Among the saddest bits of news that came out of 2013 was the sudden and entirely unexpected dissolution of The Devil’s Blood. I remember sitting agape in my chair when reading that the band, at the time Read more […]
Nestled precariously between punk, Motorhead-inspired speed, and blackened sludge, RISING’s sophomore LP retains the dense, moderately lo-fi production of their debut, To Solemn Ash, but offers a punchier Read more […]
You can imagine the scenario. U.S. speed metal band gains major acclaim overseas but struggles to gain much of a cult following in the 1980’s, breaks up, people play the “Where are they now?” game Read more […]
The latest entry into the Dutch metal scene, Lucifericon features members (and ex-members) from Destroyer 666, Pentacle, Excision, and Malicious Dream. The Occult Waters was actually a self-financed Read more […]
Another entry in the “Hey, we’re back after an extended layoff. My does the metal world appear different than we left it!” derby, Canada’s Varga maintained success for the better part of the 90’s Read more […]
Mondo dearth of Maiden books out there; you’d think more would be in population…it’s not like the band doesn’t have a fascinating story to tell, you know? Not counting Mick Wall’s now-outdated Read more […]
Tasmanian blackened crust metallers, Thrall, trek into a realm of treacherous woodlands, sinister spirits, and aspiring hopelessness in their latest album, uprooted and named after the haunted forest, Read more […]
The absolutely crucial reference zone otherwise known as Metal Archives.com lists seven bands with the name “Malevolence.” It’s not necessarily a sticking point when discussing the Portuguese version, Read more […]
So, Nordens Skalder happened to me the other day, and I have to be honest – it was, at first, something I almost was ready to dislike. Maybe I even wanted to dislike it too, for some miserable reason. Read more […]
2013 has been a busy year for Enabler. Flies marks the second EP release for the band this year, following the Shift of Redemption EP and their first release for The Compound. Enabler plays a blend Read more […]
Satan’s Host is a band that has weathered many storms since their formation in 1977. Their classic1986 debut Metal From Hell featured Leviathan Thisiren aka Harry “Tyrant” Conklin (Jag Panzer) Read more […]
Anyone subjected (willingly, of course) to the perils of funeral doom have probably had to ration off the moments that count; you know, the glance of a soothing melody, or the rare occasion when the tempo Read more […]
Katatonia’s Anders Nystrom has been seen wearing a Kongh t-shirt, which in DR’s tunneled/insular life, is probably all the backing a band needs sometimes. (Now, if Nystrom were caught wearing an Asking Read more […]
What year would be complete without an indulgence ye-olde-hyper-tech-death? This time around it’s brought to us courtesy of Australian instrument wizards Mephistopheles and a curiously covered album Read more […]
Originally released by the band on their own label in 2005, Monster in the Creek is given the official reissue treatment here by Translation Loss records. This new version provides the original 6-track Read more […]
Every once in a while, it’s nice to hear a band that’s not afraid to just drop all pretenses and give your ears the visceral bludgeoning that they deserve. If you can relate, then Australia’s Truth Read more […]
What does it mean to be a gimmick? Cannabis Corpse and Ghoul are certainly two bands that have had the moniker thrown at them quite frequently. But to have the lasting power that both bands have enjoyed, Read more […]
Blackened crust/death punk group, Occultist, began as an experimental jam project in the musically prolific city of Richmond, Virginia (hometown of other extreme musicians such as Lamb of God, Municipal Read more […]
It’s established rather early that Tyrants Blood have no interest in slowing down. No, not slowing in the sense of their career or the show workload (these guys do hit the pavement hard). Or, when one’s Read more […]
So this is what happens when djent riffs and mindless deathcore meet up, eh? The two have largely remained on opposing sides (for the better), so the worrisome proposition of some sort of mega union between Read more […]
Under a heavy cloud of nuclear fallout, there’s a dark wave of radioactive dust spreading across the globe, originating in Helsinki, and is causing fits of delight to those caught in the path of this Read more […]
Endless parallels here, Wagner, who is name-dropped as the first real metal composer (all the way back in the 18th century), and Apocalyptica, the four Finns who have enjoyed a fruitful career by playing Read more […]
The most visible act to come out of Costa Rica, Sight of Emptiness have parlayed their unique geographical hold into stadium opening gigs for the likes of Black Sabbath and Megadeth. It’s the equivalent Read more […]
California’s Derogatory are next in line of the retro-death metal hopefuls looking to bring you back to that golden era of the early ‘90s. Thankfully, they have avoided the usual Swede-worship and Read more […]
Nine years away in silence can be an eternity in the metal community, so Italy’s Dragonhammer have a lot to prove to put themselves back on the progressive power metal map with this third album, the Read more […]
An album supposedly dedicated to turning one’s “boring day” into a “good time,” Hammer Fight’s Chug of War debut picks up on all the beer-pyramid themes their German brethren Tankard have been Read more […]
Who is Valdur at war with on their newest full-length effort? Is it God? The Devil? Big business? Themselves? Perhaps it’s the local grocery store after they ran out of Captain Crunch and they Read more […]
An album that belies the industry norm of recording one’s guest parts at home, Epysode’s sophomore Fantasmagoria saw each and every guest musician fly to Belgium for their contributions. Way to boost Read more […]
At first glance, When the Deadbolt Breaks poses as a wordy label, but like their music, it is expansively artistic. When spoken, the name drifts with its poetic consonance; and when contemplated, the image Read more […]
Harm is giving this writer a serious case of deja-vu. German-based old school death metal? Check. Released through FDA Rekotz? Check. Buzzsaw guitars and a mix of Autopsy, Dismember, and Celtic Read more […]
