2020’s run of high-quality black metal continues with the debut from Finland’s Gloom, a band that features members from Nekrokrist SS, whoever they are. And they are not Gloomy or depressive black metal at all as the name might lead you to believe. Blending a bit of Finnish black metal nastiness (especially the vocals) and […]

I knew some HM2 boss pedals had made their way to South and Central America by way of Zombiefication and Nocturnal Hollow, but it appears some have made to all the way to Chile and they are used to full effect on the band’s impressive homage laden second album. It’s clear immediately (after a short […]

Almost exactly a year after their debut, De Rerum Natura, Italian Symphonic metallers Moonlight Haze has already cranked out their second album. And you would think it would be a bit rushed and have a drop off in quality, but to their credit, they have kept things on a predictable, but high level with Lunaris. […]

Sarpa ( the Sanskrit term for serpent) is the Austin, Texas-based one-man black/death project from the mind of David Baxter, formerly of industrial thrashers Skrew). The aptly named album Solivagus (roughly translated from Latin to ‘wondering alone’) is his first effort, no demos, no singles, just right into this ambitious 7 song 48-minute affair that […]

Listen, I have my guilty pleasures, and one of them is female fronted or dual vocals (‘beauty and the beast’ I call it) styled Gothic/symphonic metal (or ‘cleavage-core’, for the kids) . Since the days of Thalarion and Beseech, How Like A Winter, early The Gathering, Theatre of Tragedy, Draconian, Epica and Delain and Tristania, and more […]

So recently, I have received a few progressive experimental and often symphonic metal/death metal albums. The Outsider‘s one man effort, From Ancient and Forbidden Books, Orbit Culture’s hammering, Gojira worshiping self titled album, and this, the second effort from the UKs Rannoch. With Opeth and Gojira worn openly on their sleeve, Rannoch delivers 12 tracks […]

Originally self released last year, but picked up by Prosthetic Records for a CD and gorgeous baby blue/purple swirl LP, Eternity’s End is the debut from this Ohio based melodic death metal trio featuring 2 members of Viking metal band Hammer Horde and 1 from Blood of the Prophets. Don’t let the term melodic death […]

I know it’s a broad, sweeping generalization, but it’s a pretty common phenomenon for metal, and death metal in particular to have a geographical sound or recognizable style. You’ve got Sweden’s buzzsaws, Florida’s punchy technicality, New Yawk’s groove, Finland’s filth and Canada’s uber complexity. But what is Norway’s know death metal sound? It’s not really […]

I had really high hopes for this, as I saw the bands self described ‘fantasycore’, and was hoping for some sort of Blind Guardian or Bal-Sagoth deathcore mash up. Unfortunately what you get is some pretty standard, more commercial, if solid modern keyboard-heavy, metalcore/ tech/dent core that you’d find on Sumerian Records, except the difference […]

I’m not usually down with split releases, but the last one I got featuring thrashers Hell On and Pripjat was actually pretty good, and now this one featuring Corporation SS and Beaten, both from Indiana, is also pretty solid. Corporation SS is the grind/crust band featuring members of Invasion and Yellowtooth, notably Orchestrated Misery Recordings […]

I know this review is a month or so late but it’s been 18 years since the last actual…And Oceans album so, I think I’m good So, after 18 years, … And Oceans are back and not just back, but back to their symphonic black metal roots that they abandoned when they became more industrial […]

There must be a huge Finnish or Scandinavian poplace or cultural influence in Canada right? Other wise  why is there such a surprisingly  large amount of solid Finnish sounding epic/folk/viking bands there? Blackguard/Profugus Mortis, Crimson Shadows, Vesperia/Bolero, Battlesoul. Will of the Ancients, Nordheim, Valfreya just to name a few. Well, add Vancouver’s Atavistia to that […]

As I peruse through albums I might consider year end candidates I see a lot of black metal; …And Oceans, Abduction, Kryptamok, Aara, Afsky, Eisenkult, Glaciation, Marrasmieli  to name a few. But there is very little truly special  death metal.Sure there’s some good stuff like the always reliable Abysmal Dawn,  The Project Hate‘s Purgatory or […]

