Six full length and a decade in and Greek esoteric crusaders Acherontas have unearthed the treasure once again. Amarta showcases all that Acherontas does so well – beautifully melodic guitar work, crushingly brutal blasting, mesmerising control over rhythm and pacing, otherworldly atmosphere and a ritualistic feeling that is both uncomfortable and a good place to…
Gnosis is the 7th full length from Czech BM act Inferno. This time around Inferno continue to explore the boundaries of modern BM, reaching for an introspective, nightmarish type of discordant psychedelica to complement their more aggressive side. This type of thing has been attempted by many BM and Post BM acts over the last…
Cloaks of Oblivion is the third full-length studio album from Slovenian thrashers Eruption. This is my first encounter with this band and I am very pleasantly surprised. This is excellent stuff. Eruption are not the most raging thrashers on the scene. Instead they opt for an approach with galloping mid-paced, Bay Area influenced chugging, with…
Earth Electric is the latest project from Mayhem’s Rune ‘Blasphemer’ Erikson. No, hang on, it isn’t really a project – this is a fully fledged band. In terms of genre this one is pretty hard to describe. This is a slice of retro-but-modern hard rock that references Porcupine Tree, Pink Floyd and Deep Purple. The…
The Infinity Complex is the second full-length from Canadian thrashers Torrefy. The style reminds me of the more metallic and progressive sides of Ludichrist and Crumbsuckers as both bands shot off into the black holes of their demise. So soundwise, that is a good thing as far as I am concerned. And certainly, Torrefy are…
There are quite a few Abhorrences out there but this lot is the Finnish one. Originally active from ‘89 to ’90, they played some fairly typical (for the time) northern European death metal. Possibly a bit too brutal and raw to pass for the kind of thing that was coming out of Sunlight Studios at…
Lycan Twilight Sorcery is the debut ‘mini full-length’ from Greek BM duo Cult of Eibon. It is listed as an EP on Metallum, but in fact at 32 mins runs longer than Reign in Blood, so go figure. This is a very cool album from an act that I will be following from this point…
New York’s Black Army Jacket were active in the 90’s, contributing heavily to the powerviolence movement. Their music was a schizophrenic, grinding maelstrom of violence that showcased influences from the hardcore scene, punk, crust, grindcore and even black and death metal. They were one of the earliest bands that Municipal Waste drummer Dave Witte…
Well here we are with album number 9 from Finnish Black Doom outfit Barathrum. If you haven’t heard these guys before the crushing twin bass wall of sound will come as something of a revelation. It does exactly what you want metal of this sort to do – it kneels on your back and smashes…
Obeisance to a Witch Moon is the fourth full-length from Swedish Black Metal purists Grafvitnir. In terms of style, this isn’t the most modern sounding, harking back to second wave Scandinavian tropes with plenty of blasting, icy tremolo picking and ghoulish vocals. However, I don’t have a problem with any of those things. In fact,…
I don’t go for quite a lot of modern death metal. I dislike the generic cookie monster vocals, the triggered-to-shit drums and the self-conscious attempts at things like adding fruity fretless bass lines in an effort to be progressive or of filling every gap with a dozen sweeps in the hope that someone will call…
Coven is the third full length release from Cultes Des Ghoules. Conceptually, it is a pretty awesome undertaking. The 5 songs clock in at around 100 minutes in total. Then, there is narrative, atmosphere and an approach that makes it feel as if you are attending the world’s first true black metal opera (and just…
Next up we have a reissue from hardcore/powerviolence act Spazz. Funnily enough Tankcrimes released Sweatin’ I & III in 2016, so this one is slightly out of step in the chronology, but it offers up all of the same fun as last year’s releases. Sweatin II is taken from various spilts over ‘95 and ’96,…
Xoth are one of those ‘great but low profile‘ bands that it is all too easy to miss or pass up on with the slew of releases coming out each week. In fact ‘Invasion of the Tentacube’ was quietly released in late 2016 to minimum fanfare. Hopefully this review will help bring the band to…
Funeral Twilight is the third full-length opus from LA powerhouse Dreaming Dead. Members include front-woman Elizabeth Schall (some of you out there might be familiar of her work with death/grinders Cretin). The first thing that hits the listener is the production – really warm and crisp, this brings out the melodic properties, while simultaneously harnessing…
German black metallers Paria have been around for over 15 years now, popping up here and there with an LP or EP, never really seeming driven to be the most productive and busy kids and on the block. Their sound owes a lot to orthodox BM but they always seem to find a riff here…
Swiss duo Bölzer have enjoyed massive cult status for the past few years thanks mainly to their Soma and Aura EPs. To be honest, I never really saw what all of the fuss is about and felt they were one of the most overhyped bands out there. I am happy to report that for their…
