Nothing makes me feel more proud than when a local band from the Boston scene makes it. I’ve been a big fan of Fuming Mouth over the years of their growth and was pleased to find their sophomore full-length, Last Day of Sun (Nuclear Blast Records), in my bin.
For ten years, Head Cleaner stewed in the grindcore pot, leaving fans wondering what was in store next. The product of that decade of inactivity is an eleven-track, sub-twenty-five-minute onslaught that eloquently calls back to the origins of grindcore and the pioneers who paved the way for such an extreme sub-genre.
As an atmospheric Black Metal duo with a wide range of influences ranging from Crust to post-Metal, the Sweden-based Black Birch manage to keep both the classical and contemporary nuances of their sounds intact. Being the progressive, anti-fascist black metal act that they are, human nature and humans’ place and effect on earth become some of the recurring major themes in their songwriting.
London-based three-piece Urne announced themselves with the stylish Serpent & Spirit, one of the standout Metal debuts of 2021, and a gloriously dismal collection of songs that unashamedly paid homage to an influence of classic eighties Thrash Metal, mixed with an intriguing blend of traditional rock and melodic death metal.
Vomitheist. It’s a band name that you hear or see and know exactly what you are in for. What exactly is a Vomitheist? Is it an instrument or a profession? Is it like an Atheist? Do they not believe in vomit, or do they worship it? Perhaps they are well-versed in all things regurgitation. Regardless of how or why they came up with their band name, what I can assure is that Vomitheist can write some sick ass and filthy Death Metal.
Some believe that bands that are comprised of only two members will never make enjoyable music. Fortunate for us, Mantar from Hamburg, Germany would like to have a word with those folks. They have now released their fifth full-length album entitled Pain Is Forever And This Is The End (Metal Blade). Taking the sludge foundations of their earlier works and sprinkling in some black metal influences makes for ten tracks to keep your attention and release that, yes, a two-person musical group can make some kick-ass music!Continue reading
Recorded in July 2021 at The Crypt South, Psychic Contortions (I, Voidhanger) is the fourth studio album from Minnesota duo Feral Light, aka Andy Schoengrund (vocals, guitars, bass) and Andrew Reesen (drums), who have previously been involved with bands such as Wolvhammer and Empires and features seven tracks of obscure and experimental crust-infused black metal, with a distinct originality that sets them apart from the pack.
Neither a sequel to Tiger King nor a thrash metal act usually associated with the region, Californian act Wolf King blasts their way out of the Bay Area with some seriously sick and abrasive blackened hardcore on their second album, The Path of Wrath (Prosthetic Records).
Home to the likes of Khemmis and the sickening might of Primitive Man, Denver Colorado has carved out a significant Metal niche in the last few years, and rag-tag trio The Munsens intend to mean more than a jagged splinter in that hole. Formed from a background of Hardcore, Punk and Black Metal, this particular identity offers an exciting amalgamation of the three disciplines with a huge dollop of gravity thrown into the mix.Continue reading
To say the history of Finnish Death Metallers Festerday is convoluted is like saying that the British Tory government has had a few mishaps recently. In a, sort of, thirty-year history, the band have undergone several changes of moniker and style, only returning to the name Festerday back in 2013, maintaining much of their core from 1989 with a line-up that has only taken a slight change since their return with Jani Kuoppamaa joining on drums. After a string of EP releases and splits in their early incarnation, this month sees them finally release a full-length debut in the solid, if unspectacular, iihtallan (Season Of Mist), where perhaps this varied history has had an impact.Continue reading