RECENT ALBUM REVIEWS
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DEMOLIZER – Post Necrotic Human
RELEASE YEAR: 2023 BAND URL: http://www.demolizerthrash.com/ Something I have not presented in a good while here is a thrash metal album and it just so happens that the Danish quartet Demolizer has released their 2nd (after Thrashmageddon²⁰²⁰ 2 years after conception as Demolizer) full length creepily named Post Necrotic Human²⁰²³ on July 4th on Mighty…
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EDGE OF PARADISE – Halo
RELEASE YEAR: 2023 BAND URL: http://www.edgeofparadiseband.co/ Also American and not that far removed in vein from A Dark Halo (whose 2nd full length I’ve just reviewed giving it a 5/6) the Californian alternative rock and metal quintet Edge Of Paradise released their 5th album Halo²⁰²³ on Frontiers Records on July 14th to follow Immortal Waltz²⁰¹⁵,…
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INFERNAL ANGELS – Shrine of Black Fire
RELEASE YEAR: 2023 BAND URL: https://lnk.to/shrineofblackfire This is my first encounter with the ceaseless barrage of occult black metal spawned by the horde known as Infernal Angels, and having explored its content for the umpteenth time I must say that I find the unsettling offering a cohesive, sufficiently layered, and intriguingly dark piece of work that…
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A DARK HALO – Omnibus One
RELEASE YEAR: 2023 BAND URL: https://adarkhalo.bandcamp.com/ As Fear Factory gets its second breath after losing the original extraordinary vocalist Burton C. Bell, numerous bands crop up inspired by Fear Factory’s phenomenal combination of metal, industrial and electronics they dubbed cybermetal. Then, of course, some additional genre melding is expected, nü metal riff here, progressive passage…
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VEGA – Battlelines
RELEASE YEAR: 2023 BAND URL: https://www.vegaofficial.co.uk/ The previous full-length effort by these awesome British rockers was good albeit slightly uneven to these ears, but this crisp sounding new opus by the quintet is a totally different story. In short, Battlelines is Vega doing what they do best, meaning there is an abundance of tasty hooks, phenomenal…
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OCEAN OF LOTION – LouiLouiLoui
RELEASE YEAR: 2023BAND URL: https://www.facebook.com/oceanoflotion/ Saucy, entertaining, eclectic, and above all highly uplifting, the sparkling new opus by Ocean of Lotion is the kind of thing that is impossible not to dance to unless you are a sourpuss or completely dead inside. What you get is synth-driven pop containing catchy melodies, an endless supply of…
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CRYFEMAL – La Gran Victoria del Mal
RELEASE YEAR: 2023 BAND URL: https://lnk.to/lagranvictoriadelmal The manic and maniacal brand of fiercely intense black metal spawned by Cryfemal rarely fails to excite me. As with the solid and morbidly entertaining 2020 offering titled Eterna Oscuridad, this upcoming 30-minute shroud of musical darkness delivers a proper kick to the abdomen and sounds outright vicious and insane.…
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DEADSPACE – Unveiling the Palest Truth
RELEASE YEAR: 2023 BAND URL: https://lnk.to/unveilingthepalesttruth Infinitely bleak and outright oppressive soundscapes envelop the mind when digesting the ominous content that makes up the latest offering by the Australian black metal duo known as Deadspace, and we might as well establish the fact that this is one of the year’s most captivating releases. Now that we…
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INFINITY – The Untamed Hunger
RELEASE YEAR: 2023 BAND URL: https://lnk.to/theuntamedhunger To be perfectly frank, it has been a long time since I last listened to this highly potent and efficient black metal duo from the Netherlands, which makes very little sense as I was really into their Enter Thy Labyrinth of Hell assault from 2005, but I am thrilled that…
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CARTHUS – Images Of Tyranny
RELEASE YEAR: 2023 BAND URL: https://carthus.bandcamp.com/ It’s raining independent debuts here at ER so, after the British death thrash groovers Lokust now comes the Australian progressive melodic death metal folk quintet Carthus with Images Of Tyranny²⁰²³ released on July 21st just 3 years after formation. What stands out the most are the band’s extraordinary skills…
