When Mike approached me to review his demo recently, I was honored he would consider me for the review.  Mike takes the vocal and bass reigns on this.  Rounding out the band is James Achilles on drums and Ly Arboleda on guitar.  Ly is new and James did the guitars and programmed drums on this demo.  Self-releasing a demo is a smart decision and what we have here are five songs with a lengthy 32 minute run time.

The best way to describe the music would be a post sludge/doom metal band.  These young ears of mine pick up influences ranging from Kyuss, Godflesh, Skin Chamber to Norway’s most excellent Kryptograf.  Before I start with the review, and I told Mike I would be honest, I’ll get my proclivity out of the way real fast.  Unless you’re Maiden, Sabbath, Priest, Metallica etc…I really dislike instrumentals.  Red Vinter’s “Armor Up” is an instrumental close to six minutes.  I’ll leave it at it would have been best suited to have had the inclusion of vocals.  ‘Nuff said.

“K.I.A.” opens with some nice isolated bass guitar rumbling and then the slow drums hit with the stoner doom guitar riff.  Simple, yet effectively heavy.  Mike’s vocals are interesting and I view them as experimental in nature.  They’re more of a spoken word type of style.  Not harsh, at times seemingly whispered, but a little aggressive at points and gruff.  When we get the middle part of the song going on, it has a bit of NY’s own, now defunct Winter, who transitioned to the name Göden, with respect to the slow riff, not doom/death metal, like Winter did, just in style.

“In Cygnus” has some jumpy riffing reminding me of early Godflesh, when they would go from their industrial metal moments to their doom, so seamlessly.  This is a catchy and fun riff and the song gets moving a bit to the point where head banging is necessary.

Skipping to the last track is “Blood in the Frost” and it’s close to eight minutes. Starting with some bass guitar, kind of like how the track’s opener started, this tune, begins with a lumbering sloth like speed.  This song is not in a hurry, let’s put it that way.  Slow…. and Mike let’s loose on a nice growl/scream and the speed will call to mind Winter’s slow and dirgy moments.  This song has some filth to it and when I listen to doom/sludge/heavy stoner metal, I want those riffs to be grim and grimey.  Mike begins with more of that spoken word vocal style and he sounds like he’s singing in a concrete cell, with the reverb, echoed vocals.  Maybe he did do the vocals in a cell?  Maybe I need to ask him just what the hell is going on with him, ha,ha.  The song has some nice guitar melodies and towards the end we have some atmospheric guitar soloing happening.

We Built Our Own Death Machine has a nice production, it’s warm in that it’s organic and not processed.  The artwork is excellent for this type of music and go ahead and pick any battle in history with the harsh weather and landscape and soldiers lumbering, falling and fighting – the artwork coincides nicely with the music.  Red Vinter, have something going for them and laying a nice skeletal foundation of what could be on the horizon.  Good demo folks, check ‘em out.

“The Phlegmatic Invader” is one of the most progressive tracks and starts off more on the djent side before going into a jazz fusion section that would make the Jarzombek Brothers Proud (Watchtower, Spastic Ink). This track is one that has so much going on it that it can be hard to follow. Do not get me wrong. The musicianship is top notch. As clean as the production is it should be noted that the bass and synth lines are programmed which does not necessarily take anything away. It is just something to be mindful of. Barhoum’s legato lead work is outstanding. “Reassimilated” has a gorgeous clean riff introduction before the drums and other instruments kick in. Vocalist Dave Palenske does a fantastic job making his presence felt during these incredibly intricate song arrangements.

I do like that Chaos Sanctuary keeps their song length range in between three to five minutes. I feel with this style longer arrangements can be harder to keep the listener’s attention. “Signal Extinction” starts off incredibly thrashy and then comes back to a slower tempo groove before things pick up tempo again. Drummer Frank E’rasmo does some incredible work throughout Instrumentality. I cannot believe these guys are a three-piece. This year is going to be a busy one for technical death metal and I am glad I am hearing this so early in the year.

“Blood of Secrecy” has one of the most frantic mechanical riffs on the album. If you are a fan of the newer Decapitated, you will enjoy the hell out of this. I am honestly flabbergasted by how many tempo changes and style changes Chaos Sanctuary put into each song. “Pen Pen” opens with a beautiful sounding clean intro. One band of influence I hear is Dream Theater. Especially on solos. There is a subtle John Petrucci vibe going on throughout the album. The album finishes with the title track which is a furious way to finish things up. One of the heavier songs on the album. This may not be for everyone in terms of approach, but one thing is for sure, these guys are top notch musicians. I look forward to seeing what these guys do in the future. Give this one a chance.

It’s been a while since I heard from them, as it was 2014’s debut on Blast Head Records, Beyond the Forest where I was introduced to them, but have not heard anything from them since. They have released three albums since 2014, with Throne of the Lunar Soul being the most recent, and some of my symphonic black metal friends recommended I check the new album out.

So here we are, and the first thing that jumps out, as with the debut is the length; 74 minutes, (the two albums in between were far shorter apparently), and while I love this genre, 11 5-8 minute songs can be a bit exhausting. It’s a little like porn- yeah the 1 hour long romp looks and sounds like fun in theory, but in reality, sexy time is more realistic and enjoyable in much (much) shorter bursts.

Still, the band’s 90s styled, Old Mans Child, Dissection, Naglfar, and Dimmu Borgir influences are heavy handed as when I first heard them, but unfortunately, Throne of the Lunar Soul isn’t rousing me as much as some of their peers from 2022-2023 (Deathcode Society, Ensom, Moonlight Sorcery, Aphelium Aeternum, Obscuris Romancia).

That’s not to say I don’t enjoy Throne of the Lunar Soul as a couple of tracks like “Paladins of Ausadjur” with its Mediterranean jaunt or “Sojourner Wolf” with its nice acoustic moments. But otherwise, the songs, especially with their length, never quite hit home, despite their proficiency and confidence.

There’s just something missing on tracks like , “The Hierophant” “Vagrant in the Chamber of Night”, the 9-minute title track or “Two Carrion Talismans”. Despite the band’s admirably epic ambitions, things just come across as a bit bland. The keyboards in particular fall a bit flat, lacking either pure bombast or regal majesty (though the closing instrumental “Hymn to the Convergence” is nicely done), and there is just something a little off with the drums and some of the clean vocals/spoken words.

Still, while a bit of a step back for these vets, I expect them to continue to deliver their chosen sound, self-edit a little and hopefully get to the top of their game again for the next album.

With that all in mind, I approached this project from one of the masterminds of one of my favorite bands (in this case, guitarist and songwriter Tomi Koivusaari of Amorphis fame) with a healthy dose of trepidation, but also some curiosity – because for getting on well over a decade to this point (and specifically, since Tomi Joutsen’s addition to the band), one could argue Amorphis’ run of unwavering consistency is either a stretch of utter brilliance, or a tiresome repetition (or maybe both?).  Whichever way you look at it (and I’m unapologetically a huge fan), Koivusaari and co. haven’t strayed too far off from their winning formula for quite some time now, and with the planned trilogy of Under the Red Cloud, Queen of Time and Halo coming to its conclusion, maybe venturing out and getting a little weird is exactly what the doctor ordered.

Any suspicions about Heartrot just being a collection of ideas deemed unfit or not good enough for Amorphis can, for the most part, be thrown out the window. Don’t get me wrong, there are certainly moments that have Amorphis‘ fingerprints on them, in particular on “Whitebone Wind” (featuring Nightwish bassist/ vocalist Marko Hietala and Finnish singer Petronella Nettermalm) which is very much cut from the same cloth as the familiar “Amongst Stars” (Queen of Time) and “The Trickster” featuring UK Industrial artist Jessi Frey, which contains the same sort of highly melodic delivery of Amorphis‘ recent output, but when paired with Frey’s gruff, straight-forward delivery, creates it’s own sort of vibe altogether. It hits like a track that would do very well in Tokyo’s infamously chaotic night life, if that makes any sense? Somebody out there gets it.

