The band has been a tear of touring multiple times a year in North America and overseas. The band proudly wears the Bolt Thrower influence on their sleeves, and now, with album number three, No Place of Warmth, the band wears that influence from head to toe. The band has opted for an even more bombastic and fuller sound, and this creates an avalanche of heaviness. 11 songs in 35 minutes, and the songs pack a wallop.

Opening with the title track, the band opts to have a guest vocalist – Gerard Way, from My Chemical Romance. An interesting choice. Beginning with an atmospheric and epic buildup, you immediately feel those drums in your chest. The Bolt Thrower vibe takes us to the Warmaster sound. Punishing double bass and tank-driven heaviness, this folks is the closest you will ever get to a new Bolt Thrower record. This mid-paced song is vicious, as well as those guitar solos, calling to mind 1991. Chad Green’s gruff style harnesses the power of Karl from BT, and if you close your eyes you might think Karl is singing. Why Frozen Soul has not had him guest on their albums is beyond me. Gerard comes in towards the end of the song and his style actually flows pretty well.

The title track is a good opener, but it’s bested by the best song the band has ever written, the next song. “Invoke War”. This is the perfect song to do my Anatomy of a Song on. Robb Flynn from Machine Head/ex Vio-Lence fame guests on this song and I will just mention his part fits like a glove and he sounds amazing and pissed off. So this tune starts with the song title being belted out by Chad. The drum buildup, with the vocals, and song getting heavier, gets right into the Holy Shit moment when after Chad’s growl, he is briefly isolated, as he once again growls ‘I Invoke War’, at the 36 second mark. The bludgeoning heaviness erupting sends frozen chills down my soul every time I hear this. He sings the part a few more times, but I am telling you, this mid-paced rumbling, is going to cause sinkhole pits nationwide. Maybe it will lower the gas process, perhaps? The song gallops a bit and then the isolated moment and drums create the perfect part for Flynn’s vox then the duet of ‘I Invoke War’ is belted out. Monstrously heavy and kick ass. I am telling the band-you may want to put this song in the middle of the live set. Not in the beginning – it will wear out the crowd. This song demolishes and Samantha’s bass guitar crushes during these moments.

Devin Swank from Sanguisugabogg has a ‘Bogg like song to lend his guest spot to, with “Dreadnought”. I have nicknamed this song FrozenBogg. It has the caveman-like knuckle-dragging heft of Sanguisugabogg, and Swank’s vocals are perfect, as the ever-present bass guitar seems to be even heavier on this song. This is yet another killer song.

The one thing I will mention is that the guest vocal spots are within the first four songs. I think the band should have placed one towards the end of the album, because the album is so heavily front-loaded with these song placements. Just my wooden nickels’ advice.

“Ethereal Dreams” brings in some speed. Galloping heaviness and old school at the same time. There are some nods to the Mercenary era Bolt Thrower sound at the end of this song, and once again, the song structure is pretty strong.

“Killin’ Time (Until It’s Time to Kill)” ends the album and kinda rocks along in a hoppy fashion. Heavy, but it’s a fun, happy tune, IMO, until the crushing heaviness at the 40-second marker. Devastating. There’s even some isolated bass guitar moments, which are excellent. By the way, do not snooze on “Deathweaver”. A most excellent song that enters the doom/death genre.

Michael Munday and Chris Bonner upped their game with their guitar sound and riffing. Song after song has riff after riff and are catchier than the next. The pounding drums of Matt Dennard need to be mentioned, as his steady play and crushing double bass help elevate this album

No Place of Warmth sounds terrific, has amazing songs, and has that dense tank-like heaviness that will go over even better live. How they top this album is beyond me, but Frozen Soul, continues to crush and only a matter of time before we see the band headlining full fledged tours.

It’s very fortunate that At the Gates gives you little time to think before getting into the first track and single, “The Fever Mask.” A galloping melodic death metal riff begins before Tomas’ unmistakable roar. Some on the staff, and I will not provide names, stated it’s “by the numbers.” Does that make it bad, though? No, that’s exactly what I wanted, and if you’re a fan of the band, I don’t see any issue.

A little further into the album, one of the best tracks, with the catchiest hook, of course, is “In Dark Distortion.” In the lyrics, there’s a call back to the first song I mentioned. The drumming of Adrian Erlandsson stands out early behind the slightly dissonant riff. The dissonance is more noticeable in the chorus, but make no mistake, this isn’t anywhere close to a Portal song.

It’s very difficult for me to pick an overall favorite track, but “Ritual of Waste” is also a great one. The poignant drums right on the beat with the riff give it all a sense of urgency. In the chorus, we are treated to some deeper growls by Tomas, and after each chorus, the music is given ample space to breathe, painting an introspective atmosphere amongst the blistering riffs.

On the first listen, I found it quite depressing that there’s an end to the album, almost assuredly marking the finality of At the Gates’ output. It’s another solid melodic death metal riff on an album full of them. With around 2 minutes left, there’s a prolonged instrumental section, proving once again that those gentlemen know how to build atmosphere, juxtaposing it with the poignant riffs, all forming a final decisive, death metal blow.

I won’t even pretend for a moment that reviewing The Ghost of a Future Dead was an easy task. I struggled with it from the first note and wanted to make sure what I say in memoriam to an icon matters. The truth is that many of the songs take similar paths and sound like one another. When listening to the entire album, though, my fears are assuaged. This is what At the Gates was meant to do, and their final (I assume) album reminds everyone in case they had forgotten. I highly enjoy and recommend it. The truth that is shown, countering my earlier statements, is that Tomas’ words and music will live on, so perhaps this god is indeed immortal.

To be honest, watching kids grow up from afar is probably more my speed anyway – and it can be a real mind-fuck of an experience! When you’re only seeing your friends’ and families’ kids every few months (let alone years!), you miss all the subtle growth and daily changes that brought them to where they are now. Instead, you just get these big ol’ jumps where they literally become entirely different people every time you see them. Oh they used to like dinosaurs? Well now they like trains. Get ready to hear everything there is to know about the Union Pacific Big Boy articulated 4-8-8-4 locomotive,  the largest and heaviest steam locomotive ever developed. But also be ready to talk about dinosaurs because no one ever gets bored of dinosaurs.

THE POINT IS, it often takes a bit for someone to develop their actual identity – time to experience and try new things, figure out what you really like and don’t actually like at all to figure out what really makes you, you. Case and point, take a look at Scotsman James McBain and his body of work with Hellripper. The project started out in life with the basic identity of, “I’m gonna play guitar really fast and write songs about the devil and evil shit.” And it was fine! McBain has always had a knack for a really good riff, and his ability to write catchy, no-frills club bangers that encouraged crowd participation and interaction has never been in question, to the point that the growth of the “Goat Kvlt” on an international stage was no joke. Tracks like “Full Moon Witchery, “Bastard of Hades,” and the fan favorite “All Hail The Goat” were all good for a quick hit of thrashing, ripping blackened speed metal for the sake of all things \M/METAL\M/. But if I’m being honest, most earlier work was a sort of “here for a good time, not for a long time” affair. A sort of one-trick-pony that was super fun in the moment, but fairly easily moved on from and forgotten about in the long term. A band I’d gladly go see live, but wouldn’t spend a TON of time becoming invested in.

That all started to change with 2023’s Warlocks Grim & Withered Hags. The killer riffs that were always Hellripper‘s trademark were still there, of course, but McBain also started to inject a lot more substance into his music, crafting an overall sound and experience that were uniquely his. First, he really started to embrace his Scottish roots by putting creatures and entities of Scottish folklore and legend front and center in his songwriting (look no further than “The Nuckelavee” and “Mester Stoor Worm” as prime examples), and even included an awesome bagpipe cameo on the album’s title track just to bring the point home (quite literally). But even more noticeably, McBain started to expand his songwriting to become far more dynamic, going beyond the surface-level impact of fast-and-furious quick-hitters and instead offering a fully-fleshed, fully realized listening experience with a lot more lasting power. It was, and still is one of my favorite albums of that year, and indeed of this decade so far, setting quite the bar for McBain to try and match, let alone top.

As usual, I’ve beat around the bush plenty – so I’ll just say it: Coronach is Hellripper‘s finest work yet. McBain hasn’t missed a beat, and instead has set a whole new benchmark for what’s possible with this project. It fucking rips. It’s so good.

True to form, this album wastes no time getting right into action – with “Hunderprest” galloping straight out of hell’s gate with a lightning storm of excellent Blackened Thrash riffs. Where before a good Hellripper riff was, in essence, just that – McBain is continuing to up his game, offering more and more stacked, harmonized riffing for a full, rich sound that keeps you coming back to pick apart more and more layers with every listen. And the insane riffs just keep piling up one after another! In days past, “Hunderprest” would probably come to an end around the 2:30 minute mark after the song’s second reprise. Here and now, we’re met with a distorted, disturbing piano decrescendo, before McBain blasts open yet another blistering, ultra-blackened riff – this time backed by a pummeling blast beat that sounds every bit as chaotic and evil as hell’s seventh layer. This all serves as a bridge into the first of this album’s awe-inspiring solo sections, where McBain puts his full chops on display – the sort of soloing built on having had a steady diet of Kirk Hammet and Dave Mustaine in your musical development. Not that it should have been in any question, but it’s a stark reminder of the level of musicianship we’re actually working with here, even if often overlooked or underappreciated.

What strikes me most about this era of Hellripper is the sense of balance McBain is able to maintain throughout the course of the album. Tracks like “Kinchyle (Goatkraft and Granite)” and “Blakk Satanik Fvkkstorm” prove that, despite some of the maturity and growth that has taken place, the unbridled fun and sadistic joy that has been the core of the Hellripper experience is still alive and well. I’d hate to ever see a version of this band where these kinds of tracks didn’t exist, and McBain seems just as happy as ever to provide them – the latter in particular really just leaning fully into the bit with an anthemic, balls-to-the-walls Black ‘n’ Roll attack that just brings a dumb smile to your face. The former is just a straight-up Thrash heater, complete with a simple, gang vocal’d chorus that will be a huge crowd pleaser, and the kind of Maiden-inspired melodies that can’t help but get under your skin and make you wanna don your battle jacket and throw horns wildly in the air. It’s an instant Hellripper classic sure to be a staple of every live gig moving forward.

