Seven Sisters – The Cauldron and the Cross (Review)

Seven SistersSeven Sisters are a heavy metal band from the UK and this is their second album.

They say you should never judge a record by its cover, (do they say that?), but it was the album cover of The Cauldron and the Cross that made me want to listen to it more than anything else. Continue reading “Seven Sisters – The Cauldron and the Cross (Review)”

Ultra-Violence – Operation Misdirection (Review)

Ultra-ViolenceUltra-Violence are an Italian thrash metal band and this is their third album.

Ultra-Violence play ripping thrash metal, pumped up to the max with a love of extremity and good tunes. Yep, this is fast, sharp, and energetic stuff. Continue reading “Ultra-Violence – Operation Misdirection (Review)”

Mutilate – Tormentium (Review)

MutilateMutilate are a death metal band from the US and this is their debut album.

After enjoying All Life Ends so much I simply had to hear Tormentium. Another 38 minutes of old-school death metal that sounds so authentically 80s it could have been buried in a tomb until now? Count me in. Continue reading “Mutilate – Tormentium (Review)”

Mouth of Sauron – Hearken the Echo of Music (Review)

Mouth of SauronThis is the debut album from US death metallers Mouth of Sauron.

Hearken the Echo of Music contains 39 minutes of music, and exists at the nexus of where brutal, technical, and progressive death metal collide. Continue reading “Mouth of Sauron – Hearken the Echo of Music (Review)”

Birds in Row – We Already Lost the World (Review)

Birds in RowBirds in Row are a French post-hardcore band and this is their second album.

Birds in Row play a form of post-hardcore that blends abrasive hardcore and punk influences, with angular noise/post-rock and experimental elements to form music that’s highly textured and filled with strong emotions. Continue reading “Birds in Row – We Already Lost the World (Review)”

Skeletonwitch – Devouring Radiant Light (Review)

SkeletonwitchThis is the sixth album from Skeletonwitch, a blackened metal band from the US.

Well, this is not what I was expecting to hear from Skeletonwitch. I confess that I’ve only ever really heard a small amount of the band’s prior material, and what I did hear was kind of a thrash/melodic metal affair, from what I recall. I approached this Continue reading “Skeletonwitch – Devouring Radiant Light (Review)”

Morrow – The Weight of These Feathers (Review)

MorrowMorrow are a US black metal band and this is their debut album.

Not to be confused with the Morrow from the UK that have appeared on this site previously, this US band play atmospheric black metal with ambient and post-rock influences. Continue reading “Morrow – The Weight of These Feathers (Review)”

Obscura – Diluvium (Review)

ObscuraObscura are a progressive/technical death metal band from Germany and this is their fifth album.

As I’ve said frequently in the past, I like an album that feels like a journey, and this is definitely one such album. With a depth of songwriting and skill that many bands aspire to and few achieve, Diluvium is a masterclass in what a progressive/technical death metal band can achieve. Continue reading “Obscura – Diluvium (Review)”

Depths of Hatred – Bloodguilt (Review)

Depths of HatredDepths of Hatred are a Canadian death metal band and this is their latest EP.

Here we have 22 minutes of Depths of Hatred’s brand of punishing intensity. Mixing together multiple strains of death metal with some decent character and a professional recording, the band’s modern attack is easy to recommend. Continue reading “Depths of Hatred – Bloodguilt (Review)”