Author Archive
Posted in Reviews, Reviews › H on Wednesday, April 24th, 2024
Italian Technical Death Metallers Hour of Penance return with their ninth full-length record Devotion. I have been a fan of Hour of Penance since hearing their second full-length record Pageantry for Martyrs. Devotion gets kicked off with “Devotion of Tyranny” which reminds me a lot of their third album The Vile Conception. The guitar work […]
Tags: 2024, Agonia Records, Brutal Death Metal, Hour of Penance, Nick K, Review
Posted in Reviews, Reviews › H on Monday, April 15th, 2024
The Netherlands Houwitser returns with their sixth album Sentinel Beast. If you are not familiar with Houwitser it is a project of former Sinister vocalist Mike Van Mastrigt. I was excited to hear that these guys were still active. If you have not, check out Mike’s other side band Neocaesar if you are a fan […]
Tags: 2024, Death Metal, Houwitser, Nick K, Review, Vidar Records
Posted in Reviews, Reviews › D on Wednesday, April 10th, 2024
Norway’s Deception returns with their second full-length album Daenacteh. I have been a fan of Deception since their last record The Mire (2019). I was also pleased earlier in the year to find out that their guitarist vocalist Sindre Wathne Johnsen is now the new vocalist for Blood Red Throne. For those not familiar with […]
Tags: 2024, Deception, Melod, Mighty Music, Nick K, Review
Posted in Reviews, Reviews › W on Thursday, March 21st, 2024
I have been waiting patiently for the first full-length from these sickos from Chicago patiently since their 2019 Light Eater EP debut. So, here we are, nine-track debut album. The opening track “Of Ruin” sets the tempo for the whole album. Kicking things off with a two-minute instrumental is a bold choice but it works […]
Tags: 2024, Everlasting Spew Records, Nick K, Review, Technical Death Metal, Wounds
Posted in Reviews, Reviews › A on Thursday, March 14th, 2024
Toronto Canada’s tech deathsters Apogean make their debut with Cyberstrictive. Vocalist Mac Smith filled in for Bill Robinson of Decrepit Birth recently. Off the bat, Zach Ohren’s (The Faceless, All Shall Perish, Immolation, etc.) mixing and Mastering work is elite. Things get kicked off with “Blue Night Sonata.” The technical prowess of these guys is […]
Tags: Apogean, Nick K, Review, Technical Death Metal, The Artisan Era
Posted in Reviews, Reviews › B on Tuesday, February 13th, 2024
Norwegian Death Metal Juggernaut Blood Red Throne returns with their eleventh studio album. Nonagon sees the return of original drummer Freddy the Shred Boiso and the debut of new vocalist Sindre Wathne Johnsen. Things get kicked off in classic Blood Red Throne fashion with “Epitaph Inscribed.” The track intros with a nice solo guitar line […]
Tags: 2024, Blood Red Throne, Death Metal, Nick K, Review, Soulseller Records
Posted in Reviews, Reviews › C on Thursday, February 8th, 2024
How does a New Jersey Tech Death based on the anime Neon Genesis Evangelion sound? Well, I am intrigued. Things get kicked off with “Synchronization.” First impressions are a mix of Spawn of Possession with a bit of earlier Archspire. The way they use vibrato is impressive. Pretty insane musicianship from these guys. Excellent guest […]
Tags: 2023, Chaos Sanctuary, Nick K, Review, Self-Released, Technical Death Metal
Posted in Reviews, Reviews › W on Friday, December 22nd, 2023
Los Angeles Infernal Black Metal Wrath of Logarius (formerly Martyr Logarius) returns with Necrotic Assimilation. This is an EP at a little over nineteen minutes. Things get kicked off with a ninety-second intro track called “At the Knighted Throne”. Kind of eerie swelling synth strings. Tempo builds and builds and segues into track two. […]
Tags: 2023, Black Metal, Nick K, Review, Season of Mist, Wrath of Logarius
Posted in Reviews, Reviews › A on Wednesday, November 22nd, 2023