On the other end of the spectrum, the midpaced, piano-intro’d “The Art of Resurrection” provides listeners with a welcome change of pace and added depth – dripping with blackened atmosphere and more infectious, anthemic sing-along moments that show McBain really has his audience first and foremost in mind in his songwriting process. Even in it’s blackened drear, there’s an uplifting, almost triumphant air to the song that seems to show McBain flexing his muscles, expressing the sort of confidence needed to rip out yet another of his brilliant solos – this one not so much reaching virtuoso status, but instead showing a level of understanding and restraint for what works with this track, another sign of McBain’s growth as a songwriter. The complexity of this one is carried over into the next, with “Baobhan Sith (Waltz of the Damned)” featuring the kind of turn-on-a-dime time pace changes and collection of riffing and solo work that will leave you dizzied, but certainly impressed. The stretch beginning around the 2:50 mark is one of Hellripper‘s finest, featuring an attack of galloping guitars that practically snapped my neck in three places when I found myself needing to headbang along with demented glee. The track rounds out with an unusually pretty (yes, I said pretty) close with mighty, gorgeous guitars backed by the tweeting of… songbirds? McBain is painting a picture of finding one’s self in the middle of a foggy Scottish wood, and I’m absolutely here for it. It once again points to McBain’s willingness to stretch out the boundaries of what’s possible from the band, finding himself within the project and who he is as a songwriter. It’s brilliant.

This far in, I won’t bog you down any more than I already have to wax poetic about the album’s final two tracks, “Mortercheyn” and title track “Coronach.” Simply put, they’re two of the better tracks McBain has put together through the history of this project – the latter being the sort of Blackened Heavy Metal opus that should grab the attention of every self-respecting Heavy Metal fan on the planet (and we get more bagpipes! Give me all the fucking bagpipes). It’s a brilliant end to a brilliant album that has brought Hellripper‘s game to a whole new depth. I’ve considered myself a fan of this band for a long time (even if from afar), but Cornonach makes me feel like that neglectful godparent who now shows up to gigs and tells everyone in sight about how he knew them as “wee lads” and always knew they were going to blow up into the juggernaut they are today. It’d be an outright lie, but fuck it – the unearned pride I feel for this band’s development is no less real and I’m holding on to it. It’s about time the world get to see what McBain and Hellripper can do, and I hope they take over the goddamn planet.

In truth though, when you get to that level of pepper-induced pain, real flavor kind of takes a back seat. The term “straight gas, no brakes” could appropriately be applied, not only for the all-out dedication to oral punishment, but because one of the few flavor profiles attached to little bastards like these is often “ethanol-like.” So… gas. On the other hand, if you still want the surface-level capsaicin rush, but want more depth of flavor, there’s no shortage of options available. There’s the beautiful, rich earth tones of a poblano or hatch chili, or in the case of the humble (if misunderstood) habanero, a bright, fruity backbone that pairs delightfully with white wine, fruit or white meats, but with plenty of kick to still reach down your pants and give you a little thrill. Consensually.

The point is, whatever flavor profile you’re looking to fit, whatever personal tastes you may have or experience you want to partake in, peppers have no shortage of options available to get you where you wanna go.

Portugal’s Gaerea, for their part, are certainly no stranger to the art of delivering a highly impactful experience. Their emotionally-driven, cathartic blend of extreme music has certainly never lacked in the way of “spice,” but through the course of their career, the band has steadily worked their way down from billion-scoville levels of blistering attack, to more modest, palatable levels of aggression, coming fully to a head in he form of 2024’s Coma, an album that saw the band at their relatively-most-accessible, while still providing no shortage of furious, blast-beaten and blackened fury.

It also marked the first album with founding member and longtime lead guitarist Alpha (Guilherme Henriques) taking over vocal duties from original vocalist, Ruben Freitas. While Freitas’ tortured, impassioned bellows were certainly chills-inducing and every bit fitting of the band’s sound, Alpha proved he not only could match Freitas’ intensity, but also expand the band’s range by incorporating the occasional stretch of clean vocals and whispered accents that only made the band’s penchant for atmosphere all the more potent. The increased emphasis on space and melody only heightened the drama of their work, effectively making the highs and lows of the album all the more devastating in its delivery, and perhaps more importantly, did so in a way that never betrayed what has always made Gaerea such a unique and recognizable entity.

With Loss (the band’s first effort with Century Media), Gaerea continues to push its own boundaries to create a more complex and, at least to these ears, a more impressive product. While never ones to shy away from emotional themes and overtones, tracks like “Submerged,” “Phoenix” and “Cyclone” showcase the band leaning even further into what’s possible with the use of more intricate and sophisticated vocal techniques (including a not unwelcome increase in really pretty and heartfelt cleans, particularly on the excellent “Cyclone”), and the addition of even more varied and interesting musical influences – the snapping break of “Submerged” and lofi intermission “LBRNTH” are equal parts unexpected and exceptionally appropriate, providing the sort of sudden-turn palate cleansers amongst the chaos that both shock the system and lend even further to the overall experience of listening to this album.

And that’s all before we get the album’s breathtaking closer “Stardust,” which takes the album’s overall theme of loss and grieving to its crushing conclusion. Imagine if Lorna Shore decided to re-record their landmark “Pain Remains” trilogy, but with a guest collaboration from Sleep Token both vocally and musically – that should give you at least an idea of the kind of soul, intensity, and devastation poured into this track, making for one of this band’s true crowning achievements in their already impressive career.

Before anyone gets put off by the mention of the (confusingly) divisive Sleep Token, or merely pointing out the uptick in clean vocals on this album, make no mistake that the band is still just as capable of delivering violence at a level many bands can only aspire to. “Hellbound” and “Uncontrolled” each unleash the band’s blasting fury in spades, putting aggression at the forefront while still providing balance with moments of calm and stillness. Hell, it’s not even as if the previously mentioned tracks that do flirt more with the lighter, more experimental side of their sound hardly go without the devastating outbursts that make up such a signature part of the band’s identity; they just have a little more under the hood to offer than previous iterations of the band fully provided. If a song like “Phoenix” can’t get your juices flowing, particularly with its defiant message of self-reliance and perseverance through trial and tribulation, then like… I don’t really know what to tell you, man? Shit makes me want to run through a wall, brick or otherwise.

Loss, at its essence, feels like a band truly letting their guard down and allowing their most authentic form to fully bloom. The pressure to be as visceral, to be as brutal and overwhelming as a Trinidad Scorpion chile, no longer seems to be holding this band hostage. The result is a far more enjoyable and complex flavor profile that you’ll remember for more pleasant reasons than just obliterating your taste buds. There’s a range of emotion and depth of influence on display that encourages you to come back again and again to find new, subtle notes and details. It’s an experience that can still bring you to tears, but also fill you with pure joy and self-assured strength. This is Gaerea, so far anyway, at its most impactful, and I commend the band for bringing all these elements together in such a cohesive, intoxicating blend. Loss is a monumental achievement for this band, one that we should all experience.

Whether he does or doesn’t is up for debate, but for the sake of argument, it would be almost embarrassing for that said writer if the band started putting out snoozers this late into their career. I thought they were going down that path several years ago, but the exit of a key member and excellent drummer, Chris Adler, seems to have lit a fire under the band because they have been on a tear the last few albums. The stellar run continues with Into Oblivion.

This run has been defined by a band that sounds familiar yet keeps everything fresh by adding twists and turns. For proof, check out one of the released singles, “Sepsis.” Beginning with bass and drums, the verses are not too out of the ordinary with spoken word, but Randy has added some force to the delivery, almost reminding me of A. A. Nemtheanga from Primordial when he yells into your soul. He sounds as if he’s going to jump from the speakers. It doesn’t quite sound like a Lamb of God track until about halfway, and that plodding breakdown near the end is icing on the cake.

Perhaps my favorite track is up next, “The Killing Floor,” which is a start-to-finish banger. Willie and Mark’s riffs are recognizable and potent as ever. There’s a meatier breakdown around 2:20, which would be worth the price of admission alone. That doesn’t even mention the Fear Factory, stutter, and stop sound they incorporate into it.

The hits keep coming, too, because the next track, “El Vacio,” slows the proceedings slightly, beginning with a quiet, clean guitar passage accompanying Randy’s half-spoken, half-sung vocals. When the chorus hits, it gets heavy. It’s a perfect, middle-of-the-album reprieve, and one of the best songs the band has ever written.

I do, however, feel the review has focused on the softer side of the band, but check out “Bully” for some brutality. Randy still sounds vicious, and the spectacular drum performance from Art Cruz shines through, as it honestly does on the rest of the album. What a great fit for the band he is. The lyrics are full of the tough guy swagger Randy has used on previous tracks, such as “Redneck,” which Pantera brought into mainstream metal. None of that is to take away from the fact that he always makes them work. The main riff is chunky, which can also be said for every single one on the album.

Far into their career, I’m glad to report that one of my favorite bands still has its fastball and may have even added a knuckleball to their repertoire. It’s safe to say they’ve knocked it out of the park again… It’s baseball season upcoming. I barely mentioned it throughout the review, but the production and mix on Into Oblivion are top-notch. I have zero complaints. Everything can be clearly discerned, and it has enough crunch to satisfy any metal fan. I can’t recommend this enough. It’s great to see a band that has been around a while not resting on its laurels and proving to its fanbase that they’re still hungry and pissed off. You may be tempted, but don’t pass this by.

There is, of course, Sanguisugabogg, but also  Blood Incantation, Frozen Soul, Baest, Hideous Divinity, and others. And now making the jump from Comatose Music after their 2022 debut, Extirpated Mortal Process, comes Texas-based, female-fronted brutal death metal bruisers, Stabbing, and their second effort, Eon of Obscenity.

Make no bones, this is clearly a band signed to cash in on the success of recent ‘caveman death metal’ like  Sanguisugabogg, as well as bands like Tribal Gaze, Cryptworm, Corpse Pile, Tomb Mold, and such. A bit slammy, a bit old school death metal-ish, and lots of groove – and then throw in fucking blast furnace of a vocalist in Bridgett Lynch (she’s up there with Crystal Rose from Ominous Ruin as far as sheer guttural nastiness, and has a solid ‘blegh’ game to boot), you check all the boxes of what might move units in early 2026.

But Stabbing doesn’t simply check all the boxes; they have some merit and laurels of their own, as Eon of Obscurity delivers some top-notch, pit-moving stuff that fans of Devourment, Disgorge Suffocation (whose Ricky Myers makes a guest appreance on “Nauseating Composition”) Dying Fetus, Internal Bleeding, as well as all the bands I mentioned already, should really fucking enjoy.

It’s got a thick, meaty production, those slightly tippy tappy slam snare drums, sewer belch, brutal death metal vocals, and an emphasis on huge groovy, slams, and punch harmonic blast beats. All delivered in small, short stabs, as the album’s 11 songs lurch by in a brisk, but brutal 30 minutes.

Whether it is the short opener “Rotting Eternal”, “Masticate the Subdued”, “Eon of Obscenity”, “Nauseating Composition”, “Sonoluminescent Hemoglobinopathy”, “Their Melted Remains”, or the over four-minute, sprawling epic penultimate track “Symphony of Absurdity”, the album has the potential to put Stabbing on a Sanguisugabogg-like blow up as far as big tours and exposure. And it’s well deserved.

