Guitars quite literally illustrate the opening action of “By The Light”, a group of paladins attacking an evil necromantic death cult. Their failure and the sole survivor Emaly’s efforts to avenge the deaths form the balance of Burning Sun’s Retribution (Metalizer Records), a Power Metal tour de force of a concept album in the vein of Helloween and my last album reviewed for Ghost Cult, Martyr. Pancho Ireland’s vocals maintain smooth power akin to Bruce Dickinson.Continue reading
“Danish Folk Metal.” That was the promise. Svartsot delivered on the promise. Delivered splendidly. I’m not sure if Ghost Cult Magazine has a Danish-speaking reviewer on staff, because the thing’s not in English. There might be a song or two in English, but the vocals are gutteral-grunt incoherent-style Metalcore. So, after a brief discussion of the rather complicated story of this concept album about a Thirteenth Century Crusader, I’ll spend the rest of this talking about the music of Peregrinus (Mighty Music).Continue reading
Among the decades-old origins of Thrash, Hardcore Punk looms large. Many acts evolved from those humble rage-fueled beginnings. Onslaught never forgot; Origins Of Aggression (Reigning Phoenix Music), a celebration of the band’s forty years, aggressively reminds us of their fidelity.Continue reading
After two high quality short-form releases, French death/crust act Death Whore erupt fully onto the scene with full length debut Blood Washes Everything Away. A co-production by Duality Records, Crypt of Dr. Gore, Specific Recordings, Hecatombe Records, and No Good to Anyone Productions, the band from Nancy unleashes thirty-five minutes of deeply unpleasant sonic punishment in the nastiest possible way.Continue reading
A one-sentence review of Sick N’ Beautiful’s Horror Vacui (BLKIIBLK Records) is easy: What if Rob Zombie was a woman?Continue reading
Continuing their trend of incorporating album titles with color-inspired themes, Blackened Progressive Death Metal outfit Dawn Of Ouroboros follows 2023’s Velvet Incandescence with the equally magnificent effort, Bioluminescence (Prosthetic Records). Continue reading
Sweden truly is a melting pot for all sorts of high-octane Stoner Metal acts – Monolord, Graveyard, Hällas, Greenleaf, Void Commander; you name it. It is almost like the ideal home for acid trip-inducing slow-paced riffs. Even back in 2021, the label/collective Weedian curated a compilation album consisting of the finest psychedelic haze-laden Stoner Metal bands hailing from Sweden, entitled Trip to Sweden. One of the bands featured on the gnarly lineup of that compilation, the Västerås-bound 10,000 Years, are actually the one whose latest release I’m reviewing today.Continue reading
The world of Post-Grunge and Octane-Hard Rock is often looked down upon in the alternative scene with phrases like “buttrock” and “divorced-dad rock” now part of the common lexicon when referring to such highly esteemed bands like Nickelback and Shinedown. Continue reading
The sound of what was once considered West Coast Hard Core is changing. The Barbarians of California‘s new album And Now I’m Just Gnashing My Teeth (oneRPM) carries more of a metallic stomp aligned with modern Hardcore. Right from the first song you can hear the band’s more experimental edge. Once into the meat of the album, they bridge hardcore with a Nu-Metal sound, which is not unlike what System of a Down does. They attack with a more spastic jerk. It’s hard not to appreciate the sense of adventure that runs through these songs. The new generation of nu-metal kids who attend festivals like Sick New World will dig it. Hardcore purists might have some questions. Continue reading
For their sixth full-length studio release, Swedish metallers Portrait journey to the land of the concept album in order to conjure up a tale of sword and sorcery set in the seventeenth century. Their first full-blown conceptual release, The Host (Metal Blade) is not an entirely fictional piece but also inspired partly by historic events, with the band imparting the tale of an unnamed protagonist seeking strength after encountering injustice and hypocrisy.
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