Entrails is a band that has taken some lumps over the years here at DR. There were some things that were a bit hard to swallow, such as the complete aping of Entombed’s logo (not to mention their music). Read more […]
Combining a slurry of extreme metal influences is nothing new. The blurring of traditional genre-lines has almost become a necessity for new bands nowadays in order to make an imprint of their own on Read more […]
Swedish Viking/black metal warriors Ereb Altor got their act together in 2003, and now release their fifth studio album (the debut releasing in 2008 to high regard). Seen as a continuation of the spirit Read more […]
Edinburgh, Scotland is a wondrous place. This scribe and his darling wife have had the pleasure of visiting Scotland’s capital twice, lavishing in the copious amounts of good food, kilt stores every Read more […]
One-man black metal. By this point, you know the drill pretty well. Instantly, images of trees and mountains, and blast beats come to mind. It’s okay, we are quite familiar with the sensations ourselves. Read more […]
At the end of that ellipsis…who knows? Could be…anything, really. Maybe… “Mercy,” which would be cool, but trademark infringement. Probably not a good idea. But Missouri’s Sisters of… shouldn’t Read more […]
Some bands just keep plugging away, ever so slowly altering their sound until something falls into place. Such is the case with Nox Aeterna. Hailing from the Netherlands, they’ve been around since Read more […]
Privy to long, wide-angled, not-too-obvious funeral doom or even just doom, Seattle’s Bell Witch are very much a singular entity in the underground. Comprised of four spacious numbers (none of which Read more […]
The Devils of Loudun (yes, based upon the Aldous Huxley book of the same name) aim to make quite a splash in the pond with their first EP, Entering Oblivion. Combining symphonic material with melodic Read more […]
Australian extreme metallers Hybrid Nightmares are seemingly out to make 2015 their year. Already having released The First Age (of which we at DR somehow passed over – for shame!), The Second Age continues Read more […]
Observing the tried and true method of waiting a year between records, Satan’s Wrath has returned, following up 2013’s Aeons of Satan’s Reign. The band’s third release (not to mention third for Read more […]
Repetition can be a band’s best friend, or its worst enemy. Certain styles of metal invite it (see: stoner sludge, in particular) making it the mother of necessity, while others, when involving a clean Read more […]
After a successful run with 2013’s To Sail Black Waters and a split last year with Godhunter, California’s Secrets of the Sun managed to impress the fine folks over at Metal Blade, who now bring us Read more […]
Simply as a result of Deafheaven blowing up so quickly, Bosse-de-Nage have enjoyed (or not) the good (or bad) association with the shoegaze black metal outfit (?) because the two did a well-received split Read more […]
Last heard from in 2010 via their redeemable The Flesh, French blackened death ensemble The Order of Apollyon have re-tooled their lineup and returned in a rather big way with their second offering, The Read more […]
Ever yearn for those bands that can hit the proverbial sweet spot? In terms of death metal, this more or less equates to pulling a timeless feeling to the music behind you. No one is quick to pull the Read more […]
Perhaps it’s the video game nerd coming out, but it’s been a struggle to separate this band from the video game series of the same name (though with a space before “space”). But maybe it’s because Read more […]
Gothic/symphonic metal has steadily gained headlining credibility. Sonically throwing a wide dynamic palate in terms of clean or extreme vocals, guitars, keyboards, and orchestration maneuvers beyond the Read more […]
A pleasant little surprise that was tucked under my virtual doorstep was Lysithea’s third release, Realms. Lysithea has been plugging away down in New Zealand since 2008, also firing off two EPs since Read more […]
Comprised of members from the much-missed Lifelover (more on them in a second) and Kall, Sweden’s Hypothermia is solely an instrumental band playing what could be described as post-black metal, just Read more […]
Veteran Polish grinders Antigama are back at it again with their seventh full-length, The Insolent. Not one to avoid taking a complete 180 here or there within an album, there’s not really much for Read more […]
Not to be confused with “Satan’s Fall,” the legendary Mercyful Fate song, Australia’s Lucifer’s Fall are pretty much on the nose when it comes to tried-and-tried-blue doom. As in, this is about Read more […]
Outsiders could view the large exodus of Sabaton members in 2012 as career suicide. As the smoke settles, we see their career ark skyrocketing, while the former ‘Primo’ gentlemen didn’t want to stop Read more […]
Madison, Wisconsin may be the last place you would expect to find “the most Metal band on Earth,” but that’s where Lords of the Trident call home. The epic fantasy power metal quintet’s sound carries Read more […]
Some may remember The Crinn’s last release, Dreaming Saturn, which appeared on Nuclear Blast back in 2010. Clearly, there’s been a bit of downtime since that point, with minimal news of the goings-on Read more […]
Some labels just seem to get that golden seal of approval. One of the labels with that Midas Touch for a few years now is that of Dark Descent Records, particularly in the realm of extreme metal. There’s Read more […]
Loincloth warriors adorning your album cover alert listeners to not expect anything modern or breakdown related when it comes to Portugal’s Ironsword. Active for 20 years, they play a type of straightforward Read more […]
Sowing the seeds even when the deck stacks against you can usually mean a reasonable harvest when tides turn. For Florida symphonic power metal band Kamelot, their early 90’s origins meant they needed Read more […]
Hype has a way of inflating expectations sometimes. Currently riding high on the Dark Roots of Thrash II tour with Testament and Exodus and already prepping for this summer’s Mayhem Festival, many eyes Read more […]
Long-running New Zealanders Dawn of Azazel all but disappeared after their aptly-titled third album, Relentless. Now resurfacing six years later with The Tides of Damocles, some things have shifted a Read more […]
