Pestilent Grave – Esoteric Blasphemy
This is another one man band purveying primitive raw black metal. Main man Vith makes no excuses.
With the resurgence of cassette tapes booming in the underground, Esoteric Blasphemy was first recorded onto tape and then onto CD to enhance the necro atmosphere. Which it does effectively. Don’t listen to this expecting to find anything other than grim and raw under-produced Black Metal. That is what it is meant to be, nothing more, nothing less. The guitars and drums are primitive and basic and you have to listen really hard to pick out any bass lines amidst the cacophony.
The vocals are a different affair though and there’s quite a bit of variation of fucked-up soil ridden bellowing right through. ‘Gut Rot’ opens proceedings and is a quick nasty affair. ‘Bloody Release’ tones it right down and is a dark funerary trudge reminiscent of black doom.
‘Virtuous Selfmutilation’ slays and buries itself in a little over two minutes while ‘Fucked Up and Insane’ is exactly what the title says and features some pretty intense screaming like a Gorgon having its clitoris snipped off with serrated nail clippers! The final track is a backwards recording and finishes the EP nicely.
It’s harsh and chaotic through all the tracks and enjoyable for its no-bullshit approach, and confidence in its own coarseness.
This is a limited edition through Svartgalgh Records of only 50 hand numbered 3″ CDs in a miniature DVD style case. You can also get a normal CD version of it direct from Pestilent Grave which features hand-made covers, hand-written CD and the copy number and date hand-written in blood!! Don’t hold out for a copy if the 3″ CD has sold out because Vith tells me he only lets it go to select individuals.
Esoteric Blasphemy is a totally niche recording and is only for hardcore collectors and those whose tastes incorporate the blackest and deepest recesses of the underground.
I only recently discovered Rahu, who purvey original and very replayable Finish Black Metal of the highest calibre. This is a demo from 2008 that has since been released as part of a best of featuring this and their other demo on one CD.
Although there are only three tracks delivering a mere seventeen minutes of [...]
As suggested by the title of their debut demo Nachzehrer tout themselves as Black Thrash. I wouldn’t normally review such a release, not because I dislike the style but because it falls outside the purpose of this site. Anyway, this American five-piece skimp so much on the Thrash part that, aside from a few riffs, [...]
another nasty release for hardcore underground bm maniacs..
“…fucked-up soil ridden bellowing…”
LOL I agree with that! You can almost smell the rotting breath in the vocals… Nasty stuff!