But for the most part, Koivusaari does seem to be getting out of his recent comfort zone to try new things (or even in some cases, revisit some past glories) with an impeccably chosen cast of guest vocalists that match the energy and tone of each track beautifully. On the more aggressive side, you’ve got a track like “The Heartroot Rots” with Carcass‘ Jeff Walker that, despite some weird, goofy sound effects layered over the beginning of the song, brings to mind much more of a Karelian Isthmus or Tales From the Thousand Lakes vibe than virtually anything we’ve heard from Koivusaari since those darker, heavier days. There’s even an all-out blast attack just before the midpoint that sounds truly refreshing and genuine which, I’ll admit, I did not see coming at all – but makes the call for Walker’s assistance all the better for it. Then there’s “World of Fire and Hallucination” featuring the instantly recognizable Shagrath of Dimmu Borgir, and we’re talking a straight up, old school Death Metal attack that may not sound wholly original, per se, but it no less surprising and welcome in its fevered delivery. Even his current partner-in-crime, Tomi Joutsen, makes an appearance to dole out some punishment on the excellent “Hooks in the Sky,” which sees Tomi leaning much more into his killer growls and lower end delivery to match the heavy, rumbling paces of Koivusaari’s riffs. Much like how Magic and Mayhem – Tales from the Early Years gave us a glimpse at what early Amorphis may have sounded like with Joutsen at the helm the whole time, “Hooks in the Sky” pulls off a similar trick, and it’s pretty damn glorious.

But where Tomi really stretches out his creative spark is on the tracks that take the intensity down a few pegs. There’s a very Goth-y vibe found on a lot of these tracks, like “Vaka Loka” featuring Solstafir‘s Addi Tryggvason (yet another perfect pairing) which takes a more minimalist approach, allowing Tyggvason’s particularly expressive vocals sort of take center stage to set the mood, and even featuring some very Solstafir-friendly slide guitar leads that seem almost a tribute to his guest musician’s work. It’s a very moody track that flips the initial tone of this record on its head, not letting you get too comfortable with any one sound or feeling. Then there’s “Varinvaihtaja” featuring famed Finnish musician Ismo Alanko which leans right in to those 90s goth metal vibes (think the likes of Moonspell, Tiamat or To/Die/For), with it’s heavy use of electronic melodies, simple, rhythmic riffs and drumming that make me ready to break out the leather and fishnets, and paint my nails black all over again. It’s an extremely catchy track, too – one that had no problem getting stuck in my head almost immediately upon first listen.

All-in-all, despite its somewhat confusing packaging (it looks more fitting for a sort of psychedelic, stoner rock project than anything), I actually really enjoy the collection of ideas Tomi Koivusaari has put together here. His selection of guest musicians is absolutely spot-on, to the point that it almost feels more like he chose a group of artists he just really wanted to write music for, as opposed to just having them just show up and lend their talents to his ideas. It all seems very intentional and meticulously curated, and I can’t help but come away impressed with it all. This probably isn’t for everyone, but whatever, the point is it seems Tomi and fellow Amorphis guitarist Esa Holopainen (who released his own solo effort a couple years ago) have succeeded in working out whatever creative juices they needed to purge, and in doing so have both given the world something worthy of enjoying apart from their regular gig (albeit in very different ways). This is a quality release from one of metal’s most consistent and brilliant guitarists, and it’s absolutely worth checking it, even if just for a curious glance.

Eisenkult used to be his outlet for more triumphant medieval black metal with albums like 2020’s Gedenken wir der Finsternis, but in 2022 Eisenkult did a split demo with his then-new project Atronos, and it appeared that Atronos was the new outlet for that sound while Eisenkult went onto punkier, quirkier pastures. Atronos released their debut album in 2022, Fehde in 2022 also, but I missed it.

Joined by drummer Valfor (also of Mavorim and Eisenkult) and guitarist/bassist Henker (Andras, Drudensang) plays typically German black metal with a slight medieval vibe akin to the bands you’d find on France’s Antiq Records like Véhémence, Heltekvad, Passéisme or Abduction (not on Antiq, I Know).

Shrill, clean 6/8 tremolo-picked riffs with a triumphant sense of melody, some clean segments, some clean monking vocals, a few regal synths and choirs, etc. It is all here and very well done, with some pretty rousing riffs scattered amid the 5 lengthy songs. For example standout “Tobsucht” or the epic, more synth-drenched 11-minute number “Erwache”, which imbues Finsterforst-like majesty and rangy-ness.

But they can still deliver some pretty stern, frosty militant (but still melodic) black metal as well with the likes of opener ” Was uns so schecklich hasst” and “Transformation”, though still dripping with medieval harmonies and church-y keys.

Another quality release from Purity Through Fire, and certainly one of the better black metal releases of 2023 (I know I’m late on this one but it came out Dec 23rd….). And while some of the label’s bands are super incestuous (especially this one), they still manage to all be of fine quality.

Then the band literally blew up shortly after with drummer Domenico Tamila kicking out all of the other band members, taking over the social media accounts, and quite a bit of nastiness. Now the ex-members did alright and formed Defamed, who themselves delivered some solid progressive deathcore, but Drown In Sulphur‘s status was a bit up in the air, until they self-released Sulphur Cult in 2021, with a whole new lineup. It took the band in a more blackened direction, with corpse paint and all.

So now here is their second full album with this line-up and style, and I must say I’m very impressed. Sulphur Cult was solid, but Dark Secrets of the Soul really cranks up the blackened elements similar to last year’s Mental Cruelty album and also increases a more…. ‘vampiric’ album concept, atmosphere, and theme. I get some She Must Burn vibes at times as well.

The end result is a really good symphonic/blackened deathcore album that focuses more on the blacker elements and atmospheres and less on constant, pummeling breakdowns (though there are plenty, for example in “Say My Name”). This is moodier and darker with a surprising amount of almost gothic and clean moments, and dare I say.. a couple of surprisingly restrained and enjoyable ‘ballads’ (“Lotus”, “Dark Secrets of the Soul”, “Vampire Communion”).

But certainly, fans of any symphonic/blackened deathcore bands like the aforementioned Mental Cruelty, Shadow of Intent, Carnifex, and of course, Lorna Shore, will enjoy this. There are lots of razor-sharp blasts and dramatic orchestration as heard on the opener “Eclipse of the Sun of Eden”, dramatic “Unholy Light”, killer “Buried By Snow And Hail” and ripping, closing standout “Shadow of the Dark Throne”. All great tracks and examples of the genre.

A damn fine start to the new year in the genre I am a total simp for and a pretty high bar for the genre for the rest of the year. Let’s see what the rest of 2024 brings, as I’ve yet to hear any news from some of the genre’s heavyweights regarding 2024 releases.

The Dawn of Blackened Death is the second album from Impalement and it’s an impressive display of well-produced, well-written, searing black/death with some slicing melodies and ferocious riffs that culls from the likes of Dissection, Necrophobic, Forest of Impaled, Naglfar and such.

The album starts ferociously with “The Herd Marches On”, with a seething mix of blasts, militant marches, and brimstone vocals. Then the next 35 minutes or so deliver 5 more tracks of the same superbly delivered, blackened, balanced savagery with just enough melody and death metal burliness to be not a full-on display of either.

The title track rumbles with menace to start and then goes full-on Dissection, but with a much more devastating guitar tone, replete with a really nice solo. War-mongering “Legio Nihil” has one of the album’s more vitriolic riffs and is one of the album’s standouts, in an album of consistently good tracks.

“The Old Ones” has some really nice, urgent melodies that show Beliath’s grasp of the genre beyond sheer savagery which is on display for another of the album’s standouts “Will to Power”.

“Death to the Gods” teases a slower number with a mid-paced first few bars but the familiar savgery returns and even delivers and really nice key change in its later stages.

