Review by Michael on July 3, 2021.

Anasarca from Emden, Northern Germany don't take long (after a short spoken-words intro) to show on their fourth studio album Survival Mode, where the death metal hammer hangs. From the first note on, they beat mercilessly and rarely take their foot off the gas pedal.

Whoever knows anything about the North German death metal scene, will recognize certain parallels on this album to the guys from Obscenity, who play similar, quite brutal death metal. But when the quartet slows down their tempo in between, melodies appear, which reminds me of old Paradise Lost. Recurring elements are the staccato-like riffs, paired with chopping drums and also again and again grind-like vocals are incorporated into the songs. The tracks are on a technically demanding level throughout. Anasarca skillfully manage not to drift into dull banging, but to keep a playfully high level throughout. The only criticism is that the songs sound a bit alike in places, but that's complaining on a high level. The production is very powerful and strong, here there is nothing to complain about. This is how a death metal album must sound! Particularly outstanding tracks are in my opinion the title track, a driving song with a cool doomy intermediate part; 'Blue John' and 'Touching The Void' with very nice melodies as well as groovy parts, just like in 'Endurance' also as a matter of fact.

As a bonus there are five extra tracks added. Two of them are re-recorded, one is a new track and there's cover of Obituary - "Godly Beings" and Vomiting Corpses "Dogmas Ignored" (does anyone besides me know the band?). By the way, singer Michael was the shouter with them until 1995. Nice extras!!!

I can recommend listening to this disc to every death metal maniac, there isn’t much wrong with this!

Rating: 7.8 out of 10

Review by Michael on July 3, 2021.

Anasarca from Emden, Northern Germany don't take long (after a short spoken-words intro) to show on their fourth studio album Survival Mode, where the death metal hammer hangs. From the first note on, they beat mercilessly and rarely take their foot off the gas pedal.

Whoever knows anything about the North German death metal scene, will recognize certain parallels on this album to the guys from Obscenity, who play similar, quite brutal death metal. But when the quartet slows down their tempo in between, melodies appear, which reminds me of old Paradise Lost. Recurring elements are the staccato-like riffs, paired with chopping drums and also again and again grind-like vocals are incorporated into the songs. The tracks are on a technically demanding level throughout. Anasarca skillfully manage not to drift into dull banging, but to keep a playfully high level throughout. The only criticism is that the songs sound a bit alike in places, but that's complaining on a high level. The production is very powerful and strong, here there is nothing to complain about. This is how a death metal album must sound! Particularly outstanding tracks are in my opinion the title track, a driving song with a cool doomy intermediate part; 'Blue John' and 'Touching The Void' with very nice melodies as well as groovy parts, just like in 'Endurance' also as a matter of fact.

As a bonus there are five extra tracks added. Two of them are re-recorded, one is a new track and there's cover of Obituary - "Godly Beings" and Vomiting Corpses "Dogmas Ignored" (does anyone besides me know the band?). By the way, singer Michael was the shouter with them until 1995. Nice extras!!!

I can recommend listening to this disc to every death metal maniac, there isn’t much wrong with this!

Rating: 7.8 out of 10

Review by Vladimir on April 9, 2024.

It’s time for some Polish black metal enshrined in misanthropy and chaos, as I take a look at the one-man band Czarna Magia with the second full-length album Merciless Trap Of Civilization, released on January 2nd, 2022 independently and via The End Of Time Records. 

As the 'Merciless Trap Of Civilization' is activated, black magic begins to manifest through gloomy black metal, filled with dread and horror, screaming like an eldritch being from the underworld that is ready to strike with full force. As the album progresses, more black magic arises with each following track, adding more darkness and misanthropy to this unholy disaster. Throughout the entire album, the tremolo picking riffs are very tight and sharp, which get an extra edge alongside the harsh growling vocals and dynamic drum patterns. There are some outstanding examples that prove their worth, like the fourth track 'Ubiquitous Tentacles Of Corruption' showcases instances of melodic guitar work and mid-tempo riffing/drumming, while also giving some catchy side to the music. Another worthy example is the fifth track 'Trans Pustki' incorporates a bit of doomy moments, as well as some catchy instances that further expand the band’s sound. It’s quite noticeable that the songs have a lot of intensity and gloom in them, but also a bit of atmosphere that contributes plenty to the music, which keeps an even flow of darkness up until the very end. 

The songwriting seems very straightforward for the most part, however there are also some dynamics in the songs that show solid examples of transitioning between sections, as well as effective rhythmic changes. At first, I felt a bit skeptical about this album, because I had this feeling that I might stumble upon something truly generic and linear, but once I got to the second half, my doubts disappeared completely. The music has that even flow going with a strong stylistic consistency that follows from one track to another, while still leaving open room to throw in some new things to make it more interesting. The strong suite of this album is definitely the fact that the riffs manage to convey such a strong atmosphere that does not miss a single mark, keeping you on edge all throughout. The only minor issue I have with the album is the sound production, which for the most part sounds fairly alright, but in some parts, it sounds a bit thinner and not as heavy as I would like it to be. Despite this, it doesn’t drastically affect the album as a whole, and can be easily overlooked if you are just here to listen to some good ol’ black metal. 

Merciless Trap Of Civilization turned out to be quite a solid experience that left me pretty satisfied, and despite being very simplistic, it is pure black metal all the way through. Should you ever come across this release and think about giving it a chance, you definitely won’t make a mistake by doing so, because it is worth the while after all, and it offers just enough to hold your attention from start to finish. 

Rating: 8.2 out of 10