Review by Felix on September 23, 2020.

Körgull the Exterminator… well, what can I say? Since their very first steps, the musicians under this banner wrote songs that embodied pure bestiality, hatred, rudeness and, last but not least, an omnipresent “f**k you” attitude. Their blackened thrash inferno has always been the polar opposite of clemency, mildness and radio-friendly music. And if we can believe in the song titles of Sharpen Your Spikes, we can be sure that KtE still sounds black. We receive the 'Prophecy of Black Blood', visit 'The Black Goat of the Woods' and learn that 'A Black Bird Is Always a Warning'. More blackness is forbidden. But can we really trust these song names?

Obama said: yes, we can. I agree in this case. KtE haven’t changed their way of proceeding. A rolling thunder of thrashing riffs, vehement drumming and a voice that reminds of Sabina Classen’s most toxic days convert my cosy living room to a sonic battlefield. I freely admit that the stage-setting intro sounds like the beginning of a ballad of Blackie (!) Lawless (I nearly hear him lamenting “where is the lo-ove?”), but that’s just the calm before the storm. Snot meets inferno as soon as the first regular track (and simultaneously the first highlight) sets in. Lilith, the only female survivor after the departure of Steel Maniac in 2013, negates all of her feminine charms and her rude performance does not only re-vitalize the spirit of Wendy O. Williams. It also motivates the male part of the Spanish team to extraordinary dedication. Therefore swirling guitars clear a path through the jungle of mainstream music which has been so meticulously treated with pesticides. Moreover, some compositions possess a fascinating element of hellish catchiness. The guitar leads and the chorus of the title track find their way into my long-term memory very quickly – and that’s just one example.

Yet it is a matter of course that Sharpen Your Spikes has other dominating traits than catchiness. The aforementioned black goat, for instance, has probably been a bulldozer in a previous life. However, no challenge is too big for this squadron. No matter how dry the ground is, the relentless quintet ploughs through it with great ease. And it is not only 'The Black Goat of the Woods' which shows that an extra dose of malicious heaviness and the temporary neglect of ultra-fast rhythms can go hand in hand. This does not mean that KtE dish up doomy sections, but Lady Necrobitch and the boys know the power of a precisely killing mid-tempo part very well. Moreover, they love to come to the point directly. Tracks like the straight, murderous and sharp 'Battle Ram' have no single gram of fat. They just split skulls with great ease, the more the better – and the fury they reflect is simply impressive. Okay, maybe it is true that KtE slightly run out of breath during the (still strong) closer, which almost sounds like a Desaster song with “medieval” melodies. In addition, it might be true that one could optimize one or two further pieces. But to speak about these details would be small-minded and petty in view of the overall quality of this output. Instead, enjoy this feast of howling guitars or collapse and let yourself re-animate softly by “real heavy music”, for example Accept’s “Metal Heart” or comparable shit.

Last but not least, the production must be mentioned. In short: excellent. It develops a gargantuan power and proves evidence that transparency and dirt do not exclude each other. The mix of Sharpen Your Spikes is a demonstration of fierce power and it gives the already breath-taking songs the final touch. Enough written. This album with its perfect centre consisting of the title track, 'Battle Ram' and 'The Black Goat of the Woods' is nothing less than a must-have for all those who love structured noise. No doubt, we can trust in the song titles I mentioned at the end of the first paragraph. They do not promise too much, albeit the almost poetic name 'A Black Bird Is Always a Warning' can lead the audience on a wrong track. Körgull the Exterminator are neither sensitive nor poetic – but they are stronger than ever and they are back… in black.

Rating: 9.1 out of 10

Review by Felix on September 23, 2020.

Körgull the Exterminator… well, what can I say? Since their very first steps, the musicians under this banner wrote songs that embodied pure bestiality, hatred, rudeness and, last but not least, an omnipresent “f**k you” attitude. Their blackened thrash inferno has always been the polar opposite of clemency, mildness and radio-friendly music. And if we can believe in the song titles of Sharpen Your Spikes, we can be sure that KtE still sounds black. We receive the 'Prophecy of Black Blood', visit 'The Black Goat of the Woods' and learn that 'A Black Bird Is Always a Warning'. More blackness is forbidden. But can we really trust these song names?

