History & Biography Barzak was a death/black band between 2003 and 2008 when it became Orator. Two members moved over to the newly christened act. Vritra had been a late inductee to Barzak. The new black/thrash band issued a single called Dominion Of Avyaktam through Legion Of Death Records of France in 2010. The title referred to an original state and virtue in Hinduism. The lyrics henceforth contained tantric topics despite Bangladesh itself being an Islamic country. The band’s first concert was outside its country at the Rock pub Club in Bangkok, Thailand in November 2010. Fairly swiftly the band issued a live demo called Live Crematorations. It was recorded in the capital city of Dhaka. Mephistopheles had arrived. The act appeared at the Siamese True Metal fest 2012 in Bangkok.
The band’s full-length, which was again issued by a French record label, contained new songs and was available in 2013. The group had announced the full-length as coming through Barbarian Wrath Records initially. The band appeared at Trend Slaughter Fest in Bangalore in February 2014. The band recruited a second guitarist called Re-Animator (a.k.a. Navid Anjum Khan) in 2014, but the new departed after two concerts explaining he had to focus on his school studies. Gnosis Stained Khadga - Live In Kuala Lumpur was out in 2014 and, as signalled in the title, was recorded live in Malaysia. The band had also signed to Pulverised Records, but nothing was produced. The act had appeared at the Pictavian Invasion Over Malaysia show. Just to complete the pan-Asian ensemble, the label was based in Thailand. The gang opened for the likes of Napalm Death at the Bangalore Open Air 2015. The band became quiet and eventually officially threw in the towel in 2018. Vritra Ahi had left in 2015. Mephistopheles had followed him. Shah Zawad Mahmood (later in Burial Dust) was inducted onto the drum stool and the members jammed a couple of times and were even billed for 2021’s East Bengal Onslaught, but that was the end. Two members were in Burial Dust.
Reviews ORATOR - KAPALGNOSIS - ARMÉE DE LA MORT  For a short little while as the intro plays the listener thinks ‘Blade Runner soundtrack,’ but the feeling is strictly fleeting. The intro ends and the song goes for the throat. Bangladesh takes a metal seat to no one. This album is strong enough to bestow that statement. Any prejudices, gut feelings or previous experiences leading to believing South Asia is not up to par or speed with the rest of the metal world is banished, exiled and stomped on by Kapalgnosis. Heck, most bands would wish they could be so strong.
Imagine Reign In Blood mixed with the action packed thrash of early Massacra with a tonality of Angelripper from his early days all in a melee of tight speedy death/thrash with a vocalist whose statement of intent would scare half of modern thrash bands and embarrass the other. Thought the opener First Born Of Sataninsam was fast? Listen to the title track, actually called Kapalrevolution, next! The song slows down for effect in the middle to throw a few heavy riffs. The singer, whose voice and horrific delivery is comparable to Front’s old frontman Kaosbringer, even outright laughs at all the posers and wimps in Europe with their keyboards and girly pop singers. That drummer though! He maims and massacres the listener on Satanachesh Grimore. It is punchy, but the solo is another way too short one.
The bass comes alive on Gnosis Stained Khadga and it's a cracker. In Tamas They Dwell is again full of speeeeed and fury, but perhaps exposes the band’s weakness when it slows down in places. The guitar melody is simplistic. The solo too is simple. Necrocosmic Apparitions shows the band's control in that when it goes hyperspeed it does not lose the thread and maintains its tightness. This one piles on a militaristic crushing rhythm. Devoid Of Dharma (Aghorey Bhyo) is an instrumental. The title would have lent itself to more of the band’s Hindu pontifications, but no. Not sure if these guys are Hindus, converts or philosophers, but that is where the lyrics reside. An unfortunate oriental melody shows up and shatters the consistency. Even this band is beholden to its roots and heritage. Still, love the distortion and crackling infernal bass and those words are not an exaggeration. A cover of Merciless’ Bestial Death where the Swedes rip off music and title from Destruction without credit establishes Orator’s moral superiority. After all, Orator gives Merciless credit where the latter band would not do the same to Destruction.
This album is a hidden gem. It is never too late to grab it. The disc contains an exemplary metal production, powerful hands and wrists, a spewing larynx and constitutes a paradigm for deathrash metal. - Ali “The Metallian”
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