This is the second album from US death metallers Voidceremony.
Following on 2023’s enjoyable Threads of Unknowing, Abditum contains 30 minutes of complex technical death metal wizardry. As much as I liked that last record, this new one is a step up for Voidceremony. Continue reading “Voidceremony – Abditum (Review)”
Psycroptic, Ghost Bath, and Underdark were originally part of a larger event, (with a pretty damn sexy lineup), that got cancelled for reasons unknown. In its place is this very enticing show, with only these three bands surviving the cut. It was a relatively late change, with the tickets not transferring, so I was hoping that this new event would have sold enough tickets in its own right to have a decent-sized crowd for the bands. Regardless of the turnout, I’ve been looking forward to this, Psycroptic especially, as I’ve never seen them and they’re one of the best tech death bands in existence. Continue reading “Psycroptic/Ghost Bath/Underdark – Rebellion, Manchester – 02/08/25 (Live Review)”
This is the debut album by solo Chinese avant-garde extreme metal act Smiqra.
Brought to us by the artist behind the Ὁπλίτης (Hoplites), Smiqra take the more avant-garde aspects of the last Ὁπλίτης release Παραμαινομένη and runs with them. Rgyaɡ̇dźé! is a 42-minute explosion of avant-garde metal that’s dizzying. Continue reading “Smiqra – Rɡyaɡ̇dźé! (Review)”
This is the second album from US death metallers Ominous Ruin.
Following on from 2021’s enjoyable Amidst Voices That Echo in Stone, Ominous Ruin have returned, now with a new vocalist. Requiem brings us 40 minutes of technical/brutal death metal, and it’s pretty damn good. Continue reading “Ominous Ruin – Requiem (Review)”
This 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)”
This is the debut album from Swedish death metallers Retromorphosis.
Well, this was an instantly enticing proposition. It’s death metal brought to us by ex-members of Spawn of Possession, (four out of five of Retromorphosis’ members), and an ex-member of Decrepit Birth, which is enough to get anyone’s notice. However, when you look at their collective history though, you realise just how much experience they bring to the table – Alkaloid, Blood Red Throne, Deeds of Flesh, Defeated Sanity, Eschaton, Obscura, Necrophagist, Visceral Bleeding, and many others. What a list! Considering this, expectations are high for Psalmus Mortis, perhaps unfairly so. Continue reading “Retromorphosis – Psalmus Mortis (Review)”
This is the third album from US progressive extreme metal band Orgone.
Pleroma is a 65-minute multifaceted beast of a record that, loosely, can be described as progressive/technical death metal. Orgone flesh out their death metal base with technical expertise and progressive depth. Around this though they breach a range of other musical territories, including folk, jazz, classical, and progressive rock. Continue reading “Orgone – Pleroma (Review)”
Vile Rites are a death metal band from the US and this is their debut album.
Vile Rites contain a member of Mortuous in their ranks, which is enough to get my attention. Senescence offers us 40 minutes of progressive death metal of a high quality. Some bands playing this sort of style get bogged down in the technicality, but for Vile Rites this is just an enabler, not the prime goal of the music. Continue reading “Vile Rites – Senescence (Review)”
Summoning the Lich are a death metal band from the US and this is their second album.
Summoning the Lich throw a few different influences into a brutally tasty death metal blender, and shake it with great force. The end result is Under the Reviled Throne, which serves up 40 minutes of music that takes the melodic and technical death metal styles and soaks them in fantasy-soaked flavourings. Continue reading “Summoning the Lich – Under the Reviled Throne (Review)”
This is the third album by US technical death metal band Replacire.
It’s been a long seven years since 2017’s Do Not Deviate, but now Replacire are back, and they’re on fire. Delivering 44 minutes of death metal that’s distinctly not your standard fare, The Center That Cannot Hold is not a record for the uninitiated. Continue reading “Replacire – The Center That Cannot Hold (Review)”
Wonderbox Metal 