When I received the news that I would cover a split between the US-based Häxanu and the Sweden-based Greve for review, I was immensely enthusiastic about it as I’ve always had high expectations of the craftsmanship of both Black Metal acts– all-round mystical, atmospheric, and heavy on belligerent blast beats. Continue reading
Having reemerged from its dank void of horror to release To Be Cruel in 2023, deconstructed-avant-doom entity Khanate continues to be pulled piece-by-piece from the mud, as the band’s third and fourth records — 2005’s Capture & Release and 2009’s Clean Hands Go Foul (Sacred Bones Records) — get shined and buffed for physical reissues. Continue reading
For quite some time now, Toronto has been the undisputed hotbed of Technical Death Metal, and what’s more, the sounds emanating from up in Ontario only seem to get better and better.Continue reading
Violins will and should always belong in various subgenres of Metal, and when done right, the addition of a classical string instrument can transport listeners to vast transcendent landscapes – see Dawn Ray’d (RIP).Going even further and introducing new or grossly underutilized techniques can (and often does) represent a beacon of freshness for both the musicians and fans alike.Continue reading
At now around a decade since their inception, Italy’s SYK have been garnering a, perhaps understated, but certainly formidable reputation with a penchant for complex and dissonant Death Metal. Continue reading
Combining extreme music sensibilities and Doom-inspired vocal machinations, Red Rot have put forth their latest full-length, Borders Of Mania (Hammerheart Records), a fifteen-track compendium that oftentimes struggles to find an identity and isn’t helped by erratic song lengths that squelch any momentum that may have been built – the forty-four-minute effort could have been better served as two separate polished releases. There are serviceable characteristics here and there, but certainly not enough to justify the ambition. Continue reading
When you think of British Post-Metal, Bossk are almost certainly one the first bands that spring to mind. A truly remarkable outfit that undoubtedly take influence from the likes of Isis, while they also often groove musically in the style of many of the great Stoner bands of the nineties. Named after an alien from Star Wars – The Empire Strikes Back, the Kent-based collective have been plugging away since 2005, when early EPs and a strong reputation as a live band saw them tour with the likes of Cult Of Luna, The Ocean, Baroness and Devil Sold His Soul. While their studio output really came into its own with the release of their fine debut LP Audio Noir in 2016, before following this up with the equally as classy Migration in 2021.Continue reading
Boy is it exhilarating when a group of meticulous and notable artists get together to show the world how music is done the right way!Continue reading
After 13 years, Dååth has returned with their new album, The Deceivers (Metal Blade records).
The band, helmed by sole founding member Eyal Levi, returns to a different musical landscape. Metal has perhaps the most loyal fan base of any genre of music, yet the climate is much different than when the band released their self-titled album in 2010. Death Metal is now more regularly integrated with Black Metal and Metalcore. Record companies often market Pop acts as Metal, depending on the thought police of the internet to defend them with cries of gatekeeping, when voices rise against this.Continue reading
There are two dead giveaways that Atræ Bilis have something very, very weird in their back pocket.
Released by the continuously boundary-blurring 20 Buck Spin, Aumicide’s cover artwork is something that, let’s just say, probably shouldn’t be focused on too long whilst at work or in a public setting. Continue reading