ANCESTRAL LORE – Behind the Night Horizon

About a month ago, the French one-man band named Ancestral Lore released this 7-track offering both digitally and physically with the latter being a CD limited to 50 copies. The music that mastermind Christoph Florian has conjured up here is deeply rooted in pagan metal, folk metal, and black metal, which is to say that…

INANIMATE EXISTENCE – Clockwork

It took this San Francisco Bay Area progressive/technical death metal ensemble 8 years and 5 albums to finally create something fans of Morbid Angel and Death could equally enjoy in "Clockwork". The two aspects of the band’s sound: the brutal technical death and the progressive melodicism have been there from the start but they were…

ASSATUR – Where Chaos Reigned

Finnish death dealers Assatur have compiled a rather foul and grimy slab of ugly metal and unleashed it via Great Dane Records, and if you consider yourself a fan of old-school death metal ala Autopsy, Grotesque, and Morbid Angel (the first couple of records), this one might just do the trick for you. With an…

CRYPTOPSY – live at Blå, Oslo –

      Cryptopsy, Demonical, Ingested and Gloryhole Guillotine Concert Review   Having seen Cryptopsy several times before, only once in Norway though, in Bergen so I knew what to expect. Previous experiences at big festivals aren’t definitely the same as to have the opportunity to see them at a smaller scene and a smaller…

HANDS OF GOD – Blueprint For Self Destruction

Stop looking at the world through rose-colored glasses! See the propaganda and the misery your government, your church, your schools are bringing on the planet and its inhabitants every day! Life is hard and merciless! Only the strong survive! I don’t really have to read the lyrics (not that they’re available) to this Californian hard…

ONDFØDT – Dödsrikets Kallelse

The sinister Finnish horde labeled Ondfødt turned out to be a rather (un)pleasant surprise for yours truly in the sense that they were an unknown entity to me and that I had not come across any of their music by chance beforehand. Then again, it is pretty fucking magnificent when one receives a quality release…

DREADNOUGHT – Emergence

The fourth full length from Coloradoan progressive doom metal ensemble, despite sounding very little like it, reminds me a lot of Panegyrist "Hierurgy" album: lengthy, convoluted compositions with hooks you have to look for with a fine tooth comb and a magnifying glass. Specifically to "Emergence", you appreciate the vocal and instrumental Tool meets The…

SLUDGEHAMMER – Antechamber

Another one of Asher Media Relations/Jon Asher-backed outfits, the Canadian death/thrash/groove metal ensemble could not be more aptly named. SLUDGEy riffs delivered with mechanical precision and weight HAMMERed down your ears, surprising outbursts of understated melody and growling vocals supported by backing clean power metal-like croons guarantee great fun for the listener. But the follow…

ÆVINTYR – Gjest Baardsen

Opening with a chilling beautiful intro ("Gud Trøste Meg") consisting of strings and a rather morose sample, it immediately becomes clear upon listening to this 9-track opus by the Norwegian ensemble known as Ævintyr that we are dealing with something heartfelt, passionate, and altogether different here. While the words and lyrics are by Gjest Baardsen…

FINAL COIL – The World We Left Behind For Others

Back in the early 90s when heavy metal was challenged and briefly defeated by one of the biggest trends in music, alternative rock/grunge, two bands immediately stood out from the trend, perhaps, arguably, because neither belonged there in the first place: Alice In Chains and Tool. Both bands didn’t even start as alt rock/grunge but…

SOULIMAGE – Human Kind – Animal Mind

This sophomore offering by the man known as Rob E. Soul falls somewhere between synth-driven electro-rock and the self-titled record by Paradise Lost from 2005, which is to say that there are plenty of guitar-driven and heavy metal-esque elements to this 12-track album by Soulimage, but at the same time it all comes across as…

ATLASES – Penumbra

We know that bands release carefully crafted demos to attract labels, but how many release extended play records (EPs) which perfectly show their versatility and fullness of their potential AFTER securing a label? Such is the case with the Finnish post-metal group, Atlases, formed in 2017. The almost immediately released 5 song EP "Penumbra", their…

TANKOGRAD – Totalitarian

“Totalitarian” by the Polish doom metal horde Tankograd is a truly oppressive affair that is as emotionally charged as it is intense. Imagine a cross between Centurions Ghost, Jex Thoth, Sabbath Assembly, and Eyehategod – that particular intersection is where you will stumble on the ugly fuckers that constitute Tankograd. Also, if you are on…

SÓLSTAFIR – live at Hulen, Bergen –

The musically stimulating and highly slippery entity that is Sólstafir paid the cozy and dimly lit venue that is Hulen a visit last night, and that turned out to be pretty fucking amazing experience for those of us who attended the gig as the progressive Icelandic ensemble chimed in with an exhilarating performance that left…

PARALLEL MINDS – Every Hour Wounds…The Last One Kills

Rarely is progressive metal truly original. Most of the time, bands emulate Dream Theater’s first three albums or Queensryche’s first five with classic Iron Maiden thrown in while abusing the technical fretboard beyond rhyme or reason. It is the exceptions to this pattern, such as the French ensemble, Parallel Minds, which truly show progressive metal’s…

WHITESNAKE – Flesh and Blood

The renowned Whitesnake fronted by the legendary David Coverdale (ex-Deep Purple) hardly need any introduction at all as they have more or less shaped the bluesy hard rock landscape ever since the band’s inception back in 1978. It has been quite a while since this amazing cast of musicians released a proper studio album containing…

NACHTFALTER – Was Bleibt

This 10-track debut offering by the skilled German duo that is Nachtfalter is an interesting one. Rooted in gothic metal and featuring some rather prominent guitars that provide bombast and punch to the compositions, this record shows both talent and a huge dose of potential. In short, these morose dudes have a pretty firm grasp…

DOOMCULT / TALSUR – Nameless

I usually don’t care for splits. In fact, I am pretty sure this is the first split I ever reviewed. Splits seem to be cries for love from potential labels with the songs so great so as to encourage seeking the bands’ regular material only to be dissapointed because they saved the best for splits.…

WARFIST – Grünberger

This foul Polish duo specializes in raging black/thrash metal that kind of sounds like an unholy mixture of Exodus and Aura Noir. Bestial Mockery, Old, Witchmaster, early Sodom, and the Norwegian outfit Tyrann also come to mind here and there. What really works in favor of this 10-track onslaught are its sharp and precise riffs…

LIGHTFOLD – Deathwalkers

Progressive heavy metal albums can be either some of the most inventive and engrossing experiences or some of the most lifeless, uninspired and boring ones. This Greek ensemble, here on their 2nd full length, puts on a great instrumental show around an insightful lyrical concept, with a particularly fantastic lead guitarwork, oscilating stylistically somewhere between…