RECENT ALBUM REVIEWS
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MY REGIME – Peek Through the Pines
My Regime is a thrash metal project of Kayser vocalist/former Spiritual Beggars vocalist/bassist Christian "Spice" Sjöstrand and Kayser drummer Bob Ruben. Their debut album, "Dogma", was an impressive and promising slab of thrash metal in the vein of classic Slayer, Megadeth and some crossover of Suicidal Tendencies, and I remember reviewing it on a now…
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DEAD GIRLS ACADEMY – Alchemy
"Dead Girls Academy is Michael Orlando" informs "Alchemy" booklet. Yet there is no indication that the creator of the now defunct Vampires Everywhere! plays any instruments or does anything beside singing in his new creation, Dead Girls Academy. In fact, there are two guitarist: Christian Thomson and Matti Hoffman, a bassist, Tyler Burgess, and a…
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ATRA VETOSUS – Apricity
Raging and fast-paced black metal with a strong melodic flair to it is what this Tasmanian horde brings to the table and it is a delight to immerse oneself in tunes that are as epic as these. The melodies are rather morose and there are some great harmonies in play on this 8-track offering. On…
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AZAGHAL – Valo Pohjoisesta
Following a majestic and orchestrated introductory piece, Azaghal’s filthy and malevolent black metal explodes from the speakers and never really lets up in terms of aggression and intensity. These Finnish scumbags have been around for quite some time and released way too many demos, EPs, and albums for me to list here, but this unsettling…
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MYRKVID – Demons are Inside
The French black metal combo Myrkvid released this 25-minute EP of theirs a few months back and offer raw, murky black metal that brings to mind early Gorgoroth and the first wave of Norwegian black metal in general. The six songs that constitute the record are quite old-school in terms of atmosphere, arrangements, and riffs.…
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MASTER’S CALL – Morbid Black Trinity
The British black/death metal scumbags known as Master’s Call have conjured up a foul and most sinister 3-track EP appropriately entitled "Morbid Black Trinity" and it reeks of death and darkness. What immediately springs to mind here is how wicked and memorable the riffs are and how well-executed everything is. The arrangements are great and…
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DECEASED – Ghostly White
In 1997, when metal was eating its own flesh whilst simultaneously getting devoured by its "nu" impostor, the Virginian death/thrash heavy metal outfit formed in 1985 (after short tenures of Mad Butcher in 1984 and Evil Axe 1985), Deceased, the first band to sign with Relapse Records (which they left in 2003), detonated the unexploded…
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ROTERFELD – Hamlet at Sunset
Roterfeld, formed in 2011, is a dark rock/alternative pop project of Austrian vocalist and guitarist Aaron Roterfeld. The debut album "Blood Diamond Romance" made serious chart waves in Germany (No. 2), Aaron compared to the likes of David Bowie, and the single ""Great New Life" was selected for the film "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn…
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MAYHEM – Live in Montreal 2017
This digital single containing 2 live cuts by the renowned Norwegian pioneers Mayhem came out last week and it shows that the band have rarely sounded stronger or more focused than they do nowadays. The blackened renditions of “From the Dark Past” and “Pagan Fears” are disciplined and sufficiently tight while simultaneously retaining their morbidly…
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WHITESNAKE – Unzipped – Acoustic Adventures (Deluxe Edition / 5CD+DVD)
The mighty Whitesnake hardly need any introduction at all. They are undoubtedly one of the greatest rock bands to have ever walked the earth and their back catalogue is as inspiring as it is riveting. With David Coverdale at the helm, Whitesnake have remained relevant and a musical force to be reckoned with ever since…
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ART AGAINST AGONY – Shiva Appreciation Society
Instrumental offering "Shiva Appreciation Society" by the obscure International ensemble that is Art Against Agony is a curious mixture of jazz rock fusion, art rock, and progressive metal (or is that post-metal?), but unfortunately, it is neither as cool nor captivating as it sounds. Parts of it remind me of "Scarabus" by the Ian Gillan…
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MAYHEM – Grand Declaration of War (2018 remaster/reissue)
Given that this is a remastered and partially remixed version of Mayhem’s compelling “Grand Declaration of War” opus, I will keep this one rather short and merely tell you that as much as I like the original version of said record, this remastered one is to be preferred and adds new color and depth to…
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KALDVARD – Fossegrimens Pant
The foul duo named Kaldvard is a rather interesting one. Based in the beautiful city that is Bergen and inspired by various Norwegian myths and legends, these guys dabble in melodic and somewhat majestic music that falls somewhere in between black metal and pagan metal. Not surprisingly, quite a few folk metal elements are incorporated…
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FLESH HOARDER – Homicidal Necrophile
A seemingly brand new brutal death metal Texan outfit Flesh Hoarder actually formed in 2011 and right away released "Infatuation With Menstruation" demo which featured tracks re-recorded later on "Homicidal Necrophile" full length. The guitarist and bassist Mike DeLeon did time in Philip H Anselmo & The Illegals so you know we’re talking professionalism and…
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DRH – Thin Ice
This intricate and layered musical offering by the French ensemble is a rewarding listen. Comprised of four studio cuts and two live tracks, "Thin Ice" is a highly eccentric and eclectic mix of rather trippy prog metal, jazz, and 70s-inspired prog rock. Saxophones crash and collide with sharp guitars and deliciously groovy bass lines while…
