I’ve said in prior reviews from this new-ish Ohio based label, I really like the direction the label is headed with a real focus of real death and black metal and some very cool forays into HM 2 boss styled death metal such as Inoculated Life, In Shadows and Dust, upcoming Nocturnal Hollow album and recently the killer Wretched Fate debut. Bu they have also released some tasty old school death metal from the likes of Skullcrush, Aseptic, and Supreme Carnage.

And here is some simple, musty old school death metal from this group of canucks. This release is a compilation of the band’s prior 2 EPs released in 2015 and 2018 respectively. And if you are a fan of bands like Temple of Void, Genocide Pact, Cianide, Jungle Rot, Humiliation, Creeping Flesh and such, then these guys will put a smile on your face: pure mid-paced rumbling death/doom metal with little or no blasts, solos or technicality whatsoever. And it’s satisfying as fuck.

The first 6 tracks are the newest from the 2018s self released Regime Decay EP and they lope and lurch with simple, effective prose and heft. Though there a couple of blast beats here and there, the focus is pure groove and rumble. Standouts include “Hell’s Messiah” (which has one of the few short lived blast beats) , bludgeoning “Hedonistic Gluttony”, and “Malodorous”, which starts with a sickly doom crawl before delivering the EPs only extended lead solo in a surprisingly upbeat gallop.

Though some 4 years apart the 4 songs on Polar Vortex, sound similar due to using the same producer , Greg Dawson (The End) and studio (though Alan Douches mastered the latter release- so it is a little more polished), so the release feels like a complete album. “Separated from the Seam” starts things off, and its more of the same , and has a crushing ending, then there is the killer double bass groove near the end of “Lock the Cell” and “Secular World” ends the release with a glorious Both Thrower trundle that ends the tasty little release with a perfect end note.

[Visit the band's website]

---

Comments