In 2021, they released their Oblivion EP, and it showcased the band being unafraid to toss in clean vocals, amongst the brutality. All of the brutality, cleans and bludgeoning breakdowns were furthered on their 2023 debut album The Burden ov Faith. A scorching debut album, but look no further, their sophomore effort, Endless, takes things further.

The band just had a pretty killer tour with Ingested and Distant, just to name a few of the bands, and Josh from Ingested and Alan from Distant do some guest spots here, as well as Johnny from Carcosa. What we see on this new album is, of course, the leanings toward the newest and most popular sub-genre of deathcore, and that is blackened symphonic deathcore. I actually like the clean vocals, for the most part, but on a song like “Evermore”, some of those moments come across as way toooo forced.

So while I just skipped around with songs, let’s go to “Dread”, the song with the new Ingested singer, Josh Davies. The opening beatdown slam is earth-shattering, then off to the races with the blasts, then the super clean vocal smatterings. Josh does some great lower register vocals along with the cleans. They actually work quite well. The blackened symphonic moments are all over this song. The beatdown slam at the 3.25 timestamp is how you do slams for 2026 folks. Tremendously heavy and brutal. As brutal as this moment is, it immediately shifts to an atmospheric symphonic moment. Don’t look now, but then some technical death metal guitar soloing takes us all the way until the end of the tune. So much is going on; however, it is cohesive.

Let’s rewind to the opener “Endless//Godless”. A deathcore opening instrumental, which is common for this genre. It’s one long breakdown with putrid, filthy growls, snorts, and pig squeals all over the place. I love it. This is the tune to open their live sets with. It sets the stage and tone. The opening slam has some of that newer Distant style slam djent tone. Suffocating, slow, massive, and will body slam you and your in-laws into oblivion.

“Seed” is next and has quite the epic buildup. Again, this should follow the opening instrumental to be the first two songs played live. The slam speeds up to a death metal pace, no blasting, but heavy AF. Symphonic and atmospheric elements erupt, and soon thereafter, the clean vocals rear their head,  which are most definitely emo, but I do not mind them. I truly love the abrupt vocal tone shifts, and the same goes for the tempo shifts. Excellent song. The moments of the clean vocals and arrangement have metalcore written all over it.

“Bleak” features the Carcosa singer and the symphonic elements, mixed with some of the blackish metal slams, works well. The symphonic elements are really taking things center stage. The slam at the 2.43 moment is vicious, as are some of the breee styled vocals, which will breee you to death! Really fun song.

Endless is the best release by Ov Sulfur. The band has upped their game with respect to the symphonics, blackened deathcore, as well as the slams. The slams hit hard on this album and are better crafted than previous efforts.

As previously stated, the band mixes up the vocal tones and tempo shifts quite a lot. It never becomes too much, and the band knows how to stay with a riff. The production is great, and the album cover is perfect for the evil and depressive atmosphere the band creates. A great way to kick off 2026!!!

I saw the band live, opening for Kreator in the late 80’s in NY. Coroner received such an amazing response that they returned to headline, on their own, on the Mental Vortex tour and were outstanding. I spoke to all three members, back then – all super cool. Grin went in a different direction, clipping their speed, going for a more progressive-groove approach and it was not a well-received album by the fans.

Coroner was still a pretty small band when they broke up in 1996. In 2010, they reformed with the original three members: Marquis Marky – drums, Vocals (backing), Ron Royce – bass, Vocals, and Tommy T. Baron – Guitars, Vocals (backing). In 2014, Marky was replaced by Diego Rapacchietti. Coroner’s name had gained huge popularity while they were broken up, and with their back catalog starting to get reissued/remastered in 2013, the band’s reformation has been a huge success.

The band has been writing this album for years, in between their family lives, playing festivals globally, and doing some touring. Since their reformation, I have seen them at MDF as well as several months ago on tour. The one thing about the lackluster Grin is that those songs translate much better in a live setting; therefore, I appreciate it more, however, it pales in comparison to the glorious first 4 albums.

Dissonance Theory has 10 new songs, some of which they played live on the tour I just saw them on, and the album is 47 minutes in length. As a bonus, the special edition review contains a second disc. The bonus CD contains the full 1986 Death Cult demo. Some may be unaware, but at this point Ron was still developing his vocal style but was not ready to record. Their close friend Tom G. Warrior, legend from Celtic Frost, swooped in to help his friends. Tom is the singer on the demo. And the band were originally Celtic Frost roadies. This classic demo is what landed them a record deal, with Noise Records, Celtic Frost’s label.

A year later, the Coroner’s amazing debut album R.I.P. was released, and the rest is history. My [Lmd Ed] 2 CDs of this album are delayed from Amazon, since it was an import, unfortunately, due to the tariffs in our country right now. Sucks. Amazon did not even give me an ETA on the new delivery.

After a brief intro titled “Oxymoron”, “Consequence”, the longest song on the album, opens things up. Progressive and mid-paced, and the sound is excellent. The song quickly gets into a speedy gallop with terrific double bass drums. The band is on fire, until a soft atmospheric moment comes in, showcasing some soft jazz playing, then right into an epic buildup. Eventually, the killer gallop erupts with Tommy shredding with his solo, then back into the mid-paced moment. Lots of tempo shifts on this opener, as well as some vocal sound effects, robotic in nature, if you will. Absolute killer opening song that sounds like Coroner and not some half-baked attempt at a reunion album.

One of the things noticeable on this new album is the urgency in creating speed. The classic Coroner progressive sound is evident. However, check out the song “Symmetry”. Starting with a fast gallop. A song that could have been on Grin, with its progressive nature; however, this is hard-hitting with Tommy’s fast guitar picking, and Royce continues to sound like his vocals have not aged one bit. Powerful. Gruff and understandable. The drumming is top-notch with speedy double bass. The 2-minute marker brings forth a classic Coroner guitar solo, as the song gets into a slow, dissonant, atmospheric moment, with cool vocal phaser effects. Monster drum roll,s then the speed returns. Aggressive, progressive, and a banger of a tune.

“The Law” begins slowly and softly, then the light guitar riff comes in, and this song gets rolling as a slow tune. Originally, I was like, please, don’t be a ballad. Some neat poly-rhythmic drumming and creative use of the double bass drums. The slow meandering, dreamlike moments continue until the 2.55 isolated guitar riff. One would think this would be leading into more of their slower stuff, on this song. But alas, no. What transpires is maybe the most brutal thrash moment the band has ever done. The fast speed comes in, and then Diego kicks things up a notch with the velocity becoming even more brutal. Ron is singing super aggressively with his vocals, even dropping to a lower tone before unleashing a killer scream. Wow!!! Then the song slows back down, and I’m seriously catching my breath.

“Renewal” was a single released and immediately starts fast. Classic Coroner fast, technical, speedy thrash metal. The Coroner way. Very aggressive. I love it when bands put out killer singles. Super heavy song and one of the heaviest songs the band has released, as there is no sign of letting up on the gas pedal for this one. Oh, by the way, the production and mix are spot on. Perfect and not overproduced. This sounds like Coroner, in the modern digital age folks. About mid-way into the song, we get a little Meshuggah like part, then a kick ass gallop erupts with terrific guitar solos. Then more atmospherics than BOOM, right into the fast part. Relentless and technical in its approach, this is one of the very best songs Coroner has ever written.

The elements of Grin still remain and do come out in songs such as “Trinity”, “Transparent Eye”, and “Crisium Bound”. Honestly, these moments are not my favorite on the album…surprise! However, they contain elements, such as the instrument tone, more on that below, that lessen the blow a bit for listeners who are not big Grin fans.

If Grin had never been released, Dissonance Theory, would have been the natural successor to 1991’s Mental Vortex. This album has the biting power and tone of the first four classic Coroner albums. The production is outstanding, and I will not compare it to album productions from decades ago – that is unfair. This is Coroner updated with modern-day production values and captures the band perfectly. This is all new and fresh. Dennis Russ, who does keyboards for the band, simulates organ effects, and we get an organ solo too! Most of all, the quality of the musicianship is tremendous, and plenty of thought went into crafting and developing these songs. Yes, for us long-time fans, there is enough familiarity with things such as the album cover design, the Coroner sound, and the tie-in to their prior albums, but I was not expecting nearly as great a reformation album as this is.

On the plus side there are so many younger fans and musicians and bands who will gravitate towards this release and get the chance to see them live. Great to see Coroner bring back their speedy thrash elements, as well as adding ferocity to their overall sound. Amazingly played album and a killer return to form. The best comeback album for 2025, without a shadow of a doubt!

I have reviewed all of Sanguisugabogg’s prior releases, so it would make sense that I reviewed their latest album, Hideous Aftermath. I predicted years ago the band was going to blow the F up, and that is precisely what has happened – I am Nostradamus. With their incessant worldwide touring, huge social media presence as well, and the band remaining intact and honing their live shows, this album will push the band even further.

One of the things very noticeable is in many ways, this album is more straightforward death metal, and while the grooves and chunky slams are ever present, they have shifted away from the slamminess, in certain respects. This album has a tremendous amount of vocal guests to boot, and also sees the band experimenting with some industrial parts. There is a lot to absorb on this release, as this is about a 48-minute-long album, their last one at 45 minutes, seeing the band shift from their previous shorter efforts to longer songs. Again, it’s a lot of beef with quite a meaty production.

“Rotted Entanglement” starts things off, and honestly, the band could not have picked a better opening song. Some bands get it right, some do not, with opening songs. The ‘Bogg literally come out swinging, going straight into vicious blast beat territory. Around the 1.40 section, an ever-crucial slam hits with Devin laying waste with a perfectly timed growl. This part had me punching holes in random houses throughout the day. This moment is godly, no other way to put it, and Cody has improved even more so on the drums. His double bass work and drum rolls are super creative. More of the beefy chunkiness that is Sanguisugabogg’s m.o. starts at the 4.02 Holy Shit moment. Drew has the isolated guitar riff timed perfectly, as he plays it not too fast and not too slow, and boom right into the slam with Ced’s bass guitar helping to keep the brown note alive. Devin growls like his life depends on it, and this chunky part stays in place until the end. Absolutely terrific song and a great opening live tune, as well.

“Felony Abuse of a Corpse” has to be one of the very best song titles I have heard in some time, and one of the things I do notice on this album is very similar Cannibal Corpse-inspired lyrics. This song even has some off-kilter moments with a bit of poly-rhythms happening. This groovy song gets groovier and groovier, which will be an utter bloodbath pit session at a show. At the 4.23 Holy Shit part, we are greeted with Damonteal Harris, from PeelingFlesh, with those ultra-low putrid gutturals. Perfect ending to yet another wild song.

