Reboot the System – The Fall (Review)

Reboot the System - The FallThis is the debut album from one-man Swedish death/thrash metal band.

The Fall contains 38 minutes of aggressive metal. Combining together melodic death and thrash metal into a collection of well-crafted tunes, the artist behind Reboot the System has made a good first impression. Continue reading “Reboot the System – The Fall (Review)”

Viscera – Carcinogenesis (Review)

Viscera - CarcinogenesisViscera are a death/metalcore band from the UK and this is their second album.

Carcinogenesis follows on from 2020’s Obsidian, which was a record I loved, so I have been really looking forward to hearing this new one. It has not disappointed. Continue reading “Viscera – Carcinogenesis (Review)”

Nicolas Cage Fighter – The Bones That Grew from Pain (Review)

Nicolas Cage Fighter - The Bones That Grew from PainThis is the debut album from Nicolas Cage Fighter, a metallic hardcore band from Australia.

The promo blurb states that Nicholas Cage Fighter combine “ruthless hardcore, late 90s metal and death metal influences”, which sets the scene nicely for the 37 minutes of material on The Bones That Grew from Pain.

Imagine a mixture of Hatebreed, Pantera, and the groovy aspect of bands like Thy Art Is Murder and Decapitated, and you’ll have a rough idea of where Nicolas Cage Fighter are coming from. They specialise is music that takes the metallic hardcore style from the 2000s and adds in more contemporary influences.

The music is full of energy and muscular heaviness. These songs are designed for the live arena, but are well-written enough to survive outside of their natural environment. Crushing breakdowns, heavy riffs, and roared vocals are the main order of business, and Nicolas Cage Fighter know their trade well. The songs are heavy, angry, are catchier than you might expect, and are just plain fun to listen to.

I like the inclusion of ambient, melodic, and atmospheric elements into the band’s brutal sound. These are only small enhancements to the songs and only appear at select moments, but they add value nonetheless. I also really like the singer’s vocals. They’re well-performed and varied enough to hold interest.

The Bones That Grew from Pain sits nicely next to recent records by Malevolence and Cage Fight. If you are looking for an album to hit the gym to, or just something to go and break stuff to, then this is for you.

A highly recommended slab of crushing heaviness.

Decapitated – Cancer Culture (Review)

Decapitated - Cancer CultureDecapitated are a Polish death metal band and this is their eighth album.

This is the follow up to 2017’s Anticult, and offers 37 minutes of heaviness that is ridiculously enjoyable. I expected a new Decapitated release to be good, but I was not ready for just how good Cancer Culture turned out to be. Continue reading “Decapitated – Cancer Culture (Review)”

Malevolence – Malicious Intent (Review)

Malevolence - Malicious IntentMalevolence are a metal band from the UK and this is their third album.

Malevolence play the sort of groove metal/metalcore hybrid that sounds like it should have been released in the mid-90s. If you take bands like Pantera and Hatebreed, and then throw in a touch of Crowbar, you’ll have a decent reference point for what Malevolence get up to on Malicious Intent; 38 minutes of Continue reading “Malevolence – Malicious Intent (Review)”

Imminent Sonic Destruction – The Sun Will Always Set (Review)

Imminent Sonic Destruction - The Sun Will Always SetThis is the third album from Imminent Sonic Destruction, a progressive metal band from the US.

The Sun Will Always Set contains 52 minutes of expressive progressive metal. It’s an album that might not be what you think it is as it wears many hats across its playing time. Continue reading “Imminent Sonic Destruction – The Sun Will Always Set (Review)”

The Last Ten Seconds of Life – The Last Ten Seconds of Life (Review)

The Last Ten Seconds of LifeThe Last Ten Seconds of Life are a US deathcore band, this is their fifth album.

I last heard The Last Ten Seconds of Life on their 2016 album The Violent Sound, which was an enjoyable excursion into rowdy metal waters. On their latest album the band have taken a slight step back with their their hybrid sound; it’s still part-deathcore, part nu-metal, part hardcore, and Continue reading “The Last Ten Seconds of Life – The Last Ten Seconds of Life (Review)”

Neorhythm – Terrastory (Review)

Neorhythm - TerrastoryNeorhythm are a Russian metal band and this is their second album.

Here we have 45 minutes of progressive metal that takes elements of groove, technical, and death metal into its make-up. The band know how to handle the style, and Terrastory is effortless to digest and enjoy. Continue reading “Neorhythm – Terrastory (Review)”

Veil of Deception – Dissident Voices (Review)

Veil of Deception - Dissident VoicesVeil of Deception are a metal band from Austria. This is their third album.

This is the follow up to 2015’s Tearing up the Roots, and offers 48 minutes of metallic anthems and energetic riffs. Continue reading “Veil of Deception – Dissident Voices (Review)”

Scour – Red (Review)

ScourThis is the latest EP from US black metal band Scour.

Containing members and ex-members of bands such as Pig Destroyer, Decrepit Birth, Cattle Decapitation, Down, Pantera, Misery Index, and many, many others, before you even listen to this you know that a lot of experience has gone into it. Continue reading “Scour – Red (Review)”