Review by Szymon on November 3, 2017.

Pissed off mammoth is a dangerous mammoth. Pissed off Ufomammut is 8.

Eternally looped number eight expresses infinity. It is one of those numbers, which has been attributed variety of meanings for hundreds of years. It’s the symbol of eternal cosmic equilibrium, perfection, rebirth and finally - in some cultures - happiness. It was this symbolism that Ufomammut referred to with their eighth album, which brings, as it were, eight new songs. The expressive figure eighth on the cover of the disc is more akin to the alchemical symbol than the actual number, and promises something unique. An album that is worthwhile to get ‘looped in’ and give it a lot of precious time that is constantly limited by the abundance of other music premieres pouring out the vastness of the proverbial sleeve.

This time the band went on to record in a slightly different way, putting their money on the infrequently used nowadays naturalness. During the three days spent in the studio, the Italian trio recorded all material live, playing simultaneously in one room without any overdubs. Vocals and synths were added later. It's all clearly heard on 8. The sound is raw and decidedly less smoothed than it was presented previously.

What's more, 8 is a surprisingly aggressive album, vocally clamorous and downright brutal percussion-wise, which perfectly matches the dirtier sound. Ufomammut has not been playing so hard and straightforward probably since Idolum, and it is a deliberate attempt. A few days before the release of the album, I had the opportunity to exchange a few words with vocalist and bassist Urlo, who told me that this is a specific response to the recent activities of bands which soften musically with each subsequent release. Contrary to this trend, the Italians added more fuel to the fire, without forgetting about all characteristic to their art elements, especially the heaviness and the already mentioned, omnipresent electronics, which adds the essential cosmic aura to this album. In the end, there is no Ufomammut without cosmos.

It is this combination of aggression, dirt, trance and the electronic background that underlies the new material that decides that 8 is an album that is so successful. Having reached maturity this year, Ufomammut does not get short of breath and is still in great form, as is evidenced by the very beginning of the album. Italians didn’t show such vehement opening of the album as the combined "Babel", "Warsheep" and "Zodiac" (a feature of all the tracks on the album) in a long time. After all, the band does not  reveal all the cards immediately, holding the aces in their sleeve until the last minute of inviting to a interstellar  voyage "Psyrcle". Let's just say that furious "Core" could serve as an example. Whoever got the mammoth so pissed off must’ve regretted it very quickly. It's hard to talk about new quality, since the band does not even think about breaking up with long-established style, but it is a style in which the trio has achieved unquestionable championship in which they’re still able to develop creatively.

8 is not aggression only, but also quite a bit of space. Rather stifling and disturbing, but still space, variables and fading, which in turn determine the proper level of material dynamics and effectively protect against boredom. This also favors the varying length of compositions that fluctuate between three and eight minutes. At the end, the eight is a cosmic equilibrium, is not it? The album does not ‘open up’ to you right away, in which production prevents it slightly, but when it finally ‘clicks’ you really want to keep coming back to it and catch all the little touches and simply just ride the sound waves. The looped 8 in the title, when rotated to the side changes into infinity sign, which turns out to be very adequate to the contents of the disc. In the end, however, I have to disrupt this octal harmony, using an assessment that is not number eighth.

Rating: 9 out of 10

Review by Szymon on November 3, 2017.

Pissed off mammoth is a dangerous mammoth. Pissed off Ufomammut is 8.

Eternally looped number eight expresses infinity. It is one of those numbers, which has been attributed variety of meanings for hundreds of years. It’s the symbol of eternal cosmic equilibrium, perfection, rebirth and finally - in some cultures - happiness. It was this symbolism that Ufomammut referred to with their eighth album, which brings, as it were, eight new songs. The expressive figure eighth on the cover of the disc is more akin to the alchemical symbol than the actual number, and promises something unique. An album that is worthwhile to get ‘looped in’ and give it a lot of precious time that is constantly limited by the abundance of other music premieres pouring out the vastness of the proverbial sleeve.