Let’s skip to “Repulsive Demise”. This was a single, prior to the album release. The day before the song was released, on video, the band made some cryptic social media posts about looking out for the song the next day and their love for Godflesh or something to that effect. Welp, the band merged the two of industrial and death metal perfectly on this song. With a strong early Godflesh/Pitch Shifter song. There are perfectly timed industrial sounds, a little drum sampling happening, as well as vocal effects. All of this is wrapped up in a slow, sludgy heaviness, as this song moves like a sloth ready to roll over everything in its path. There is also a darkness and creepiness to this song, and believe it or not, this is my favorite song on the album. I was a huge fan of the early industrial death movement in the late 80’s/early 90’,s and to hear Sanguisugabogg craft a song like this – well, this better not be the last time they do this on an album. If they decide to play this live, the sound guy, better work with the band to ensure all these industrial moments are created live, to give the full experience in a live setting.

“Erotic Beheading” is up next with a killer opening groove section that is sludgy with ham-fisted heaviness before the band erupts into one of the fastest blast beat moments the band has ever written. There’s also a plethora of juicy growls on this sucker. The rest of the songs are great, with “Abhorrent Contraception” having guest vocals from Defeated Sanity’s Josh Welshman. His gutturals erupt towards the end of the song, where some kick ass pinch harmonics are placed perfectly.

Hideous Aftermath sports an interesting album design. Calling to mind some sort of witchcraft and or ceremony totem. The CD digipak is well designed with cool pictures and horror illustrations as well as lyrics. I swear those liner notes are small AF. I had my readers on and still could barely make them out.

With Sanguisugabogg offering up some new treats, such as the industrial death metal moments, it is a breath of fresh air to see the band continuing to expand and hone their craft with each release. This album will sell by the bucketloads, the band will be touring all over the universe with this one, and the accolades the band receives are well-deserved and earned. They put in the work, they tour, and write killer death metal music. Crushing!!!!

But if you have read my reviews before, you know I am one: A huge fan of the blackened/symphonic deathcore genre, and two: an even bigger fan of Lorna Shore, arguably the alpha leader in said genre. So it goes without saying, this review will not be very objective. You have been warned.

So, after absolutely blowing up with 2021’s EP, ...And I Return to Nothingness, which introduced the world to the yellow lab of deathcore vocalists, Will Ramos, 2022’s Pain Remains virtually broke the internet. Especially after the “Pain Remains pt1: Dancing Like Flames” song and video dropped, showing the genre could have some emotion and make grown men cry (guilty).

So here we are 3 years later, and here is the long-awaited follow-up, the wordily titled I Feel The Everblack Festering Within Me, and its super dark cover, a stark contrast to the bright white cover of Pain Remains. And as with Pain Remains, a trio of singles were released, giving the world a taste of about a third of the album before release. And if I’m being honest, those released songs, “Oblivion”, “Unbreakable”, and “Prison Of Flesh”, didn’t truly excite me as they seemed a bit formulaic and reminiscent of many of the songs from Pain Remains and To The Hellfire.

Listen, the knock on Lorna Shore has been the formulaic songs since even Immortal, but bands locking into a core previous sound has never been an issue for me, or many other bands for that matter (i.e, Bolt Thrower, Deicide, Dismember, and countless others). And that trio of singles certainly follows the Lorna Shore formula: a little choral intro, jackhammer blasts, some swelling synths, Ramos snarling and whispering, a crescendo, and then a crumbling breakdown. They are basically the ‘Welcome Back, O Sleeping Dreamer”, “Cursed to Die”, and “Suneater” of this album.

And after those three singles, it appeared Lorna Shore was simply treading in place for the new album. Which, admittedly, I would have been OK with, but there was no “Pt 1: Dancing Like Flames” single to get me truly hyped.

And then the album came out, and I skipped to the first ‘fresh’ unreleased song, “In Darkness”, the third song amid the first released singles. And my lord, I audibly reacted as the massive orchestral intro (up until this point the most epic thing they have done- until another track later on), and then I got goosebumps as the song progressed. It still fits the Lorna Shore formula, but leans more in the “Pain Remains” trilogy of songs, just with some extra ‘epicness’, and brings that hefty, emotional gravitas to the chorus, which is layered with utterly gorgeous choirs and a key change to die for.

After “Unbreakable”, a more anthemic, dare I say, positive ode to fans, we get “Glenwood”. And listen, if you teared up at “Pain Remains pt 1: Dancing Like Flames” due to the loss of a loved one, strap in if you have an estranged father or are a child of divorce, as this one will hit you right in the fucking gut. Again leaning into the more melodic and emotional hues of the “Pain Remains” trilogy, it’s up there with “Pt 1: Dancing Like Flames”, as far as the most heartfelt and personal material the band has penned. And the choirs, key change, and lead solo at the end gave me goosebumps yet again. It also has some very subtle female vocals, which the band scatters throughout the album to amazing effect.

The soaring “Lionheart” is up next and sits somewhere between the more repetitive/familiar nature of Lorna Shore and the more melodic, emotional side, but has a killer chorus, and I’m pretty sure Ramos snarls the iconic William Wallace line from the Braveheart movie.

“Death Can Take Me” is yet another ‘typical’ Lorna Shore song that seems familiar, even with a more ‘swaying’ breakdown and an ending breakdown that might be the album’s most destructive moment. But Andrew O’Connor’s keyboards (which are more ethereal and choir-heavy), as they do throughout the album, seem just a little ‘bigger’, if still a little mired in Josh Schroeder’s production. It’s not up there with say Sin Deliverance or Ov Ruin levels of orchestral bombast, but definitely a little more than Pain Remains at times. “War Machine”, which is my least favorite song on the album, is a straight-up bruiser going all in on sheer velocity and heft, which some older Lorna fans might appreciate.

Penultimate track, “A Nameless Hymn”, a really solid number, that like “Lionheart” blends the band’s more predictable formula with more grandiosity, and a breakdown that matches “Death Can Take Me” in sheer fucking disgustingness.

Then the 10-minute closer “Forevermore” is the song that broke me, as “Pt 2; After All I’ve Done, I’ll Disappear” did on Pain Remains. Dedicated to Will Ramos’s recently deceased brother, Corey, its lengthy orchestral opening is the most epic thing they have done with ethereal female vocals and Hans Zimmer levels of sheer majesty. The riffs are vicious yet melodic and brilliantly emotive, and Adam De Micco has absolutely mastered heartfelt, heartstring-pulling leads. And the violins, cellos, orchestration, and female vocals that grace the songs pre-chrous and close out? Just fucking ridiculous and the best thing the band has done in my opinion. It rivals the “Pain Remains” trilogy of songs, if not supersedes it.

Listen. I love this album. It’s not quite the game-changer and bar setter that Pain Remains was, but it is a worthwhile follow-up and has some of the band’s very best moments on it. Still, certainly, the band could self-edit some of their songs to be a bit shorter. And like Pain Remains, there are some overly repetitive moments, but it’s largely carried by its more emotional, personal songs, which the band now seems to be leaning a little harder into, since “Pt 1: Dancing Like Flames” broke the internet, and the band realized this is their difference maker. Also, I had a sneaking suspicion Ramos might throw in some clean vocals, considering his love of bands like Sleep Token, but he has not fallen into that trap… yet.

Some bands have come really, really close to taking the genre’s throne; Sin Deliverance, Metal Cruelty, Worm Shepherd, Synestia, Ov Ruin, Shadow of Intent, etc. But Lorna Shore has responded and fought them off for now with IFTEFWM. Now all I have to do is wait three more years for this album’s follow-up.

But on 2023’s Amongst the Low and the Empty, along with a jump from Unique Leader to Century Media, came a slight development. While certainly very high caliber deathcore, and still armed with David Simonich, arguably one of the top 5-10 vocalists in the genre, there was a little shift into slightly more djenty, restrained brutality. Not quite Whitechapel’s The Valley or Kin, but certainly a more subtle lean.

And now with album number 6, that development is fully in place as SOTS, while still very much a brutal deathcore band, has separated from peers like say Crown Magnetar and such, and developed a more controlled, lurching, and stuttering take on deathcore that’s still very much deathcore, but a little more……evolved.

Sure, the band still can beat you senseless with blasts and, of course, oodles of disgusting breakdowns, but everything seems more menacingly complex. But rather than the serial killer that simply maims, skins, and kills, SOTS stalks, tortures, and slices with a more civilized semblance of measured, precise savagery.

The opening title track sums this subtle shift perfectly and sets the tone for much of the album. As does more blasting second track “Hell Must Fear Me”, which is a twisty turny number that mixes the band’s blast beats with a stuttering, lethal heft, and both “Natural Selection”,  and “Chariot” might be the band’s most technical, djenty offering yet, actually remind of bands like Born of Osiris or After the Burial. Just heavier.

Simonich gets some help on the album’s back half with Will Ramos (Lorna Shore) helping out for the creepily hefty “Clouded Retinas” and Phil Bozeman (Whitechapel) appears on the blistering “Iron Sacrament”. And speaking of Whitechapel, “Forcing to Forget”  and  “Sarkazein” do actually introduce some cleanish croons /shouts/whispers, and more moodiness akin to The Valley/Kin, and sort of brings the album down a bit.

And in fact as”Fear & Judgement” (featuring 156/Silence), another moody track continuing the album’s late, more commercial (respectively speaking) choopy, stuttering sound, and “Creator” end the album I can’t help feel, while more adventurous and breaking from standard deathcore paradigms, the album isn’t as good as its two predecessors.

But I applaud the band for trying to break away from the genre/scene a bit. And still, the album sounds massive and certainly delivers some serious moments of stammering heft that should still keep fans happy.

It makes sense, they are from New York, and Goldstar is their brand-spanking-new album; it’s also their sixth full-length release after 2022’s Spirit of Ecstasy. They were brought to my attention by fellow scribe James, and I jumped all over this when I saw the promo.

I’ve been covering Steve Blanco and his other projects (Sarmat most recently) and this motherfucker can play! His bass playing is phenomenal and transports you into this Jazzy, twisted metropolis.

“Eye of Mars” bursts with an early days Morbid Angel feeling, and when the bass line pops up it changes course completely, becoming a mid-paced brutalizer. “Gomorrah Nouveaux” has this intro drum pattern that’s just psychotic and the whole track has this otherworldly, strident riffing and just wacky fucking time changes. It’s unrelenting and body-shaking. Top it off with a sick bass solo and then this happens…

“Lexington Delirium” (ft Tomas Haake) is one of those songs that exemplify the Jazz aspects of Tech-Death. Its merciless nature is kept in check with the pulsing bass lines that are clear as fucking day.

