Hope for the Dying is the first release on the recently re-launched Strike First Records (a subsidiary of Facedown Records that released records by the likes of War of Ages, Sinai Beach, Inked In Blood, Jesus Wept and Bloodlined Calligraphy), and though its basically a repackaged version of the bands demo from earlier in 2008, […]
Its been 3 year since the debut, Devour the Power, and I knew just judging from the cover and the album title, that Tennessee’s purveyors of uber cheesy fantasy based metal was going to up the ante from the debut-and they do. Cut from the same heavily bearded and classically inspired cloth as 3 Inches […]
Delivering the same intense yet singularly paced style of mechanically precise black/death metal akin to Krisiun, Zyklon or even Crionics and The Amenta (without the cyber elements), Belgium’s The Reckoning (formerly known as Infernal Legion) have delivered a solid second album, that won’t change the genre, but it’s a pummeling, relentless listen. Truthfully, I really […]
As I detailed here , and to save some time, basically Order of Ennead is a continuation of label and line up hampered act Council of the Fallen, who released two very solid albums of blistering black/death metal in 2002s Revealing Damnation and 2004s Deciphering the Soul. Both I which I highly recommend. However, of […]
Here’s another old school death metal effort featuring vocalist Roger “Rogga” Johansson who has graced bands like Ribspreader, Carve, Paganizer, Edge of Sanity, Deranged and recently, Those Who Bring the Torture. This time he’s helped by guitarist Rober Bustabad of Machetazo and drummer Phlegeton of Wormed (who plays drums here). Ultimately the sound of Banished […]
Was there really such a demand for the video from Lair of the Minotaur’s last album that it has to be put out on DVD with unrated and TV edit versions? Apparently so, so Southern Lord has put both versions of Gary Smithson’s video on a DVD along with behind the scenes interviews and footage, […]
From 1997’s Lupine Essence to this years upcoming Crógacht, Germany’s Suidakra have been one of metals most consistent yet underrated acts. Whether plying Celtic/folk ish black metal as their early releases, or melodic death metal like their middle set of releases the core of Arkadius and Marcel Schoenen have forged on under the Suidakra banner […]
After hitting the melodic death metal jackpot with Arsis’s debut back in 2004, after a small wait, Willotip appear have tried their hand in uncovering another melodeath band in Houston’s As Eden Burns, though it has less spectacular, if solid results. While certainly a busy melodeath metal band similar to Arsis, there’s a lack of […]
Not to be outdone by Metal Blade’s group of teenage deathcore kids, Fate, here come Mediaskare/Century Media with their own group of growling, blasting, shredding, breakdowning kids plucked right from the halls of a San Diego High school. Though most might cringe at yet another group of snot nosed kids who can’t even buy a […]
Neither as influential as country mates In Flames, Dark Tranquillity Dismember and such and not as prolific as the likes of second tier acts like Centinex, Sweden’s Diabolical has been on the periphery of Sweden’s melodic death metal elite for over a decade now, with only two acceptable but hardly groundbreaking albums in 2001’s Synergy […]
Listen up, if you enjoyed Burst’s more adventurous, experimental and unpredictable take on the whole Post Rock genre with Lazarus Bird, just go ahead and grab the fourth full length album from this Swiss quartet. Now. Former Digitalmetal writer John Gnesin had always told me to check these guys out, long before the genre exploded […]
Another year another Six Feet Under album, but surprisingly like 2007s Commandment, Barnes and Co. appear to be back on track after a couple of albums of suck. With a change in producer and studio from Erik Rutan and Mana for Commandment to Chris Carroll at Morrisound, Death Rituals sounds a bit rougher and analog-y, […]
Well, Profound Lore has done it again. This time finding a self described “English Heritage Black Metal” metal trio from the UK comprised of member of Atavist and Wodensthrone. I’ve often wondered, with our rich history, why there are not more UK bands (though Iron Age Records appears to have uncovered a few) plying metal […]
In my line of work, I’m all about first impressions. I will generally make a snap judgment about a person and determine their veracity within about 30 seconds. Luckily, this does not apply to metal albums and reviews, because if I had simply relied on first impressions, Among Flies would have been album of the […]
Here’s a pretty solid debut EP from French act Diluvian (meaning a “deluge”) that combines melodic death metal and modern polished brutality (I hate to use the term deathcore here) into a impressive 5 song EP that holds a lot of promise. Though I’ve seen the term ‘deathcore’ thrown about in regards to this release […]
Hailing from Algeria in North Africa, Devast play a form of jagged, choppy, twangy technical death metal, that while fits all the paradigms of technical death metal, has a little of its own character and differs from the sudden flurry of California tech death that’s assaulted the scene of late. The 8 songs on this […]
Though some may consider The East coast and Florida the main stays of US death metal, but for the home of technical, brutal death metal, you need to consider that in California there are such amazing death metal acts as Deeds of Flesh, Vile, Brain Drill, Decrepit Birth, Odious Mortem and Severed Savior, who after […]
Seriously people, its about time we start talking about New Hampshire’s Trap Them as one of the US’s best kept metal secrets, as with their second full length album, the band has once again delivered a sonic donkey punch that mixes crusty chaos and hardcore (think Converge), Rotten Sound and the midrange pummeling of Wolverine Blues […]
2008 was a pretty good year for melodic, contemporary hard core with the likes of Verse, Have Heart, Brothers, Take It Back and the almighty Killing the Dream. Yet here comes this nautical themed debut from this awesome SoCal three piece featuring members of Graf Orlock and comes close to taking the throne of 2008s […]
Way back in 2005 before metalcore and deathcore annoyed everyone, The Classic Struggle released their solid debut, Feel Like Hell, and at the time was one of the heavier displays of the genre I had heard. Fast Forward three years and unfortunately The Classic Struggle like With Dead Hands Rising and Embrace the End, simply […]
Great, another group of kids playing off the wall spazzy, crumbly, squealy deathcore. Except this lot are named after a Mitch Hedberg joke, have lots of samples (including Dane Cook and Anchorman), goofy song titles and quirky synths and an oh so quirky sense of humor. And somehow they’ve done this for 3 fucking albums […]
The third in Willowtip’s excellent recent grindcore revival trilogy (Phobia, Kill the Client), Maruta (a Japanese name for the collective victims in the infamous Unit 731 war crimes) ironically lies somewhere between the two as they mix furious, relentless modern grindcore with a more classic power chord driven sound. Seething blast beats feral screams, deep […]
Despite the switch from Deepsend to Unique Leader, little has changed in the Lecherous Nocturne camp. They still feature Mike Poggione (Monstrosity, Carpharnaum) on bass, they still unleash blistering blackened death metal, still under 30 minutes in length, and its still pretty good stuff. Coming it at 28 minutes, compared to Adoration of the Blade’s […]
Though I was very impressed with this young act’s debut, Akeldama back in 2006, my recent experience of them at this year’s Summer Slaughter, and exposure to their new material left me somewhat unimpressed. Whether it was the lack of full time keyboard player, the more experimental material, or just an off night in a […]
I’ve enjoyed watching Light This City evolve from their rough and ready debut The Hero Cycle in 2003 to through their brilliant third album, Facing the Thousand , to what is now their swansong, Stormchaser, a mere five years later. The band has evolved from a mere At The Gates worship to a powerful, polished an […]