Miserable Failure – Death March (Review)

Miserable Failure - Death MarchThis is the latest release from Miserable Failure, (or MSRBLFLR), a French death metal/grindcore band.

This enigmatic act have been quiet since 2017’s Alone, (at least with this project), but now they’re back with the beautifully adorned Death March. Containing just one 22-minute track, (made up of three named movements), this is a welcome return from this talented group. Continue reading “Miserable Failure – Death March (Review)”

Blut Aus Nord – Disharmonium – Undreamable Abysses (Review)

Blut Aus Nord - Disharmonium - Undreamable AbyssesThis is the fourteenth album from Blut Aus Nord, a French black metal band.

A new Blut Aus Nord release is always worth paying attention to. Over the years the band have ranged through a variety of dark, blackened styles, (see some examples, here, here, here, and here), so what delights does Disharmonium – Undreamable Abysses hold? Continue reading “Blut Aus Nord – Disharmonium – Undreamable Abysses (Review)”

Cave In – Heavy Pendulum (Review)

Cave In - Heavy PendulumCave In are a US post-hardcore/rock band and this is their seventh album.

Following on from 2019’s Final Transmission, Heavy Pendulum is somewhat of a different beast to their last album. Whereas Final Transmission was short, (31 minutes), fragile, and emotive, reflective of the effects of tragedy and loss, Heavy Pendulum is long, (71 minutes), has greater range, (though still emotive), and more reflective of the band’s varied discography as a whole. Continue reading “Cave In – Heavy Pendulum (Review)”

Black Void – Antithesis (Review)

Black Void - AntithesisThis is the debut album from Black Void, a Norwegian black metal band.

Featuring members of Borknagar, Ihsahn, In Vain, Profane Burial, and Solefald, Antithesis delivers 39 minutes of furious black metal cut with harsh hardcore punk, black ‘n’ roll, and some unexpectedly anthemic influences. Continue reading “Black Void – Antithesis (Review)”

Church of Disgust – Weakest Is the Flesh (Review)

Church of Disgust - Weakest Is the FleshChurch of Disgust, (featuring a member of Necrofier), are a death metal band from the US and this is their third album.

It’s been quite a while since the one-two gut punch of 2014’s Unworldly Summoning and 2016’s Veneration of Filth, although it seems that the band did release an EP in 2020, and a couple of splits before that, all of which I sadly missed. Regardless, Weak Is the Flesh is now here to swamp us with 41 minutes of old-school death metal filth, and it knows that we like it. Continue reading “Church of Disgust – Weakest Is the Flesh (Review)”

Sarayasign – Throne of Gold (Review)

Sarayasign - Throne of GoldThis is the debut album from Sarayasign, a rock band from Sweden.

Occasionally you stumble, blindly, across an album that is a real gem. Throne of Gold is exactly one such release. Sarayasign’s rock style may have fallen out of fashion some time ago, but that doesn’t change the fact that what they have produced here is a damn good album. Continue reading “Sarayasign – Throne of Gold (Review)”

Heaving Earth – Darkness of God (Review)

Heaving Earth - Darkness of GodHeaving Earth are a death metal band from Czechia and this is their second album.

Seven long years have passed since we last heard from Heaving Earth on 2015’s crushing Denouncing the Holy Throne. The band have finally returned with 49 minutes of new material, as well as a new line up, (including a new singer who is also in Brutally Deceased and Somniate, and session drums from the drummer of Hideous Divinity/Nero di Marte). Do they still have what it takes to pulverise and destroy with their mere presence? Continue reading “Heaving Earth – Darkness of God (Review)”

Besvärjelsen – Atlas (Review)

Besvärjelsen - AtlasBesvärjelsen are a Swedish doom band and this is their second album.

This hefty release has a doom metal base that’s then mixed with grunge, and has heavy, stoner, blues, and psychedelic rock elements liberally sprinkled over everything. Some songs lean into certain influences more than others, which leads to a decent amount of variety across the album. The promo blurb mentions Alice in Chains and Windhand, and that’s a decent picture of Besvärjelsen’s sound, albeit an incomplete one. Continue reading “Besvärjelsen – Atlas (Review)”

Decapitated – Cancer Culture (Review)

Decapitated - Cancer CultureDecapitated are a Polish death metal band and this is their eighth album.

This is the follow up to 2017’s Anticult, and offers 37 minutes of heaviness that is ridiculously enjoyable. I expected a new Decapitated release to be good, but I was not ready for just how good Cancer Culture turned out to be. Continue reading “Decapitated – Cancer Culture (Review)”

Cadaveria – Emptiness (Review)

Cadaveria - EmptinessCadaveria are an Italian metal band and this is their sixth album.

Cadaveria play a form of metal that combines elements of melodic death metal and black metal with heavy and Gothic metal, resulting in songs that mix heaviness and atmosphere. Continue reading “Cadaveria – Emptiness (Review)”