Phlebotomized – Clouds of Confusion (Review)

Phlebotomized - Clouds of ConfusionPhlebotomized are a progressive death metal band from the Netherlands and this is their fourth album.

Phlebotomized play a creative form of death metal that combines progressive structuring and ideas with melodic grace, technical skills, and moments of outright brutality. Across 47 minutes they craft a journey of texture and detail on an unconventional death metal canvas. Continue reading “Phlebotomized – Clouds of Confusion (Review)”

Fires in the Distance – Air Not Meant for Us (Review)

Fires in the Distance - Air Not Meant for UsThis is the second album from US death/doom metal band Fires in the Distance.

Air Not Meant for Us is a 50-minute journey into melodic death/doom waters from Fires in the Distance, who feature an ex-member of Xenosis in their ranks. Continue reading “Fires in the Distance – Air Not Meant for Us (Review)”

Shores of Null – The Loss of Beauty (Review)

Shores of Null - The Loss of BeautyThis is the fourth album from Italian doom metal band Shores of Null.

I thoroughly enjoyed 2020’s single track album Beyond the Shores (on Death and Dying), so knew that I wanted to catch up with The Loss of Beauty when it appeared. Unlike its predecessor, this new album is divided into individual tracks, and delivers 55 minutes of material, (or 49 minutes without the bonus tracks). Continue reading “Shores of Null – The Loss of Beauty (Review)”

Pale King – We Are but Memories (Review)

Pale King - We Are but MemoriesThis is the second album from Swedish/UK death metal band Pale King.

Brought to us by current and ex-members of bands such as Heads for the Dead, Just Before Dawn, Those Who Bring the Torture, Wombbath, Ashcloud, Henry Kane, Ursinne, and Gods Forsaken, Pale King know a thing or two about death metal. Continue reading “Pale King – We Are but Memories (Review)”

Horizon Ignited – Towards the Dying Lands (Review)

Horizon Ignited - Towards the Dying LandsThis is the second album from Finnish melodic death metallers Horizon Ignited.

Featuring the singer of I Am the Night, Horizon Ignited play a mix of melodic death metal and metalcore, delivering 39 minutes of quality entertainment on Towards the Dying Lands. Continue reading “Horizon Ignited – Towards the Dying Lands (Review)”

Cryptivore – Celestial Extinction (Review)

Cryptivore - Celestial ExtinctionThis is the debut album from Cryptivore, a one-man Australian death metal band.

Across 27 minutes the artist behind Cryptivore hammers into us his vision for old-school death metal. Taking influence from early Amorphis, Carcass, and Grave, Celestial Extinction is a mix of brutal Swedish death metal, moody melodic death metal, and feral grindcore. Continue reading “Cryptivore – Celestial Extinction (Review)”

Kuolemanlaakso – Kuusumu (Review)

Kuolemanlaakso - KuusumuKuolemanlaakso are a Gothic metal band from Finland and this is their third album.

Featuring the singer of Swallow the Sun, Kuusumu contains 47 minutes of polished, professional material. For a starting reference point think of a band like Paradise Lost, and then add in elements of acts such as My Dying Bride, Sentenced, Barren Earth, Amorphis, and Orphaned Land; this will give you a rough idea of where Kuolemanlaakso’s talents lie. Continue reading “Kuolemanlaakso – Kuusumu (Review)”

Amorphis – Halo (Review)

Amorphis - HaloThis is the fourteenth album from veteran Finnish metal band Amorphis.

Following on from 2018’s immense Queen of Time, Amorphis have returned to once again treat us with 56 minutes of splendid music.

Boasting big songs and bigger choruses, Amophis’ new album is Continue reading “Amorphis – Halo (Review)”

The Final Sleep – Vessels of Grief (Review)

The Final Sleep - Vessels of GriefThis is the debut album from The Final Sleep, a progressive metal band from the US.

Vessels of Grief has an interesting and engaging sound that works well for the band. Mixing a range of influences together into six songs that have a strong old-school feel to them, The Final Sleep still manage to avoid sounding dated or tired, despite this. Continue reading “The Final Sleep – Vessels of Grief (Review)”

Veil of Conspiracy – Echoes of Winter (Review)

Veil of Conspiracy - Echoes of WinterVeil of Conspiracy are a melodic metal band from Italy and this is their second album.

The promo blurb states that the 45 minutes of material on Echoes of Winter is for fans of Katatonia, Opeth, and The Morningside, which is a good starting point for Veil of Conspiracy’s sound. I’d also add that fans of bands such as Amorphis, Paradise Lost, Deathwhite, Moonspell, My Dying Bride, and Anathema will find much to like here. Continue reading “Veil of Conspiracy – Echoes of Winter (Review)”