Author Archive

Dark Descent to Release Horrendous’ The Chills

Dark Descent Records will release the highly anticipated CD follow-up to the twice-pressed Sweet Blasphemies cassette from the East Coast’s favorite sons of filth HORRENDOUS. Entitled The Chills, the new EP is targeted for a late November/early December release and defines the kind of mucked up, motoring, and morbid Swedish/American death metal that HORRENDOUS has […]

Enabler – Year One

Listen, (for once) I’m just going to get right to it. If you Like Trap Them or some of  today’s noisy discordant bands like Animosity, Gaza, Harlots and such, just go ahead and grab this release, a collection of the bands first two releases, Eden Sank to Grief and War Begins With You. Milwaukee’s Enabler […]

Hull – Beyond the Lightless Sky

I rather enjoyed Hull‘s full length debut, Sole Lord as it was a nice sludgy record bolstered by  a variety of smooth layered vocals, not unlike Baroness. However, once I hit play on their sophomore record, it was apparent Hull has changed up their game a bit. For the better. While the album still has […]

ZOMBIEFICATION To Unleash New EP; Artwork & Track Listing Revealed

Mexican corpse-walkers ZOMBIEFICATION are set to unleash their new EP Reaper’s Consecration via Pulverised Records in conjunction with Chaos Records later this year. Having risen from the grave in 2009 following the release of their debut, Midnight Stench, ZOMBIEFICATION wasted no time in concocting a venomous brew that makes up Reaper’s Consecration. Offering up their […]

Imperious – Varus

Though hailing from Bavaria, Germany  it does not take a genius to figure out Imperious‘ influence; the band name, album named after a Roman general, and song titles like “Segestes’ Charge”, “The Battle Of The Teutoburg Forest” and “Three Legions March”. All it’s missing is a a quote or sample from the opening battle of […]

Untimely Demise – City of Evil

Originally self released last year, Sonic Unyon has re-released the debut full length album from Saskatoon’s Untimely Demise in order to catch the apparent tail end of the the retro thrash revival. While I have never really dug the current explosion of throwback thrash I have enjoyed some of the bands that mix a little […]

Altars – Opposition EP

Listen, this is Christian metal on Strikefirst Records, so spare me the lecture and redundant lashes OK? hailing from Colorado, Altars debut effort of Facedown’s farm league label, is actually a pretty promising 6 song affair. It’s one of those multi faceted modern Christian hardcore records that combines  a punchy production burly deathcore beat downs […]

Dismember Call it Quits

According to blabbermouth.net, veteran Swedish death metallers Dismember have called it a day in a statement issued by bassist Tobias Cristiansson; “After 23 years, DISMEMBER have now decided to quit. We wish to thank all our fans for your support.” Dismember, one of the founding fathers of the Swedish death metal scene, have been one […]

Made of Hate – Pathogen

It’s been a while since I heard a quality, old school, pure modern melodic death metal album  — and no, In Flames does not count. Here is Poland’s Made of Hate attempting to solve just that with their sophomore effort and they meet with a measure of success. Though glossed with a little thrash and a little, dare […]

Atriarch – Forever the End

I really wanted to like the debut from this doom sludge act from Portland more, but despite a sickly hue and oozing pallor, I can’t bring myself to be as impressed as I am by other like minded acts (Cough, Thou, Highgate, Coffinworm). It starts out well enough with a throbbing patient lope and fuzzed, […]

Blastanus – Collapse

Yup. You read right. This death metal/grindcore band from Finland is called Blastanus. Luckily, their second, self-released album is more impressive than their moniker as Collapse delivers 11 songs and 43 minutes of punchy Euro sounding death/grind that should please the fans of Aborted and maybe newer Cephalic Carnage and such. There’s thick, beefy guitars, […]

Einvera – In Your Image

If you are the kind of a person that thought the 2011 releases by the likes of Ana Kefr or Unexpect were just too much, too chaotic and too avant garde, just go ahead and leave now. Go on! You’ll be doing yourself a favor. On the other hand, if you thrive on those sort of […]

Hessian Crucible – Morbidity

Listen, a s much as I’d like to, I rarely review 3 track demos- I simply don’t have the time considering all the other stuff we get here to review. However, I will make a few exceptions; 1) if you are really fucking good, 2) if you are really fucking good and local and 3) […]

