Review : What style is Kratornas? Try this on for size....Apocalyptic Gore/Black/Death/Grind Metal with hints of dirty underground industrial all reverbed and gained til it hurts.

If this is what is coming out of the Philippines, I am intrigued.

While this is some of the worst recording quality on a demo I have recieved in awhile, and it didn't matter, this is some fucking heavy shit!

Super low gargling burp growls, black metal screams, death metal roars, and wheezing whisper sounds that are a trip, the vocals are all over the map on this one.

The levels must have been seriously peaking when this disc was recorded, but it somehow seems right, it just fits.
Bass, Drums, Guitar, Vocals, all way to loud. Some of the weirdest guitar leads I've ever heard, simplistic but eerie, styles wandering all over the metal landscape. Same with the bass, but the bass has cool moments of balls out stomp.

The drums themselves are heavy as hell, from full speed assault to slow brutal pummeling. Something had to have some structure in this band and it seems to be the drums, although I don't know how exactly you would keep time well with all the changes.

Lyrically, this is some disturbing gore veined lyrics with hints of death metal world coming to an end scenarios running through it. And some strong anti-woman statements if you catch my drift.

If the recording quality had been better this could be a serious contender.

Kratornas is wild, angry, loud, and brutal. It has all the things you would hate seperately on a bunch of discs but all the things you love tied together on one, creating a sound that takes a few minutes just to comprehend.

If you have been lurking and digging through the underground, trying to find something to listen to that will make people wonder what the hell is wrong with you when they hear it...this may be a band for you.

Whereabouts : Vancouver, Canada
Author : Sean Rickerd

Review : Here we have a pleasant way to spend a coffee break. Your ears, eyes and nose may be bleeding profusely when you return to your desk but, hey, at least you won�t be late. This is 13 minutes and 27 seconds of intense, brutal and sick hatred. Recorded in the mid 90s, it is almost ahead of its time in brutality, easily as heavy as any Grind band around these days.

The production is absolute rubbish and that, I believe, is the goal; not only the guitars are distorted on this one: every instrument is clipping in the red from start to finish. A look at the tracklist makes it painfully obvious that this is going to be sick and the combination of sub-human guttural belching, maniacal shrieking, jackhammer blasting (drum machine?) and thick guitars leads one to feel slightly light headed and unsure of their sanity. Throw in some horrible lead work that sticks out like Tom Warrior with his first guitar and a few samples of mass hysteria and destruction and you�ve got a soundtrack perfect for a crystal meth-induced killing spree.

This shit doesn�t let up and I�m not sure I could have handled much more than the short time this lasts. I�m not a huge fan of really raw music but this works for me. It is original in it�s over the top presentation and any fan of Blackened Industrial Death Grind should love it. If you haven�t heard that sub-sub-genre before, this is it. I�m not sure if I hate it so much that it is charming, or I just feel threatened, but either way it is worth a listen. (Online January 27, 2006) 7/10

Whereabouts : Regina SK, Canada
Author : Todd Williams

Review : Talk about raw and primitive this is some seriously fucking raw shit. Like 1993 cassette tape kind of raw. And according to the info that arrived with it they like to have the "rehearsal sound". The 1st track sounds like a real drummer. The next 3 sound like a drum machine to me. The 1st track though opens with a kind Danzig sounding riff. But then it goes into a grinding section that makes it more grind black metal sounding. The vocals sound sick.

The 2nd track is better sounding to me. Sick raspy sounding vocals just necro kult to the max, underground elite kind of shit cold grim all those typical words like that. Its there just very very raw raw primitive not very well produced on purpose. The break down riff in the middle is a surprise and I hear some weird noises in there some bell sounding thing with a echo. Then its back into furious blasting and rabid spitting black metal vocals. Says here its a Nunslaughter cover. Sounds cool to me, although I didn't recognize it as a Nunslaughter tune being as how I don't own any of their shit.

