Tyrannus – Mournhold (Review)

Tyrannus - MournholdThis is the second album from blackened thrash metallers Tyrannus.

Tyrannus play a mix of black and thrash metal, alongside other influences, and it hits the spot. On Mournhold they combine it all into a 40-minute infernal assault that this simplistic description doesn’t really do justice to. Brought to us by current/ex-members of Ashenspire and Live BurialMournhold is a beast. Continue reading “Tyrannus – Mournhold (Review)”

Yoth Iria – Gone with the Devil (Review)

Yoth Iria - Gone with the DevilYoth Iria are a Greek black metal band and this is their third album.

Following on from the well-received As the Flame Withers and Blazing Inferno, Yoth Iria have now returned to once more grace us with their personable take on black metal. Gone with the Devil contains 46 minutes of new material. Continue reading “Yoth Iria – Gone with the Devil (Review)”

Dragged into Sunlight/Vacuous/Plague Pit – Club Academy, Manchester – 30/05/26 (Live Review)

Dragged into Sunlight Vacuous Plague Pit - Club Academy, Manchester - 30.05.26 (Live Review)

Manchester’s hot ticket is tonight is Dragged into Sunlight, and people have turned out in force. As usual, their merch queue is ridiculous, and it stays ridiculous for a ridiculous amount of time. Good for them. They’re not the only tasty treat on this gnarled bill though; first comes death metal most foul. Continue reading “Dragged into Sunlight/Vacuous/Plague Pit – Club Academy, Manchester – 30/05/26 (Live Review)”

Ashen Horde – The Harvest (Review)

Ashen Horde - The HarvestThis is the fifth album from US progressive black metal act Ashen Horde.

2023’s Antimony was Ashen Horde’s best album up to this point. This means that The Harvest is an eagerly anticipated new record from this notable band. Will it have what it takes to knock Antimony from the top spot? Continue reading “Ashen Horde – The Harvest (Review)”

Night Vigil – The Hamlet (Review)

Night Vigil - The HamletThis is the third album from solo Greek black metal band Night Vigil.

This is an easy band for fans of Auriferous Flame, Mystras, and Spectral Lore to take an interest in, as the same artist behind these bands is also the one behind Night Vigil. The Hamlet contains 35 minutes of material, and it’s not Continue reading “Night Vigil – The Hamlet (Review)”

Triumpher – Piercing the Heart of the World (Review)

Triumpher - Piercing the Heart of the WorldTriumpher are a Greek heavy metal band and this is their third album.

Piercing the Heart of the World brings 45 minutes of epic heavy metal into existence. Triumpher are a revelation in steel, a colossal fist in the face of mediocrity, and an exemplar of metallic might ascendant. Now, after that hyperbole, (well-deserved), let’s Continue reading “Triumpher – Piercing the Heart of the World (Review)”

Reaper Festival 2026 – Rebellion, Manchester, 14/02/26-15/02/26 (Live Review)

Reaper Festival 2026 - Rebellion, Manchester, 14.02.26-15.02.26

It’s been a few years since the last edition of Reaper Festival, so this show appearing once more was a welcome surprise when it did. The lineup is extremely strong, and it promises to be a great weekend. Kudos to the organisers too, (the always great Reaper Agency), for specifically Continue reading “Reaper Festival 2026 – Rebellion, Manchester, 14/02/26-15/02/26 (Live Review)”

Serpent Ascending, Ôros Kaù, Swords of Dis, and Midnight Odyssey – From the Waters of Death – Split (Review)

Serpent Ascending, Ôros Kaù, Swords of Dis, and Midnight Odyssey - From the Waters of Death - SplitSerpent Ascending, Ôros Kaù, Swords of Dis, and Midnight Odyssey have joined together to produce an epic split album.

Now here’s an interesting and unusual release. This massive split is a collaborative concept album aimed at providing a contemporary retelling of the Epic of Gilgamesh. From the Waters of Death brings together an array of atypical talent from the exceptional I, Voidhanger roster, and is something you should definitely be paying attention to if Continue reading “Serpent Ascending, Ôros Kaù, Swords of Dis, and Midnight Odyssey – From the Waters of Death – Split (Review)”

Agenbite Misery – Remorse of Conscience (Review)

Agenbite Misery - Remorse of ConscienceThis is the debut album from Agenbite Misery, a US black/death/sludge metal band.

Okay, it’s to the promo blurb for this one – “…the band began with a deceptively simple idea: to adapt James Joyce’s Ulysses into an experimental metal album. What emerged from that idea is a 55-minute odyssey of layered sonic aggression and literary depth, an album that blends blackened sludge, dissonant death metal, post-punk, ambient drone, and more into a singular, genre-defying statement of purpose.” So there you have it. Continue reading “Agenbite Misery – Remorse of Conscience (Review)”