NECROCURSE: Swedish Death Metallers Join Pulverised Records

Rising from the filth-lands of Uddevalla and Ljungskile, Sweden, NECROCURSE was spawned in 2004 with a penchant for all things brutal and ugly. Featuring current and past members of Nifelheim, Necronaut, Runemagick, Deathwitch and Swordmaster (among others), the band is now ready to unleash their chaos upon an unsuspecting underground via Singapore’s Pulverised Records in […]

Candlelight Issues Digital-Only Remix Of WOE’S Quietly, Undramatically

Candlelight Records today unveils a special remix version of WOE’s acclaimed second album Quietly, Undramatically. The album is available now for streaming and download via the label’s exclusive Bandcamp page. In addition to the new mix, Candlelight has posted the debut album from Falloch, a special reissue of Extreme Noise Terror’s A Holocaust In Your Head, and […]

RUMPELSTILTSKIN GRINDER Signs To Candlelight Records

Candlelight Records today confirms the worldwide signing of thrashers RUMPELSTILTSKIN GRINDER. The Philadelphia-based band is already working on their new album, titled Ghostmaker, expected for release early spring 2012. The four-piece tested some of their new material via a string of regional shows this past weekend and expect to tour in support of the album […]

Dead In the Dirt – Fear 7″ EP

Up until I heard this 10 song, 7″ release from Atlanta’s Dead in the Dirt, God Is War from All Pigs Must Die was my favorite crust release of 2011, and before that, Nails and their Unsilent Death release was my favorite crust release of the last decade or so. But once the needle hits […]

Cryptborn – In the Grasp of the Starving Dead EP

I feel a little bit sorry for Finland’s Cryptborn, even after having their debut EP re-released by Dark Descent Records (an honor considering the labels affinity for awesome old school death metal). The reason? Basically because their EP is released about the same time as Entrails‘ The Tomb Awaits — much like the high quality indie […]

Entrails – The Tomb Awaits

Well folks, here it is! Entrails‘ newest album, The Tomb Awaits. For old school Stockholm death metal fans, the follow-up to my 2010’s album of the year and arguably the most anticipated album of 2011; the cherry on top of a pie that’s already been filled with the likes of Undead Creep, Brutally Deceased, Demonical, Morbus […]

Interview with Svartsot

With album number 3, Maledictus Eris, Denmark’s Svartsot have continued their consistent enjoyable take on folk laced death metal. However, rather than frolicking synths and fruity jigs, Svartsot deliver folk metal with a bearded, burly presence that’s as much Amon Amarth than anything else. But what makes the consistency surprising is the band turn over and the fact that guitarist Cris Frederiksen is the only remaining member from the debut, Ravenes Saga. So I visited with Cris to get a little more insight in the band’s new line-up, as well as some details on the new album.

Lock Up – Necropolis Transparent

I’ll admit I wasn’t too excited for a new Lock Up album. I mean, it’s been eight years since Hate Breeds Suffering, which I really though wasn’t necessary after 1999’s Pleasure Pave Sewers, (which was admittedly one of the first high profile super groups). And let’s be honest, a grindcore side project in 2011 featuring […]

Nothgard – Warhorns of Midgard

Hailing from Germany, Nothgard play a form of fun, epic and bombastic folk viking metal akin to country mates Equilibrium and Finsterforst, but also cull heavily from the genres other heavyweights, notably Ensiferum. Bouncy happy amicable metal is the order of the day with a power metal back bone beefed up with melodic death metal […]

Jonas Berqvist aka “B” of Lifelover is dead

In a press release just sent out by Prophecy Productions, it was announced that founder of Lifelover, Jonas Bernquvst has passed away: “On the night of the 9th September, Jonas Bergqvist a.k.a. ‘B’, founding member, main composer, and guitarist of Lifelover, died unexpectedly. The cause of his death is still unclear and has yet to […]

Spectral Mortuary – Total Depravity

Whereas label and country mates The Cleansing struck quickly with their second album, Denmark’s Spectral Mortuary took a little longer to muster up a follow up on one of 2007’s most over looked death metal albums. I’m glad to shout that the wait was definitely worth it, as Total Depravity is a monster of  death […]

MOURNFUL CONGREGATION New Album & American Tour Details + Album Streaming

As previously announced, Australian funeral doom icons MOURNFUL CONGREGATION have signed with 20 Buck Spin for the North American release of two full-length releases. The first of the pair, a compilation of out-of-print tracks entitled The Unspoken Hymns, acts as a prologue for the band’s newly completed, monumental, brand new full-length album, The Book Of […]