I loved and reviewed Yoth Iria’s 2020 debut ep Under His Sway and it was my favorite ep for 2020.   These ex-members of Rotting Christ and current members from Necromantia and Lucifer’s Child are writing machines as they have now unleashed their first full length As the Flame Withers and this is my first review of […]

I’m embarrassed to say I’m new to this Austrian atmospheric/post-black metal duo and their 4 prior albums, despite some familiarity with their previous band, Viking/Pagan themed black metal act, Bifrost. It appears to be a criminal oversight on my part, as I delved into the band’s back catalog to prepare for this review and the duo […]

The craziness of 2020 just kept rolling in. Did it not? Hell, everytime I thought I was about to get somewhat caught up in my “real” job and life, another curve ball of some shape or form got thrown my direction, ultimately taking time away from one thing to give to another. Nine times out […]

“What’s up with that fart box guitar tone?” This is the response I received from one of my best friends when I sent him the promo video for the Bloody Hammers song “What’s Haunting You.” He is a producer, engineer, musician, sometimes front of house for a large metal band, and an overall audiophile. His […]

I have been a big fan of Brazil’s death/thrash all female band Nervosa since their 2014 Victim of Yourself debut album.  I reviewed that album and interviewed the guitarist Prika Amaral and then vocalist/bassist Fernanda Lira.  Both were super cool and totally into the old school death and thrash metal bands and really loved paying […]

Let’s go ahead and get this out of the way immediately. The man behind Crawl Below goes by the surname of Charlie Sad Eyes. Now, if you’re finished being pretentious and judging a book by its cover, go ahead and push up those black framed glasses. There’s work to do. By work, I mean reviewing, […]

Jeeeezus!  San Francisco California’s Ominous Ruin debut album is here and it’s a hell of a first effort. If it is conceivable to think of a heavier Spawn of Possession or Archspire these guys might very well be in that mix. “Ritual” kicks off this forty-six-minute clinic in riff fury and intensity. Guitarist Alex Bacey […]

Well, Well! 2021 is getting started with some pretty fun metal releases right off the bat.   Founded by former members of Enfold Darkness the Final Tyranny wastes zero time in getting the listener’s attention with opening track Tyrannical Reign of the Deceiver.” The opening drum fill leads to a very aggressive beginning of a very […]

With some promotional tag lines stating this was ‘Extreme Finnish Symphonic Metal’, I grabbed this promo right away as anything symphonic’ gets my attention, and I had never heard of this band before, so a new find in the genre is always a positive. And I’m glad I did, this is really good stuff. The […]

When it comes to Tribulation, you already know where you stand. I’m sure this will be in a certain print publication’s top albums of the year, whether or not it is deserving. For me, their peak was their debut album, The Horror. Yeah, I’m going to be that guy. So, that brings us to their […]

What happens when you get members of Gravehill together, throw in some female vocals, keyboards and the drummer from past bands like Morgion and Crimson Relic?  Well you get a doom metal outfit called Stygian Crown releasing their self-titled debut album….and it’s heavy. This is a 2020 release and yes I know it’s 2021, but […]

What a Time to Be Alive, indeed, Werewolves. If you missed last year’s  The Dead Are Screaming from these guys, you’re a damned fool and no friend of mine. If you had told me before this promo dropped in my hands (figuratively, of course) that we would see another album from these Australians so soon, […]

I grabbed this promo based on 2 things; 1) the fact it’s on the UKs Clobber Records, who released the excellent Argesk debut last year, and 2) I’m still on my melodic/atmospheric black metal kick from 2020 that comprised of over half of my year-end list. Norfolk’s (not too far from my old Fenny stomping […]

Witchwood flew into my radar last year, just like the owl on this album cover.  This Italian progressive Hard Rock/Classic metal band has two previous albums-their 2015 monster 80 minute Litanies From the Woods, their 2016 Handful of Stars and now their third album, Before The Winter.  Witchwood play a type of music that sounds […]

Sweden’s Wombbath have been very busy since their 2014 reformation. I initially thought it would be just to record 1 album but no as the band has recorded a full 3 full lengths as well as this, I guess you can call fourth full length however this is more of a fun walk down memory lane. 2020 […]

Yo, bro, do you like deathcore? Well, bro, do you, bro? I don’t know why I decided to start this review in such a way, but I figured I would just let you, dear reader and disciple, know what you’re getting into immediately. So, if you want to back out, I get it… but not […]

Ever since I can remember being really cognizant of technology’s stranglehold on modern society, I’ve known deep in my heart that it would one day kill me. Don’t worry, I’m not delusional enough to think I’m some kind of visionary on that philosophy. Science fiction has been trying to warn us of the perils of […]

As if Transcending Obscurity Records didn’t already kill it with phenomenal releases in 2020, we now get the sophomore effort from Heads For the Dead who are made up of: Ralf Hauber on vocals, Ed Warby on drums and Jonny Pettersson on all other instruments.  The band’s 2018 debut Serpent’s Curse flew past me in […]

Greece’s  Misanthropy Apotheosis released their debut album, Black Death Euphoria, in 2018.  I have perused it, but need to go back and spend some more time with it.  It’s pretty brutal and well-played death metal.  It was self-released and really went unnoticed.  Since I love all obscure bands I was very happy when Repulsive Echo […]

Australia’s Abramelin reformed in 2016 after lying dormant since 2002.  Century Media Records released the phenomenal 3cd collector’s edition Transgressing the Afterlife: The Complete Recordings 1988-2002.  The complete material of the band, even since their Acheron days. Abramelin released several killer and brutal death metal albums back in the mid 90’s and in 2000.  I […]

Wisconsin based,  metal collaboration (Shroud of Despondency‘s Rory Heikkila, Khazaddum’s Luka Đorđević and Enabler’s Brian Serzynski), Prezir (Serb-Croatian for ‘contempt’) is back with album number 2 after dropping a vicious little ep in 2017 and a solid full length debut on 2018 and the now trio, appears to really have further honed in on a […]

There are a lot of hard-working guys (and girls) in metal (it’s not like one band pays the bills… or 10 for that matter). I submit to you Adam Clemans as one of them. He does vocals for more bands than I can remember off the top of my head: Skeletonwitch, Wolvhammer, Noose Rot, Shaidar […]

Ever wonder what it would sound like if you mixed Disgorge with Malignancy? Germany’s Focal Dystonia is absolutely melting my brain and may be answer to my own question.  Featuring guitarist Floor Van Kujik (Korpse) and drummer Florent Duployer.  This one would have completely missed my radar had a not just randomly took a chance […]

Some three years have elapsed since we last heard from rising Italian crew Shores of Null. Following a confident, hook-laden debut in 2014’s Quiescence, the band’s 2017 follow-up, Black Drapes for Tomorrow, while solid, struggled to capitalise on their impressive first act. Nevertheless, Shores of Null possess an intriguing sound, a brooding mix of melancholic […]

2020 has been an unbelievable year for the new wave of Traditional Heavy Metal, with the last quarter of the year especially being a veritable battleground of bands vying to solidify their place on everyone’s year-end list. Wytch Hazel, Spirit Adrift, Megaton Sword, and of course Eternal (FUCKING) Champion have all landed monstrous haymakers that […]