Rating: 7.9

Country: Colombia

Release Date: 2006

Record Label: Madman Productions

Track list:
1. Presagio
2. Guerra Total
3. Postmortem
4. Mas Alla De La Ignorancia
5. Blasfemia (rehearsal)
6. Politica De Asalto (rehearsal)
7. Introducción (Live 1986)
8. Mas Alla De La Ignorancia (Live 1986)
9. Presagio (Live 1986)
10. Guerra Total (Live 1986)
11. Postmortem (Live 1986)

Blasfemia - Guerra Total (Reissue)

John Jairo Martinez - Guitars
Ramón R. Restrapo - Vocals, Bass
Luis Fernando Cano - Drums

So here's the post-Parabellum outfit, straight outta Medellin, 1986. In comparison to their depraved forbears, Blasfemia are considerably more structured, cohesive and, dare I say it, sensible, though I can say, with assertive confidence, that they are not in any way the better band. The premise here, for the most part, is largely similar- deliriously chaotic and mercilessly crude barbarian death/thrash, loose and cantankerous to the point of being absolutely outrageous. In short, nothing less than certifiably authentic, true-to-form depravity from the same unhallowed grounds that bred Reéncarnacion, Nekromantie and the immortal Parabellum.

The apocalyptically bleak nuclear wasteland feel of Parabellum has been downplayed somewhat here, a foreboding intro being the only discernible hint of Parabellum's downtrodden doominess. Otherwise, things are considerably more straightforward on this go-around, and surprisingly more amateurish sounding, Blasfemia refusing to obscure their primal death/thrash with bizarro leftfield swerves and freeform, acid-tinged tangents. The looseness and grit of this EP is almost absurd, the band haphazardly stumbling through frenzied, rabid, frothing-at-the-mouth blurs of bloodstained speed with the utmost clumsiness. Ramón's vocals seem less maniacal and unhinged than on the Parabellum material (particularly the rehearsals!), but in terms of sheer mania, the performance here is still rather awe-inspiring/hellraising. The utter extremity and messiness of it all would certainly put off folks not already accustomed to the iniquitous sounds of Necrofago, Genocidio, Holocausto and Nekromantie, but the sheer ripped-to-the-tits savagery, indignation and conviction latent within this recording should have all advocates of the South American unholy order up in arms. The rehearsal track “Blasfemia” in particular is pregnant with casket-pounding percussion, clanging, clanking cymbal work and searing, slicing riffing, the rawness of the track adding weight to the bare-toothed malice of the material, while “Mas Alla De La Ignorancia” exerts a nefarious, carnivorous first wave death metal approach that echoes Vulcano just as much as it does Poison.

Of somewhat less interest are the live tracks, which are wafer-thin in quality and suffer from a rather callous mix where drums and vocals are buried entirely in walls of guitar and bass. The playing appears to be even LOOSER than on the EP, though, and the naked aggression/unmitigated energy of everything really infuse “Guerra Total” and “Postmortem” with a nude savagery that is irresistible.

Bluntly put, this is not a reissue that will meet with widespread acclaim or accolades. There is little doubt in my mind that most folks will find this material positively repugnant, and I am equally assured that the surviving members of Blasfemia aren't overly concerned with cynics questioning their cult status. To be perfectly earnest, while I greatly enjoy 'Guerra Total', as an ardent connoisseur/whore of all things ‘80s and South American, I cannot help but feel as though they pale considerably in comparison to the far more shocking/mercurial/malevolent Parabellum. Still, if you are an admitted fan of black/death metal in its rawest, fiercest form, you will revel in the audacity of this disc.

June 7th, 2006