VRYKOLAKAS “Unleashing Vrykolakas Upon Mankind”
(EGP005)
VRYKOLAKAS is nothing new in the Singapore
extreme underground Metal scenery. The fact that they have existed since 1991
is well documented, and the transition from a black death Metal act to the present
brutal death Metal guise will not go unnoticed. And it is also a fact that
their black death moments are short-lived, discovering brutal death Metal is
their chosen path. This, ”Unleashing Vrykolakas Upon Mankind”, is the second
full-length effort, recorded way back in 2006. Due to several circumstances it
was only released in 2013 on cassette tape by Atomik Nuclear Desolation
Productions, Chile. What I have here however, is the 2020 re-release on tape
and CD by East Gothic Productions (EGP), the wrinkled old goat of Malaysian
underground bastion since 1993 which has resurrected into life again recently.
As the first track commence, it is all apparent of its brutal death lunacy. And
it is also all apparent where their brutal death qibla’ is. VRYKOLAKAS nods
towards the US brutal death legacy, more on this side of NY’s rather than
Florida’s (as expected). I will not drop names, you know the usual suspects.
Yet, as the proceeding continues, you will notice that VRYKOLAKAS didn’t intend
to limit this album to just that. As they go about throughout the whole 8
compositions, VRYKOLAKAS knowingly injected various elements into their music,
wherever the songs allow them to. There are some breaks and parts which will
remind you of certain influences as well, a welcoming trait that avoid Unleashing
Vrykolakas Upon Mankind” turning into an endless barrage of brutality within
the same spectre. Listen to the opening of ”Upcoming Sandstorm Devastation”,
and don’t tell me you couldn’t find even an ounce of reminiscing a certain UK
death Metal legends. The brooding, punishing of a crawler “Doom Upon Mankind”
ends it all up fittingly. ”Unleashing Vrykolakas Upon Mankind” really deserves
this revamped, revisited re-release, I suspect the initial release didn’t do
them quite the justice they deserved, hopefully this EGP effort will rectify
that in some sort. This will stand as one of the better brutal death Metal
album to come out from Singapore, the way it holds ground since getting
recorded way back in 2006 backs it up. Still brutally relevant. Choose either
the tape or the CD, or might as well get both. The way EGP represented them
smells awfully 1993 too, the way they did it back then; with ethics and
stylization that I still holds high until today.
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