Guitarist/Vocalist Tim Rowland’s Alchemy of Flesh album returns with By Will Alone. A big change in terms of sound on this record is that he strictly uses six-string guitars tuned to D Standard. The last album was a bit of a tribute to Morbid Angel, and it was noted that Rowland was trying to use […]
Tags: 2023, Alchemy of Flesh, Death Metal, Nick K, Redefining Darkness Records, Review
Posted in Reviews, Reviews › A on Thursday, November 9th, 2023
Germany’s Alkaloid have returned with a massive double disc release in Numen. For those of you not familiar with Alkaloid it is a side project of guitarist Christan Muenzer (Obscura) along with bassist Linus Klausenitzer (Check out his solo record also released this year) and drummer Hannes Grossmann (Hate Eternal, Obscura). The opening track of […]
Tags: 2023, Alkaloid, Nick K, Progressive Death Metal, Review, Season of Mist
Posted in Reviews, Reviews › G on Thursday, October 26th, 2023
Technical Death Metal Italians Gory Blister returns with the 7th full length. The album kicks off with a cool synth intro into some thrashy riffing over aggressive blasting. Reminds me of a cross between Vader and Hate Eternal. “Push through the Venom” gets things kicked off after a fun short intro. The production is quite […]
Tags: 2023, Eclipse Records, Gory Blister, Nick K, Review, Technical Death Metal
Posted in Reviews, Reviews › O on Thursday, October 19th, 2023
From Helsinki Finland, Technical Dissonant Death Metallers Omnivortex returns with their second full-length Circulate. The album kicks off with “Dwells” which opens with a huge dissonant vibrato riff that leads the way for an impressive track. What makes Omnivortex unique is their dual vocal approach. Both the drummer Aaro Osterman and guitarist Aaro Österman manage […]
Tags: 2023, Inverse Records, Nick K, Omnivortex, Review, Technical Death Metal
Posted in Reviews, Reviews › N on Wednesday, September 27th, 2023
Fretless Bassist Linus Klausenitzer (formerly of Obscura, Currently Alkaloid) shines with his solo record Debut Tulpa (based on the 18 73book “Die Sphinx” by Emil Besetzny) Having been familiar with his work in former projects I was excited to hear what Klausenitzer could conjure up. Things kick off with “King of Hearts” which opens with […]
Tags: 2023, AOP Records, Linus Klausenitzer, Nick, Progressive Death Metal
Posted in Frontpage Feature, Reviews, Reviews › C on Monday, September 11th, 2023
Montreal Technical Death Masters Cryptopsy returns with their eighth studio album As Gomorrah Burns. It was written over the last two years during the pandemic and they wrote and recorded this in a cabin to add to the horror movie-like ambiance. This is the first full-length album since their 2012 self-titled release featuring original guitarist […]
Tags: 2023, Cryptopsy, Nick K, Nuclear Blast Records, Technical Death Metal
Posted in Reviews, Reviews › C on Wednesday, September 6th, 2023
New York’s Contrarian has been an active contributor to the progressive death metal scene for quite some time now. Having released five full-length records through Willowtip Records Contrarian has decided to release an album of older material. What makes this release interesting is that all the tracks are instrumental. Founding members Jim Tasikas and Ed […]
Tags: 2023, Contrarian, Nick K, Review, Technical Death Metal, Willowtip Records
Posted in Reviews, Reviews › Z on Friday, August 4th, 2023
California’s The Zenith Passage returns with their second full-length album Datalysium. It has been seven years since their debut album Solipist was released. I was very much impressed with their debut full-length. These guys have an incredibly progressive and mechanical approach to technical death metal. This is the second metal blade album I have heard […]
Tags: 2023, Metal Blade Records, Nick K, Review, Technical Deathcore, The Zenith Passage
Posted in Reviews, Reviews › H on Tuesday, April 4th, 2023
