Extreme Collection: Volume XVIII |

Compilations Don’t Give Up

(2025 – Extreme Records)

Those were the good old days of compilations, when you could discover a wide variety of acts all on a single album. It was a very useful and effective way to promote music back in the day, before social media and digital platforms existed.
The formula was simple. Release a CD featuring several bands, usually with one track from each, to introduce each act. This was always very helpful for underground bands, but over time and with the rise of digital distribution, this format gradually fell out of favor. It’s not that new technologies work miracles when it comes to promotion, but the reality is that everything happens on social media these days, leading to a decline in the production of this type of material. However, some traditions endure.
One of them is the “Extreme Collection” compilation, a classic linked to the long-running Brazilian fanzine “Extreme Brutal Death”, which has been going strong for nearly 30 years and shows no signs of slowing down, promoting everything related to Extreme Metal in Brazil and around the world. In fact, this CD we have in hand is Volume 18, and it came bundled with issue No. 30 of the aforementioned zine.
As expected, the new compilation focuses on the most extreme aspects of Metal, featuring a variety of styles ranging from Deuteronomium’s Death N’Roll to Antidemon’s Death Metal, Angel Distress’s Doom, and CASM’s Old-School Black Metal. There’s a little bit of everything (as with all compilations), but the meticulous production captures every detail and offers us a special selection from each band included on this compilation.

The first track we encounter is “Worthy Of Lamb” by our friends in Antidemon, a song from their latest studio album that showcases the Brazilians’ musical evolution with a sort of extreme and powerful anthem.
Antidemon is one of the most prominent names on this compilation, but we also find Deuteronomium with a track like “Nazorean”, which comes from their latest studio album to date and showcases their side closest to traditional Metal but with a Death Metal sound—something typical and characteristic of the Finnish band.
The mood immediately turns much darker and more melancholic with the excellent “Descent To The Tomb” by Angel Distress, a Doom/Death band—undoubtedly one of the best tracks I’ve heard lately—and continuing in much the same vein, Unmourning Death delivers their unique take on the well-known Christian hymn “Oh Come Oh Come Emmanuel,” rendered in an epic tone with guttural vocals. Truly impressive!!!
Soterion’s track is incredible as well. Their sound is virulent Black Metal with absolutely no compromise. They deliver the track “No More Babylon” with a tremendous display of fury, relentless riffs, and nonstop blast beats.
Ben Baruk is a band that stands out within the overall framework of the album. In reality, they aren’t particularly extreme; rather, they’re a band that could be defined as a kind of Progressive and Symphonic Metal. For this compilation, they offer one of the tracks from their conceptual album “Cosmogony”, with “Scene Three: Designing the Reality” being the track chosen to be part of this release.
Grindcore makes its presence felt with Bad Resilience, a project by Rodrigo Chenta, which contributes “Ananías Y Safira”—a track that was released as a single on digital platforms and is notable for being sung in Spanish, like almost all of the band’s material. Short and to the point: full-throttle grindcore—fast, violent, and direct.
Nebula Mortis is difficult to categorize, whether due to the combination of various genres or, ultimately, their own unique personality. In this case, they present the track “Reflections By The End Of An Autumn Day”, which might lead one to suspect we’re dealing with a typical Doom Metal band, but there’s much more to it than that. In 11 minutes, we’re taken through dark, gothic, and extreme atmospheres in the best Black Metal style—and why not a touch of Death Metal as well? All in all, it’s a pretty dizzying experience that will surely leave us wanting to learn more about them in the future.
But when it comes to Black Metal, CASM is in a league of its own. It’s as if they don’t care about sounding modern or conforming to the established norms. Their sound is pure Black Metal, as old-school as it gets. With an intriguing introduction, “When Is The End Of Summer” would, however, fall into the atmospheric or melodic category, one might say. One caveat must be made: this version is merely a 2004 demo, and it sounds truly intriguing, dark, and defiant.
Finally, we have Exortta, a project focused on a blend of Doom and Black Metal, which makes it quite interesting. For this compilation, they chose “Opus II”, one of the tracks from their 2023 double album “Enigmas”.

The positive aspect of this compilation is that it showcases different approaches within the extreme genre, striking a balance between bands that already have a track record in the scene and new, emerging acts—and in a way, that’s the whole point of this kind of material.
The production, as is often the case, isn’t easy given the different origins of each recording, but a consistent sound in terms of volume and quality has been maintained, bringing the whole project together. The production was handled at “Chenta’s House Studio”, owned by Rodrigo Chenta, who did a great job with the sound.
The cover art is by no means surprising, as it depicts a cemetery with light in the background—an illustration that conveys the implicit message. Since this is an independent release linked to the fanzine “Extreme Brutal Death”, it’s important to keep in mind that we can’t expect top-notch manufacturing quality. Even so, the lyrics for each song are included in the inner sleeve, which is certainly commendable.
The thing is, as we mentioned, to get this CD, you have to get issue #30 of the aforementioned zine, which contains a wealth of information, including notes on Deuteronomium, Angel Distress, CASM, Abyssal Forest, Kárv, etc. It’s a deluxe edition that we highly recommend, and via the link provided below, you’ll be able to get your hands on this material—which is more than interesting enough to help you catch up on the extreme scene within White Metal.

https://www.extremerecords.com.br/produtos/extreme-brutal-death-30/?entry_path=category

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