Livid – Beneath This Shroud, the Earth Erodes (Review)

LividLivid are a doom band from the US and this is their debut album.

2015’s Sint was extremely enjoyable, and showed huge promise for the band for potentially great things for the future. Well, the future is now, and Livid have delivered. Continue reading “Livid – Beneath This Shroud, the Earth Erodes (Review)”

Boris – Dear (Review)

BorisBoris are a legenday group from Japan. Over the years they have produced so much music in so many different styles it’s actually quite difficult to keep up with them. Suffice to say, whatever they do, they usually do it very well indeed.

The last time we caught up with Boris it was only a year or so ago, with their split/collaboration with Merzbow. This was experimental noise at its very best, a style I’m not a huge fan of, but done so well that I couldn’t help but take to it. Continue reading “Boris – Dear (Review)”

Bereft of Light – Hoinar (Review)

Bereft of LightBereft of Light is a one-man Romanian black metal band and this is his debut album.

This is atmospheric black metal in the Cascadian style, brought to us by a member of the outstanding Eye of Solitude, (as well as many, many other bands and projects too). Continue reading “Bereft of Light – Hoinar (Review)”

Contrarian – To Perceive Is to Suffer (Review)

ContrarianThis is the second album from US death metallers Contrarian.

I greatly enjoyed 2015’s Polemic, so it’s with some anticipation that I turn to their latest release. Continue reading “Contrarian – To Perceive Is to Suffer (Review)”

Impiedoso – Reign in Darkness (Review)

ImpiedosoImpiedoso are a black metal band from Brazil and this is their debut album.

This is Satanic, occult black metal that’s screaming with second wave vitriol. With most of the music apparently written during this early era, Impiedoso are even more authentic than most. Continue reading “Impiedoso – Reign in Darkness (Review)”

Tchornobog – Tchornobog (Review)

TchornobogThis is the debut album from Tchornobog, a black/death/doom metal one-man project from the US.

Although this is ostensibly a solo project, (from the man that brought us the mighty Aureole), it also features several session musicians and guests, (most notably from Esoteric and Svartidauði), which help to flesh out the release. Continue reading “Tchornobog – Tchornobog (Review)”

Abhorrent Decimation – The Pardoner (Review)

Abhorrent DecimationAbhorrent Decimation are a death metal band from the UK and this is their second album.

Abhorrent Decimation play modern death metal that has a clear ambitious streak; this is a 50 minute concept album that sees the band take their brutally impressive death metal to new levels. Continue reading “Abhorrent Decimation – The Pardoner (Review)”

Desecresy – The Mortal Horizon (Review)

DesecresyThis is the fifth album from Desecresy, a death metal band from Finland.

Both Chasmic Transcendence and Stoic Death made very positive impressions on me, with the band’s heavy, old-school approach ticking all of the right boxes. Continue reading “Desecresy – The Mortal Horizon (Review)”

Wintersun – The Forest Seasons (Review)

WintersunWintersun are an epic extreme metal band from Finland and this is their third album.

If you haven’t encountered Wintersun before, then prepare yourself for some transcendental music – this is a combination of symphonic/melodic black/death metal, forged into long songs of epic proportions. Continue reading “Wintersun – The Forest Seasons (Review)”