This is the fifth album from US death metal band Rivers of Nihil.
Ah, the eponymously titled album, so far into a band’s career always gives me pause. Does it mark a career-best record, a reinvention, or a lack of identity? The album even carries a song called Rivers of Nihil. What’s going on here then? Which way will the band go with this? Continue reading “Rivers of Nihil – Rivers of Nihil (Review)”
Another year, another Damnation Festival. As always, the organisers are to be commended for putting on one of the UK’s premier metal festivals. I’ve been coming here most years for almost two decades now, and I’ve never yet had a bad day.
There are three stages. Two smaller stages that clash with each other, and a main stage that clashes with nothing. Continue reading “Damnation Festival 2024 – BEC Arena, Manchester – 02/11/24 (Live Review)”
This is the third album by US technical death metal band Replacire.
It’s been a long seven years since 2017’s Do Not Deviate, but now Replacire are back, and they’re on fire. Delivering 44 minutes of death metal that’s distinctly not your standard fare, The Center That Cannot Hold is not a record for the uninitiated. Continue reading “Replacire – The Center That Cannot Hold (Review)”
This is the second album from Devils Reef, a death metal band from the US.
Following on from 2021’s Chosen by the Sea, The Droste Observer is an evolved form of this death metal predator. Offering up a lean, mean 36 minutes of new material, Devils Reef demonstrate that they are worth being mentioned in the same breath as bands like Revocation, The Black Dahlia Murder, Obscura, Allegaeon, Black Crown Initiate, and the like. Continue reading “Devils Reef – The Droste Observer (Review)”
This is the latest EP from Beyond Grace, a death metal band from the UK.
I always enjoy catching up with Beyond Grace, and have watched their development closely over the years. From the early promise of 2014’s Monstrous, to the debut roar of 2017’s Seekers, to 2021’s crowning achievement so far Our Kingdom Undone, Beyond Grace’s upward trajectory has been a satisfying and rewarding one. Continue reading “Beyond Grace – Welcome to the New Dark Ages, Part 1 (Review)”
This is the second album from Dawn of Ouroboros, a progressive black/death metal band from the US.
Following on from 2020’s well-received The Art of Morphology, Velvet Incandescence brings us 46 minutes of new material from Dawn of Ouroboros, who feature members of Botanist and Cailleach Calling. Continue reading “Dawn of Ouroboros – Velvet Incandescence (Review)”
Lamentations are a Singapore/US death metal band and this is their second album.
Featuring members of Tómarúm and Monotheist, Lamentations play progressive death metal, and Passion of Depression provides us with 57 minutes of exotic material to explore. Continue reading “Lamentations – Passion of Depression (Review)”
This is the second album from Swedish atmospheric death metal band An Abstract Illusion.
An Abstract Illusion play an electronically enriched form of atmospheric death metal, replete with black and progressive metal elements. Woe is a 60-minute journey into the band’s accomplished realm. Continue reading “An Abstract Illusion – Woe (Review)”
This is the third album from Burial in the Sky, a death metal band from the US.
The Consumed Self contains 58 minutes of modern technical/progressive death metal. The promo blurb says that it’s recommended for fans of Rivers of Nihil, Fallujah, Black Crown Initiate, Virvum, and Alustrium, which should let you know the sort of waters that Burial in the Sky wade in. Continue reading “Burial in the Sky – The Consumed Self (Review)”
This is the third album from US death metal band Alustrium.
Here we have 65 minutes of progressive technical death metal. Reading that statement you may be expecting a certain version of that style, but it’s likely that Alustrium will surprise; A Monument to Silence is much more melodic and emotionally resonant than many technical bands achieve or even aspire to. Continue reading “Alustrium – A Monument to Silence (Review)”
Wonderbox Metal 