“While we all have lots of bands who influence still… we all rip off Meshuggah.” -Devin Townsend I mention this quote because, despite my opinion of them (I do not much like them, kind sir), their influence and impact on modern heavy metal cannot be overstated. This is not to say Entheos has or ever […]

2018 saw the release of the debut album Warning Blast, by international band Siege of Power.  I mean with a band name, named after one of the best Napalm Death songs ever-you cannot go wrong.  Featuring members of Asphyx, Autopsy, Grand Supreme Blood Court, Hail of Bullets, Infidel Reich…I mean I can go on and […]

As heralded by their single “Rebirth” (which appears on this album as a remixed bonus track) from earlier this year,  one of the UK’S leading deathccore/slamming death metal acts, Ingested is a band reborn. Now a three-piece consisting of drummer Lyn Jeffs, guitarist/backing vocalist Sean Hynes and vocalist Jason Evans and aided on this album […]

Despite their early impact and influence, I’ve never been more than a casual Defleshed fan, for some reason preferring Hypokras, Carnal Forge, Darkane, Dew Scented, The Crown and I.N.R.I for my hyper-speedy, thrashy, melodic-ish death metal in the late 90s early to mid-00s. I own 1997s Under the Blade and 1999s Fast Forward, but both […]

Music critics are idiots (myself included). Especially so when it comes to reviewing what can pass for a “big” release. Of course, this is metal, so that’s relatively speaking. If they say it’s the best thing since the blow job was invented, you can rest assured it sounds like pretty much everything else out there, […]

Sometimes a promo comes out that I just need to review. The promo in question here is Revocation’s new slab, Netherheaven. However, it was about third or fourth in line, I thought I had a lot more time, and then the boss comes in, knocks my macaroni and cheese off my desk into my lap, […]

Nergal, the controversial frontman for black/death mainstays Behemoth is basically that kid in school who everybody thinks is kind of aloof, doesn’t talk to anyone, and people somehow like. That is until he gets his license, drives by you in his new convertible his parents bought him with the top down, hair flowing, listening to […]

Ho hum, album number 12 from these now fully established scene veterans, who have blown up in one of metal’s most consistent and best-selling acts. And if past logic shows us anything this should be a better Amon Amarth album based on the band’s affinity for good, then not as good, then good then not […]

UK’s NWOBHM band, Satan, have been around since the late 70’s. During their long career they changed their name a few times (Blind Fury, Pariah) which may have hurt their long-term popularity. Under the Satan name they have released, 5 albums and Earth Infernal their 6th. In 1986 I picked up their new ep on vinyl Into the Future, bypassing their […]

Can you believe a brand new recording from Bay Area Thrashers, Vio-Lence, after close to 3 decades?  I would never have guessed it.  Seeing the band lay waste at the Thrash of the Titans benefit show for Chuck Billy and Chuck Schuldiner, back in 2001 was one my live highlight experiences for sure.  Maybe the […]

Oh hey – just in time for World War III, AKA “The ACTUAL War to End All Wars” because this time around we’re all packing that doomsday-level heat. Sick. Seriously, for what its worth, who better to ring in the potential end of days, right? We’ve all been looking over at Vladdy-boy saying “Hey. HEY! […]

“This is great, but maybe a little too long” is a phrase that comes to mind when describing Allegaeon’s new album Damnum. Not when it comes to describing my penis, though. Kind of the opposite. That’s not why we’re here. If you are, though… Call me. I’ll leave my phone number coded in this review, […]

My top 3 most anticipated albums of 2021 were Gojira, Wolf King, and Rivers of Nihil. I may also be forgetting some. However, Gojira was massively disappointing, Wolf King exceeded my expectations, and Rivers of Nihil probably have no chance of a reaching the heights I believe this band can achieve. So, it’s already clear […]

I rather enjoyed the 2017 debut, Flesh Hammer Prophecy, from this German Dismember-loving band. However, I somehow completely missed the 2019 follow-up, The Harvest, (which has since been rectified) where the band made the jump from FDA Records to Metal Blade, much like Entrails, and have now unleashed album number 3. From the opening strains of […]

Can you believe Violence Unimagined is the 15th album from Cannibal Corpse?  Talk about an achievement in death metal.  Seriously is they wanted to break-up now who could blame them?  They have accomplished more than enough and have given back to the death metal scene an enormous amount.  Of corpse I do not want that […]

It’s 2021, there’s a new The Crown album out on Metal Blade Records, and they’ve decided to throw everyone for a loop by going to all clean choruses. Just. Fucking. Kidding. You already know what this sounds like, at least mostly, if you’re familiar at all with the band. If you’re not, I’m not sure […]

 The Ocean and I share a lot in common; It’s vast, salty, and sailors consistently die in it (what?). As for the band, the same rings true; They’re progressive, comprised entirely of Germans, and good for a release every couple of years (again, what). Since we share so much in common, it only seems fair […]

According to the press release, this is full length number 17 for Smokey McPots (Chris Barnes). Apparently, there are 4 Graveyard Classics albums. Why? Anyway, I have 14 of those albums according to my iTunes library. I hold their debut Haunted in very high esteem, but the first real death metal record I ever heard […]

Holy Smokes! I was fortunate to review Cult of Lilith’s debut EP Arkanum back in around 2015. Back then Cult of Lilith was still trying to find their sound and were a bit more tech-death oriented. Fast forward to 2020 and we have their first debut full-length album Mara. Hailing from Rejavik Iceland there are […]

For some reason, we didn’t review the last album from the British stalwarts, Anaal Nathrakh, A New Kind of Horror, despite reviewing the band’s album pretty consistently from blistering the debut, The Codex Necro, through personal favorite Eschaton, more direct Vanitas, to 2017s The Whole of the Law. But let’s be honest, does it really […]

Through every metal fad I’ve seen rise and fall over the years, I don’t think any swept me up so thoroughly in its current than the explosion of Folk Metal in the early/mid 2000’s. The mighty, but refreshingly upbeat and peppy sounds of bands like Finntroll and Turisas wormed their way into my ears and, […]

Falconer holds a special place in my heart. Their 2003 album The Sceptre of Deception is one of my favorite power metal albums of all time. I was quick to find out, however, that this was not the definitive lineup of the band. At this time, they were operating with vocalist Kristoffer Gobel, with whom […]

Epic doom isn’t really my thing. Well, it never used to be. Sure, one of my favorite vocalists of all time is Ronnie James Dio. I have no children, so the closest I have is my black cat and his name is Dio, so that’s the best tribute I can give. Side note: I picked […]

Well, imagine my surprise when I was perusing the promos and found a new release from one of my most favorite bands, Behemoth. It’s not a new full length, unfortunately, but an EP titled A Forest, which has two versions of the song by the same title originally recorded by The Cure. There’s a recorded […]

With over 10 years (and counting) as an IT professional, I was definitely intrigued when combing the albums to review here at TOTD, and saw one called Master Boot Record.  I was like “wait a second (as my IT nerd-dom kicked in)… that’s an interesting name for a band.”  Without reading too much I previewed […]