DEMO/EP ROUNDUP - Thuringwethil and Truchlo Strzygy

Onward we go with our roundup of demos, EPs, singles and mini albums ...

Up first we have THURINGWETHIL, a one-man black metal band out of Pennsylvania, with the To Summon The Spirits Of Eternal Night EP (Bandcamp). Sporting a white on black cover with a corpse painted fella holding a knife, initial expectations were of tales about Transylvanian hunger and lust. What we get instead is an apocalyptic tale from the viewpoint of those welcoming Ragnarok, played out in six acts over 32 minutes. Two of the tracks are short, keyboard instrumental soundscapes to create an eerie atmosphere, while the other four are elongated (each averaging 7 minutes) blasts of up-tempo grimness. Not much variation here. Each track contains a couple of riffs that the band continuously bashes away on, creating an almost trance-like atmosphere. However, the raw nature of the production and the extreme, throat-tearing vocals ensure that you stay awake to experience the end of times. [7]

TRUCHLO STRZYGI up next with their first EP (after two demos and one full length) entitled Nad ktorymi nie czuwa zaden stroz (Gods Ov War Productions). The Polish mob embrace anarchy here, mixing black metal violence and a what-the-f***-are-you-looking-at punk abrasiveness, creating a sound that teeters on going off the rails at any time. All the while, vocalist Gambit spits and snarls in your ear just to make sure that you know that you're being assaulted. The sound of a guy being strung up in ligature at the outset is a perfect setup for what proves to follow. If Impaled Nazarene floats your boat, you're going to drool over this one. [8]