Review by Alex on April 29, 2020.

Macabre Smell of Rot combines this Peru death metal band's 2017 promo rehearsal demo and their 2019 split with Deshumaniszed, Towards the Diabolical Domains to form Macabre Smell of Rot. By the artwork you'd be able to figure the year these lads admire and if "1991" were the words uttered from your tongue, then you've guessed correctly. Finding Fallen Temple has been a treat so far, as it’s through the label I've been able to excavate some of the dirties though seemingly very competitive albums by bands that appear just as passionate as the ones on more notable underground labels.

Hell Trepanner (forgive me not mentioning earlier) with this compilation attires themselves with that old stain of antique death metal just out the wombs of thrash. Their 2017 promo leads the way in sculpting etch death metal of the time that through its thick and cloggy production helps in painting a convincing depiction of the sub-genre's earliest days. 'Sadistic Experiments in the Morgue' is balls-out death metal; pinch harmonics, thrashing leads, morbid gutturals, transitions to and from doom metal and up to standard drumming that retains some sloppiness, what’s not to like here. 'Trepanador Infernal' and 'Rotten Flesh Sacrifice' pretty much follow the lead as support for 'Sadistic Experiments in the Morgue', boasting music just as qualitative as the album opener and shine in their own ways.

The songs from Hell Trepanner's split with Deshumanized, have a slightly clearer and HM fuzzier vibration (in addressing production), but does not dismiss or delete the cornerstone attributes home to their 2017 promo rehearsal (which is quite impressive for a live recording). 'Into the Abysmal Depths' takes a few more steps into the doom metal territory, managing to inhale longer but is cautious enough to not get too bogged down by the dense and heavy tone as they would revert to thrashing customs of the genre's early form. 'Spirit of Serpent' is perhaps the most pissed-off track on Macabre Smell of Rot given the all-guns-blazing approach ensued, just listen to that guitar solo and the leads, this track sprints right through you. And if you can't resist pinch harmonics then 'Morbid Under the Spell' is where you need to be. Somewhat a combination of Hell Trepanner's best moments, the entry is all over the place using some thrash, death and doom to complete the incantation.

I expect to hear more good things from Hell Trepanner, provided the current global situation subsides sooner than later. Definitely a band to keep on the look-out for.

Rating: 7.6 out of 10

Review by Felix on October 30, 2022.

I am really surprised to see all the reviews with excellent ratings for “Beyond Recognition”. As much as I regret it, I cannot share this point of view. In my humble opinion, Defiance never gained a seat in the front row of thrash metal. On their third album, they appeared like a bad copy of Testament. “Step Back”, an unintentionally honest title after the acceptable debut and “Void Terra Firma”, shows the influence of the legacy administrators in an obvious way. Adding insult to injury, Defiance were – of course – not able to fight against the zeitgeist successfully. Guess we cannot expect this from a band that always followed the role models. Therefore this album delivers a pretty tamed form of thrash metal which has not much in common with its originally boisterous character.

Naturally, Defiance were not the only combo that fell victim to its own diluted sounds. But compared with their idols, they had another significant problem: their song-writing skills left wide room for improvement. Or do you really think that a song like the sleepy and boring title track is a hidden gem in the history of thrash? Despite its short double bass parts, it has nothing to do with the songs of those albums that defined the genre. The endless mid-tempo rhythms of the other tracks appeared as the undertakers of thrash as well. The genre had become an old man who was who was relieved that with the second wave of black metal a new phenomenon was preparing to free him from the role of the most extreme guy in town. Unable to write a catchy chorus and punished with the expressionless vocals of the lead singer, Defiance’s destiny was preordained. Not to mention their inexplicable love for stop-and-go riffs that kill the good ideas one finds in “Dead Silence”.

What is the best we can say concerning the A side? Well, the production is okay. Not very powerful, but its transparency and the guitar sound shape a solid foundation. Too bad that the mix is also the best thing we get during the B side. “Inside Looking Out” is not total shit, but its single parts do not form a coherent, exciting track and the somewhat mechanized vocals are simply awful. But lo and behold, the slow-moving but persistent “The Chosen” surprises with a certain amount of atmosphere and its riffing deserves at least a friendly nod of the head. Too late, too little. The horse has already left the barn and the following “Powertrip” with its embarrassing anti-chorus is nothing but a rude awakening. “Beyond Recognition” sounds to me like the work of a band that has lost its orientation or does thing that it is not convinced of. Maybe the whole thing was just an improvised rehearsal session pressed onto vinyl out of a stupid coincidence. Admittedly, there is nothing wrong with the craftsmanship of the instrumentalists, but nevertheless this album is nothing more than an easy-to-understand explanation why thrash metal urgently needed a time-out.

