Aoria was a side project of sorts when it was created several years ago by a trio of supremely talented Swedes: Erik Nisson (A Swarm of the Sun, Kausal), Niklas Sandin (Katatonia) and Robin Bergh (October Tide). For various reasons, the band was put on hold and enjoyed a loyal, underground cult following. Finally in […]
Warning: this review breaks the record for Opeth references. Initially, the first few minutes of this unannounced release hinted at some sorted of pretentious, Proggy, SPV/Sensory type release, with wafting clean vocals and sharp, stuttering progressive riffage. However, about three minutes into opener “Glimpse of What May Be” guitarist Daniel Cordoba unleashed a Akerfeldt-ian bellow, […]
With standouts such as Between the Buried and Me, God Forbid, Darkest Hour and Jungle Rot, it’s safe to say that Victory Records is one of the top labels when it comes to metal/extreme music. In addition to the above bands they are also quite well known for the large number of metalcore/deathcore bands on […]
Colorado’s Execration aren’t doing anything particularity innovative or new within death metal on their sophomore album, but they do death metal pretty well and add a little resin driven intellectual brutality to their standard US death metal throes. With a sound I can only term as “Colorado-ish” there’s some Cephalic Carnage complexity (especially vocally) and […]
First off, I am most honored to be writing for Teeth of the Divine. Instead of routinely misspelling the URL (long domain names are a problem spot for me), I can now have it saved to my favorites and see my work alongside some rather top-notch writers. Prior to this, I was editor for Blistering.com, […]
After five years of toiling around in obscurity in their native Canada, brutal death metal newcomers Paroxsihzem, with the help of Dark Descent Records, have re-unleashed onto the world, their 2010 self-titled debut full-length album. Sporting a raw, crude production, the album is a whirlwind of vicious riffs, raucous noise and sheer nastiness. In short, […]
Sorry this review is so late, but ya know Rome wasn’t built in a day… I wasn’t ever really that enamored with Romulus, the first release of Ex Deo, the epic, Roman themed side project headed by Kataklysm frontman Maurizio Iacono and most of his Kataklysm buddies. It seemed little more than unused Kataklysm riffs […]
Italy’s Caronte sound something like Electric Wizard fronted by a super baked Glenn Danzig. They channel the Wizard’s occult atmosphere from Witchcult Today, and the more straightforward stoner doom of Sloth’s Voice of God for their debut full-length Ascension. Thick, burly guitars, Oborn-esque leads, and big swinging riffs that transform into cultic atmospheres congeal for […]
I usually prefer some memorable riffs in my death metal, but sometimes ample atmosphere and heaviness is enough. And, that’s where this 4-song demo succeeds. You won’t be humming any part of it afterward, but you might be haunted by it. It begins with an ambient piece that sounds like dark energy echoing from the […]
I’ve had a hard time getting into any of Zeitgeister Music’s recent releases (Woburn House, Skarab, Klabautamann), but after seeing so much praise heaped upon Valborg and their previous albums and most current release Nekrodepression, by many of my respected peers and close friends in the metal journalism world, I felt I should give another […]
The obvious way to kick start this beast of a review is blatant as all heck, but since I won’t go outta my way to repeat the info all across the board, and I intend on treating the analysis the same way I always do with any kind of a band, be it a super […]
From the label who in 2012 alone was responsible for the likes of Resurgency, Ectovoid, Flagellated Seraph, Malfeitor and Decaying comes yet more very tasty old school death metal by way of two EPs from Turkey’s Engulfed and Greece’s War Possession. Formed by two members of the now defunct Burial Invocation, who themselves released a […]
Portugal’s A Tree of Signs offer yet another entry into the increasingly crowded style of 70’s-inspired, occult doom rock. Drawing influences from Jex Thoth, Blood Ceremony, Witch Mountain and of course Black Sabbath, A Tree of Signs offer just enough of their own quirks to avoid sounding like a blatant rip-off of their influences. The […]
Hailing from Sweden and with a name like Fetus Stench, you’d be forgiven for thinking that the debut full length album from this death metal act was of the old school, Stockholm-y kind. However, rather than dust off some old Entombed riffs and go for the obvious sound, Fetus Stench go for a different influence […]
Twelve songs in 22 minutes. And two of the songs are a combined 9 minutes of play time. You do the math and this equals grind. Ferocious, venomous grind. North Carolina’s Torch Runner are devastating, and on their debut album, Committed To The Ground, these guys waste no precious seconds in letting the listener attempt to […]
Neurot knows how to pick ‘em. After releasing two monolithic slabs of brain frying doom from Ufomammut this year, they once again reach across the Atlantic to release the latest from sludgy Belgian doomsayers Amenra. Mass V marks the band’s fourth full-length and first release for Neurot Recordings. It’s got the same panoply of sludge, […]
Those of you who enjoyed releases from Canada’s Cephalectomy including their sophomore effort Eclipsing the Dawn and their final release- the free download- An Epitaph for Tranquility take note. Barra Xul is basically the same band and sound by two of Cephalectomy‘s main guys, founder/guitarist/vocalist Cory Andrews (also of Select and Dismember) and bassist Scott […]
As is the norm around this time of year, myself and others in the field are still filtering through the slew of late 2012 releases and as is often the case, unearthing late year gems that simply could not get reviewed in time for the end of 2012. And such is the case with the […]
Porcupine Tree’s affiliation with the larger metal community largely dates back to Steven Wilson’s acclaimed production credits on several of Opeth’s albums; most notably Blackwater Park. Of course many metalheads would have already had the highly rated British prog-rockers on their radar but it was evidently the buzz from Wilson’s outstanding production and guest spots […]
Back in the early ’90s, Australia’s Armoured Angel seemed poised for greatness. After garnering a cult following throughout the ’80s with their energetic brand of speed/thrash, the Australian three piece — consisting of twin brothers, Joel (drums, vocals) and Matt Green (guitar), and founding member, Glen “Lucy” Luck (bass) — had evolved into something much […]
Remember when Mastodon were a good underground metal band rather than the commercialized, major label juggernaut they have become? Remember Remission and Leviathan? Philadelphia’s Swarm of Arrows remember, and with The Great Seekers of Lesser Life they have delivered a slightly burlier, gruffer take on Mastodon-ish rumbling, tumbling metal. First off, all four members deliver […]
Darkest Origins is a Split release between two primitive, raw black metal bands- California’s one man act Hæresiarchs of Dis, who has three full length albums under their belt, the last two being on Moribund Records, and the international (US, Croatia and the Netherlands) act Ophidian Forest who have 2 self released albums to their […]
I’ll be honest, the French (Canadian) spelling of the word ‘nuclear’ is about as threatening as George W. Bush’s ‘nucular’. Also, when you title your album Unrelenting Fucking Hatred, that sets all kinds of warning signs that this is not going to be particularly original. However, given that this project was started by Lord Worm […]
Based in Southampton in the UK, Hummune is a trio that play a form of groovy, down tuned metal that culls from the likes of Helmet, The Deftones and such but with just a dash of more heavier tones of groove era Gorefest (Soul Survivor/ Chapter 13) , Machine Head and it very heavily recalled […]
Black metal has been a very hit or miss genre for me. My main experiences lie with Immortal, and the popular and oft-criticized Dimmu Borgir. But I enjoy branching out from the death/grind spectrum of metal that dominates my speakers, and decided to grab the new Grief of Emerald. After doing a little research, it […]