This four-track EP comes by way of the apparently now defunct Enucleation Records (the cassette was released on Detest Records), and yes, it’s from 2009. The cover, which brings to mind the artwork for Morbid Angel’s Domination, depicts an adorned and rather slimy-looking entrance to a temple, what one can only assume to be the […]

Inferno’s Black Devotion is another 2009 release that got stuck in my pile of discs that didn’t see the light of day until recently. Better late than never, right? Anyway, it seems appropriate that this one stayed buried until the coldest time of the year because it is utterly without warmth. These 11 tracks of […]

As the name might give away, For the Fallen is not happy-sunny-funtime music, and as such, should not be played at parties — unless, of course, the party is a funeral. Then it might be appropriate. France’s Mourning Dawn is the creator of this extreme exercise in depression and paranoia. It’s an unsettling slab of […]

Primal and unadulterated hate is what fuels Slovenia’s Bleeding Fist, as is evident upon hearing Bestial Kruzifix666ion, which — spelling aside — is a most excellent release. The four purveyors of morbid sounds comprising Bleeding Fist (with evil/awesome names like Infernal Karburator and Krieg Maschine) trample listeners with earful after earful of satanic, raw black-death-thrash. […]

Like the deadly bacteria lying dormant at the bottom of your gut, Witchmaster sits and waits until the time is right for them to resurface in a choking, splattering, sickly mess that ruins your golf game or whatever the fuck else you had planned for the day. Their last grime-encrusted offering, a self-titled album released on Agonia Records, came out five years ago, and now the wait is over for Trucizna, a hellacious, gnashing beast that saw its US release in November courtesy of the invulnerable Ibex Moon Records. Axe-slinger and original member Kali talks about the new album, Polish extreme metal, and just not giving a fuck.

I feel like I’m supposed to dig Goreaphobia based at least partially on their pedigree, if for nothing else — one that boasts members who’ve spent time in Incantation and Absu, a fact which should entice death metal enthusiasts to give the band a shot — but sadly, I don’t. Debut full-length Mortal Repulsion, on […]

When reviewing the latest release by a group with a back catalogue such as Hypocrisy‘s, the question comes up of whether to compare it to previous releases in terms of “success” or whether to let it stand alone. I’ll try to do a bit of both in this review, because it’s only fair. Hypocrisy‘s timeline […]

Writing this review was difficult due to the fact that Croire, Décroître sucked my brain into a black, abysmal hole from which no reasonable thought could come (at least temporarily). Initially the whole thing felt without emotion, like something glossy that could be appreciated but not cherished, but once I got to the core I […]

First impressions of the debut from Greece’s  Cerebrum, Spectral Extravagance are mixed. Is it brutal death metal? Tech-death? Jazz-prog-death fusion? Something -core? To be honest, after repeat listens, it’s still a bit confusing. According to label Lacerated Enemy Records, Spectral Extravagance is “progressive tech death.” The overall gist comes through, but it seems necessary to […]

Though it was originally released in 2008, Father Befouled’s Profano Ad Regnum was re-released this summer on vinyl. Now, not having heard the vinyl version, I couldn’t tell you the difference in quality. My guess is that it still sounds like it was recorded in some dank, primordial dungeon, someplace that hasn’t seen sunlight in […]

With an ever-changing roster of members, the only constant in Vader’s lineup for the duration of the band’s 26-year history has been guitarist/vocalist Piotr “Peter” Wiwczarek. While the man must be either completely dedicated or insane to grind the axe that long, it’s clear that his vision has remained focused through the years and leagues […]

It’s interesting how, sometimes, listening to something in a different language doesn’t initially catch you off guard. Such was the case with Thornafire‘s Vorex Deconstrucción, which is sung (if you can call it that) entirely in Spanish, a language that I myself am in the process of learning, although not quickly enough to understand what’s […]

Boston’s Ravage, one of the newest bands to join Metal Blade’s ever-growing roster, sure does have a strange discography. With more than 10 years and two full-lengths under their collective belt, the group has more EPs, live albums and demos than you can shake a studded stick at. They even have a best-of album (which […]

Though still on a similar wavelength as their last effort, Crescent Shield’s newest release, The Stars of Never Seen, is more grandiose, more expansive, and packs less punch. The NWOBHM-paced gallop woven into 2006’s excellent The Last of My Kind has gone by the wayside of a looser (and more progressive) sound. Progressive is not […]

You’ve heard the phrase “never judge a book by its cover.” In metal, this aphorism generally doesn’t apply. An album’s artwork usually gives at least some insight into the type of music you’re going to hear. The cover art for Assaulter’s Salvation Like Destruction is misleading, though-a birdlike monolith stretches its wings against an ominous-looking […]

Heralded as “the new breed of heavy” by guitarist/producer Joey Z, Misery’s Fifteen Years of Aggression should deliver the goods. Technically. While the band is undoubtedly heavy, the tried-and-true brand of metal that they play is anything but original. This is your typical metal/hardcore hybrid, the kind of music that local bands play each weekend […]

Rape Pillage & Burn get things started off on the right foot with Songs of Death…Songs of Hell — the click of a trigger, a shotgun blast to the face, and damn, you’re on your way. Considering the utter lack of frills or niceties in this EP’s five hell-fueled tracks, the album’s introduction is a […]

Funny that a band from San Antonio should be named after the Norse god of winter, don’t you think? Hod takes their moniker from blind Hodur, the son of Odin who murdered Balder, a god most often likened to the sun. So what happens when crushing Texas brutality meets cold Norse mythology? You get Serpent, […]