Though they started releasing albums in 2010, one could argue that the 2011 releases by Entrails (The Tomb Awaits) and Corpsessed ( The Dagger & The Chalice EP) were the label’s watershed, ‘we have arrived’ releases. Of course, Corpsessed waited another three years to release a debut full-length, Abysmal Thresholds in 2014, but by then […]

It’s been 2 years since Ulcerate released Stare into Death and be Still. So if you are fiending for that twisty-turny style of dissonant , experimental death metal, may I offer up Canada’s husband and wife duo, Crown of Madness? With a shared love of video games and death metal, this couple has delivered a stellar, […]

I’m a longwinded guy, there’s no doubt about it, but when it comes to Celestial Extinction, the debut full-length from Australia’s Cryptivore, there is simply no beating around the bush; this album kicks ass, plain and simple. This one-man band from multi-instrumentalist and vocalist, Chris Anning, sounds like anything but, having a full band intensity […]

Canada’s favorite metal weirdos, Voivod, and one of the elite in all of extreme metal, return with their 15th proper studio album, Synchro Anarchy.  Their last 2 return to form albums Target Earth and The Wake have been nothing short of exceptional.  In support of the 2013 Target Earth album I saw them live on […]

Germany’s Scorpions have been around since 1964. That’s 50+ years.  You can say the band was directly influential in starting the metal scene in Germany.  My start to Scorpions music is their 5th album Taken By Force from 1977. My first album was Love At First Sting in 1984 and that’s still my fave from […]

The undisputed heirs to Dismember‘s throne (here’s hoping for a reunion after the 2022 Maryland Deathfest), Demonical is back with album number 7, and as expected, there are absolutely zero surprises or curveballs from a band that features former members of Centinex and Grave.   They can pretty much do this in their sleep. Essentially delivering […]

Rampant mimicry is a large part of metal; Whether in the rip-off or homage category. There are 1000s of Cannibal Corpse clones. Just as many Suffocation clones and don’t get me started on Bolt Thrower and Entombed/Dismember. And those bands have their place, especially as the originals flag or call it quits. Some are really […]

Sometimes production can make me overlook average or bad music. I’ll gladly listen to just OK albums if they have a killer guitar tone. Lord knows Ive got some pretty average CDs in my collection, that I retain merely due to the killer Stockholm HM 2 buzz (I’m looking at you Torture Pulse‘s God Leash), […]

I snagged the debut from Denmark’s Heltekvad due to a trio of things; it features Ole Pedersen Luk of Afsky. Second, Eisenwald is pretty reliable when it comes to black metal with the likes of Fluisteraars and Alda on their roster. And third, the heraldic artwork reminded me of medieval black metal bands like France’s Véhémence […]

Finland’s Desolate Shrine fourth album, Deliverance from the Godless Void from 2017 was and still is a great album,  and five years later here I am reviewing their fifth album Fires of the Dying World 7 songs in 46 minutes. Actually 6, since the opening track is an intro and it’s like a moody classical […]

Here’s a short, tasty review for a short, tasty, 20 minute, 4 song EP from the always reliable FDA Records.  Dead Chasm is an Italian trio with members from a number of mid-tier/obscure Italian acts like Kadaver, Torment, Funest, Stench of Profit, and others. But they have come together to form a very impressive debut […]

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 […]

I have an ex-girlfriend who had a favorite phrase of “I can do it myself” when I would try to help her. She was half joking. Maybe. Cut to us in my kitchen at the time, this phrase came about when I offered to help her with grabbing her drink while cooking, it fell on […]

Fall Of Stasis: “Pssst you, metal review person, wanna review some symphonic, blackened folk metal?” Me: “Nah , I’m a bit burned out of bouncy folky metal, even the last Ensiferum really didn’t enthrall past the first few listens, *sigh* Fall of Stasis: “What if they had a more slicing, viscous edge like The Black […]

Meshuggah is a juggernaut of a band, maybe the heaviest band on the planet. Immutable being their 9th proper studio album – by now you love what Meshuggah does or you can leave them, because their music can be tough to absorb. The band is a machine, that is the best way of describing their […]

As someone who used to watch Monster Hunters, is vaguely interested in cryptozoology, and had to explain to his father that a Discovery Channel documentary spoof including a CGI Bigfoot wasn’t a documentary, nor proof of the existence of Bigfoot, I’m here for Bigfoot-themed death metal. I am also here for unnecessary run-on sentences. Having […]

Jeremy Turner from Unmerciful turned me on to this unique project of Origin lead guitarist Paul Ryan. Ryan called Maentra.  Based out of San Francisco Maentra play a really unique mix of death metal, grindcore, and tinges of industrial. Kundalini Rising kicks off with “Muladhara”.  I was surprised to hear that Ryan does not play […]

Recently I attended a concert of Misery Index and Pig Destroyer.  Of course, the concert raged.  I’ve been friends with Jason Netherton bass/vox of Misery Index and former Dying Fetus member, for over 25+ years.  It was great catching up with him and Jason has a label called The Other Records, which also has a […]

You see that symbol there on the left, emblazoned on the album cover of Crowbar’s new album, Zero and Below? That’s called a fleur d’lis ( Flower of Light), and is regarded as the symbol of the state of Louisiana, the city of New Orleans, and more importantly the logo for that city’s NFL team, […]

It’s amazing what adding a new band member or two can do for a band. After a self-released EP, The Prophet of Disgust, in 2018, Colorado’s Crown Magnetar added vocalist Dan Tucker and guitarist Nick Scott From And Hell Followed With, a decent deathcore band who were actually on Earache Records at one point (and […]

Even though 1976′ s The Bad News Bears taught me not to assume things, I’m gonna…I am straight up assuming that everyone here is a fan of brutal death metal, at least in some smattering or inkling, be it small or large. I’m assuming that we can all get down to  Suffocation, Deeds of Flesh, […]

Around the esteemed Teeth of the Divine halls, unlike a lot of metal websites full of elitists, we like deathcore. The proof of this would be the reviews from Aethereus, Devils of Loudon, Shadow of Intent, Mines of Moria, Signs Of The Swarm, Worm Shepherd, Fit For an Autopsy,  and The Last Ten Seconds of […]

Holy Shit!, Here is a wonderful, unexpected surprise. Back in the mid 00s I was enamored with a band called The Pax Cecilia, who released 2 self-released and free releases with 2004s Ep, Nouveau and 2007s Blessed Are the Bonds, (which I covered back in the day at one of my other review sites Metalreview.com/ […]

I reviewed Ghost’s Meliora when it was released years ago. I did enjoy that album quite a lot, but also felt there was some filler on it.  The more I listen to that album, though, I truly appreciate it and love it.  It’s part of their first 3 albums, which are excellent as well as […]

Here is one of those rare, blind promo grabs that works out, works out really well, as a matter of fact, as Chicago newcomers Burned In Effigy has delivered an exceptionally competent and enjoyable debut album of neoclassically inspired melodic death metal. Starting as an instrumental duo citing The Black Dahlia Murder, Between the Buried […]