Reviews

Leaves’ Eyes – King of Kings (AFM Records)

Many artists would love to get one decade long run with the same band – in the case of vocalist Liv Kristine and her keyboardist/husband Alexander Krull, they’ve been able to strike the iron twice Read more […]

Publicist UK – Forgive Yourself (Relapse)

Bands/albums like Publicist UK’s Forgive Yourself are now the semi-norm for Relapse. The label, once primarily home to every worthwhile death and grind band going, has diversified its portfolio to the Read more […]

Dead to a Dying World – Litany (Gilead Media)

American black metal is starting to gain a familiar rumble. The basement black metal renderings of the 00’s guard has now been replaced, or enhanced, by a less-sideways, but more identifiable template. Read more […]

C R O W N – Natron (Candlelight)

Meshing industrial beats and post-metal isn’t always the easiest task. Meshing industrial with most types of metal is often a challenge for most bands. A few get it right, but many end up under/over-utilizing Read more […]

Daemoniac – Lord of Immolation (Xtreem Music)

Formed in 2013, Daemoniac is an Italian death metal band that features some members in its ranks from Horrid. Before you start thinking – Italy – that must mean technical, brutal death metal of the Read more […]

Lychgate – An Antidote for the Glass Pill

Now here’s some shit right here. UK black metal gloom merchants Lychgate made quite an impression on the world with their debut in 2013’s self-titled album. In a quick two years, they have returned to Read more […]

Ramming Speed – No Epitaphs (Prosthetic)

For every band that strives to offer up a little something different with each release, there are plenty of others who establish their style early and do not veer from those principles in their entire Read more […]

To/Die/For – Cult (Massacre)

Finnish eye-liner Goth metal never quite had the lasting appeal many thought it would after the breakout success of HIM. It’s arguable whether HIM is a metal band or not (cue “Love Metal” tag), so Read more […]

Kraanium – Chronicles of Perversion (Comatose Music)

Slamming, brutal death metal…from Norway? Yes, Kraanium’s origin is a bit out of place amongst the black metal haven, but it doesn’t stop them from giving Chronicles of Perversion all of the genre’s Read more […]

Weedeater – Goliathan (Season of Mist)

Music only a stoner could enjoy, right? That’s been Weedeater’s longstanding credo; an olive branch to those who would presumably, be so stoned and/or out of it to really grasp the generic nature of Read more […]

Soilwork – The Ride Majestic (Nuclear Blast)

So how do you follow up a critically well-received and innovative double-album? That is the question that had to plague Soilwork after the release of The Living Infinite. They had successfully proven Read more […]

Riverside – Love, Fear and the Time Machine (Inside Out Music)

Anyone remember the Iron Curtain period of history where much of the world couldn’t experience any domestic talent from countries like Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania and Poland? This journalist certainly Read more […]

Nightfell – Darkness Evermore (20 Buck Spin)

Nightfell, the combined force that is Todd Burdette (Tragedy, His Hero is Gone, etc.) and Tim Call (Aldebaran, Mournful Congregation), are a welcome breath of fresh (or polluted) air into the atmosphere Read more […]

Inhuman – Conquerors of the New World (Satanath Records/Sevared Records)

For those looking for a more ‘old school’ technical death metal affair, Costa Rica’s Inhuman have released their second album, Conquerors of the New World. With so many bands cozying up to the more Read more […]

Grim Vision – War Agony (Bastardized Recordings)

Some of the combinations of metal and hardcore that have been coming out lately are enough to make you forget that metalcore was such a dirty word. Of course, that’s because most of these newer hybrids Read more […]

Hate Eternal – Infernus (Season of Mist)

At this stage in their career, Hate Eternal is one of the most recognizable names of the death metal crowd. Their sound is just as identifiable. Chances are when you think of Hate Eternal, you tend to Read more […]

Dead Lord – Heads Held High (Century Media)

Leaving another band to seek his own path in 2012, vocalist/guitarist Hakim Grim began Dead Lord with the purpose to churn out 70’s oriented retro-metal from that live, raw, in your face perspective. Read more […]

Theory in Practice – Evolving Transhumanism (Self-Released)

Most of the time, when we come across a single here at DR, it’s held onto for the Rapid Fires or not really paid much attention to. But when the band involved is one that has been M.I.A. for over ten Read more […]

Dark Sermon – The Oracle (eOne)

What seems to be a fantastic shift is how we are moving away from the “sophomore slump” in bands and instead seeing these massive improvements and additions to a band’s sound. The new Rivers of Read more […]

Pentagram – Curious Volume (Peaceville)

Legendary not only for what could have been in terms of major label backing during the 1970’s but also for the one of a kind circus life that is singer Bobby Liebling (2011 documentary Last Daze Here Read more […]

Dystrophy – Wretched Host (Self-Released)

You know that you aren’t going to be hearing the usual death metal album when it opens (and later closes) with some mournful violin. Alas, Dystrophy makes a name for themselves early on in their second Read more […]

Diemonds – Never Wanna Die (Napalm)

Through the proliferation of retrospective music documentaries and natural classic rock radio evolution, a new generation of musicians melded together what’s known today as sleaze metal. Taking off first Read more […]

Dalkhu – Descend…into Nothingness (Iron Bonehead)

Slovenia’s blackened death crew had remained notably silent since the release of 2010’s Imperator. Five years have passed, but now the band has returned with their second effort, Descend…into Nothingness. Read more […]

Creeping – Revenant (Daemon Worship/Iron Bonehead)

The amalgamation of subgenres has often allowed for some interesting results. Black metal itself within the last decade has seen some serious cross-pollination capabilities, with some rather impressive Read more […]

Black Tongue – The Unconquerable Dark (Century Media)

After hearing claims about the heaviness of Black Tongue, it seemed to be worth checking out. Using a more doomy and lurching approach than many of their deathcore peers (don’t expect a blastbeat fest), Read more […]

Amorphis – Under the Red Cloud (Nuclear Blast)

No doubt about it, early Amorphis had some tremendous impact and made some incredible and timeless albums (notably Tales from the Thousand Lakes and Elegy), but when the dust settled after the shake-ups Read more […]

Unbreakable Hatred – Ruins (Unique Leader)

Wasn’t really feeling the cover art on this one, but pushed forwards based upon some of the praise the band had been receiving from members of Suffocation, Cryptopsy, Misery Index, and more. Sometimes Read more […]

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 […]