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RIVAL SONS – Lightbringer
RELEASE YEAR: 2023 BAND URL: https://www.rivalsons.com/ No other outfit executes raw, vibrant hard rock quite like Rival Sons, and it is always a treat to hear and experience what these skilled Americans are up to in terms of their live activities and studio work. As to the latter, what we have here is their upcoming slice…
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BLACKBIRD ANGELS – Solsorte
RELEASE YEAR: 2023 BAND URL: https://www.facebook.com/traciiguns/ Blackbird Angels turned out to be a very cool and pleasant surprise in that it sees such skilled musicians as Tracii Guns (guitars), Todd Kerns (vocals), and Adam Hamilton (drums) teaming up to deliver a raw and raunchy slab of blues-infested hard rock. Two things that immediately came to mind…
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ANDERS BUAAS – The Witches of Finnmark (reissue 2023)
RELEASE YEAR: 2023 BAND URL: https://andersbuaas.bandcamp.com/music Anders Buaas is without doubt a musical genius and a bit of a visionary, which is perfectly illustrated by this much-needed reissue of his renowned The Witches of Finnmark opus, or rather the first part of the trilogy. What we have here is atmospheric instrumental prog rock with bucketloads of…
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LOKUST – Infidel
RELEASE YEAR: 2023 BAND URL: https://www.6lokust.com/ Since heavy metal was arguably invented in the United Kingdom, and, specifically in England, it’s been fascinating to watch the Americans “hijack” it and arguably make it better but then observe the Britts emulate that previously emulated music in pursuit of their own sound. This complex conclusion I’ve reached…
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STATUS QUO – Official Archive Series Vol. 1, Amsterdam 2010
RELEASE YEAR: 2023 BAND URL: https://www.statusquo.co.uk/ This nicely packaged offering by legendary British boogie rockers Status Quo is a real treat to the eyes and ears; the booklet, band pictures, and overall layout look killer, and the actual musical content kicks ass. Recorded at the well-known Heineken Hall in Amsterdam back in October of 2010, these…
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THE CHRONICLES OF FATHER ROBIN – The Songs and Tales of Airoea – Book 1
RELEASE YEAR: 2023 BAND URL: https://fatherrobin.bandcamp.com/album/the-songs-tales-of-airoea-book-1 Sporting a great moniker and an even greater line-up featuring some of Norway’s most awe-inspiring prog rock musicians from acts such as Wobbler, Tusmørke, and Jordsjø, it goes without saying that this album is something that many of have been looking forward to for some time – me included. High…
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RONNIE ROMERO – Too Many Lies, Too Many Masters
RELEASE YEAR: 2023 BAND URL: https://www.facebook.com/ronnieromeroofficial/ Ever since becoming acquainted with the insanely talented singer Ronnie Romero thanks to a certain Ritchie Blackmore and his re-forming of the great Rainbow back in 2016, I have done my utmost to follow Romero’s career and work. His discography appears rather vast these days as he’s been working with…
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ERLAND DAHLEN – Racoons
RELEASE YEAR: 2023 BAND URL: https://erlanddahlen.bandcamp.com/album/racoons Talk about being overwhelmingly surprised by something that turns out to be so much cooler and more captivating than anticipated – yes, that is exactly what this original and uniquely crafted LP by legendary drummer Erland Dahlen (Madrugada, Stian Westerhus, Nils Petter Molvær Group) is. How to describe this evocative…
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ASTRALBORNE – Across The Aeons
RELEASE YEAR: 2023 BAND URL: https://astralborne.bandcamp.com/ Other than the perfect debut from Majesties Vast Reaches Unclaimed²⁰²³ I reviewed here I have not run into a melodic death metal album recently that would so clearly echo the Gothenburg founding fathers of the genre (At The Gates, Dark Tranquillity and In Flames) while remaining fairly unique, that…
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PRONG – State of Emergency
RELEASE YEAR: 2023BAND URL: https://www.facebook.com/prongmusic/ Receiving a promo album by long-running New York metal act Prong always a brings a smile to my face, and not merely because they have a nostalgic effect on me due to their records from the 90s having had a big impact on me but because they always seem to…
