Anciients – Beyond the Reach of the Sun (Review)

Anciients - Beyond the Reach of the SunThis is the third album from Canadian progressive metal band Anciients.

I haven’t heard Anciients since their 2013 album Heart of Oak, and it’s been a long eight years since their last release, (2016’s Voice of the Void, which I completely missed out on), so I’ve some cathing up to do. I really like their debut though, so was looking forward to the 59 minuets of Beyond the Reach of the Sun. The band have a new lineup, but they still don’t let me down. Continue reading “Anciients – Beyond the Reach of the Sun (Review)”

Downfall of Mankind – Purgatory (Review)

Downfall of Mankind - PurgatoryThis is the second album from Portuguese deathcore band Downfall of Mankind.

The promo blurb recommends Purgatory for fans of bands such as Distant, Gojira, and Lorna Shore, and calls it a mix of deathcore, progressive metal and atmosphere, which saves me the job of providing a rough overview before we get into the meat of it. Continue reading “Downfall of Mankind – Purgatory (Review)”

Slimelord – Chytridiomycosis Relinquished (Review)

Slimelord - Chytridiomycosis RelinquishedThis is the debut album from UK death/doom metal band Slimelord.

Chytridiomycosis Relinquished comes to us from current/ex-members of Cryptic Shift and Horrified, which should bode well for Slimelord. This coupled with the promo stating that this is for fans of Disembowelment, Immolation, Gojira, Morbid Angel, Voidceremony, Tomb Mold, Edge of
Sanity, and Morbus Chron, made me quite intrigued to check out Chytridiomycosis Relinquished, as that’s quite the mix. Continue reading “Slimelord – Chytridiomycosis Relinquished (Review)”

Exocrine – Legend (Review)

Exocrine - LegendThis is the sixth album from French death metallers Exocrine.

A new Exocrine album is always a thing to be celebrated. 2018’s Molten Giant and 2020’s Maelstrom were both notable records, but then 2022’s The Hybrid Suns saw the band shift up a level once more. Now, hot on the heels of that last release, comes Legend, featuring 45 minutes of music, (40 without the bonus track). So what does Legend have to offer the discerning extreme metal fan in 2024? Continue reading “Exocrine – Legend (Review)”

Orbit Culture – Descent (Review)

Orbit Culture - DescentThis is the fourth album from Swedish metallers Orbit Culture.

Both 2020’s Nija and 2021’s Shaman made very good impressions, and now Orbit Culture are back with another 49 minutes of new material in the form of Descent. Continue reading “Orbit Culture – Descent (Review)”

Lokust – Infidel (Review)

Lokust - InfidelThis is the debut album from UK metal band Lokust.

Infidel is a 52-minute metal album that uses modern, groove, and thrash metal to produce a crushing assault that’s shockingly accomplished for a debut album. Despite the genre tags I’ve just thrown around though, Infidel might not be what you’re expecting. Continue reading “Lokust – Infidel (Review)”

Rannoch – Conflagrations (Review)

Rannoch - ConflagrationsRannoch are a progressive death metal band from the UK and this is their third album.

Conflagrations offers a 52-minute journey into multifaceted music that falls somewhere between progressive death metal foundations and more ambitious extreme progressive metal proclivities. Bolstered by the percussive skills of the drummer of Ne Obliviscaris, Rannoch are a skilled band that have a clear vision for their brand of extreme music. Continue reading “Rannoch – Conflagrations (Review)”

Legacy of Brutality – Travellers to Nowhere (Review)

Legacy of Brutality - Travellers to NowhereThis is the fourth album from Spanish death metallers Legacy of Brutality.

Legacy of Brutality play death metal that is backed up by melodic might. Theirs is a recipe that takes many well-used ingredients, but deploys them in ways that end up very tasty and satisfying indeed. Continue reading “Legacy of Brutality – Travellers to Nowhere (Review)”

Moonreich – Amer (Review)

Moonreich - AmerThis is the fifth album from Moonreich, a French black metal band.

Moonreich’s aggressive brand of modern black metal is always good to hear. Following on from 2018’s Fugue and 2019’s Wormgod, Amer contains 43 minutes of new material from this enjoyable band. Continue reading “Moonreich – Amer (Review)”