Finally, the closer “Chosen By Tragedy” ends the album with a frosty, pure melodic black death assault akin to Istapp, and some really epic lead work as well a nice short acoustic fade out to let listeners catch their breath from a really impressive album that was a very pleasant surprise at the tail end of 2023.

So, a weird year? Sure, but still plenty of high-quality stuff to be found. We thank you all once again for continuing to let us show up every day and spew our nonsense without a whole lot of complaint, and we look forward to getting back on our bullshit in the coming year. So without further ado…

ERIK THOMAS

2023 was a good to great year for metal, Not a fantastic year mind you as this was one of the first years where I wasn’t whittling down 50 releases to 25, or scrambling with last-minute releases I discovered. And frankly, I was either still listening to Lorna Shore‘s Pain Remains from 2022, or listening to previously undiscovered symphonic and melodic black releases fromthe last few years (i.e Suffering Souls, In Synergy Obscene, Skylord’s, Frostcraft, Ensom‘s magnificent Civilizations, Panopticon’s …And Again Into The Light, Obscuris Romancia’s Bringer of Light and Tyrmfar‘s Dialectic of Ego and the Unconscious) more than 2023 releases.

What was great about 2023 was it felt like 1994-1998 with death metal veterans Obituary, Suffocation, Dying Fetus, Cannibal Corpse, Cryptopsy and Autopsy all releasing stout albums that proved the old horses could still run. All we were missing was an Immolation album or Deicide album (which I thought might come out before the end of 2023, but it looks like it’s a 2024 album now).

As with my 2022 list, even without the plethora of symphonic deathcore albums, a couple of things were consistent; a weird mix of melody, (especially the atmospheric black metal type) keyboards, and brutal slams.

And what a year for Sergio Catalán, owner of Tragedy Productions- three of his label’s bands ended up on my list and two of those bands are his solo projects.

As with my previous list, the order is pretty insignificant as depending on my mood, the order changed daily. And I’m still struggling with my # 1 between Mental Cruelty delivering a brilliant example of my favorite genre or the high nostalgia factor for Suffocation.

1. Mental Cruelty – Zwielicht (Century Media Records). I was torn between Mental Cruelty‘s stunning blackened deathcore with an increased emphasis and the blackened or death metal legends Suffocation. My favorite song of the year “Symphony of a Dying Star” was the deciding factor.
2. Suffocation – Hymns From the Apocrypha (Nuclear Blast Records). No Frank Mullen? No problem, as these vets dropped their best album since Pierced From Within.
3. Majesties – Vast Reaches Unclaimed (20 Buck Spin). A wondrously old-school, 90s melodic death/black metal with inherent Obsequiae melodies.
4. Fires in the Distance – Air Not Meant For Us (Prosthetic Records). Increased keyboards made this sublime death/doom act even better.
5. Sühnopfer – Nous sommes d’Hier (Debemur Morti). Classically inspired, one man, gregoroan chant laden, black metal bliss.
6. Panopticon – The Rime of Memory (Bindrune). I lost interest in Panopticon for a while but Christ, is this an ambitious, introspective sprawling album tackling everything from aging to climate change.
7. Passéisme – Alternance (Antiq Records). Again, I’m amazed three Russian death metal dudes continue to deliver epically medieval melodies with album number 2.
8. Æolian – Echoes of the Future (Black Lion Records). One of my favorite new discoveries of 2023, a superb, if not perfect melodic death metal record.
9. Moonlight Sorcery – Horned Lord of the Thorned Castle (Avantgarde Music). Lauded Finnish saviors of symphonic black metal took a bit of a more traditional melo-death turn with fantastic results.
10. Cattle Decapitation – Terrasite (Metal Blade Records). Like a fine wine, Travis Ryan (and his goblin vocals) keep getting better, with their most ambitious and dare I say atmospheric record to date.
11. Deathcode Society – Unlightenment (Osmose Productions). A late year entry of truly blistering French symphonic black/death metal.
12. The Project Hate MCMXCIX– Abominations of the Ageless (Mouth of Belial Productions). Lord K and Co’s most melodic, layered album to date. They can do no wrong, even 15 albums in.
13. Atavistia – Cosmic Warfare (Self-Released). 2023’s most epic, sweeping and bombastic keyboards. I’m really excited for these young Canadians after 2 excellent albums.
14. Félonie – De s​è​ve et de sang (AuralMusic/ code 666). Another solo artist with a brilliant atmospheric black metal debut that’s even better than his already excellent other band, Tyrmfar.
15. Embrace Your Punishment – Made of Stone (Lacerated Enemy Records). An absolute bruiser of a deathcore/slam/death metal record.
16. Dying Fetus – Make Them Beg For Death (Relapse Records). A model of brutal consistency that is still delivering death metal’s greatest slams and grooves.
17. Cryptopsy – As Gomorrah Burns (Nuclear Blast Records). No signs of letting up after an 11-year wait with an album as face-ripping as Whisper Supremacy was over 25 years ago.
18. Gorod – The Orb (Season of Mist). A model of consistency from one of Tech Death’s unquestioned top bands.
19. Winds of Tragedy – Hating Life (Tragedy Productions). A killer release of somber atmospheric black metal from Sergio Catalán, also the owner of Tragedy Productions.
20. My Dearest Wound – The Burial  (Tragedy Productions). See above. Just a bit sadder.
21. Mortem Obscuram – The Wretched Divinity (Self-Released). Vastly improved orchestral melodic tech death from a band that should be on The Artisan Era already.
22. Galundo Tenvulance – Lunar Eclipture (Spiritual Beast). Japanese craziness that mixes huge keyboards with 00s-styled metalcore and melodeath.
23. When Plagues Collide – An Unbiblical Paradigm (NeckTwister). Top-notch, confident blackened deathcore from this improving young Belgian act.
24. Numeron – Road to Valhalla (Tragedy Productions). Another winner of atmospheric black metal from Tragedy Productions.
25. Angerot – The Profound Recreant (Redefining Darkness Records). Of 2023s excellent Swede-death (The Plague, Come Sweet Death, Carnation, Wretched Fate, Endseeker, Gravestone, etc), this now seasoned US act added some well-done atmospherics and was my favorite album of the year in the genre.

Welcome Back: Keep of Kalessin (Katharsis)and US black metal act Woe (Legacies of Frailty) dropped excellent albums out of the blue after lengthy hiatuses.

Most promising new acts: Dragoncorpse, Face Yourself.

Biggest Disappointments: Ne Obliviscaris – Exul. After three almost classic releases, something was missing from Exul’s songwriting. Maladie – For We Are the Plague. These guys have driven me crazy for 4 albums now after three brilliant albums to start their career.  Some real, brilliance and some real head-scratching moments. Primordial– How it Ends. If this is indeed how it ends- a once legendary act is going out with a whimper. The album starts strong, but like me in the sack, fades hard and fast….

Guilty Pleasure: Kvelertak – Ending. Metal’s new punching bags are even more commercial and less black metal now, but some real smile-inducing garage punk anthems here.

Release fucking album/CD Please: Assemble the Chariots, Face Yourself.

Best Label: Century Media. I know I only had 1 release from them on my list (my #1 though..) but if you look at the other great releases they dropped in 2023, many of which were on my list at one point, (Jesus Piece, Sanguisugabogg, Insomnium, Baest, Frozen Soul, Unearth, Marduk, Signs of the Swarm, Dark Funeral, Suicide Silence) they killed it. Note to Century Media- just fucking sign Face Yourself already….

Fast Forward to present-day release of Daemonium to see the album contains none of the previous members from their last album on it, except for Mr. Steve Crow, of course.  The new additions this time around are: Dan Richardson, guitar, Clayton Meade, vox, Jimmy Montes, drums, and Art Malphas Paiz, bass.  Rest assured, good reader, there is no drop-off in the brutality department with this 12 song 38 minute album.  From start to finish you will barely have enough time to catch your breath.  Just look at that red demonic album cover-did you really think Condemned were going to start covering Swifty songs?

