Akhenaten – The Emerald Tablets of Thoth (Review)

Akhenaten - The Emerald Tablets of ThothAkhenaten are a death metal band from the US and this is their fourth album.

Akhenaten play a hybrid style of black and death metal that’s been spiced up with Middle Eastern folk influences. The music brings to mind a cross between aspects of bands such as Nile, Melechesh, Arallu, Orphaned Land, Rudra, Septic Flesh, and the like. In other words, bands that use their extreme metal for more than simple brutality. Continue reading “Akhenaten – The Emerald Tablets of Thoth (Review)”

Oryx – Lamenting a Dead World (Review)

Oryx - Lamenting a Dead WorldOryx are a sludge metal band from the US and this is their third album.

Oryx combine waves of crushing doom with pulverising sludge groove. As a simple description of what you’ll encounter on this album, it serves, but it doesn’t tell the whole story. The band’s apocalyptic heaviness also contains moments of dark Continue reading “Oryx – Lamenting a Dead World (Review)”

Order of the Wolf/Pessimista – Split (Review)

Order of the Wolf Pessimista - SplitThis is a split between two solo bands rooted in black metal – Order of the Wolf from the UK and Pessimista from Brazil.

This actually came out last year originally, but is now getting a tape release. This is my first encounter with both bands, and this split acts as a very good introduction to them. Continue reading “Order of the Wolf/Pessimista – Split (Review)”

Coldcell – The Greater Evil (Review)

Coldcell - The Greater EvilThis is the fourth album from Swiss black metallers Coldcell.

Featuring the drummer of Schammasch and guest vocals on two songs by the singer of Zatokrev, Coldcell spend 49 minutes delivering atmospheric modern black metal that’s sinister and layered with existential dread. Continue reading “Coldcell – The Greater Evil (Review)”

Hideous Divinity – LV-426 (Review)

Hideous Divinity - LV-426Hideous Divinity are an Italian death metal band and this is their latest EP.

This new 16-minute EP contains two new sci-fi concept-themed tracks, and a cover of a Coheed and Cambria song. Continue reading “Hideous Divinity – LV-426 (Review)”

Cicada the Burrower – Corpseflower (Review)

Cicada the Burrower - CorpseflowerThis is the fourth album from one-woman black metal band Cicada the Burrower.

Corpseflower is an intriguing and engaging collection of tracks that mix jazz, post-hardcore, psychedelic rock, and post-rock into a 31-minute progressive/post-black metal framework that also incorporates elements of blackgaze and depressive black metal. Continue reading “Cicada the Burrower – Corpseflower (Review)”

Spectral Lore – Ετερόφωτος (Review)

Spectral Lore - ΕτερόφωτοςSpectral Lore is a one-man Greek atmospheric black metal band, and this is his fifth album.

I was quite excited to see a new Spectral Lore release so soon after the masterful Wanderers: Astrology of the Nine – a colossal split with Mare Cognitum. This new album is pretty colossal too, containing a whopping 79 minutes of music, and it’s every bit as good as you think it is for the most part. Continue reading “Spectral Lore – Ετερόφωτος (Review)”

Conclave – Dawn of Days (Review)

Conclave - Dawn of DaysThis is the second album from US sludge metallers Conclave.

Now here’s an unexpected treat for yours truly.

I’ve had no prior experience with Conclave, and was initially drawn to Dawn of Days purely because of its artwork. Imagine my surprise when, on closer inspection, it was Continue reading “Conclave – Dawn of Days (Review)”

Miasma Theory – Miasma Theory (Review)

Miasma Theory - Miasma TheoryThis is the debut album from Miasma Theory, an international heavy metal band.

Miasma Theory contains four original compositions and a Candlemass cover, with a total duration of 34 minutes. Of the original songs, Miasma Theory, (a project headed up by a member of Northern Crown), focuses on delivering heavy metal that’s enriched by elements of doom metal. Continue reading “Miasma Theory – Miasma Theory (Review)”