This is the fourth album from US progressive death metallers Fallujah.
I’ve been waiting for this one. Both 2014’s The Flesh Prevails and 2016’s Dreamless were superb albums, so the bar is set high for Undying Light. A change in singer and loss of a guitarist can potentially be a challenge for a band, but when I saw them live recently it sounded as if Fallujah’s new vocalist had easily made his mark. So now we have the new album in full, how does it all manifest? Continue reading “Fallujah – Undying Light (Review)”
Forged in Black are a UK heavy metal band and this is their second album.
Featuring 48 minutes of material, Descent of the Serpent is well-crafted heavy metal with wide scope. Some elements of thrash are mixed in, for example. Also, occasionally the songs veer into classic doom metal territories in their more atmospheric moments, or sometimes adopt a power metal stance of epic force. Whatever they do this is pure heavy metal goodness all the way. Continue reading “Forged in Black – Descent of the Serpent (Review)”
This is the debut album from French post-black metal band Heaume Mortal, (featuring a member of Eibon and Cowards).
There are six tracks on this album spread out across a sprawling 58 minutes of material, (including a Burzum cover). This is music that’s dark and crushing, while also containing aspects of resplendence and writhing, textured colour. Continue reading “Heaume Mortal – Solstices (Review)”
Drawn into Descent are a black metal band from Belgium and this is their second album.
Drawn into Descent play atmospheric black metal with blackgaze, post-rock, and depressive black metal qualities. I first encountered the band on their 2015 self-titled debut, which was an album that grew into my thoughts over time, forcing me to return to it over and over again through the years. Continue reading “Drawn into Descent – The Endless Endeavour (Review)”
Children of Bodom are a melodic death metal band from Finland and this is their tenth album.
My relationship with Children of Bodom up to this point can be summarised like so –
Hatebreeder (1999) – Wow, yeah! Such a damn good album. I really like this band.
Hate Crew Death Roll (2003) – The band just continue to get better!
Are You Dead Yet? (2005) – Oh no. What happened here? It’s okay I suppose, but not really my thing.
Halo of Blood (2013) – Not too bad, but not too good either.
And now we have Hexed. Yes, there are other albums too, in addition to the ones mentioned above, but you get the general idea.
Hexed contains 45 minutes of rocking melodeath, which consists of ten new tracks and, curiously, a reworking of an older song, (Knuckleduster). My verdict? It seems Children of Bodom have returned to the quality levels of the late 90s/early 00s. Yes, you read that right.
Prominent, expressive keyboards work wonders with the material. Songs that are catchy and memorable tear out from the music like bladed predators scything through the airwaves. Old school rock and metal elements are captured in the band’s electrifying songs, especially in the melodies used. Aggressive, energetic, and melodic, Hexed is full of good tunes and confident attitude.
I’m impressed. I’m very pleased to say that the band sound revitalised, despite how much of a cliché that probably comes across as. The album art suggested something along these lines when I first saw it, but the music firmly backs it up.
Hexed is Children of Bodom’s best album in years. I feel like I’ve rediscovered an old friend.
This is the thirteenth album from veteran Swedish metallers In Flames.
Now here’s a band that should need no introduction, and by this point most people will probably already have an opinion of this album before they’ve even heard a single note off it. Continue reading “In Flames – I, the Mask (Review)”
This is the fourth album from US progressive death metallers Fallujah.
Wonderbox Metal 