The Faceless – Wonderbox Metal

Abigail Williams – A Void Within Existence (Review)

This is the sixth album from US black metal band Abigail Williams.

Brought to us by current/ex-members of bands such as Aborted, Changeling, Chrome Waves, Fear Factory, The Faceless, Lord Mantis, Nachtmystium, Vale of Pnath, and Wolvhammer, a lot of experience and skills has gone into A Void Within Existence. In fact, due to the members, I’m amazed I’ve never listened to Abigail Williams prior to this new album. I’ve heard the name many times, but this is my first exposure to their brand of black metal. Continue reading “Abigail Williams – A Void Within Existence (Review)”

Fallujah – Xenotaph (Review)

This is the fifth album from US death metal band Fallujah.

Fallujah have a storied list of releases at this point, (The Flesh Prevails, Dreamless, Undying Light, Empyrean), 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)”

Tómarúm – Beyond Obsidian Euphoria (Review)

This 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)”

Celestial Scourge – Observers of the Inevitable (Review)

Celestial Scourge are a Norwegian death metal band and this is their debut album.

Featuring members of Blood Red Throne and Deception, Celestial Scourge are here to destroy. Observers of the Inevitable contains 30 minutes of brutal technical death metal, and it’s a raging mass of controlled savagery. Continue reading “Celestial Scourge – Observers of the Inevitable (Review)”

Damnation Festival 2024 – BEC Arena, Manchester – 02/11/24 (Live Review)

Another year, another Damnation Festival. As always, the organisers are to be commended for putting on one of the UK’s premier metal festivals. I’ve been coming here most years for almost two decades now, and I’ve never yet had a bad day.

There are three stages. Two smaller stages that clash with each other, and a main stage that clashes with nothing. Continue reading “Damnation Festival 2024 – BEC Arena, Manchester – 02/11/24 (Live Review)”

Replacire – The Center That Cannot Hold (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)”

Vale of Pnath – Between the Worlds of Life and Death (Review)

This is the third album from US death metal band Vale of Pnath.

Between the Worlds of Life and Death is a blackened death metal extravaganza, boasting 38 minutes of face-melting material. On their new album Vale of Pnath are vying for the modern extreme metal crown. Continue reading “Vale of Pnath – Between the Worlds of Life and Death (Review)”

Apogean – Cyberstrictive (Review)

This is the debut album from US death metal band Apogean.

Cyberstrictive contains 44 minutes of modern technical death metal. As a lazy intro, I’m just going to quote the blrub on their Bandcamp page – “Apogean drew their inspiration from such groups as Soreption, The Faceless, Obscura, Necrophagist, The Black Dahlia Murder, Archspire, and The Zenith Passage. It’s a safe bet that fans of those bands will thoroughly enjoy what they have to offer.” Continue reading “Apogean – Cyberstrictive (Review)”

The Zenith Passage – Datalysium (Review)

The Zenith Passage are a death metal band from the US and this is their third album.

Well, it’s been a shockingly long time since the first album by The Zenith Passage – Solipsist was released in 2016, and a lot has happened since then. When it comes to the band themselves, they have now returned with an almost completely new lineup, which includes a bassist and singer who were both in The Faceless. So, across its 46 minutes of material, what does Datalysium have to offer us, and does it match up to the hype? Continue reading “The Zenith Passage – Datalysium (Review)”

Entheos – Time Will Take Us All (Review)

Entheos are a progressive death metal band from the US and this is their third album.

Entheos play a technical and progressive form of modern death metal. Time Will Take Us All offers 40 minutes of complexity and intricate delivery. This is then melded with the melodic strands of modern death metal as well as the Continue reading “Entheos – Time Will Take Us All (Review)”