Ancient Death – Ego Dissolution (Review)

Ancient Death - Ego DissolutionThis is the debut album from US death metal band Ancient Death.

I missed this back in April, but it’s come repeatedly recommended to the point where I had to check it out. I’m glad I did. Ego Dissolution contains 35 minutes of vibrant classic death metal, played so well that I can easily see why Ancient Death have created a bit of a buzz around themselves. Continue reading “Ancient Death – Ego Dissolution (Review)”

Rhizaria – Indulgences (Review)

Rhizaria - IndulgencesThis is the debut album from US black/death metal band Rhizaria.

Rhizaria play a progressive form of black and death metal, delivering a hybrid style that’s irregular, and very compelling. Indulgences contains 40 minutes of material that scratches a very particular itch that sits right in a hard to reach place between atmosphere and dissonance. Continue reading “Rhizaria – Indulgences (Review)”

Serpent Corpse – Retaliate (Review)

Serpent Corpse - RetaliateSerpent Corpse are a Canadian death metal band and this is their latest EP.

I thoroughly enjoyed 2023’s Blood Sabbath, so am pleased to have this new EP from Serpent Corpse. Retaliate contains 26 minutes of new material – four tracks of hideous old-school death metal for fans of the good stuff. On Retaliate Serpent Corpse have pushed themselves further, with longer songs and a wider breadth of deathly vision. Continue reading “Serpent Corpse – Retaliate (Review)”

Fallujah – Xenotaph (Review)

Fallujah - XenotaphThis is the fifth album from US death metal band Fallujah.

Fallujah have a storied list of releases at this point, (The Flesh PrevailsDreamlessUndying LightEmpyrean), all worth getting your teeth into. After the slight dip in quality that was Undying Light, Fallujah returned very strong with Empyrean. All of which means I have been interested to see what the 42-minute Xenotaph brings us this time around. Continue reading “Fallujah – Xenotaph (Review)”

Rivers of Nihil – Rivers of Nihil (Review)

Rivers of Nihil - Rivers of NihilThis is the fifth album from US death metal band Rivers of Nihil.

Ah, the eponymously titled album, so far into a band’s career always gives me pause. Does it mark a career-best record, a reinvention, or a lack of identity? The album even carries a song called Rivers of Nihil. What’s going on here then? Which way will the band go with this? Continue reading “Rivers of Nihil – Rivers of Nihil (Review)”

Kardashev – Alunea (Review)

Kardashev - AluneaThis is the third album from US extreme metal band Kardashev.

Kardashev return, after the acclaimed Liminal Rite from 2022. The self-styled deathgaze band have provided us with 43 minutes of new material on Alunea. Continue reading “Kardashev – Alunea (Review)”

Changeling – Changeling (Review)

Changeling - ChangelingThis is the debut album from German progressive death metal band Changeling.

Changeling is brought to us by current/ex-members of Alkaloid, Belphegor, Defeated Sanity, Fear Factory, Obscura, Vipassi, and Virvum. It’s supported by an army of guests, who perform everything from guest solos, vocals, and choirs, to cello, flutes, horns, piano, tuba, violins, viola, and much, much more. The music combines progressive and technical death metal, with jazz fusion, progressive rock, and world music. It’s a lot, and it’s all packed into 60 minutes of compelling material. Continue reading “Changeling – Changeling (Review)”

Tómarúm – Beyond Obsidian Euphoria (Review)

Tómarúm - Beyond Obsidian EuphoriaThis is the second album from US black/death metal band Tómarúm.

2022’s Ash in Realms of Stone Icons was a one of the best of the year, so anticipation has been high for the new one from Tómarúm. Will Beyond Obsidian Euphoria‘s 69 minutes have the same impact as its predecessor? Continue reading “Tómarúm – Beyond Obsidian Euphoria (Review)”

Allegaeon – The Ossuary Lens (Review)

Allegaeon - The Ossuary LensThis is the seventh album from US death metallers Allegaeon.

I’ve thoroughly enjoyed all of the Allegaeon albums I’ve heard, (2016’s Proponent for Sentience, 2019’s Apoptosis, and 2022’s Damnum), and each has been better than the last. Now Allegaeon are back with the 46-minute The Ossuary Lens, (their shortest album so far), and have changed singer, with their their original vocalist returning to the fold. Let’s see what they have to offer us this time around. Continue reading “Allegaeon – The Ossuary Lens (Review)”

Dawn of Ouroboros – Bioluminescence (Review)

Dawn of Ouroboros - BioluminescenceThis is the third album from Dawn of Ouroboros, a progressive black/death metal band from the US.

Both 2020’s The Art of Morphology and 2023’s Velvet Incandescence were solid albums from Dawn of Ouroboros, so when I heard about Bioluminescence, it became an anticipated album for 2025. Across 43 minutes Dawn of Ouroboros once again deliver an expressive and charismatic album of hybridised metal styles. Continue reading “Dawn of Ouroboros – Bioluminescence (Review)”