Archspire – Bleed the Future (Review)

Archspire - Bleed the FutureThis is the fourth album from Canadian technical death metallers Archspire.

Greatly anticipated after 2017’s highly regarded Relentless Mutation, Bleed the Future is another ferocious slab of unstoppable tech death mastery. Archspire spend 32 minutes showing the world very precisely why they are considered by many to be top of the technical death metal pile. Continue reading “Archspire – Bleed the Future (Review)”

Ghost Bath – Self Loather (Review)

Ghost Bath - Self LoatherGhost Bath are a depressive black metal band from the US and this is their fourth album.

I’m a big fan of Ghost Bath‘s work. Although somewhat divisive and an acquired taste for some, 2017’s Starmourner was so unusual and charismatic with its over-the-top histrionics and charged melodic atmosphere, that I couldn’t help but fall for it completely. As such, I’ve been looking forward to Self Loather. Continue reading “Ghost Bath – Self Loather (Review)”

Conjureth – Majestic Dissolve (Review)

Conjureth - Majestic DissolveConjureth are a death metal band from the US and this is their debut album.

Here we have 37 minutes of old-school death metal. It’s of the oldest variety, and steeped in death metal tradition and lore. Continue reading “Conjureth – Majestic Dissolve (Review)”

Worm – Foreverglade (Review)

Worm - ForevergladeThis is the third album from Worm, a blackened death/doom band from the US.

Foreverglade is the fetid swamp where black metal, funeral doom, and death metal meet and all drown slowly. It hard not to get caught up in the band’s rotting stench. I mean, a blackened form of death/doom? One which knows how to craft atmosphere as well as crush with brutal harsh nastiness, all tied together with very effective songwriting? Sign me up. Right now. Continue reading “Worm – Foreverglade (Review)”

Scarecrow – Scarecrow II (Review)

Scarecrow - Scarecrow IIThis is the second album from Russian doom rockers Scarecrow.

Scarecrow play a classic, old-school mix of doom, hard rock, heavy blues, prog rock, psychedelia, and proto-metal.

Scarecrow II is a 44-minute time travelling psychedelic journey into the past, with the band as very capable guides. If you think of a 70s-style rock band, with some beefy guitars, the occasional Continue reading “Scarecrow – Scarecrow II (Review)”

Sulphurous – The Black Mouth of Sepulchre (Review)

Sulphurous - The Black Mouth of SepulchreThis is the second album from Sulphurous, a death metal band from Denmark.

The Black Mouth of Sepulchre gives us 37 minutes of death metal, the sort that leaves burn marks, congealed blood, and dark shadows wherever it goes. Sulphurous’ style is rooted in old-school death metal, but layered with a cloak of darkness and malignant, menacing mood. The music has a fierce technical component, which increases the number of killing ways it has fourfold. Continue reading “Sulphurous – The Black Mouth of Sepulchre (Review)”

Zornheym – The Zornheim Sleep Experiment (Review)

Zornheym - The Zornheim Sleep ExperimentThis is the second album from Zornheym, a symphonic extreme metal band from Sweden.

Featuring an ex-member of Dark Funeral, Zornheym present us with a symphonic monster of black/death/heavy/extreme metal. Yes, a lot of genres are thrown into this one, to great effect. The Zornheim Sleep Experiment contains 37 minutes of the stuff, and it’s a damn good listen. Continue reading “Zornheym – The Zornheim Sleep Experiment (Review)”

Sentinels – Collapse by Design (Review)

Sentinels - Collapse by DesignThis is the debut album from US technical metal band Sentinels.

Collapse by Design features 47 minutes of contemporary heaviness. The band mix elements of metalcore, mathcore, progressive metal, djent, and technical metal, and do so really rather well. Alongside this they also play around with melodic and Continue reading “Sentinels – Collapse by Design (Review)”

Indigo Raven – Looking for Transcendence (Review)

Indigo Raven - Looking for TranscendenceThis is the debut album from French doom metal band Indigo Raven.

Featuring a member of Mourir, Indigo Raven deliver 43 minutes of doom on Looking for Transcendence, (including bonus track, a Mazzy Star cover). The promo blurb states that the “trio’s sound emerges from the Peaceville Three’s influence with a modern sludge approach”, and this is a suitable description of what you’ll find on this album. To this I’d also add a certain 80s pop sensibility that makes for songs that stick in the head. Continue reading “Indigo Raven – Looking for Transcendence (Review)”

Necrofier – Prophecies of Eternal Darkness (Review)

Necrofier - Prophecies of Eternal DarknessThis is the debut album from US black metal band Necrofier.

Necrofier feature members of Oceans of Slumber and Church of Disgust in their lineup, (and other bands), and Prophecies of Eternal Darkness provides a compelling slice of melodic black metal across 36 minutes that manages to merge professional delivery with underground fire. Continue reading “Necrofier – Prophecies of Eternal Darkness (Review)”