I need to mention that the production on Goldstar is sexy, suave, and majestic, yeah, I said it. It’s what an album such as this deserves. It’s this delivery that makes a track like “Hotel Sphinx” possible; it’s one of my favorite tracks because it goes full-on Dungeon Synth and then transitions to furious blasting for 47 seconds on “NEWYORKCITY.” It’s like every New Yorker yelling “HEY I’M FUCKING WALKING HERE!” And that leads to the marvelous title track, which is… wait for it… a Country/Western commercial for the album itself.  “Goldstar”  has the most “Happy Trails” vibe to it; it’s only 54 seconds long, but it’s a surprising ray of sunlight in this degraded urban environment that Imperial Triumphant have made of their home state.

I used to think of Billy Joel as the penultimate New York performer, but not anymore. Nope, Imperial Triumphant have taken your spot, Bucko!

After that, some Jazzy parts come crashing on the back of some epic skronky riffs that defy gravity, and that’s how “Rot Moderne” goes. Kind of like a barely functioning subway car crashing down rails. Beautifully brutal, indeed.

Which is how “Pleasuredome” (ft Dave Lombardo and Tomas Haake) begins. Remember that episode of M.A.S.H. where Radar goes bat shit crazy on a drum solo? That’s what happens at the 3:18 point, and then the bass kicks in, bringing it all together in a nicely wrapped package.

“Industry of Misery” is the final gasp of Goldstar, and it goes out on a big bang, with riffs that twist around the bass lines like a mutant DNA strand. It’s an absolute bonkers song, and even when it slows down at the 3:20 mark, it sets up this raw, towering guitar solo; mixed with the lethargic heaviness, it’s a whole other level of brutality.

Goldstar is a fun album, and it swings like Benny Goodman on crack with Buddy Rich accompanying while tripping balls on Peyote. If you love New York (you probably live there already) , but even if you don’t live there, maybe you’ll go one day and you’ll visit some smoke-filled Jazz lounge and Imperial Triumphant will be the house band… doubtful, but you never know.

Pick up Goldstar, it’ll make you feel better during these troubled times.

What stands out over their previous album is the commitment. Whereas Deathwestern toyed with the Western elements, Helldorado fucks, then cuddles with them. It’s going to be odd mentioning the last track first, “Annihilism,” but it’s my review. The guitars are appropriately country, but this is outlaw-inspired, with the vocals focusing on vengeance. If you hadn’t heard any of the previous tracks, there’s not much of a chance you’d connect it, or so one would think.

However, a little earlier, “Prayer Lips” is fully in ballad territory. The vocals are sung, or more appropriately whispered. The catchy chorus will bring you back multiple times, which is something that can be said for the rest of the album.

I mentioned before the combination of elements, which can be found in the opener, “Abilene Grime.” It’s easy to recognize not only the guitars but the slightly different vocal approach, which simply works. At around halfway, we get a turn into Pagan Rhythms territory. It’s a scorcher and indeed is an appropriate harbinger.

That turns almost immediately and effortlessly into “No Vacancy in Heaven,” which is one of the heaviest tracks. The chorus is as catchy as the herps, and it’s forceful. It’s one of the best hooks the band has ever written, doesn’t feel out of place in the experience, and reminds the listener of their roots. The solo almost doesn’t fit, but damn if that isn’t also one of the best grooves of the band’s career.

Perhaps my favorite track on the album (because there’s one even better than the one I just mentioned) is “Bird Song of Death.” The twangy, country chords don’t go away, while the chorus is also another of the best hooks Spiritworld has ever written. Before the final refrain, the snare is replaced by clapping, and is a build for another earworm chorus, complete with some well-placed “Whoa, ohhs.”

I am floored by this for multiple reasons. Firstly, I’ve been out of the loop a bit in the metal world going back to late last year, and had no idea Spiritworld had a new one on the way. When one of my fellow writers informed me of the new single, I forgot about it for a day or two and checked it out. It was mostly background noise at work, but when I received the full promo, I was blown away on first listen. I had the immediate thought, “This could be my album of the year.”

Before I started writing, I wanted to listen to it far more to see if that was the case or if it was some sort of recency bias. A couple of weeks later, I can confirm that is far from the case, as not only has the initial feeling endured, but I continue to pick out new top-notch qualities with each listen. I only have two albums on my album of the year shortlist (hence the name), and Helldorado is one of them. Well fucking done, gentleman!

However, that could all change with Terrified of God.  Outside of original members/vocalist Kane Gelaznik and Guitars, the rest of Vomit Forth are new members on this sophomore album.  So with pretty much a new band, one would expect many changes.  The band was previously known for their east coast brand of death metal brutality which also included a lot of slams and shit.  For the most part, the only real tie-in to the last album is the length of this album, which at 27 minutes, is shorter than its predecessor.

Terrified of God, in some respects, sounds like a brand new band, since the band has adopted a heavy deathcore influence.  Since I love deathcore, I am actually on board with this.  The overly bludgeoning, at times, overly processed sounding production, is also evident here.

“Victim Impact Statement” opens things immediately and the Deathcore impact is all over this with Kane changing his vocals quite a bit than his previous guttural delivery.  He has the dual, higher-pitched screamo vocals and then the mid-range guttural style.  The music has the deathcore slams in abundance, however, there is a lot of blasting on this too.  The band ushers in classic pinch harmonics to bring in that 90’s East Coast death metal vibe still.

It’s over before you can blink and “Sacred Apple” jumps out of the starting gates with the blasting and the slam at the 24-second part is pretty fucking ruthless and it gets slower even!  The pinch harmonic slow down is wild, then right into the blasting.  The song hits a massive groove at the end with harmonics and gets even slower again.  It’s brutal.

“Negative Penance” is a tune the band made a video for.  I like the isolated bass guitar moment in the beginning, right into chaotic vocals and blasting all over the place.  The bass guitar part comes in again signifying a slam and at the 50-second mark – Boom-yet another tune that I am sure will be in their live set going forward.  The slam after the blast at the 1.36 mark is devastating and there are a lot of killer pinch harmonics afterwards.  Damn, this album kills thus far, right?

At 3.12 “Fear of Retaliation” is the longest song.  Massive pinch harmonics and crushing rhythm moments are happening.  The slowdown at the 1.30 mark will have all fist fighting going on in the pits.  It’s a bludgeoning moment with the bass guitar also taking center stage during this song.  Excellent vocals and guttural moments too are involved.

Shout out to the new Vomit Forth members Luke Zeitler – Drums, Bailey Olinger -Guitars, and Jett Stotts – Bass.  The new blood has transformed the band into a deathcore powerhouse.  The band could have been looking for a change-up since the North East area of the US is overcrowded with brutal slam death metal acts.  Vomit Forth, ushering in Deathcore as their main sound helps them stand out a bit more.  The production on this album is pretty darn loud and clear.

This is a really heavy album with tons of slamtastic moments.

Enough of my blathering – get Terrified of God now.  Vomit Forth brings the pain, although in a newer direction, this slays.

The band has been a touring machine over the years and will now receive a bigger budget.  Century Media took a chance on such a forward-thinking band and I am unsure if this album will polarize many of their ardent fans who just want brutality.

When the band released that instrumental ep in 2022 Timewave Zero, they were signaling to the masses their interest in ambient sounds.  The EP was not my thing, I readily admit to that.  As background music sure it was ok, but to be part of their discography it had many in the scene shaking their heads.

Fast forward to now and Absolute Elsewhere is not only forward-thinking, but may be one of the most off-the-wall death metal albums in recent memory.  The melding of their death metal style with ambient sounds, mixed now with 70’s prog and even Pink Floyd leanings, this album is something to behold.  Originally slated as only two songs, while that remains true, prior to the release the two tracks were separated into six separate compositions – smart move Blood Incantation!

The first three are “The Stargate” series and the remaining three are “The Message” series.  Starting with “The Stargate [Tablet I]” the beginning has a definite 70’s prog rock/metal feel to it and the drum rolls are incredible.  The music erupts and mastermind Paul Riedl lets out a killer growl and the pinch harmonics take us back to some 80’s sound.  More growls and the music picks up the pace sounding like Blood Incantation and then right into their striking cavernous blasts.  The sound on this, like their other albums, all organic greatness.  The 2 minute mark enters in those ambient instrumental sounds and very soothing I must say.  Very prog, very 70’s with some jazz style drumming and Mr. Isaac Faulk showcasing his skills!  This part has that Pink Floyd vibe written all over it.  The minute mark will show you with those guitar space sound effects.  Synth guitars!!!  I feel like I’m in the 70’s smoking a hookah and floating dreamlessly all over the place.  The guitar work of Paul and Morris Kolontyrsky is impeccable.  Jeff Barrett’s bass is audible underneath all of this and the death metal returns around the 5.30 mark.  More incredible guitar riff/jamming out moments with tremendous blast beats as the song travels towards its end.  What an opening song….as I pick my jaw up from the floor…

“The Stargate [Tablet III]” has some excellent opening guitar moments and spacey pinch harmonics over tremendous double bass drums.  The music is ferocious before settling into a space type of rhythm at the three-minute mark with some Middle Eastern sounds with the drums and acoustic guitar strumming that would not be out of place on a Nile album.  The vocoder effects at the four-minute moment contribute to the amazing sounds found within and the guitar solos are all batshit crazy!

“The Message [Tablet I]” is brutal and has tons of blasts and excellent transitions with respect to the guitar work – catchy, with the stop-and-start squeals.  About midway through the song are those ambient 70’s metal/rock moments that work great.  The song returns to the brutality and again the drums sound fabulous on this album.  “The Message [Tablet III]” finishes the album with supreme brutal violence.  The Pink Floyd styles at the 2-minute mark return and is that a flute I hear?  The spoken vocal style screams 1971, I swear, put on those bell bottoms and bring back those handlebar mustaches!!  The transition back into the metal is seamless.  The switching back and forth from the brutality, the 70’s sound and ambient sounds are all killer.

Blood Incantation’s Absolute Elsewhere kinda messed up my order for best of this year.  This could usurp my #2, which has been the new Deicide, since its release.  Regardless the production on this is warm and inviting and most of all organic, like their other albums.  Blood Incantation still records in Analog, as far as I know.  The music escapades on this match the album cover marvelously and goes along with their themes and imagery throughout the years.  If you ever wanted to hear what Pink Floyd would sound like if their decided to play death metal, well this is the album for you.  Hell, I don’t even like Pink Floyd, but I love this album.  This is a monumental release!

Well, like a Big Bertha shell from the sky, I get the promo for the second album of Germany’s Kanonenfieber (‘Canon Fever’), a project from a gentleman named ‘Noise’ and the project’s music is all about WWI exclusively. And I don’t mean a casual reference to a battle or event as both the band’s album’s lyrics are taken from Noise’s great grandfather’s personal diaries from WWI and other original documents, factual reports, and letters from deceased and living WWI veterans. Even the rest of the band’s anonymity is a tribute to the ‘Tombs of the Unknown Soldier’.

