Haemorrhage, Paganizer, Machetazo, Nashgul (2006.12.02)

 

Haemorrhage were formed in 1990 as Devourment, began its life as a trio, with Jose on bass and vocals, Luisma on guitar, and Emilio on drums, though this only lasted until the summer of 1991, when Emilio left the band. The group soon reformed, this time as duo, with Luisma again playing the role of guitarist and Jose taking over as drummer, with both performing vocals, and released their first demo as Haemorrhage, Grotesque Embryopathology. Near the end of 1993, Lugubrious and Ramon joined the band as vocalist and bassist, respectively. Between 1994 and 1995, Haemorrhage recorded a seven song promo tape, which was sent to Morbid Records and resulted in a two-album contract, welcomed guitarist Ana, and recorded their first release, Emetic Cult. However, Jose left in the following year due to personal issues and was replaced by Rojas. After releasing five studio albums on Morbid Records the band gets signed to Relapse Records which put out their new disc "Hospital Carnage".

Haemorrhage are, like many goregrind bands, heavily influenced by Carcass, yet still have an identity all their own. Live shows typically feature band members sporting surgeon's outfits and vocalist Lugubrious covered in blood, which is common in the goregrind scene. Artwork is almost exclusively done by guitarist Luisma.

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Paganizer started out as a four piece in late 1998 when Rogga and former drummer Jocke decided to start up a new band playing some old school Thrash/Death. Rogga and Jocke got in touch with some friends for guitar and bass playing (Dea and Diener) and recorded their first demo just a month later. That demo led to a deal with Malaysian label Psychic Scream Entertainment and Paganizer went on to record their debut CD "Deadbanger" which was released 1999.

However, Paganizer had lost their concept since Rogga was busy with other projects and didn't write the music so the debut ended up being a bit too retro Thrash. During 2000 drummer Jocke left Paganizer due to a back injury and the band was more or less put on hold until Psychic Scream wanted another CD. Motivated once again Rogga got in touch with a drummer from another local band and in three weeks had written and recorded a new album. This time Rogga wrote 95% of the music again so the Death was put back in the Metal. After recording the CD Psychic Scream got into censorship trouble in Asia and the CD was delayed. The band decided to search for another label with the consent of Psychic Scream. The search ended when Paganizer was introduced to Forever Underground Records.

With a secure line-up and a new record label Paganizer's second album "Promoting Total Death" was unleashed on June 26th, 2001. Paganizer began writing new material for another full length almost immediately after the release of "Promoting Total Death". From July 2001 to April 2002 the band wrote new material and refined their sound aswell as added a fourth member to the band. With the addition of a fourth man Paganizer's sound became more complex, more full and more brutal. The band's third release "Dead Unburied", was recorded at renowned Sunlight Studio and released in summer 2002 again through Forever Underground. This album shattered all their previous material and earned them much needed attention from the underground leading them to a deal with the newly created label Xtreem Music (ex-Repulse Rec.) for the release of their 4th opus.

Work as usual began immediatly afterwards to bring forth the fourth Paganizer album entitled "Murder Death Kill". Recorded and produced by Mieszko Talarzcyk (Nasum) at his infamous Soundlab Studio and the mastered by Dan Swanö this album has recieved praise from almost everyone who's reviewed it. Half this album was recorded as a threepiece as Dea decided to leave the band and later on Patrik Halvarsson from Blodsrit joined in on second guitar. However also Oskar Nilsson shortly after was out of the band due to lacking motivation again leaving the band as a trio.

This lead the band to decide to continue with only three members with Patrik handling the live and studio bass duties from now on. This lineup recorded the fifth Paganizer album entitled "No Divine Rapture" which by the way is the first Paganizer album not having the word Dead or Death in the title... However the music has not changed at all and is even deadlier now. Released in July again by Xtreem Music, "No Divine Rapture" is Paganizer's heaviest and most brutal work to date.

 

2006.12.02 Sala Anoeta, Vigo, Spain.