Outright – Keep You Warm (Review)

Outright - Keep You WarmThis 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)”

Antigama – Whiteout (Review)

Antigama - WhiteoutThis 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 MeteorThe Insolent, and Depressant as good examples). Continue reading “Antigama – Whiteout (Review)”

Mantar – Pain Is Forever and This Is the End (Review)

Mantar - Pain Is Forever and This Is the EndThis 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)”

Entrails – An Eternal Time of Decay (Review)

Entrails - An Eternal Time of DecayThis is the seventh album from Entrails, a Swedish death metal band.

A new Entrails album is always worth a listen. I enjoyed 2015’s Obliteration, 2017’s World Inferno, and 2019’s Rise of the Reaper, and An Eternal Time of Decay – with its 46 minutes of material – is no different. Continue reading “Entrails – An Eternal Time of Decay (Review)”

Miasmes – Vermines (Review)

Miasmes - VerminesMiasmes are a French black metal band and this is their debut EP.

Miasmes play classic second wave black metal with an underlying punk energy. It’s old-school and raw, and pretty damn nasty. Continue reading “Miasmes – Vermines (Review)”

Black Void – Antithesis (Review)

Black Void - AntithesisThis is the debut album from Black Void, a Norwegian black metal band.

Featuring members of Borknagar, Ihsahn, In Vain, Profane Burial, and Solefald, Antithesis delivers 39 minutes of furious black metal cut with harsh hardcore punk, black ‘n’ roll, and some unexpectedly anthemic influences. Continue reading “Black Void – Antithesis (Review)”

Return to Earth – Oblivion (Review)

Return to Earth - OblivionThis is the third album from US industrial metal band Return to Earth.

Industrial metal is a rather nebulous and potentially misleading genre tag when applied to Return to Earth. Oblivion is a very diverse and idiosyncratic record, with elements of metal, post-hardcore, industrial, progressive rock, and electronica all present in the music. This Continue reading “Return to Earth – Oblivion (Review)”

Spill Your Guts – The Wrath It Takes (Review)

Spill Your Guts - The Wrath It TakesSpill Your Guts are a blackened hardcore band from China and this is their second album.

The promo blurb states the following bands as influences on Spill Your Guts – Turbonegro, Kvelertak, Trap Them,
Every Time I Die, The Bronx,
All Pigs Must Die, Refused, and Shai Hulud – and these serve as a decent starting point for approaching the 31 minutes of material that makes up The Wrath It Takes. Continue reading “Spill Your Guts – The Wrath It Takes (Review)”

Archvile King – À la Ruine (Review)

Archvile King- À la RuineArchvile King is a solo black metal band from France and this is his debut album.

The music of Archvile King is that of classic black metal mixed with elements of thrash, punk, and folk. The latter style is lesser-heard in general, but can be detected in some of the melodies and the occasional acoustic guitar, (and is especially apparent in tracks like Chroniques du Royaume Avili and À la Ruine). The punk and thrash elements are embedded in parts of the blackened guitars that rage and tear out of the speakers like envenomed claws. Continue reading “Archvile King – À la Ruine (Review)”