Tacent Semitae is the debut mini album from Finnish/US/Belgian act Adaestuo. Notably the Finnish part is VJS of Sargeist/Nightbringer/Kult of Azazel fame. This is some very modern-sounding tenebrous, anti-cosmic BM that nonetheless has an extremely driving aggressive engine. Usually this is the kind of thing that really appeals to me but this time around my…
Mayhem in Blue is the third album from Greek prog black metallers Hail Spirit Noir, and their first for Dark Essence Records. For those who have not heard this act before, expect a fairly even but schitzophrenic split between occult psychedelic rock and a kind of Mortuary Drape meets Greek BM sound. While you may…
Seventeen years after it originally crawled from the abyss, Moribund serves up a reissue of the famous sophomore album from this Finnish juggernaut. As far as I can tell the mixing and engineering are the same and only the artwork and liner notes are any different. No bonus tracks or anything of the sort are…
Up next we have this debut full length from Finnish black metal act Kyy. The first thing to say is that this is far from the normal Finnish output for this genre, in terms of sound, production and approach. Kyy follow a ritualistic but also rocking pathway that brings the Watain of a decade ago…
Haruwen Airen is the second full-length release from Chilean deathsters Siaskel. The sound is prime Latin American death with a slightly melodic edge, but Siaskel manage to make the whole thing sound original and fresh through their referencing of the Selk’nam culture. Don’t worry if you hadn’t heard of this tribe before – I have…
Upon looking at the name of this band and the cover of their debut full album, you might be forgiven for thinking these guys have been heavily influenced by seminal grindlords Terrorizer. And, once you start to play the songs, you will realize you have been 100% correct. O in genre/sound terms this is mostly…
The story behind Trees of Eternity is without doubt one of the most tragic and haunting back stories we could ever read. It all began with singer-songwriter Aleah Starbridge contributing vocals for Swallow the Sun. As Aleah and Swallow the Sun guitarist and partner Juha Raivio were working on the track ‘Lights on the Lake’,…
Every now and then being a reviewer pays off when a gem like this pops up. ‘Where the Time Dwelt in’ serves up some classic speed-tinged metal in the same mould as Helstar, Leige Lord, Omen, Agent Steel etc. Obviously, this is a furrow that has been ploughed by many great acts in the past…
‘The Others’ is billed as ‘epic doom’ and it certainly starts out that way. Right from the start fans will be reminded of all their favourites from the genre – Candlemass springs straight to mind. And for the first two tracks, most of you will be thinking – ‘Hang on! Here’s a contender for doom…
An Ill Wind Blowing is the second full-length release from Swedish death crust outfit Age of Woe. The music on offer is extremely fuzzy, heavy and dark, with elements of sludge and post-hardcore. This album is so fuzzy it is almost furry. And while some of the songs might broadly be described as catchy, the…
Lord Almighty specialise in thrashing black and roll with a melodic and progressive leaning. In terms of genre, they push the envelope in a way that acts like Nachtmystium did in the later years. Paths is their debut full-length release and does a great job of demonstrating the musical and songwriting abilities of the band.…
Kroh serve up gothic doom from the UK’s midlands where such things began in the first place. These days I treat the whole doom subgenre with a lot of scepticism. There are so many bands popping up claiming to be the next big thing, with their fuzzy guitars and recycled Sabbath riffs. Most of what…
Dulvitund is the solo work of Oskar Bjornsson – gloomy, minimalist electronica with a very dark side. On off here we have three tacks, averaging circa 10 minutes apiece. For a while now, dark synth has been pushing up out of the musical loam of several genres simultaneously, sometimes with more of a classic song…
If I told you Deny the Cross was constituted of members from Spazz, Agents of Satan, Municipal Waste and Discordance Axis you would probably have a fairly good idea what to expect from ‘Alpha Ghoul’. And, if your guess was in the ballpark of grinding powerviolence delivered in sub-60 second shots, you’d be 100% accurate. But…
Polish four piece Nuclear Holocaust play a pacy type of death grind that (as you can safely guess by the cover) has a slightly retro ‘Terrorizer’ kind of feel to it. I like the relative lack of tempo changes – these guys go from fast ‘d’ and skank beats to blasts and don’t spend too…
20 years on and self-proclaimed Black Metal Punks Heretic are still churning out the dirtiest rocking beats this side of Hell. I first met their brand of punked-up Black n Roll on 2013’s ‘Angelcunts and Devilcocks’ and was impressed by how simple yet effective their approach was. This is the type of music that delivers…
