Review by Chris Pratl on April 19, 2018.

The strains of good death metal have become a somewhat distant relative or a long-forgotten friend these days. Sure, we're seeing an influx of “legendary” death bands reforming and putting out material (Epitaph, Wombbath and Excruciate immediately come to mind), but how much can the old magic be recapitulated on to a positive result? The feeling for true death metal has always been there; it's a nagging cramp that is most enjoyable for those of us in the know and a simmering blight on the music industry that the morons among us simply cannot erase, try as they might – we are here for the long haul, so ignore us as you always have.

Being from Chicago and seeing the majority of good to phenomenal bands crushing the local (and in some cases worldwide) scene is a real treat for this old man. I am always lamenting about how large factions of the younger generation have no real love or desire for the 'old school' era of our music, and, as I am wont to do when warranted, I'll self-deprecate to the point of ridicule when I'm wrong...sometimes I think I throw myself to the wolves purposely to force the hands to prove me wrong.

Thus, we have Molder and its first official demo, An Act of Revenge.

Hailing from Shorewood, Illinois, this trio has four...FOUR legitimate releases under its deathly belt in 2018 alone and the meshing of old school U.S. death metal and modern airs of horrific musical decay is extremely well done. Vocalist/drummer Aaren Pantke, bassist Dom Vaia and guitarist Ramon Garcia have been making the rounds around town; their name is becoming synonymous with such coveted local acts like Cianide, Cardiac Arrest, Absconder, Morgue Supplier, and Imperial Savagery – the Chicago pride is very strong in these three guys, and they are a welcome addition to our long, albeit underrated history in the geographical arena. 

An Act of Revenge displays an obvious knowledge and love for such a disgusting and veritable 'bastard child' genre that has never seen its day in the commercial sun and, happily, never will in my lifetime. That said, the wonderful tempestuousness that we hold so dear and enjoy so intently is prevalent in five tracks of volatile, yet well-constructed tracks of unadulterated death metal. The 'filmy' or as I call it “congestion” in the production here is exactly what modern death metal has vainly tried to employ in the modern day, but it usually fails by way of spastic overkill or simple lack of  organic feeling. With vocals straight from the bowels of Floridian and West Coast history and instrumentation not near polished, yet far from sloppy or trite, Molder's demo is a fascinating trek through murky, dismal plains of fast-paced galloping through the senses. I can't personally love any recent demo as much as I do this one, and the band should be given a serious listen by any real fan of this genre.

With topics ranging from the lovely and mentally fragrant rotting of corpses (“Molder”) to  abhorrent genetic maladies (“Malpractice”) and into the  wondrous world of eating meat that was once a walking, grazing critter of the deities (“God's Critters” - oh, the insane riffing in this track!), I can only say that as a music fan that is usually very hard on the last 15-years of the death metal sphere, this is a slice of American death far beyond the accepted and expected norm. This demo is more of what we crave and need in death metal, an art form criminally drowning in a pathetic mire of shopping mall shirt stores and Cannibal Corpse hand-me-downs from an older sibling's outgrown biology. Molder is, in my humble assessment, the perfectly reasonable addition to a lineage that can always use a fresh perspective on an old musical friend.

As I'm known to do on occasion, I espouse all of the carnal virtues and accolades I can muster upon bands I find truly worth visiting and supporting, and An Act of Revenge is one of those moments I wish for my younger days because it would be great honor to share a stage with a band this dedicated and true to the art form. Check them out and turn loose the longing for death.

Rating: 9.5 out of 10

Review by JD on June 4, 2018.

Canadian metal erupts out once again… showing that we Canucks are not simply easy going people. We know how to take metal in our own ways, and boot you in the ass while doing it. Enter the melodic death metal act: Karkaos.

On the surface, this Quebec based act seem to be just another DM act from eastern Canada, but there is more than meets the eye…uh, ear.  With a female vocalist (Viky Boyer) that has great clean vocals and brutal growls, this sets the stage as she is backed up by five very amazing musicians. Think Arch Enemy mixed with Children of Bodom and add in that wonderful voice and you have pure power that smacks of almost a power metal style.

Right off the bat, the intro is one that grabs you in its haunting lilt then slaps you hard as the first song blares into your head.  Clean and growl voices mix to great effect as the band itself begins a torrid pace. Songs keep coming relentless and brutal; melodic death metal with slight hints of power metal churns your brain into mush.  Tracks like powerful "Tyrant" and melodic maelstrom of "Children of the Void" show a band that will not be ignored any longer- and keep pounding you. Karkaos is pure metal power.

There are spots where the band seems to have a major hiccups, and the songs seem to turn flat and unappealing, losing some of the albums power. Those songs seemed to have been hurried and unfinished – but those spots are few and far between. As a whole this is a very solid album from a band that seems to be building towards bigger things.  I would really suggest this album to even non DM fans. 

Rating: 8.3 out of 10

Review by Felix on September 10, 2019.

Nocturnal exist since almost 20 years and have never left the underground. One can describe this situation with the word stagnation, but some hordes just do not intend to see the bright light of day. Arrival of the Carnivore marked their first full-length after countless previous releases and their maturity shimmers through the material, although the songs do not lack fierceness. The band heralds a very merciless approach and its black thrash compositions are fueled by razor-sharp riffs and precise drumming. The songs do not fall victim to their own primitiveness. This is sometimes a problem in the blackened thrash department, but here we have tracks that offer more than punk-influenced verse-chorus-verse patterns. Of course, nobody has ever hailed the band for its complex monuments or its prog rock tendencies. Nevertheless, they integrate more than one or two riffs in each and every song and create intense sonic bastards.

The vocals are done by Andy, the man who lend his voice to numerous Witchburner releases as well. His authentic nagging is always a pleasure, although his pitch lacks variety. He masters all challenges, only the boozy "Burn this Town" with its sing-along chorus has not been tailored to his individual skills. But honestly speaking, I don't think that this song in its entirety fits the context of the album. Nocturnal stand for beastly assassination, not for more or less violent party songs. And so, they rush through their songs, full speed ahead, with an overdose of riffs that makes up for the absence of melodies. Sometimes I miss this iota of catchiness that helps each and every style to improve the impact of the music, but this is nothing that mars the overall impression in a significant manner. More important is that the riffs do not go nowhere, and here Nocturnal show their real strength. The guitar work leaves a spontaneous, skillful and energetic impression.

The booklet shows the logo of the "Hellbangers Moselfranken" and the solidarity with bands like Desaster may give you an idea how the album sounds. By the way, it is well produced. It presents the right mix of dirt and clarity. Maybe the voice of Andy is not loud enough in comparison with the guitars, but he struggles successfully to keep up with the instrumentalists. Due to the lack of memorable parts, I do not really have highlights I could recommend specifically. Nonetheless, the album works as a whole and meets the daily requirement of fury with great ease. The band did not yet reach the excellence they showed on Storming Evil, but the foundation-stone for further deeds was laid. The comparatively epic closer indicated their later masterpiece most insistently. Speaking of masterpieces, the last one was released in 2014. Isn't it time for a worthy successor?

Rating: 7.4 out of 10