Naxen – Towards the Tomb of Times (Review)

Naxen - Towards the Tomb of TimesThis is the debut album from Naxen, a German black metal band.

Mixing classic second wave black metal with the atmospheric style from the US, Towards the Tomb of Times contains 47 minutes of compelling material divided into four epic tracks. Continue reading “Naxen – Towards the Tomb of Times (Review)”

Fornicus – Sulphuric Omnipotence – (Review)

Fornicus - Sulphuric OmnipotenceFornicus are a black/death metal band from the US and this is their third album.

I enjoyed both 2014’s Storming Heaven and 2016’s Hymns of Dominion, but it seems that on Sulphuric Omnipotence Fornicus have taken things up a notch, and now my attention is well and Continue reading “Fornicus – Sulphuric Omnipotence – (Review)”

Tombstoner – Descent to Madness (Review)

Tombstoner - Descent to MadnessThis is the debut EP by US death metallers Tombstoner.

Oh my, what do we have here? This is some very tasty old-school death metal, played with modern flair. It’s not just death metal that we have here, however, as Tombstoner incorporate elements of grind, hardcore, and thrash into their Continue reading “Tombstoner – Descent to Madness (Review)”

Ice Howl – Cadence of the Cursed (Review)

Ice Howl - Cadence of the CursedThis is the second album from US one-man metal band Ice Howl.

The artist behind Ice Howl gives us 34 minutes of pure metal joy on Cadence of the Cursed. Blending together elements of stoner, doom, heavy, and power metal, these seven songs pack quite the metallic punch. Continue reading “Ice Howl – Cadence of the Cursed (Review)”

Living Gate – Deathlust (Review)

Living Gate - DeathlustLiving Gate are an international death metal band and this is their debut EP.

Featuring members of bands such as Yob, Wiegedood, and Amenra, they bombard us with 18 minutes of old-school death metal. Continue reading “Living Gate – Deathlust (Review)”

Obscene – The Inhabitable Dark (Review)

Obscene - The Inhabitable DarkObscene are a death metal band from the US and this is their debut album.

Obscene play Floridian USDM, spiced up with aspects of the UK and European styles. There’s a touch of thrash here too. Imagine a mix of Obituary, Death, Cancer, Bolt Thrower, Asphyx, Slayer, and Master, and then get quite excited by how good The Inhabitable Dark is. Continue reading “Obscene – The Inhabitable Dark (Review)”

Aversions Crown – Hell Will Come for Us All (Review)

Aversions Crown - Hell Will Come for Us AllThis is the fourth album from Aversions Crown, a death metal/deathcore band from Australia.

2016’s Xenocide was an exemplar of modern brutality, with its alien melodies and extraterrestrial themes. Hell Will Come for Us All is a different beast; although still recognisably the same band in some respects, the Aversions Crown of 2020 is more grounded in the present, with a corresponding increase in brutally destructive heaviness, and a sound more reminiscent of some of their peers. Continue reading “Aversions Crown – Hell Will Come for Us All (Review)”

-(16)- – Dream Squasher (Review)

16 - Dream Squasher-(16)- are a sludge metal band from the US and this is their eighth album.

Apart from 2017’s split with Fistula, I’m unfamiliar with -(16)- and their work, although I’ve been aware of their existence for decades. Due to their pedigree, and the fact that the press blurb recommends them for Continue reading “-(16)- – Dream Squasher (Review)”

Exhumed/Gruesome – Twisted Horror – Split (Review)

Exhumed Gruesome - Twisted Horror - SplitExhumed and Gruesome are both US death metal bands, and they’ve teamed up for this split release.

We start with the bloody Exhumed, a band that are quite legendary in gore metal circles. Continue reading “Exhumed/Gruesome – Twisted Horror – Split (Review)”