Darkthrone To Release New Studio Album, “Old Star”, Due Out In May


Classic old-school Black Metal band Darkthrone, led by metal tastemaker Fenriz, will release their new album Old Star via their label Peaceville Records, due out on May 31st. Long in the works, the album will usher in a new age for the band and their fans. Fenriz has promised an album deep-rooted in classic Black and Death Metal influences. Old Star was recorded at the band’s Necrohell 2 Studios, with engineering and production duties carried out by vocalist/guitarist Ted “Nocturno Culto” Skjellum, mixed by Sanford Parker (Voivod) at Hypercube Studios, & mastered once more by Jack Control at Enormous Door. Cover art by Chadwick St John, titled “The Shepherd of the Deep”. Pre-orders are now live for the album at the link below. Continue reading


GUEST POST: Greg and Rob Of Static Tension – Best Albums of 2018


With 2018 coming to a close, Greg Blachman and Rob Rom of Static Tension took some time to collectively reflect on their Top 10 releases of the year. The below are their picks, listed in no particular order.Continue reading


portrayal of guilt – Let Pain Be Your Guide


Holy Roar Records has been on a roll over the past couple of years, with releases this year alone from Rolo Tomassi and Conjurer, amongst others, of the highest order. The indie record label has truly made a name for themselves for pushing brilliant bands forward who will be here to stay. portrayal of guilt are the latest band to release their debut album on the label (which is available via Gilead Media in Northern America) but will it live up to the high standards set by their peers?Continue reading


EXCLUSIVE ALBUM STREAM: Death On Fire And Corpsepaint And Dayglo- “Hope”


Chicago Melo-Death merchants Death On Fire have paired up with Corpsepaint And Dayglo for a split release of originals and covers. The bands seem evenly matched through 10 gnarly tracks! In addition to some killer tracks by both bands, the covers include each band putting a new spin on old classics from Duran Duran, Prince, INXS, Tom Petty, Immortal, and Darkthrone! Expect the unexpected when these two bands get together! Death on Fire released their last full length early in 2018 with their Witch Hunter album, while this EP marks the debut for Corpsepaint and Dayglo. Let’s all get weird and loud right now!

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Shrykull – Shrykull


 

From the fetid depths of Nottingham’s catacombs comes Shrykull, a duo whose severe, wicked noise would shake the foundation of their city. Debut album Shrykull (self-released) is a sub-half-hour blast through blackened hell and pummelling Sludge which commences with the unholy ‘Plagued’: a brutal maelström preceding a morose, often funereal-paced second movement which is wonderfully controlled by William Powell’s spiked riffs and Kez Whelan’s hammer blows. Whelan’s screams cut to the the bone, never better displayed than on the rampant ‘Deafened By The Echo’, Powell’s ireful guitar buzz covering the frantic yet controlled battery.Continue reading


Møl – Jord


The only certainties in this life are death, taxes and Holy Roar not releasing bad records. With both Conjurer and Rolo Tomassi already blazing a trail this year, Holy Roar’s next world-beater comes to us from Denmark’s Møl, who may have just about perfected the whole Shoegaze/Black Metal trend with Jord (Holy Road Records), a record whose delicate intricacies are as emotionally devastating as its grossly incandescent rage.Continue reading


Mork – Eremittens Mal


I’ll be honest I really wanted to start the review with a Mork calling Ghost Cult gag. I mean REALLY wanted to, had it planned out and everything. The problem being is that Eremittens Mal (Peaceville) is such a damn good album it kind of felt wrong to pluck that low hanging fruit. Mork is a Norwegian one-man black metal band and a damn good one at that. Continue reading


Vampire – With Primeval Force


Having rather disappointingly not emerged from the mist-shrouded bowels of a spooky castle hidden within the haunted forests of nineteenth century Transylvania, but hailing instead from modern day Gothenburg, Sweden, Vampire do their best to transport you to such creepy, bat-infested locations with their form of horror inspired Black/Thrash Metal.Continue reading