THERE’S NO READING BETWEEN THE LINES – a glance at Philip H. Anselmo and the Illegals’ “WALK THROUGH EXITS ONLY”

BAND URL: https://housecorerecords.bandcamp.com/music The massive joy of seeing the legendary name that is Pantera pop up on various festival posters and tour itineraries and whatnot these past few years cannot be overstated. The two icons and legends that are Philip H. Anselmo (vocals) and Rex Brown (bass) teamed up with the inimitable Zakk Wylde (guitar)…

PRIMITIVE WARFARE – Extinction Protocol

RELEASE YEAR: 2024BAND URL: https://godzovwarproductions.bandcamp.com/album/extinction-protocol From across the pond comes the malevolent duo known as Primitive Warfare, and this relentlessly aggressive and inhumanly brutal American onslaught is very much the aural embodiment of all-out war, global death, human disaster, and even more death! Comprised of Pu239 (drums/vocals) and U235 (guitars/vocals), these guys essentially offer a…

PUTRIFIED – Death Darkness Decay

RELEASE YEAR: 2024BAND URL: https://godzovwarproductions.bandcamp.com/album/death-darkness-decay This is so frigging great and wicked! It is also grimy and loathsome as fuck, but yeah, this six-song output by the Swedish death metal mongers known as Putrified truly does the trick for me and ticks nearly all the right and nasty boxes. Although rooted in old-school death metal…

KOLDBRANN – Ingen Skånsel

RELEASE YEAR: 2024BAND URL: https://koldbrann.bandcamp.com/album/ingen-sk-nsel Last year’s 2-track release titled Den 6. Massedød (Manna fra en Annen Himmel) was a caustic, face-melting delight that worked its nasty, bone-chilling magic on this scribe rather splendidly. Naturally, their upcoming full-length record appropriately named Ingen Skånsel had to be something to look forward to and worth getting excited…

MANA – Demo 2024

RELEASE YEAR: 2024BAND URL: https://mana666.bandcamp.com/album/demo-2024 I accidentally stumbled on this wild and reckless demo output by the Finnish act named Mana, and it turns out that this potent three-track offering of theirs is a solid and well-written slab of raw and ugly black metal that works like a charm right now thanks to yours truly…

HARROWED – Entropic

RELEASE YEAR: 2024BAND URL: https://harrowed.bandcamp.com/album/entropic I rarely bother reviewing singles but this 2-track jewel by the fierce UK act known as Harrowed blew me the fuck away, and I may in fact have become addicted to it. Intensely heavy and punishing yet surprisingly groovy in places also, these gentlemen have spawned a muscular-sounding mixture of…

IN THE ABSENCE OF MERCY – AN INTERVIEW WITH KOLDBRANN

The twisted Norwegian ensemble known as Koldbrann is undoubtedly one of the most interesting and morbidly engaging black metal acts out there today, and their impressive back catalogue as well as their intensely aggressive and perfectly maniacal live shows speak for themselves and have garnered them a reputation that many of their peers would die…

SETH – La France des Maudits

RELEASE YEAR: 2024BAND URL: https://innomineseth.bandcamp.com/album/la-france-des-maudits This scribe has always had a bit of a soft spot for the renowned French black metallers Seth, and it goes without saying that I could not pass up the opportunity to review their upcoming opus sporting the evocative title La France des Maudits. Their back catalog is impressive and…

CHRISTBANE – Psalm I

RELEASE YEAR: 2024BAND URL: https://christbane.bandcamp.com/album/psalm-i Bestial and relentlessly aggressive black metal madness is occasionally what the mood calls for and when that happens it is nice to know that the abhorrent musical entity known as Christbane is out there and ready to serve one’s needs, right? I got turned on to the band via Regimental…

