Chile has had a, dare I say, revival in the last decade concerning extreme Metal. Some classic bands such as TOTTEN KORPS, ATOMIC AGGRESSOR and DEATH YELL came back from the dead with excellent releases and a new breed of Death / Thrash bands has risen to turn the eyes of the world unto the Chilean underground once more. And I think PRAISE THE FLAME is one of the finest examples of the evil, murky and extreme Death / Thrash Metal that this South American country has been spawning lately. I first came to know the band from their "Profane Cult" EP, released by the fine Chilean label Apocalyptic Productions, back in 2013 and I had been waiting for a full length release since then. Finally, the classy underground label Memento Mori Records from Spain has put out "Manifest Rebellion", their debut album. And I expected no less from this Chilean horde. The obscure aura of this album is monumental. You can actually feel the evil vibe everywhere. Guitarist JJ’s grunts constantly, crossing the line between Death and Black Metal vocal styles, while Druaghonik and Necroterror maintain a solid rhythm foundation on drums and bass respectively. And B. Necroskull rounds up the twin guitar attack with the aid of some savage leads. And this is no surprise, due to the fact that PRAISE THE FLAME has members and ex – members of other great Chilean bands such as DEATH YELL, INSORCIST and PUTRID EVOCATION. Sound wise, this album is filthy, murky and surrounded by the humid stench of a watery mausoleum. Full of eerie guitar riffs, haunting open chords, full-on speed Death / Thrash Metal mixed with blast beats; total and absolute chaos. The guitar tone is a bit on the treble side, but the wild drum performance and the pounding bass lines tighten up the overall sound, which lands exactly in the late 80s era with an added twist. A raw, yet clear mix where all instruments have their place makes "Manifest Rebellion" a great listening experience. My only concern here is with the vocals. In my humble opinion, they were pushed back a little in the mix, but, on second thought, maybe that’s one of the details that make this album an absolute sonic assault of its own. I really can’t recommend this album enough. It is that good! If you are a follower of the late 80s South American Death / Thrash Metal or a self-respecting Metal fan, then this album is a must have. No good extreme Metal collection is complete without PRAISE THE FLAME’s "Manifest Rebellion". Period. This is the essence of evil made into extreme music, as it was meant to be. You can give the band some well deserved support here: www.facebook.com/praisetheflame, http://praisetheflame.bandcamp.com or contact their label to get their album here: www.memento-mori.es

In the last years the Chilean scene has unleashed more deadly plagues than the ones dwelling in the Pandora’s box. Well, words are not enough to praise (the flame?) all the hell’s broke loose in these southernmost lands this year, just check records from the legendary TOTTEN KORPS, the new Death Metal sensation CONSUMED, the brutal insanity of SLAUGHTBBATH, the new twisted recording from COFFIN CURSE, or the instant classic split EP of UNAUSSPRECHLICHEN KULTEN and PENTAGRAM CHILE… but without place for a doubt, the most expected and anticipated recording was the debut album of this Santiago based three piece act. And I’ll be direct, this album surpasses all expectations, Death Metal to the bone! If you had the unholy pleasure of enjoying their debut MCD a couple of years ago, you’ll literally shit your pants! An intense compendium of 9 rituals of Metal of Death with clear influences (not copy) of ANGELCORPSE, old MORBID ANGEL, some touches of early INCANTATION, some intense and insane touches of GROTESQUE, flavored with the essence of REPUGNANT. This nightmare begins with an intro take directly from the realms of Charon, ‘Thanatognomonic’, which prepares us for the first attack, ‘Fire Forces Of Hate’. No comments, a sudden death is your destiny, with those strangling riffs and speedy attacks (not shitty blast beats based riffs) and it’s just the beginning. Then comes the song that titles this album, a suffocating piece of Lovecraftian horrors, unleashed on mid paced riffs, the (serpent) voice of JJ really fits to this apocalyptic dream. Next is one of my favourite tracks on this manifesto, ‘The Burial Urns Of Grief’, twisted and deranged. ‘Sepulchral Haze’ is another example of how a Death Metal hymn must be arranged. ‘Endless Scourge’ makes you imagine those Hieronymous Bosch pandemonic paintings. Pure (early) ANGELCORPSE worship! ‘Venomous Tyranny’ starts with a malevolent riff which reminds me of GROTESQUE then breaks into the dominions of SARCOFAGO, pure South American Death Metal worship (MORBID ANGEL is also haunting us in this track). ‘Rise The Witchpower’ is the prelude / invocation for the infernal insurrection, slow paced in the beginning then starts to hammer my head with lethal arrangements. If you survived this one, the final cut will send you directly to the grave. It’s ‘Cryptic Sovereign Death’, a tribute to the old Chilean gods namely DEATH YELL, ATOMIC AGGRESSOR, SADISM and TOTTEN KORPS. What a grand finale! Another point I can remark is nothing has been left aside in the production, from the art work to the final mix / mastering, these guys have unleashed a memorable work, my congratulations. This record must be one of the top ten this year! More info at: www.facebook.com/praisetheflame, http://praisetheflame.bandcamp.com or www.memento-mori.es (Raul, you bastard – you released another gem!)