“Thee I Invoke” begins with a tiny little intro before the ruthless blasting gets underway.  Check out the brutality factor as well as Jimmy, literally starts gravity blasting.  So it’s safe to say this album opener is quite possibly one of the most brutal songs the band has crafted.  There are plenty of tempo shifts with some excellent mid-paced to slower groove sections and the bass guitar plucking is clearly audible on this album, which is what you would expect, since the scene on the west coast, is accustomed to having plucky bass guitars on those brutal death metal releases.

Clayton’s vocals are extremely brutal, ranging from extreme gutturals, to some 90’s flair death metal vocals and just all around excellent performance from Clayton, well done brother (he and I have been in touch since he joined Condemned years ago)

“Devils Feast” is a particular favorite of mine on this album.  Much of that has to do with the bludgeoning jumpy main guitar riff, that Steve and Dan, constructed.  It’s extremely catchy and the song blasts like a mofo, and then right into that mid-paced heavy AF riff, which as I explained earlier, has a bouncy feel to it.  When the music shifts from the blast to the mid-paced jumpy groove the vocals coming in are just ruthless and the drumming-so out of control, brutal and excellent.  This song must be in their upcoming live set, without a shadow of a doubt.

I love the song title of “Sigil of Belial” and the opening riff is so frickin’ heavy, it will mow you down, your neighbor’s lawn and potentially cause windows to shatter across your neighborhood when played on maximum volume.  Back to that opening riff, – one of the best riffs ever on a Condemned release.  It’s stupid heavy and catchy.

“The Divine Order of Babylon” rounds out the album with massive blasting and numerous tempo shifts and some chaotic drum rolls.  Some stupid putrid lower than whale shit types of vocals on this song, and they are disgustingly awesome.  There are plenty of pit-inducing sections on this song as well.  I always say when coming outta the starting gates with a great song, like Condemned does, you must always end with a killer song and that is precisely what Condemned did with this song.

Sometimes when there are shifts in vocalists, it can change a band.  If you miss former vocalist Sam Townsley well hey he has his brutal death metal band Parasitic and their EP they released in May Disfiguring Symmetry is so over-the-top amazing, that you need it!  Clayton’s vocals on this new Condemned album are excellent and really all the new members do phenomenal work on this.

Daemonium makes the perfect stocking stuffer for 2023, because it’s one of the best brutal death metal albums released this year!

“Swarm” wastes zero time setting the stage for what to expect for rest of EP.  Lord Marco’s drumming is very much on point and the intensity is set to ludicrous speed. The guitar riffing is blistering.   There is a fun breakdown towards the middle of the song.  The track gets a bit heavy towards the end.  One thing is for sure this is well produced, and the performances are solid across the board.  Vocalist, Noctifier adds his own icy crispiness to the band’s presentation.

“The Burning One” fades in to kick off track three. Once the track gets going holds on to your hats.   This track is another example of interesting contrast.  These black metallers are not reinventing the wheel this is still a fun listen.  Necrotic Assimilation continues with another instrumental track “The Void Dweller”.  This one features piano.

“Soul Ascension” opens with a heavy clean tone riff that builds into a heavier part.   This one is one of the slower tracks on the EP and has a melodic post-black metal vibe to it.  I dig the guitar work of Vastator and Urath. The overall mix is very good.  Sounds like they sampled The Omen 3 quite a bit throughout the EP although I may be wrong on that.

“Beyond the Last Gate” finishes things up on is the craziest song presented on Necrotic Assimilation.  Lord Marco’s drum work is ridiculous here and is almost making my vision vibrate.  This is another track where the feel of the song switches towards the second half.  They go from more infernal styled black metal to almost heavier, groove based extreme metal.   There is some cool contrast going on here and then it fades out with another movie sample.  These guys did a good job of pacing the tracks out with the instrumentals, it makes EP feel longer than it actually is.  I wish it were a bit longer.

I hope they do a full length as it will be interesting to see how the band sound evolves.    If you are looking for something along the lines of Dark Funeral, 1349 or Belphegor then this might be right up your alley.

Made of Stone will have fans of fellow Frenchmen Kanine, Dying Fetus , Despised Icon, Full Blown Chaos, Benighted as well as the UKs Malevolence and Dyscarnate crapping their collective camo shorts. And as if to hammer it home ex-Dying Fetus and current Misery Index Frontman Jason Netherton helps out on “Unconquered”,  and Benighted‘s Julien Truchan helps out on “Exterminate The Threat”. As a bonus, Kirk Windstein from Crowbar helps out with the title track with some typically gravelly vocals.

From start to finish, the 12 tracks here just punch you in the face with a plethora of combative beatdowns, slams, grooves, blasts, reeeees and bleghs. Lots of bleghs The above tracks with guests certainly stand out especially “Unconquered” and “Made in Stone I” where Windstein adds some soulful croons to the moodier, mid-paced lumbering tune (part II is a surprising acoustic number…….no joke).

“Oppression”, “Aeons of Fire”, “Worthless Hound” and another mid-paced rumbler “Minotaur’s Wrath” are other pure fucking bruisers made for punching floors….. or faces. If you need to fuel a workout or go on a baby-punching rampage, this should help.

Suicide Circle is the suicide side project of Meyhna’ch from Mütiilation, and stop the presses, it’s a grand  fucking opus of the DSBM sub-genre and as I listen to Bukkake of Souls for the fifth time this week and as I read the press blurb I decided I’m going back to their first album Shotgun Prayers to see what was different about that as opposed to Bukkake of Souls. Besides the obvious vocal delivery the music didn’t change in the wrong direction, although I guess it’s hard to fuck up music this brutal and desolate.

So the music part, that’s why we’re here correct? Things start off in furious Black Metal style with “the Star Spawn”, rising from a lava field of feedback and raw screaming for 6 minutes and 27 seconds, slow and methodical with riffs so sharp they’ll cut your flesh off, the beating here is so lulling that it makes your skinless head bob like one of those ridiculous kitchen chickens.

“The Highest Spheres” has a more traditional Black Metal heart, starting with an lone, agonizing riff that permeates the track and propels it forward to punishing effect, taking a bit mid-song to let you breathe. I cannot love this album enough, after being sick for the past week, coming back to finish my review; it’s like a pitch-black blanket for healing. “the Advent” soars on the wings of a skeletal dove, while the title track “Bukkake of Souls” is an eight minute skull fuck… have you seen a Serbian Film? The revenge skull fucking that the protagonist gives his tormentor is invigorating and Suicide Circle capture that feeling perfectly. Suffering, isolation and the depth of despair are the fuel for this album.

“For Nothing”, “the Prince of Darkness” and “Any of You” provide the razors for you, the latter being a slow-burning effigy, militant drums, combined with Meyhna’ch and Kham’s crushing delivery have gone into this cauldron and created a fantastic DSBM album that oozes bile and general hatred for humanity overall.

2023 is just about done with. You still have time to pre-order Bukkake of Souls since it comes out the 29^th. So you should do that, constant reader, 2024 probably won’t be any better than this year, but it’s always a great year for Metal and throughout the world, the healing power of music is what we need more than ever.

Has it really been 20 years since Israel’s Nail Within released their self-titled debut?

That was three jobs ago, I was a baby; only 27 years old, and my daughter was only 3. She’s now graduated college and had a job for almost 2 years….FUCK!

I mean the absolutely killer tracks “Dirty Colored Knife” and “Elastic” from that album are still on regular rotation for me, and that album still stands as one of the better At The Gates worshipping albums of its time (it even had Tomas Lindberg as a guest, and he has performed live with the band). I even tried to go back and find my review, and it’s so old it is, from the digitalmetal.com days, which is lost to the sands of time, but I was able to grab it from the Wayback machine and add it to the current site here. ( I highly recommend you check the album out).

