Six-pack reviews: Schattenfang, Serrabulho, Brazen Tongue, Deathwish, No Wayne and Bödel

Schattenfang: Perdurabo (Northern Fog Records)

Schattenfang is a German atmospheric black metal duo that was born in Erfurt, Thuringia in 2010 performing a raw and direct depressive black metal that over time evolved into a more elaborate black metal capable of creating unique atmospheres that eventually gave way to release of two albums, their debut album Abgründe (2012, Hammerkrieg Productions) and Ex Cineribus: Was Blieb, Als Du Gegangen Bist (2018, Wolfmond Production), the band’s latest album until this bombastic album Perdurabo with which the project formed by Invidia and Illuvataris surprised us a few weeks ago.

Published through Northern Fog Records, the German duo has managed to bring together thirteen songs of raw and at the same time melancholic black metal in a double album of almost an hour and a half that at no time becomes heavy and that enters very easily. Like the vast majority of atmospheric black metal bands, it is advisable to select the moment to listen to Schattenfang since it is a project that probably does not fit at any time of the day. I can assure you that if you give it a chance it will not disappoint you at all. Personally I prefer Feuertaufe, Seelenwanderung and In Flammen, although the entire album is of a remarkable level.

Brazen Tongue: Of Crackling Embers & Sorrows Drowned (Independent)

Brazen Tongue is a melodic death metal project that also combines elements of thrash metal in a sublime way on their debut album, Of Crackling Embers & Sorrows Drowned, the one we have in hand. Its only two members Scott Skopec (Headshrinker, ex-Dycanis, ex-Polyptych) and Ethan Gifford (ex-Dycanis) met in 2004 but began collaborating in 2017 with Brazen Tongue from a very long distance since Skopec resides in Chicago, Illinois and Gifford resides in Gothenburg, Sweden. The time that has elapsed between the two musicians deciding to share their ideas and Of Crackling Embers & Sorrows Drowned seeing the light has served for its members to compose seven brutal songs that, without inventing anything new, manage to stand out among the many releases that are released every year.

Of Crackling Embers & Sorrows Drowned is a direct and forceful album, an album where the guitars of Skopec and Gifford stand out above the rest, offering quality material. Skopec is also in charge of vocals as well as synthesizers, completing the lineup with American bassist Frank Lato and French drummer Kevin Paradis, both session musicians who offer a very remarkable rhythm section. From the moment the first riffs of The Weight Of Self begin to play through the speakers, everything turns into excessive violence with well-crafted guitar arrangements that reach their peak in songs like Last Train From Myrdal or Beneath The Broken Trees, two extremes of the same band that knows very well what they have on their hands.

Of Crackling Embers & Sorrows Drowned goes on sale in a few hours so you better write down this album down on your list of new releases to listen to it when it is available, you will be very pleasantly surprised.

Serrabulho: Piss & Love (Rotten Roll Rex)

Portuguese band Serrabulho are back with their combination of grindcore and death metal on their fourth studio album Piss & Love, which goes on sale next week via Rotten Roll Rex. The trio formed by vocalist Carlos Guerra, guitarist/bassist Guilhermino Martins and drummer Ivan Saraiva have worked very hard since the band’s formation in 2011, performing throughout the planet bringing their perfect dose of humorous grindcore full of jokes eschatological and acidic social criticism everywhere.

It was clear that with Piss & Love nothing was going to change, and its three members continue in their line, torpedoing everything in their path, shooting left and right without any kind of hesitation. Here they flirt again with eschatology, delve into pornographic territory and even make use of the intro of the well-known adult streaming platform Pornhub by sampling the introduction in Grind E Grossa. It is a delight to enjoy the new work of the Portuguese, the band’s followers will be more than satisfied with their new adventure in the studio.

No Wayne: Sjöhagsvägen (Independent)

We change register and go to Sweden with the high energy rock quartet No Wayne formed by guitarist Kai Granqvist, drummer Ilpo Panttila, vocalist and guitarist Camilla Rensgård and bassist Göran Gruber. It is likely that you have not heard of this quartet with overtones of rock from the 60s and 70s before because the band was formed a few months ago and they only have the single That’s Alright so far but believe me when I tell you that you are not going to stop playing them at your parties and barbecues with colleagues from now on.

We could highlight that the production is carried out by Chips Kiesbye who has in his resume the production of some bands such as The Hellacopters but that would be to detract from the band itself. The Swedish quartet manages quite well to offer quality music that, without being anything from the other Thursday, is very enjoyable and also leaves us with a couple of good songs like Sing This Song and Doin’ Fine that, as I have already told you, will not be able to miss your drunken meetings from now on.

Deathwish: The Fourth Horseman (Beer City Records)

From Wisconsin we get Deathwish and their energetic dark metal infused with hardcore that results in a very interesting thrash metal with a certain aroma of the latest Motörhead and that at times reminds us of the best Overkill. Formed by four horsemen of the apocalypse who have been active since 2014, Deathwish plays its best hand with The Fourth Horseman and gives us a good dose of energetic thrash where songs like Mainline Rock N’ Roll or Edge Of The Knife, whose duration does not exceed two and a half minutes, it delivers just what it promises: violence and destruction in abundance.

Ten songs give life to this new full-length by the North American quartet that at times reminds me of Midnight or the first Toxic Holocaust, as if Lemmy was high on cocaine and decided to start a band with four crazy long-haired young people from his city who only want to make noise, drink a lot of beer and have a good time.

Bödel: Bilan Faller (Distat Records)

We close this article with a brief but concise and direct single like Bilan Faller by Bödel, a punk/crust project formed by members of bands like The Crown, The Liptones, Deny, Vänsternäven, Pastoratet, Antabus or Mähälium Sub Alert, which already in itself is synonymous with quality. Sweden has always been avant-garde when it comes to the music scene, especially if we talk about death metal or hardcore/punk, with authentic references of the scene such as Anti-Cimex with whom I have found certain similarities while listening to Bilan Faller.

Bödel consists of Leya on vocals, Arvid on guitar, Henke on bass and Masken on drums. Its members are ready to take you to the limit, stepping on the accelerator at all times and leaving some corpses in their wake already laid out. The Swedish quartet does not mess around, they have come to play and they bring a good arsenal with them.