Promo MMXVIII

I made the stupid mistake of not getting this tape while it was being sold during Heresiarch's Death Triumphal 2018 US tour and till this day I still shake my head at how stupid I was that night when I told my friend "I'll get it some time soon" even after he told me there were only a few copies left. I even asked the drummer if he still had any copies left after playing their set back in January when they ravaged the east coast along with Pig's Blood. I know they're just tracks from their upcoming full-length album but it's the primitive, heavy bass sound quality that makes me enjoy it so much that I've grown an obsession with this promo tape and I know they're gonna sound way better on the album but sometimes good production takes away the intensity, specially on this style of music. Although, they did an amazing job on their EP, "Morbid Triumph", so I'm not too worried about that.

There are no changes concerning their play style as it's all kept the same as they did on their previous material; hammer blast beats with accented hits on the snare and cymbals; vocals are low, deep and grunted; guitar riffs are a combination of power chords manipulations and tremolo picked notes working in conjunction with the drums managing to create groovy rhythms. The guitar seems to have gotten a bit more aggressive implementing riffs similar to Diocletian and also Finnish old school death metal influences. A perfect example of that is "Schism Penetration" where Diocletian influences can be heard; There's also a brief solo and a few good pick scrapes adding a little taste of Canada's war metal legends, Conqueror. Another example of that is "Numbing Decay" where there's a mid-paced rhythm break where the guitar conquers the ground with sluggish down-picked notes with some power chords in between making you feel as if you were listening to Rippikoulu's Musta seremonia. I'm pretty sure anybody would've thought of a Finnish old school death metal just by listening to just that part. There are also other influences implemented from the drumming parts such as Blasphemy and Conqueror.

Really recommend this band to war metal demoniacs and highly recommend this demo for demo tapes freaks.Trust me, you won't be disappointed. They do stand their grown with intensity, aggression, and attitude. I've seen this band enough times to even tell if they're playing sloppy, off time, or even if the guitar is out of tune. Either way I'm always fascinated by the adrenaline these guys can create on stage. Let's just hope the wait for the full-length won't be too long.

Black/death or War metal is a polarizing genre within extreme metal and for good reasons. Bad production, bland riffs and generic sounds and imagery plague the sea of bands trying to be the next Blasphemy. When a band is good though, black/death or war metal or whatever you want to call it is undeniably some of the most intense and extreme metal that is out there. While ASM isn't reinventing the genre, they do it very well and it warrants a listen if you are remotely interested in the genre. However compared to their previous release Morbid Triumph, this promo is a bit flatter and unrefined.

The sound on this album is a bit more bass heavy than compared to the EP and while that normally isn't an issue but with the vocals being quiet and more grunted its difficult to make out everything as easily. The guitars are beefy and remind me of bands like Apokalyptic Raids, Beherit, and Proclamation, and they are bands I would compare ASM stylistically to as they are not focused on being incomprehensible or lightning fast. They focus on solid riffs and captivating rhythms. The drums are played in barbarically, often encompassing the hammer blast style and strong accented hits as opposed to flashy fills and cymbal work. The riffs and drums often work in conjunction to create a steady groove for the listener and while their may not be much here in regards to melody, the rhythms are very catchy. A great example is the opening riff to Incinerated Enemy which is later played with hammer blasts. The weakest part of the promo is the vocals due to them being lower in the mix and washed with reverb. They do not cut through as much as the other releases and I found the vocals to be really solid especially on the EP. On top of that, the songs while very solid are not as memorable as I would hope. As I mentioned earlier, ASM aren't here to turn the black/death genre on its head but I feel these songs are a bit phoned in.

Besides the negatives this promo gives me hope for the bands first LP and I imagine the production will be much stronger and the songwriting more varied and fresh. If you are not a fan of black/death metal, I would suggest the EP first, but if you are into this style of music and like bands like Proclamation, Archgoat, Beherit, or Apokalyptic Raids, this is a release I would highly suggest.