs that are █ █ █ █ sectioned into passages. The drum work is puzzling and the █ █ █ █ vocals deeper than a black hole, but also a bit mundane. █ █ █ █ The skill level of the band is impressive, drummer Jirka █ █ █ █ Zajic is a monster, he drums hard and relentlessly, but █ █ █ █ also with gusto and detail. █ █ █ █ I am always puzzled by the musicianship of extreme metal █ █ █ █ bands these days. But is one thing to have the technique █ █ █ █ and is a very different thing to make something good out of █ █ █ █ your chops. Heaving Earth have talent in spades and these █ █ █ █ two cuts show that in spades. Their cuts are exhilarating, █ █ █ █ good showing of their technical and creative efficiencies. █ █ █ █ Now, letÆs just hope that both bands can make full-lengths █ █ █ █ that live up to the levels of intensity that are in display █ █ █ █ here. █ █ █ █ █ █ █░█ █░█ █ █ 1. Altars - Husk 3:32 █ █ █ █ 2. Altars - Descent (Paramnesia, Part I) 4:26 █ █ █ █ 3. Heaving Earth - I am Nothing 5:37 █ █ █ █ 4. Heaving Earth - Into the Depths of Abomination 5:46 █ █ █ █ 19:21 █ █ █░█░ █░█░ █░█░ █░█░ █░█▒ + G R a v e W i s h + █░█▒ ░█▒█▒ - est.2000 - ░█▒█▒ ░█▓█▓░ ████▄▄ ▄▄▄████ ░█▓█▓░ ▒▓██▓▓░ ░██████████▄▄ ▄▄██████████▒ ▒▓██▓▓░ ▓█▓██▒▓██▒ ██▓ ▓██████████▓░ ▓██ ▒▄▄▓▒██▓█▓ ▓██▄██▓▄█░██ ░██▓ ▓██ ▄█░█▄▓██▄██▓ ░███ ████▀██░█ ░██░▀███████████▀▓██ █░██▀████ ███░ ▓██ ███ ▀█░█ ██ ░██ █████████ ░██ ██ █░█▀ ███ ██▓ ██░ ▀ █░█▓ ███ ▓█░ ███████ ░██ ███░ ▓█░█ ▀ ░██ ▓█░▄ ███ █▓█░ ░█░███ ▓█ ██████ ██ ███ ██ ░█▓█ ███ ▄░█▓ ░██░▄ ██░██▓█ █ ░█████ ▓█ █████ ░█ ████░ █ █▓██░██ ▄░██░ ▓███░▄ ███░█▄ ██ ░▓█████ █░ ████ ██ █████░ ██ ▄█░███ ▄░███▓ ░ ▀██░▀▀████░▓█▄ █ █░░▓█████ ▀█ ███ █░ █████▓░ █ █ ▄█▓░████▀▀░██▀ ░ ▒ ▀████▓▀███░██▄ ██ ░███ ░░▓█████ ███ ████▓▓░ ███░ ██ ▄██▓███▀▓████▀ ▒ ░ ▓ ███░▓█ ██ ███████ ░░▓▓░ ███ ░▓▓░░ ███████ ██ █▓░███ ▓ ░ ░ ░ ▀████PR█ ████████████████████████████████ █ ████▀ ░ ░ ░ ▓▓ █ ████████████████████████████████ █ ▓▓ ░ ▒ █ █████████ ░▓▓░ ███ ░▓░ █████████ █ ▒ ░ ██ █████░ ░▓████░ ███ ░███▓▓ ░█████ ██ ░ ██ █ ░████░ ▄█ ███ █▄░████▓░ █ ██ ░ █ ████▓ █░ █████ ░█ ▓████░ █ ░ █ ███▓▓░ █▓ █████ █▄ ▓███░ █▄ █▓███░ █▀ ██████▒ ▀█░ ▓███ █ ████▓░ ██ ███████ ██░ ░████ ██▓ ██ █████████ ██ ░██ █▓░ ██ ▄███████████▄░██ ░█ ██░ ░██ ██░ ▓██████████░ ▓██ ███▓██████▀▀ ▀▀██████████▒ ████▀▀▀ ▀▀▀████