I’ve been struggling with this review for several weeks now. On one hand I feel its  typically strong Dark Descent release that adds another quality act and release to their excellent roster. But on the other hand, it’s a strange record that struggles with influences, identity and consistency. Notably featuring members of Belgian black metal […]

Battlescarred is an apt title on a couple of levels for Abominant, Kentucky’s Death Metal mainstays, an act with no less than eight full-length albums under its collective bullet belt. Sticking to their bullshit-free USDM approach no matter the trend or the financial risk, Abominant wear those USDM scars proudly, while their brand of scalding […]

Those familiar with the work of Italian hard rock act Wicked Minds will already know guitarist Lucio Calegari and his penchant for vintage psychedelia. For those- like myself- who have gone into listening to Calegari’s Electric Swan without that precedent, it’s enough to know that this is a band fueled with experience and a passion […]

An album title like ”Vulgar Darkness” doesn’t BS about how it’s gonna sound. And for damned sure, those seven cuts on Morbid Execution‘s first, brief full-length literally spike up my morning coffee with a certain pinch of whiskey. Those Polish dudes evidently primarily hail from a punk background, and strong Motorhead worship. Throw in a […]

Decent, if derivative, Dead Southern Bishop’s new self-released EP doesn’t make much of an impression. Their sound is firmly rooted in the southern sludge scene of the late 90’s and early 00’s and is similar to period bands Mugwart and Leechmilk. Being unoriginal isn’t necessarily an issue (i.e. Witchcraft, Orchid or, per this genre, Moloch), […]

Being from Norway I was hoping that Kraanium might offer up something a little different with their third album in their chosen style of burpy slammy gore addled brutal death metal, but as it stands, Kraanium stick to the tenets of the genre rigidly and the end result will no doubt appease the genres fans. […]

Human beings have been obsessed with the ideal of beauty ever since scientific philosophers first tried figuring out when aliens first touched down on little ol’ Earth. In the early days of modern science, many scientists tried—but failed—to come up with a wheel that could naturally spin for all eternity on its own without the […]

So here is another dusted off unearthed Swedish death metal band back from the grave to join in on the genre’s resurgence. And while not a elite act akin to Entrails, Horrendous, Binah or Revel Flesh, Malfeitor to bring a little something different to the reanimation of the genre by way of less direct or […]

As much as I’ve always liked the Japanese Gods of the Deathly and the Doomed (a.k.a. Coffins), I don’t recall enjoying one of their numerous releases on a multitude of formats (probably even 8-track) quite as much as new EP March of Despair. By that I mean that it ended up being more than a […]

Hailing from the same neck of the woods as the recently reviewed Ectovoid, Alabama’s Chaos Inception have dropped a fine death metal album by way of their sophomore album, The Abrogation. And for those that are a little disappointed with Nile‘s At the Gate of Sethu, (or a least its production) and are still miffed […]

Grindcore mainstays Phobia are back with their 6th full length, and on this newest one they made the odd choice to introduce… clean vocals and female gothic influences?!? Ummm… No. This is straight up ass-melting grindcore, and it’s what these guys have been pummeling eardrums with for over 20 years. When you can personify the […]

In my recent quest to discover as much quality D-beat/crust as possible (in part to Southern Lord’s recent releases by All Nails, Black Breath, Pigs Must Die, Acephalix, Dead in the Dirt, etc) two  names came up over and over again as a must listen band in the genre; Tragedy and their apparent European equivalent […]

Something just crept up out of one of the bogs in balmy Alabama and it’s a hideous monster on the prowl to maim and sever anything in its path. That monster is Ectovoid, a new band more or less formed out of the ashes of Bloated Carcass. Cheesy hyperbole aside, the debut album from Ectovoid […]

Newcastle’s prolific drone-doom team is back with another mesmerizing dose of psychedelic drone. Mana Yood Sushai marks something of a milestone for the band, since it is their first release recorded in a proper studio. Last years Beyond Ancient Space was a crushing piece of lo-fi droning doom, dense with foreboding atmosphere. Despite the music […]

Right after blasting District Destruction, I have this prompting, and deliciously fucking overwhelming need to throw myself into a chaotic, earth-shaking, and universe-rippling moshpit of the bloodiest kind. Mortal Infinity are, quite simply, a new thrash force imposing itself on the very forefront of the game; much like the press releases say it, they’re playing […]

The fifth release from young Canadian label, Blast Head Records is easily their best. It’s the fourth album from veteran, but new to me German death metal act Tombthroat, and it’s a scorcher of a death metal album. The 11 tracks contained on Eden Apocalypse are completely relentless, delivering pretty much blast after blast of […]

Did you hear? Finland’s melodic death metal masters Insomnium have renamed themselves as “Be’lakor”! That’s the name of an evil character from the popular Warhammer franchise by the way. Who would have thought that Finnish dudes actually play games apart from eating, breathing and excreting metal music? I lied. Be’lakor is actually a five-piece melancholic, […]

I feel a little bad for California’s Coffin Texts.  They released a Egyptian/Middle Eastern themed death metal album back in 2000 called Gods of Creation, Death & Afterlife, and by all counts it was a pretty solid affair. The only problem was there was also band around at the same time called Nile, maybe you’ve […]

It goes without saying that The Cory Smoot Experiment is truly a fitting name for the material found on When Worlds Collide (for absolutely all the material on here is one daring science project in its own right). It was initially going to be a collaboration between Smoot and a good number of his mates […]

Evolution in metal is an interesting beast, and one that has three distinct paths for bands who decide to travel down its twisty road. Evolve too far and you risk alienating your fan base, and in extreme cases become a virtual laughingstock (Morbid Angel, Machine Head,  Cryptopsy – you all should know exactly which albums […]

First we were treated to the awesome Mantas compilation, and now this. Long out of print and virtually forgotten about the world over, Svart Records is kind enough to deliver the lost demo collection of Abhorrence, one of the pioneer death metal bands of Finland. Comprised of guys who eventually left to play in Amorphis […]

Summer driving season is almost here and White Orange should be at the top of the playlist for all fans of straightforward, acid-fried rock and roll. Their debut is simple, straightforward stoner rock that pays homage to the influence of Kyuss and Monster Magnet, balanced by the catchy pop influence that Queens of the Stone […]

So after a couple of line up juggling, transitional post Destroy the Opposition albums in Stop at Nothing and War of Attrition,  American stalwarts Dying Fetus trimmed down to a three piece for 2009s Descend into Depravity with impressive results. And now finally, John Gallagher has put together two album with the same line up […]

It’s not for nothing that Acid Death has been getting so many accolades in the Greek scene since day one. Their return, with this fifth release is one that is all about broad and boundary-less sonic landscapes, diverse and, for the most part, intricately-forged experimentations, abstract riffage delivery and absolutely meaty groove, in addition to […]

The sophomore release, Formshifter, from Allegaeon refines and polishes what they had established with their debut on Fragments of Form and Function – tight, technical, groove and hook-laden riffs with catchy choruses and blazing shredding all along the fretboard and deep, commanding death growls. Unlike a lot of other technical death metal bands, that like […]