This is the fourth album from UK black metal band Aklash.
According to the promo blurb, Aklash “…cite Drudkh, Wolves in the Throne Room, and Judas Priest as key influences”, which sounds like an interesting enough mix to me to merit further investigation. That description doesn’t quite do Reincarnation justice though, as Aklash’s music is diverse and rich. Continue reading “Aklash – Reincarnation (Review)”
This is the debut album from US solo metalcore band Scene Queen.
Now for something a little different. The artist behind Scene Queen offers up a clash of metalcore and chart music that’s shockingly good. It almost doesn’t need stating that this is not the sort of thing I gravitate to normally, but this is simply too good to pass up; as soon as I gave it a chance, I knew it had me. Continue reading “Scene Queen – Hot Singles in Your Area (Review)”
Spawned from Hate are a UK death metal band and this is the debut album.
So here we are then, the long overdue first album from Spawned from Hate. I enjoyed 2015’s EP Accelerated Butchery, as well as their 2018 promo, but then…the slaughterhouse went silent.
No longer. Continue reading “Spawned from Hate – Elective Amputation (Review)”
This is the second solo album from the iconic Julie Christmas, who plays a vert individual brand of rock/metal.
A new solo album from one of the best artists in the business, a mere 14 years after her last one? Someone who has one of the most individual and simply fantastic singing voices ever, and has given us some classic albums from bands like Battle of Mice and Made out of Babies? An artist who even managed to elevate the pretty much untouchable Cult of Luna to unexpectedly higher levels of excellence on Mariner? New songs from her? Sign me up without hesitation. Continue reading “Julie Christmas – Ridiculous and Full of Blood (Review)”
This is the third album from US death metal band Construct of Lethe.
Construct of Lethe’s last album Exiler came out in 2018, and was a brutal affair of merciless death metal. The band have moved on since then, and A Kindness Dealt in Venom offers up a mix of death and black metal, with touches of doom, and further enriched by electronics, synths, and industrial elements. Its foundation is a death metal one, but it’s not limited to purely this genre. Continue reading “Construct of Lethe – A Kindness Dealt in Venom (Review)”
This is the third album from French one-man black metal band Inherits the Void.
Hot on the heels of last year’s The Impending Fall of the Stars, the artist behind Inherits the Void has returned with 44 minutes of new material with Scars of Yesteryears. Are you concerned about the lack of time between releases? Don’t be, as Scars of Yesteryears is a cracking album. Continue reading “Inherits the Void – Scars of Yesteryears (Review)”
This is the third album from Hyperdontia, an international death metal band.
Harvest of Malevolence is the 40-minute follow up to 2021’s very enjoyable Hideous Entity, which made it onto my end of year list. Hyperdontia seem to just be getting better and better, and Harvest of Malevolence is another win for this skilled death metal act. Continue reading “Hyperdontia – Harvest of Malevolence (Review)”
This is the third album from Swedish black metal solo act Kvaen.
The name Kvaen hit the black metal underground hard with 2020’s The Funeral Pyre, and then followed this up in 2022 with The Great Below, which showed that the quality of the debut was no fluke. Another two years have passed, and now we have The Formless Fires. Do the 39 minutes of new music here still demonstrate a continuation of these quality levels? Continue reading “Kvaen – The Formless Fires (Review)”
This is the fifth album from Canadian post-metal/sludge band Sumac, (who boast current and ex-members of bands such as Baptists, Genghis Tron, Isis, Old Man Gloom, Russian Circles, and These Arms Are Snakes in their ranks).
It’s been a while since I caught up with Sumac – 2018’s collaboration with Keijo Haino in fact, as well as their full length from the same year, Love in Shadow. I even had the privilege of catching them live in 2019. Apparently they also had an album out in 2020 called May You Be Held, which I somehow completely missed, which is a shame. All of which brings us to the immense 76 minutes of material on The Healer. Continue reading “Sumac – The Healer (Review)”
This is the second album from Greek progressive power metallers Sunburst.
Across 49 minutes Sunburst impress with their cinematic take on progressive metal. Manifesto comes from the point of view of progressive power metal, (think Kamelot, Cloudscape, Threshold, and Pagan’s Mind), but also contains minor touches of a more contemporary perspective, one that primarily manifests in some of the riffs and drums. It’s not strong, but it’s there in places. Apart from this, Manifesto is pure 00s progressive power metal worship. Continue reading “Sunburst – Manifesto (Review)”
Wonderbox Metal 