Drofnosura are a Canadian doom/sludge metal band and this is their second album.
Drofnosura’s Ritual of Split Tongues is a colossal beast of an album. It’s a 63-minute monster, primarily comprised of four epic-length songs, and presents as a mutated entity of mountainous shapeshifting intensity. Continue reading “Drofnosura – Ritual of Split Tongues (Review)”
This is the debut album from Portuguese death metal band Ethereal Wound.
Defile | Demise contains 38 minutes of death metal that’s blackened, dissonant, and atmospheric. Ethereal Wound, (along with a session drummer, from Ashen Horde, Evilyn, Norse, Somnium Nox, Virulent Depravity, and many more), have produced a striking record that offers a rewarding, satisfying experience. Continue reading “Ethereal Wound – Defile | Demise (Review)”
Kamra are a black metal band from Slovenia and this is their second album.
Kamra have a member of Assumption in their ranks, and Unending Confluence contains 41 minutes of music. This is black metal influenced by the old-school, but dragged by lethal dissonance into the modern era. Continue reading “Kamra – Unending Confluence (Review)”
I’m so happy to be back at one of the world’s best black metal festivals. I love it here at Fortress Festival, and I can’t wait to work through such a great lineup again. If you haven’t been here before, make sure you don’t miss the 2026 edition.
Last year’s Fortress was excellent. I saw every band available, with the exception of a mere few when I needed to find food, essentially. This year I’m going to try an adopt a more sensible approach, (at least from one perspective), and not kill myself trying to catch everything again. Having said that, I’ll still be trying to watch as many bands as I realistically can, while factoring in food, downtime, circumstances, etc. This year’s lineup is so good though, that every band is worth seeing, and in an ideal world I’d do just that. Regardless, we’ll see how we get on. And also, there are some bands playing this weekend that are just absolutely mandatory.
Before we get into it – as was the case last year, I have once again been blessed to be able to use the stunning photographs from the very talented Aleksandra Hogg, (which is why they are far, far, far superior to the photos I normally take when left to my own devices). I urge you to check out her work at Acidolka here, here, or here. Continue reading “Fortress Festival 2025 – Scarborough Spa, Scarborough, 31/05/25-01/06/24 (Live Review)”
A Flock Named Murder are a black/extreme metal band from Canada and this is their second album.
Incendiary Sanctum only contains four tracks, but has a running time of 64 minutes. A Flock Named Murder are ambitious, and use this time to explore a hybrid sound that combines elements of black, death, doom, and post-metal together very effectively. Continue reading “A Flock Named Murder – Incendiary Sanctum (Review)”
Necronos are a Mexican death metal band and this is their debut album.
Charred Tongue is a 33-minute death metal album bursting with chaotic aggression that’s been tempered by a keen sense of worldbuilding. Mixing atmospheric, progressive, technical, and dissonant death metal together with skilled ability, Necronos have crafted an album that showcases their talents well. Continue reading “Necronos – Charred Tongue (Review)”
This is the debut album from Australian death metallers Sarcophagum.
Essentially a side band of the gloriously nasty Golgothan Remains, (three out of four members have links to the band), Sarcophagum also boast the talents of the drummer of the mighty Ashen Horde, (also current/ex-member of Blade of Horus, Decrepid, Evilyn, Norse, Somnium Nox, Virulent Depravity, and more). Suffice to say, I knew I had to check this out. Continue reading “Sarcophagum – The Grand Arc of Madness (Review)”
This is the third album from German extreme metal band Ingurgitating Oblivion.
It’s been some time since Ingurgitating Oblivion terrified the world with their malignant presence. 2014’s Continuum of Absence showed great promise, which was then realised on 2017’s colossal Vision Wallows in Symphonies of Light. The wait is now over, for Ontology of Nought brings us a massive 73 minutes of darkness. It’s time to step into the nightmare once more. Continue reading “Ingurgitating Oblivion – Ontology of Nought (Review)”
Evilyn are an international death metal band and this is their debut album.
Evilyn play a form of death metal with strong avant-garde/dissonant leanings. Mondostrunken contains 36 minutes of material, showcasing a band that have honed their vision into an atypical beast. Continue reading “Evilyn – Mondestrunken (Review)”
This is the third album from Carnophage, a Turkish death metal band.
It’s been a long time since 2016’s Monument, but Carnophage have now unleashed a new album. Matter of a Darker Nature is a 33-minute death metal masterclass – rooted in the brutal death metal style, but not limited to it. Continue reading “Carnophage – Matter of a Darker Nature (Review)”
Wonderbox Metal 