Delain – Moonbathers (Review)

DelainDelain are a symphonic metal band from The Netherlands and this is their fifth album.

Delain are one of those bands that I feel I should have heard a long time ago, but Moonbathers is actually my first encounter with the band’s material.

Within Temptation and Nightwish are the obvious reference points for a band like this, and Continue reading “Delain – Moonbathers (Review)”

Myteri – Myteri (Review)

MyteriMyteri are a crust/punk band from Sweden and this is their debut album.

Myteri combine crust and punk influences into 27 minutes of roiling hardcore, recalling a mix of Poison Idea, Fredag Den 13:e and Martyrdöd.

With a very unassuming cover, along with the brief intro track, this seems to Continue reading “Myteri – Myteri (Review)”

Deprive – Temple of the Lost Wisdom (Review)

DepriveThis is the second album from Deprive, a one-man death metal band from Spain.

This is thickly emotive death metal, forged in the fires of the 90s metal scene. This was a time when death metal was allowed to be slower and incorporate elements of doom/death to increase the atmosphere, and this is something that Continue reading “Deprive – Temple of the Lost Wisdom (Review)”

Vrtra – My Bones Hold a Stillness (Review)

VrtraVrtra are a black metal/post-black metal/blackened doom band from the US. This is their debut album.

Holy shit this is good! Is that an appropriate way to start a review? I dunno. Probably not, but who cares, because holy shit this is good!

This is a sickly-blackened release that contains elements of doom, death, black and post-metal within its 31 minute length. Vrtra do not respect musical boundaries, and why should they? I’ll tentatively refer to them as Continue reading “Vrtra – My Bones Hold a Stillness (Review)”

Vulvodynia – Psychosadistic Design (Review)

VolvodyniaThis is the second album from Vulvodynia, a death metal band from South Africa.

Vulvodynia specialise in a form of brutal death metal that features a large helping of slam, beatdowns and deathcore/whatever – basically it’s brutal, bouncy and smashes the Hell out of everything around it.

This is heavy and groovy, designed to fuel violence in mosh pits Continue reading “Vulvodynia – Psychosadistic Design (Review)”

Existench/Deboned – Split (Review)

ExistenchThis is a split between two Canadian grindcore bands – Existench and Deboned.

First up we have Existench, with just under 7 minutes of intensity.

This is old-school grind that takes no prisoners and just wants to rampage. With punk intent and hardcore ferocity, Existench rage through these short songs with the assured confidence of a predator that knows its kill is near. Continue reading “Existench/Deboned – Split (Review)”

Coma Cluster Void – Mind Cemeteries (Review)

Coma Cluster VoidComa Cluster Void are a death metal band, (of sorts), and this is their debut album. They have an international lineup, with members from Canada, Germany and the US.

This album features not one, but two ex-Cryptopsy singers. You heard that right. To be fair, one of them, (Lord Worm), is only a guest vocalist on a couple of tracks, but still. The other, (Mike DiSalvo), is only one half of the vocal attack, the other half being provided by Continue reading “Coma Cluster Void – Mind Cemeteries (Review)”

Devil Gone Public – Smokehound (Review)

Devil Gone PublicThis is the debut album from US metal band Devil Gone Public.

Devil Gone Public play stoner/groove metal with a Southern flavour. Imagine a mix of Orange Goblin, Lamb of God, Red Fang, Black Tusk, Mastodon, Corrosion of Conformity and Down – this should give you a good starting point for what Devil Gone Public sound like.

The songs Continue reading “Devil Gone Public – Smokehound (Review)”

Harm – The Evil (Review)

HarmHarm are a German death metal band and this is their second album.

It’s been a few years since Harm’s 2013 debut album Cadaver Christi first landed like a high-explosive shell, and since then we’ve been hungry for more. Well, wait no longer, as Harm are back.

What I like about Harm is how Continue reading “Harm – The Evil (Review)”

Swampcult – The Festival (Review)

SwampcultSwampcult are a doom metal band from The Netherlands, this is their second album.

The Festival is a H. P. Lovecraft-themed release, completely built and fashioned around one of his stories of the same name.

This is heavily atmospheric doom metal and sees the band mixing elements of classic proto-black metal into their cauldron and Continue reading “Swampcult – The Festival (Review)”