The 3rd track starts with some noise like a fire, maybe a village being burned, sounds of ppl screaming, mainly women, prolly some pillaging and raping and shit going on..... this track is my favorite and of course it just so happens to be the title track. I've already used all the words you could to describe this, its so primitive sounding so fucking raw like you took a sword and just chopped some meat right off a cows side and ate it, just blood fuckin raw to the max. Production is so poor its exactly the kind of black grinding metal I love.... I seek these bands out that sound like this. The more raw and primitive the better, no image, no band photos, nothing but just raw primitive music barbaric fucking muzik to rape and pillage to. The best part is right @ 2:12 in the title track when it goes into this Blasphemy sounding total groove metal sounding down beat riff just a good headbanging riff to the max... love that shit. This track slays, many hell tank salutes for this one.

The 4th track is of course just as raw as the others, total blasting grinding drum beatz and fast furious riffing with a fuzzy guitar tone that sounds like its right out of the early 1990's and of course I should mention these songs were written in the 1994/1995 time period so that would only make sense they would have that sound. That's why this shit takes me back to the tape trading I did back in the late 80's early 90's. This is some of the most oldschool shit you will ever get your hands on.... so far underground its bound to never see the light of day. The solo in track 4 is killer.... ATTACK!!!! ATTACK!!!!! ATTACK!!!!!! FIRE!!!!! KILL!!! BURN!!!!! NEKROKVLT FROZEN!!!! GRIMNESS!!!!! TO THE MAX!!!!!!!!!! RECORDINGS MADE IN YOUR GARAGE OR LIVING ROOM OR BASEMENT, THIS IS THE ATMOSPHERE AND FLAVOR THIS WHOLE CD HAS TO ME. AND I DIG THE SHIT OUT OF IT!!!!!!!! They have a website @ http://kratornas.cjb.net but when I got there I only seen just one page nothing to click. But hopefully they will make changes to that site soon and update it with more links and news etc. According to the info that came with the cd they have been releasing demos and shit since 1995 or so and put out something every year except 1996 and 2000. So they gotta have some fans out there somewhere after all this time. I wonder if there are any other bands like this coming out of the Philippines, that's why they need to update their site with a links page and all that other shit so ppl can get into the other bands and shit from their region..... enough of my rambling, pass the bong.

Whereabouts : Texas, USA
Author : Rabishu Xul

Review : Kratornas is a raw and primitive-sounding project from Philippines, and if I�m not mistaken, I believe this CD is a cover of the first band Subterranean Sodomies, which was written in 94/95. Now this music is kind of grind/blackmetal mix, heavy on the discordant guitars, violent vocals, and automaton-like percussion. This is definitely �cult� stuff�very under-produced, cold, and raw. If you can get past that (or if you prefer that), the songs are pretty solidly written in their harshness. Though only thirteen minutes in length, I personally found several parts of enjoyment here.

The first track comes in with pick squeals and tom thuds, and then explodes into violent action with scathing, reptilian vocals. It keeps it pretty heavy for a solid minute and a half before going into the next track, a Nunslaughter cover, which is done very well (probably the best on the release). Then after a short sample, the third track blisters in, cradled by that familiar rawness and icy drums. The whole song sounds like some chugging, ongoing explosion until the 2:11 mark comes in and the coherence is finally delivered in the form of a slamming guitar riff; I could definitely commit a murder after listening to that part. And lastly, track 4 comes and goes firmly, though with not much variation from the previous tracks. So overall, I have to say that for the average listener, this CD isn�t going to really break boundaries or anything, but those who fancy their metal violent and raw would do well to give this band a listen. For me, the havoc is sweet music to my ears. 8/10


Whereabouts : New York, USA
Author : Velinnos

Review : Arriving in my mailbox is a REALLY dinged up CDR from Kratornas, a one-man (name of Bruno) black metal project from the fetid jungles of the Philippines of all places. Unfortunately, the only accompanying material with the CDR was a sticker from the band. No title, no track list, no cover art, no problem!

