A number of bands are vying to replace Dismember; Notably Interment, Infected Chaos, Smothered, Unwilling Flesh and others. However, here come the Czech Republic’s Brutally Deceased, formerly a much more Grave/Entombed inspired band with album number 3 to arguably jump ahead of everyone and claim the Dismember throne. Whereas the band’s last two fine albums, […]

Unlike Necromance’s last batch of 2 releases I reviewed (Bolu2 Death and Absenta) which were completely different, the labels next pair of releases is at least in the same wheelhouse. While both hail from Spain,  Blinded For Lies is a classic old school take on US metalcore and Goddamn’s debut, More Human Than Us is a […]

Here is yet another awesome band from Switzerland, adding to the countries fine 2016 efforts from Beansidhe, Buried Side, Deathcult, Schammasch, Colossus Fall and others (and hopefully Bolzer). This time it’s in the form of progressive tech death metal cut from the same cloth as First Fragment, The Faceless, Decrepit Birth, Gorod and Obscura in […]

From the label that brought us Flamenco inspired deathcore in Bolu2Death and some blackened crust in Absenta, comes 2 more releases a little more similar to each other. Both from Spain, we have Goddamn and Blinded For Lies, both residing in the metalcore realm, but both being rather good- if you are into that sort […]

It’s been a busy couple of years since Italian death metal act ADE released their widely acclaimed second effort, Spartacus on Canada’s Blast Head Records in 2013. The band has switched to a label a little closer to home with Xtreem Music and undergone a significant line up change, with only two members from Spartacus remaining. […]

One of the things I love about this reviewing gig is being completely blindsided by a new young act. Sure, you get to hear new Nile albums early and the occasional guest passes, but when a bright eyed young band has poured all their money and energy into a self released CD, send it to you […]

Germany’s Equilibrium has resided atop the viking/folk metal hill for a while now, with 2005s Turis Fratyr and  2008s Sagas remaining two of the very top albums in the genre. And while Rekreatur was a transitional solid release after a line up shift, the band stormed back with Erdentempel in 2014. So now here with album […]

Tucked in between all the high profile technical and brutal death metal that labels like Comatose and Unique Leader has churned out in 2016 is this solid little debut record from France’s new act Red Dawn,  and no it’s not a concept band based on the movie. What it is though is well crafted and well […]

I was pretty disappointing with the latest Hatebreed record, and thusly it left a void in my metal psyche that was craving some pure beatdown hardcore. So when this showed up in my promo emails, citing Hatebreed and as a bonus, The Acacia Strain, I thought I’d give it a listen. And beat down hard core […]

Plutonium is the brain child of one J. Carlsson who does everything in this Swedish industrialized black metal project. It’s been a while since I’ve heard a good example of the style (Havoc Unit  maybe?) , and while Plutonium checks all the boxes, it’s not a release I’m enamored with. The check boxes that Carlsson fills […]

Musician, artist and writer Alex CF has provided some of my favorite, emotional moments in music over the last few years. From Fall of Efrafa‘s Warren of Snares trilogy, to the incomplete Light Bearer saga, to the more recent Anopheli and Archivist releases, his deep concepts and various takes on crust/d-beat and post rock have been, […]

Much like my reviews, most pre release press and PR one sheets or emails are pure, hyped up drivel about the best album ever released that will change metal for ever. However, sometime the press sheet has a simple to the point RIYL section that I usually got right too. In the case of Virginia’s […]

For metal heads, there are few things in life an satisfying as pure, simple death metal. No orchestration, no tech overload no deep meanings or ritualistic interludes. Just pure death metal. And Dave Rotten of Avulsed and owner of Xtreem Music knows a little about it himself, as he and his band has been delivering the […]

I like to think I’m fairly familiar with bands playing Swedish styled Stockholm buzzed death metal from all corners of the world. I’ve heard bands from France, Denmark, UK, Greece, Poland, Czech Republic etc, but other than Mexico’s Zombiefication, Central/South America seems a bit lacking in that style. Well here is a new addition, Venezuela’s Nocturnal […]

The reborn Cacophonous records continues to find solid new UK bands amid its quality reissues and deliver solid releases early into its reactivation. Not only did we have the impressive The Infernal Sea, Eastern Front, Old Corpse Road and The King is Blind with Necronautical , like label mates Old Corpse Road, we get something to remind […]

I’m not familiar with Ontario’s Falsifier, not being hugely connected to the down tempo/beatdown scene, but seeing these guys compared to Black Tongue and The Acacia Strain piqued my interest and the fact this EP is a free download from Artery Recordings  (to celebrate singing with the label) only made it more appealing. And I’m always […]

One way to get my attention is to open an album with a glorious epic, galloping melodic black metal riff, even if only 47 seconds log. And that is how Beansidhe ( Celtic/Gaelic for ‘banshee’) debut full length Mont opens, and from that point I’m hooked as the rest of these Swiss metallers’ take on various forms […]

So here is yet more symphonic, keyboard drenched metal adding to this year’s plethora of quality orchestra and keyboard filled releases, they cover all genres. This time it’s in the form of the third album from Israel’s 7 piece act, Winterhorde, and it resides in a sort of melodic, symphonic black metal, but with expansive, progressive […]

Though not normally recognized for its black metal scene outside of Cradle of Filth and maybe Wodensthrone and  Winterfylleth, there’s is something foul afoot in the English  black metal underground. Cacophonous has exposed gems like Necronautical, Old Corpse Road and The Infernal Sea. And now Halo of Flies has chipped in with the vinyl release of the stunning […]

Despite featuring Steve Tucker from Morbid Angel (whose return to Morbid Angel is fantastic news), the debut of then, post Morbid Angel project Warfather Orchestrating the Apocalypse was surprisingly bland. It was just OK USDM with a few orchestral flourishes that didn’t have anything really memorable to hangs its hat on other than Tucker’s involvement. […]

Those in the know are aware that Lay Down Rotten were one of Germany’s most consistent but underrated death metal bands, releasing 7 fine albums from 2003 to 2015, when they split up. Well, 4 Lay Down Rotten members have regrouped and formed Demonbreed and continued the former bands chunky take on death metal, but […]

The last time I heard this long standing but overlooked Swedish melodic death metal act was 2008s The Gallery of Bleeding Art, a promising album that scattered some orchestral/symphonic and choral flourishes around a sold Swedish death metal/melodic death metal backbone. I missed 2013s Neogenesis, so I can’t comment on the bands development between those two […]

While Texas is more know for its brutal death metal and pure black metal, lying amid the reeds is Vex. Vex are neither. Instead, the band plays a form of hybrid between atmospheric black metal and melodic death metal. They have been around since 1999 but only have three albums under their belt — including the just released ‘Sky Exile’ on Eiwaz/Bindrune Recordings (a perfect fit) and those with a taste for more progressive, organic metal, will find a lot to like about them.

For me, Sweden’s Vanhelgd , are a lot like label mates Undergang; a bit of an anomaly to me. They seem to be critical darlings, I enjoy and own all the albums, but never seem smitten with them. When I’m listening to them, I’m truly digging the big Finnish crumble meet old school Swedish must, but never crave […]

I recently discovered Texas’s Vex on a Bindrune/Eihwaz Recordings compilation as the track “To Anacreon (Strangling the Muse)”  completely enthralled me, and reminded me of Cales, (a killer, folky Root side project from a few years ago). So I picked up the band’s 2013 album Memorious, and immediately loved it and waited with baited breath for the […]