Hegemony – Demo MMXVI (Review)

HegemonyThis is the debut demo from Hegemony, a blackened death metal band from the US.

This is ugly, ugly stuff. Raw black metal is mixed with bestial, underground death metal to create the kind of twisted, chaotic mindfuck that would make Revenge proud.

The delivery and performance on Continue reading “Hegemony – Demo MMXVI (Review)”

Kurokuma – Advorsus (Review)

KurokumaKurokuma are a UK sludge/doom band and this is their debut EP.

It’s time for Kurokuma to bring the heavy. These three songs are oppressively weighty, consisting of sludgy doom metal with enough intensity to crush a bus.

It’s good that the band know how to add nuance though, as this just makes their music more in-depth and increases its longevity. To this end, elements of psychedelic drone appear here and there, meaning that not only can Kurokuma floor you with their heaviness, but they can also entrance with moody atmosphere. Continue reading “Kurokuma – Advorsus (Review)”

Mare Cognitum – Luminiferous Aether (Review)

Mare CognitumThis is the fourth album from this one-man US black metal band.

Over the years Mare Cognitum’s output has proven to be of exceptionally high quality, with 2014’s Phobos Monolith being a particular highlight.

Luminiferous Aether provides us with more of the progressively-edged atmospheric black metal that we’ve come to know and love from the outfit, all lavishly arranged, produced and delivered across over 50 minutes of Continue reading “Mare Cognitum – Luminiferous Aether (Review)”

Order of the Emperor – Behold (Review)

Order of the EmperorOrder of the Emperor are a hard rock band from The Netherlands, this is their debut album.

Influenced by old-school groovy hard rock, this is 41 minutes of rock bliss for fans of the old-school style delivered with a modern sheen. Continue reading “Order of the Emperor – Behold (Review)”

Inanimate Existence – Calling from a Dream (Review)

Inanimate ExistenceInanimate Existence are a US death metal band and this is their third album.

Starting off softly, with ambient sounds and female vocals, this album is a different beast to the band’s last album A Never Ending Cycle of Atonement. Sure, the band haven’t completely changed, but they’ve definitely progressed a significant amount.

So if you take their Continue reading “Inanimate Existence – Calling from a Dream (Review)”

L’Incendio – L’Incendio (Review)

L'IncendioL’Incendio are an extreme metal band from Italy. This is their debut album.

L’Incendio have a death metal core that they build on with elements of other sub-genre styles, fleshing out their well-rounded assault in a wider-ranging way than many of their peers.

Combining atmosphere and accessibility into their Continue reading “L’Incendio – L’Incendio (Review)”

Six-Score – Lebensräume (Review)

Six-ScoreSix-Score are an Austrian Grindcore band, and this is their second album.

This is modern-edged grind with plenty of aggression and attitude.

Hardcore and punk influences can be heard alongside quite a few d-beat and crust ones, all mixed in with some metal and grinding ferocity. The parts that are injected with more d-beat and punk stylings are quite energetic, Continue reading “Six-Score – Lebensräume (Review)”

Insomnium – Winter’s Gate (Review)

InsomniumInsomnium are a melodic death metal band from Finland and this is their Seventh album.

I do like it when a band gives free rein to their epic, exploratory side and decides to write a really, really long song. Welcome to Winter’s Gate. This album consists of one track that lasts a full 40 minutes in length.

With a concept that’s based around a short story, the band weave this tale into the fabric of the music, taking the listener on a textured journey into unexplored lands. Continue reading “Insomnium – Winter’s Gate (Review)”