Prior to listening to this, I searched around for Kratornas� official website and found out a few things. First, the extreme metal scene in the Philippines is non-existent. In addition, Bruno has had all sorts of personnel problems, mostly of the variety that decry other peoples� lack of skills and commitment. In addition, he claims to have had worldwide label problems galore. At any rate, despite these issues, Kratornas has managed to release a fair number of demos and EPs over a 10-plus year existence. In February 2005, a self released 4-song demo/ EP entitled �Subterranean Sodomies� appeared. One of the songs, �Of Pus And Bonesaw�, appears on both that EP (from an MP3 sample from Kratornas� official website) and the banged up CDR that I received, so I suspect that they�re one and the same.

At any rate, I wasn�t sure that the CDR would even play, considering its condition. Luckily, it does, and I�m rewarded with some really twisted sounding blackened death metal that really couldn�t get anymore underground. Yeah, there�s a rather poorly programmed, cheap drum machine, but the buzz saw riffing, atrocious production, and gurgled rasp vocals reminiscent of Beherit set a nihilistic tone that grabs your attention. The 4 songs are short, simplistic, and mostly consist of one speed. However, there�s enough variation in the riffing, including a couple of mosh parts here and there, and a few weird solos that make you overlook the simplicity. The demo is short, blowing by in under 14 minutes, and demands that the repeat button be hit a few times to let it all sink in.

If you�re looking for the bottomless pits of the underground (and still want quality), you just might do yourself a favor and track down a copy of �Subterranean Sodomies� (I think).

Whereabouts : Kansas, USA
Author : Dave Schalek

Review : One day I was contacted by Bruno of KRATORNAS, who sent me a CDR afterwards, featuring new tracks of his band(?). The first one is called "Tribal Satan" and it's probably the most 'musical' and rhythmic track I heard from Kratornas. But don't you think it's less insane or something, oh no! it's short, but fucking intense and bestial, and fucking twisted! Based on sharp, 'broken' riffs played with extreme rapidity, and these odd vocals. The other track is "Hells Unholy Fire", originally performed by NUNSLAUGHTER, and is going to appear on a new EP "Subterranean Sodomies", re-arranged unrecognisably. Yeah, Kratornas again proved it's very original and certainly one of the most peculiar bands in recent Underground.

Whereabouts : Radom, Poland
Author : Marek Gorecki

Review : This is the one man band coming from the Philippines. Bruno Zamora is unresting battledemon that is desecrating Christ since 1994. Actually these recording date from that period and have raw and obscure sound. You cannot expect classical garage sound, cause we got one man here, doing it all. This early recordings are more Grind influenced, but they possessed that dark atmosphere of other Kratornas releases. What I found really annoying, are the guitar solo's that sound silly compared to the devastating rhythms in the background. The 7" EP carries a cover of the gods Nunslaughter, that's "Hell's Unholy Fire".

Whereabouts : Skopje, Macedonia
Author : Darko Krsteski

Review : Alright, here we have a one man black metal type project out of the Phillipines. Apparently KRATORNAS has gone though some evolution, as this mcd (or 7", depending on which format you want), features covers of older material from when the band was more grindcore oriented. That's an interesting idea to say the least! The result is something that sounds like SARCOFAGO hyped up on crack. Sort of like their Crust mcd, if you've heard it. This is definitely something unique, although I really don't understand why he chose to re-record older material that doesn't have much to do with the current sound of his project.

Whereabouts : USA
Author : Tom Wren

Review : Raw as fuck black metal with a couple of nods to old school death metal here and there. My tolerance for bad production has grown considerably in the last 6 months where before I would have ripped this apart but now I�ve got to grudgingly admit the shitty production actually works in the band�s favor. Hatred drips from every pore and disgust from every note. Anyone looking for an excuse to go on a killing spree need look no further because this would be the perfect soundtrack. Fans of Sarcofago and Bathory should eat this shit up like a cannibal in Jonestown after the big kool aid party. The band lists http://kratornas.cjb.net as their site but when I tried to check it out I was informed the page no longer exists so if you want to get your hands on it, try their label.

