Reviews

Æpoch – Æpochalypse (Self-Released)

Progressive, melodic, technical. All three assets you can expect to hear when you check out Ontario, Canada’s Æpoch. Æpochalypse is the first EP from the band, who have only released a three song Read more […]

Spektr – The Art to Disappear (Agonia)

Not so much of an album as it is an excursion to the cluster-f of “weird.” And Spektr are French, which means such a connotation is the norm, at least when we’re speaking in extreme metal terms. Read more […]

Shotgun Cure – Amorphous (Self-Released)

A thrash trio from Toronto, Canada, Shotgun Cure spent a good portion of 2015 bringing their live assault to US and Canadian audiences while hopeful to sign on the dotted line with a reputable record label. Read more […]

Ocerco – A Desolação EP (Signal Rex)

Ocerco is a Portuguese troupe playing a firebrand, if not malevolent form of what us Yanks call “Cascadian black metal.” The familiar refrains from Woods in the Throne Room and Ash Borer litter the Read more […]

Old Forest – Dagian (Avantgarde Music)

Perpetuators of the grim, black metal aesthetic, followers of Old Forest’s usual tricks might be surprised by their latest output, Dagian. If it’s not apparent from the woodsy, or dare it be said, Read more […]

Seer – Vol. 1 & 2 (Art of Propaganda)

Here we have two EPs pushed together, hence the title of Vol. 1 & 2, which for the sake of compartmentalization, is quite the nifty idea. Seer happens to be a Vancouver, BC-based doom troupe, one that Read more […]

Humanitas Error Est – Human Pathomorphism (Satanath Records)

With black metal being the current diversifying genre that it is, far more often today we hear bands that are incorporating new elements, melodies, or atmosphere into the mix. But what of those who still Read more […]

Nahum – And the Chaos Has Begun (MuSick Attack Productions)

Yet another album with some interesting cover art that made it stand out from the crowd (brutal, but with some bright colors for a change), and thus warranting further investigation. As for the music Read more […]

Martriden – Cold and the Silence (Self-Released)

A bit of a last minute discovery at the end of 2015, this one squeaked its way onto the top list for Sifting Through Bandcamp, but certainly warranted a closer examination. Martriden has always been a Read more […]

Savage – 7/Live N Lethal (Minus 2 Zebra)

You see Saxon live, and listen to their 850 studio albums, and it makes sense…a lot of the NWOBHM follow the same playbook. One has to wonder if these lads call each other before recording an album to Read more […]

Graviton – Fundamental Violence (Self-Released)

Featuring alumni of Now You Know theatrical metal act Seven Spires, northcentral Massachusetts band Graviton choose a slightly more straightforward thrash-oriented path for their 4 song Fundamental Violence Read more […]

Disquiet – The Condemnation (Soulseller Records)

Dutch quintet Disquiet describe their sound as melodic thrash – and few will argue otherwise after taking in modest doses of their second full-length The Condemnation. Reestablished since 2008 (two previous Read more […]

The Lion’s Daughter – Existence is Horror (Season of Mist)

Lots ‘o familiar elements here, starting with the ubiquitous Sanford Parker, who has manned the production boards for just about every major American sludge/doom release over the last five years. Then Read more […]

Sound of Memories – To Deliverance (Self-Released)

A personal fondness for the melodic death metal genre can be a double-edged sword. It’s a genre that many consider dried up from fresh ideas, but an excellent rendition of the sound can easily put a Read more […]

Nordjevel – Nordjevel (Osmose Productions)

Back in the day (which makes us sound old), a certain gestation and/or demo period was often required for a band to get off the ground, or rather, get signed. Taking one’s lumps was a necessitated happening Read more […]

Bombs of Hades – Death Mask Replica (War Anthem Records)

The more things advance technically in extreme metal, the more other things remain steady like fine wine. You just can’t beat a lot of the primitive death/crust atmosphere that made Autopsy, Entombed, Read more […]

Gomorrah – The Haruspex (Test Your Metal Records)

Easily taking the first step in the creepy and cool cover art contest of 2016, the music of Gomorrah’s second full-length, The Haruspex holds tight to the potential given by its imagery. Of course, Read more […]

Cauldron – In Ruin (The End Records)

Fortunate to grow up during metal’s worldwide ascension in popularity for the 1980’s, this journalist is thankful that three decades later there are younger Canadian groups like Cauldron flying the Read more […]

Transport League – Napalm Bats and Suicide Dogs (Metalville Records)

A relatively quick turnaround for Transport League, who after a ten-year layoff, returned in 2013 with Boogie from Hell. The Swedish rock-on-metal crew have always been a bit of a working-class, no frills Read more […]

Tormenter – Prophetic Deceiver (EBM Records)

Hearing the Bay Area influences come through the ’80s-rooted thrash sound of Los Angeles quintet Tormenter on their sophomore full length effort, Prophetic Deceiver, was no surprise, but what I didn’t Read more […]

Trinakrius – Introspectum (Pitch Black Records)

Coming off a largely abysmal, nu metal-flavored album in the form of Seven Songs of the Seven Sins (yikes), Italian doom crew Trinakrius have embarked a face-saving move with the play-it-safe Introspectum. Read more […]

Elvenking – The Night of Nights (AFM)

Chronicling a two decade plus history with their first double live album/DVD (at press time the audio version only made available to this reviewer), Elvenking has developed a certain cult appeal for their Read more […]

Monolithe – Epsilon Aurigae (Debemur Morti)

The utter disappointment in Monolithe not naming their fifth album Monolithe V…what are these guys thinking by breaking such an album title string? (Not serious, obviously.) Continuity, not uniformity Read more […]

Markradonn – The Serpentine Deception (Self-Released)

Not often to you get an intriguing band description that actually lives up to the hype. Claiming the title “Barbaric Brass Death Metal,” Markradonn features 9 members in the band. Those fearing of Read more […]

Cerebric Turmoil – Neural Net Meltdown (Amputated Vein Records)

Some like their death metal straight-forward and by the books. If you happen to fall into that camp (which is perfectly fine, by the way), Cerebric Turmoil is not going to be your cup of tea. Lots of Read more […]

Infected Chaos – The Wake of Ares (Metal Music Austria)

Ye old Swedish death metal. Buzzsaw guitars, memorable riffs, plenty of groove, plenty of bite. When done well, there’s plenty to be cheery about when listening to this particular branch of death metal. Read more […]

Exmortus – Ride Forth (Prosthetic)

Road dogs during the past two years in support of their excellent third album Slave to the Sword (personally witnessing stunning shows with Dark Tranquillity, Omnium Gatherum, and Lich King a few times), Read more […]

Yellow Eyes – Sick With Bloom (Gilead Media)

Blow through Sick With Bloom a couple of times, and it becomes readily apparent Yellow Eyes are soon to be the next fawned-over American black metal. Contextually, they’re akin to Krallice, but not as Read more […]

Odium – Terraform (Self-Released)

Blurring the lines between melodic death metal and metalcore, Odium’s newest effort, Terraform manages to do both justice without sacrificing any heaviness or songwriting chops. These can indeed be Read more […]

Mythrias – Absolving the Treacherous (Self-Released)

We all know that there’s been plenty of melodic death metal that continues to roll out, regardless of the way that it was bogged down by the bastardization of it, with plenty of keyboards and melodic Read more […]