While all Opprobrium fans await the new LP, I thought I'd check out the deluxe reissue of their debut album "Serpent Temptation", which celebrated its 35th anniversary last year. Mine is the 3CD clamshell edition, but it was also released in a 3-cassette box set with the same audio content. Needless to say, High Roller Records did a very good job as usual. So the box contains a voluminous 20-page booklet with the lyrics of the debut album and lots of great archive photos, a cool double-sided poster with quality album art and a photo collage matching the vinyl insert, and each disc in a separate card sleeve. Now let's see the audio materials in detail. Disc 1 contains the original 1988 version of "Serpent Temptation", restored and remastered by Patrick W. Engel as befits all HRR releases. On this debut album, the trio did not yet play pure death metal, but rather a mixture of songs from the early demo period and newer songs, perfectly showcasing the band's thrash metal background as it slowly but surely transitions into death metal. This material was already considered a classic when it was released in 1988, but now it has rightfully gained cult status. Needless to say, "Serpent Temptation" with its 8 songs and 38 minutes playing time is a must for all thrash/death metal fans worldwide! Disc 2 contains the band's first demo "Supernatural Death" from 1987 in all its glory, with a total of 10 tracks. I write this because die-hard tape traders know that the original cassette version of this demo only contained four songs. In this demo, the tracks sound pretty raw, but all the instruments can be heard, except maybe the bass lines, which somehow get buried under the huge guitar sound. The full track list for this awesome demo is "Death", "Hell's Fire", "Serpent Temptation", "Sadistical Sinner", "Cataleptic", "Voices from the Grave", "Rigor Mortis", "Incubus", "Blind Vengeance" and "Assault". More than 34 minutes of great thrash metal repertoire with some death metal touches, a real treat that has finally been released in its entirety. Disc 3 is the pinnacle of this box set featuring 11 songs from 1987 recorded live at the VFW Hall in New Orleans, Louisiana on August 28, 1987. The soundboard recording sounds very good and enjoyable despite some minor mixing issues. This was the material that combined the demo songs with new songs from the then-unreleased debut album. At the time, the band distributed it on cassette along with the advance tracks of the "Serpent Temptation" LP. All recordings of the box set feature the same members, namely Scot W. Latour (vocals/bass), Francis M. Howard (lead guitar) and Moyses M. Howard (drums). This is such a perfect anniversary reissue that I can only recommend it to everyone!!!

"Excessive Outburst of Depravity" is the title of Protector's latest release, which, like its three predecessors, perfectly combines the European thrash and death metal styles of the 80s and 90s. Since it was intended for the maximum old-school atmosphere from the very beginning, you won't find any modern elements in it, that's for sure. The album's 11 songs were recorded and engineered by Robert Pehrsson at Studio Humbucker (Stockholm, Sweden) between October 30 and November 13, 2021. It was then mixed and mastered by Patrick W. Engel at Temple of Disharmony (Bamberg, Germany) in December 2021. In essence, it is thanks to them that the sound production is old school to the core. The members of Protector have been the same since 2011, and that's a pretty killer fact. The quartet – Martin Missy (vocals), Michael Carlsson (guitar), Mathias Johansson (bass) & Carl-Gustav Karlsson (drums) – does everything perfectly, leading them to another great Protector record. With more than 47 minutes, this new album is more thrash metal than death metal in my opinion, and it also embodies the epicness of the heavy metal bands of the 80s. The guitar sound is so penetrating that it tears the listener's mind apart, while the dynamism of the riffs is even more impressive, not to mention the super solos. The drums are also natural sounding and that makes it all the more exciting. I also like the sound of the bass, it rumbles quite massively in the background. Then there's Martin's unique and rough voice that's unmistakable from anyone else's, and that completes the picture of a successful album to be honest. I also have it on vinyl, in a beautiful transparent beer color, and frankly, this record should only be played on vinyl, because it sounds better on that format. The whole design suits the vinyl release better, not to mention the masterful artwork by Patrik Tegnander, and of course the album cover poster is bigger and better quality than the CD version, and there's a super cool A5 photo card. In short, this release is a must for Protector fans worldwide!!!

Die-hard fans of the band were able to enjoy this content even before the current CD/LP release, as these songs appeared in one form or another on the "40 Years at War – The Greatest Hell of Sodom" box set released in 2022. The difference is that while the "1982" CD boxed version only contained 4 songs, this new version contains a total of 5 songs. So, in some ways, this is an expanded version of the previous one. Another difference is that the title track was remixed for this release. So you can enjoy "1982" with some minor changes in the mix, like sharper guitar sound, louder and better sounding toms, different kick drum sound, additional effects on vocals, etc. This new remix really sounds more interesting, balanced, open and with more air. The other four old classics, "Witching Metal", "Victims of Death", "Let's Fight in the Darkness of Hell" and "Equinox" arrive intact. But since "Equinox" was previously only available on the cassette version of the box set, now we can finally enjoy it in CD quality. Hell yeah! Another significant and positive difference is related to the packaging itself, this time the CD comes in digipak packaging with an 8-page booklet. The booklet contains all the lyrics, credits and recording information. The line-up for this EP is Tom Angelripper (bass/vocals), Frank Blackfire (guitar), Yorck Segatz (guitar) and Toni Merkel (drums). This is a collector's item for sure. Every Sodom fan should have this nearly 19-minute CD in their collection. So buy it now or cry later!!!