The band’s albums do not glorify war but give names and faces to the senselessness and horror of the truly horrifying conflict, and while the German lyrics might require some extra steps for English-speaking folks to grasp the stories and message of the songs truly, its worth it, and to help matters the black/death metal supporting these recountings is excellent.

While WWI-era God Dethroned is certainly a valid comparison for the faster songs,  Ukraine’s 1914 is also an erstwhile comparison, as this is melodic, often somber (of course, considering the subject matter) black/death metal with a crisp, clear production from Kristian Kohle (Powerwolf, Aborted, Benighted, Six Reasons to Kill). Cementing the 1914 comparison is the use of plenty of samples and FX and propaganda recordings to convey the stories (the ‘Over the Top’ whistle that starts “Menschenmühle” or ‘The Meat Grinder’- also the title of the band’s debut,  is particularly effective).

And while, like  God Dethroned, the songs contain some more fierce MG-08 machine gun-paced tracks like opener “Menschenmühle” or “Sturmtrupp” (‘assault troop’), the focus is on a moodier, more somber gait like “Der Maulwurf (‘The Mole’), “Gott mit der Kavallerie” (‘God is with the cavalry’) or “Ausblutungsschlacht” (‘War of Attrition’), where some keyboards/choird aid in the mood, which I wish they had user more (but then again 1914 already has that covered).

And to these ears, they have a little Heaven Shall Burn-ish morose trundle in there (and whose guitarist Maik Weichert appears on “Waffenbrüder”- ‘weapon brother’). Especially with the bigger production. Listen to the aforementioned “Waffenbrüder” and “Lviv zu Lemberg” and tell me I’m wrong.

But two of my favorites are  “Panzerhenker” (‘Tankslayer’- based on the exploits of  J. Krüger at The Battle of Cambrai) and “Ritter der Lüfte” (‘Knights of the Sky’),  due to the mix of big, beefy riffage and more savage blasts.

As with the debut, the album is adorned with superb Daniel Bechthold, WWI propaganda-styled artwork (a relative newcomer in the album cover art scene) , that like the music, gives the same excellent consistency for both albums and adds a killer visual component to an excellent album.

I’ve been a big fan of this Italian brutal tech/dm band since their 2012 debut Obeisance Rising.  Since then the band has released great material, toured, and upped their game with musicianship and songwriting.  The Italian death metal scene has quite a variation of the differing styles.  On one hand, we have the pure unadulterated no frills brutality of bands like Putridity and Devangelic, to the once brutal but then turned symphonic death metal stylings of Fleshgod Apocalypse and then to the brutal tech death of Hour of Penance, and that is where Hideous Divinity fall into.  I like the sheer brutality of HOP, but can any of you hum and of their riffs?  Seriously, think of one riff that comes to mind, right now, without scrolling on the net or your phone.  You will not be able to.  Their albums are interchangeable, still a good and talented band nonetheless.

When Hideous Divinity hit the scene they had that Hour of Penance style down, but created tempo shifts galore and the production on their albums was much better.  As time went on the production on HOP albums improved vastly, however, I started becoming more interested in Hideous Divinity and for the majority of their career the line-up has stayed intact with a few rotational players.  Enrico Schettino – Guitars, Enrico “H.” Di Lorenzo – Vocals, Stefano Franceschini – Bass needed a drummer for this album and Davide Itri (Bedsore/Plugs of Apocalypse) stepped in to provide the drums on this album.  Edoardo Di Santo is their new drummer and Unextinct is 10 songs in 51 minutes – a rather long death metal album, just like their last one.  The band throwing two eight-minute-long songs on this.

“Dust Settles on Humanity” starts and is an intro/instrumental which is atmospheric, and builds up heavier and heavier, quite good in fact until going right into “The Numinous One”, which gets into the ferocious blasts right after the nifty drumming, in the beginning.  Enrico enunciates lyrics even clearer than before, but no worries, he gets into brutal gutturals too.  Going from blast beats and mid-paced crushing heaviness, this is Hideous Divinity!  The double bass drums are (TAF – triggered as fuck), but will collapse chest cavities and this type of over-produced drum sound is par for the course for this style of extreme metal.  I do notice some blackened death metal riffing, not unlike Behemoth.  The slow down with the growl at the 3-minute mark is excellent and allows the song to breathe more and then we are treated to a nice guitar solo, that actually comes equipped with some creamy and tasty Gelato.  This is a juggernaut of an opener, in many respects.  I would have scaled the song back a few minutes, since this song is over 7 minutes, however, the tempo shifts break up the song quite a bit.

“Quasi-Sentient” starts with a monolithically heavy and slow moment, which is crushing, and a nice little blast beat is quickly thrown in, it’s so fast and brief and I love that brief tempo shift before the song gets back into the moodier slower pace.  Those snappy brief – 2-second blast beats, then back into the slow section is beyond creative, and then we are treated with some slap bass guitar special moments.  The song gets into the more brutal end of things with monstrous blast beats, but guitar soloing over these moments and the varying tempo shifts is rather excellent.  The drumming is terrific as are the vocals, guitar riffing, and bass guitar.  The rhythm section is incredible on this well-balanced song and at 5 minutes the song hits harder than some of the 6-8 minute numbers.

“Leben ohne Feuer” ends the album at over 8 minutes and a monster ‘effin growl in the beginning of this track, will rip out your gulliver.  The tempo shifts are all over the place with atmospheric moments intertwined between the ultra-brutality and slower moments.  There’s clean screaming and wails on this song too.

Unextinct is a most excellent Hideous Divinity album.  If you enjoy their prior material, you will no doubt enjoy this.  There is more of an emphasis on expansion with these longer songs and I enjoy them quite a lot.  I do feel sometimes a less is more approach can work, more effectively, since 50+ minute long albums with longer songs, well….some of the memorability factors can dissipate throughout the listening experience.  The production is terrific and powerful.  The album cover conjures up ‘The Last Voyage of the Demeter’ movie from last year, involving Dracula, and I get that aspect from following the lyrics, which are well crafted.  The lyrics are like a story, they are very long of course, and can be tough to recall because there are a lot of vocals on this.  Again….a less is more approach, can be more gut-punching in the long run.  At the end of the day, this latest album still hits hard and is crushing.

Their battering ram attack has pretty much remained the same over the years, but it’s a formula that has worked for them and they don’t appear to be stopping anytime soon. Their sound shifted a bit around the time of La Grande Danse Macabre and it wasn’t until World Funeral that they found their footing again. “With Satan and Victorious Weapons” was all I listened to for weeks when that album came out. Wormwood was dominated by tracks such as “A Chorus of Cracking Necks” bringing back the funeral dirge of the 90s albums and a bit of a welcome change. I’ve skipped a few albums but ultimately this is a band that has stood strong in the Black Metal realm for over 30 years.

“Those of the Unlight” on Blackend: The Black Metal Compilation Volume 1 (Death Records, 1995) was my first initiation into their music, that compilation contained some of the most extreme music I had ever heard and went on to define my musical tastes. Forever.

So, it’s been a couple of years since 2018’s blasterpiece, Viktoria, an album that bristled with Satanic ordnance through tracks like, “Werwolf” and the blazing “The Last Fallen”. The years in between were full of live album releases and some singles (that are probably impossible to find in physical copies). 2023 is finally seeing a new Marduk Album in the form of Memento Mori, and guess who got their mitts on it? Yes, yes, yes… So how is it? Excellent.

The first and title track comes in on a gradual rise, it perfectly sets the tone for the rest of the album; bouncing through riffs that come slightly reminiscent of World Funeral and the aforementioned “With Satan and Victorious Weapons” and it segues flawlessly into “Heart of the Funeral” which is followed by first single “Blood of the Funeral” which blasts its way through the boundaries of Hell, prior to colliding with “Shovel Beats Scepter”.

“Charlatan” is a fucking furious track, and it seems like Mortuus has done something to make his vocals more understandable because it’s easier to understand the lyrics. They slow down on the pummeling “Marching Bones” and closing track “As We Are”. There are points in this album where they shift seamlessly from savage blast beats to roaring Thrash territory, this shows up on “Red Tree of Blood” and “Year of the Maggot”.

One thing I did notice about Memento Mori is that there are no WW2 references. While Viktoria was a very WW2-oriented record, Memento Mori has none of those moments, and it’s a nice change because even though I’m a huge military history buff, you can only sing about the Third Reich before you run out of atrocities. Production is booming and precise; this is normal for new Marduk albums and allows the contained brutality to flourish.

Marduk sounds like one band: Marduk. There are bands that want to sound like them: Infernal War, I’m looking at you… but Marduk is on deadly footing with this one; so If you love Marduk… Get it, got it, good.

If you have any questions about this, may I introduce you to the first track, which is also the title track, so the boys let you know what’s up immediately with what could only be called a dirge if it weren’t for the double bass flourishes. There’s a hook you’ll be viciously humming to yourself in the grocery store, scaring everyone with your stank face. That will continue once you think about the super heavy breakdown to end the track. If anyone looks at you funny, just say “Signs of the Swarm, dude.” They’ll get it.

“All I need to become god is for all of you to die,” is the main hook of the next one, which has some Within the Ruins flourishes, as well as some synths. Those precede another monstrous breakdown to end the track. What more could you desire?

You’ll get a lot of brutality and you’ll like it. It all seems unrelenting until “Shackles Like Talons,” which begins quietly, making David’s deep growls over the music sound menacing. It’s one of the longer tracks and has some quieter moments with spoken words later. The brief solo, and in fact the end of the track altogether sounds like the band I mentioned in the last paragraph. Except of course that breakdown.

A couple of tracks later is “The Witch Beckons,” which features Matt Heafy of Trivium. I swear that dude’s everywhere now, which makes me think he’s finally getting his due. His throat-shredding screams about a minute and a half in are unmistakable. If you were looking for the beatdown to be taken down a notch here with some cleans, as I was when I saw his name listed, that’s too bad. Another badass breakdown ends it.

Not unlike the other upper-echelon deathcore bands, these dudes seem to write sledgehammer breakdowns in their sleep. Look no further than (insert track here) for proof. That does not, however, mean that they all sound the same. It’s difficult to write deathcore songs that are distinguishable from one another. They did it on Absolvere, and once again here. As “Echelon” starts to get near the end, there’s a slight presence of background synths, but you know what’s coming and unlike my ex-girlfriend, they finish what they started.

