November was a pretty great month for metal, as far as I’m concerned. Any one of the records below is worthy of your attention, especially if you’re a fan of black metal or doom. Continue reading “Monthly Overview – the Best of November 2020”
Growth – The Smothering Arms of Mercy (Review)
Growth are an Australian death metal band and this is their debut album.
This is essentially modern progressive death metal, but with a distinctly personal slant. That’s a bit too simplistic a description though. The promo blurb mentions bands such as Opeth, Gorguts, Black Crown Initiate, and Fallujah, and I can see why. To Continue reading “Growth – The Smothering Arms of Mercy (Review)”
Depravity – Grand Malevolence (Review)
This is the second album from Australian death metallers Depravity.
Depravity’s 2018 album Evil Upheaval was a fearsome slab of devastating death metal, so listening to their new slab of aggression was a must. Continue reading “Depravity – Grand Malevolence (Review)”
Pneuma Hagion – Voidgazer (Review)
This is the debut album from Pneuma Hagion, a death metal band from the US.
Ugly and heavy, death metal like this feels like it should be able to swallow stars. You can hear influences from both black and doom metal, but mostly you can hear the sound of brutal nightmares forged into music. Continue reading “Pneuma Hagion – Voidgazer (Review)”
Panychida – Gabreta Aeterna (Review)
This is the fifth album from Czech band Panychida, who play black metal.
I enjoyed 2013’s Grief for an Idol, and especially liked 2016’s Haereticalia – The Night Battles, so when it came once more to partake in a further round of Panychida’s brand of black metal, I couldn’t resist. Continue reading “Panychida – Gabreta Aeterna (Review)”
Cryptic Shift/Replicant/Inoculation/Astral Tomb – Chasm of Aeons – Split (Review)
A sci-fi themed 4-way death metal split release? Hell yes! Sign me up! The class artwork sealed the deal, to be honest, never mind the 19 minutes of quality cosmic metal of death on offer.
UK band Cryptic Shift are the only band here I actually know, (due to Visitations from Enceladus), so was expecting good things; I wasn’t disappointed. Cosmic Dreams is an older Continue reading “Cryptic Shift/Replicant/Inoculation/Astral Tomb – Chasm of Aeons – Split (Review)”
To Dust – Nightmare Cycles (Review)
This is the latest EP from To Dust, a deathgrind band from the US.
It’s been four long year’s since To Dust’s debut split with Bent Sea, so Nightmare Cycles is one I’ve been anticipating. With only an 11-minute duration in some ways it’s merely a taster to get the appetite whetted, but hopefully we won’t have to wait another 4 years for more material from the band. Continue reading “To Dust – Nightmare Cycles (Review)”
Varde – Fedraminne (Review)
This is the debut album from Varde, a Norwegian black metal band.
Fedraminne contains 59 minutes of black metal that mixes folk influences into an atmospheric journey. Continue reading “Varde – Fedraminne (Review)”
Leviathan – Words Waging War (Review)
This is the seventh album form US progressive metallers Leviathan.
Having enjoyed 2014’s Beholden to Nothing, Braver Since Then and 2018’s Can’t Be Seen by Looking: Blurring the Lines, Clouding the Truth, I was looking forward to this. Now that it’s here, Words Waging War provides 68 minutes of progressive metal that’s well-written and well-performed. Continue reading “Leviathan – Words Waging War (Review)”
Slaughterday – Ancient Death Triumph (Review)
This is the third album from German death metallers Slaughterday.
Slaughterday are reliable and enjoyable. Drop into any of their discography at almost any point, (Nightmare Vortex, Ravenous, Laws of the Occult, Abattoir), and you’ll find timeless death metal, with an authentic, honest, merciless Continue reading “Slaughterday – Ancient Death Triumph (Review)”
Wonderbox Metal 