I’ll get right to it- I still think Deafheaven’s Sunbather is a landmark album, black metal or other wise and consider its standout tracks “The Pecan Tree”, “Dreamhouse” and “Sunbather” absolute gems that I still play regularly. However, I wasn’t nearly as enamored with the follow up, New Bermuda as the band tried to be […]

I don’t know how Dark Descent continues to do it but man do they find palpably, pummeling old school death metal bands.  Turkey’s Burial Invocation waste absolutely zero time with their debut full length album Abiogenesis.  Featuring former members of the group Cenotaph I was expecting more of a brutal, gore styled form of death […]

This really took me by surprise. I had never heard of Australia’s Asylum. Judging by the album cover you would think this was a death metal band. Asylum play really good thrash metal and Marquee Records has put together an awesome reissue compiling both of the bands releases. Their Slaughterhouse ep from 2013 and Concealed […]

It looks like a copy of Grave’s Into the Grave and some HM -2 pedals have finally made their way to Russia as the debut full length from Nizhny Novgorod’s Wombripper is a pure, unabashed, primal throwback to Grave’s classic debut. Honestly- that’s probably you all you need to know right? Some Russian metal fans might […]

Considering my love of all things symphonic, especially symphonic black metal and even more especially my love of French horns and brass, you’d think i’d be more aware of Hungary’s Sear Bliss. I have heard the name whispered on the lips of the elite  with 2004s Glory and Perdition often mentioned as a classic black […]

Oakland California’s Abstracter have really conjuring up some gnarly tunes with their 3rd full length release Cinereous Incarnate.  Having not been familiar with this band I was recommended them through word of mouth.  Abstracter do not disappoint with their grime covered approach to blackened/sludge death doom.  From what I have been able to tell from […]

My introduction to Cyprus death metal sickos Vomitile was 2014’s Mastering the Art of Killing and they simply won me over with gnarly memorable riffage, sparse but sick melodic soloing, throaty yet decipherable vocal rasps and an overload of fuck the modern textbook aggression that also took bits and pieces of thrash n’ punk under […]

I’m not too familiar with Veld, so after a little research I discover they are from Belarus, have been around since 1995 and have 3 albums under their belt , including 2015s Daemonic (The Art of Dantalian) , which was reviewed and enjoyed in these very pages. So I thought I’d give album number 4 a go. […]

We all know Comatose Music is known for their incredibly brutal roster of death metal bands that are vicious.  If you were sleeping to long or too busy listening to some country music, than you may have missed former Devourment members splintered off and created a new Texas beast of musical ferocity-Kill Everything, in 2016.  […]

Sometimes as a reviewer, you get a bit burnt out. It often becomes tiring trying to find new and creative ways to describe the vast multitude of styles and genres within the metal universe. In particular, black metal continues to grow, expand and develop, shattering ceilings and pushing envelopes with artists like Deafheaven, Vallendusk, Paths, […]

Here is a solid 17 minute,  2 song independent release from Polish black metal act Mystic Rites. I’m not familiar with the band, but they hit me up on Facebook asking for a review, sent me a CD, so here we are. I have not heard any of the band’s prior out put since 2012, […]

From the dank swamps of the Bayou land comes a double dose of filth on this dirty little split 7”.  Helmed by the Paranoize label which also runs an awesome, seminal zine this slick release introduces a pair of bands that have been kicking around in the underground for a bit now.  WOORMS rams noise-rock/sludge/post-hardcore […]

Wowwee! Chicago’s own Beyond Deth may have just brilliantly answered a question  none of us ever gave a shit to ask. Though after listening to the bands’s debut release, The Age of Darkness, maybe it’s a question that should have been posed long ago. That question? “What would a thrashing death metal band sound like […]

Thy Feeble Saviour is a two piece out of Texas who play some seriously dirty blackened crust. Or is it crusty black metal? While I’m a big fan of organization and lists and categories, does this really need to be pigeon holed into a sub-sub-genre? Here’s what you need to know: And Darkness Fell is […]

Finally we get proper reissues of the first 2 classic death metal albums from Altar.  Altar are still currently active, hail from the Netherlands, but the only releases I was ever familiar with are the first 2 albums, Youth Against Christ from 1994 and Ego Art from 1996.  In conjunction with Urubuz Records and Displeased […]

Reviewing something lovingly created by one of your peers is always a challenge. The balance between being honest yet objective and not destroying friendships or relationships is a hard one. Such is the case with All is Phantom, the debut from Ghostbound a project from the mind of Alec A Head, a man whose reviews […]

I’ll tell you what, Transcending Obscurity Records, is having a strong run here recently. The tiny Independent Indian label has churned out excellent releases from the likes of Jupiterian, De Profundis, Gaerea , Down Among the Dead Men,  and one of the best death metal records of the year in Depravity’s Evil Upheaval,  and that with […]

Barcelona’s Crisix is a great burst of thrash metal energy, an aural red bull if you will.  Hailing from Barcelona Spain, Crisix ( formally Crysis) are a high energy thrash band with a slight injection of fun with a touch of crossover to them. I will say now, I’m not a huge fan of the crossover […]

Following up an EP (I) and an LP (II), English sludgy, post-rockers Archelon drop their 2nd full-length platter, Tribe of Suns upon the masses courtesy of the venerable Sludgelord Records imprint.  Self-professed children of the Neurosis/Isis/Pelican/Burst/Rosetta school of head-tripping, introspective doom-y rock these shrouded heavies do enough interesting stuff with the style to make it […]

The Maori wardance, or ‘Haka’ is one of the coolest, most metal things ever (here’s a video if you have not seen one ), and I’m surprised it has not been more prevalent in metal, especially considering the violence and bloodshed deeply seeded in Maori/New Zealand history. Well here is Auckland’s teenage trio, Alien Weaponry […]

It has been nine years since the last full length Immortal Record All Shall Fall.  Gone is the trademark, raspy grimace of Abbath whose voice had been the nebular raven cadence of the group since all the way back to the first album Diabolical Fullmoon Mysticism.  Enter 2018 and Immortal’s ninth full length studio record […]

” If I don’t listen to my imaginary friend, why the fuck should I listen to yours? People think their worship is some key to happiness. That’s just how he owns you. Even I’m not crazy enough to believe that distortion of reality. So fuck God. He’s not a good enough scapegoat for me” -“Glorification ov […]

Well this album can definitely be called an “onion” album, meaning it has many layers, and I’ll be damned if each one of them are an absolute joy to explore.  Moving away a bit from the previous punishing sound of their last (phenomenal) LP, Monarchy, this 3rd output is an absolutely brilliant album from top […]

Trimming down to a lean duo formation Oakland, MD’s Cavern offer up their best work to date on their third LP, Eater, and fourth release overall for the Grimoire Records annals.  The band was fearsome as a trio and a stellar live show that my eyes bore witness to as well as the classic instrumental […]

The side (now also virtually a solo) project from Marduk’s Arioch isn’t very prolific. But when he does release an album, the world listens as it usually commands your attention. A 6 year wait lingered between the debut full length Salvation, and its follow Maranantha, and now a 9 year wait for the sudden and […]