Karumal Dumal! Kasuklam Suklam! Demo 2017
Independent’
This is the first time I’ve heard new material from Paganfire since I reviewed their single The Executor Is Back early in 2016. Age still hasn’t slowed them down or eroded their inherent drive to play the most extreme death thrash as they possibly can. Much like thrash bands took metal to the next level in response to bands who were too image conscious, bands like Paganfire, Dreaded Mortuary. End Of Man, Infestor and countless others formed to carry the torch for them in response to nu-metal’s mass acceptance. A recent article posted at abs-cbn.com goes into Paganfire’s achievement of international success without ever making a single compromise or taking stock of what’s “popular” on national radio at any given time. They’ve stuck it out doing what they want for a long time, and you would be surprised at how much underground metal has grown in the Philippines since they started, considering that most of the bands have made a name for themselves the old school way. Again we have a release that hearkens to a time when there was no internet or social media, when news about the latest shows got around by word of mouth and flier trading. Moreover you can picture yourself seeing the band performed in a club, complete with slam dancing fans. The production of Karumal Dumal! Kasuklam Suklam! is typical of demos recorded independently by bands whose funds to purchase equipment are limited.. Even so, the top-notch delivery of these tracks, their energy and technical precision transcends the sound quality. If they were recorded in a professional studio with all the new equipment, they would do no less than simply blow the listener away. As on past releases the band borrow heavily from Kreator and Pestilence while the bass guitars have more presence, on a similar level to Venom’s legendary frontman Cronos (especially in the second track Disturbing, Deafening, Disgusting). I always preferred a strong bass sound with the appropriate amount of distortion, and if your tastes are similar you’ll find it here. The ever present guitar solos in The False Protector do their part to show Paganfire have talent in qualities equal to their sickness. Also the time changes were given more attention in the songwriting process, and the slower sections of the songs seem to have been thought out a little more. Paganfire’s success story may be going slowly, but in many ways it pays off for them. -Dave Wolff
Track List:
1. The False Protector
2. Disturbing, Deafening, Disgusting
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