Well, here the original lineup is back, now in their 40s, and I have to admit, it’s not a reunion I expected, or I’m sure the Melo-death scene needed or wanted, as the band and debut was a pretty low-key, underrated album, as certainly not a reunion, like At The Gates a few years ago that got folks super excited. But here we are, and while a successful reunion and a fine album, it’s not quite up to par with the debut.

The continued melo-death meets thrash sound is intact with the heavy At the Gates and Soilwork meets Dew Scented hues dripping from every note and razor-sharp riff and vocalist Yishai Sweartz rasps with aplomb. But there’s an emotional weight and sense of gnarled age that comes with a 20-year gap and everything that’s happened in the world (as well as the Middle East) in that time, and it shows on the album, even with a few bursts of youthful energy here and there.

Fierce openers “Bleeding Society” (with Tom Angelripper on guest vocals), “Eyes of Evil” and the title track opens the album with an energetic bang, with hacking and slashing riffs and melodies that show the above influences are still plenty in play here. Then things slow down with “Regression…. And the Price We Pay”, which has a nice lead solo.

And speaking of solos, Guitarist Eric Peterson of Testament and Dragonlord makes a guest appearance on “Years of Madness”, a mid-paced, moodier track, before “Everything We Know” cranks the thrashing energy up again.

However, while the album is pretty solid up to this point, it’s not until, “Words As Weapons” and standout “Manipulated and Doomed” that the greatness of the debut arises, with the latter really imbuing “Dirty Colored Knife” and “Elastic” with a perfect blend of viciousness and melody.

The album ends with a slower tune in “Severe Suffering” (With 16s Bobby Ferry helping out on vocals) and the vicious “Isolate”, but when it’s all said and done, I simply craved the debut rather than listen to this album. Not a black mark on Sound of Demise, but more about how good the debut was, Either way, welcome back, and let’s not hope for another 20-year wait. I’ll be 70 for fuck’s sake.

This is the first album where TTFA is the logo and the full band name is not spelled out.  The band has been around since the early 00’s and I had many of their past albums, their 2014 Sexually Transmitted Torture, was one of my favorite albums from that year.  Unfortunately due to a move, close to two years ago, a number of my cds were lost, so not having that album I mentioned and some of their other ones irks the shit outta me still.

Kill. Bury. Repeat. is their 5^th proper studio album with 9 original songs as well as a bonus song of “Unleashing the Bloodthirsty” (Cannibal Corpse cover).  We have Michael Langner – Guitars/Vocals, Dylan Watt on drums and Brandon Mitchell on    Bass.  Any fan of older Suffocation, Gorgasm, Lividity, or Dismembered Fetus, will lap TTFA up like I eat pizza.

“Corrosive Form” begins with a nice drum roll and then right into the scorching blast beat, then the song slows and gets faster and Michael Langner, longtime band member, lets loose with his powerful grunting.  There are some samples thrown in, which go along with the song title. The 2.10 slowdown is excellent and some killer use of the double bass drums.  I really enjoy this guitar tone too.  It’s dirty and filthy sounding, but not muddy, therefore it’s discernible.

“Something Went Wrong” starts with some interesting vocal patterns and then right into the mid-rumbling groovy heaviness.  The part at the 54 second part is pretty lethal and then the super-fast double bass that erupts will rip your head off, almost getting into that Origin typewriter-style bass drum sound, which I am not the biggest fan of that double bass production; however, it’s much less processed on this and sounds more natural.  This is an excellent song to slam the live crowd with in the middle of their set.  Lots of tempo shifts, but those heavy mid-paced grooves will surely start up some great pits.  I love the bass guitar sound at the 3 minute section and then right into another slamming groove.  Excellent song, and I caught a little pinch harmonic action in there, so I was happy.

The title track starts immediately with a vicious and pummeling blast beat, then right into the groove and some melodic moments at the 1.45 section, which definitely adds some brevity to all the brutality.

“Scratch the Bone” at close to 6 minutes is the longest song.  It has more of those squealing pinch harmonics which brings us back to 90’s American death metal, which I love, and then the song brings forth a guitar solo and more of that filthy guitar tone.  The 3.30 part with the shouted vocals and then right into the pit inducing groove also needs to be in their live set.  This moment is a great highpoint on the album.  It is destructive and well crafted.  The Cannibal Corpse song is excellent and the emulating of Corpsegrinder on vocals works really well.

Kill. Bury. Repeat. is another damn fine installment of brutal American death metal act Torn The Fuck Apart (TTFA).  This is no frills dunk your head in the apple bobber game, death metal.  The songs are longer than I expected.  Sometimes these types of albums the songs are usually 3 minutes long, however, the band pushes that to 4 minutes and beyond.  As previously mentioned the dirty filthy guitar tone is something I truly enjoy on this album.  Well-crafted brutality!

You’re going to get your typical new wave of old-school death metal beatdowns, such as in the opening 2 tracks, and track 4, “Rhythmic Demise” continues that trend. Andreas is all over that mic with the deep bellows sounding like he’s swallowing it whole. Oooh, Jesus Christ. Imagine Chris Barnes in his Cannibal Corpse and early SFU days. Of course, the riffs must be killer for any of it to matter. They are especially the one starting a little over 2 minutes in. Sometimes things work without necessarily reinventing.

“Among the Filth,” with its war metal beginning, mixes it up. This is also where the album turns into something else more than just your average OSDM album. Around 2 minutes in, there’s a filthy groove, which doesn’t last long before it turns into a melodic guitar break. Then, back to brutality. Another grimy, nasty, sexy groove hits with a little more than a minute left, taking the track home with some nice cymbal work by Matias.

The title track, “Reptilian Warlords,” at nearly five minutes, has a blistering riff to start, and a nifty bass break. It continues to stomp on the bloody stumps you’re no doubt calling arms by this point in the album, including a frantic blast section. This sounds like mid-era Six Feet Under, which some may find a turn-off, but I’m not one of them. The chunky riffs and Cookie Monster vocals are fantastic to me. You know when Barnes could still do it.

“Ambrosia” isn’t the closer, but at over 9 minutes, it probably should be. There’s a clean-picked intro, then they get all experimental and shit by turning into black metal. At least briefly. The vocals of course are still pure death metal. At around 4 minutes, everything is frantic, seeming like a death and black metal track all in one, almost as if everything is about to fly off and spray shrapnel. Then, we get back into a chunky death metal riff. It continues that way for the remaining few minutes until the ending brings in some flamenco guitar.

Then, of course, we have the true finale, “Carnivore.” It’s as if Plaguemace needed to re-establish they’re a death metal band, which they do admirably. The guitar tone shines, but this is where I must admit my ears are getting a little tired, as it feels like maybe the master is a little too smashed. I’m not saying this is a huge issue, as I only notice it on occasion, but it’s something of which to take note.

Napalm Records is certainly not the label that comes to mind when I think of old-school death metal, nor anything really, but I’m glad they picked up Plaguemace. This isn’t their typical cup of tea and honestly seems like it’s trend-hopping, as they tend to do. Despite those opinions potentially giving me preconceived notions about the album, Reptilian Warlords has been added to my collection. The band knows the style, adds their flair, and releases a pure winner.

Here’s how I dropped the ball, though. I asked for the promo of the new album, which was finished, but it was still too early to review. He asked me to send him a message and remind him when it was officially announced, and he would send it my way. I didn’t do that. Sorry, brother.

Anyway, Harvesters of Flesh and Bone was worth the wait. Although their brand of symphonic deathcore has almost become its parody, they’ve avoided such a peril. The opening track, which is also the title track, is a statement of intent. The keys in the intro fade into the background once the vocals start, and the riff is furious, giving it more of a symphonic metalcore feel instead of deathcore, but that’s splitting hairs. A guitar solo isn’t the norm with the style, but there’s a quick one.

