This is my first livestream show from a band, and what a great band to start off with. The Ocean are masters of their progressive metal trade, and tonight they’re flexing their musical muscles by playing their 2018 album Phanerozoic I: Palaeozoic in its entirety. Continue reading “The Ocean Collective – Phanerzoic I Livestream – Club 100 Bremen – 25/03/21 (Live Review)”
This is the fourth album from Canadian one-man black metal act Nordicwinter.
After enjoying 202’s Desolation, I was pleased to see another work from this artist so quickly. Sorrow contains 53 minutes of atmospheric/depressive black metal. Continue reading “Nordicwinter – Sorrow (Review)”
Rapture are a Greek death/thrash metal band and this is their third album.
It’s been a while since I’ve indulged in some death/thrash, and Malevolent Demise Incarnation is just the sort of release to get stuck into. These songs are high octane blood pumpers, and across 44 minutes Rapture showcase what they’re made of. Continue reading “Rapture – Malevolent Demise Incarnation (Review)”
Marasmus are a death metal band from the US and this is their third album.
Featuring a member of Unmerciful, Marasmus play brutal death metal and spend 39 minutes furiously battering the listener with waves of blasting aggression and torrents of hatred. Continue reading “Marasmus – Necrotic Overlord (Review)”
This is the fourth album from UK death metal band Memoriam.
If you’ve been paying attention to Memoriam’s output so far, (including 2018’s The Silent Vigil and 2019’s Requiem for Mankind), you’ll know that the band are a highly experienced classic death metal war machine, reliably pumping out song-based assaults that maim and crush. Continue reading “Memoriam – To the End (Review)”
This is the third album from Italian progressive metallers Odd Dimension.
For an very rough idea of what The Blue Dawn sounds like, think of a metallic modern fusion of Dream Theater and Rush. It’s an imperfect description, but it gives you a decent idea of what to expect across the 64 Continue reading “Odd Dimension – The Blue Dawn (Review)”
Witchseeker are a heavy/speed metal band from Singapore and this is their second album.
Just look at that album cover! How Metal is that? It sets the scene nicely, so prepare yourself for Scene of the Wild‘s 38 minutes of glorious true heavy metal. Continue reading “Witchseeker – Scene of the Wild (Review)”
This is the fourth album from French post-black metallers Decline of the I.
After enjoying 2015’s Rebellion and 2018’s Escape, when Johannes appeared I knew I had to sample its dark wares. Armed with a new lineup formed around the band’s core artist, Johannes is a 51-minute journey into thoughtful mood-driven darkness.
These new songs are layered explorations of post-blackened detail and nuanced soundscapes. The music is multifaceted and textured, drawing in a range of influences to build on the band’s black metal foundations. The five songs on Johannes are each masters of their own creation, while still fitting into the whole, and provide the listener with a creative and rich landscape to explore.
Each song boasts a lot of content, with a wealth of good ideas and enriching sounds ably showcased by the band. There’s an epic streak to Decline of the I’s music, more apparent than ever in their latest work. Sometimes it’s hidden in plain sight, while at others it ascends to malevolent prominence. Either way, a certain amount of majestic grandeur is ever-present in the music, and it works very well indeed.
The band’s ability to blend sharp aggression with menacing atmosphere is very effective. I really like the use of guitars on this release. Some of of the riffs and blackened rhythms feel like they cut to the core, and combined with the skilful and inventive use of melodies, contribute to the thoroughly enjoyable and satisfying musical experience that these five songs offer. Lighter moments appear, balancing the blackened heaviness of the distorted sections. Existing somewhere between post-rock, jazz, and experimental atmospheric ambient minimalism, these parts may not be too common, but they add value to the songs.
Piercing screams are joined by darker growls and choral accents. The singers all do a great job, and, like the music, the vocals are very accomplished.
Despite how much I enjoyed both Rebellion and Escape, I think that Johannes is probably Decline of the I’s richest, most complete and well-realised work to date.
Very highly recommended.
Enforced are a thrash metal band from the US and this is their second album.
Enforced unleash 41 minutes of crossover death/thrash on Kill Grid, and it’s utterly devastating.
Enforced play a brutal form of thrash that has an old-school heart wrapped in a modern delivery. Taking elements of Continue reading “Enforced – Kill Grid (Review)”
This is the debut album from Udånde, a solo black metal band based in Slovakia, augmented by as session vocalist and drummer.
Now here’s an album to thoroughly scratch that modern black metal itch. Life of a Purist is atmospheric and melodic, without being entirely beholden to either Continue reading “Udånde – Life of a Purist (Review)”
Wonderbox Metal 