Psychomancer – Shards of the Hourglass (Review & Interview)

Psychomancer - Shards of the HourglassThis is the third album from Psychomancer, a death metal band from the US.

Shards of the Hourglass is a monstrous death/thrash metal release that falls somewhere between Swedish death metal and the more adventurous side of 90s death and thrash metal. There’s a vicious German influence too – think a mix of Vader and Destruction. Take all of this together and it makes for a surprisingly engaging 58-minute blend of extreme metal. Continue reading “Psychomancer – Shards of the Hourglass (Review & Interview)”

Impenitent – Impenitent (Review)

Impenitent - ImpenitentImpenitent are a blackened death metal band from the UK and this is their debut album.

Here we have some raw, underground stuff from the bottom of the underworld. It’s an hour of technical black/death metal, played with skill and passion, which sounds as if the recording of the album was recently found locked in some obscure vault somewhere after many, many years. Continue reading “Impenitent – Impenitent (Review)”

Bölzer – Lese Majesty (Review)

Bölzer - Lese MajestyBölzer are a Swiss black metal band and this is their latest EP.

Bölzer’s music is impressively creative and idiosyncratic, and their take on blackened metal is both enjoyable and infectious. An EP this may be, but there’s still 29 minutes of material here. Continue reading “Bölzer – Lese Majesty (Review)”

Nile – Vile Nilotic Rites (Review)

Nile - Vile Nilotic RitesNile are a US death metal band and this is their ninth album.

On Vile Nilotic Rites Nile return with a new lineup and a new approach to songwriting. There’s a greater cohesion in how the band members work together, and subsequently how their instruments and vocals fit with each other, meaning that the songs on this new album are very high quality. Nile sound focused and hungry. Continue reading “Nile – Vile Nilotic Rites (Review)”

Arallu – En Olam (Review)

Arallu - En OlamArallu are black metal band from Israel and this is their seventh album.

I always really like Arallu’s work, (check out Six, Geniewar, and Desert Battles – Descending to the Sands), so it’s exciting to see a new album emerge. Continue reading “Arallu – En Olam (Review)”

Culted – Vespertina Synaxis: A Prayer for Union & Emptiness (Review)

Culted - Vespertina Synaxis - A Prayer for Union & EmptinessCulted are an international blackened doom band and this is their latest EP.

I really enjoyed 2014’s Oblique to All Paths, and have been waiting for a new Culted release ever since. Well, now it’s here in the shape of this 27-minute EP. Boasting three tracks, Vespertina Synaxis: A Prayer for Union & Emptiness is a sinister exploration of Culted’s world. Continue reading “Culted – Vespertina Synaxis: A Prayer for Union & Emptiness (Review)”

Monthly Overview – the Best of July 2019

It’s once more time to catch up with some of the best metal releases of the past month. Check out the albums below and let me know which one your favourite is. Continue reading “Monthly Overview – the Best of July 2019”

Sarinvomit/Eggs of Gomorrh – Encomium of Depraved Instincts – Split (Review)

Sarin Vomit Eggs of Gomorrh - Encomium of Depraved Instincts - SplitSarinvomit are from Turkey and Eggs of Gomorrh are from Switzerland. Both play variants of black metal, and have teamed up for this split release.

Sarinvomit and Eggs of Gomorrh are both rooted in black metal, only mutated and ugly versions of it. This split lasts a hideous 31 minutes, and all eight tracks are worth devouring hungrily, despite how disgusting they are. Continue reading “Sarinvomit/Eggs of Gomorrh – Encomium of Depraved Instincts – Split (Review)”