I think I made an observation in another earlier review of having a band from a region I don’t frequently get to hear too much from. So I can now add VRYKOLAKAS to my list. Hailing from Singapore they give us their latest release “Nocturnal Dominion Of Death”. Color me impressed because they have a powerful slightly War Metal approach with some Floridian Death Metal base to their sound. I mention the Florida scene because I hear a bit of OBITUARY and early MASSACRE in their songs. Especially vocalist Andi does a quite good Kam Lee impression at times. Having started as far back as 1999 and a slew of releases they have developed their sound over the years. You will hear the aforementioned bands, but they do bring some good songwriting skills to the picture. Songs have plenty of those dynamics you look for and with some very mild use of keyboards for some added nuance. I was listening to OBSCURIAL recently who are from the Kuala Lumpur region and they have a similar approach. I won’t go into too much and let the songs speak for themselves and allow you dear reader to broaden your musical scope to other regions that deserve your attention. They definitely have the attitude and sound to impress. Now all I gotta do is get there to see them live. More info at: www.facebook.com/vrykobrutaldeath, www.facebook.com/ibdc666

The first album I played today was “Like An Everflowing Stream” and I hadn’t heard it in a long time. My favourite track off that album is ‘Skin Her Alive’ and Singapore’s VRYKOLAKAS opener from their new album “Nocturnal Dominion of Death” instantly reminded me of that very moment. However, what we’re dealing with here isn’t Swedish Death Metal, what we’ve got is an absolutely cavernous slimy muddy Death Metal sound that belongs to the late ’80s. This is the down tuned Death Metal that we yearn for, unforgiving, relentless and uncompromising. I’ve known of this release for some time through social media. Futhark Records is one of the Metal music landmarks in Toronto and I kept following the updates closely knowing the album has just been released. And to no one’s surprise I absolutely love what I hear, swamp drenched vocals, uzi-rhythms and ack-ack influenced drumming! The best of it all is how well produced this is, this is straight out of an early INCANTATION fan’s dream. Combining the murkiness of early INCANTATION with DISMEMBER’s unfaltering sonic attack, VRYKOLAKAS approaches Death Metal the way we all love and adore, absolutely head-on. There is a method to the madness leading to the monolith of sound, the band slowly builds their approach and as they reach their destination break it all down to start building it again. A very INCANTATION’esque approach which VRYKOLAKAS make their own simply by dialling the brutality to a 10. There are clearly areas where the band looks up to IMMOLATION for inspiration and that is a great thing, track # 3, ‘Foretaste The Divine Wrath’, is a primary example, the rhythm section is unforgiving eventually breaking down to provide respite through the madness. One of the most interesting parts here is the guitarwork, the band uses both traditional and unorthodox structures, the traditional parts are where the drumming goes hand-in-hand but the sections where the band chooses to employ an unorthodox outlook towards heaviness are most interesting. The band has essentially added their own spirit to the sound of old school Death Metal that frankly more bands should take note of. This essentially results in the guitar cutting horizontally through the wall of sound which although isn’t an entirely new approach but VRYKOLAKAS personalize it enough to make it their own. Track # 7, ‘Bilateral Venomous Assault’, is an example where we have an unexpected ingestion of synth that caught me completely off guard. More than anything, the band employs an approach that sticks to the roots, but also explores the unknown in the underground which is something we rarely see these days. I suppose their songwriting borrows from the mysticism from home along with the direction of the traditional masters of the genre. All in all VRYKOLAKAS create a suffocating atmosphere throughout and they drown you within, this is fantastic Death Metal that the fans of the genre will truly appreciate. The amalgamation of the traditional approach with the current mindset of the world shows through and through in this release. Recommended! For more VRYKOLAKAS info, please visit www.facebook.com/vrykobrutaldeath. Label contacts: www.futharkrecords.com, www.facebook.com/grimmdistribution, www.facebook.com/ibdc666, www.facebook.com/paragonrecordsli