Reviews

Tankrust – The Fast of Solace (Self-Released)

The name sure had us fooled – “Tankrust” is not the timely mash-up of Tankard and classic French rockers Trust, the band best known for providing the original version of “Anti-Social,” a song Read more […]

Blackhour – Sins Remain (Transcending Obscurity)

With the band’s geography being a bit of a talking point (it’s not every day that you find a heavy metal band from Pakistan), let’s toss that all aside and just take a look at what these guys have Read more […]

Matter in the Medium – Matter in the Medium (Black Element Productions)

A London, Ontario outfit who has been buggering around the neo-prog scene for seven years now, Matter in the Medium serve as a reminder that if you’re not holding onto to the djent caboose for dear life, Read more […]

The Desolate – The Great Departure (Self-Released)

Melodic death/thrash, particularly from the North American standpoint, is one that is hard to break free of the mold. Most bands seem to follow the same basic pathway – equal parts Scandinavian worship Read more […]

Calamity – Imminent Disaster (Self-Released)

Forming five years ago as the cover band Silent Screams, Puerto Rico thrash quartet Calamity changed names and decided to tread on original paths – unleashing a 6 song EP last summer prior to issuing Read more […]

Against the Plagues – Purified Through Devastation (Non Serviam Records)

Based in Chicago, but featuring a multinational mix of members, Against the Plagues have been working on their sophomore effort for several years now (since 2012 in fact). The combination of black and Read more […]

Grafvitnir – Necrosophia (Daemon Worship Productions)

As winter finally begins to fall upon us, the need for some frost-bitten, cold black metal becomes more and more apparent. There’s just something more appropriate about looking out the window and watching Read more […]

Kult Mogil – Anxiety Never Descending (Pagan Records)

Polish for “cult of graves,” Kult Mogil in a span of a year, have already produced a demo and the album in question, their full-length Anxiety Never Descending debut. Accompanied by the band’s comment Read more […]

Novelists – Souvenirs (Metalville/Arising Empire)

Perhaps wisely keeping djent bands off the Nuclear Blast roster (unless you want to consider Meshuggah, who are the unintentional creators of the style), label founder/owner Markus Steiger has created Read more […]

Birds in Row – Personal War EP (Deathwish Inc.)

Post-hardcore that flails around like this could be called “panicky,” or “urgent.” There’s a concerted sense of desperation to what French trio Birds in Row are doing, like, “There’s X amount Read more […]

Dolven – Navigating the Labyrinth (Self-Released)

It’s always exciting to find a band that describes themselves as something different and can actually follow through with that claim (unlike a slurry of press sheets we go through at DR where everyone Read more […]

Autopsy – Skull Grinder (Peaceville)

Often the subject of many influence lines and “sounds like” areas for much of the current crop of death metal bands trying to imitate that putrid and rotten sound that made them famous, Autopsy really Read more […]

Lament Cityscape – The Torn (Battleground Records)

A big ‘ole slog would be Lament Cityscape’s The Torn debut. Comprised of the Oakland, CA duo that is Mike McClatchey and Sean McCullough, the pair’s hunkered, stuck-in-the-mud apocalyptic doom sludge Read more […]

Undawn – Justice Is… (Graviton Music)

Some albums make it seem like time travel is indeed possible. For all of those old school death metal albums flooding the market, some can take you back to the early ‘90s. In the case of Undawn, the Read more […]

Sunless Rise – Unrevealed (Self-Released)

In this day and age, it’s become harder and harder for a band to simply come out of nowhere and floor you with an incredible album. Yet that’s exactly what Russia’s Sunless Rise has done with their Read more […]

Ashen Horde – Nine Plagues (Self-Released)

It’s not often that you find a band that really sets themselves apart from the rest so soon in their career. One listen to Ashen Horde and it’s clear that the one-man band has channeled influences Read more […]

Womb – Deception Through Your Lies (Hypnotic Dirge/Solitude Productions)

Funeral doom is a genre that many avoid like the plague. Admittedly, it does take a certain mindset to look past the plodding pace and sometimes excruciating lengths that these bands utilize for each Read more […]

Mammoth Storm – Fornjot (Napalm Records)

Not the first Draconian side-project to be released by Napalm (that would be Shadowgarden), Mammoth Storm feature Draconian guitarist Daniel Arvidsson in its ranks, showing that perhaps the Austrian label Read more […]

Supreme Carnage – Sentenced by the Cross (Redefining Darkness Records)

The long-term, seemingly endless pining for death metal days of yore is reflected equally in the bands who have kept it “true,” and the ones who are just learning how to do so. While there’s no official Read more […]

Reverence – Gods of War (Razar Ice Records)

Reverence’s 2012 When Darkness Calls was one of those entirely rare finds in the veteran power/melodic metal field. Generally, such coming-togethers of gents who have spent time in high (or low) profile Read more […]

Benefactor Decease – Anatomy of an Angel (Xtreem Music)

Fortunately choosing to not judge an act on name alone (the English major in me hit the stun pose at the nonsensical Decease… archaic versus the proper Deceased), this Greek quintet started in 2007, Read more […]

Firespawn – Shadow Realms (Century Media)

What happens when you put together a bunch of death metal musicians in a new group? Well, the most logical conclusion is that they make some death metal! Firespawn is the latest of that dreaded “s” Read more […]

Manipulation – Ecstasy (Satanath Records)

Despite the globalization of the world, some countries still get the same old stereotypes. Think of Sweden and you think of (melodic) death metal, and when it comes to Poland, one tends to associate with Read more […]

Krallice – Ygg Huur (self released)

New York’s Krallice seem to be a polarizing band, for reasons which are no doubt silly, and won’t be investigated here. What can be said is that Krallice has certainly made a name for themselves, extending Read more […]

Secrets of the Moon – Sun (Lupus Lounge)

Always thought these guys could eventually be within an earshot of Dissection, heck, eve Naglfar. Secrets of the Moon career up until this point, has been marked by successively harmonious displays of Read more […]

Anopehli – The Ache of Want (Halo of Flies)

Take out the cello and what do you get with Anopheli’s The Ache of Want? A regular ‘ole d-beat sludge core album? Yeah, probably. There’s not much of a point in beating ‘round the bush here, as Read more […]

Shrine of Insanabilis – Disciples of the Void (WTC)

Black metal of the savage variety, as so well done and/or executed and/or played to the brink by the likes of Dark Funeral, Marduk, and early Watain, has always tried to compensate a lack of atmosphere Read more […]

Grima – Devotion to Lord (Naturmacht Productions)

“From the deep woods of Siberia” would have been a fantastic album title; rather, even better for a live album. It’s unlikely Grima – a two-man ensemble – play live at this early juncture in Read more […]

Endless Recovery – Revel in Demise (Witches Brew)

Suspended in perpetual recuperation, prepare for the onslaught Greek thrashers Endless Recovery beget on their second full length Revel in Demise. A fairly active quintet since their start earlier this Read more […]

Extreme Cold Winter – Paradise Ends Here (Vic Records)

Really easy marketing opportunity for Vic Records: “Winter is coming.” Given Game of Thrones’ massive popularity, seemingly anything with the word “winter” in the tagline has a way of working Read more […]