Feral Lord – Purity of Corruption (Review)

Feral Lord - Purity of CorruptionThis is the debut album from US black metal band Feral Lord.

Recommended by the promo blurb for fans of bands such as Oranssi Pazuzu, Odraza, and Deathspell Omega, I couldn’t resist giving this a listen to see if it hooked me. Well it did, as you can probably tell by the fact I’m reviewing it. To the above list I’d also add parts of bands like Suffering Hour and Mourir as reference points for Purity of Corruption too. Continue reading “Feral Lord – Purity of Corruption (Review)”

Venues – Solace (Review)

Venues - SolaceThis is the second album from Venues, a modern metal band from Germany.

Following up their solid 2018 debut album Aspire, Venues are now back with a new lineup in tow and 42 minutes of new material.

The band’s dual vocal approach has never sounded better. Harsh Continue reading “Venues – Solace (Review)”

Headshrinker – Callous Indifference (Review)

Headshrinker - Callous IndifferenceHeadshrinker are a death metal band from the US and this is their debut album.

Headshrinker play old-school death metal that incorporates in varying doses, crushing doom, dark black metal, and intricate technicality. Theirs is an atypical approach to death metal, yet one that still benefits from the raw visceral nature of the style. Imagine a cross between Tomb Mold and Ulthar on one hand, and Pyrrhon and Imperial Triumphant on the other, and you’ll be on the right lines for a decent idea of what this album’s 38 minutes hold. Continue reading “Headshrinker – Callous Indifference (Review)”

Windfaerer – Breaths of Elder Dawns (Review)

Windfaerer - Breaths of Elder DawnsWindfaerer are a black metal band from the US. This is their fourth album.

I enjoyed Windfaerer’s second album from 2105 Tenebrosum, but it’s taken me until now to catch up to the band again, so I missed its follow up. I was determined not to miss Breaths of Elder Dawns when I saw it appear though, and I’m very glad that I didn’t. Continue reading “Windfaerer – Breaths of Elder Dawns (Review)”

Wormwitch – Wolf Hex (Review)

Wormwitch - Wolf HexThis is the third album from Canadian black metallers Wormwitch.

Wolf Hex is the 34-minute follow up to 2019’s very well-received Heaven That Dwells Within, but it’s somewhat of a different record to its predecessor. Although obviously the same band, (but with a different lineup), Wolf Hex is rawer and less-polished, and owes more to the underground scenes; it sounds loose, organic, and unforced, and the songs benefit from this approach throughout the album. Continue reading “Wormwitch – Wolf Hex (Review)”

Veil of Conspiracy – Echoes of Winter (Review)

Veil of Conspiracy - Echoes of WinterVeil of Conspiracy are a melodic metal band from Italy and this is their second album.

The promo blurb states that the 45 minutes of material on Echoes of Winter is for fans of Katatonia, Opeth, and The Morningside, which is a good starting point for Veil of Conspiracy’s sound. I’d also add that fans of bands such as Amorphis, Paradise Lost, Deathwhite, Moonspell, My Dying Bride, and Anathema will find much to like here. Continue reading “Veil of Conspiracy – Echoes of Winter (Review)”

Modern Rites – Monuments (Review)

Modern Rites - MonumentsThis is the debut album from Modern Rites, a Swiss/US black metal band.

Featuring members of Aara and Kuyashii, Monuments contains 37 minutes of modern blackened aggression that mainly exists in the melodic black metal sphere, but not exclusively. The music also borrows from the wellspring of 90s industrial music, (which can be especially felt in some of the melodies, structuring, and atmospheres), as well as some of the more brutal strains of modern black metal. Continue reading “Modern Rites – Monuments (Review)”

Remah – Une Main (Review)

Remah - Une MainRemah are an international black metal band and this is their debut album.

Une Main adopts a modern approach to its black metal, one which adapts elements of the depressive, second wave, and atmospheric styles for its own nefarious use. Alongside this sit darkwave and psychedelic influences, both of which add extra depth to the band’s blackened repertoire. Continue reading “Remah – Une Main (Review)”

Oxygen Destroyer – Sinister Monstrosities Spawned by the Unfathomable Ignorance of Humankind (Review)

Oxygen Destroyer - Sinister Monstrosities Spawned by the Unfathomable Ignorance of HumankindOxygen Destroyer are a blackened death/thrash metal band from the US and this is their second album.

Oxygen Destroyer play combination of death, black, and thrash metal that’s brutal and deadly. Across 29 minutes of material the band ply their monster-themed trade, and do so with breathless enthusiasm. Continue reading “Oxygen Destroyer – Sinister Monstrosities Spawned by the Unfathomable Ignorance of Humankind (Review)”

The Slow Death – Siege (Review)

The Slow Death - SiegeThis is the fourth album from Australian death/doom band The Slow Death.

The Slow Death contain current and ex-members of bands such as Illimitable Dolor and Temple Nightside. On Siege, we are given 63 minutes of crushing death/doom metal, which also contains elements of Gothic metal and funeral doom. Featuring four colossal songs, this is a dark and gloomy trip into a world of multifaceted misery and woe. Continue reading “The Slow Death – Siege (Review)”