Sur Austru are an atmospheric black/folk metal band from Romania and this is their third album.
Datura Străhiarelor is the 54-minute follow up to 2019’s Meteahna Timpurilor and 2021’s Obârșie. Sur Austru’s path is not a well-trodden one, and on this new album the band have travelled further into the wilderness, to great effect. Continue reading “Sur Austru – Datura Străhiarelor (Review)”
This is the third album from Nails, a grindcore band from the US.
There are a fair few albums being released in 2024 that are hotly anticipated, including some from bands that haven’t released anything for a while. For me, near the top of that list is Every Bridge Burning by Nails. 2016’s You Will Never Be One of Us was a grindcore/powerviolence/hardcore monster, so this new record has a lot to live up to. Continue reading “Nails – Every Bridge Burning (Review)”
This is the fifth album from Ellende, a solo black metal band from Austria.
I’ve heard of Ellende for a while, but this is my first encounter with the band. I have to say, I wish I’d paid more attention earlier, as this is sterling stuff. Todbringerin contains 50 minutes of expressive black metal. Continue reading “Ellende – Todbringerin (Review)”
This is the third album from Finnish death metallers Concrete Winds.
Concrete Winds is a 25-minute monstrosity that bleeds violence from every infected pore. It’s abrasive and hateful, yet carries with it more depth and substance than you’d probably expect; Concrete Winds seem to know what they’re doing. Continue reading “Concrete Winds – Concrete Winds (Review)”
To the Grave are an Australian deathcore band and this is their third album.
Quickly following on from 2023’s Director’s Cuts, To the Grave are back with the 35-minute Everyone’s a Murderer. I wasn’t expecting to hear more new material so soon from them, but I’m not complaining. Continue reading “To the Grave – Everyone’s a Murderer (Review)”
This is the second album from Swiss sludge/doom band Norna.
Norna contains 41 minutes of dark heavy ugliness, brought to us by the ex-singer of Breach and two members of Ølten. Norna’s music will surely satiate fans hungry for the heavier, darker side of sludge/doom/post-metal. Continue reading “Norna – Norna (Review)”
This is the latest EP from Canadian death metallers Gutvoid.
This is 4-track EP follows on from Gutvoid’s enjoyable 2022’s Durance of Lightless Horizons. With a duration of 30 minutes there’s plenty of meat on the bones of Breathing Obelisk, so let’s dig in and see what it tastes like. Continue reading “Gutvoid – Breathing Obelisk (Review)”
This is the debut album from German grindcore band Feind.
I often think of grindcore as one of my favourite genres, yet it’s one that I rarely get to encounter quality new bands. This is why, when I become aware of something like Ambulante Hirnamputation, I had to make sure I didn’t miss out on it. It’s 17 tracks, with a duration of only 13 minutes, and it absolutely rips the opposition to shreds. Continue reading “Feind – Ambulante Hirnamputation (Review)”
Wintersun are an extreme metal band from Finland and this is their fourth album.
Essentially a solo act backed up by some talented musicians, Wintersun’s latest record has been eagerly awaited for some time by many people in the metal world. It’s been seven long years since 2017’s The Forest Seasons, so let’s dig in and see what we have here on Time II. Continue reading “Wintersun – Time II (Review)”
Uniform are an industrial band from the US and this is their fifth album.
Ever since discovering Uniform on their 2018 album The Long Walk I’ve looked forward to every subsequent release. Whether it’s their collaborations with The Body in 2019, (Everything That Dies Someday Comes Back), or Boris in 2023, (Bright New Disease), or their most recent full length in 2020 Shame, Uniform always produce music that’s worth exploring. All of which is to say that American Standard is hotly anticipated. Continue reading “Uniform – American Standard (Review)”
Wonderbox Metal 