Resurrection Of The Neonates - Itim Production
November 25, 2005
Maiyuchi Bar. Manila, Philippines
Review by: Brian - bricazgrind@yahoo.com
Never thought this barsâ?? management would let metal shows be held here ever again. Certainly not after what happened at the Iron Maiden Fest held here a few months back. Anyway, me and my metal comrades Bosing and Jam arrived at the venue around 9pm, but were dumbfounded to see that the show hadnâ??t started and apparently people were not allowed to get inside yet. We decided to down a few â??lapadâ? bottles of brandy, while others sold some CDs and fanzines right there on the sidewalk as we waited for the doors to open.
Organizers only allowed pundits to enter after well past ten. It was a bad move, considering the large number of bands that were supposed to perform.
I didnâ??t catch the first bandsâ?? name because honestly, I wasnâ??t paying attention yet. But I did hear a lot of hardcore styles in their sound together with some chunky beat-downs and drill sergeant grunts and barks.
Septic Sewer was up next. Nothing much has changed since the last time I saw them in Cavite at the second Rural Carnage. They still play what I consider as punk sludge which is apparently still gore themed. The drummer injected some short blast beats, but there were more traditional rock rhythms during the fast parts. Septic Sewer served as background music while I and a couple of other liver destroyers up in the balcony finished off the brandy which we smuggled inside. It was fun trying to get some of the musicians get drunk.
We then made our way down to the front of the stage to get a closer view of Pathogen. Right from the Laguna death squadsâ?? first song, the drunken metalheads at the front fell into ritualistic headbanging, random shoving and body slamming like a group of angry blind folks trapped in a small room. Pathogensâ?? sound was mammoth-like especially on the slow, funeral doom sections which were interspersed with manic blasts. The guitarist/ vocalist even came down from the stage to slam with the audience, all the while still playing his guitar. Now, that certainly placed a smile on my face.
Blasphemous Cremation apparently went through another lineup change. This time, Aries took care of the main vocals and passed the low-end duties to a new bassist. Blasphemous Cremationsâ?? set initially suffered from a thin guitar sound, which was a shame given the bandsâ?? always high energy level and conviction. The guitarist tried to correct this sonic problem in the following songs. Where the hell is the soundman when you need him? They played back to back classics from Terrorizer and Napalm Death. This writer was so into it and headbanging to I Abstain, that I got too carried away and unwittingly growled out the first couple of lyrics. Uhâ?¦ Sorry about that. Hope these guys come out with a new record soon, because I was totally floored by their brutal originals.
Toxemia from Cavite now sporting additional limbs from Pathogen then got up and showcased their alcoholocaust death-grind. The songs alternated from crawling to fast, then faster. It was like taking a ride in an old car and Toxemia were the drunk drivers ignoring speed limits, pushing down on the gas pedal with their collective weight. You either get in the car and enjoy the ride or get hit by it instead. During a break between their songs, one of the guitarists â?? drunk from our earlier brandy session â?? grabbed the mic and spewed out some stinging words directed at the â??trend crowdâ?. That was classic man! Although I was disappointed that one of the microphones didnâ??t work properly, leaving most of the back-up growls unheard.
Black Metal group Infernal Eden (that name sounds like an old Thanatopsy song) followed with a sound rooted in the 90s Scandinavian movement. The signs were all present: Pale faces, screeching vocals and pseudo symphonic arrangements. The short haired vocalist dished it out with contorted facial expressions and the ever popular Jesus pose. The band sounded convincing enough but their downfall was the fact that their drummer was wearing Superman logo shirt. If you are going to do the evil visual thing, please donâ??t do it half assed.
There was some downtime each bandâ??s set, so we grabbed this one for a short food break. Yeah, Mini Stop siopao and fried siomai rules!
