Tag Archives: Jeff Walker

FESTIVAL REVIEW: Bloodstock Open Air Part 2 – Live at Catton Hall

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SATURDAY:

After I visit the bust of Lemmy in the RAM Gallery, Brazilian death metallers Crypta are in full flow on the main stage, tearing through the likes of “Lift the Blindfold” and “From the Ashes”, casually stripping away any vestiges of third-day fatigue. And if that wasn’t the perfect wake-up call, then there”s always Bay Area thrashers Forbidden who blast through the likes of “Forbidden Evil,” “Twisted Into Form,” and “Step By Step” aided by summer recruit Dan “Chewy” Mongrain of Voivod. A great show, although a time overrun means we are deprived of the classic “Chalice of Blood.”Continue reading →


ALBUM REVIEW: Hyperdontia – Harvest of Malevolence

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Genuine question here: how many folks listen to Death Metal strictly because of the vocals? Or let me rephrase, the growls and shrieks are the most important aspect to the listener? And no, this is not coming from the point of view of one of those “I like Heavy Metal, but not the screaming stuff” fans. Continue reading →


ALBUM REVIEW: FesterDecay – Reality Rotten to the Core 

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Look, this is a genuine effort to fend off waves of tweets and horseshit comments like “well, everybody in metal borrows from somebody” or “not everybody is reinventing the wheel.” As someone who’s only been listening to extreme music for the last twenty-five years, I think I get it. Metallica? More like we love Diamond Head. Slayer? Oh, you mean Venom if they actually knew how to play their instruments? Sepultura? Slayer if they were even better at their craft?

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ALBUM REVIEW: Witchery – Nightside

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Witchery is back with more furious blackened thrash full of tales of demonic nightmares, unexplainable pregnancy, and witchcraft. It’s fun for the whole family. The band’s eighth studio album is their first attempt at creating a concept album. Nightside (Century Media) is another solid release from one of the best in Swedish blackened extreme metal. Continue reading →


FESTIVAL REVIEW: Damnation Festival 2021- Live at Leeds University

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In the time since its 2005 inception Damnation Festival has grown to into a four-stage affair that has become a mainstay of the UK metal scene. 2021’s festival on 6th November was significant for a number of reasons. Firstly, it marked the event’s return after a year off due to COVID restrictions. Secondly, it sold out in record time; as soon as the UK government announced the end of all restrictions (back in March), all tickets were swept up within a matter of weeks. Thirdly, the lineup had to be dramatically changed, with many major international acts such as Wolves in the Throne Room and Pig Destroyer having to have their appearances cancelled due to then-ongoing uncertainty surrounding travel restrictions. Fourthly and finally, 2021’s Damnation marked the end of its 14-year tenure at Leeds University: 2022’s festival will return to Manchester (where it first took place for two years) at a larger arena venue.

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ALBUM REVIEW: Carcass – Torn Arteries

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It’s been over thirty years since Liverpudlian grindcore bastards Carcass left people gagging to the gloriously gory cover of debut album Reek of Putrefaction (Earache) and reeling to the twenty-two charmingly immature blasts of vomitous noise dripping inside. Symphonies of Sickness delivered improved musicianship and longer songs, Necroticism – Descanting the Insalubrious and its divisive follow up, Heartwork, continued that trend but the run ended in 1996 with the rather lacklustre Swansong. Rebooted and reinvigorated (but sadly minus drummer Ken Owen due to health issues), Carcass returned with a bang in 2013 with Surgical Steel (Nuclear Blast Records) and now, after a gap of eight years, they’re back. Again. 

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EP REVIEW: Carcass – Despicable – Nuclear Blast Records

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Over thirty years ago, England’s own Carcass came to the scene and shared their glorification of grind and gore. The unhinged and manic sound they conjured found an audience and quickly gained popularity, along with their contemporaries Napalm Death and Godflesh. The surge of the extreme had its time in the sun, but after their 10 year hiatus, Carcass came back in a slightly different mood. In 2013, the group took their well-known viciousness and molded it in with more melody on their sixth full-length, Surgical Steel (Nuclear Blast). They married Grindcore and Melodic Death Metal on that record which got a lot of attention and reminded everyone why these guys are such an original act. After seven years, the band is back again with their EP, Despicable (Nuclear Blast). In just four songs, Carcass takes their significant union of sounds and exemplifies them with new levels of pandemonium.   Continue reading →


Noisem – Cease To Exist

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Something hideous has come back to life in the state of Maryland. After disappearing below ground for almost three years (save for one transitory single released last year), two founding members of Baltimore Death/Grind/Hardcore/Thrash act Noisem have clawed their way slowly back up through the dank, fetid earth to vomit their third full length(ish) album all over our faces.Continue reading →


Carcass Masterpiece “Heartwork” Turns Twenty-Five Years Old

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Carcass didn’t invent death metal, but they helped perfect it. The didn’t ascend to the pantheon of the death and goregrind genres overnight either. Their earlier work, especially their debut Reek of Putrefaction, Symphonies of Sickness, and Tools of The Trade and a few EP’s were all growers. The band had a penchant of shifting genres and styles within songs and albums, owing to their talent, but displeasing some of the more ardent fans. They likely didn’t think about this or even discuss it, just musically going wherever the evil spirits guided at the time. This kept their growing fan base agitated, but interested to see what the band would do next in the burgeoning underground scene. So when Heartwork was unleashed on the world (Earache) in 1993, it seemed like all of these elements coalesced. Continue reading →


Bloodbath Announce New Album – “The Arrow Of Satan Is Drawn”

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Fresh off of their appearance at Bloodstock Open Air 2018, Bloodbath has announced the release of a new album, their fifth overall, coming this fall via Peaceville Records. The delightfully evil sounding The Arrow Of Satan Is Drawn will release on October 26th. The kvlt supergroup is comprised of members of Paradise Lost, Katatonia, Opeth and Craft. The album also features guest vocals from Carcass’ Jeff Walker, Bolt Thrower/Memoriam singer Karl Willetts and Cancer’s John Walker.Continue reading →