Expectations are high for Decrepit Birth’s third album. The wide spread acclaim for 2008’s Diminishing Between Worlds set the bar high, and many, including myself, thought the band simply peaked at the right time with their choice to add melody to technical death metal. Throw in a shift from Unique Leader to Nuclear Blast and […]

In recent years, a few hard rock efforts from members of black metal groups have crossed my desk. I’m not really sure what the connection between black metal and old school hard rock is, but apparently there is one. The latest is Black ‘n’ Roll from Black River, featuring members of Behemoth, Dimmu Borgir, Neolithic […]

After days or weeks of reviewing band after band and reviewing album after one can get a little jaded and burnt out on the music scene. Then you come across a band that is raw, passionate and honest with their music. This was my situation, I was getting a little burnt out, a little jaded…and […]

In the 11 years since Ratt‘s last (and quite poor) album, the band has had several up’s and down’s. Lead singer Steven Pearcy has been in and out with Jizzy Pearl taking his seat in his absence(s), a few guitarists have attempted to take Robbin Crosby’s place (may he rest in peace) including ex-Motley Crue […]

If your version of industrial metal starts with Ministry and ends with Rammstein, then you haven’t heard Front Line Assembly – particularly their pulverizing 1994 release Millennium. On that album, Bill Leeb and Rhys Fulber (yes, the same electronic wizard who collaborated with Fear Factory on Demanufacture and Mechanize) took riffs from Sepultura’s Arise and […]

You are witness to a unique event. This review is literally written at the end of what is known as a ‘bender’. According to the urban dictionary: “A term commonly used to describe a period of time (preferably more than 24 hours) spent escaping life’s harsh realities (marriage, work etc) Consumption of alcohol and drugs […]

I’ve handled a lot of atmospheric, forward-thinking material on the site in the past few years, so by now, I know if I get a black metal assignment, it’s going to be something interesting. Or, at least I hope so, because it’s those gems, twinkling in the darkness, that really make this gig enjoyable. So […]

When Sepultura and Max Cavalera parted ways in 1996, fans were the ones who got the shaft. Instead of the thrash powerhouse we’d had up to that point, we got two mediocre acts that, while both having their moments, never came close to delivering anything with the power of Arise or Chaos A.D. Over the […]

Helstar is one of those bands that should have been much bigger than they were. Whatever the reason, they just never seemed to rise above club Metal status. This particular crumbling of the cookie never hindered the band from putting out what are arguably absolute classics in the realm of American power metal. I am […]

Melodic Death Metal is still alive and kicking it seems. Hell, even Soilwork released a surprisingly good record just the other day. Yet, the stagnation and overcrowding of the genre doesn’t keep newcomers away, as Germany’s Cypecore want their piece of the cake with Innocent. Apparently released two years ago as a demo, now reissued […]

I’ve already contemplated about the state of French metal in a few other reviews this year, so I won’t dwell on subject too much. In fact, I’m getting rather tired of being surprised by the quality acts that stem from France; it would be refreshing to receive something that could be labeled as garbage. But, […]

In most thrashy melo-death combos, vocalists are dumped in mid-tour for other dudes, and nobody, band or audiences, notices. Not so with Mosfet. As of Sickness of Memory, the most memorable item on hand is  their singer. Go figure. Anyway, he’s a dude somewhat tersely named Phil. This Phil, he’s all about  the cool death metal swagger, […]

One of Dark Descent Records’ other first CD-releases is the debut from Turkey’s Burial Invocation, and it’s a very promising―4 tracks and 18 all too short minutes―old school death metal that culls from many influences, but most heavily the likes of Bolt Thrower and a smidgen of classic old school Floridian death metal. One only […]

“Give it all, my son, to the hooded one.” – Executioner Here’s an album that came out at the beginning of 2010 but is definitely deserving of a spot on the TOTD reviews list seven months later.  Released on indie Planet Metal, Züül‘s Out of Time will be a worthy competitor for album of the […]

So here is new label Dark Descent Records and their first CD release, the debut from Texas/Missouri trio Beyond Hell. Featuring Eletrokutioner (Decrepitaph, Father Befouled, Festered) on drums and two other dudes, you know what you are getting: Filthy old school death metal, that culls from the US scene. Namely Eletrokutioner’s bands, as well as […]

While Starkweather are not particularly prolific, when they do stagger into view, they carry a big fucking stick. After a 10-year hiatus, they returned with 2006’s blistering Croatoan, one of the best records of that year. And after a 4 year wait (though some of this material is from the Croatoan sessions) they have returned […]

Portugal’s Crushing Sun opens their newest album Tao with a Nevermore-ish riff, pummeling the listener right off the bat. While that’s pretty much where all the connections to the Seattle-band end, Tao is heavy – and by heavy, I mean crushingly so. On all of the promo sheets, the music’s being labeled as ‘progressive death […]

Denmark’s Pretty Maids have spent the better part of 30 years putting out their brand of melodic heavy metal music. Always striking a balance between barn-burning metal aggression and near-AOR catchiness, the band has been arguably one of the more consistent bands in our beloved scene. Never quite achieving the success of contemporaries like Def […]

Rise from Ruins is the debut release from melodic death metallers, Posthuman, hailing from the Netherlands. The album really does contain some solid death with fierce guitar work and also brings in some atmosphere with futuristic-sounding keyboards. The album starts out with an interesting intro in which you hear the news on the radio broadcast […]

Today we offer you a thorough look at Korn’s―yes, Korn’s―latest album ‘Korn III: Remember Who You Are’. Have we gone insane? Is our belief in Heavy Metal faltering? Lack of judgment? Are the recent heat waves to be blamed? Or perhaps, just perhaps, we actually have something worthwhile to say? See for yourself!

I’ve been an Annihilator fan since I heard the first strains of album opening instrumental “Crystal Ann” from their 1989 debut Alice in Hell. By the time the second track, “Alison Hell,” was over, I was devoted. The band’s been through some ups and downs over the years, but they always seem to bounce back […]

Fourteen Twentysix is a musical extension of Chris van der Linden – a solo efforts of sorts. Aside from a bit of help here and there, Lighttwon Closure sees the Dutchman doing pretty much everything and anything. I’m always a bit wary of such projects, as they tend to set their goals far higher than […]

HOLY FUCK. HOLY FUCKEN FUCKITY FUCK FUCK. So there’s been a pretty nice movement of retro death metal resurrecting the old Stockholm sound in the last few years; bands from back in the day reforming (Séance, General Surgery, Evocation, Interment), some nice odes and homage’s (Chaosbreed, Kaamos, Hail of Bullets, Bloodbath, Lifeless, Rib Spreader, God […]

Just as black metal keeps mutating into even more virulent strains, thrash continues vomiting up fresh new abominations as well. Not exactly sure what to call Australia’s charmingly titled Vomitor – necro-thrash seems to be the best fit, as it seems a filthy antipodal cousin to Darkthrone and Mayhem, as well as newer, bestial black […]

I’m a bit of a collector of offbeat recordings. I love strange stuff like (good) parodies, metal tunes covered by groups in other genres (and vice versa), metal Christmas tunes, etc. Given that, and the fact that I’ve always been a closet fan of flamenco guitar, Flametal’s Heavy Mellow was a must-listen for me. Guitarist […]