Ever hear of a sophomore slump? Cult of Fire most certainly does not believe in them. This Czech semi-supergroup composed of Lykathea Aflame, Maniac Butcher, Dark Storm, and Death Karma members came out of nowhere last year with their passionate debut full-length, Triumvirát (if you had heard their 2011 self-released EP prior to that, +666 […]

I can’t recall ever coming across any other bands from Belarus, which I guess shouldn’t come as a surprise since, according to Metal Archives, only about 250 metal bands have ever existed there. Despite that lack of a fertile scene, Crypt of Reason have crafted three of the strongest, most promising death/doom tracks of the […]

It wasn’t long ago that the albums you heard mostly depended on what was worth your money. With more and more music becoming easily, cheaply, and often freely accessible via services like Spotify, Bandcamp, SoundCloud, iTunes and all the full-album streams that labels are surprisingly eager to post, what you listen to nowadays is more […]

Concrete Icon. The name alone intrigues me. First off, it just has a nice ring to it with its hard “C” alliteration. And, then there’s its ambiguous meaning. Does it literally refer to a religious statue made of concrete or is it more figurative, like something true to believe in? Either way, it alludes to […]

Full disclosure: My history with the now decade-old, German, one-man, black/doom project known as The Ruins of Beverast extends back a whopping 5 months. Why I didn’t investigate something that’s right up my musical alley much earlier is another one of life’s many mysteries, but once the brilliant new track, “Malefica,” hit YouTube on April […]

The magic of the late ’80s/early ’90s underground metal is well documented and revered, but the often-overlooked three-year span of ’94 to ’96 was something special in its own right. With the brutality race pretty much over, established death metal bands like Tiamat, Hypocrisy, and Cemetary along with upstarts such as Crematory (DE), Novembre, and […]

Oh, good old My Dying Bride, we go back a long way. You commiserated with me during my depressing teen years and helped me feel something whenever life would turn mundane. I’ll admit to skipping over your then-infamous (not so much now) 34.788%… Complete only to discover it’s quirky gloom a few years later, and […]

German, analog-only label, Iron Bonehead Productions, is currently on quite a winning streak with recent and upcoming releases from Unaussprechlichen Kulten, ZOM, Death Karma, Heretic Cult Redeemer, and Beyond (DE), just to name a few. But, one of the most interesting of them all is this 3-song debut EP from Swiss two-piece, Bölzer. Their inconspicuous […]

While most current death metal acts are looking either forward or backward, Philly’s Azure Emote takes us on a trip sideways with their second full-length, The Gravity of Impermanence. Mastermind, Mike Hrubovcak (vocalist for Monstrosity, Vile, Divine Rapture, and Abraxas and illustrator for numerous other bands), conducts a slew of talented musicians along with core […]

Apart from bestial black metallers, Deiphago, I can’t recall ever coming across any other metal bands from The Philippines. A quick search on Metal Archives provides a statistical reason: less than 200 bands with under 400 releases have ever come out of that region. Why so few metal bands exist in the world’s twelfth most […]

It’s hard to believe that the origin of October Tide dates back almost two decades now. Jonas Renkse and Fred Norrman started the project during Katatonia’s brief break-up in ‘94 and released two now-classic albums before disbanding in ‘99. Norrman eventually resurrected the moniker in ‘09 after his departure from Katatonia. The decade-long hiatus, lack […]

Downcast Dutchmen, Officium Triste, have been wallowing in misery for nearly two decades, releasing four full-lengths along with a handful of EPs, splits, and demos during that time. Despite having been an avid fan of death/doom that whole time, I somehow managed to miss out on their entire output. I have a feeling that every […]

Denmark’s Saturnus may not be one of doom metal’s most prolific bands with only four full-lengths and one EP over their roughly 20-year existence, but they have remained one of the most consistent and revered. Instead if cashing in on their uncanny talent for writing catchy tunes (just try listening to “Christ Goodbye” or “Empty […]

My only prior experience with this Aussie trio – now a four-piece – was a few tracks (in all honesty, I probably only made it through one) from their 2010 ear grater, Devil’s Poison, that I remember sounding like a drunken early Venom rehearsal. I guess that was the point, but it was lost on […]

There are a few misleading factors surrounding this album that left me feeling a little duped. First off, the colorful, painterly cover art looks like something you would see for sale on a coffee shop checkout counter (well, except for the figure’s bare breasts and tentacled pubes). Secondly, the label describes the music as a […]

The floundering economy and end of the world hoopla must have had a lot of people feeling down in 2012 because it sure was a great year for all things doomy. Long-running acts, Paradise Lost, Asphyx, and Evoken released what was arguably some of the best material of their over two-decade careers while relative newcomers, […]

I usually prefer some memorable riffs in my death metal, but sometimes ample atmosphere and heaviness is enough. And, that’s where this 4-song demo succeeds. You won’t be humming any part of it afterward, but you might be haunted by it. It begins with an ambient piece that sounds like dark energy echoing from the […]

Back in the early ’90s, Australia’s Armoured Angel seemed poised for greatness. After garnering a cult following throughout the ’80s with their energetic brand of speed/thrash, the Australian three piece — consisting of twin brothers, Joel (drums, vocals) and Matt Green (guitar), and founding member, Glen “Lucy” Luck (bass) — had evolved into something much […]

While seemingly everyone has been gushing over the new Evoken album this year, another comparable death/doom masterpiece floated by with nary a mention. It’s amazing what a difference the support of Profound Lore and Decibel can make. It’s not that Evoken isn’t more than deserving of all the praise they’re receiving, but what Faal has […]

“Ævangelist does not intend to play death metal, black metal, or any other type of ‘music’ for your enjoyment. In fact, we hope that there are decidedly few discernible riffs, we hope this appeals to no superficial underground interests, and we hope to make no impression on any current musical trends, because in the scope […]