Reviews

Inferi – The Path of Apotheosis (The Artisan Era)

Going back to the late 2000’s, Inferi was a massively overlooked melodic death metal band by way of Tennessee.  After their second full-length, The End of An Era, the band called it quits in 2010, only Read more […]

Kuolemanlaakso – Tulijoutsen (Svart Records)

Kuolemanlaakso is a melodic death/doom metal band out of Finland, releasing its sophomore effort after its 2012 debut with Tulijoutsen.  A five-piece band featuring vocalist Mikko Kotamäki, who is also Read more […]

Silent Force – Rising from the Ashes (AFM Records)

German guitarist Alex Beyrodt seems like a good guy, is a quality player, etc., etc., but between you, DR, and the fencepost…Silent Force should have remained inactive. Beyrodt (who also does time in Read more […]

Enthrallment – The Voice of Human Perversity (Rebirth the Metal Productions)

Bulgaria’s Enthrallment have been pushing their brand of brutal death metal since 1996.  Just missing the ‘golden age’ of death metal, you would never know it from what you hear on The Voice of Read more […]

I Am Heresy – Thy Will (Century Media)

A partial red flag goes up with the mention of a Boysetsfire member entrenched in the ranks of New Jersey/Delaware sextet I Am Heresy.  It has more to do with metal’s general aversion to the wishy-washy Read more […]

Insain – Enlightening the Unknown (Kaotoxin Records)

After only releasing one full-length album in 2010 (Spiritual Rebirth), France’s Insain are no more.  They did leave us with one final bow however, in the form of this Enlightening the Unknown EP.  Read more […]

Andi Deris and Bad Bankers – Million Dollar Haircuts on Ten Cent Heads (Armoury)

Andi Deris’ 20-year run in Helloween has gone better than just about anyone could have expected. The former Pink Cream 69 vocalist was drafted to not only replace Michael Kiske, but to help turn the Read more […]

Separatist – Closure (Self-Released)

Separatist is a now-defunct tech/deathcore band from Tasmania with a pretty interesting back-story.  Back in 2008, they released The Motionless Apocalypse and went into the studio following some time Read more […]

Sabbath Assembly – Quaternity (Svart Records)

As a disclaimer, aside from use of distortion and a few rare harsh vocals in the background on “I, Satan”, there’s nothing ‘metal’ here. That being said, Quaternity is an eccentric, well-thought Read more […]

Suicidal Angels – Divide and Conquer (NoiseArt/Napalm)

One of these days, the bands that comprise of thrash’s 43rd (and counting) wave will realize that filling their albums with mid-tempo stompers as opposed to played-out thrash-a-thons will net them more Read more […]

Craving – At Dawn (Apostasy Records)

With lyrics that are trilingual (English, German, and Russian) in nature, Germany’s Craving follow up their 2012 self-titled debut with the recently released At Dawn.  With a number of guest musicians Read more […]

Fuoco Fatuo – The Viper Slithers in the Ashes of What Remains (Iron Tyrant Records)

Italy’s Fuoco Fatuo is a death/doom band formed in 2011, and after having released a pair of EP’s and a split, drops its full-length debut offering in The Viper Slithers in the Ashes of What Remains. Heavy, Read more […]

Nothing – Guilty of Everything (Relapse)

Relapse doesn’t work in as many bands as Nothing as they should, with the label still quite committed to more extreme spectrums than this, a shoegaze band. There are some that consider shoegaze a veritable Read more […]

Alterbeast – Immortal (Unique Leader)

Unique Leader has seemingly cornered the market with exceptionally strong releases to start off 2014. First was The Kennedy Veil, then came Soreption, and now comes Alterbeast. Hailing from the recent Read more […]

Drawers – Drawers (Kaotoxin)

Maybe it’s a late-blooming phenomenon, maybe it’s something that only I have been personally blind to up until now, but there seems to be an entire subgenre erupting around the sound of Mastodon circa Read more […]

Carnifex – Die Without Hope (Nuclear Blast Records)

While deathcore is not a subgenre of metal particularly known for diverse musical dynamics and consistently unique offerings by the track, Carnifex has long been an exceptional outfit that can balance Read more […]

Mantar – Death by Burning (Svart Records)

First off, this is a rare breed of punkish music that will put an immediate shutdown to any diehard metalhead’s “no punk” policies. Grating in the rawness of black metal, heavy in the gravitational Read more […]

Profezia – Oracolo Suicida (Moribund Records)

One does not need to have an understanding of Italian to understand the title of Profezia’s newest opus and subsequently have a fairly good handle on what they’re in store for once they probe its depths. Read more […]

Mass Infection – For I Am Genocide (Comatose Music)

For I Am Genocide takes the technical death metal flag and runs with it.  Mass Infection’s third album, following up 2009’s The Age of Recreation, sees the Greek band doing what they do best.  What Read more […]

Crematory – Antiserum (SPV/Steamhammer)

Get out your rubber, faux leather shirts and Black No. 1 hair dye (hey, Type O), ‘cause Germany’s Crematory are back for another round of uber Euro Goth metal.  Unbeknownst to many on these shores, Read more […]

Vanishing Point – Distant is the Sun (AFM Records)

Australia: The land down under, often considered too remote to be a relevant cultivator in terms of potent metal talent. Not anymore, especially with the social media and instant access to information Read more […]

Hannes Grossman – The Radial Covenant (Self-Released)

You’d have to be living under a rock to not recognize the name Hannes Grossman at this point.  Drummer extraordinaire for bands such as Necrophagist, Obscura, and Blotted Science, Grossman is viewed Read more […]

Dodsferd – The Parasitic Survival of the Human Race (Moribund)

One of the best people to do an email interview with has to be Dodsferd mainman Wrath. Generally, interrogations of the electronic kind are pretty sterile, like trying to get blood from a stone. Not with Read more […]

Neige et Noirceur – Gouffre Onirique et Abîmes Cosmiques (Sepulchral Productions)

One-man bands are always complex in their solitude, but the multidimensional DIY process of making the music should really meet with an overall complexity and density of product. Mired in a long-winded Read more […]

Shrapnel – The Virus Conspires (Candlelight)

British thrash has been able to create separation from their peers based largely on the technicality factor. Evile, Savage Messiah, and Sylosis each have a rather noticeable leg up on the Yankee thrash Read more […]

Gravecode Nebula – Sempiternal Void (Baneful Genesis Records)

Falling somewhere between the claustrophobic horror of Aevangelist and the dirty, primitive nature of bands like Corpsessed and Grave Miasma, Gravecode Nebula takes the doom-ridden, primal merging of black Read more […]

Tidal Arms – Tidal Arms (Black Numbers)

“Meh” said without feeling and a shoulder shrug. Brooklyn’s Tidal Arms self-released second full length, a self-titled affair that really is a solid effort, just doesn’t have a lot of staying power. Read more […]

SUNN O)))/Ulver – Terrestrials (Southern Lord)

Expectation is a fickle thing. Add in more experimentation between two groups than most bands could hope to cover in half a dozen lifetimes and it’s easier to understand why a proposition like Terrestrials Read more […]

Sister – Disguised Vultures (Metal Blade)

Ever the disconnect with Primordial/Twilight of the Gods vocalist Alan Averill serving as talent scout and getting this sleazy Swedish bunch signed to Metal Blade. Who would have thunk? But it happened, Read more […]

Eldritch – Tasting the Tears (Scarlet Records)

Going back to my tape trading days in high school/ college, I first discovered Italian progressive/power metal band Eldritch when a US friend dubbed me a cassette of their first two demos, Reflection Read more […]