After being closed last week because of an unfortunate chemical spill, the haz-mat team cleaned up the lab and it is open for business. He's not a doctor, but does have a masters in mayhem, and Dave has another six-pack of savagery lined up for his eager students. Grab a crayon and take notes as another session of the underground lab is now in session.

•Brutally Deceased - Dead Lover’s Guide (Lavadome Productions)

You wouldn’t know it, but Brutally Deceased are not from Sweden, but, instead are from the Czech Republic. No matter, Brutally Deceased know their roots quite well, taking their name from an old Grave song and tossing in a Dismember cover at the end of Dead Lover’s Guide, the debut full-length from the band. Yeah, pure Sunlight Studios-era Swedish OSDM worship is obviously the name of the game, but Brutally Deceased have the shtick down pat.

Buzzsaw guitars, guttural vocals, lots of galloping speed, catchy riffs, the works, although wholly derivative of the style without any sense of originality whatsoever. Despite the obvious shortcomings of a derivative band, Brutally Deceased write good songs designed to rip your head off. That’s just fine if you’re in the mood for straightforward death metal and not much else.

Dead Lover’s Guide was originally issued in 2010, and is now getting a vinyl release courtesy of the band’s label, Lavadome Productions. Expect some goodies such as liner notes and the like.

Dave’s Grade: B+

•Deathamphetamine - The Lost Album (Patac)

Blackened crossover/grindcore/thrash is probably the best way to describe Boston’s Deathamphetamine, as elements of various genres rear their ugly heads on The Lost Album, their first official full-length album.

The Lost Album’s history is a rather interesting story in and of itself, involving stolen recordings, conspiracy theories, and a version of the album discovered by the future survivors of a post-apocalyptic holocaust. The weird mix of sci-fi and silliness is welcome as Deathamphetamine seem to be having a good time with their music (thievery of their material notwithstanding).

Deathamphetimine frenetically gallop along with lots of rollicking riffs to go along with a weird mix of guttural rasps and a sort of clean vocal style that makes an appearance or two. Songs periodically slow down to a swagger with a few solos and so on, but Deathamphetamine are at their best when just motoring along at a frenetic, neck snapping pace.

Dave’s Grade: B

•Profanatica - Sickened By Holy Host (Hells Headbangers)

Sickened By Holy Host is a not a new album from Profanatica per se, but does feature five new tracks, as well as two redone versions of a two older songs. However, this long EP is divided into two distinct recording sessions with slightly different versions of the songs as separately envisioned by long time members Paul Ledney and John Gelso.

There are a few differences in the two versions of the songs, mostly in terms of depth of production and order of presentation. Ledney’s first half of the EP features a bottom heavy sound, allowing for some of the slower tracks to approach a blackened doom feel and atmosphere sort of similar to Triptykon (see “Holy Trinity Done”), but with less overt tendencies towards the baroque.

Gelso’s versions of the songs are rawer, allowing for the music to inch closer to death metal. The details of the production and the reasons behind the slightly different versions of the songs are fully explained by Hells Headbangers Records and Profanatica, and I encourage those interested to get the full story though the official sources. Hells Headbangers Records also tacks on the “live in the studio” recording The Grand Masters Session, originally released in 2010, as a bonus.

Dave’s Grade: B

•Nunslaughter - Hell’s Unholy Fire (Hells Headbangers)

More goodies from Hells Headbangers Records, this time in the form of a reissue of Nunslaughter’s classic, long out of print debut full-length album Hell’s Unholy Fire, originally released in 2000 on Revenge Productions.

Although Nunslaughter have an official discography that’s about a mile long, the actual full-length albums are few and far between, so kudos to Hells Headbangers Records for giving everyone a chance to get a hold of an actual album from Nunslaughter without having to shell out who knows how much money for one of the original copies that are periodically hawked on eBay.

Featuring 18 songs of Nunslaughter’s patented form of old school death metal that falls somewhere in between old Venom and hardcore, Hells Headbangers also repackages the album with an improved layout, slightly different cover art, and a bonus disc of live tracks (sadly, not included with the promo material).

If you’re tracking down every release from Nunslaughter’s discography (good luck), here’s your chance to easily obtain Hell’s Unholy Fire; if you’re not a stickler for getting first editions.

Dave’s Grade: BMore »

•Deathhammer - Onward To The Pits (Hells Headbangers)

I might as well finish off this week’s experiments with two more releases from Hells Headbangers Records, a label that usually issues albums in blocks of four or so. First up is Onward To The Pits from Norwegian blackened thrash act Deathhammer, whose logo is famously featured on the leather jacket adorning the punk demon on the cover of F.O.A.D. from Darkthrone.

Obviously Deathhammer have Fenriz’ seal of approval, and that’s probably good enough to recommend this album more than anything else, but Deathhammer are treading firmly within the style of blackened thrash laid down by the likes of early Kreator and Sodom releases, a style that, more recently, has been cemented by acts such as fellow Norwegians Aura Noir.

Unlike Aura Noir, Deathhammer do have a bit of a tongue in cheek humorous feel to their assault with piercing screams punctuating the delivery of most of the lines of the lyrics to go along with a few hilarious “yows!”tacked on. The music is frenetic, one dimensional, and weakly produced; albeit, with an infectious enthusiasm for all things metal.

However, the one dimensional aspect to the music gets bogged down a few songs into Onward To The Pits, as the songwriting really isn’t very good. Essentially, a few tracks are enough for you to get the gist of it.

Dave’s Grade: CMore »

•Hellvetron - Death Scroll Of Seven Hells... (Hells Headbangers)

Hellvetron are a Texas-based duo that also double as Nyogthaeblisz. As Hellvetron, the duo are playing a very murky form of primitive, doom laden black/death metal on their debut full-length, the tongue twistingly titled Death Scroll Of Seven Hells And Its Infernal Majesties.

Murk is definitely the name of the game here, as Hellvetron are going to instantly appeal to those that worship at the altar of bands such as Antediluvian, Witchrist, and Diocletian. Very downtuned, rather sloppily played music with deep riffs, growled vocals, and a low end production predominate. Much of the pacing is that of a dirge as you might expect, but Hellvetron periodically pick up the pace with a few primitive blasts.

Although the songwriting isn’t varied with the same sorts of riffs and pacing being revisited, the atmosphere is certainly murky and evil enough to give one cause to overlook such shortcomings, and Death Scroll Of Seven Hells And Its Infernal Majesties is a good album, especially for those of you that perked up at the band comparisons mentioned above.

Dave’s Grade: BMore »