Reviews

Children of Seraph – Children of Seraph (Self-Released)

Millennials often get a bum reputation in entertainment circles for they grew up during the Internet/social media revolution, where downloading and streaming digital content is the norm and not the exception. Read more […]

One Master – Reclusive Blasphemy (Eternal Death)

One Master is a New England/east coast-based black metal outfit, going way back to 2002, and now unveil their third full-length studio album with Reclusive Blasphemy. What jumps out right away with the Read more […]

Sinister – Dark Memorials (Massacre Records)

Hitting the 25 year mark for any death metal band is something deserving of a milestone. While Sinister always stood as a band that was a bit underappreciated (particularly their early works – Cross Read more […]

Myrkur – M (Relapse)

The buzz around Myrkur was strong last year, as the one-woman band made a distinctive mark on the black metal world with a self-titled EP. Combining ethereal clean singing with snarling black metal undercurrents Read more […]

Black Trip – Shadowline (SPV)

When ideas and time come together, the possibilities are limitless for the musical community. Swedish traditional heavy metal act Black Trip have a formidable lineup that already gives them a bit of a Read more […]

Deconsecrate – Nothing is Sacred (Goodlife Recordings)

Growing up in the upstate NY region, the hybridization of death metal brutality with hardcore’s bite was basically par for the course. One has to admit that there is a real good fit between the two Read more […]

Hybrid Nightmares – The Third Age (Self-Released)

Clearly one of 2015’s most hard-working bands, Australia’s Hybrid Nightmares is back for their third EP release in the span of the last 7 months. The Third Age continues to tell the story of man’s Read more […]

Fully Consumed – Incendium (Art Consumed Records)

Many times in life, you don’t get a re-do. But it’s not always the case – just ask Akron’s Fully Consumed. Last year, they released an ‘unpolished’ version of Incendium but the band was not Read more […]

Hammercult – Built For War (SPV)

Nothing like making a major splash at the world renowned Wacken Open Air festival- as Israeli extreme thrash act Hammercult did in 2011 by winning the unsigned Metal Battle, leading to their first record Read more […]

Ahab – The Boats of the Glen Carrig (Napalm)

Nautik doom metal is the calling card for Germany’s Ahab – certainly a unique approach in terms of conceptual themes from record to record as the quartet sail on seas and oceans afar. Climbing out Read more […]

Anthropofago – Aera Dementiae (Kaotoxin Records)

The Frenchmen of Anthropofago return after a four year wait following their debut, Beyond Phobia. More technically-driven madness is the name of the game for the band, whom should find some good company Read more […]

Forte Ruin – Forte Ruin (Self-Released)

With melodic death metal, after all these years, still a weakness for this scribe, its easy to be on the lookout for fresh talent for the subgenre. It often means that it takes more effort to truly impress, Read more […]

Adversarial – Death, Endless Nothing, and the Black Knife of Nihilism (Dark Descent)

Death, Endless Nothing, and the Black Knife of Nihilism is quite a mouthful, but undeniably a pretty intriguing title. The same can be said for song titles such as “Cursed Blades Cast Upon the Slavescum Read more […]

Nile – What Should Not Be Unearthed (Nuclear Blast)

To echo the comments of many that heard Nile’s last effort, 2012’s At the Gate of Sethu, it just felt too ‘clean’ overall. You could still tell it was Nile but it seemed a step down from what Read more […]

Act of Defiance – Birth and the Burial (Metal Blade)

Journalists lob the ‘supergroup’ tag a little too freely in the metal realm, especially if multiple members come from a rather well-established act. Los Angeles, California’s Act of Defiance contains Read more […]

Burial Vault – Unity in Pluralism (Apostasy Records)

Latest in the ‘that came from out of nowhere’ line is Germany’s Burial Vault. Unity in Pluralism is their third full-length album, though admittedly this is the first exposure that DR has been privy Read more […]

Seraph in Travail – Bring Forth Death (Self-Released)

It takes a bit of commitment to create a symphonic black/death album that doesn’t just feel like a rehash of what has been done before. With an uptick of bands trying to apply the Fleshgod Apocalypse Read more […]

Obsidian – Time Erodes (Self-Released)

Hailing from Vancouver (well, technically they are an international group but use the city as their home base), Obsidian takes a host of clearly defined influences and somehow whips them into something Read more […]

Rivers of Nihil – Monarchy (Metal Blade)

Rivers of Nihil came out of the gates in a big way with their 2013 debut, The Conscious Seed of Light. An intriguing 4-album concept based upon the seasons, some crushing riffs with a technical edge, Read more […]

Tad Morose – St. Demonius (Despotz Records)

We all mourn the loss of our favorite lineups in music – so take a few seconds to accept the fact that Tad Morose are still alive sans Urban Breed helming the microphone. Although mighty important in Read more […]

Moonlyght – Return to Desolation (Blast Head Records)

Veering between a break-up and long waits between albums, Moonlyght has never really generated the fanbase they deserved. The Quebec-based band now operates (since 2011) as a studio band only, and Return Read more […]

Enabler – Fail to Feel Safe (Century Media)

Given the recent drama and accusations between guitarist/vocalist Jeff Lohrber and bassist Amanda Daniels, it’s probably safe to say that you’ve heard of the new Enabler – even if they weren’t Read more […]

Wombbath – Downfall Rising (Dark Descent)

Welcome one and all, to yet another case of ‘retro wonders.’ This of course, referring to a rather large number of bands that have resurrected in recent years (many of which from Sweden) after fizzling Read more […]

Wolfheart – Shadow World (Spinefarm)

Shutting down all operations on bands/projects you’ve built for the last decade plus takes nerves of steel, but that’s what vocalist/guitarist Tuomas Saukkonen did in 2013 when Before the Dawn, Black Read more […]

A Loathing Requiem – Acolytes Eternal (The Artisan Era)

Those in the know have been chomping at the bit for a new album for A Loathing Requiem since 2010’s Psalms of Misanthropy. Many likened it to that of the genre-leaders Necrophagist, Obscura, and Spawn Read more […]

Terror – The 25th Hour (Victory)

Good old Terror. LA’s long-standing hardcore punks have been a scene staple for years and now bring us their sixth album, The 25th Hour. With much of the hardcore scene watering itself down over the Read more […]

Archaea – Catalyst (Self-Released)

Swedish melodic death metal from the town of Gothenburg? You don’t say! Before you go all out with the cliché booklet, understand that melodic death metal has been on a bit of a decline in recent Read more […]

Coffins – Craving to Eternal Slumber (Hammerheart)

Japan’s premier sludgy death/doomers Coffins are back once more, with a new EP entitled Craving to Eternal Slumber. The prolific band has already fired off two split albums this year (as well as a 2 Read more […]

Battlecross – Rise to Power (Metal Blade)

Michigan’s Battlecross have been one of the fortunate new modern melodic thrash/death oriented bands in metal over the last 5 years to breakthrough on a reasonably decent scale due to their street level Read more […]

Order of the Dead – A Black Curse Comes (Self-Released)

Witnessing the first Massachusetts show of this Rochester, NY death/thrash quintet recently, picking up their latest EP A Black Curse Comes was a no-brainer. Active since 2009, their two previous demos Read more […]