Production: 1 (realistically) but 7 for the style of music.
Performance: 6
Atmosphere/Attitude: 8
Overall: 6/10

Whereabouts : Wisconsin, USA
Author : Dean Gehrmann

Review : Kratornas � un progetto musicale filippino piuttosto noto nell'underground estremo. Nonostante la qualit� non superlativa delle sue realizzazioni, la one-man-band guidata da Bruno Zamora ha raccolto parecchi consensi da addetti ai lavori ed appassionati.

Partiti come trio tra il 1994 ed il 1995 (non vorrei scrivere una sciocchezza, ma pare che il primo nome del gruppo fosse Nergal), i Kratornas si sono presto divisi, lasciando che il solo Bruno mantenesse le fila del progetto. Nel 1997 l'artista � riuscito a pubblicare il primo demo, "Demo Enorht Eht Nihtiw Si Taog Eht", seguito l'anno successivo da "Demonic War Slaughter", nel quale faceva bella mostra di s� un suono pi� maturo.

Nel corso degli anni, Kratornas ha pubblicato altri lavori: "The Onslaught Of Battledemons" (1999), lo split coi Goatvomit "Sovereigns Gathered" (2002) e la musicassetta "Hecatomb To Affliction" (2003). Tra una realizzazione e l'altra, si sono succedute parecchie ristampe, tante rehearsal tape e partecipazioni a svariate compilation.

Concentriamoci ora su "Subterranean Sodomies EP", in mio possesso in versione promo su CD-r senza copertina n� altro. La prima traccia � un anticipazione dal prossimo lavoro di Kratornas: "Tribal Satan". Un minuto e mezzo di furia sonora, registrata in maniera amatoriale ma efficace. Il riffing della chitarra � semplice, ma valido, e tradisce retaggi thrash. Il ritmo � tenuto da una drum-machine ben programmata, classica della one-man-band filippina. Peccato che questa canzone duri cos� poco, perch� non � affatto male. I vocalizzi soffocati e malati di Bruno danno un tocco di marcio al tutto.

"Hell's Unholy Fire" � una cover dei Nunslaughter, ben interpretata dal signor Zamora. Il suono � come al solito scadente, tipo vecchi Bathory ma in versione grind. Ah, proprio a proposito della band di Quorthon, la versione in MCD di "Subterranean Sodomies" conterr� anche un rifacimento esclusivo della canzone "Possessed". Interpretazione molto intensa, fredda come al solito.

Le canzoni che formano il vero corpo dell'EP sono altri due rifacimenti. Non di altri gruppi, ma di vecchie composizioni risalenti al 1994/95, ovvero al primo periodo della band. La title-track � una traccia di grind piuttosto lunga (cinque minuti e mezzo), ben strutturata e ricca di spunti originali. Il riffing � sempre semplice e diretto, ma si nota una certa ricerca di complessit�, dati i frequenti cambi di ritmo. Buoni i passaggi solisti, anche se migliorabili da tutti i punti di vista.

"Of Pus And Bonesaw" � un'altra prova di carattere, senza infamia e senza lode. E' chiaro che comunque la mente dietro ai Kratornas sia dotata di una certa personalit�.