This time the band went on to record in a slightly different way, putting their money on the infrequently used nowadays naturalness. During the three days spent in the studio, the Italian trio recorded all material live, playing simultaneously in one room without any overdubs. Vocals and synths were added later. It's all clearly heard on 8. The sound is raw and decidedly less smoothed than it was presented previously.

What's more, 8 is a surprisingly aggressive album, vocally clamorous and downright brutal percussion-wise, which perfectly matches the dirtier sound. Ufomammut has not been playing so hard and straightforward probably since Idolum, and it is a deliberate attempt. A few days before the release of the album, I had the opportunity to exchange a few words with vocalist and bassist Urlo, who told me that this is a specific response to the recent activities of bands which soften musically with each subsequent release. Contrary to this trend, the Italians added more fuel to the fire, without forgetting about all characteristic to their art elements, especially the heaviness and the already mentioned, omnipresent electronics, which adds the essential cosmic aura to this album. In the end, there is no Ufomammut without cosmos.

It is this combination of aggression, dirt, trance and the electronic background that underlies the new material that decides that 8 is an album that is so successful. Having reached maturity this year, Ufomammut does not get short of breath and is still in great form, as is evidenced by the very beginning of the album. Italians didn’t show such vehement opening of the album as the combined "Babel", "Warsheep" and "Zodiac" (a feature of all the tracks on the album) in a long time. After all, the band does not  reveal all the cards immediately, holding the aces in their sleeve until the last minute of inviting to a interstellar  voyage "Psyrcle". Let's just say that furious "Core" could serve as an example. Whoever got the mammoth so pissed off must’ve regretted it very quickly. It's hard to talk about new quality, since the band does not even think about breaking up with long-established style, but it is a style in which the trio has achieved unquestionable championship in which they’re still able to develop creatively.

8 is not aggression only, but also quite a bit of space. Rather stifling and disturbing, but still space, variables and fading, which in turn determine the proper level of material dynamics and effectively protect against boredom. This also favors the varying length of compositions that fluctuate between three and eight minutes. At the end, the eight is a cosmic equilibrium, is not it? The album does not ‘open up’ to you right away, in which production prevents it slightly, but when it finally ‘clicks’ you really want to keep coming back to it and catch all the little touches and simply just ride the sound waves. The looped 8 in the title, when rotated to the side changes into infinity sign, which turns out to be very adequate to the contents of the disc. In the end, however, I have to disrupt this octal harmony, using an assessment that is not number eighth.

Rating: 9 out of 10

Review by Michael on March 1, 2022.

Ouch that hit me! I didn't get the opportunity to review the new Wound album Serpent Crown right in time, not even in the right year. The German quintet released their very rousing third album last December so this might have been a very nice birthday or Christmas present for me. Too bad!

The opener 'Silent Indoctrination' just blew me away when I listened to it for the first time. I hadn't expected such a great step forward by the band. What they are performing here is very old-school death metal with some nice Gothenburg melodies here and there ('Dethroned Surpremacy') and a lot of Gothic-era vibes ('Forged For Death'). Nevertheless the tunes stay very brutal and not really trendy in any way you might think melodic metal could be. The band continues this style on most of the album though I have the feeling that they weren't quite sure which way they should go – the doomy way or the melodic one. But that doesn't matter, the tracks sound very coherent and on some tracks the guys from Wiesbaden are quite surprising because they increase speed and deliver some brutal stuff too like in 'Disciples Of Downfall' or 'Antagonism'. Another very appealing track with thriving riffs and an intense wall of sound is 'Towers'. This is a monolithic track with a very catchy ending. I won't mention any outstanding tracks on Serpent Crown because there are so many things that want to be discovered on here and it will take several listens having fully explored the album.