A little further on, “Bloodletter” has the first guest of the album, Ricky Myers of Suffocation, who released their banger recently. It begins with piano, a gruff opening line, and a brief guitar lead. When Ricky’s vocals start slightly over a minute in, one could be mistaken for thinking it’s Frank Mullen himself, but that’s another story. Ricky gets a feature here instead of the normal line or two we see in these instances from guests.

Next up is “No Survivors,” which features the second guest, Scott Ian Lewis of Carnifex. His band released a killer new album this year, too. This is a far bouncier track, with pinch harmonics adding color. The keys/synths are almost always present in this track, as well as the rest. They don’t usually appear in front of everything else, either like other bands. I must mention, however, that after listening to this song many times, I can’t tell in which part(s) Mr. Lewis appears.

I realized I’m near the end and have not mentioned anything in the second half of the album, so I’ll bring up the closer, “Experiment Complete.” It’s around 4 minutes, so par for the course on an 11-track, 37-minute album. They’ve opted for the concise, direct version of a finale, and just like the rest of the album, it’s over before you know it.

Despite my saying symphonic deathcore and deathcore, in general, are past their prime, I realized I’ve enjoyed a fair amount of it this year. Carnifex, Mental Cruelty, Ov Sulfur, Signs of the Swarm, Suicide Silence, and To The Grave, have all been on my playlists. I’m safely adding The Convalescence as well. Not only does this album prove deathcore is not over, but it’s the band’s finest hour. If you’re even a little into the style, check this out.

Though playing melodic death/black metal, Æolian culls from every corner of the genre, and I mean every corner. Early on it is the furious, slicing blackened Dissection-ish throes of opener “Hominis Obscura”, dancing, gorgeous classic Dark Tranquillity melodies of the second track “Dream of Reality”, even the more modern In Flames commercial viability of “The Miracle”.

But man, some of the album’s mid and late songs are utterly brilliant. You get some tightly wound At The Gates styled hack and slash riffs of “Her Grief”, with a gorgeous little piano break. Then “Like a Blackened Sun” (my personal favorite) delivers some superb blackened tremolo-picked melodies that you might hear on a Vinland album. Another standout (all of the tracks are really) “Into the Flames” is well, more In Flames-inspired goodness but from the band’s Whoracle/Colony era, with a little more ferocity and an addictive, layered gait.

The album’s back end continues to deliver more killer highlights whether it’s the moody, mid-paced “Lords of Greed”, the energetic Ebony Tears imbuing title track (with a fucking gorgeous little brass section-despite the surprisingly bad video above), or the sweeping 11-minute Disillusion style ambition of the closing “Chronicles of the Fall”.

There simply isn’t a bad or even average song on the album and as a result, it is for sure going to be one of my favorite albums of 2023.

The Black Nativity is the complete opposite. And not in a good way.

Illinois Christian black metallers A Hill To Die Upon burst onto the scene with 2009s brilliant Infinite Titanic Immortal. They followed that up with 3 solid albums, but have been silent since 2017 Via Artis Via Mortis.

So after 8 years, they have come back and the album they chose to come back with is essentially a black metal-ized cover album of classic Christmas and other seasonal hymns and songs….. I’ll let that sink in.

Now, they have rendered their version of old-timey folk songs before the Omens album (“Satan, Your Kingdom Must Come Down”). But if you ever wanted to hear a dour, plodding metal version of “We Three Kings” with groaned metal vocals. It’s here. or how about their equally morose take on “What Child is This”? Yep. Oh and how would you like the somber beauty of “Silent Night” ruined with bland guitars and rasped vocals, you can listen to “Stille Nacht”. They even tackle the French Christmas song “Entre le Boeuf”, one of the oldest Christmas carols, making it a punky black metal blaster.

New Year’s isn’t spared either with an acoustic rendition of “Auld Lang Syne”, which is delightfully relaxing, but they don’t mess with it and there are no vocals, so that’s why.

An early Karl Sanders appearance (“Hymn to Marduk I”) doesn’t save the album that ends with a cover of “133 Hebrew Children”, another “Hymn to Marduk” and “Minuit Chretien” which is the best cover here, as it’s a simple female rendition of a beautiful poem/hymn.

A Hill To Die Upon are good musicians, their past albums say so, and I respect their beliefs, and while The Black Nativity was a bold choice after an 8-year layoff, I kind of get making the nativity ‘black’…it fails miserably, sucking the joy and magic from Christmas classics.

If you’re unfamiliar with the death/sludge group, this is full-length number 4 in their decade-plus existence. I’ve seen a lot of talk about this being their best, and I am just going to come with it; I may agree.

There’s some goodness sprinkled throughout and you don’t have to look too far. Take for instance the unrelenting heaviness in “Titan of War.” Every section, even the slower ones, are short and seem intent on existing simply so the next one is even heavier. It’s almost like war sludge. The nearly perfect production for the style certainly enhances the experience. There’s a hook and it’s brutal. After that second chorus, there’s a stop, then a dick in the dirt dirge. It gets fast after that, only to get even heavier. Even the solo section has behind it a nasty groove.

If you’re into bass solos and rumbles, may I recommend the next track, “Black Serpent Coils?” No? Too bad. That rumble stays consistent in the mix through most of the runtime. This son of a bitch has “heavy” tattooed on its lower back, especially the section beginning after 3 minutes in, which leads into an epic solo. If this solo gets played in public, it is sure to wet some underwear. I mean, it’ll be that of sweaty metalhead dudes, but beggars can’t be choosers sometimes.

There’s a fucking 9-minute track, so let’s talk about it next. It’s what one could refer to as plodding. It starts slowly and that’s where it stays. Even the solo about halfway through is slow. One might refer to it as… No, I’m not doing it. Sure, the pace does pick up relatively in the second half, but certainly not to what I would call “fast.” However, after the last solo, which is quick, the riff coming back slower, which also equals “heavier” in this case, has more of an impact.

There’s also one that’s nearly 11 minutes, and it’s the closer. Damn it. Nobody listens to me about exhausting, gargantuan finales and I’m sick of it. It’s like no one even recognizes my place on the Board of Directors for Heavy Metal. This song has a stomp that could make those hardcore kids pick up ALL of the change but is still identifiable with trying to wade through a swamp in sandals. I will say the pace does change in this one. It does get slightly faster before the halfway point, leading into a solo. Then of course it gets quiet. Then it gets doomy.

So, the question is should you pick this up? Yeah, bitch. Do it. Warcrab has continued its upward trajectory and got heavier, which is not something typical after a few albums. I’ve only not purchased it yet because I’m waffling. I’ve been thinking about that sick, sexy baseball shirt to go along with it from their label, Transcending Obscurity, which predictably knocks it out of the park again. Of course, their merch game remains the strongest in metal by far, and I highly recommend picking this up.

But here’s the thing – all my prior experience was working in the kitchen, on the line. To prepare for that, it felt totally appropriate to psych myself up with the most balls-to-the-wall shit I could throw on my car stereo on the way to work. For me, it was a steady rotation including the likes of Anaal Nathrakh, City-era Strapping Young Lad and Mike DiSalvo-era Cryptopsy (don’t come after me, DiSalvo’s Mack truck delivery was exactly what I needed for these occasions). But now? I’m working front-of-house, baby. I have to talk to and serve actual people, and not just the typical miscreant psychopaths that work in a kitchen (I say that with every bit of love and respect). I can’t come barreling in hopped up on Cephalic Carnage like a fucking lunatic. I can’t come across like an unhinged creep in the middle of his villain origin story. I have to smile! The problem is, I still need something to help give me that extra juice, while keeping me in a more positive, even tranquil and measured headspace. Something with the right focused energy to generate both adrenaline and serotonin.