In the case of The Crypt, you can never be sure what the next material will be like musically, as Nate is constantly straying into new areas and is never afraid to experiment. This time, the song "Provenance" properly avoids the usual metal elements, instead using a completely classical musical approach. The music itself was written by Nate Yuggoth (who plays bass and guitar on this single) and Adam Haste, while the lyrics were also provided by Nate. The orchestration was done by Fredber Hernandez and the hymnal vocal themes were served to a high standard by Vchyzhovych, Maria Elia & Millicent Chimonyo-Ntubi. Despite this, the epicness and anthemic nature can still be compared to certain metal bands, such as Manowar or Bathory. I can easily imagine this piece of art as the soundtrack of some medieval or more precisely Viking PC game, or even a film of similar inspiration. The nearly 9-minute disc also contains the instrumental version of the song, which was definitely a good idea, since there you can concentrate more on the fine details of the arrangements. The CD-R comes in a simple cardboard sleeve with Anna Gibson's cover photo on the front and all the information about the recording on the back. So, if you're into epic stuff, I recommend "Provenance", but hurry because this physical edition is limited to 50 copies!!!

With the fifth full-length album, The Crypt pushes the boundaries of experimentalism even further. On this record, their music would fit an ambient-like post-apocalyptic motion picture. The metal parts are almost completely absent, although the vocal themes here and there remain quite metallic. The album's six tracks evoke different moods, but somehow form a common overall picture. In their music, I hear the gloomy reality of barren, bleak wasteland and areas soaked in radiation, although apart from these distressing elements, there are also many beautiful musical moments that sometimes border on progressiveness. However, the mood of the songs is mostly ominous. In addition to the main members, Nate Yuggoth (bass/vocals) and Adam Haste (lead guitars/organ/keys), many guest musicians took part in the creation of atmospheres and soundscapes imbued with mystery and horror. Let me mention them: Paul Taylor (lead guitar), Mazuz (sitar), Lukas Kubelka (drums), Tyybot (programming), Dony Larsan (programming), Mike Browning (theremin), Tommy Elbrich (percussion/flute), Alexander Kubyshkin (vocals/lyrics) and Olha Lishchyshyn (vocals/lyrics). Quite a lot, right? Oh, and let's not forget the importance of Zach Vogel (producer/main recording) and Daniel Pavlov (producer/engineer/mixing/mastering). The playing time of the album exceeds 45 minutes. The visual presentation of the sonic journey is well illustrated by the 6 matching photos inside the 6-page CD booklet. This particular edition was limited to 100 copies. Fans of all things creepy try to get your hands on this release!!!

Needless to say, when a band releases two full albums in the same year, it indicates extraordinary productivity. So did The Crypt, and unlike previous experimental material, "Истребитель" returns to the beloved death and black metal genres. The 9 compositions of the more than 34-minute material radiate a unique blend of the aforementioned styles and their unbridled dynamism. Their music is extreme, rather old school, but they try to preserve the atmosphere built on melodies. Sometimes I feel the influence of bands like Morbid Angel and Deicide. However, The Crypt has plenty of its own to spice up its repertoire. Their songs are full of blast beats, catchy melodies and plenty of thrash metal riffs. The vocals are also very varied there, but mostly deep death growls are paired with high-pitched screams. The core of the band on this record is: Nate Yuggoth (vocals/bass), Adam Haste (lead guitars/organ) and Aliaksandr Kubyshkin (lead guitars/vocals). They are complemented by quite a few guest musicians, namely Paul Taylor (lead guitars), Thamnos (rhythm guitars), Ian García (drums), Maria Elia (vocals), Mason Berglund (vocals) & Mortifer (vocals). Thanks to Daniel Pavlov, the sound is solid and proportionate. I used to worry that the band would get lost in experimentation, but with this record they've returned to what I love most about them. The 12-page booklet contains all the lyrics, member pictures, some nature photos and the great Doomesia cover. Which together means a perfect release that I can only recommend to every death/black metal fan!!!

Unfortunately, the metal magic didn't last long, as The Crypt took another unexpected musical turn with this new 3-song EP. I thought I was fully prepared for the next attempt, but I definitely wasn't expecting the 80's synthwave vibe, ha-ha... Despite this, the nearly 18-minute EP still has details and influences reminiscent of traditional heavy metal. "Memories of the Sky" starts the record, which primarily focuses on the clean vocals and its melodies, unfortunately the background music has a very synthetic feel, so I think it can only play a secondary role in this song. Due to the epicness of the second and title song and its very cool vocal parts, it became a bit more metal, of course, here you have to imagine its softest possible version. The double bass drum parts make it heavy at times, but the vocal themes make this song a real hit. "Warwind" closes the EP, which is almost like the first song, giving off a melancholic ambient feel rather than traditional song structures. The cyclical melodies or rather patterns and the meditative vocal parts make the whole track quite mesmerizing. On this EP, The Crypt was: Adam Haste (synths/backing vocals), Skyler Champeau (vocals) and Nate Yuggoth (bass). But as usual, guest musicians helped them achieve the final result, and they are: Thamnos (rhythm guitars), Tyybot (programming/synths), Paul Taylor (lead guitar), Mazuz Shah (sarangi), Kaira Rouer (flute) and Frank Maloney (backing vocals). This edition comes with a 6-page booklet and is limited to 100 copies. It has some pretty unusual music, but if you like the retro 80s synth sound, definitely invest in this EP.