Howling Sycamore – Seven Pathways to Annihilation (Review)

Howling Sycamore - Seven Pathways to AnnihilationHowling Sycamore are a progressive metal band from the US and this is their second album.

Combining technical, progressive, avant-garde, forward-thinking metal music, with old-school, classic progressive metal vocals probably shouldn’t work, but Howling Sycamore easily prove that it most certainly does. This is a band that have taken their Continue reading “Howling Sycamore – Seven Pathways to Annihilation (Review)”

Slomatics – Canyons (Review)

Slomatics - CanyonsSlomatics are a doom metal band from the UK and this is their sixth album.

We know Slomatics from 2016’s superb Future Echo Returns, and more recently from their equally superb split with Mammoth Weed Wizard Bastard. Continue reading “Slomatics – Canyons (Review)”

Miserable Failure – Alone: The Phantom Pain – La Seule Vraie Question – Perdition Light/Never Stop the Sadness (Review)

Miserable Failure - AloneThis is the latest release from Miserable Failure, a French grindcore band.

After the tragic death of the band’s vocalist in 2016, I never thought I’d hear from Miserable Failure again. I’m very glad to be wrong, of course. It is a huge shame, however, that I’ve only just found this out; this release actually first saw the light of day in 2017 apparently. Continue reading “Miserable Failure – Alone: The Phantom Pain – La Seule Vraie Question – Perdition Light/Never Stop the Sadness (Review)”

Temple Koludra – Seven! Sirens! To a Lost Archetype (Review)

Temple Koludra - Seven! Sirens! To a Lost ArchetypeThis is the debut album from Temple Koludra, a German black metal band.

Temple Koludra’s music uses black and death metal to craft a grim, raw exploration of Indian cultures and influences via extreme metal’s embracing framework. Continue reading “Temple Koludra – Seven! Sirens! To a Lost Archetype (Review)”

Beheaded – Only Death Can Save You (Review)

Beheaded - Only Death Can Save YouThis is the sixth album from Beheaded, a Maltese death metal band.

I like Beheaded, and I enjoyed 2017’s muscular and punishing Beast Incarnate. I’m pleased to make the acquaintance of the bands new album, but what they have produced here is an unexpected treat. Continue reading “Beheaded – Only Death Can Save You (Review)”

Haze of Summer – Stuzha (Review)

Haze of Summer - StuzhaThis is the second album from Russian post-black metal band Haze of Summer.

I enjoyed 2017’s Znoi, and on the band’s new release we get a further 33 minutes of melodic post-black metal. The album follows on from Znoi, even down to the tracklisting, which picks up where the last one left off. Continue reading “Haze of Summer – Stuzha (Review)”

Mutilate – Contagium (Review)

Mutilate - ContagiumThis is the second album from US death metallers Mutilate.

Mutilate seem to be pumping out music like nobody’s business. 2018 brought us both Tormentium and All Life Ends, and now we have a new album containing a further 37 minutes of primitive and ugly death metal. Continue reading “Mutilate – Contagium (Review)”

Morass of Molasses – The Ties That Bind (Review)

Morass of Molasses - The Ties That BindThis is the second album from Morass of Molasses, a stoner rock/metal band from the UK.

The Ties That Bind is a hard rocking stoner metal album that combines elements of sludge rock, doom, and distorted blues into its style. Continue reading “Morass of Molasses – The Ties That Bind (Review)”

Soulskinner/Obsecration/Abyssus/Malicious Silence – Sign of the Covenant of Death – Split (Review)

Soulskinner Obsecration Abyssus Malicious Silence - Sign of the Covenant of Death - SplitThis split is between four death metal bands – Soulskinner, Obsecration, Abyssus, and Malicious Silence, all of which are from Greece.

Oh, what a sickeningly horrible feast of underground death metal we have for you here! Each band has two tracks, and each band gives a good accounting of themselves. Continue reading “Soulskinner/Obsecration/Abyssus/Malicious Silence – Sign of the Covenant of Death – Split (Review)”