Throes are a sludge metal band from the US and this is their debut album.
Throes don’t mess around. The band mix together hardcore, sludge metal, and post-metal to create abrasive, harsh music that sounds like the aural equivalent of sandpapering your skin. Continue reading “Throes – In the Hands of an Angry God (Review)”
Brain Bleed are a deathgrind band from the US and this is their debut album.
Savage, that’s the word. Or, at least one of them. Brain Bleed are savage. They’re also brutal, belligerent, harsh, and many other similar words. Essentially, they’re a nasty bunch, and Automated Eradication is 20 minutes of all kinds of ugliness. Continue reading “Brain Bleed – Automated Eradication (Review)”
Gravefields are an international death metal band and this is their second album.
Previously known as Dirtyprotest, this band have now benefited from both a change of name and a change of sound. Whereas the band’s debut album – Hellstorm – was essentially a Swedish death metal affair, Embrace the Void is a wider-ranging beast. Continue reading “Gravefields – Embrace the Void (Review)”
Gränslandet are a hardcore/sludge band from Sweden. This is their second album.
I liked 2016’s Solidium, so it’s good to have the band return to the fray with Denationalization. On their new record the band offer up 37 minutes of crusty hardcore mixed with doomy sludge. Continue reading “Gränslandet – Denationalization (Review)”
This is the debut album from Canadian death metallers Brand of Sacrifice.
At a lean 26 minutes, God Hand gets in, does its damage, and gets out again. One of the things I like about Brand of Sacrifce, however, is even though their songs tend to be short, the band aren’t afraid to play with the modern death metal formula. Continue reading “Brand of Sacrifice – God Hand (Review)”
Immortal Bird are a blackened deathgrind band from the US. This is their second album.
Finally we have the follow up to 2015’s Empress/Abscess, which was one of the more notable releases of that year for me. Ahh, it’s nice to hear the band’s atypical intensity back. It sounds better than ever too, with a well-rounded production that is fuller and warmer than in the past. Continue reading “Immortal Bird – Thrive on Neglect (Review)”
Keitzer are a German death metal/grindcore band and this is their seventh album.
Keitzer’s 2014 album The Last Defence was a particular favourite of mine, with its energetic and well-delivered deathgrind really hitting the spot. The follow up – 2016’s Ascension – was more of a death metal affair, and although I do prefer The Last Defence, it was still a solid and enjoyable record. Continue reading “Keitzer – Where the Light Ends (Review)”
This is the debut release from Unknown Artist, a French extreme metal band.
What on earth is this unholy abomination? A single 28-minute track of utter nastiness and horror, that’s what. Complex and impenetrable, this is disjointed, inaccessible blackened death metal, and is not for the weak of heart. Continue reading “Unknown Artist – A Pig’s Head on a Stick (Review)”
Wretched of the Earth are a crust band from the US and this is their latest album.
Collapse//Rebirth contains 28 minutes of visceral material. Combining Dark hardcore, crust, d-beat, and neocrust into seven infectious songs, this is an engaging and very moreish collection of tracks. Continue reading “Wretched of the Earth – Collapse//Rebirth (Review)”
Friendship are from Japan and play blackened grindcore/hardcore. This is their second album.
2017’s Hatred was an intoxicating blend of grindcore, sludge, and blackened hardcore powerviolence. It was a hideously effective record, so I’m quite pleased that we now have Undercurrent to sate our desire for fresh carnage. Continue reading “Friendship – Undercurrent (Review)”
Wonderbox Metal 