Came back just in time for another dose of devil music, this time courtesy of Ninth Circle Prophecy. They were joined onstage by what looked like a topless dancer wearing only plaid pajama-like trousers. Hold on to your erection guys, it was just some skinny drunk(?) dude. Ha! Itâ??s been a while since Iâ??ve seen NCP. They still pepper their compositions with clean keyboard runs. Yes, even during the fast parts. What caught me as being new was the addition of chugging, almost upbeat pounding parts in a song or maybe two. I prefer my black arts fierce, and trance inducing with insanely abstract riffs. Unfortunately for me, NCP looks to be going the other direction. â??Dimmuishâ? really.
NCP got off the stage but their bassist remained and sound checked with the next band Scourge. The two groups share a band member but thatâ??s where the similarity ends. Scourge is one the youngest contenders in the local death metal stakes. Glad to hear a whole bunch of their originals. Although most of their compositions are a bit straightforward in structures, kind of like early to mid 90s Swedish (Stockholm) or Dutch death metal mixed with the mandatory modern USDM influences. I just wished the soundman got up from his stinking ass and fixed the guitar sound, because what came out of the speakers was too thin for this brutal style. It was also amusing to see Scourgesâ?? drummer beat the crap out of the skins. His body movements kind of reminded me of a young Kevin Talley.
Barabbas was next and managed to attain a thicker sound with two axe men. These guys dish it out very tight and professional. Although I must say that Iâ??m not really into their bouncy, funk and chunk style these days.
Negatron saunters onstage and I was immediately blown away by the skill showcased by the three-piece. It was an excursion into head-locking proto-thrash. Ill never get tired of watching Negatron with its proud display of authentic metal. Their set staple version of Venomsâ?? Black Metal sounded huge. Negatron was then joined by the vocalist from Septic Sewer who then proceeded to sing Mutilator. Wait a minute. Was that Children Of Badeath?
I still remember how a band like Deiphago used to be ridiculed and scorned by the audience for being â??satanicâ?. These days, bands can wear pentagrams or an inverted cross the size of your forearm, and the average metalhead wouldnâ??t even look twice, much to the advantage of a band like Tenebrion. Now also a three piece, Tenebrion obviously hadnâ??t found a replacement for their departed bassist yet. The fat strings were handled by the front man instead. (A few days later, he stated through a message board that he had technical problems that night due to the soundman over amplifying the bass instead of the lead guitar, thus explaining the snapping and cracking sound during their set.) He introduced numerous Satan inspired hymns in ode to the horned rebel. Iâ??m glad they still play black metal of the raw and rampaging variety. No keyboard sections or Goth influence to be found here. Tenebrion remains to be the soundtrack to wars, riots and similar violent acts.
After a considerable amount of time provided for sound check, Loss Of Control then proceeded to smother and strangle us with undoubtedly the thickest wall of sound to be achieved by any band that night. It was my first time to witness them at such a close proximity and what an experience it was. Their drummer continues to be one of the tightest and most creative skinsman in the local death-grind scene. The guitarist was so intense on attacking his instrument that at times he looked like he wanted to rip the strings right off. LOC smashed, hacked and hammered its way through its dominating set- which was a sendoff gig for their bassist who was scheduled to go abroad. The remaining members will continue to do shows as a three piece until the bassist returns early next year in time for their album release.
Last band me and my friends got to see that night was Religious Nightmare. These stoners grind you when you least expect it. The first song they did, I thought they were still tuning and sound checking, when the drums suddenly came crashing and the bassist/ vocalist started screaming his guts out. I could only imagine how crazier these guys would be if they werenâ??t so stoned. Itâ??s a scary thought considering how violently epileptic their brand of crust-grind tends to get. I totally dig the part in their last song where everything slowed down. Really sloooooowâ?¦ Like having your corpse dragged behind a funeral hearse. Sick stuff!
It was already past four in the morning, and there were still a couple of bands that hadnâ??t performed. With the sun threatening to catch us in yesterdaysâ?? clothes, we decided to call it a day. All in all it was a very good show. I just hope people would start these things much earlier.

