Terminate - Ascending To Red Heavens [2013]

It seems that the majority of current death metal cannibals have established a single, extensive portal into Sweden and the USA circa 1988-1992, and what's more is that only a fragment of these bands, captivated by their olden grotesques and incubators are able to shift into a slightly more modern, sensible form of death metal on which to both exorcise and enlarge the ideas who's footings were founded by giants such as Dismember, Autopsy, Entombed, Pestilence, and so forth. Truly, is there no way to diminish this portal? Closing it entirely would be preposterous, as even the most modern-headed death metal headbanger requires an certain proportion of archaic gore and filth, but perhaps re-sizing could indeed prove efficient, so that bands could harness from influences both old and new, therefore, revitalizing the genre's fundamentals and, at the same time stirring it with a dash from the origins. That seems like a wonderful idea, yet there is one tiny hindrance.

We don't possess the portal's key.

Thus, this leads us to yet another act who's motto is chainsaws and bloodied murk; Terminate. In all honesty, I'm one of the lesser scoffers of this OSDM revival. I've enjoyed a copious quantity of such acts as Chapel of Disease, Feral, Evocation, Hail Of Bullets, Banished From Inferno, Entrails, etc, to a certain frivolous extent, and I still do, as you can see. Terminate isn't actually a newcomer to my spacious array of acts, as I've been acquainted with the Illinois four-piece ever since the release of their EP ''Thirst For The Obscene'', which was a ravenous, competent mash of typically busy, atonal chainsaw guitars and now the group has an even larger stock pf ammunition in their hands; a debut through the death/grind entrepreneurs Selfmadegod Records. Terminate, despite the blatancy of their influences, put out a solid performance here, with uproarious guitars that have trebled in murkiness since their EP, flushing into standard tremolo-laced Swedish death metal riffing, but at the same time, the band likes to discover somewhat different paths every now and then, revisiting Autopsy, as made evident of the sheer depth of the vocals colliding with more spidery guitar lurches, Terrorizer, and even, to my surprise, some Finnish culprits such as Convulse or Abhorrence. Sure, it's rare, but I did like tinging brood of Finnish dourness, haunting the Dismember-esque tremolos.

The band is also fairly potent in infusing their squalid testament with a pinch of musical elegance. That's why I hear a little bit of early Pestilence buried in there, but naturally, the band's foremost ideology is to cultivate densely packed chainsaw apertures, which have an even grindcore-like momentum to them, pretty much like the recent Humanity Delete, only more sludgy. And I suppose John Porada's vocal presence is noteworthy enough, as he exhales a better low-register vocal spurt than many of his kin. ''Ascending To Red Heavens'' is just another bulk of regurgitating disgust that showers us with puke and ghastliness the millionth time, but still does not fail to generate a completely robust formula, one who's portal's function has been fixated long ago. I suppose Terminate are just another act who'd rather bend the knee and continue to shred bodies with crude chainsaws, rather than some of the most renowned OSDM death metal groups out there. Worth a good many runs if you're hungry for bones and flesh, and quite solid otherwise.

Highlights:
Answered In Lead
Numb
Rotten Dead Mass

Rating: 75%

Terminate-Thirst For Obscene EP

I've been following Terminate for sometime, and you can say that this EP was nothing unexpected. These guys released a demo in 2011 which was frankly quite pleasing, but the EP shows that Terminate is stepping up their game in a fast pace. Among all the bands who worship the old school Swedeath sound, Terminate has to be the cathiest yet and not to mention that they have a ton of Bolt Thrower groove going on aswel. While the cover art may not have much to offer, the music on ''Thirst For The Obscene'' offers every single thing a Swedeath fan would want from his/her death metal.

Firstly let's talk about the production. The production enables the instruments audiable however it still shrouds the whole music in a curtain that is an instant reminscent of the old school sound. Along with gut ripping chainsaw guitar tone buzzing around all the time, there is no doubt that one will get the OSDM vibe that he/she wants from the production of this record. And the guitar tone and production is only  to begin with. When the vocals ensue over the vocals the album becomes hands-down crushingly catchy. And that was the real thing that surprised me. The level of intensity is so much that the chainsaw ripping guitar burst out vigorously in an attemt to lash out and plunge into the listeners heart like spears, thus pounding them into dust. The drums display alot of the pound n' slam style, acting like a whetstone to sharpen the already razor-sharp riffage. The gorrove, catciness and un-head-bangable spice of the EP is a great attractor on its own. ''Numb'' has some excellent moments of invidious ferocity with  high concentration on the dynamics and vocals shreiking at the background as if they were sang by a twisted maniac. The vocals are sort of more lower register Martin Van Drunnen, though at times they may tend to be raspier and more devastating. Terminate also likes to constantly alternate between fluctuated paces that determine their speed, which is usually pretty fast. There are only four originals on this EP, yet it can be hard for one to choose highlights. ''Numb'' is definetely the best song on the EP, while the short title track is just as effective with its catchy riffs, solid structure and memorable patterns that end things compendiously and sweet.

There are two cover songs on the six song EP, which I dare say are perfectly executed. If there wasn't for a tiny change in style on these two songs, one may easily mistake them for another Terminate original. The songs are Slaughter's ''Incinerator'' and Celtic Frost's ''The Usurper''. They are both heavily manipulated by Terminate's own distinct style and even sharpened with the buzzsaw guitar tone added to their properties. Terminate won more points from me for more than what I had expected before I listened to the album, and they are already on my list of ''Must get album when comes out''. This EP is hopefully just the beginning of a great Swedeath worshipping band, whose distict style may become ven more prevalent with upcoming releases.

Highlights:
Numb
Thirst For The Obscene
Drowned In Flames

Rating: 86,5%