Obama said: yes, we can. I agree in this case. KtE haven’t changed their way of proceeding. A rolling thunder of thrashing riffs, vehement drumming and a voice that reminds of Sabina Classen’s most toxic days convert my cosy living room to a sonic battlefield. I freely admit that the stage-setting intro sounds like the beginning of a ballad of Blackie (!) Lawless (I nearly hear him lamenting “where is the lo-ove?”), but that’s just the calm before the storm. Snot meets inferno as soon as the first regular track (and simultaneously the first highlight) sets in. Lilith, the only female survivor after the departure of Steel Maniac in 2013, negates all of her feminine charms and her rude performance does not only re-vitalize the spirit of Wendy O. Williams. It also motivates the male part of the Spanish team to extraordinary dedication. Therefore swirling guitars clear a path through the jungle of mainstream music which has been so meticulously treated with pesticides. Moreover, some compositions possess a fascinating element of hellish catchiness. The guitar leads and the chorus of the title track find their way into my long-term memory very quickly – and that’s just one example.

Yet it is a matter of course that Sharpen Your Spikes has other dominating traits than catchiness. The aforementioned black goat, for instance, has probably been a bulldozer in a previous life. However, no challenge is too big for this squadron. No matter how dry the ground is, the relentless quintet ploughs through it with great ease. And it is not only 'The Black Goat of the Woods' which shows that an extra dose of malicious heaviness and the temporary neglect of ultra-fast rhythms can go hand in hand. This does not mean that KtE dish up doomy sections, but Lady Necrobitch and the boys know the power of a precisely killing mid-tempo part very well. Moreover, they love to come to the point directly. Tracks like the straight, murderous and sharp 'Battle Ram' have no single gram of fat. They just split skulls with great ease, the more the better – and the fury they reflect is simply impressive. Okay, maybe it is true that KtE slightly run out of breath during the (still strong) closer, which almost sounds like a Desaster song with “medieval” melodies. In addition, it might be true that one could optimize one or two further pieces. But to speak about these details would be small-minded and petty in view of the overall quality of this output. Instead, enjoy this feast of howling guitars or collapse and let yourself re-animate softly by “real heavy music”, for example Accept’s “Metal Heart” or comparable shit.

Last but not least, the production must be mentioned. In short: excellent. It develops a gargantuan power and proves evidence that transparency and dirt do not exclude each other. The mix of Sharpen Your Spikes is a demonstration of fierce power and it gives the already breath-taking songs the final touch. Enough written. This album with its perfect centre consisting of the title track, 'Battle Ram' and 'The Black Goat of the Woods' is nothing less than a must-have for all those who love structured noise. No doubt, we can trust in the song titles I mentioned at the end of the first paragraph. They do not promise too much, albeit the almost poetic name 'A Black Bird Is Always a Warning' can lead the audience on a wrong track. Körgull the Exterminator are neither sensitive nor poetic – but they are stronger than ever and they are back… in black.

Rating: 9.1 out of 10

Review by Michael on January 13, 2021.

Whoa, this year is off to a very cool start!!! Frozen Soul are a relatively new band (founded in 2018) but they have grabbed me with their new (and very first) album which ended up directly in my current playlist and in one of the front places. Respect!!!

But let's start from the beginning. After a short intro, the first track starts with ultra brutal old school death metal and vocals that make your marrow freeze in your bones. The singer reminds me quite of old Bolt Thrower at "Realm of Chaos" times, quite dark and somehow also spreading an icy atmosphere. The voice is a mixture of death metal grunts and whispers. The song structures of the album also often make me think of old Bolt Thrower. 'Hand of Vengeance' could well be on "Realm of Chaos", though the slower parts also keep reminding me of the old death doom band Winter (R.I.P.). I wonder why? By the way, Frozen Soul have a female bass player on board just like Bolt Thrower did back then.

The band skillfully manages to vary the tempos in their tracks in such a way that each track offers a surprise and doesn't seem monotonous. Personally, I find the changes between ultra slow and quite fast passages very appealing. What I find remarkable about the songs, even after repeated listening, is that the band always manages to pick up speed again when you think the song is over. Especially the track 'Encased in Ice' is such a case. Here you should definitely know the video to understand the slightly disturbing sounds in the middle part. 'Wraith of Death' is another song that convinces with its varied passages. Here, too, Bolt Thrower structures often prevail, but they are excellently developed by their own ideas.

The lyrics of the album are surprisingly about frost, death and supernatural things. The band manages through the gloomy song arrangements, coupled with gripping intros (just listen to 'Hand of Vengeance') as well as the icy breathed vocals, to bring across this atmosphere, which the songs are supposed to create lyrically, on an acoustic level as well. Maybe it's because of the season and the associated temperatures, but I will certainly listen to the album to cool down in the summer, when the northern hemisphere will again groan under new heat records. I think with a cool drink Crypt of Ice will also then serve well to refresh.

Rating: 9.3 out of 10