Friday, December 5, 2014

Bandcamp Picks: Desecravity, Veiyadra, Corpse Cook, Crucifixion BR



Led by superstar drummer Yuichi Kudo, Tokyo's Desecravity is one of the most impressive tech/death acts coming out of the Far East. On their sophomore album Orphic Signs, the Cryptopsy parallels from their debut are still evident, but the band has apparently decided to brush of some old Yngwie Malmsteen tutorials to add a healthy topping of widdle widdle wahhhh to the proceedings. If they played any faster, your minds would blow up. [$8.99]



Elsewhere in Tokyo, Veiyadra won't waste time showing off their chops when simple brutality will suffice. Despite a truly obnoxious sounding snare drum, Gehenna is a great addition to the global brotherhood of slam. The subwoofer-rupturing vocals and chunky breakdowns should make any fan of Disgorge and vintage Dying Fetus happy, but the songwriting is sharp enough that even someone like me who has little patience for the style can hesh out to this on a regular basis. [¥1,200]



Hell Is Empty, All Devils Are Here isn't the most original title, but truth be told, Beijing's Corpse Cook aren't the most original band - their meat and potatoes approach to death metal owes a lot to Cannibal Corpse (as, I can only assume, does their name). Still, this is commendable stuff - the production is top notch, and the songs are fun and unrelenting. Plus, how can you not love an album peppered with this many Evil Dead samples? [$10]



Destroying The Fucking Disciples Of Christ is the long awaited (by me, if no one else) debut album from Crucifixion BR. BR of course is short for "Brazil", which itself stands for "take no prisoners give no fuck death metal". Early Sepultura and Sarcofago are obvious reference points here, but this is no retro album - if anything, the singleminded worship of blastbeats and Satan herein is too timeless to be restricted to one era. The album includes the three songs from their debut EP and a Venom cover; it's safe to say this isn't going to change anyone's life, but their blasphemous exuberance brings a smile to my face. [$6.66 - because what else would it be?]