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TARJA – Rocking Heels: Live at Metal Church
RELEASE YEAR: 2023BAND URL: https://tarjaturunen.com/rocking-heels-live-at-metal-church/ Tarja Turunen hardly needs any introduction, and she is undoubtedly a much-loved and highly praised vocalist by fans of symphonic metal and gothic metal (and with good reason I might add as she possesses a rather unique and charismatic voice). Rocking Heels took me by surprise as it features live…
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BUSHMAN’S REVENGE – All the Better for Seeing You
RELEASE YEAR: 2023 BAND URL: https://bushmansrevenge.bandcamp.com/album/all-the-better-for-seeing-you What a magnificent piece of work this cleverly written opus by jazz rockers Bushman’s Revenge is. Six beguiling compositions that add something fresh and vital to the genre are what lie in store for you, and there is atmosphere and dynamics in spades throughout not to mention that it is…
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ROTTEN COFFIN – The Agony In Slumber
RELEASE YEAR: 2023 BAND URL: https://rottencoffin.bandcamp.com/ You may ask why I am reviewing a 2022 album in the middle of 2023. After all, the debut full length from this Portuguese death metal trio was released on December 10th by Escaravelho Records last year to follow the independent demo Suffering, Chaos And Death²⁰²¹. However, Bitter Loss…
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DEGREED – Public Address
RELEASE YEAR: 2023 BAND URL: https://degreedmusic.com/ The Swedish hard rock sensation Degreed are back with a follow-up to last year’s near-flawless Are You Ready, and it goes without saying that I had been looking forward to cranking Public Address up real loud in the living room. I shall keep things short here and merely state that…
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FIRES IN THE DISTANCE – Air Not Meant For Us
RELEASE YEAR: 2023 BAND URL: https://firesinthedistance.com/ While (or why) I hadn’t hurried to review the second album, Air Not Meant For Us²⁰²³ from the Connecticuter quartet as soon as it was released on April 28th on Prosthetic Records, it gave me all the more pleasure to realize how excellent it was once I sunk my…
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BLASPHEMOUS FIRE – Beneath the Darkness
RELEASE YEAR: 2023 BAND URL: https://godzovwarproductions.bandcamp.com/album/beneath-the-darkness This is my first encounter with this unholy Juggernaut from Portugal, and I must say that I am well and truly impressed with their work. Unnerving and vigorous death metal with a menacing aura and a dissonant edge to it is what you get here, and Beneath the Darkness is…
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DWAAL – Never Enough
RELEASE YEAR: 2023 BAND URL: https://dwaaldoom.bandcamp.com/album/never-enough Ever since the outstanding Gospel of the Vile opus saw the light of day in 2020, I have been eagerly awaiting a follow-up to that crushing piece of work. The arrival of Never Enough is imminent and you might as well start preparing for it now, because this is one…
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PIXIE NINJA – Hypnagogia
RELEASE YEAR: 2023BAND URL: https://pixieninja.bandcamp.com/album/hypnagogia Fresh, clever, and inventive are words that immediately spring to mind when trying to sum up this highly engaging offering by instrumental prog rockers Pixie Ninja, and there can be no doubt that these Scandinavians are flying the flag of musical innovation high. Darkly atmospheric yet playful and eclectic, the…
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VYPERA – Race of Time
RELEASE YEAR: 2023 BAND URL: https://www.facebook.com/Vyperaofficial Vypera hail from Sweden and dabble in hard rock and heavy metal that harken back to the eighties in terms of sound and style, which is usually a very good thing in my book, but sadly, this sophomore effort of theirs is a bit disappointing in that it lacks those…
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SOULCARRION – Soulcarrion
RELEASE YEAR: 2023 BAND URL: https://godzovwarproductions.bandcamp.com/album/soulcarrion The Polish death metal squadron Soulcarrion impressed me greatly by means of the rotten and highly efficient Infernal Agony full-length assault last year, and this short and lethal 4-track EP basically offers more of the same, which means that you get a batch of killer tunes that evoke the spirit…