Mammoth Storm are a Swedish doom metal band and this is their second album.
Now here’s an album I’ve been so looking forward to. 2015’s Fornjot was a stunning album, one which has stayed with me over the years as an exemplar of heaviness and melodic might. Continue reading “Mammoth Storm – Alruna (Review)”
This is the fifth album from Yellow Eyes, a black metal band from the US.
Yellow Eyes play modern black metal, raw and underground. Theirs is a bleakly charismatic form of blackened expression, one which provides the listener with many facets to explore throughout its 46-minute playing time. Continue reading “Yellow Eyes – Rare Field Ceiling (Review)”
Keitzer are a German death metal/grindcore band and this is their seventh album.
Keitzer’s 2014 album The Last Defence was a particular favourite of mine, with its energetic and well-delivered deathgrind really hitting the spot. The follow up – 2016’s Ascension – was more of a death metal affair, and although I do prefer The Last Defence, it was still a solid and enjoyable record. Continue reading “Keitzer – Where the Light Ends (Review)”
Ashbringer are an atmospheric black metal band from the US and this is their third album.
Ashbringer’s black metal combines aggressive blackness with melodic sensibilities and folk-influenced post-rock reflection. Elements of bands such as Fen, Agalloch, Falls of Rauros, Amiensus, and Alcest can be heard, but moulded and channelled through Ashbringer’s own collective experiences and personality. Continue reading “Ashbringer – Absolution (Review)”
This is the debut release from Unknown Artist, a French extreme metal band.
What on earth is this unholy abomination? A single 28-minute track of utter nastiness and horror, that’s what. Complex and impenetrable, this is disjointed, inaccessible blackened death metal, and is not for the weak of heart. Continue reading “Unknown Artist – A Pig’s Head on a Stick (Review)”
Chernaa are an international, (Czech Republic/Ukraine/Russia), post-black metal band and this is their debut album.
The promo blurb for this album stated that it was for fans of Deafheaven, Oathbreaker, Wolves in the Throne Room, Wiegedood, and Harakiri for the Sky, so I knew that I had to at least give it a listen. Then, having skimmed through a couple of their videos, I knew I Continue reading “Chernaa – Empyrean Fire (Review)”
This is the debut album from US black metal band Murk Rider.
Three enormous songs, with a combined duration of 82 minutes? Okay, I’ll bite.
An album of depth, both musically and thematically, Exile of Shadows is black metal in only one of its aspects, albeit a primary one. The band also occasionally incorporate apocalyptic sludge and stoner doom into their melting pot, as well as strands of classic heavy and speed metal. This curious, (yet effective), mixture means that Continue reading “Murk Rider – Exile of Shadows (Review)”
Itheist are a UK black/death metal band and this is their debut album.
Previously named Aetherium Mors, this is the band’s first release under its new moniker. This is modern, dissonant black metal that’s been hybridised with death metal and energised with melodic darkness. Continue reading “Itheist – Itheist (Review)”
Memoriam are a UK death metal band and this is their third album.
Hot on the heels of 2018’s The Silent Vigil, we now get 48 minutes of new material in the form of Requiem for Mankind. Continue reading “Memoriam – Requiem for Mankind (Review)”
The Odious are a progressive metal band from the US and this is their second album.
The Odious’ progressive metal is a mix of modern technical/progressive/death metal and progressive rock. The end result can be loosely characterised as a mix of The Faceless, Opeth, Between the Buried and Me, Sikth, Meshuggah, Ulcerate, and Devin Townsend. Continue reading “The Odious – Vesica Piscis (Review)”
Wonderbox Metal 