Vow of Thorns are a post-black metal band from Canada, and this is their début album.
This is post-black metal with liberal lashings of the depressive and doom styles, and a taste for the progressive too.
The songs have a depressive black metal feel to them, coming from their general demeanour and the melodies used. Continue reading “Vow of Thorns – Farewell to the Sun (Review)”
Monolithe are a French doom band, and this is their sixth album.
Monolithe are no stranger to this site, having been covered previously here, here and here. This latest album is the second part, a companion release, as it were, to their last one, Epsilon Aurigae, and continues their evolution away from their original funeral doom style into uncharted territories.
Like Epsilon Aurigae, Zeta Reticuli sees the band keeping aspects of funeral doom, but adding increasingly progressive influences to their sound. It also sees them keeping the same format – three songs, 15:00 minutes each, exactly. Continue reading “Monolithe – Zeta Reticuli (Review)”
This is the début EP from this Indian blackened death metal band.
Think of bands like Behemoth and Belphegor – bands that combine the brutality of death metal with the occult malevolence of black metal. This is the world that Nogrod inhabit.
This is either black metal with a death metal influence, or blackened death metal, depending Continue reading “Nogrod – Abstruce Dismal (Review)”
This is the sixth album from Revocation, a US death/thrash metal band.
Revocation have been steadily building a solid reputation for themselves over the years, and when you look at their latest release it’s easy to see why.
Here we have a band that combines death metal, thrash metal, technicality and even a bit of Continue reading “Revocation – Great Is Our Sin (Review)”
This is the début album from atmospheric progressive/sludge/post-metal, (phew), solo-project-with-guests Summit.
This is an album that works its wonders in moods and feelings, spread over the playing time with lovingly crafted care and attention to detail.
I like that this album has quite a lot going on. Continue reading “Summit – The Winds That Forestall Thy Return (Review)”
I’m a big fan of death metal, it’s fair to say, and I listen to a lot of it. Sometimes though, something sticks out as particularly enjoyable or exceptional, and Gravenous Hour by Katalepsy is one such release, making it more than worthy enough for an extra grilling…
Katalepsy is a death metal brigade from the heart of Russia, Moscow. We play this kind of extreme music for more then 10 years and don’t plan to stop. We released three full-length albums and played a lot of shows all over the Europe. New album, entitled GRAVENOUS HOUR was released 27 May 2016 by Unique Leader Records.
Our lives, feelings and thoughts are motive powers to our music. We try to reflect our inner worlds in music we create. Continue reading “Interview with Katalepsy”
Even the Dead Love a Parade are a groove metal band from the US. This is their début EP.
Featuring the bassist of Drowning Pool, this EP is 23 minutes of modern, rocking metal that has some thrash and hardcore influences – somewhat of a cross between Annihilator, Pantera and Vision of Disorder. Continue reading “Even the Dead Love a Parade – Even the Dead Love a Parade (Review)”
Elyria are a symphonic metal band from Germany. This is their début album.
With a Classically-trained female vocalist in the ranks, you already know that her singing is going to be first-rate. With her Classical training it’s clear from the off that she really knows what she’s doing. How well this works for you depends on your take on the style and how you feel about these kinds of vocals.
There are some really nice vocal melodies strewn about these tracks, reminding me sometimes of older Kamelot in their delivery, and her voice is very enjoyable.
The music is largely of the Gothic/symphonic variety, but interestingly Elyria spice Continue reading “Elyria – Reflection and Refraction (Review)”
This is the fifth album from Todtgelichter, who play progressive/avant-garde black metal.
Rooms comes across as a combination of Enslaved and Madder Mortem, with a side-order of some of Arcturus‘ work. The resultant mix reminds of a post-black metal version of Obscure Sphinx. Which, considering who good Obscure Sphinx are, is an exciting proposition.
The music generally fuses elements of Continue reading “Todtgelichter – Rooms (Review)”
Temple of Phobos is a monster of a death metal album. Vanhelgd have shown, once more, that they really know what they’re doing with the style. If you’re a fan of well-written death metal that effectively combines both heaviness and atmosphere, then it’s absolutely an album to check out. With that in mind, let’s find out a bit more…
In the end of the year 2007 Vanhelgd was formed by Björn Andersson (drums), Jimmy Johansson (guitars, backup vocals) and Mattias Frisk (guitars vocals). After making a unreleased demo Vanhelgd recorded eight songs in Backbone studios in Mjölby and the first full length album “Cult of Lazarus” was released by Crematorium Records in November 2008. The band got in contact with the US based Nuclear War Now! Records who decided to release “Cult of Lazarus” as a 12” LP in 2009. In the Summer of 2009 Vanhelgd recorded a couple of new demo songs. One of the tracks from that session, “Nec spe, nec metu” was featured on the “Invocation of death” compilation, released in June 2010 by Death invocation records. Vanhelgd started to work with the recording for their second full-length album “Church of Death” in april 2010. Due to various problems they didn’t finish until September the same year. Two of the songs were taken out to be featured on the EP “Praise the Serpent” which was released on the Nuclear War Now! Fest part 2 in Berlin where the band also performed. In 2013 bass player Viktor had to leave the band and Jonas Albrektsson ( King of Asgard, Retaliation, ex- Thy Primordial) joined for the third album ”Relics of Sulphur Salvation” that were released by Pulverised Records and 20 Buck Spin. In the end of 2015 Vanhelgd once again entered Studio Underjord to record their fourth studio album ”Temple of Phobos” that will be out on July 22 on Pulverised records and Dark Descent. Continue reading “Interview with Vanhelgd”
