You are reading the best stoner reviews site in Quezon City. Check out the latest and the not so recent music reviews for 2023. Thanks for the support and keep toking. [by: R Ibanez]
Absit Omen
Mercyless Overture 2 track demo 2022
After releasing their debut, Absit Omen hit the ground running with local gigs and offers to play outside the Philippines. Despite AO’s debut album coming straight from the 90s, it claimed names on foreign soil and proved that timeless riffs are a goldmine, still lethal when excavated and will hit like uranium mine explosions.
Ignoring time and trends, Absit Omen caused some shock therapy thrash-a-thons when gigs returned in 2022. The addition of Jay Orosa of Exitus on second guitar further added annihilating firepower. Also, it’s perfect timing then for new material which was already brewing cold in the Eastern Marikina Mountains. The first initial strikes prove to be deadly ragers, and are already road-tested by the time you read this.
Listening first to Vital Pledge, AO’s slight (production) changes to the sound totally paid off. AO tried different production styles for recording and mixing this time around. It took some (a little) borrowing from Mass Hypnosia’s live sound and production circa-Attempt to Assassinate (where drummer Glenn also played on) where the guitars are a cross strain of potent deaththrash played with oldschool speed. But that’s the only connection with MH as Absit O has a distinct sound and attitude. Using that sound and combining it with AO’s simpler, oldschool style worked on this demo, which sounds good enough for an EP release on 7″.
Absit Omen enhances their overall sound while staying the same: raging, midpaced, late 80’s early 90’s thrash. The result is an even heavier, updated sound because of the production and that tight AO formula: song-focused, with oldschool riffing, and an emphasis on kicking ass rather than outspeeding or “out-technical-ing” the world.
The title track (may or may not be a tribute to the French death/thrash band (Mercyless)) Overture’s grand, epic opening gives way to brutal, ripping death/thrash riff hooks. On the song’s more brutal sections you might mistake it for an MH track, well, as the main components are there (Karl, Mike, Glen). But their use of more slow down and mid-paced somber riffs are combined with deadlier reckless thrash, and this reminds you that AO are a more balanced monster while packing a roundhouse kick to the nuts while doing so.
https://www.facebook.com/absitomenofficial
Beherit
Bardo Exist
KVLT / local distro from: https://www.facebook.com/davaohellbangers
photo credit: Davao Hellbangers Production
Finnish Black Metal/Dark Ambient masters Beherit’s latest release will further expand their portfolio, and challenge (or test the patience?) of their more traditional black metal listeners. Bardo Exist stretches the cold, dark expanse of Marko Laiho’s subconscious void and manifests them in these tracks. The LP has patches of post black vocalizations with industrial/black metal/cinematic soundscapes and textures. From distant echo-ey pianos, swelling guitar-synth drones, dark ambient, to varying degrees of black metal dungeon calls (and even bonghit coughs?), the 38 minute expanse is of disjointed nightmares and hidden rooms within your brain while getting lost deep in artificially constructed Hellscapes.
The bonus CD meanwhile is a 22+ minute mind bending soundscape with hidden noise layers and mind expanding, almost psyche-influenced deep space exploration. For those who own this LP set and are still listening, the additional CDEP is an extra dose for lost mind wandering near the gates of hell. It is a perfect ender trip to the album.
Beherit proves that they can go beyond their traditional sound and release worthwhile sound/science experiments like these. The droning abyss forever awaits… You take the holy DMT hit and vision-quest yourself to find the cosmic keys of Lucifer, only to end up loooosssttt in the deep space regions of Hell.
Pathogen
Moribund Manifesto
Old Temple
Pathogen continues to annihilate global death metal ranks with consistent works. This latest cassette slab (I also own the CD) of killer OSDM comes with a killer patch and a key sound combination slightly altered in their sound: ripping Swedish guitar tone brutality but using Pathogen’s trademark scales and notes. Opener “Wrath of the Abhorer” is at 4:20 minutes and cranks up the steel cutting chainsaws of the undead infected with Pathogen’s sound, maintaining the murder spree from side A to B.
Bonus bonghit pluses here are some Swede-inspired riffs and speed tempos here and there to keep the brutal momentum more interesting. No, not At The Gates, F that, more like old to mid-era Dismember, Nihilist, Grave, et al, : the 90s Skogsberg/Sunlight sound meets Pathogen’s Philippine OSDM attacks conjured in the remote recording studios deep in the mystickal Anugal regions. The (devil’s) crossroads combination of these recording sessions capture the well-textured brutality of their sound.