The final track, “Malady,” comes and goes so quickly it doesn’t feel like a closer. This is a rare instance where a 42-minute album may seem long in the middle, but after it’s over, I just want more. Especially with deathcore. Rarely, anything past 30 minutes isn’t tiring (looking your way Lorna Shore). The production also has something to do with this as it’s well-balanced and doesn’t feel like it’s intentionally trying to rupture my eardrums (refer to the above band, too). Add this to the countless things Signs of the Swarm does right.

At the end of the album and this review, I reflected on how much I enjoyed it. Is it biased? These dudes are from my local “scene,” and I see them around. So, yes, I did want to like ite. However, when I questioned myself writing this review, I realized I only remember 4 deathcore albums this year; Suicide Silence, Mental Cruelty, Crown Magnetar, and now Signs of the Swarm. There’s just something about a band who is confident in who they are, great at it, and not against experimentation, if only in spurts. This is a band at the top of their game, and if there’s any fairness in the world, they’ll be on top of deathcore along with the other kings. This is all to say it’s excellent, and I’m looking forward to seeing them at the release show on July 28^th.

Voivod is one of my favorite bands and I’ve reviewed their last several albums ever since Chewy joined as their guitarist, in 2008, the approach and sound’s of Piggy (RIP), have been honored, and Chewy’s sound mimics that of Piggy’s, incorporating all those off the wall guitar sounds.  Many of the songs poached from the band’s career, on this release, are songs the band will still play live on occasion to this day.  The band’s current line-up of Snake-vox, Away-drums, Chewy-guitar, and Rocky-bass are a well-oiled machine and the songs are played as the band plays the songs in a live setting now.  10 songs in 49 minutes, the band begins with an ancient song and ends the album on a brand new one –  the title track.  I love this full-circle approach.

“Condemned to the Gallows” starts and sounds updated and much better than the crappy early 80’s demo shit, to be honest.  The main riff just swells and swells and the song gallops in that weird Voivod thrash pace, only they can do.  Snake actually harnesses his 80’s self and sounds pretty raw on this track and lets out some very cool screams, still getting to those high register screams-that’s huge! Chewy’s guitar solo, has his style all over it with Piggy’s signature trademark emanating from the entire song.  A very classic Voivod song, that while the song is updated in many ways with musicianship and production it shows how far their songwriting has advanced throughout the years, and for me is the best re-recorded song on here.

A great start… so let’s ffwd to the end, the new song, “Morgöth Tales”.  Weird sounds erupt and this song actually would not sound out of place on Nothingface.  It has that weird progressive tone with some syncopated rhythm patterns and Snake sounds a little shoegazey on this song.  The song is melodic, atmospheric and when the fast guitar riffing comes in, it sounds pretty cool. Halfway through, the song picks up at a galloping thrash pace equipped with an excellent guitar solo.  The song shifts towards more of a mid-pace rumbling heaviness with great double bass drums.  This is a very cool song, actually a bit different by Voivod standards with some of the more atmospheric lighter arrangements wedged in between one another..

“Thrashing Rage” was always one of my favorite songs off their Rrröööaaarrr album, which to this day still has one of the heaviest drum productions on any metal album.  With the cleaner and more modern production, some of that heavy drum production is lost, but the main nuts and bolts remain intact.  This song is still super heavy and Chewy injects some different guitar solo moments and Snake well, he is older now folks, so he does not do his growly scream as hate-filled as the original, but he still sounds great and the classic Voivod sound at the three-minute mark that then goes into the same part that opened the album makes this song one of the better re-recorded songs on the album.  Killing Technology is one of the best metal albums in existence, and the title track is still one of their best songs.  It’s a rather long song and usually the band will play this song live, not in its entirety, usually just playing the opening few minutes before cutting into a song, like “Overreaction”.  Again the main nuts and bolts of the original song are intact and the song does take a little less aggressive approach than the original as this version is a smidge slower.  “Pre-Ignition” is one of the better re-recorded songs the band does.  As all the songs keep to the originals pretty much 100%, this one sounds great.  The rattling double bass drums, speedier passages and Snake’s, more shoegazey type of vocals fit with the sounds of this most excellent song.

This is a cool retread of the bands “hits” but I’ll be honest I did kinda want to hear the band maybe mix it up more.  It would have been cool to hear the band reinterpreting these classic songs with some different approaches, because at the end of the day, as stated above, this is a cool retread of the original songs however the original recorded songs are much better.  So if I want to listen to them I will pop on the original songs, rather than hearing the band, now older, playing the songs a bit slower and more polished than the originals.

However, they also had some unfortunate Lorna Shore-ish similarities outside of the music, when they had ……issues…. with then vocalist Lucca Schmerler. And, like Lorna  Shore who revealed new vocalist Will Ramos to the world with “To the Hellfire”, Mental Cruelty released the first single “Symphony of a Dying Star” with new vocalist Lukas Nikolia, earlier this year.

Now, while Lukas delivered a fine vocal performance with his rasps, shrieks, and now standard super deep, snarled, pig squeals (and some decent clean vocals which surface on a couple of other songs too), it was the band’s slight shift in musical direction that divided fans a little. The band leaned even harder into the ‘blackened’ part of blackened deathcore, with even more epic orchestration and more grandiose, bouncy, melodic 90s black/death metal riffage and structures akin to say a band like Assemble the Chariots. Some fans even compared them to Children of Bodom. A legit gripe/comparison if you ask me. Personally, I thought it was an utterly brilliant song, and remains one of my favorite songs of the year. But how is the rest of the album?

Absolutely fucking phenomenal.

The ‘blacker’ elements are indeed noticeably increased throughout, with some brilliant symphonic bombast, riffs, and time changes that could easily have been on any of Dimmu Borgir’s classic three-word albums of the late 90s/early 00s. Just listen to the killer opener “Obsessis a Daemonio” or the opening march of “Forgotten Kings” (with a video cementing the black metal imagery with robes and corpsepaint), pure black metal of “Nordlys” and especially personal favorites the blisteringly melodic “Mortal Shells” (the little orchestral flourishes are just to die for- and show the band’s nuanced evolution) and the aforementioned soaring grandeur of “Symphony of a Dying Star”, which transitions gorgeously from the acoustic interlude “Zwielicht” (twilight), with the same refrain- it’s brilliantly done.

That all said, Mental Cruelty does still manage to deliver plenty of crumbling, overbearing modern deathcore breakdowns as well (“Forgotten Kings” in particular has a fucking massive breakdown), though they tend to feel a bit shoehorned in considering the direction of 80% of the material. And sometimes they do tend to get into more ’emotional’ Lorna Shore-ish territory with some of the more standard deathcore structures like “Pest”, “Arrogance of Agony” or “A Tale of Salt and Light” which has some melodies and riffs that come dangerously close to sounding like something on Pain Remains, though still excellent songs.

But as a complete album, which ends with the still killer, 7 +minute “A Tale of Salt and Light”,  Zwielicht is clearly the album to beat in the blackened /symphonic deathcore genre in 2023, and adds to Century Media’s standout deathcore stable. The only competition I see comes from Worm Shepherd, but it’s going to take something truly special to top this as  Zwielicht has album-of-the-year potential.

Since then these Texas death metal individuals have seen their popularity increase dramatically.  Armed with the hunger to tour Century Media ensured the band was able to get on tours here in the States, as well as travel to Europe.  The band is on fire with the number of live shows they are getting under their belts and therefore it was time for a brand new album.

Glacial Domination sees Frozen Soul stay tried and true to their debut while bringing in some guest singers from Dying Fetus and Creeping Death.  11 songs in 42 minutes with a cool little interlude, right before the title track.

I’ll go right to the best song on the album and that is the fourth track, “Morbid Effigy”, which features a guest vocal appearance by John Gallagher, of Dying Fetus.  The band shot a cool and fun video for this song too.  The song starts with a Holy Shit moment with an awesome riff and right away this song even has an homage to the Dying Fetus sound.  Check out the riff and then right into the groove and low vocals.  The way the drums come in it’s like a perfect mix of Dying Fetus meets Bolt Thrower.  The song picks up some speed but then gets slower – these alternating speeds are awesome and the guitars are pretty damn heavy.  The production is quite excellent which makes this album hit a bit harder than the debut.  The song settles into the Bolt Thrower type of mechanics the band is getting more known for.  At the 2.27 part, when the vocalist Chad says the “Morbid Effigy” line again, the song takes on a groovier and heavier moment with John from Dying Fetus belting out a growl and then his signature gutturals come in singing and saying the song title and this part is so damn vicious I immediately began to two-step and start swinging my fists through the air lopping heads off one by one.  I cannot imagine this song not in their live set, especially since the band even printed up “Morbid Effigy” shirts.

“Invisible Tormentor” is a good album opener with Chad doing a lot of his barking vocals very similar to Karl, of Bolt Thrower fame.  The song alternates between faster speeds and classic early 90’s era, even late 80’s era death metal.  Not complicated, but very catchy.  Frozen Soul have a knack for creating memorable songs, which continue on this sophomore album.  This song has some cool guitar solos, piped in louder in the mix, and the bludgeoning heavy tank-rolling moments will have you whipping out Realm of Chaos in 0.0 seconds to hear those Bolt Thrower similarities.  The riffs are plenty on this song and it’s a great headbanging song.  This would be the perfect song to open their live set with.  It has fast parts and a lot of groove and then some sludgy slowdowns at the end.

The title track would be the perfect middle-of-the-live set song to play.  In the video for the song the band couples the interlude “Annihilation”, right before it, and in relation to the title track as well as the video it works rather well.  This title track is a mid-paced bruiser with a lot of moments, in some respects resembling Amon Amarth.  I am not a fan of that band, but I do like how Frozen Soul injects these moments.  I’ll tell you why.  This song has a lot of what the European crowds eat up by the gallons.  It has certain queues, that call for throwing up your metal horns, and headbanging and the band is smart in crafting tunes that will transfer over well in a live setting.  I could even see Frozen Soul carrying this song out for a few extra minutes live while having the fans throw up their horns screaming “Yeah, Yeah, Yeah” multiple times.

Glacial Domination does not stray far from the debut album and quite honestly Frozen Soul is crafting a formulaic sound that is working for them.  Is this super original?  No, it’s not, by any means.  You will find similarities to Bolt Thrower, Obituary, Benediction and Cancer, however, Frozen Soul, like those bands, is learning to craft catchy AF songs, which transfer over well in a live setting.  I would imagine Frozen Soul’s output after this will sound similar.  They are getting more popular and are a touring machine now.  I really like this band a lot and their homage to this particular death metal style warms my dark and blistered heart.  Great shit!

The sound of an Unearth breakdown.

I mean look, if you’re gonna think breakdowns, you can’t do much better than Unearth, right? Sure, these days there’s no shortage of bands hammering away with breakdowns packing the kind of planet-shattering efficiency that would make Dark Vader’s… uh… helmet, rock hard. There’s even bands that are pretty much just an endless, unrelenting string of breakdowns.

