Wednesday, August 26, 2015

Bandcamp Picks: Pseudostratiffied Epithelium, Genocide Pact, Howls of Ebb, Bloody Violence



Of course there's a death metal scene in Costa Rica - just ask the long-running Pseudostratiffied Epithelium. Their name may speak to their Carcass-worshipping roots, but their self-titled EP reveals that a deep love of Incantation has since taken root. If this is a sign of what's going on in Costa Rica, then deeper investigations are warranted. The EP (along with everything else on their Bandcamp page) is available as a "name your price" download.


Genocide Pact feature members of Disciples of Christ, but where the latter are unrestrained grind/powerviolence, GP are as restrained as death/grind gets. Forged Through Domination is a throwback to Carcass and Bolt Thrower albums of the early 90's, building songs out of slow, swinging riffs, though thankfully with none of the straying tempos that Bolt Thrower were so infamous for. A mid-paced death metal album that actually grabs me is a rare thing; this is one of the few. The power of the riff compels you. [$5]



Howls Of Ebb takes two things the Bay Area is known for - Autopsy and psychedelia - and combine them into one eerie, unsettling package. Their three song EP The Marrow Veil takes the listener from the garage to the void and back through its nearly 40 minutes. The thin sound is regrettable, though, especially since HoB offer so much more than the typical old school revival band - the music deserves to sound better than it does here. [€7]



Brazil's Bloody Violence don't fear the top three strings on their guitars, that's for sure. Divine Vermifuge combines blastbeats with noises that you wouldn't think a stringed instrument could make. Between the squealing riffs and the pig grunt vocals, this could be ground zero of a swine flu epidemic. The album is available as a "name your price" download.