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DAMON JOHNSON – Memoirs of an Uprising
Following the release of the excellent “Echo” EP and the stunning “Birmingham Tonight” live offering, the brilliant guitar-slinger and vocalist Damon Johnson (Thin Lizzy, Black Star Riders, Alice Cooper, Slave to the System, Brother Cane) is back and this time around we are treated to a full-length album. Exciting? You bet! “Memoirs of an Uprising”…
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ESOCTRILIHUM – Pandaemorthium (Forbidden Formulas To Awaken the Blind Sovereigns of Nothingness
Formed apparently in 2017 by a French multi-instrumental vocalist known only by an esoteric moniker Asthâghul, and immediately debuting with "Mystic Echo From A Funeral Dimension", which I did not get a chance to hear before "Pandaemorthium", Esoctrilihum is a black metal project that seeks to redefine black metal at its core. Its music is…
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BOB ‘ANGELO’ SAWYER – Iron Maiden & Praying Mantis – The Early Days
The ever-awesome Wymer Publiahing, which is housed in the UK, have released some of my favorite books on bands and music out there and "Iron Maiden & Praying Mantis – The Early Days" is certainly no different. The informal tone of the book is utterly charming and Mr. Sawyer tells it just like it is;…
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MORTIIS – The Song of a Long Forgotten Ghost (2018 Remaster)
Given that I reviewed the 2017 tape version of the excellent "The Song of a Long Forgotten Ghost" release by the renowned Mortiis not that long ago, I will keep this one rather short and merely highlight the fact that we are dealing with a properly remastered version of this ancient demo this time around.…
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MORTIIS – The Perfect Reject
This wicked remix album by Mortiis, which is based on his “Perfectly Defect” record from 2010, took me by surprise and quite a few of its songs managed to blow yours truly the fuck away, which is great. Most remix albums fail to add anything cool or vital to the original album version, but I…
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TUSMØRKE – Osloborgerlig Tusmørke – Vardøger og Utburder, Vol. 1
These prog-loving weirdos from Norway’s capital city are insanely creative and productive; "Osloborgerlig Tusmørke – Vardøger og Utburder, Vol. 1" (now there is a title for you!) is their third album in just a year. This is pretty much how the prog giants of old did it back in the 70s. How cool is that?…
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SADIST – Spellbound
The Italian progressive death metallers had to wait three years post formation to present their remarkable debut "Above The Light" (1993) to the world, a wonderous amalgamate of Death and Slayer with additional heavy keyboards of Pestilence’s "Testimony Of The Ancients". True, the long compositions, and especially keyboards passages tended to be a little self…
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SKINLESS – Savagery
Formed in 1992 out of the ashes of Gorebag, split up in 2011 and reformed in 2013, according to bands’s own bandcamp description, Skinless "pile-drives the standard death metal formula and rallies fans with the forward-charge of wreckage-provoking vocals of Sherwood Webber, demolishing beats of Bob Beaulac, and ravaging riffs of Noah Carpenter and Dave…
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DRUJ – Chants to Irkalla
The US death/doom metal horde known as Druj have conjured up their first full-length assault and dropped it onto the unsuspecting masses via the ever-brilliant Godz ov War Productions. I must admit that I am quite fond of many of the bands and releases associated with the aforementioned label and this captivating 6-track offering fits…
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BERNIE TORME – Shadowland
To yours truly, the Irish-born guitarist Bernie Tormé (Gillan, Ozzy Osbourne, Desperado) is a living legend whose remarkable solo albums are criminally overlooked and underrated. That he is still going strong and sounds as inspired as ever is insanely admirable. To be perfectly honest with you, I did not think that it would be possible…
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SUNSET FORSAKEN – Chameleon Waters
Sunset Forsaken is a freshly formed one-man project of a Russian multi-instrumentalist Andrey Tollock, himself the sole member of the black metal project Heissem. I discovered this gem when I was offered Heissen’s new album "Panacea For A Cursed Race" download for a review (coming soon), and, after hearing it on bandcamp, having requested its…
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PILEDRIVER – Rockwall
The German outfit Piledriver used to be a Status Quo tribute act, but nowadays they do albums containing original material. However, it has to be said that their own songs certainly have the Status Quo blueprint to them and possess all the boogie rock ‘n’ roll trademarks that we associate with the aforementioned legends. This…
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BESRA – Anhedonia
The brand spanking new avant-garde/sludge/post-Metal band Besra consists of five experienced musicians, former members of Callisto, Rites of the Youth, While I’m Alive and Cassie. This new outfit seeks to create music that is at once heavy and oppressive, atmospheric and medidative, psychedelic and hypnotic. "Anhedonia" comprises just 4 tracks under 40 minutes length with…
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RED READ/UNDEAD VISION/SON OF A SHOTGUN – Sons of Red Visions
"Sons of Red Visions" is a rather cool split CD containing material by three different international metal bands, namely Red Dead (France), Undead Vision (Switzerland), and Son of a Shotgun (Norway). The latter is essentially a one-man project by Blood Red Throne’s Ivan "Meathook" Gujic, but it also features the mighty Hellhammer (Mayhem, Arcturus) on…
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REMEMBER THE LIGHT – The Outcome
The French outfit known as Remember the Light is an interesting one. This self-released record of theirs starts out with melancholy piano tinklings and moving strings only to explode into a full-on symphonic metal assault. The strong female vocals, the epic atmosphere, and the bombastic riffs immediately stand out and the music is catchy and…
