Review by Felix on July 4, 2019.

I am very interested in Axegressor's work since I have heard the fantastic self-titled band anthem that was published on their thrilling debut. Their second album was even better than their first output, because it was filled to the brim with lethal weapons. I was therefore very delighted that they went on and released a third album called Last. Initially, I was afraid that it could actually be their farewell full-length because of its title. But meanwhile, they have already published the fourth album... Forgive me for being a scaredy-cat. 

The strapping quartet offers nine tracks with a running time of 36 minutes. This alone smells like old-school, doesn't it? And it's true, the Finnish aggressors are definitely old-school, they are ugly and make no compromise. The guitars and the almost omnipresent bass, which gives the production an extra-dose of heaviness, characterize the intense music while the tones of singer “Johnny Nuclear Winter” (these Finnish names are really strange…) still sounds like the noises of an injured animal on the run. Don't get me wrong, he can take that as a compliment. The backing vocals are used in a targeted manner and they sound strong, too. All songs are running more or less in the same vein. They are fast, powerful and mighty without being predictable. Axegressor act with an exceptional degree of aggression and therefore they will surely energize every fan of rude thrash metal. Just enjoy the ultra-fast parts of "Command to Last" as well as its brief galloping section. Generally speaking, if you expect a minimum of sweet melodies or harmonic singing, you are not in the right ballpark. May I dare to say that, for example, some short acoustic parts would have increased the variety of the album? No? Okay, then I'm quiet. (And, in all honesty, variety is no end in itself.)

Admittedly, it is difficult for me to figure out the best songs. The album works as a whole. It hits you like a lasting act of violence that is used to demoralize you. At the latest now I have understood what Exodus preach for roughly three decades. Axegressor celebrate "good friendly violent fun" - naturally without touches of humor according to the general understanding. It goes right the other way around; their riffs are dry to the bone and move constantly forward. The song title "A Fistful of Ignorance" symbolizes their attitude in a very precise manner. Perhaps the solos could leave a greater impact, but that remains negligible due to the strong overall impression.

You do not have to like this bullying album, but no one will be able to claim that these guys did not do their job properly. A Finnish army in rage always makes trouble and Last does not lack energy, enthusiasm or pressure. Moreover, the technical skills of the musicians are first class and their passion and integrity is beyond doubt. Thus, the cover motif (heavy metal skull number 21.341, I guess) features the only vapid detail. Fans of Battery, Terrifier or early Destruction are summoned to get a copy.

Rating: 8 out of 10

Review by Carl on January 10, 2024.

And we're off again to the Netherlands! Today we have on the chopping block the debut full length of black metal fiends Salacious Gods, from 1999. Now, we were up to our necks in black metal bands at that time, and there's not a lot on this album that we have not heard way before, but it would certainly do the band a disservice to write them off right away. Curious? I hope so, because I'm going to spin quite a yarn about this.

In style, this is a band that found a sweet and cozy spot in between the sounds of Dark Funeral and Dimmu Borgir from around the time of "Enthrone Darkness Triumphant". In practice this gives us a very well-executed dose of black metal that is poured in varied tracks, effortlessly alternating between punishing tremelo picked velocity and almost triumphant atmospheric parts, while drenched in thick layers of keyboards. Nothing new under the black sun, but the way above par playing keeps this thoroughly enjoyable throughout. At times the songs can be a tad predictable, it was black metal in 1999 after all, but in other places the band can get inventive as well. Take the opener "My Effigy Unfurled and Withered" for instance, where the riffs hint at a subtle death metal influence in the style of "Human" era Death and early Nocturnus. "Fire-storm" sees the inclusion of a dose of thrash metal riffing among the blackened atmospheres, and "Everlasting Winter Breeze" gets a slight gothic atmosphere injected through the use of spoken parts and short gloomy melodies, reminding me of old The Cure a bit. It's these elements that manage to elevate the band above the throng of black metal bands that were in the same ballpark as Salacious Gods, and just believe me when I say that there were a lot of 'em back then.

The production is pretty high class, and I was afraid there for a minute, because from the moment the percussion started, I immediately recognized that typical triggered 90's sound and realized: this was recorded in Franky's Recording Kitchen. It's a studio that recorded quite some Dutch death metal acts, and they had the annoying habit of delivering productions that all sound the same. Not so in this case, though. Agreed, those typical soggy triggered kick drums are indeed present, but Salacious Gods do sound like their own band here. That band being Dimmu Funeral or Dark Borgir, but at least this does not sound like any previous Franky's production job. Instead we get a loud and clear soundmix, that gives all the instruments their rightful place in the total picture. A wonderful job for sure, because the sound spectrum simply bulges with instrumentation. There's guitars, hefty dominant keyboards, drums, bass, and of course the mandatory screaming vocal delivery, and all are audible throughout. Sure, there's always room for criticism, like perhaps the guitars could've been just that bit louder, but as a whole this is a solid production job. The die-hard black metaller will consider this overproduced, but a band like Salacious Gods has no use for basement-style production values. This stuff needs to come out like rolling thunder, simple as that.

"Askengris" is a well above average album when it comes to execution and production, and while they may not be the most original black metal band on the block, there still are quite some good ideas present. In a time when you could throw a rock with your eyes closed and probably hit a black metal band passing by, these guys were above a lot of them. This is some quality black metal for sure, and Salacious Gods is a band well worth checking out in my opinion.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10