As I’m sure you imagined, this all brings me here to this international amalgamation, Helga, and their brand of progressive, folk-inspired and (at the risk of generating automatic jeers) often post-pop-minded metal not totally unfamiliar to fans of acts like Sylvaine, Darkher, or even dark pop sirens like Kate Bush or Weyes Blood. Led by the extremely talented, charismatic voice of Swedish front woman Helga Gabriel, Wrapped in Mist offers the sort of thoughtful, engaging journey that dances the fine line between aggression and serenity, the earth-bound and ethereal with the balance and grace of a ballerina.

And it takes every bit of the ballerina’s flexibility and equilibrium to pull off an album as varied and adventurous as Wrapped in Mist plays out over its 10 tracks. No one song really fully encapsulates everything Helga are throwing at the listener, every passage seeming to possess its own distinct character. One the one hand, you have tracks like opener “Skogen mumlar” and “Mountain Song” that really lean in to Neofolk territory, the first culling directly from Helga Gabriel’s Swedish heritage (she being from a culturally distinct region known as Dalarna) – deploying everything from Swedish language lyrics and heavily folk-based vocal patterns, to the use of vaguely tribal hand-clapped rhythms and violin melodies to paint an epic, building picture of remote beauty and mysticism. You can absolutely picture the snow-capped mountains and pine-blanketed forests at the heart of the rhythmic drums and riffs that are majestic, and yet carry a palpable, surging energy that practically swells in your chest.

But with those more uplifting moments also come the more haunting. The mournful “If Death Comes Now” could be a B-side offering from Ethel Cain‘s Preacher’s Daughter, filled with the same sort of intoxicating beauty that intrigues, but plagued with the same feeling of inevitable doom that keeps you grounded and introspective. Perhaps a bit oddly, “Alive Again” carries the same sort of weight, choosing again to let the listener wallow in a darkened corner alone with their thoughts, building to a bit of a lighter crescendo, but nonetheless erring on the lighter side of mystery and wonderment. On the flip side – you have the bright and airy “Vast and Wild,” which somehow culls both from the schools of Alcest and Les Discretes, with the much greater pop sensibilities of Sinead O’Conner and Tori Amos, Somehow both ProgPower and Lilith Fair all wrapped up into one. It’s a breath of fresh air that will have you picturing lush forests sunshine on a warm summer’s day, which is – frankly, pretty invigorating! I feel me mood becoming lighter by the second. It’s nice.

But while all of this ought to be more than enough to intrigue any music fan, I understand the average headbanger might need something a little closer to their comfort zone, and while Helga isn’t likely to over-work your neck muscles, they aren’t without a bit of venom. The band, and in particular Gabriel herself, flash their teeth on more blackened stretches like on the tortured screams of “Farväl” and  “Som en trumma,” which lean into the sort of Post-Blackened attack you may not be terribly surprised to find in an offering such as this. They hardly carry the day, but they do a nice job of keeping the listener on edge, ready for whatever other evil may still be lurking around the bend if you’re not too careful.

There’s a refreshing quality about the Wrapped in Mist experience that may not necessarily bowl you over like listening to Cryptopsy’s “We Bleed” on your second chugged Red Bull, but for an album not shy about  taking some meandering paths along the way, it’s delivered with clarity, focus and purpose – an inexplicable drive capable of boosting your internal batteries while helping you stay lucid and in-the-moment. Sure, you could make an argument that Helga could benefit from straightening out some of the gnarled paths en route to their end goal, but for a debut effort, I’m left wholly impressed and eager to see where this young act journeys next. I’ll tell you one thing, if you come to my restaurant and I haven’t thrown your food in your face or shown utter disdain for your food ordering decisions, you can thank the likes of Helga for keeping me in line.

I preface this to say that now I am the proud owner of End’s digital discography.  Back to my opening question!!!!  Yeah…..END is that band… A super group Hailing from New Jersey and with members of Shai Hulud, Counterparts, Fit for an Autopsy and The Dillinger Escape Plan,  END incorporates elements of hardcore/black metal/grindcore/industrial all tied up with thought-provoking and grief stricken lyrics encapsulated in what I am hailing as the most bludgeoning release of 2023.

Holy Shit!!!  10 songs in 30 minutes “A Predator Yourself” starts things off with a little feedback and right into the off-kilter grind and the music is so vicious with venomous vocals to basically open your throat and shit right down your gulliver.  The breakdown at the 1.08 section is massive as is this guitar sound.  At 1.22 it’s the shortest song on the album before “Gaping Wounds of Earth” starts with a sludge heaviness before the grind erupts and is ferocious.. The drums at the 1.10 section with the dissonance of the guitar is pure madness and the jumpiness to the slow-down groove, will have pits at the 2-minute mark leveling cities worldwide.  Did you hear that…..come a little closer…yes right there.  Did you hear that explosion go off??  That was me as I picked up your neighborhood and blasted it into orbit during this monstrous groove.

After the Take No Prisoners album title slaps you in da face “Thaw” comes in with some industrial/samples influences and this is an interesting song.  It reminded me of Fear Factory from Fear in the Mindkiller and Skin Chamber with some Godflesh leanings as well.  Some cool drumming before the noise elements kick in with this song.  It’s distorted, atmospheric and quite honestly with some of the various vocal elements and effects makes for a disturbing listening experience.  Shut off the lights and listen to this song..It’s peaceful too, with some of the piano and guest vocals by Debbie Gough of Heriot towards the end of the song.

Dylan Walker of Full Of Hell lends his vox to “Worthless Is The Lamb”.  This has amazing blasts to open the track…and they are intense as the vicious vocals erupt through your speakers and tombstone piledriving you right through the concrete.  “Twice Devoured Kill” features a guest vocal appearance from J.R. Hayes of Pig Destroyer.  This song has more off-tempo and non-linear musical patterns and some excellent drums on this song.  The guitars are heavy, distorted and in some respects quite cold.  It adds to the stomping madness that happens during the groove moments and the start and stop moments at the 1.39 section are crafted perfectly.

If you are into bands like: Pig Destroyer, Godflesh, Fear Factory, Nasum, Anaal Nathrakh, Skin Chamber, Mouth For War, Pyrrhon –  then I feel you need to add END to your musical rotation.  This is pure power-violence type of music that will make you want to drop elbows, punch faces and collapse chest cavities all damn day.  The Sins of Human Frailty, by END, shows us all why extreme music should be dangerous sounding, as much as it is thrilling.

A little research into this French band shows that it was originally started as a one-man project by the frontman for industrial metal act Sybreed, Benjamin Nominet, who only hung around to deliver a demo before other members jumped in. And those other members now include members of medieval epic black metal band Glaciation, and somehow British Guitarist Mike Barber from Wizardthrone.

So I dug deep into Unlightenment and was greeted with one of 2023’s best symphonic black/death albums, that delivers 52 minutes of sheer bombast. Like a fine French wine, I’m greeted with notes of fellow countrymen Anorexia Nervosa (notably 2004 Redemption Process), and a heavy front nose (is that a wine thing?) of Sweden’s Grief of Emerald and their 2012 effort It All Turns to Ashes.

So with the album opener “Scolopendra”, already impressing my palette, its second track “Shards”, where I’m blown the fuck away by the band’s blistering, but epic intensity fueled by big, brash brass blowouts and some clean vocals scattered around.

But the band isn’t just about a nonstop, ferocious take (though the next track “La nuée” is just that) on the usually swirly goop of symphonic black metal, as they can get a little more creative with the genre as heard on the likes of “Scales”, with its more adventurous choral and vocal arrangements or “Mazed Interior” where Emperor’s latter technical motifs can be clearly heard (bolstered by Arnhwald Rattenfänge’s Ihsahn-ish rasp).

The album end cap of the 10-minute “À la néante” and 8-minute “Narcosis” shows a band in command of their style, but assuredly ambitious with it as well. The former, is a patient expansive track with more latter Emperor twistiness (especially the bass of Nicolas S) and lengthy atmospheric moments, while the latter after its initial brass heavy bluster, injects some haunting, creepier themes and female vocals to close out, befitting the sleep deprived song title.

