Review by Felix on August 8, 2022.

Serbia's scene is a power that the well-organised black metal disciple should definitely keep on his mind. This should be clear to anyone who has heard albums like "Teatar Apsurda" or "Kosturnice" by The Stone. But in the slipstream of the flagship there are other exciting names. CMPT is perhaps the most promising.

Mrtvaja (a region in Serbia, if I am not mistaken) was the first sign of life of the “band”, that is actually another one man project. The multi-talent that drives this musical venture offers two long yet never boring pieces (“Mrtvaja part I and II”) and connects them with an atmospheric intro and outro. An acoustic guitar presents some dark, desperate tones and sets the stage for the following ice-cold lines that pour down on the listener in rapid succession. I agree that the lone wolf does not deliver any new aspects of the subgenre. Surprising twist and turns are missing. But he is able to create a very impressive result within the given guidelines. Both songs shine with a pretty perfect mixture of melody and belligerence. The nagging vocals, loosened up with a howling intermezzo in part II, underline the pitch black mood as well as a silent sequence. Honestly speaking, these two songs celebrate the tremolo riffing and lie in close proximity to perfection considering that it is a debut. Okay, the solo artist seems to have a lot of experience due to his engagement in roughly 1.000 further bands, but this alone does not guarantee a release of that outstanding quality.

Despite their opulent lengths, the songs are easily accessible. They avoid overly catchy parts, but their excellent flow cannot be ignored. In addition, the production of the EP must be mentioned. It is a brilliant, well defined mix that sends a cold breeze out of the speakers. Mrtvaja sounds exactly like it should sound and that’s great – but that’s not all. The artwork catches the spirit of black metal in an absolutely amazing manner and I also appreciate the fact that I got a free CD version when I ordered the nobly designed 10” vinyl. Not to mention the included download code. The more or less legendary Osmose label, that’s for sure, are customer-orientated. So my conclusion is clear: although the artist could not fully keep the quality of the EP on his first full-length, CMPT is a name that deserves the attention of the black metal community. Especially those dudes who like to listen to Burzum (I am sorry that I cannot avoid this often used term here…) should check out this release.

Rating: 9 out of 10

Review by Felix on May 1, 2019.

Promotion pics which seem to show the legitimate successor of early Exciter, a chainsaw guitar sound and the merciless vileness of the most unscrupulous Deströyer 666 tracks - these are just three components of the cosmos where Avenger of Blood set the agenda. The first time I heard a song of them was on the "Speed Kills... Again" compilation and in particular the deadly "Enemy Attack" made me more than curious. Well, Death Brigade holds more lethal weapons, but honestly speaking, they hinder each other. Ten suns probably do not shine brighter than one and here we have the same situation. Each and every song is a celebration of thrashing old school cruelty, but all of them fire in the same direction and so their effect is much smaller than I hoped.

Permanent high speed is not the most promising recipe to create a very dynamic album and the choruses fail to give the listener a point of orientation. The constant nagging of the Mille fanboy behind the microphone is rather monotonous and the riffs are seeking their individuality. No, this is no bad record, don't get me wrong. The level of aggression is impressive, and the authenticity of formation deserves recognition. There are no details that kill the entire work and I do not see any reason to blame them for stereotyped titles such as "Poserslaughter". Nevertheless, those factors that transform a solid thrash album into a murderous experience are missing. Charismatic vocals (Paul Baloff, you are unforgotten), fragile melodies that show up surprisingly (Forbidden managed this art perfectly) or simple parts that combine brutality with catchiness (Slayer's line "Watch as flowers decay" opens the gates to a prime example in this context) - regrettably, Avenger of Blood do not have such elements in their portfolio. Aggravating this situation, their compositional skills leave room for optimization, because they seem to know only one formula.

Death Brigade is a narrow-minded, one-dimensional and pretty hellish full-length that expresses its profound contempt for everything that sounds like more or less commercial music. The pure frenzy marks the biggest (and sometimes only) asset of the quartet from the United States and songs like the title track or "When Will You Die" are, considered in isolation, very effective means to free the ears from dirt. Credit for this successful treatment is also due to the dust-dry production that does not suffer from major flaws. Needless to say, that the saws (read: the guitars) dominate the mix. It's a typical genre sound, no more, no less. Nothing surprising on an album that lacks variety and so Avenger of Blood do not gain a position ahead of the 21st century thrash pack. Guess that "Enemy Attack" is the best track they ever wrote.

Rating: 6.8 out of 10

Review by Felix on May 28, 2025.

First things first, Balmog is definitely a cool formation. They have a stable line-up, they release new stuff reliably and they are courageous enough to walk a pretty individual way in terms of their musical approach. Yes, they are no more the ultra-violent gang they were at the times of releases like Necroangels' Revelations, but their stylistic path has never led them into plush commercial landscapes. Consequently, Laio is not comparable with the massacres of their early days. However, people who are looking for a comfortable listening session, can go to the next exit right now. The dominating emotion on this album is horror, supported by a psychedelic undertone. This results in an unexpected conclusion. Doubtlessly, Balmog's style has nothing in common with Mercyful Fate, but if King Diamond had chosen a more adult approach, he would probably had created a similar sound. The emotional facet of Laio is not too far away from some of his works.

Musically, the band still cruises through the salty territories of their two one-track-EPs. Eve is another point of reference. Maybe the overall degree of aggression is a bit higher than on these releases. "Mud To Gold" holds some very furious parts, to give but one example. But even in its fiercest moments, Laio never appears as a typical black metal album. It holds an impressive, terrifying vastness and breathes the inspiring spirit of artistic freedom. The guitars create hellish, abyssal sounds full of dark emotions and their lines are always on target. A high yet still adequate number of breaks challenges the listener – it's not always easy to follow the songs to every lightless corner of the own soul. The tracks are not conventionally designed, but at the end of the day, Balmog have found a good balance between individuality and still comprehensible song structures. Perhaps this feature reflects their maturity most clearly.

Besides a remarkable musical depth, the album scores with homogeneity. From my point of view, it offers a drug-soaked trip – but I'm not sure, because in all honesty, I never used drugs. So maybe my description is misleading. Anyway, one thing is for sure, it is no milk-soaked music. But let's get back to the album's homogeneous appearance. The six regular tracks form a vigorous block and it is a pity that "Ortus Umbra", an intermezzo which wants to be atmospheric, hurts the flow of the album. But if I ignore a few nerve-shattering guitar tones in the actually good "Like God Who Knows", this useless miniature piece remains the only downer and a minor detail which the impact of Laio only causes insignificant damage. All in all, the fantastically produced album is always rebellious and nightmarish, never soft or cosy and full of great guitar whirlwinds. The pretty brutal "Mashalam" and the beginning of "The Silence Of The Trumpets" underline this. By the way, too bad that the silence of Trump is still a long time coming. Either way, Laio is naturally no political output, but an explosive, dark and impetuous one. The vocals also contribute to this variety of different facets. Depending on the course of the individual pieces, they sound combative, totalitarian, omniscient or majestic. So yes, Balmog, who have definitely found their own, personal niche, have released a fascinating new album which is based on a comparatively rare approach – and that's certainly another good reason to call them a cool band.

Rating: 8.1 out of 10