Deathcontrol – The Endless Echo of His Own Litany (Review)

Deathcontrol - The Endless Echo of His Own LitanyThis is the debut album of Spanish grindcore band Deathcontrol.

Featuring an ex-member of Machetazo, Deathcontrol play a mix of old-school grindcore and experimental noisecore. The Endless Echo of His Own Litany contains 17 minutes of material, divided between the two styles; six grind songs, five noisecore tracks. Continue reading “Deathcontrol – The Endless Echo of His Own Litany (Review)”

The Body – The Crying out of Things (Review)

The Body - The Crying out of ThingsThis is the ninth album from US experimental sludge band The Body.

The Body are an always intriguing and shapeshifting band. Whether it’s their albums, (such as No One Deserves Happiness, I Have Fought Against It, but I Can’t Any Longer, or I’ve Seen All I Need to See), or their collaborations, (such as Ascending a Mountain of Heavy Light with Full of Hell Everything That Dies Someday Comes Back with Uniform), The Body always produce something worth hearing. Continue reading “The Body – The Crying out of Things (Review)”

Lifesick – Loved by None, Hated by All (Review)

Lifesick - Loved by None, Hated by AllThis is the fourth album by Danish metallic hardcore band LIfesick.

I enjoyed Lifesick when I saw them earlier this year supporting Cabal, so knew I wanted to check out the 34 minutes of Loved by None, Hated by All when it appeared. Continue reading “Lifesick – Loved by None, Hated by All (Review)”

Oranssi Pazuzu – Muuntautuja (Review)

Oranssi Pazuzu - MuuntautujaThis is the sixth album from Finland’s black metallers Oranssi Pazuzu.

Since discovering Oranssi Pazuzu on 2016’s Värähtelijä they have been a band that easily stood out for me. Mestarin Kynsi followed in 2020, another album that took an expansive, creative vision for blackened music and explored it with engaging results. Which brings us to Muuntautuja, the band’s shortest album at 42 minutes in duration. What scintillatingly expressive sights and sounds does it has to offer? Continue reading “Oranssi Pazuzu – Muuntautuja (Review)”

Gråt Strigoi – The Prophetic Silence (Review)

Gråt Strigoi - The Prophetic SilenceThis is the fourth album from UK black metallers Gråt Strigoi.

Despite being four albums deep into their career, I’ve never heard of Gråt Strigoi before the wonderful Fiadh Productions put them on my radar. It’s seriously been my loss, as this stuff is so far up my alley it hurts. The Prophetic Silence contains 56 minutes of black metal that’s so good you should just stop reading this now and go and listen to it. Continue reading “Gråt Strigoi – The Prophetic Silence (Review)”

Apes – Penitence (Review)

Apes - PenitenceApes are a grindcore band from Canada and this is their debut album.

I thoroughly enjoyed 2017’s Lightless, with its hybrid blackened sludge/grind assault. It wasn’t until 2022 that we saw new material though, with the EP Lullabies for Eternal Sleep. Thankfully we haven’t had to wait quite as long for Apes’ second album, Penitence. Continue reading “Apes – Penitence (Review)”

Insect Ark – Raw Blood Singing (Review)

Insect Ark - Raw Blood SingingThis is the fourth album from Insect Ark, an experimental doom band from Germany.

An album consisting of members of Swans and Khanate? Yep, colour me interested. Taking in doom, avant-garde, psychedelic, noise, drone, and Gothic influences, Raw Blood Singing is an expansive work of darkness and beauty. Continue reading “Insect Ark – Raw Blood Singing (Review)”

Knoll – As Spoken (Review)

Knoll - As SpokenThis is the third album from US grindcore band Knoll.

Following on from 2022’s blistering Metempiric comes As Spoken, its 41-minute follow up. On their new record Knoll have continued to push their punishing sound forward, embracing the nihilistic darkness more than ever. Continue reading “Knoll – As Spoken (Review)”

Furia – Huta Luna (Review)

Furia - Huta LunaFuria are a black metal band from Poland and this is their sixth album.

I haven’t reviewed a Furia release before, so this offers a well-overdue chance to rectify this unfortunate situation, and cast a critical eye over what this idiosyncratic band are up to in 2023. Over time Furia have only gotten more individual and experimental, so what does Huta Luna have to offer discerning black metal fans? Continue reading “Furia – Huta Luna (Review)”