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Coming from Mexico, Sargatanas is one of the first extreme bands of the death metal scene. The band has been created in 86 ! Influenced by Possessed, Venom, Death, Slayer, Hellhammer, …The band released some demo tape & oen ended as a mCD. Then, Sargatanas signed with Conquistador records for its first album. This album shows a very dark face for tis death metal band. It's probably why Sargatanas is also affiliated with the black movement. The music is blended between fast rythms to very loud ones sometimes close to doom metal. Vocals parts are awful. It's pure satanic growls. Sargatanas is still influenced by the first death metal scene. The sound & production of this album totally remains the first Possessed or Hellhammer album. As an homage to its first influences, the band released a cover of Possessed called "Satan's curse". It sounds as intense as the original song. This album confirms that Saragatanas is a real underground extreme metal bands. With their solid fanbase around the world, this album comes at the right time.

This is not the new Swedish Betwitched's album. This one comes from Chile. This bewitched is older; It has been created in 1990 & has released from 1991 to 1992 3 demo tapes. Then, they released a split LP with F-Uncunt berfore the first album "Hibernum in perpetuum" in 1996 for Picoroco recordS. Now, th eband is signed on Conquistador records. This new album starts with an intro that remains Pretty Maids on "Red Hot & Heavy" with the "Carmina Burana" chant. Then, the music starts. I must admit to be septic with this Bewitched. But this band & this album is a pure & rare astonishment. Bewitched is for me a more extreme & 90's version of Mercyful Fate. ("Funeral" for example is a very good example) 2 styles of vocals : harsh one like in black metal or sometimes near from death metal & a more melodic vocal approach. This last one is not a typically heavy metal one. The singer,who is called Doomicus" gets more emphasis when he sings with his natural voice. This voice gives a Doom tune to the tracks. Then, songs are full of various surroundings & it's a real discovery to listen to each tracks. The guitar work is amazing with incredible dark melodies & superb harmonies. It's sure that these musicians are really easy. The production could have been better, I mean deeper, but the sound remains quite good. Bewitched has really developed an unique identity. Last but not the least, the cover of Mercyful Fate's Black Funeral as bonus track is really one of the best cover ever made for this band. I really recommend you this band & album, which gets all to become a future cult album.

It starts with a cold keyboard intro & then it really starts. It's difficult to define Sathanas, it's black metal but definitly not like other black metal bands. It remains me more a basic thrash metal band wth black metal vocals. Music is based of riffs which are really simple & played on chords. The drummer doesn't play like a black metal drummer & it's maybe a good thing 'cos I don't think it'd have been a really goo idea for this kind of riffs. There's no really strucutre into songs. It's more ollection of riffs parts associated. I cannot say if it's good or bad, but it's definitly different from the common band. Here é there , there's good riff parts like in the 2d song. It's definitly not common black metal instead if it could be compared to old school black infleunced by thrash & with so, a good production.

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