ALBUM REVIEW: The Infernal Deceit – The True Harmful Black


A duo accompanied by an unofficial yet ever present third member, German Blackened Death Metal act The Infernal Deceit are back with second full length album The True Harmful Black (Personal Records). Formed in 2018, the pair from North Rhine-Westphalia go only by enigmatic single initials – guitarist/bassist C and vocalist R – while session drummer Jörg Uken gets to use his full name while pounding the living hell out of his kit.Continue reading


ALBUM REVIEW: Arch Enemy – Blood Dynasty


Perennial all-stars Arch Enemy are back at it with their twelfth studio offering titled Blood Dynasty (Century Media Records). With this new cut, the band stays true to form delivering a blistering lineup of eleven cuts of pure brutality. Track after track we are bludgeoned with instruments wielded at virtuosic levels. Guitars are on full blast in every respect, from driving riffage that hits full throttle to solos that divebomb and shred everything in sight, one-second soaring in the clouds and the next stomping holes in the earth. Continue reading


INTERVIEW: Joel Stroetzel of Killswitch Engage Talks “This Consequence” Album, and More


In this episode – Keefy chats with our old friend Joel Stroetzel of Killswitch Engage! Their new album This Consequence is out soon via Metal Blade Records! In our second interview with Joel and the fifth with the band in the history of Ghost Cult, Joel discussed the new album, how the band creates music together, his continuing approach to growing as a guitarist, the entire history of the band, and other trips down memory lane!Continue reading


ALBUM REVIEW: The Halo Effect – March Of The Unheard


After blasting onto the scene a few short years ago with their electrifying debut, Swedish supergroup The Halo Effect return with second full length studio release March of the Unheard (Nuclear Blast Records). Comprised entirely of former members of In Flames, The Halo Effect is sort of like the musical equivalent of a support group for disgruntled ex-employees, but with riffs instead of complaining.

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ALBUM REVIEW: The Crown – Crown of Thorns


It was only ever a matter of time until Swedish death metal legends The Crown titled an album after their previous name. Known as Crown of Thorns from their inception in 1990 until their brief demise in 2004, the band reformed five years later and has continued to produce some of the country’s finest and crunchiest Death Metal riffs.

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5 MINUTE REVIEW: The Black Dahlia Murder – “Servitude”


Check out our review of the new album from The Black Dahlia Murder – “Servitude” coming soon from Metal Blade Records.Continue reading


ALBUM REVIEW: The Black Dahlia Murder – Servitude


 

Replacing the irreplaceable is an impossible task so when the tragic news about Trevor Strnad broke in May 2022, many were left wondering what was next for The Black Dahlia Murder. When the Detroit death metal act revealed their intention to carry on, the next question was who would be chosen to fill that huge, bespectacled void.Continue reading


CONCERT REVIEW: Orbit Culture – Repentance Live at The Magic Stick


It started out as a quiet Monday evening in Midtown Detroit last week, but the show happening at The Magic Stick was going to change all that. The snug, swanky second-floor spot is a former bowling alley that provides an intimate space to catch some of the best, up-and-coming bands out there. So having Swedish stars, Orbit Culture headline at this cozy hall made a lot of sense.  The Extreme, Modern Metal darlings are currently opening on a few dates for the “Here Comes the Pain” tour with the legendary Slipknot. When they are not crushing it in arenas playing for maggots, they are making their own headlining appearances. They brought along Chicago’s Repentance with them to Detroit and the night was about to get very loud.

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ALBUM REVIEW: Dark Tranquillity – Endtime Signals


Swedish Melodic Death Metal starts and stops with Dark Tranquillity.

Their thirteenth full-length, Endtime Signals (Century Media Records), captures how and why the band has had such staying power for two decades. Continue reading


ALBUM REVIEW: Bloodcross – Gravebound


Have to come clean on this one: just haven’t been feeling the Black Metal love like I used to. Don’t know, something about the genre just seemed steadfast on refusing change, aesthetically or musically. The mandate seemed to be that everyone still must slap on the corpse paint and record something with the production and mix of a VHS bootleg. That’s without mentioning certain artists and labels being complete knobs on Twitter if you dare mildly critique them in a review. Continue reading