Frozen Crown – Call of the North (Review)

Frozen Crown - Call of the NorthFrozen Crown are an Italian power metal band and this is their fourth album.

With promo blurb that states Call of the North is for fans of Iron Maiden, Blind Guardian, Hammerfall, Dragonforce, and Unleash the Archers, it would be churlish not to check this out. I’m glad I did. Continue reading “Frozen Crown – Call of the North (Review)”

Whore of Bethlehem – Ritual of Homicide (Review)

Whore of Bethlehem - Ritual of HomicideThis is the third album from blackened death metallers Whore of Bethlehem.

Recommended for fans of Morbid Angel, Deicide, Devangelic, and Oath of Damnation by the promo blurb, this sets an appropriately brutal scene for Ritual of Homicide. I’ll also throw in references to acts such as Belphegor, Dark Funeral, Suffocation, Krisiun, and Altars Ablaze for good measure. Continue reading “Whore of Bethlehem – Ritual of Homicide (Review)”

Ne Obliviscaris – Exul (Review)

Ne Obliviscaris - ExulNe Obliviscaris are an Australian extreme progressive metal band and this is their fourth album.

It seems like such a long time ago that 2017’s Urn came out – and it was – so it’s great to now have Ne Obliviscaris back with Exul. Containing 52 minutes of new material, Exul may just be Ne Obliviscaris’ best album yet. Continue reading “Ne Obliviscaris – Exul (Review)”

Dawn Ray’d – To Know the Light (Review)

Dawn Ray'd - To Know the LightDawn Ray’d are a black metal band from the UK and this is their third album.

Dawn Ray’d have produced an enviable discography in a relatively short space of time, (including 2019’s Behold Sedition Plainsong), and it’s great to now have their third album To Know the Light upon us. Continue reading “Dawn Ray’d – To Know the Light (Review)”

Verminous Serpent – The Malign Covenant (Review)

Verminous Serpent - The Malign CovenantVerminous Serpent are a black metal band from Ireland and this is their debut album.

Featuring members of Primordial, Dread Sovereign, Slidhr, and Malthusian, Verminous Serpent supply us with 40 minutes of malevolent black metal on The Malign Covenant. Continue reading “Verminous Serpent – The Malign Covenant (Review)”

Afsky – Om Hundrede År (Review)

Afsky - Om Hundrede ÅrThis is the third album from Danish one-man black metal band Afsky.

Following on from 2018’s Sorg, 2020’s Ofte Jeg Drømmer Mig Død, and 2022’s I Stilhed, Om Hundrede År contains 43 minutes of new material and is eagerly anticipated by many fans of atmospheric black metal. Continue reading “Afsky – Om Hundrede År (Review)”

Contrarian – Sage of Shekhinah (Review)

Contrarian - Sage of ShekhinahThis is the fifth album from US progressive death metallers Contrarian.

New Contrarian! Cast your mind and ears back over Polemic, To Perceive Is to Suffer, Their Worm Never Dies, and Only Time Will Tell, and you’ll find a band that has never released a bad album. I have a long-running soft spot for this band, but one that’s well-deserved. Contrarian are the sound of pure satisfying enjoyment in progressive death metal form. Continue reading “Contrarian – Sage of Shekhinah (Review)”

Redemption – I Am the Storm (Review)

Redemption - I Am the StormThis is the eighth album from Redemption, a progressive metal band from the US.

Following up 2016’s The Art of Loss and 2018’s Long Night’s Journey into Day, Redemption now return with 55 minutes of new material, (71 minutes including a remix and covers of Genesis and Peter Gabriel songs), on I Am the Storm. Continue reading “Redemption – I Am the Storm (Review)”