Pathogen don’t care about local OSDM popularity contests and Facebook DM warrior comments on who’s supposedly true, no matter how high the white tennis shoe sneakers are or how old your beat up HM2 (Shopee) pedal is. Crank this shit to 11, load your guns and let the musick do the talking (killing).
* The Insektlife Cycle – SUPERSTRUNG!
* Abanglupa – Of Rats and Swine
Sound Carpentry Recordings
The Vivo Brothers manage to knock you out from both sides with two power packed releases in different genres. Each project they release is well thought out and composed, yet are different beasts altogether. With Dagtum full reining in some dissonant downtuned death metal, they manage to follow it up with two incredible releases from other kaleidoscopic spectrum of sounds: One to destroy your ears inspired by angry protest, the other to put psycherock lysergic doses in your brain and get your perceptions slightly warped.
The rampaging, political dbeat/metal/hardcore of Abanglupa destroyed everything in it’s path upon its release. Short and to the point, it’s another form of brutality from Nel and Nal but is distinct and of a different temperament compared to all their previous heavy undertakings. But the production and balanced mix could only be from Sound Carpentry, crafting sounds that carry heaviness and clarity.
Although Abanglupa haven’t played live yet, Nel and Nal have aces up their sleeve all the time. Don’t be surprised if they show up on a local bill wrecking it live, or maybe a new album just suddenly drops for the unsuspecting. They have also reissued an expanded edition of the album on vinyl from 9Lies Records which is now available from their FB page.
Another Vivo band from the opposite, left-turn section is The Insektlife Cycle‘s Superstrung EP. While older ILC releases mixed psyche rock grooves and slight jammed out riffs, Superstrung combines slight proggish tinges with the postrock and psychedelic touches they’ve been developing over the course of their current journey. From heavy stoner grooves, oddtime signatures, frenetic lead solos, to atmospheric psyche passages, this 4 track EP has it all, guided by a smooth natural flow and progression. This is available on cassette, CD, and 10″ vinyl, and one of the bundles includes a CD tribute to the late Wally Gonzales, done ILC-style.
Ang Bangin Sa Ilalim Ng Ating Mga Paa
A book by Ronaldo Vivo Jr.
https://shopee.ph/Ang-Bangin-Sa-Ilalim-Ng-Ating-Mga-Paa-i.199639821.21467800758
I already have some of the latest musical works by Nel and Nal; They are also adept with written works, and their Ungaz Press label carries some fine printed works to check out. Among these award-winning and critically acclaimed works is “Ang Bangin sa Ilalim ng Ating Paa”, which details the experiences of third world degradation and the reality of being trapped in the worst ever country that ever existed, along with its brutal realizations right in the thick of the stupid pandemic.
For all the talk of extreme third world poverty porn, the infamous Filipino resilience, brutality, human rights abuses, and unending, and never changing loss of hope in a burning, dying motherland, this book talks the talk and walks the walk. This is what the real Philippines is: no hope and no future as you slowly crumble every day in the dirty ghettos of Manila. Accurate hometown scenes, vulgar and loaded words, shitty feelings, and fucked up situations that show you how doomed we really all are. It seems the only thing you can do is just shut up and take it. Get your copy today and feel what the Philippines truly is.
My copy is the out of print first version; The second edition (link above) presents a beautiful new, neon-psyche ghetto blaster-styled flash tattoo sheet artwork and iconography, within an old school emblem/insignia. Grab the F now or forever regret it.
Gapang
Kontrasismo
Mindplight Recordings
If you want REAL local sludge stoner heaviness, one of your best bets is Gapang, a power trio groove machine that will supply your heavy riff dose and hit the spot just like the best munchies. These ten tracks will do the job in supplying the megariffs to burn flags and joints to. The above average sound production adds to the band’s sense of swing and choice of stoner groove notes as well. The tight and heavy rhythm section supplies the support for the riffs and different guitar textural and atmospheric motifs all throughout, making it a satisfying listen.
Joy’s vocals range from low death metal vocals to gruff sludgeathons to a smoother, stoner doom voice (especially live). Gapang accentuate that with lyricism that reflects the shitty state of things in the Philippines, and the influence of personal turmoil and struggles, making you angry while at the same time making you slow-headbang. You could use that momentum to headbutt and smash the faces in of politicians, pigs, and entitled powertrippers and authority has-beens to dust in slow, heavy, but calculated hulksmash grooves. Watch out for their upcoming new album out soon. Judging from a recent sneak peek preview, it sounds nasty, heavy, and gnarly.
Towards Harmonious Civilization Zine 
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