MISTRA – Waltz of Death

RELEASE YEAR: 2024BAND URL: https://mistra.bandcamp.com/album/waltz-of-death-2 The talented duo consisting of Benedicte Adrian and Anders Odden is an inspired and musically eclectic one that merges something akin to grand-sounding gothic soundscapes with subtle black metal influences and also something along the lines of dark symphonic rock (and even hints of electro pop), and the great thing…

CAVALERA – Schizophrenia

RELEASE YEAR: 2024BAND URL: https://www.cavaleraconspiracy.net/ Brothers Igor and Max Cavalera hardly need any introduction, so let us merely skip the formalities and briefly discuss the music instead, shall we? Having the two talented souls reunite and launch the Cavalera (or Cavalera Conspiracy, if you will) project some years back has resulted in us being treated…

GRAVE HERESY – Incineration Victory

RELEASE YEAR: 2024BAND URL: https://godzovwarproductions.bandcamp.com/album/incineration-victory Incineration Victory by the maniacal Swedish bastards collectively known as Grave Heresy is a bone-pulverizing, face-melting delight that merges chaotic black metal and grimy death metal to stunning effect. All the usual quality death metal-related adjectives such as pummeling, aggressive, infinitely dark, oppressive, and utterly malevolent apply to the nine…

DEATHCULT – Seven Are They

RELEASE YEAR: 2024BAND URL: https://edgedcircleproductions.bandcamp.com/album/seven-are-they Yes, this is exactly the kind of thing we all need and what the of the mood of this week calls for – a new output containing exclusive material by what is unarguably one of the very best and most sinister-sounding bands out there, namely Deathcult. With its evocative artwork…

HEIMLAND – Tronearvingens Doed

RELEASE YEAR: 2024BAND URL: https://edgedcircleproductions.bandcamp.com/album/tronearvingens-doed It is fair to say that the incredibly talented Norwegian act known as Heimland made quite a dent in the black metal scene and turned quite a few heads when they unleashed their deeply passionate and perfectly morose Forfedrenes Taarer via the ever-reliable Edged Circle Productions roughly a year ago.…

BISMARCK – Vourukasha

RELEASE YEAR: 2024BAND URL: https://bismarck.bandcamp.com/music The opening few bars of the title track leaves no doubt as to who and what this is; a frightening audio onslaught by the Norwegian doom metal freaks known as Bismarck. Vourukasha takes me back to their debut offering (Oneiromancer from 2020) in terms of its thunderously heavy tone and…

DYSTOPIA – De Verboden Diepte I: Veldslag op de Rand van de Wereld

RELEASE YEAR: 2024BAND URL: https://lnk.to/deverbodendiepte1 Dystopia’s take on ferocious and earth-shattering black metal is quite unlike anything else that I have come across. In fact, lumping the band and album into the black metal category is doing them a disservice as they clearly exist beyond the confines of said genre and have more in common…

VESTINDIEN – Verdande

RELEASE YEAR: 2024BAND URL: https://vestindien.bandcamp.com/album/verdande In all honesty, I did not think it possible for the uniquely gifted masterminds behind Vestindien to top or better their flawless debut offering entitled NULL, but by some perverted and wonderful miracle these six twisted souls have conjured up a new work of radiant brilliance that transcends barriers and…

MNHG – Necare

RELEASE YEAR: 2024BAND URL: https://lnk.to/necare The debut output by the twisted German entity known as MNHG offered a sinister yet incredibly entertaining take on catchy and somewhat groove-laden black metal that was overflowing with muscular riffs and disquieting vocals while also boasting a monstrously punchy rhythm section. Although all the trademarks and characteristics of their…

GLACIAL MASS – The Passion

RELEASE YEAR: 2024BAND URL: https://xtxax.bandcamp.com/album/the-passion The musically compelling force of darkness known as Glacial Mass, which consists of members Themis and Manos, is a frighteningly heavy and claustrophobic proposition that promises a deep, introspective journey through the worst alleyways and oddest corners of the mind – a proper examination of one’s true self and an…

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