Category Archives: Reviews

REVIEW: Carnivora – Bogdweller

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Salem, Massachusetts modern metallers Carnivora is a band Ghost Cult has been following for many years and through several incarnations. The band has continued to grow and improve while keeping what makes them, them for a lack of better verbiage. They have always placed an importance on monster riffs, deep grooves and generally short blasts of fun metal tracks that don’t overstay their welcome. On their new single ‘Bogdweller’, the band has hit a new level with the addition of vocalist Haydee Irrizary (Aversed, Zahra Lux). Continue reading →


ALBUM REVIEW: Exhumed – Horror

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In an old interview, the Godfather of Death Metal, Chuck Schuldiner, laid out the blueprint of what the genre is, what its themes are, and what listeners should expect from it. He described the genre as “fantasy, tongue-and-cheek, Horror movie level type of scary stuff…” Many bands within the genre have followed this blueprint and carried on the tradition of writing gore lyrics, but none better than the legendary, Exhumed, who have always leaned more towards the gore aspect of Death Metal and later coined the term Gore Metal. Their new album, Horror (Relapse Records) follows this blueprint very well.

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ALBUM REVIEW: William DuVall – One Alone

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If you only know William DuVall from his time in Alice In Chains, you might have missed out on his multifaceted musical career spanning over thirty years. From Hardcore Punk, post-Grunge, RnB, and producer of other artists, he has run the gamut of styles, and often making everyone around him glimmer too. That’s why on his debut solo album One Alone, (DVL Records), it’s so refreshing to hear him just as the title indicates and armed only with his singular voice, and acoustic guitar to bring these eleven tracks to life.

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ALBUM REVIEW: Gatecreeper – Deserted

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The fresh-faced group, GatekrGatecreepereeper has been making waves in the scene for the last couple of years. Their undaunted aggression and sinister viciousness made a mark when they released their first full-length album, Sonoran Depravation (Relapse Records) in 2016. They have a thought-provoking take on the classic Death Metal sound which sets them apart from a lot of other young, hungry acts. Now, this budding band is back with their sophomore record, Deserted (Relapse Records) and their magnetic extremes have reached a new level of exceptional. Continue reading →


ALBUM REVIEW: Kublai Khan – Absolute

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On Absolute (Rise Records), Kublai Khan ticks off a lot of the boxes I’m looking for in modern Metallic Hardcore or extreme music, but something isn’t quite passing state inspection. They’re blending equal parts Hardcore and Metal fury, have meaty breakdowns, occasional Thrash tempos and happen to be from Texas. I should like this. Or I should like this a bit more. Continue reading →


ALBUM REVIEW: Anacrusis – Suffering Hour/Reason (Reissues)

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One of the lesser-known names of the 80s/90s thrash scene, St. Louis act Anacrusis still managed leave quite an impression on the genre. Combining lightning speed with intricate and progressive song structures, the band released four albums between 1988 and 1993. Only previously available from certain online marketplaces at inflated or stupidly high prices, the band’s discography is finally being made available from label Metal Blade.Continue reading →


ALBUM-REVIEW: HELLYEAH – Welcome Home

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I believe that it is human nature to want to find a lasting way to immortalize a loved one that has passed away. History has proven that the custom of creating a tangible or abstract method paying homage to the deceased has been a mainstay in almost every culture bringing comfort and solace for centuries. Humans that possess the soul of an artist seem to process loss and grief on a completely different level, most of the time creating something ethereal from their pain. Case in point, the sixth studio album from Heavy Metal badasses HELLYEAH, Welcome Home (Eleven Seven Music) is a fitting and spine-tingling tribute to their dearly departed drummer, Vinnie Paul Abbott. The album as a whole possesses some very tasty stand out tracks.Continue reading →


ALBUM REVIEW: ColdClaw – Anti-Martyr: Decades to Suffer

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While much of the press materials that came along with ColdClaw‘s Anti-Martyr: Decades to Suffer (Ritual Sound Records) drive the point home about this California act dealing in Black Metal and Crust, I found that description a bit lacking. Yes, there’s gnarly black metal guitar licks all over the album but I’m detecting trace bits of Melodic Death Metal, Hardcore and perhaps some Thrash as well.Continue reading →


CLASSIC ALBUMS REVISITED: The Beatles “Final” Album “Abbey Road” Turns 50

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Fifty years ago, The Beatles released what was their final recording together, Abbey Road (Apple Records). Even though the ‘Get Back’ single sessions and the massive Let it Be (also Apple). Let it Be is always remembered as the swansong and has the epic title track ear-wormed into our souls, but Abbey Road was the last time the band would work together collectively on music. Although they were the biggest band on the planet at the time, and their relationships were disintegrating, the group made some of its best music ever on this album. Continue reading →


ALBUM REVIEW: Creeping Death – Wretched Illusions

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Call me a Democrat candidate because I’m about to shamelessly pander to the youth; Creeping Death‘s Wretched Illusions (eOne) fucks. I think I typed that out correctly. That’s the saying, right, fellow kids? All that nonsense aside, know that Creeping Death is here and much like their Texan brethren in Power Trip, they’ve packed all the riffs and mosh parts that a growing boy needs from their metal. Continue reading →