Escuela Grind are a grindcore band from the US and this is their second album.
I love me some grindcore, but what Escuela Grind give us is actually more interesting than just that. This is grindcore by way of huge metallic hardcore groove. Memory Theater takes the strengths of both worlds to produce a monstrous collection of tracks that cut a swathe through the opposition. Continue reading “Escuela Grind – Memory Theater (Review)”
This is the second album from German doom band Might.
Might play an atypical form of doom metal with elements of post-rock, sludge, punk, grunge, and noise rock. Abyss is an unusually varied album, and operates in a lot of genres and styles, sometimes all at once. Continue reading “Might – Abyss (Review)”
This is the third album from Japanese doom band Blacklab.
Following on from 2020’s Abyss, In a Bizarre Dream contains 45 minutes of ancient doom sludge with elements of noise rock and old-school punk. Continue reading “Blacklab – In a Bizarre Dream (Review)”
This is the debut album from Hilning, a solo black metal act from Sweden.
Brought to us by a member of Afgrund and Besvärjelsen, Råtijinn contains 48 minutes of frosted black metal ferocity. Hilning’s music merges the old-school cold and dark approach with epic folk-tinged melodies. Continue reading “Hilning – Råtijinn (Review)”
Dub War are a metal band from the UK and this is their third album.
Combining metal, punk, hip hop, and reggae influences into their groundbreaking style, I had a lot of time for Dub War in the 90s. As such, it’s an unexpected treat to have some new material from them. Westgate Under Fire gives us 48 minutes of multifaceted musical mayhem. Continue reading “Dub War – Westgate under Fire (Review)”
This is the latest EP from Pythian, a post-metal/sludge band from the US.
Understanding in Light is a 30-minute journey into shaded mood and crushing sludgescapes. Pythian play Neurosis-esque apocalyptic post-metal/sludge mixed with elements of expressive doom metal and formidable crust. Continue reading “Pythian – Understanding in Light (Review)”
This is the debut album from Chat Pile, a noise/sludge rock band from the US.
God’s Country is a 42-minute cry of anxiety, despair, and pain, which manifests as noise and sludge rock coalesced into nine emotive tracks. Other elements such as industrial, punk, and grunge have also made it into Chat Pile’s shapeshifting sound, resulting in a charismatic journey into impassioned desperation and energetic angst. Continue reading “Chat Pile – God’s Country (Review)”
This is the second album from metallic hardcore band Outright.
Described in the promo blurb as a mix of Walls of Jericho and Slayer, this is as good an introduction as any to Outright’s sound, (I’d also throw in a bit of Capra too, as a more recent reference point). Continue reading “Outright – Keep You Warm (Review)”
This is the eighth album from Polish grindcore band Antigama.
I always enjoy hearing Antigama, as no matter what they’re doing you know you’re going to at least get a good base level of quality (see Meteor, The Insolent, and Depressant as good examples). Continue reading “Antigama – Whiteout (Review)”
This is the fourth album from German blackened metal act Mantar.
This is the follow up to 2018’s The Modern Art of Setting Ablaze, (if you ignore the band’s cover album from 2020), and contains 41 minutes of new material. Pain Is Forever and This Is the End is the next logical evolution of Mantar’s sound, bringing a more direct song-focused approach to the music, while Continue reading “Mantar – Pain Is Forever and This Is the End (Review)”
Wonderbox Metal 