Undying Symphonies 2 October 30, 2004
Ironworks Prod. Caliente Bar, Padre Faura, Manila
reviewed by: Faith
The gig started off with a set from a one-man new wave band Names Are For Tombstones. If you want to see how he plays by himself, you better check him out. His song (or was it a cover) Black Celebration was fit for that night. He was followed by this black metal band from Parañaque Infernal Eden. The music wasnt bad, its just that the guitar amplifier was tuned up so loud I couldnt hear the other instruments well, except for the drummer maybe, when he?s pounding that snare drum so hard. Then they were followed by Dominion, which received quite an ovation; well, they are famous, because they have been in the scene for quite some time now. After Dominion was this girl-fronted band Sanctus who did covers of Nightwish and an original. It?s nice to hear a girl that is actually singing sometimes no offense meant. Legion of Satyr followed them, a black metal band too which gave a nice set, but I cant help noticing how the vocalist hides his face most of the time maybe he was shy. Then it?s one black metal band to another when Fortress of Thanatos followed. This band is the only black metal band without the face paint and the guitarist was revealing his tattoo-covered upper extremity well, not that there?s anything wrong with it. It just separated them from the other black metal bands that played that night. After them was Tenebrion who made some heads turn actually. They sounded like Marduk or, that is what is seemed to me nice set. There was a short break, and then The Late Isabel followed. Their covers of Favorite Things from that movie The Sound of Music and Dancing Queen were nice, much better than the original version if I may say. Their originals have that nice beat, and there are some dudes and chicks that danced while they were playing pretty cool. I know there are other gigs held that night/day too, but for the Halloween Celebration, this was the fittest. - Faith

GIG REVIEWS FROM NO BULLSHIT :
BEAUTY IN DARKNESS [CHAPTER 1]
March 12, 2005
by: Brian Castillo - bricazgrind@yahoo.com -

And so there I was at Mayrics. Arriving late (again) just as Sea of Rains was finishing its set. Final strains of the groups sound creeping out of the venue. Somebody told me SOR covered Fade to Black by Metallica. Quite fitting, considering the bands who played that night. After the performance, the vocalist promptly got off the stage, greeted some friends, then informed me that he couldn't stay for the rest of the evening because he had to go to his "other work". Such is the reality that most of us have to go through. Sometimes I envy those who can live the metal lifestyle full time; not having to slave away in bad paying jobs.
Up next was Scarlet Tears. Its my first time to see them and i really didn't know what to expect. The female vocalist had a good voice, and the music had a catchy groove to it. But the one thing that caught my attention was that, aside from the vocalist, the other band members looked so "normal". Performing live is supposed to be the musicians best outlet to present his/her craft. Their music would have been enhanced by a matching visual presentation. They were still a good discovery none the less.
Then it was time for Legion of Satyr. The pale faced group performed without keyboards. This made them sound more aggressive and it definitely gave their attack a sharper edge.
I have previously seen Sanctus live several times and although I enjoy watching them showcase their intricate metal, this time i decided to pass them up so I can join the members of Ninth Circle Prophecy drink blood outside of the venue (O.K. it was a long neck bottle of brandy).
And so the NCP took the stage and gave the audience an alcohol fueled performance. Heads banging all over the place. It seems black metal is gaining quite a following in the local underground these days. Hey, if its heavy, were happy right?
Our necks still sore from the NCPs' intoxicated (and intoxicating) set, the blackened horde known as Tenebrion then delivered the evenings' proverbial "death blow". This is christ-raping, infant-eating blackened violence! Raw, blasting and in your face from start to the finish! All you black-hearted creatures should check them out. I must say that drummer must have been a cyborg, 'cause those blast beats were fucking' looong...
Those of us that survived the evenings massacre were left bloodied and sweating. I'm personally looking forward to the next chapter.