Spectrum Mortis – Bit Meseri – The Incantation (Review)

Spectrum Mortis - Bit Meseri -The IncantationThis is the debut album from Spanish black/death/doom metal band Spectrum Mortis.

Spectrum Mortis play occult death metal with lashings of blackened malevolence and an air of ritualistic doom. Across 39 minutes the band preach their foul hymns and conduct their hideous ceremonies, drawing you uncertainly into their esoteric world. Continue reading “Spectrum Mortis – Bit Meseri – The Incantation (Review)”

Standard Interrogation Techniques: Five Questions for Frayle (Interview)

Although I’d ideally love to be able to conduct hard-hitting, in-depth interviews, who has the time these days? In lieu of this, I’ve thrown together the below question template, hopefully to gather some interesting and informative results, without taking up too much of anyone’s time.

Introduce yourself – who are you and what do you do?

Hi, I’m Gwyn. I sing/whisper/yell in Frayle. Continue reading “Standard Interrogation Techniques: Five Questions for Frayle (Interview)”

Vermilia – Ruska (Review)

Vermilia - RuskaThis is the second album from Vermilia, a one-woman black metal band from Finland.

Sometimes you happen upon an album that instantly strikes you as something exceptional. Ruska is exactly one such album. It delivers a 37-minute album of pagan and folk black metal; this simple description does not even begin to do justice to Vermilia’s work though. Continue reading “Vermilia – Ruska (Review)”

Lord of Confusion – Evil Mystery (Review)

Lord of Confusion - Evil MysteryThis is the debut album from Lord of Confusion, a Portuguese doom metal band.

Evil Mystery contains 45 minutes of psychedelic doom, replete with macabre keyboards and funereal dirges aplenty. This is one for fans of Electric Wizard, Dead Witches, and Windhand. Continue reading “Lord of Confusion – Evil Mystery (Review)”

Putrescine/Kosmogyr – Desolate Tides – Split (Review)

Putrescine Kosmogyr - Desolate Tides - SplitTeaming up for this split we have US death metallers Putrescine and international black metallers Kosmogyr.

Putrescine deliver 3 songs with a duration of 17 minutes in total. Putrescine play a progressive form of dissonant death metal. The promo blurb mentions bands like Gorguts, Undeath, and Morbid Angel. Continue reading “Putrescine/Kosmogyr – Desolate Tides – Split (Review)”

Gutvoid – Durance of Lightless Horizons (Review)

Gutvoid - Durance of Lightless HorizonsThis is the debut album from Canadian death metallers Gutvoid.

Featuring six tracks of monstrous death metal spread across 54 minutes, Gutvoid’s ambition is clear. Durance of Lightless Horizons is a grand slab of expressive extreme metal, and is definitely worth spending the time to explore. Let’s dig in. Continue reading “Gutvoid – Durance of Lightless Horizons (Review)”

Gaerea – Mirage (Review)

Gaerea - MirageThis is the third album from Portuguese black metallers Gaerea.

With 2018’s Unsettling Whispers and then 2020’s Limbo, Gaerea have made a formidable name for themselves in the modern black metal killing arenas. Does third album Mirage continue this spree, or find them falling by the wayside? Continue reading “Gaerea – Mirage (Review)”

Venom Inc. – There’s Only Black (Review)

Venom Inc. - There's Only BlackThis is the second album from Venom Inc., a thrash metal band from the UK.

Featuring two members of the legendary Venom, as well as a current and ex-member of bands such as Inhuman Condition, Kill Division, and Wombbath on drums, There’s Only Black contains 54 minutes of raging metallic heaviness that should have any fan of old-school thrash metal salivating. Continue reading “Venom Inc. – There’s Only Black (Review)”

Nordjevel – Gnavhòl (Review)

Nordjevel - GnavhòlNordjevel are a Norwegian black metal band and this is their third album.

Following on from 2021’s fiery Fenrir EP, (of which Gnawing the Bones reappears here), Gnavhòl is a 55-minute expression of black metal darkness. Continue reading “Nordjevel – Gnavhòl (Review)”

Sumerlands – Dreamkiller (Review)

Sumerlands - DreamkillerThis is the second album from US heavy metallers Sumerlands.

Featuring a member of Vestal Claret, Dreamkiller contains 35 minutes of traditional heavy metal and AOR songwriting smarts. Continue reading “Sumerlands – Dreamkiller (Review)”