Rating: 2.9 out of 10

Review by Felix on October 30, 2022.

I am really surprised to see all the reviews with excellent ratings for “Beyond Recognition”. As much as I regret it, I cannot share this point of view. In my humble opinion, Defiance never gained a seat in the front row of thrash metal. On their third album, they appeared like a bad copy of Testament. “Step Back”, an unintentionally honest title after the acceptable debut and “Void Terra Firma”, shows the influence of the legacy administrators in an obvious way. Adding insult to injury, Defiance were – of course – not able to fight against the zeitgeist successfully. Guess we cannot expect this from a band that always followed the role models. Therefore this album delivers a pretty tamed form of thrash metal which has not much in common with its originally boisterous character.

Naturally, Defiance were not the only combo that fell victim to its own diluted sounds. But compared with their idols, they had another significant problem: their song-writing skills left wide room for improvement. Or do you really think that a song like the sleepy and boring title track is a hidden gem in the history of thrash? Despite its short double bass parts, it has nothing to do with the songs of those albums that defined the genre. The endless mid-tempo rhythms of the other tracks appeared as the undertakers of thrash as well. The genre had become an old man who was who was relieved that with the second wave of black metal a new phenomenon was preparing to free him from the role of the most extreme guy in town. Unable to write a catchy chorus and punished with the expressionless vocals of the lead singer, Defiance’s destiny was preordained. Not to mention their inexplicable love for stop-and-go riffs that kill the good ideas one finds in “Dead Silence”.

What is the best we can say concerning the A side? Well, the production is okay. Not very powerful, but its transparency and the guitar sound shape a solid foundation. Too bad that the mix is also the best thing we get during the B side. “Inside Looking Out” is not total shit, but its single parts do not form a coherent, exciting track and the somewhat mechanized vocals are simply awful. But lo and behold, the slow-moving but persistent “The Chosen” surprises with a certain amount of atmosphere and its riffing deserves at least a friendly nod of the head. Too late, too little. The horse has already left the barn and the following “Powertrip” with its embarrassing anti-chorus is nothing but a rude awakening. “Beyond Recognition” sounds to me like the work of a band that has lost its orientation or does thing that it is not convinced of. Maybe the whole thing was just an improvised rehearsal session pressed onto vinyl out of a stupid coincidence. Admittedly, there is nothing wrong with the craftsmanship of the instrumentalists, but nevertheless this album is nothing more than an easy-to-understand explanation why thrash metal urgently needed a time-out.

Rating: 2.9 out of 10

Review by Alex on April 29, 2020.

Macabre Smell of Rot combines this Peru death metal band's 2017 promo rehearsal demo and their 2019 split with Deshumaniszed, Towards the Diabolical Domains to form Macabre Smell of Rot. By the artwork you'd be able to figure the year these lads admire and if "1991" were the words uttered from your tongue, then you've guessed correctly. Finding Fallen Temple has been a treat so far, as it’s through the label I've been able to excavate some of the dirties though seemingly very competitive albums by bands that appear just as passionate as the ones on more notable underground labels.

Hell Trepanner (forgive me not mentioning earlier) with this compilation attires themselves with that old stain of antique death metal just out the wombs of thrash. Their 2017 promo leads the way in sculpting etch death metal of the time that through its thick and cloggy production helps in painting a convincing depiction of the sub-genre's earliest days. 'Sadistic Experiments in the Morgue' is balls-out death metal; pinch harmonics, thrashing leads, morbid gutturals, transitions to and from doom metal and up to standard drumming that retains some sloppiness, what’s not to like here. 'Trepanador Infernal' and 'Rotten Flesh Sacrifice' pretty much follow the lead as support for 'Sadistic Experiments in the Morgue', boasting music just as qualitative as the album opener and shine in their own ways.

The songs from Hell Trepanner's split with Deshumanized, have a slightly clearer and HM fuzzier vibration (in addressing production), but does not dismiss or delete the cornerstone attributes home to their 2017 promo rehearsal (which is quite impressive for a live recording). 'Into the Abysmal Depths' takes a few more steps into the doom metal territory, managing to inhale longer but is cautious enough to not get too bogged down by the dense and heavy tone as they would revert to thrashing customs of the genre's early form. 'Spirit of Serpent' is perhaps the most pissed-off track on Macabre Smell of Rot given the all-guns-blazing approach ensued, just listen to that guitar solo and the leads, this track sprints right through you. And if you can't resist pinch harmonics then 'Morbid Under the Spell' is where you need to be. Somewhat a combination of Hell Trepanner's best moments, the entry is all over the place using some thrash, death and doom to complete the incantation.

I expect to hear more good things from Hell Trepanner, provided the current global situation subsides sooner than later. Definitely a band to keep on the look-out for.

Rating: 7.6 out of 10