Enlightenment is a fucking phenomenal album, that has been steadily creeping up my year-end list the more I listen to it.

And while a ‘new’ band, Aphelium Aeternum has veteran members from a number of more obscure (at least to me) other German bands like Pestnebel, Drudensang, Ungod, and others as well as a newcomer, ‘M.P’ on the all-important keyboards. This veteran presence shows with a confident, classic-sounding debut that’s one of the more purely, classic sounding albums I’ve heard in a while, and certainly since Northwind Wolves‘ debut Cold Dark Grim back in 2018 and more recently Moonlight Sorcery‘s first EP.

The whole 90s symphonic black metal genre is perfectly encapsulated with both the writing and delivery, as well as the slightly tinny guitars, rasped vocals, and the wonderfully throwback, cosmic keyboards.

There’s the requisite atmospheric/instrumental intro “The Stargate Opens” (as well as mid-album and album-ending instrumentals) before the title track delivers a furiously raw, but majestic assault of riffs and keys that immediately shows the band’s grasp on the genre that contines for the next 40 minutes.

The pure throwback keys in “Spiritual Journey to the Arcane Cosmos” are gleefully archaic, but superbly done as they are in the next track “Voidgänger”. Instrumental “Event Horizon” is the album’s mid-point instrumental before “Where Creation Ends” and more epic “Into the Timeless Abyss” delivers two of the album’s most vicious tracks. And maybe that’s the one minor gripe- there isn’t a lot of pacing or change up in the material, the two tracks I just mentioned are pretty interchangeable with many of the others.

That said, the album’s back end is highlighted by the 8-minute standout ” Nocturnal Dimensions Unfold” and the short mid-paced number “Dead Eyes Stare into the Nightsky”, the album’s only ‘slow’ track’- that’s more of an outro, before the actual outro ends a fine album that has been on regular rotation for me since it came out.

If you’re unfamiliar, Sorcerer plays a traditional style of doom. Points of reference for me include Candlemass and Dio-era Black Sabbath. It’s a style that’s easy to get wrong and much more difficult to get right. If you don’t enjoy the sub-genre, who even are you? How did you get into my room? Did Lucius let you in? I swear he’s getting gullible in his twilight years.

Oh, the album? Let’s highlight a few tracks, despite there being zero reason to exclude any. The title track, “Reign of the Reaper” is up first because my borderline OCD ass always goes in order. In Sorcerer’s music, what stands out are the epic riffs of Kristien Niemann and Peter Hallgren, as well as the old-school, doomy, glorious vocals of Anders Engberg. If there’s an heir to the throne of Candlemass’ Johan Lǟngquist, it’s Anders. It doesn’t hurt that all other performances are top-notch, but he is the star.

Slightly further into the album, “Eternal Sleep” is perhaps what one could call a ballad. Its main verses are quiet, but the pre-chorus, as well as the chorus, are rousing. Well, relatively speaking, they certainly do not go full speed. When the track gets doomy and heavy for a moment after the second chorus, it makes way for some solo trade-offs. Excellent, thanks, dudes. Maybe I should quit this whole music thing.

At this point, it must be said that there is a slight drop-off in quality from the first half of the album to the second. It is by no means abrupt and a reflection of the quality of the second-half tunes, it’s just that it’s slightly front-loaded. However, excellent tracks still abound, such as the final one “Break of Dawn.” Sorcerer is at their best when they pummel you with their brand of slower epic doom, mixed with Anders’ excellent vocals. You say; “Well, that’s what they do, right?” Yeah, exactly. They’re always at their best. Any more questions, dipshit? The final track is certainly in that “epic” arena, as the first half is quite heavy, and then there’s a moment of folk, followed by another solo trade-off. It’s a stellar, appropriate way to end.

I must admit this almost slipped by. I received the promo, listened a few times, and enjoyed what I heard, but it was at the risk of getting lost amongst all the other promos on which I was working. I then realized, based on the band’s track record, they deserved more listens. I’m glad I kept going back because Reign of the Reaper rewards patience. While catchy choruses and silky-smooth melodies do stand out on initial listens, it all comes together once the apt amount of time is given. I’m by no means the doom expert on staff, but I am one of the top ten. The fact that I don’t believe we have 10 writers shouldn’t dissuade you from giving these dudes your money.

I’ll jump to disc 4 which is the Legacy compilation of including the Ex-Iternity Demo 1991 Desolate Demo 1992 + 2 unreleased rehearsal tracks which were recorded around the time the band split up in 1993.  The “newer” songs are just instrumentals, with the music sounding similar to their second and third albums.  The rest of the songs are a mixed bag with the production and sound, but the pre-production demos of the Incarnate and Desolate albums are rehearsals and nice to hear the early skeleton song structures.

Equal in Death dropped in 1990 and is the debut album.  10 songs in 36 minutes and this was definitely a very organic, let’s plug in amps play and record.  Rough sounding in parts, and there are blast beats on this album.. Finley Light’s drumming was not the tightest by any stretch of the imagination and his speed is off.  They would have been better suited pulling back on those blast beats, which were not in his wheelhouse, talent-wise.

“Arachneurosis”, at under two and a half minutes, has a lot of great energy, though and is a real good tune.  “Pretentious Priests” is up next and this is where Back on Black drops the ball.  Sometimes reissue sounds are not paid attention to and I question who was overlooking this release, quite honestly.  I’ve had these albums in various reissue CD formats and the sound for the first album on this reissue is just like the other reissues.  Poor.  The drop in volume from the first to the second song is huge.  The second song the volume you can barely hear the song, just like past reissue mistakes.  Then the next song is at a normal volume then the next song “Besieged Citadel” is once again ridiculously low.  So Back on Black ripped these reissue sounds from the prior poorly sounding reissues and quite honestly, no one went back to the masters and I will venture to say this may have been ripped from YouTube…Whatever the case may be this reissue does not do justice to Equal in Death by any stretch of the imagination.

Incarnate dropped in 1992 and this is the album that Necrosanct became known for, it’s how I noticed them too.  The band’s label, Bathory’s, Black Mark Production put some money into marketing because 1992 was when more of the death metal explosion started happening and I remember seeing this album cover plastered in and on the back of many fanzines.  The band had different band logos on each album cover, which is part of the reason their popularity was marred, but the logo they used on this album is by far the best one they ever had, same with the album cover and music.

“Ritual Acts” started this 11-song 42-minute affair and Finley’s drumming was definitely tighter on this and the overall sound is a lot more evil and Ant Ryan’s vocals are much improved, brutal and aggressive.  The guitar riffs were more thought-out and memorable.  “Necronomicon” was and still is a slow burn of a track, in the beginning before the blast beats are all over the place.  There are a lot of cavernous guitar solos and there are moments the song slows down and those riffs really breathe.  Just a great and classic album.  The sound is the same as prior reissues.

Desolate was the final album in 1993 and a rather creepy album cover too, like some voodoo-type shit.  This album was 10 songs in 42 minutes and was a strong follow-up to its predecessor.  Some of this is due to the same line-up from the previous album and Chris Cooper and Cal Scott had become better guitarists.  The opening song blasts and blasts and is pretty relentless.  “Plagued Mind” was a really and still is a damn fine song.  Doomy and heavy with some flip flopping double bass drums.  This song has a lot of cool death/doom atmosphere and definitely one of the best songs the band ever wrote.

The ultra-thick booklet of this anthology includes each album cover and then the complete lyrics.  That was real nice to see and it’s glossy paper, not cheap.  No retrospective from any of the band members, no liner notes, no panel of band pictures/or live promo flyers..  Since the label did this on their own that is why there is non of that essential stuff, that you want to be included in reissue booklets.  At the end of the day if you have the releases, this is not something you will plunk down your $30 for.  If you always wanted these releases or are looking for some cool, underground, early death metal sounds from the UK, go ahead and pick this up.