‘Awakened from The Abyss’ is second full length from Aussie thrashers Hellbringer. The main thing you need to know about this record is that it sounds uncannily like Slayer’s ‘Hell Awaits.’ I am sure there is no way that this is a mistake or something that happened unconsciously. If so, how could everything be so…
Six minutes, six tracks, played in the vein of good ol’ fashioned flat out, no-flab hardcore, served the way it should be. Looking forward to the 58 track double gatefold. https://correctivemeasure.bandcamp.com/album/s-t-7
Diamond Head eh? The oldest of us remember these as the best of the NWOBHM bands to not actually crack the big time. No idea why – was it a question of image, management or never being in the right place at the right time? Our younger readers will most likely be familiar with them…
‘Burial Ground Trance’ is the debut EP from Finnish BM duo Celestial Grave and what an awesome opening statement it is. On the one hand, we have a very primitive deathened approach to BM, laced with plenty of thrashing savagery and necrotic riffing. So it will satisfy fans of the bestial school. On the other…
‘Biolith’ is the sophomore full length from Canadian/American prog metallers Third Ion. It offers up much the same fare as debut ‘8 Bit’, only this time around the whole thing is less impressive for some reason. The sound is the same as before – reminiscent of Devin Townsend (DT bassist Mike Young is a member…
‘Genesis Reversed’ is the full length debut from German speed/classic metallers Blizzen, and an incredible opening statement it is. The band’s sound harks right back to the early 80’s with elements of Diamond Head and Holocaust right up there in the mix. The clean vocals are especially refreshing in my book. But this isn’t an…
Up next is some symphonic, technical BM from Israeli seven piece (yes – seven!) Winterhorde. When we use the word symphonic, it all too often just means ‘uses keyboards’ but this is the full package – an immersive, dramatic narrative, much in the vein of the incredible Carach Angren. Use of spoken passages, theremin, violin…
Alastor is the third full length release from Austrian black metallers Waldmark. The band have been going since the late 90’s and their sound carries echoes of that era – it has a second wave vibe with elements of ‘depressive’ BM creeping in around the edges. Overall, this is quite a consistent effort. The songs…
I usually love everything by Inquisition. I love the down-tuned otherworldly drone, the hell-frog vocal croak the cosmic abyssal horror and the pure originality of the band. Having said that, this seventh full-length doesn’t do much for me. Yes, it sounds like classic Inquisition but this time the charisma seems to be lacking. The dark…
It is hard to believe that 20 years have passed since the original Moonfog release of Nemesis Divina. Back then, Satyricon were arguably among the leading acts in the Norwegian BM scene, and time has shown this release to be the most revered and respected of the band’s output in over two decades. This Napalm…
Brooklyn’s Tombs are a strange creature. Although commonly described as ‘post-metal,’ I think it is fairer to say this is progressive black metal with elements of punk and sludge (amongst other things). The musical landscape they traverse is pretty diverse. At times, Tombs blast forth like a classic modern black metal act. At other times…
I really loved these guys first time around. I thought their take on and love for Leprosy-era Death was a praiseworthy endeavour. Apart from giving us more of what we like, the songs actually worked and their debut was a very solid death metal album in its own right. At that stage all I wanted…
This is a pretty hard reissue to review. One, because ‘Scream Bloody Gore’ is one of the fundamental records of extreme metal. I mean, what can I tell you about it? If you haven’t heard it/owned it/played it, you are very likely on the wrong site. Other than that, you already own and love this…
Fans of the Candlemass school of epic doom are most likely already familiar with Swedish act Sorcerer. This re-release from Hammerheart pulls together the first two demos from the early 90’s in a compilation that is technically the band’s debut album (you may be familiar with this release with its original 1995 red cover). The…
Howls of Ebb describe their brand of metal as limbonic death hymns, which I suppose makes some sense, but might not be that much help to someone trying to figure out whether they should take the plunge on this latest release. For my money, this is very textured death metal full of idiosyncratic choices, disharmonic…
Brazilian five piece Doomsday Celebration have been treading the boards since 2001, but this is only their second full-length release to date. Upon first listen, the length of time these guys have been playing together is instantly obvious. The musicianship is confident, and the band have found their ‘sound’ and are quite comfortable putting out…
Up next is is some violent DM-influenced gore-grind from The Netherlands, with the sixth album from Cliteater. Once again, the cover and title are a great take on a familiar classic. And that is about as far as the good goes for me. There are no notable breaks, beats or blasts on here and very…
