This is the fourth album from German deathcore band Mental Cruelty.
Following on from 2019’s Inferis and 2021’s huge A Hill to Die Upon, Mental Cruelty have now returned with the crushing Zwielicht. Boasting 49 minutes of new material, as well as a new singer, this material continues Mental Cruelty’s forward progression, marking another shift in style towards even more blackened waters than the band waded in on A Hill to Die Upon. Continue reading “Mental Cruelty – Zwielicht (Review)”
This is the sixth album from Norwegian black metallers Tsjuder.
Helvegr boasts 41 minutes of relentless and merciless Norwegian black metal. It’s fast, fiery, and murderously intense. Tsjunder have returned. Continue reading “Tsjuder – Helvegr (Review)”
Krigsgrav are a black metal band from the US and this is their seventh album.
I haven’t caught up with Krigsgrav since their 2016 album Waves of Degradation, so it’s good to check in with them once more. Fires in the Fall contains 53 minutes of new material and reveals some changes to the band’s sound, which can be roughly and facetiously summarised as shorter songs, more doom. Continue reading “Krigsgrav – Fires in the Fall (Review)”
High Priest are a US doom metal band and this is their debut album.
Invocation combines classic doom metal with elements of heavy metal, hard rock, stoner, and grunge. Across 45 minutes High Priest impress with their charismatic and vibrant take on a well-worn style. Continue reading “High Priest – Invocation (Review)”
Forged in Black are a UK heavy metal band and this is their third album.
I thoroughly enjoyed 2019’s Descent of the Serpent, so it’s good to have some new material from Forged in Black. Across 42 minutes the band once again unleash a torrent of quality heavy metal on the world in the shape of Lightning in the Ashes. Continue reading “Forged in Black – Lightning in the Ashes (Review)”
Malauriu and Lykten are both black metal bands from Italy and this is their split.
Malauriu are first up, contributing three songs, lasting 10 minutes in total. Continue reading “Malauriu/Lykten – Split (Review)”
This is the debut album from one-man US black metal band Geist of Ouachita.
Imprisoned in the Graven Wood contains 32 minutes of raw, unfriendly black metal. Rooted in the 90s, but not limited to just that era, this is black metal with melodic sensibilities and a bladed emotive sheen. Continue reading “Geist of Ouachita – Imprisoned in the Graven Wood (Review)”
This is the second album from US sludge metal/grindcore band Elder Devil.
Here we are then – 33 minutes of nasty sludgy grind to clear away the cobwebs. It’s not pretty, but it’s certainly brutal. Elder Devil know how to produce an engaging slab of aggressive hostility. Continue reading “Elder Devil – Everything Worth Loving (Review)”
Boris & Uniform, the former an experimental doom/drone/metal/rock act from Japan, and the latter an industrial rock/metal band from the US, have teamed up together on this collaborative album.
I like Boris, and I like Uniform, so listening to this release was a given. Bright New Disease combines the two act’s talents into new and twisted ways, resulting in an album Continue reading “Boris & Uniform – Bright New Disease (Review)”
This is the sixth or seventh album, (depending on who you ask), from Japanese doom metal band Church of Misery.
Born Under a Mad Sign is a 55-minute Black Sabbath-influenced slab of humungous doom metal. It sounds pretty much exactly as you’d expect it to with this description, but it works well, and this is a very enjoyable album that should also find favour with fans of bands such as Electric Wizard, Sleep, Corrosion of Conformity, Orange Goblin, Trouble, etc. Continue reading “Church of Misery – Born Under a Mad Sign (Review)”
Wonderbox Metal 