This is the debut album from Archangel A.D., a thrash metal band from the US.
Clearly influenced by the 80s thrash metal scene, as well as aspects of NWOBHM and a selection of other bands from the era such as Motörhead, Casus Belli contains 52 minutes of old-school thrash metal. Continue reading “Archangel A.D. – Casus Belli (Review)”
Towards Atlantis Lights are an international atmospheric doom metal band. This is their second album.
Brought to us by members of Pantheist, Aphonic Threnody, Dea Marica, Arrant Saudade, and Void of Silence, this is the follow up to 2018’s Dust of Aeons, and contains 61 minutes of new material. Continue reading “Towards Atlantis Lights – When the Ashes Devoured the Sun (Review)”
This is the fourth album from US death metallers Cognitive.
I’ve enjoyed following Cognitive’s career, from 2016’s Deformity, through 2018’s Matricide, to their newest album Malevolent Thoughts of a Hastened Extinction, which brings 41 minutes of roaring modern technical death metal to our weary ears. Does it wake us from our lethargy and fire us up with the spirit of death metal’s aggressive energy? Continue reading “Cognitive – Malevolent Thoughts of a Hastened Extinction (Review)”
This is the second album from US one-woman blackened doom band Vouna.
Atropos boasts 57 minutes of richly textured doom metal. It’s an old-school brand of doom that’s spliced through with elements of black and Gothic metal, along with cinematic scope, epic grandeur, synth-laden atmosphere, and forlorn Continue reading “Vouna – Atropos (Review)”
This is the debut album from one-man Canadian death metal band Dungeon Serpent.
Well, you don’t tend to hear this sort of thing that much any more, not played in its original, old-school style at any rate. World of Sorrows is melodic death metal, but remove from your mind any thoughts of overly polished stadium-friendly fare. No, this Continue reading “Dungeon Serpent – World of Sorrows (Review)”
This is the debut album from Australian death metal band Domination Campaign.
Onward to Glory presents us with 30 minutes of roaring old-school death metal, brought to us by the vocalist and drummer of Psycroptic. This is no tech metal extravaganza though; Domination Campaign’s music is straightforward and burly, rolling in on brutal tank treads and destroying its targets with a combination of blunt heaviness and precision marksmanship. Continue reading “Domination Campaign – Onward to Glory (Review)”
This is the second album from Swedish black metal band Night Crowned.
Featuring current and ex-members of bands such as Nightrage, The Unguided, Dark Funeral, and Imperium, Night Crowned play a melodic mix of black and death metal, (weighted towards the former), influenced by the 90s Scandinavian scene. Continue reading “Night Crowned – Hädanfärd (Review)”
Doubtsower is a one-man Welsh doom metal band and this is his debut album.
The songs on Asphyxiation of a Seasick Soul are a collection of impactful doom songs that wield deft emotion alongside crushing riffs. The music is crafted from a form of doom metal that also uses elements from post-metal and post-rock, making for a textured, richly nuanced listening experience. For an initial comparison, think of a mix of Usnea and Isis, with a bit of Yob thrown in, and you’ll get the general idea. Continue reading “Doubtsower – Asphyxiation of a Seasick Soul (Review)”
This is the latest EP from Polish doom/sludge metallers 71TONMAN.
After enjoying 2013’s self-titled debut, and 2017’s much darker Earthwreck, I’m always interested in revisting the apocalyptic shores of 71TONMAN. Continue reading “71TONMAN – War Is Peace // Peace Is Slavery (Review)”
This is the debut album from Qrixkuor, a death metal band from the UK, (who also feature from New Zealand a member of Temple Nightside/Vassafor).
Although you can rightly call Poison Palinopsia death metal, Qrixkuor’s music is definitely not your average incarnation of that venerable style. For starters, Poison Palinopsia contains only two tracks, but each is 24 minutes in length. Apart from this, it’s the type of death metal that Qrixkuor play that’s bound to turn some heads. Or turn them inside out, at least. Continue reading “Qrixkuor – Poison Palinopsia (Review)”
