This is the fifth album from Swedish metal band Orbit Culture.
I enjoyed 2020’s Nija, 2021’s Shaman, and 2023’s, Descent, so Death Above Life is well-received. If you’re unfamiliar with Orbit Culture, check these previous releases out if you’re a fan of bands such as Gojira, In Flames, Lamb of God, Meshuggah, Metallica, Slipknot, Soilwork, Static-X, Sylosis, Thy Art Is Murder, and Trivium. Continue reading “Orbit Culture – Death Above Life (Review)”
This is the latest EP from Alluvial, a modern death metal band from the US.
Following on after 2021’s Sarcoma, Death Is But a Door contains four new songs and has a total duration of 17 minutes. Strap in, it’s gonna get heavy. Continue reading “Alluvial – Death Is But a Door (Review)”
This is the fourth album from Swedish metallers Orbit Culture.
Both 2020’s Nija and 2021’s Shaman made very good impressions, and now Orbit Culture are back with another 49 minutes of new material in the form of Descent. Continue reading “Orbit Culture – Descent (Review)”
This is a split between Fit for an Autopsy, Thy Art Is Murder, and Malevolence, who are from the US, Australia, and the UK respectively. It’s the successor of sorts to 2016’s The Depression Sessions. Each band contributes one original and one cover track to this release, which lasts 23 minutes in total. Continue reading “Fit for an Autopsy/Thy Art Is Murder/Malevolence – The Aggression Sessions – Split (Review)”
Viscera are a death/metalcore band from the UK and this is their second album.
Carcinogenesis follows on from 2020’s Obsidian, which was a record I loved, so I have been really looking forward to hearing this new one. It has not disappointed. Continue reading “Viscera – Carcinogenesis (Review)”
This is the third album from Danish blackened deathcore band Cabal.
A new Cabal album is very welcome. 2020’s Drag Me Down was murderously good fun, so it’s great to greet Magno Interitus‘ 36 minutes with big expectations. But have Cabal once again delivered the goods? Continue reading “Cabal – Magno Interitus (Review)”
Warforged are a death metal band from the US and this is their second album.
Warforged bring us a death metal hybrid that mixes technical, progressive, experimental, and atmospheric elements into a 46-minute ever-changing monster. Continue reading “Warforged – The Grove | Sundial (Review)”
This is the debut album from Nicolas Cage Fighter, a metallic hardcore band from Australia.
The promo blurb states that Nicholas Cage Fighter combine “ruthless hardcore, late 90s metal and death metal influences”, which sets the scene nicely for the 37 minutes of material on The Bones That Grew from Pain.
Imagine a mixture of Hatebreed, Pantera, and the groovy aspect of bands like Thy Art Is Murder and Decapitated, and you’ll have a rough idea of where Nicolas Cage Fighter are coming from. They specialise is music that takes the metallic hardcore style from the 2000s and adds in more contemporary influences.
The music is full of energy and muscular heaviness. These songs are designed for the live arena, but are well-written enough to survive outside of their natural environment. Crushing breakdowns, heavy riffs, and roared vocals are the main order of business, and Nicolas Cage Fighter know their trade well. The songs are heavy, angry, are catchier than you might expect, and are just plain fun to listen to.
I like the inclusion of ambient, melodic, and atmospheric elements into the band’s brutal sound. These are only small enhancements to the songs and only appear at select moments, but they add value nonetheless. I also really like the singer’s vocals. They’re well-performed and varied enough to hold interest.
The Bones That Grew from Pain sits nicely next to recent records by Malevolence and Cage Fight. If you are looking for an album to hit the gym to, or just something to go and break stuff to, then this is for you.
A highly recommended slab of crushing heaviness.
This is the second album from US extreme metal band Kardashev.
Kardashev have an unusual sound that consists of a mixture of shoegaze and deathcore, to which elements of black, progressive, atmospheric, and post-metal have been added. This is then all rolled into an atypical contemporary package that lasts 60 minutes. Post-deathcore, maybe? Either that, or deathgaze, as the band style themselves.
Ghost Bath are a depressive black metal band from the US and this is their fourth album.
I’m a big fan of Ghost Bath‘s work. Although somewhat divisive and an acquired taste for some, 2017’s Starmourner was so unusual and charismatic with its over-the-top histrionics and charged melodic atmosphere, that I couldn’t help but fall for it completely. As such, I’ve been looking forward to Self Loather. Continue reading “Ghost Bath – Self Loather (Review)”
Wonderbox Metal 