Nordicwinter – This Mournful Dawn (Review)

Nordicwinter - This Mournful DawnThis is the seventh album from Canadian one-man black metal act Nordicwinter.

After enjoying 2020’s Desolation and 2021’s Sorrow, I was pleased to see This Mournful Dawn appear. I was then surprised when I subsequently found out that the artist has released two other Nordicwinter albums between Sorrow and this new one! Has being this prolific impacted upon quality levels since I last encountered this act? Continue reading “Nordicwinter – This Mournful Dawn (Review)”

Invultation – Feral Legion (Review)

Invultation - Feral LegionThis is the third album from Invultation, a solo death metal band from the US.

This is some nasty stuff. Feral Legion is a 37-minute bestial war metal album that assaults the listener with its death metal bite and sharp blackened claws. This isn’t your run-of-the-mill album though, and Invultation might surprise you. Continue reading “Invultation – Feral Legion (Review)”

Urne – A Feast on Sorrow (Review)

Urne - A Feast on SorrowUrne are a metal band from the UK and this is their second album.

Having loved Urne’s 2021 debut album Serpent & Spirit, it’s safe to assume that A Feast on Sorrow has been one of my most anticipated albums of 2023. I’m very pleased to say that it has not disappointed. Continue reading “Urne – A Feast on Sorrow (Review)”

Earthen Altar – Earthen Altar (Review)

Earthen Altar - Earthen AltarThis is the debut album from US black metal band Earthen Altar.

Earthen Altar play nature-inspired atmospheric black metal informed by the Cascadian style., but not restricted to it. Earthen Altar contains three tracks with a total duration of 27 minutes. Before we start, prepare yourself, as this is a colossally strong release. Continue reading “Earthen Altar – Earthen Altar (Review)”

Unblessed Divine – Portal to Darkness (Review)

Unblessed Divine - Portal to DarknessThis is the debut album from international death metal band Unblessed Divine.

Featuring ex-members of Malevolent Creation, Sinister, and Decapitated, Portal to Darkness contains 45 minutes of expressive and atmospheric death metal. Continue reading “Unblessed Divine – Portal to Darkness (Review)”

Coffin Mulch – Spectral Intercession (Review)

Coffin Mulch - Spectral IntercessionCoffin Mulch are a Scottish death metal band and this is their debut album.

Spectral Intercession features 31 minutes of old-school death metal, delivered primarily in the Swedish style, (although not exclusively). Yep, grab your chainsaw, and get ready for carnage. If you’re a fan of bands such as Entombed, Dismember, Bloodbath, and Entrails, but also want something with buckets of Autopsy and Asphyx thrown in, as well as a smudge of hardcore and a whiff of doom, then Coffin Mulch have got you covered.

Continue reading “Coffin Mulch – Spectral Intercession (Review)”

Temple of Dread – Beyond Acheron (Review)

Temple of Dread - Beyond AcheronThis is the fourth album from German death metal band Temple of Dread.

Following on from 2021’s Hades Unleashed, Beyond Acheron contains 46 minutes of thrash-edged old-school death metal mayhem. Beyond Acheron marauders through its running time like a thing possessed, but one that hoards secret knowledge and forbidden truths that elevate it to more than a simple beast. Continue reading “Temple of Dread – Beyond Acheron (Review)”

Kataklysm – Goliath (Review)

Kataklysm - GoliathThis is the fifteenth album from Canadian death metal band Kataklysm.

Goliath contains 41 minutes of Kataklysm’s brutal approach to melodic death metal. Goliath is a powerhouse of contemporary aggression that benefits from Kataklysm’s old-school pedigree and experience. The band sound revitalised, and the songs energetic and hostile. Continue reading “Kataklysm – Goliath (Review)”

Rezn & Vinnum Sabbathi – Silent Future (Review)

Rezn & Vinnum Sabbathi - Silent FutureThis is a collaboration between two doom bands, Rezn from the US and Vinnum Sabbathi from Mexico.

Silent Future is a 32-minute collaborative effort that’s effortlessly satisfying. Rezn and Vinnum Sabbathi work together with seamless ease, and the album is an exemplar of creative effectiveness. Continue reading “Rezn & Vinnum Sabbathi – Silent Future (Review)”

Runespell – Shores of Nastrond (Review)

Runespell - Shores of NastrondThis is the fifth album from Australian black metal band Runespell.

I’ve enjoyed following Runespell’s progress over the years, (be sure to check out previous work Unhallowed Blood Oath, Order of Vengeance, Voice of Opprobrium, and Verses in Regicide), so listening to Shores of Nastrond was pretty mandatory. This new album contains 46 minutes of new material, and is also Runespell’s first as a full band, rather than just a solo act, (with current/ex-members of bands like Illimitable Dolor, The Slow Death, and Temple Nightside). Continue reading “Runespell – Shores of Nastrond (Review)”