Castrator – Coronation of the Grotesque (Review)

Castrator - Coronation of the GrotesqueCastrator are an international/US death metal band and this is their second album.

Containing a member of Gruesome, Castrator play ferocious death metal, and they mean business. Coronation of the Grotesque is a 33-minute whirlwind of devastation, (37 minutes with the bonus track – an Exodus cover). Continue reading “Castrator – Coronation of the Grotesque (Review)”

Obscura – A Sonication (Review)

Obscura - A SonicationObscura are a death metal band from Germany and this is their seventh album.

2018’s Diluvium was a feast of modern technicality, while 2021’s A Valediction offered a melodic refresh of the Obscura sound that so many had come to love. So what does A Sonication bring us in 2025? Continue reading “Obscura – A Sonication (Review)”

Blood Red Throne – Nonagon (Review)

Blood Red Throne - NonagonThis is the eleventh album from Blood Red Throne, a death metal band from Norway.

Containing 43 minutes of burly, crushing material, Blood Red Throne’s latest delivers an exemplar of classic death metal mastery. Nonagon feels both old-school and fresh, giving it a timeless vibe that I find much of the best death metal has. Continue reading “Blood Red Throne – Nonagon (Review)”

Pestifer – Defeat of the Nemesis (Review)

Pestifer - Defeat of the NemesisThis is the latest EP from Belgian death metal band Pestifer.

Pestifer play a technical/progressive brand of death metal that’s roughly in the style of Obscura, Death, Pestilence, and Atheist, with a touch of Gorguts thrown in for good measure. Defeat of the Nemesis contains 24 minutes of material, and is an enjoyable introduction to what the band are capable of. Continue reading “Pestifer – Defeat of the Nemesis (Review)”

Garoted – Bewitchment of the Dark Ages (Review)

Garoted - Bewitchment of the Dark AgesGaroted are a death metal band from the US and this is their fourth album.

A crushing display of death metal prowess, Bewitchment of the Dark Ages is a blisteringly aggressive 36-minute slab of dark extremity. Garoted can certainly play, and they wield their instruments like weapons as they pursue they ferocious goals. Continue reading “Garoted – Bewitchment of the Dark Ages (Review)”

Unblessed Divine – Portal to Darkness (Review)

Unblessed Divine - Portal to DarknessThis is the debut album from international death metal band Unblessed Divine.

Featuring ex-members of Malevolent Creation, Sinister, and Decapitated, Portal to Darkness contains 45 minutes of expressive and atmospheric death metal. Continue reading “Unblessed Divine – Portal to Darkness (Review)”

Werewolves – My Enemies Look and Sound Like Me (Review)

Werewolves - My Enemies Look and Sound Like MeThis is the fourth album from Australian death metal band Werewolves.

Following quickly on the heels of last year’s From the Cave to the Grave, Werewolves have returned with My Enemies Look and Sound Like Me, which boasts 34 minutes of lean and muscular new material. Continue reading “Werewolves – My Enemies Look and Sound Like Me (Review)”

Vader – Solitude in Madness (Review)

Vader - Solitude in MadnessVader are a Polish death metal band and this is their sixteenth album.

I always enjoy a bit of Vader. This veteran band have been banging out reliable death metal for decades now, and show no signs of letting up. Solitude in Madness is another 30 minutes of such, and it’s easy to enjoy if you like your death metal fast, brief, and laced with thrash. Continue reading “Vader – Solitude in Madness (Review)”

Psychomancer – Shards of the Hourglass (Review & Interview)

Psychomancer - Shards of the HourglassThis is the third album from Psychomancer, a death metal band from the US.

Shards of the Hourglass is a monstrous death/thrash metal release that falls somewhere between Swedish death metal and the more adventurous side of 90s death and thrash metal. There’s a vicious German influence too – think a mix of Vader and Destruction. Take all of this together and it makes for a surprisingly engaging 58-minute blend of extreme metal. Continue reading “Psychomancer – Shards of the Hourglass (Review & Interview)”

Hekata – Ruin (Review)

hekata - ruinHekata are a Russian death metal band and this is their debut album.

Hekata play a virulent mix of death metal, black metal, hardcore, crust, and grind. It’s quite the mix, and essentially results in songs that merge these influences into blackened slabs of Scandinavian-influenced deathcrustcore. Or something. You get the idea, I’m sure. Continue reading “Hekata – Ruin (Review)”