Come il lettore avr� notato, solo "Tribal Satan" � una composizione nuova. Le restanti sono rifacimenti. Questo EP non pu� essere considerato rappresentativo dello stile di Bruno Zamora. E' una pubblicazione rivolta a chi gi� conosca questa band, e ne apprezzi lo stile. (Hellvis - Marzo 2006) 6.5/10


Whereabouts : Senago, Italy
Author : Hellvis Paleari

Review : Desde Filipinas llega esta brutal y furiosa bestia de Raw Black Metal, que blasfema de una forma vil y arrasadora, esta es la banda de un solo hombre, el demencial y multifacético Bruno Zamora, gran amigo mío, a quien agradezco por enviarme su stuff. Este material aunque no lo crean tiene más de una década, los tracks han sido recogidos de la vieja banda de Grindcore que tenía Bruno en 1994, son temas escritos entre 1994 y 1995. El primer tema es “Tribal Satan (adv. Track for the next release)”, este es un avanze de menos de minuto y medio, pero que son suficientes para destrozar moralmente a cualquier parásito, y mostratle al mundo una bestialidad sin límites, BLASPHEMY, BEHERIT, se me viene a la mente tanta devastación que no terminaría nunca, el segundo tema es un cover de NUNSLAUGHTER, el super clásico “Hell's Unholy Fire” interpretado con un enorme odio, salvajismo total y vocales realmente infernales, luego viene “Subterranean Sodomies”, cuando escuchen esto comprobarán que nunca habrán sentido tanto horror, pánico, temor, las vocales guturales de ultratumba son macabras e insanas, me recuerda al BATHORY de sus inicios, para finalizar esta estruendosa creación está el tema “Of Pus and Bonesaw”, una pista mortífera y bastarda, oscura, demoníaca, con percusión machacante, un hit ruidoso y putrefacto, este Promo es todo un suceso, Bruno Zamora es un ser mitológico y estandarte de la Escena Filipina, creo que es obligación de todo Black Metaller conseguir este disco a como de lugar, si no tienes esta criatura entre tus piezas de cabecera, será mejor que te dediques a cualquier otra cosa, menos al Black Metal, porque no tener esta gema equivale a no estar preparado para una formación sólida dentro del lado oscuro!!

Whereabouts : Lima, Peru
Author : Armando Mutilator

Review : E exatos dois anos após resenhar e entrevistar a one-man-band de Filipinas, Bruno Zamora está de volta com o seu Kratornas e mais 04 faixas do mais puro Black/Grind. E tanto ideal quanto proposta do maníaco Bruno continua sujo, imundo, rápido, destruidor. Neste MCD (que foi lançado no ano passado em 7”EP) percebe-se um pouco mais a influência da velha escola brasileira, o Sarcófago ou talvez um pouco mais o Goatpenis, o que é ótimo, estamos de saco cheio de clones dos noruegueses e mais noruegueses. Em termos sonoros a bateria continua rapidíssima, grind mesmo, o vocal é distorcido propositalmente, está abafado e eu tenho um pouco da noção do ódio que este sujeito deve ter quando constrói suas faixas, a guitarra é item do bom no material do Kratornas e tem uma rifferama cavalgada excelente misturado á solos crus e agudos, samplers navegam em algumas faixas causando uma tendência maior ao que se passa, enfim é material extremo, de pessoa extrema para pessoas extremas e realmente blasfemo. O que eu acho muito foda realmente no material do Bruno é a raiva, a verdadeira brutalidade, o ódio que este sujeito tem dentro dele e consegue passar nas suas músicas, não é algo montado, algo proposital ou comercial, algo planejado ou o que possa vir á pensar neste cenário mainstream de caras e bocas que encontramos hoje em dia, onde muitos dizem ser extremo, mas poucos sabem o real sentido da palavra. E metal extremo é isto, é música anti-cultura, anti-modismo, para causar furor e ódio nesta porcaria chamada ser humano. Indicado á quem realmente aprecia o que podemos chamar de Metal Extremo. Escutem todas as quatro faixas, sem parar, dê “repeat” por mais de umas duas horas em um bom e alto headphone. Sua mente irá agradecer, senão explodir antes. 10/10

Whereabouts : Alumínio/SP, Brazil
Author : Vinícius Vidal

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