Here we are in 2023, 5 years after their last effort (2018s Reduced to Flesh) and these long-time thrashers from Denmark are now on their eleventh studio album. Hatred Reborn is another in a long line of awesome death/thrash albums going all the way back to 2001’s self-titled debut. Hatred Reborn also marks the debut […]
Tags: 2023, Death/Thrash Metal, Hatesphere, Nick K, Review, Scarlet Records
Posted in Reviews, Reviews › O on Wednesday, March 1st, 2023
I have been looking forward to this one. First off, the cover artwork is fantastic. I am going to want to mail order this and get a shirt as well. “Demonic Totem I Am” gets the album going. The opening riff hook has a Deeds of Flesh Vibe to it and even more so when […]
Tags: 2023, Brutal Death Metal, Nick K, Ominous Scriptures, Review, Willowtip Records
Posted in Reviews, Reviews › O on Wednesday, June 22nd, 2022
Kansas’s technical death metal powerhouse Origin return with their eighth full length record Chaosmos. Paul Ryan, Mikey Torres, Jason Keyser, and John Longstreth waste zero time pummeling the listener with the opening track “Ecophagy.” The track starts off with a strong hook and then proceeded to get progressively more technical as the track goes on. […]
Tags: 2022, Agonia Records, Nick K, Nuclear Blast Records, Origin, Review, Technical Death Metal
Posted in Reviews, Reviews › A on Thursday, June 2nd, 2022
Portugal’s Analepsy return with their second full length album Quiescence. Having been five years since their last release it is quite immediate that the production values and song writing have both stepped and slammed up. Opening things up with “Locus of Dawning” the guitars fade in with some cool layering and harmony. I can hear […]
Tags: 2022, Agonia Records, Analepsy, Death Metal, Nick K, Review
Posted in Reviews, Reviews › M on Thursday, March 31st, 2022
Jeremy Turner from Unmerciful turned me on to this unique project of Origin lead guitarist Paul Ryan. Ryan called Maentra. Based out of San Francisco Maentra play a really unique mix of death metal, grindcore, and tinges of industrial. Kundalini Rising kicks off with “Muladhara”. I was surprised to hear that Ryan does not play […]
Tags: 2022, Maentra, Nick K, Review, Self-Released, Technical Death Metal
Posted in Reviews, Reviews › R on Friday, February 11th, 2022
Krakow Poland’s Redemptor return with their fourth full length album Agonia. I had previously reviewed the groups 2017 release Arthaneum which was one of my favorite albums of that year. Agonia is an excellent follow up album that has a slow build to it which is worth the wait. Opening with “Tectonic Plates” Daniel Kesler’s […]
Tags: 2021, Nick K, Redemptor, Selfmadegod Records, Technical Death Metal
Posted in Reviews, Reviews › S on Thursday, November 18th, 2021
In a year chalked full of incredible technical death metal Minnesota’s Sunless present their second full length album Ylem. If you are not familiar with Sunless, they are a three piece that features former members of the group Australis and The Body Beneath. What make Sunless unique are their arrangements. I cannot think of too […]
Tags: 2021, Death Metal, Nick K, Review, Sunless, Willowtip Records
Posted in Reviews, Reviews › A on Friday, September 24th, 2021
A love of Video Games, Lovecraft, and Morbid Angel. An Interesting mix. Tim Rowland’s solo Alchemy of Flesh project is one of the biggest surprises of the year in my opinion. The attention to detail in gear selection and sound is quite impressive here. Something else that catches my attention is the killer artwork by […]
Tags: 2021, Alchemy of Flesh, Death Metal, Nick K, Redefining Darkness Records, Review
Posted in Reviews, Reviews › G on Thursday, July 29th, 2021
Who is the mood for some awesome new U.S Epic Doom? Sign me up! Being from Minnesota and friends of Brad Miller (Among the Serpents) I was extremely excited to hear he was assembling this group. Come June 2021 here we are with Grief Collector’s En Delirium. I must say that recruiting Robert Lowe (Ex-Candlemass, […]
Tags: 2021, Doom Metal, Grief Collector, Nick K, Petrichor, Review