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Sov – Aklamerad Kalamitet (Review)

Sov are a Black Metal band and this is their début album.

Sov play underground and honest Black Metal that might superficially seem like the standard fare at first glance, but a deeper scrutiny reveals a band with impressive creative power and a lot of raw talent.

This is an interesting release in that it manages to cultivate an air of both natural forest-dwelling and sophisticated blackened art. The music is suspended between the more naturalistic elements and the modern, progressive influences so that these six tracks are a pleasing blend of the early second-wave style and a more up-to-date interpretation of the genre, à la Watain and Deathspell Omega. Continue reading “Sov – Aklamerad Kalamitet (Review)”

Killing for Company – House of Hades (Review)

This is the début album from Norwegian Death Metal band Killing for Company.

Killing for Company’s music seems like it has congealed from a pool of blood that’s seeped out of the corpse of old-school Death Metal. To get an idea of the band’s sound, think Bolt Thrower and Autopsy; mix this with a bit of, (old), Hypocrisy and then add in some atmosphere and coloured melody. Continue reading “Killing for Company – House of Hades (Review)”

Dominhate – Emissaries of Morning (Review)

Dominhate are an Italian Death Metal band and this is their latest EP.

Dominhate play Death Metal that’s dark, dingy and full of sinister auras.

Featuring a classic style and enough grim riffing to get anyone to sit up and pay attention, it’s easy to get on board with the band’s ugly aggression.

This short EP is a relentlessly brutal foray into the underground of Death Metal, where it’s all about crushing your enemies with a vice-like grip and then beating their corpses with their own broken limbs. Continue reading “Dominhate – Emissaries of Morning (Review)”

Interview with Rebaelliun

After a colossal 15 year wait, veteran death metal band Rebaelliun have returned with an equally colossal new album – The Hell’s Decrees. Guitarist Fabiano Penna brought me up to speed with what the band have been doing with their new active status, and where they go from here…

Introduce us to Rebaelliun!

Rebaelliun was formed in 1998 in Brazil. In the end of that year we went to Europe – Brussels first – with a two tracks demo-tape to look for gigs and a record label, since the Death Metal scene in Brazil gave us no perspective about the future. We played several shows in a few countries and signed to Hammerheart Records from Holland. During the next 3 years, we released 2 EP’s and 2 albums, we played 3 more European tours, sharing the stage with legends such as Deicide, Cannibal Corpse, Behemoth and Vader. In 2002 band quit due to personal issues and last year, in 2015, we finally decided to reunite to record a new album.

What are your influences?

Everything you listen to or even you watch, you experience, has some impact in the way you write and play music. But to keep it short, our strongest references in Metal are Slayer and Morbid Angel.

Name five things you’ve listened to recently that you’d recommend. Continue reading “Interview with Rebaelliun”

Astral Path – An Oath to the Void (Review)

Astral Path are an atmospheric Black Metal band from Canada. This is their début album.

This is the kind of modern, expansive Black Metal that so many bands seem to do so well these days. If you’re a fan of bands like Wolves in the Throne Room, Chaos Moon, Midnight Odyssey, Krallice, Mare Cognitum, Deafheaven and their ilk, then you should also like this.

Astral Path’s music combines this type of stargazing, cosmic Black Metal with ambient soundscapes to create atmospheric Black Metal that seems to roll out of the speakers in a pool of spectral fog. Continue reading “Astral Path – An Oath to the Void (Review)”

Rebaelliun – The Hell’s Decrees (Review)

This is the third album from these Brazilian Death Metal veterans, and their first in 15 years.

Rebaelliun have a level of in-built authenticity to them and The Hell’s Decrees is a form of Death Metal purity that few attain. These songs slay the opposition with ease, providing a precise assault of speed and brutality that is inspiring in its destructiveness.

Or, to put it another way; these are damn fine Death Metal songs. Continue reading “Rebaelliun – The Hell’s Decrees (Review)”

Interview with Mindshift

Mindshift’s latest album Horizon is a thoroughly enjoyable slab of modern Metal, taking in both soaring, melodic choruses and crushingly heavy grooves. They’re definitely one of the more engaging bands that play this style, and I urge you to give them a listen if you haven’t done so already. The time seemed right to find out a bit more about this Swedish machine…

Introduce us to Mindshift!

Metal band based out of Stockholm, Sweden, that has been around for about 10 years. But the last 3 years has been sort of a turning point for the band where we have found our sound and started to see the band’s full potential.

For the moment a three piece that consist of Marcus ”Mao” Uggla (Vocals), Johan Lund (Guitar) and Fabien ”Fabz” Perreau (Drums).

What are your influences?

When it comes to writing the music and lyrics for Mindshift, we are influenced by day to day things, current events in our lives and around the world as well as listening to a lot of music. Bands like Killswitch Engage, Soilwork, Metallica, Architects, Heart Of A Coward, Machine Head, Periphery, Meshuggah, Whitechapel, Memphis May Fire, Gojira are constantly on rotation.

Name five things you’ve listened to recently that you’d recommend Continue reading “Interview with Mindshift”

Heretique – De Non Existentia Dei (Review)

This is the second album from Heretique, a Polish Death Metal band.

This is solid old-school Death Metal that takes additional influence from older Metal and proto-Black Metal, making for a well-rounded release that creates its own atmosphere and character with ease.

Snatches of melody appear here and there in the leads and solos; played well and thoughtfully constructed, they add colour and feeling to the otherwise heavy old-school thrashings that the band produce. I love me some good soloing and there are some real crackers on here.

Continue reading “Heretique – De Non Existentia Dei (Review)”

Interview with Enthean

Enthean’s Priests of Annihilation is a modern collision of all manner of Extreme Metal styles, all wrapped up in a handsomely aggressive package. Guitarist/vocalist Adam Broome was kind enough to take time out from dreaming up new mythologies to hammer out some answers to some pertinent questions…

Introduce us to Enthean!

We are a progressive blackened extreme metal band from Greenville, SC. Well, we say Greenville, but no one knows where Anderson/Pendleton/Central is and secondly, our drummer is from Charlotte, NC… so we just met in the middle and said Greenville. Fuck it.

What are your influences?

Musically, it’s old punk, most rock, classical, ska, metal, r & b, ragtime, appliances and hardware, nature, Slayer… Other influences include philosophy, mythology, life events, jackasses, both motivated and lazy people, and Deep Purple. Continue reading “Interview with Enthean”

Schammasch – Triangle (Review)

Schammasch are a Black Metal band from Switzerland. This is their third album.

Here we have a bold, monster of a release; divided into three parts, each lasting about 35 minutes, the entire body of work clocks in at a massive 105 minutes in length.

Schammasch play forward-thinking music that’s rooted in Black Metal, but also visits other styles such as Doom, Post-Black Metal and Progressive Metal.

Continue reading “Schammasch – Triangle (Review)”