This is the debut album by solo Chinese avant-garde extreme metal act Smiqra.
Brought to us by the artist behind the Ὁπλίτης (Hoplites), Smiqra take the more avant-garde aspects of the last Ὁπλίτης release Παραμαινομένη and runs with them. Rgyaɡ̇dźé! is a 42-minute explosion of avant-garde metal that’s dizzying. Continue reading “Smiqra – Rɡyaɡ̇dźé! (Review)”
This is the sixth album from US avant-garde black/death metal band Imperial Triumphant.
Imperial Triumphant always make a fascinating record. Check out any of their albums, (such as 2020’s Alphaville or 2022’s Spirit of Ecstasy and you’ll be in an unfamiliar world of avant-garde experimentation and gilded individuality. Continue reading “Imperial Triumphant – Goldstar (Review)”
This is the third album from German extreme metal band Ingurgitating Oblivion.
It’s been some time since Ingurgitating Oblivion terrified the world with their malignant presence. 2014’s Continuum of Absence showed great promise, which was then realised on 2017’s colossal Vision Wallows in Symphonies of Light. The wait is now over, for Ontology of Nought brings us a massive 73 minutes of darkness. It’s time to step into the nightmare once more. Continue reading “Ingurgitating Oblivion – Ontology of Nought (Review)”
This is the second album from Slovakian black/death metal band Ceremony of Silence.
Five years after 2019’s malignant Oútis, Ceremony of Silence have returned with the 36-minute Hálios. An album of atmospheric brutality, Hálios expands on and further develops the strengths of Ceremony of Silence’s debut album. Continue reading “Ceremony of Silence – Hálios (Review)”
This is the debut album from German death metallers Mære.
Featuring ex-members of Ingurgitating Oblivion, …And the Universe Keeps Silent contains 37 minutes of lightless dissonant death metal. The promo blurb mentions bands like Gorguts, Incantation, Morbid Angel, Immolation, Replicant, Phobocosm, and Saevus Finis, so this will give you a good idea of where Mære are coming from. Continue reading “Mære – …And the Universe Keeps Silent (Review)”
This is the debut album from Slovakian death metal band Hecatoncheir.
Hecatoncheir play dissonant death metal, with a sharp blackened edge, and an injection of harsh sludge venom. Nightmare Utopia is a 32-minute album of abrasive nastiness, in the best of ways. Fans of bands such as Convulsing, Deathspell Omega, Ingurgitating Oblivion, Nightmarer, and Ulcerate will not want to miss this. Continue reading “Hecatoncheir – Nightmare Utopia (Review)”
Altarage are a Spanish blackened death metal band and this is their second album.
If you’re a fan of ugly, blackened dissonance, then Endinghent is definitely an album you should check out. Continue reading “Altarage – Endinghent (Review)”
This is the third album from this German death metal band.
Ingurgitating Oblivion’s second album Continuum of Absence was notable, enjoyable, and distinctly non-standard, offering doom-infused dissonance that was a bit different and had something extra to offer the listener. Continue reading “Ingurgitating Oblivion – Vision Wallows in Symphonies of Light (Review)”
This is the second album by this German Death Metal band.
Ingurgitating Oblivion is for lovers of dissonant, Doom-infected Death Metal replete with dark atmosphere and malevolent sounds. This is for fans of Gorguts, Morbid Angel, Immolation and other purveyors of interesting and atypical Death Metal.
That the band have talent and can play is apparent straight away. Add to this a production that settles nicely around the band like a foggy miasma and songwriting skills that have clearly been honed over time and you have an album that has all of the necessary ingredients for something truly special.
On first listen this is an album that gels together instantly and on repeated spins it merely settles deep into your conscious even more, like a welcome indoctrination. This, of course, assumes that this style of Death Metal is one that you can take; if not then there’s no hope for you really, and you’d be better off with something simpler and easier to absorb.
This is Progressive Death Metal without any trace of pretension. The songs exist not to satisfy the musings of the musicians but to satisfy themselves. They operate purely in their own right and owe nothing to anyone other than their own sense of internal aesthetics.
This really is a first-rate release. The songs have longevity and depth oozing out of them and you know this is going to be an album that you’ll keep returning to in the years to come.
I love music that is a bit different, has something extra to offer; Continuum of Absence definitely has this.
Fans of challenging and interesting Death Metal take note.
Wonderbox Metal 