But in the giant spectrum that has become the world of Metalcore, Unearth were and always shall be the original breakdown kings. Killswitch has their hooks, Darkest Hour their riffs and builds, August Burns Red their maddening consistency, but Unearth was basically put on this earth for breakdowns – plain and simple. Their cache of At The Gates-inspired riffs and some In Flames-worshipping melodies? Great stuff, wouldn’t change them for the world. But is that why you ever pressed play on a new Unearth record? You and I both know the answer is “no.” So lets not kid ourselves and get to the friggin’ point: Does the self-appointed “Metalcore GOAT” still deliver the goods?

Well, right off the bat, Unearth lets the world know that time and age have done nothing to calm the oncoming storm (heh heh). Nor, for that matter, has the loss of guitarist and founding member Ken Susi, whose parting with the band, while seeming amicable enough, apparently was the result of “differences of opinion” (I certainly couldn’t speculate what that actually means, though I can’t help but find it… interesting, that he left to join a band with as much controversy surrounding them as As I Lay Dying, especially in the wake of pretty much everyone deciding they no longer wanted to work with the guy convicted of trying to assassinate his wife. I dunno, make of it what you will).

The opening title track, “The Wretched; The Ruinous” explodes out the gate with a pair of gunshot snare hits that suggest perhaps the band is still leaning on the more hardcore-forward, somewhat return-to-roots sound that marked their last album, Extinctions(s) – and those thoughts aren’t necessarily unfounded, as TW;TR certainly packs a lot of that Metallic Hardcore punch throughout its duration, but in this case, it’s just the cannon blast necessary to wring in the whole breadth of Unearth‘s repertoire: First a fury of ground-and-pound riffs and machine gun drumming that mark the awesome return of The Oncoming Storm and III: In the Eyes of Fire drummer Mike Justian (also of The Red Chord, Trap Them and Madball fame), then the high-flying Melodeath melodies that have marked so many of Unearth‘s pre-choruses and hooks throughout the years.

Frankly, I wasn’t too worried about that element going missing, as I always kind of assumed that was more Buz McGrath at work than Susi, but then the moment we were all waiting for enters the fray: Everything pauses, the drums build up, and BANG – right on schedule comes the savage, spin-kick-begging, make-no-mistake-it’s-Unearth breakdown. It doesn’t re-write the book, I wouldn’t even go so far as to say it’s an especially noteworthy breakdown in Unearth‘s collection of absolute barn burners, but it sounds exactly as its supposed to, and that’s just fine. McGrath even tosses in a sweet little solo on the track for good measure, an element that has never been as consistent a part of the band’s formula as his playing I felt always deserved. What I did NOT see coming was the monstrous end of the track, where the band busts out another sort-of breakdown, but one that’s backed by some super-infectious gang vocals taken straight out of the Wizard of Oz castle guards/Metallica “Frayed Ends of Sanity” playbook (“Oh wee oh….”). It’s a swaggering, epic conclusion and sounds like nothing I’ve heard the band utilize before, suggesting maybe McGrath feels a little freer to let loose on this record.

There are certainly other examples that seem to back this theory – like at the beginning of “Mother Betrayal,” where the band breaks out some echoing, monastic chanting over an epic build that feels more like something Dimmu Borgir might produce than Unearth, and it’s a super epic way to introduce another banger of a breakdown that kicks the song officially into gear. The song even goes on to feature some almost-blackend riffing, and some more high-registered screaming than we’re really used to from Trevor Phipps, who sounds great, and even a bit rejuvenated after his performance on Extinction(s) which, while not bad by any stretch, at times felt a bit strained. In the vain of providing some different elements, “Dawn of the Militant” is pretty much a straight-up Crossover Thrash effort that comes in guns blazing, whips up a furious circle pit, and gets out again just as quickly (granted, it does end on an absolute bruiser of a breakdown, in appropriate Unearth fashion).

Then there’s “Broken Arrow,” which gets even more simplistic in its approach, opting to start with a pummeling Hardcore beatdown, before breaking into an chorus that owes itself as much to Corrosion of Conformity or Kyuss as it does anyone else. It’s a fun quick-hitter that catches you a bit off guard and helps TW;TR become one of Unearth‘s more varied and ambitious records.

Ah, but those of you simply here for the Unearth you’ve come to love and need in your life will find more than enough to satisfy, as well. “Cremation of the Living” is as as classic Unearth as you could imagine, featuring both some of the more blasting, technical wizardry of Watchers of the Rule, and the catchy Melodeath sensibilities of The Oncoming Storm,  and again puts Buz McGrath at the forefront with another excellent solo that has Unearth sounding more and more metal as hell by the minute.

“Eradicator” serves as the album’s first real bruiser, sounding like it could even be a holdover from Extinction(s) and giving even some of those old school The Stings of Conscience vibes that would make any long time fan giddy with excitement. And then there’s the pièce de résistance, “Invictus,” which starts with that unmistakably Unearth busy, tapping guitar work over a much heavier backbone, and goes on to cover nearly every era of the band’s illustrious career, including a pair of what I’d vote as the band’s biggest, baddest breakdowns on the record. They even break out that one super-melodic offering in “Into the Abyss” they’ve always been good for a-la “Zombie Autopilot” or “So It Goes” that prove the band always had a foot firmly planted in the early In Flames/At the Gates-obsessed days of American Metalcore. Again, it’s an album that really is all things for all Unearth fans.

I will say, The Wretched; The Ruinous doesn’t necessarily have the immediate impact that Extinction(s)’ more in-your-face, stripped-back delivery had, or the more technically-wowing Watchers of the Rule that I’d still probably rank as the band’s highest point, but make no mistake, this is a really good Unearth  record that, over time, I suspect has a chance to grow on me even more. Without question, it’s an album that has expanded Unearth‘s sound more than any previous album ever has, and while some of the newer elements may take a little more time to fully settle in, I very much appreciate that the band, and Buz McGrath in particular, took the opportunity to take a couple chances and do something a bit new, even while still delivering the core elements we wanted all along.

This could well be the start of a whole new era for a band that really doesn’t have anything to prove after 25 years, and that in and of itself is pretty dang neat. Another stellar offering from one of Metalcore’s finest.

I’ve seen these dudes live a couple of times and have a soft spot for them because of that. Not the kind on a baby’s head you can push in to make a convenient ashtray, but I digress. So, when I start the review, and indeed the album, it will come as no surprise that the first track “Aggressive Menace,” kicks you in the teeth. It has aggression, riffs, a tight solo, and vocals to tie it together. It’s also about 2 minutes.

There are many highlights, but my favorite tracks have ended up being some of the longest. I want to make it clear, that’s all relative, as “longer” to me means 3-5 minutes. Take for instance “Hanged by My Hand.” The main riff is monstrous, the solo is tight, the vocals are fantastic, and the breakdown, as well as a well-placed “ough?” Near crossover perfection of which Allen Iverson would be proud.

It would be my favorite track if it weren’t for the title track, “War Remains.” This track feels heavy because it’s more groove-based, which is something these dudes cook to near perfection. Check out the groove following the chorus at about 2.5 minutes in. Then, the solo follows it perfectly. Jesus Christ, boys. Save some of that energy for the other bands.

This album is no filler. Every track deserves a mention, but nobody has time for that when they could just be banging their heads. While I do like the longer, more groove-oriented tracks, a shorter one like “Nation to Fear” is impossible to resist. I can see myself rocking out to this near the pit. I don’t pit, though. Your boy’s getting to the point where I get “old man respect.”

As mentioned, I could talk about every track, and it was difficult to spotlight only a few, so I’ll wrap this up with the last track, “Empire.” The groove is in the earlier parts of the track, then speed takes over. It also includes perhaps the best solo on an album overflowing with them. They don’t end the album with a boring fade-out or somber instrumental. They just wreck your living room, then they’re out.

When I first started listening to the album, I was bummed it was only 34 minutes, but also ecstatic they didn’t decide to go the route of so many other thrash bands and push the CD length to its limit.  It didn’t stick with me at first, but after several, repeated listens, I enjoy the hell out of it. If you’re a fan of crossover thrash, thrash in general, or just badass songs and albums, you’re going to enjoy this. The hype is justified.

Featuring former Suffokate vocalist Ricky Hoover (who has beefed up considerably in the 9 years since his Suffokate days), a slew of singles have been released since the band formed, and now on Century Media with Distant and Lorna Shore, expectations are high.

I witnessed Ov Sulfur open for Lorna Shore and Angelmaker (whose Johnny Ciardullo provides the orchestration here), back in 2022, and my feeling about the band was pretty ambivalent in a live setting; some great vocals from Hoover, some good breakdowns and orchestration, but overall a bit underwhelming and the clean vocals (from guitarist Chase Wilson) just didn’t do anything for me. And ironically, that’s how I feel about the band’s debut album as well.

Certainly, one of the bands that rose up from the Lorna Shore explosion in 2021/2022, Ov Sulfur falls into the suddenly hugely popular blackened/ symphonic deathcore category and makes no bones about it. And at their heaviest, they certainly match up to their clear peers with some really nice grandiose orchestration backing some huge deathcore, but at times, generally in the clean choruses, things fall a bit flat and they come across more like  As I Lay Dying or Rise Records band.

The songs all contain a little of both in various quantities, with each song pretty much having some pretty impressive, heavily orchestrated breakdowns and some sort of clean chorus/segue. The songs where it works a little better are the likes of opener “Stained In Rot”, “Earthen”, ( one song with cleans that holds up well), personal favorites “Unraveling” (which has no clean vocals…), and “The Burden Ov Faith” where the brutal elements are a little more of the focus. But on songs like “Befouler”, “Death ov Circumstance”, “A Path of Salvation” (an interlude of sorts), “I, Apostate” and “Wide Open”, I’m less enamored.

As is the norm there are plenty of guests here from Slaughter to Prevail‘s Alex Terrible, Left to Suffer‘s Taylor Barber, Howard Jones (Killswitch Engage, Light the Torch) and Kyle Medina of Bodysnatcher as well as former Cradle of Filth-er Linsey Schoolcraft. The latter of which is the standout as Schoolcraft adds her croons to the standout title track with good effect.

When all is said and done, Ov Sulfur has all the right ingredients to be successful and a unit mover for Century Media, especially after the success of Lorna Shore (which they are clearly relying on), and with the added more commercial vocals. But personally, I enjoyed last year’s albums from the likes of Downfall of Mankind, Bonemaker, A Wake on Providence (whose clean vocals just hit better), and Synestia more.

Now, let’s see what When Plagues Collide and Mental Cruelty deliver with the genre’s next big release later this year.