Well this definitely on my list for most improved tech death bands of 2020.  Kansas City Missouri’s Ahtme return with their 2nd full length album Mephitic.  I must admit I was a bit ho-hum regarding their 2018 debut Sewerborn.   It beyond clear that the sound of the group has matured a bit and the song […]

I was and still am a big fan of Finland’s Convocation debut album Scars Across from two years ago.  I am already a huge fan of LL from Desolate Shrine and his work with them as well as Lie In Ruins.   Convocation fall into the doom/death category and the debut album enveloped such depressive, heavy […]

So earlier this summer, I got 2 Quebec Black Metal releases to review from Sepulchral Productions, both beginning with ‘S’, both featuring members of other Quebec bands and both being pretty good, atmospheric black metal. First up was Sombre Heritage and the one-man debut Alpha Ursae Minoris, which is pretty solid, and then this debut […]

At this point, Enslaved can do pretty much whatever they want and need no introduction. If you don’t subscribe to that theory, I will fight you. Naked (I do all of my fighting in the nude exclusively). They’re no longer what one would necessarily consider black metal, although they have those influences creep up. At […]

While not overly familiar with Germany’s long-running brutes  Stillbirth, I’ve checked some of their releases via promotional material in the past but never been really impressed to put pen to paper and express my opinion about them, especially as they came off with a bit of a weed-based, tongue in check vibe (i.e song titles […]

Ah, another review that has suffered the effects of long term tardiness due to an extremely hectic life schedule these past few months. Nevertheless, the term “better late than never” does not aptly due justice to the transgression of not getting the word out sooner on the fantastic second full-length offering, Usurper, from the Netherland’s […]

Redemption can come in a lot of different forms. Maybe it’s a worker who was overlooked for a much-deserved promotion, who leaves goes on to find a better job in a better environment. Maybe it’s the closer who gave a up a game-winning home run to a bitter rival during the regular season, only to […]

Fires in the Distance just a few short years ago could have been a metaphor for the United States. Everything was going to burn, but it not yet. I doubt that was the inspiration behind the band’s moniker, but if it was and they decided to change it today, might I recommend the more appropriate […]

Are you ready for some Long Island NY Thrash Metal??  Then give me a Hell Yeah!!  I still can’t hear you!  HELL YEAH!!!.  That’s more like it.  Ok, a little bit of personal info and then onto the review.  I grew up on Long Island and seen Maelstrom live several times on the island back […]

Boy, I have not reviewed a Kataklysm album in years, not since the Digitalmetal.com days. But after rather enjoying 2018s Meditations, I thought I’d give Unconquered a go and see if the band’s 14th (yes 14th!) album grabbed my attention as their last effort did. And yes it has. I’m squarely in the Kataklysm camp […]

Artist: Jesus Wept Filthy. JUST FRIGGIN’ FILTHY. Pull out the surgical tools, maybe tease out that hair? And strap in for this sleazy slab of Carcass-meets-Quiet Riot Death ‘n’ Roll that’s purpose built for sadistic fun. Detroit upstarts Jesus Wept have clearly being doing a lot of homework taking in and learning the ways of […]

So I got three cassettes, the first 3 releases, from new label, Gurgling Gore. So rather than review the 12 songs individually, I thought I’d combine all 3 into a Cassette extravaganza!!!! First up is Wharflurch’s 5 song debut Lurking Doom EP. Hailing from Florida, the curiously named duo (a theme for these releases it […]

I’m not really sure how I missed the release of The Inhabitable Dark, the debut full-length album from Obscene, Indiana’s purveyors of acidic old-school death metal, but I’ll be damned if I didn’t do just that. In fact, it was actually my recent review of the 4 Doors to Death II split that made me […]

Ars Magna Umbrae’s previous album, Lunar Ascension, was a good, but not great representation of post black metal. One standout is that the cover looked like a duck-billed platypus. If you take one piece of information from this review, let that be it. You can’t unsee it. Once you’ve stopped laughing, you need to wipe […]

I thoroughly enjoyed the debut LP, Relinquishment, from Finland’s Ordinance, and it made my year-end for 2014. However, I never heard anything this else for the next 6 years- no splits, no EPs, no news, nothing. Then out of the blue, I get a promo from The Sinister Flame for a brand new album. And […]

Incantation return with their 11th full length album, yes other than track order, Mortal Throne of Nazarene and Upon the Throne of Apocalypse is the same album except for the changed track order and different album cover.  I do digress for a moment – Relapse put out a stunning remaster of Throne… with a bonus […]

So already this year I’ve talked about how HM2 pedals have surfaced in the unlikeliest of places like Indiana (Psychomancer), Chile (Soulrot), and even Ireland (Fleshwolf). Well, here is yet another surfacing in an unexpected place; Tokyo Japan. My experience with Japanese metal, let alone old school Swedish death metal from Japan is virtually zero, […]

What would you get if you placed Hypocrisy, Soilwork, and Children of Bodom in a blender? Well, two things: Several murder charges and a smoothie of which Jeffrey Dahmer would be envious. If you just wanted to mix their musical styles instead of all the people, you may have something similar to Buried Realm. For […]

Member of Immortal Damnation, the 1992 debut from Finnish death metal band Purtenance is one of the best albums of the 90’s.  After disbanding, after the album was released, the band came back in 2012 to release the excellent Sacrifice the King ep. They followed that up the following year with the    Awaken from Slumber […]

This all could have all been so easy. Unleash the Archers has made a habit out of taking big leaps with every one of their releases throughout their young career. Yes – ideally, every band should get better with every record – but the exponential growth these guys have shown as musicians on every new […]

I swear to Christ. I don’t know what it is, but I just cannot seem to get enough of this whole NWOTHM thing going on right now (that’s New Wave of Traditional Heavy Metal, for those of you who don’t know or just hate inane acronyms). I guess it’s just the overall tongue-in-cheek, no-fucks-given attitude […]

If you didn’t enjoy 2019’s Of Rot and Ruin by Hath, I don’t know what to tell you. Despite the fact that I don’t much care for “Star Wars” and I thought the band was called “Hoth” in an homage, I still gave it a listen. When I realized my mistake, I was glad to […]

Well for God’s sake…no that doesn’t seem right. For Satan’s sake? No, that just sounds stupid. For fuck’s sake? Yeah…that sums it up pretty good. Oh for fuck’s sake! After twenty-four years since the release of the band’s debut album, Divine Decomposition, Insatanity have returned with a “sort of” new full-length album of blackened brutal […]

Fuck, I really overlooked this, the fourth album from Australia’s Aversion’s Crown. So, sorry for the belated review. I’ve enjoyed the last 2 efforts (2017s Xenocide and 2014s Tyrant), but can’t say I’ve revisited them much since their release. But holy shit am I glad I revisited this on a whim after hearing the closing […]

I have been a fan of Fargo, North Dakota’s Gorgatron for quite some time.  Back in the day Anal Blast used to play shows with them and I have gotten to see and play on many shows with them since then.  Well fast forward to summer 2020 and we have their Third full length record […]