Dead Soul Alliance – Behind the Scenes (Review)

Dead Soul Alliance - Behind the ScenesThis is the debut album from Canadian death metallers Dead Soul Alliance.

2017’s EP Slaves to the Apocalypse was a solid slab of death metal, and I’m glad to now be hearing their first record. Behind the Scenes is a 34-minute old-school death metal album, one that takes in elements of the US and Swedish styles. Continue reading “Dead Soul Alliance – Behind the Scenes (Review)”

Hooded Menace – The Tritonus Bell (Review)

Hooded Menace - The Tritonus BellThis is the sixth album from Finnish death/doom band Hooded Menace.

Following on from 2015’s Darkness Drips Forth and 2018’s Ossuarium Silhouettes Unhallowed, The Tritonus Bell is another gruesome slab of death/doom, only this time it has been infused with a greater amount of classic heavy metal influences. Continue reading “Hooded Menace – The Tritonus Bell (Review)”

Headshrinker – Callous Indifference (Review)

Headshrinker - Callous IndifferenceHeadshrinker are a death metal band from the US and this is their debut album.

Headshrinker play old-school death metal that incorporates in varying doses, crushing doom, dark black metal, and intricate technicality. Theirs is an atypical approach to death metal, yet one that still benefits from the raw visceral nature of the style. Imagine a cross between Tomb Mold and Ulthar on one hand, and Pyrrhon and Imperial Triumphant on the other, and you’ll be on the right lines for a decent idea of what this album’s 38 minutes hold. Continue reading “Headshrinker – Callous Indifference (Review)”

Wormwitch – Wolf Hex (Review)

Wormwitch - Wolf HexThis is the third album from Canadian black metallers Wormwitch.

Wolf Hex is the 34-minute follow up to 2019’s very well-received Heaven That Dwells Within, but it’s somewhat of a different record to its predecessor. Although obviously the same band, (but with a different lineup), Wolf Hex is rawer and less-polished, and owes more to the underground scenes; it sounds loose, organic, and unforced, and the songs benefit from this approach throughout the album. Continue reading “Wormwitch – Wolf Hex (Review)”

Oxygen Destroyer – Sinister Monstrosities Spawned by the Unfathomable Ignorance of Humankind (Review)

Oxygen Destroyer - Sinister Monstrosities Spawned by the Unfathomable Ignorance of HumankindOxygen Destroyer are a blackened death/thrash metal band from the US and this is their second album.

Oxygen Destroyer play combination of death, black, and thrash metal that’s brutal and deadly. Across 29 minutes of material the band ply their monster-themed trade, and do so with breathless enthusiasm. Continue reading “Oxygen Destroyer – Sinister Monstrosities Spawned by the Unfathomable Ignorance of Humankind (Review)”

The Slow Death – Siege (Review)

The Slow Death - SiegeThis is the fourth album from Australian death/doom band The Slow Death.

The Slow Death contain current and ex-members of bands such as Illimitable Dolor and Temple Nightside. On Siege, we are given 63 minutes of crushing death/doom metal, which also contains elements of Gothic metal and funeral doom. Featuring four colossal songs, this is a dark and gloomy trip into a world of multifaceted misery and woe. Continue reading “The Slow Death – Siege (Review)”

Wolves in the Throne Room – Primordial Arcana (Review)

Wolves in the Throne Room - Primordial ArcanaThis is the seventh album from US black metallers Wolves in the Throne Room.

A new Wolves in the Throne Room album is a huge event, especially for me, as they’re essentially one of my favourite bands.

With a rawer, sharper sound than Continue reading “Wolves in the Throne Room – Primordial Arcana (Review)”

Devoid of Thought – Outer World Graves (Review)

Devoid of Thought - Outer World GravesThis is the debut album from Italian death metal band Devoid of Thought.

Billed as cosmic death metal for fans of Blood Incantation, Timeghoul, Voivod, Demilich, and Incantation, Devoid of Thought’s music is cavernous and grim. The band’s raw approach is infused with a doom foundation and gifted with a knack for unusual melodic touches and creative Continue reading “Devoid of Thought – Outer World Graves (Review)”

Ænigmatum – Deconsecrate (Review)

Ænigmatum - DeconsecrateÆnigmatum are a US death metal band and this is their second album.

Featuring a member of Azath and Torture Rack, Deconsecrate contains 45 minutes of technical and melodic death metal. The promo blurb states that Deconsecrate is for fans of Eucharist, The Chasm, At the Gates, Dark Tranquillity, Necrophobic, Atrocity, and Opeth, and this provides a decent starting image. Continue reading “Ænigmatum – Deconsecrate (Review)”

Necronautical – Slain in the Spirit (Review)

Necronautical - Slain in the SpiritNecronautical are a UK black metal band and this is their fourth album.

Featuring members of Winterfylleth and Foetal Juice, Necronautical play black metal influenced by the second wave, in particular the keyboard-enhanced symphonic side of it. To this is added a muscular death metal influence, which is streamlined by the blackened core of the band and used to add a lethal edge to the music. There’s also a progressive metal influence that can felt on occasion, usually in a particular riff, solo, or melody, for example. Continue reading “Necronautical – Slain in the Spirit (Review)”