The production is done very well, just the drums might be a little bit richer, and I think they sound a little bit muffled and tinny sometimes. The vocals however are really powerful and aggressive and the guitars are pretty nicely distorted and have a buzzing sound. This one doesn't reinvent the wheel of course but who needs it if the old one is still working perfectly fine? This is a very cool gem for old school death metal fans who are very happy with their stuff from the late 80s up to mid-90s and maybe want to try out something new that sounds pretty much similar to the era when a lot of milestones in the genre came out.

So sorry guys for having not reviewed you in 2021, this would have probably been one of my favorite death metal albums back then!

Rating: 9 out of 10 wounded belated Santa Clauses

Review by Alex on July 30, 2019.

The arcane winds of old black metal blow furiously through all seasons it seems. Hagzissa graces the blackest paths of the underground with their first-full recording titled They Ride Along. I don't know much about the band, but they definitely know how to invoke the incense of ancient roughneck ritualistic black metal. This one went through multiple spins because it’s a blasted awesome release for a debut. Permeating is a good sense of aggression matched with a radiating glare of obscurity and devilment. Occult by philosophy and rugged by musical technique, Hagzissa has dipped their heads in a deep well of disaster and mystique in unholy self-baptism. They lay within the wisdom of first wave black metal while giving the finger to the spiritually naive with their thrashing and punky approach to the ritual. Undoubtedly one of the best records played within the ceremonial mist of the ancients. Going balls-out with a whapping 40 minutes to clarify any misconceptions you may have had about their music, Hagzissa instill a definitive sense of anger and pandemonium when playing the rites of their black mass. March to the sordid hymns of spiritual captivity and be drawn in by the trancing shore. They Ride Along is sure to meet your demand for occult first wave black metal if you attend Hagzissa's sermon. 

As someone often seeking records that use a primitive approach, I was more than pleased to see this show up. For many 'primitive' is often mistaken for mediocre and yes I would agree with some statements pointing to bands hiding under the 'primitive'/'organic' moniker as an excuse for their beyond pathetic attempts at making music. However, to achieve a stripped-down feel does not mean conforming to mediocrity, rather, taking your instrumental proficiencies for a ride without training wheels aka 'pro tools' gives the listener a sense of sincerity; a priceless property that cannot be faked. No drum triggers on here, no cheesy choruses, only heavy fucking black metal executed with care for the catastrophe. Stapled deep with thrashing hostility comes They Ride Along; striking the match with 'Die Pforte (A Speech Above the Moor)', Hagzissa's blaze across the prestigious black metal spectrum had begun; the discomforting, sudden shifts in harmonies and overlays of fiery guitar licks, sweep cleanly through to the final track. Proceeding onward to 'Moonshine Glance (An Iron Seed in Our Sour Soil)' and 'Searing Effigy', the feeling Hagzissa had been building towards their best often came as thought due to the thrills they offer. The songs prior were good but seemed to be hinting towards better installations to follow. That is precisely what happened; with 'Moonshine Glance (An Iron Seed in Our Soil)' leading the way and setting the stage for tracks like;'They Ride Along on Howling Winds' and 'The Nightshade Wilderness'; tracing the inscriptions thus accomplishing adhesive harmonies and transitions that would become dominant qualities of Hagzissa's debut forward-on. 

For a 40-minute journey of witchery, the music does not appear to be a cluster-fuck of mashed together sessions; contrary to such, they emanate a cohesion of sorts, that in turn makes for an intimate experience when listening. The sagacity of Hagzissa emits with every song; in fetching the task of keeping the music within the confines of black metal glamour and recondite; the mechanism put to the test has emerged with admissible results while submitting before the truths of the genre. And while many may be trying to take advantage of this latest reemergence of classic black metal, you will in time see through the disguises of those not fully committed to the yore of nights long gone. This conclave of musicians guided by the hand of darkness have done a great favor to the underground and black metal in particular; with post-this and post-that and all the other shit trying to quell the mighty spirit of black metal, it’s good to see some are still in attendance to the lure. They Ride Along is a disciplined craft fit for the ears of those who prefer the genre in its original state. 

Rating: 8 out of 10