Junk Fuck Militia – Greatest Hits (Review)

Junk Fuck MilitiaJunk Fuck Militia are a Polish grindcore band. This is their latest album.

Junk Fuck Militia play grindcore with lashings of hardcore, powerviolence and sludge. This means that the songs play with different speeds, moods and textures according to the desires of the band.

Even though the average song length is about a minute or so, due to the aforementioned stylistic influences you never quite know Continue reading “Junk Fuck Militia – Greatest Hits (Review)”

Archetype – Mission (Review)

ArchetypeThis is the debut album from Archetype, a Canadian progressive death metal band.

This is a progressive mixture of death and thrash metal that’s not short on confidence or character. Or, for that matter, a rather insane delivery style.

The songs have a decent mixture of aggressive thrash metal, (with a kind of German, Destruction/Kreator feel), and melodic death metal, (Carcass/Arsis), mixed in with more technical and progressive tendencies that see the band producing Continue reading “Archetype – Mission (Review)”

Abominant – Napalm Reign (Review)

AbominantThis is the eleventh album from these US death metal veterans.

Abominant’s last album, Onward to Annihilation, was one of the better albums of 2013, so I had high hopes for Napalm Reign. I have not been disappointed.

The band play an underground death metal style that has both thrash and black metal elements, as well as even some power metal ones. This last aspect of their sound was evident on one track on Onward to Annihilation, and although it’s still only a very small part of their sound, it’s developed a little further Continue reading “Abominant – Napalm Reign (Review)”

Bent Sea/To Dust – Ascend/Descend – Split (Review)

Bent SeaThis is a split release between Bent Sea and To Dust, both of which play grindcore and both of which feature a plethora of members/ex-members of bands such as Aborted, Megadeth, Soilwork, Napalm Death, (Bent Sea), and Abigail Williams, Vintage Warlords, Humanity Is Cancer, Grave Plague, Fountain of Piss, Severed Remains, The Black Dahlia Murder and Phobia, (To Dust).

Phew. As you can see, there’s a lot of experience here.

The first half of the split is provided by Bent Sea, who give us almost 10 minutes of state-of-the-art ferocity. Continue reading “Bent Sea/To Dust – Ascend/Descend – Split (Review)”

Oracles – Miserycorde (Review)

OraclesOracles are a metal band from Belgium, this is their debut album.

Featuring current and ex-members of Aborted, System Divide and Dimlight, as well as guests from current and ex-members of Black Dahlia Murder, Scar Symmetry, Nevermore and Arch Enemy, this is a release that’s something a little different and backed up by a wealth of experience. Continue reading “Oracles – Miserycorde (Review)”

King – Reclaim the Darkness (Review)

KingThis is Australian band King’s debut album. They play black metal.

King is a straightforward, powerfully simple name that is quite refreshing after the increasing complexity of so many new black metal band’s names. Even the logo on the album cover is simple and strong, with no overly complex logo with semi-artistic aspirations. Continue reading “King – Reclaim the Darkness (Review)”

Blood Incantation – Starspawn (Review)

Blood IncantationThis is the debut album from US death metal band Blood Incantation.

Blood Incantation play death metal with plenty of atmosphere and technical skill. This is a band who have gazed towards the night sky, saw the vast darkness, and pay homage to that empty malevolence via the medium of underground music that’s less restricted and more expansive than your average death metal band. Continue reading “Blood Incantation – Starspawn (Review)”

Slomatics – Future Echo Returns (Review)

SlomaticsSlomatics are a sludge/doom band from the UK. This is their fifth album.

A brief overview of Future Echo Returns – doom, sludge, psychedelia, stoner, feedback, atmosphere, synths, heaviness, riffs, leads, solos, metal, songs. More than anything this last one; this album is about songs. Damn good ones too.

In addition to the songs themselves, Slomatics are all about the Continue reading “Slomatics – Future Echo Returns (Review)”

Azziard – Nirnaeth – Dramatis Personae – Split (Review)

Azziard NirnaethThis is a split between two French black metal bands.

Azziard are the first band to show what they can do, and they contribute a near-six minute long war-themed track named Unus Mundus.

Azziard play their black metal dark and evil, full of sharp riffs and even sharper melodies.

The singer rasps and screams his way alongside the relentless blast beats and heartless riffing, showing off his daemonic lungs with fiery abandon. Continue reading “Azziard – Nirnaeth – Dramatis Personae – Split (Review)”

Remote – Resilient (Review)

RemoteRemote are a French hardcore band and this is their second album.

You’ve gotta love dark, violent music that creates oppressive, negative atmospheres. Yes? Oh come on, of course you do.

Combing chaotic hardcore, crushing sludge, dark metal and inventive post-hardcore, Remote present us with 33 minutes of angst-ridden darkness that aims to cause damage. Continue reading “Remote – Resilient (Review)”