As I mentioned in my Glaciation review, Ive been on a French metal kick and the third album from Abduction might be the best of the bunch so far this year. One of my cohorts reviewed their prior album A L’heure du Crépuscule, and succinctly threw around bands like Borknagar, Arcturus, Ved Buens Ende, and […]

Werewolves is a new blackened death metal super group of sorts from Australia featuring Sam Bean (The Berzerker, The Senseless,The Antichirst Imperium ) on vocals/bass, Matt Wilcock (The Berzerker, Abramalin, The Antichirst Imperium) and most notably drummer Dave Haley (Abramelin, The Amenta, Psycroptic, Ruins). According to the promotional materials , the album was written and […]

I’ve been on a huge Swiss and French black metal kick recently really digging into the likes of Aara, Fluisteraars, Alcest, Verlies, Bâ’a, Abduction, Véhémence and such. Particularly the French scene, once more known for more twisty, discordant black metal (Deathspell Omega, Aosoth, Blut Aus Nord etc), the French scene has also evolved a very […]

I’m not sure what to think about this. Bourbon Souls is the debut from Helsinki six piece Stråle (shimmer/shine/glow), and it’s a pure hard rock/alternative record, the first such that I’m aware on the usually death metal orientated FDA Records. The thing is, it’s kinda fun. This is open window, driving own the highway, singing […]

Official statement from OBSCURA: “After a six-year break, legendary German guitarist Christian Münzner (ETERNITY’S END, PARADOX, ALKALOID, ex- NECROPHAGIST, ex- SPAWN OF POSSESSION) has rejoined the German progressive death metallers OBSCURA as a permanent member. Münzner, known for his virtuoso guitar playing in extreme metal, joined OBSCURA in 2008 and recorded the band’s critically acclaimed […]

Ho Hum, another Rogga Johansson (Paganizer, Revolting, Ribspreader,  The Grotesquery, Down Among the Dead Men) project. Let’s see who he has joined up with this time shall we?  Well, we have Wombbath’s Håkan Stuvemark on vocals and guitars, Jon Skäre of Defiatory on drums and Mathias Back from Fimbultyr on bass (what, no Jonny Pettersson?????). […]

We all know who Alestorm are by now and what style of ‘love it or hate it’ pirate based thrash heavy metal they play, but I had an unnerving bad feeling about Alestorm’s sixth album before I even heard some of the songs. 2017s No Grave But the Sea was another solid effort of pirate […]

Here’s is more excellent Finnish black metal from Purity Through Fire to go along with Kryptamok’s superb Verisaarna . This time in the form of the fine debut EP from the 5 piece collective known as Nôidva (which has members of The Watcher, Herr De Qual, Sacrificium Carmen, and others). Not as vitriolic or frosty […]

Ever have frostbite? Ever touch dry ice? Ever touch something so cold, your skin blistered up? Well, if you handle the debut album from Finland’s Kryptamok, you very well might experience those things, as it’s a brilliantly frosty, nasty display of second wave black metal. The brain child of Hex Inferi, formerly of Finnish black […]

To this day, I still absolutely love Naglfar’s first two albums and Vittra and Diabolical remain two of my very favorite 90s melodic black metal albums. And while 2003 Sheol was a worthy follow up, with the departure of vocalist Jens Ryden, the band fell into a bit of a rut with subsequent albums  Pariah, […]

Here’s a little atmospheric, shoe-gazy, post rock serenity to break up the death and black metal by way of UK collaboration Dawnwalker, a project featuring members of UK acts Sacred Son (who you may remember for making metal headlines forCrestfallen EP by Dawnwalker This is full of gorgeous, shimmering, layered strummed riffs that barely break […]

From the promotional email: “For fans of Gorefest, Entombed, Bolt Thrower, Grave“ Fucking sold. OK, so the promotional email might have been a bit of a stretch, but aren’t they all?  And it certainly got me to check out the debut fro Switzerland’s Mnemocide (‘death of memory’). Entombed and Bolt Thrower might be a bit […]