Devenial Verdict – Blessing of Despair (Review)

Devenial Verdict - Blessing of DespairThis is the second album from Finnish death metal band Devenial Verdict.

Following on from 2022’s very enjoyable Ash Blind comes Blessing of Despair, which contains 51 minutes of new music. Prepare yourself for an onslaught of crushing atmospheric dissonant death metal. Continue reading “Devenial Verdict – Blessing of Despair (Review)”

1349 – The Wolf and the King (Review)

1349 - The Wolf and the KingThis is the eighth album from Norwegian black metallers 1349.

1349 boast current/ex-members of Gorgoroth, Keep of Kalessin, Mortem, and Satyricon in their ranks, and they provide us with 39 minutes of Norwegian black metal in the form of The Wolf and the King. Continue reading “1349 – The Wolf and the King (Review)”

Temple of Dread – God of the Godless (Review)

Temple of Dread - God of the GodlessThis is the fifth album from German death metal band Temple of Dread.

It has been little over a year since Beyond Acheron, so I was not expecting a new Temple of Dread album again so soon at all. God of the Godless comes to us in the form of 42 minutes of new material, and it once again demonstrates why the band are so good at what they do. Continue reading “Temple of Dread – God of the Godless (Review)”

Lowen – Do Not Go to War with the Demons of Mazandaran (Review)

Lowen - Do Not Go to War with the Demons of MazandaranThis is the second album from UK metal band Lowen.

Do Not Go to War with the Demons of Mazandaran contains 37 minutes of progressive metal. The promo blurb describes Lowen as “Crushing progressive doom steeped in the history of the ancient middle-east and the empty vistas of space.”, which is a great introduction to the band’s work, although I’d argue that the doom aspect of the music is not a huge one. Continue reading “Lowen – Do Not Go to War with the Demons of Mazandaran (Review)”

Blue Heron – Everything Fades (Review)

Blue Heron - Everything FadesBlue Heron are a heavy rock band from the US and this is their second album.

Ever since first encountering Blue Heron in 2021 on their debut release Black Blood of the Earth/A Sunken Place I’ve been partial to the band’s earthy brand of stoner rock. They capitalised on this early success in 2022 with their first album Ephemeral, and then the following year released a split with High Desert Queen which I particularly liked. All of which brings us to Everything Fades, and its 39 minutes of new material. Continue reading “Blue Heron – Everything Fades (Review)”

Keitzer – Pandemonium Humanitas (Review)

Keitzer - Pandemonium HumanitasKeitzer are a German death metal/grindcore band and this is their eighth album.

Keitzer are always reliable at what they do. 2014’s The Last Defence, 2016’s Ascension, and 2019’s Where the Light Ends were all solidly enjoyable records, so it’s great to have the 41 minutes of Pandemonium Humanitas now with us. Continue reading “Keitzer – Pandemonium Humanitas (Review)”

Invocation – The Archaic Sanctuary (Ritual Body Postures) (Review)

Invocation - The Archaic Sanctuary Ritual Body Postures)Invocation are a black/death metal band from Chile and this is their debut album.

Invocation impressed me with their 2016 demo release Seance – Part: 1, so it’s great to finally have a full album off them, a mere eight years later, (the band haven’t been idle though, as they’ve released two EPs during that time). Continue reading “Invocation – The Archaic Sanctuary (Ritual Body Postures) (Review)”

The Black Dahlia Murder – Servitude (Review)

The Black Dahlia Murder - ServitudeThe Black Dahlia Murder are a death metal band from the US and this is their tenth album.

After suffering the tragic loss of their iconic singer, The Black Dahlia Murder have returned with their co-founder taking on vocal duties instead of the guitar. So, following on from 2020’s Verminous, we now have the 33-minute Servitude to embrace. Continue reading “The Black Dahlia Murder – Servitude (Review)”

Ars Veneficium – The Lurking Shadow of Death (Review)

Ars Veneficium - The Lurking Shadow of DeathThis is the third album from Ars Veneficium, a black metal band from Belgium.

Following on from 2016’s enjoyable The Reign of the Infernal King and 2020’s Usurpation of the Seven comes The Lurking Shadow of Death; 40 minutes of new material from the mighty Ars Veneficium. Continue reading “Ars Veneficium – The Lurking Shadow of Death (Review)”

Ingurgitating Oblivion – Ontology of Nought (Review)

Ingurgitating Oblivion - Ontology of NoughtThis is the third album from German extreme metal band Ingurgitating Oblivion.

It’s been some time since Ingurgitating Oblivion terrified the world with their malignant presence. 2014’s Continuum of Absence showed great promise, which was then realised on 2017’s colossal Vision Wallows in Symphonies of Light. The wait is now over, for Ontology of Nought brings us a massive 73 minutes of darkness. It’s time to step into the nightmare once more. Continue reading “Ingurgitating Oblivion – Ontology of Nought (Review)”