There’s something about Grindcore that is so ridiculous that it ironically makes me like it more. Melbourne’s own King Parrot dropped their long-awaited fourth full-length record, A Young Person’s Guide To (Housecore Records), which brings the riffs, the groove, and all the disgusting, yet funny lyrics. Each track attempts to stand out on its own, but the back half of the album has a couple of duds; however, it does finish strong!Continue reading
Change often comes at the most inconvenient time. Something Pennsylvanian Progressive Death Metal act Rivers Of Nihil discovered when they were forced into parting ways with enigmatic frontman Jake Dieffenbach after 2021’s groundbreaking album The Work. Hiring from within to avoid losing momentum, bassist Adam Biggs took over the now vacant vocalist position while second guitarist Andy Thomas was recruited from fellow Pennsylvanians Black Crown Initiate.Continue reading
Among the decades-old origins of Thrash, Hardcore Punk looms large. Many acts evolved from those humble rage-fueled beginnings. Onslaught never forgot; Origins Of Aggression (Reigning Phoenix Music), a celebration of the band’s forty years, aggressively reminds us of their fidelity.Continue reading
Proving that career paths often never work out quite the way you imagine, Finnish experimentalists …And Oceans was founded by the two guitarists of Death Metallers Festerday and began life as a fairly straight-forward Black Metal act. After metamorphosing into something more akin to Black Cybermetal on their 2001 album A.M.G.O.D., in 2005, the band changed their name to Havoc Unit before reverting to Festerday a few years later. A band that continues to exist despite the reformation of …And Oceans in 2019. Continue reading
Coming on like a thunderstorm in the middle of the night, we have the new cut from Brazilian death masters Escarnium. The new album entitled Inexorable Entropy (Everlasting Spew Records) delivers nine tracks that both push the boundaries of contemporary Death Metal while at the same time holding onto the tried and true dynamics that make Metal what it is.
Moon Destroys is debuting their self-produced full-length album, She Walks By Moonlight (Limited Fanfare Records). The band is the brainchild of guitarist Juan Montoya (ex-Torche, MonstrO) and drummer Evan Diprima (Gold Pyramid, ex-Royal Thunder). Having released their 2020 EP, Maiden Voyage, they’ve spent the past few years refining their sound—crafting a powerhouse blend of heavy rock and psychedelia. This album will resonate with fans of bands like Elder, Kyuss, Earthless, and Fu Manchu. Continue reading
Norwegian Cosmic Groove masters KAL-EL are at it again with their newest cut Astral Voyager Vol. 1. Established fans of the band will be happy to see they are still kicking out killer jams delivered with that killer KAL-EL sound and tone that is all their own and keeps people coming back for more. New fans will be treated to a sonic journey that takes them from one end of the universe to the other. Continue reading
Kalamazoo, Michigan is home to Bronson Arm (Blake Bickel – Guitar/Vocals, Garrett Yates – Drums) who are back with a new release a mere year after last year’s self-titled debut. The oddly titled Casket Schwagg (Learning Curve Records) is described as a politically charged album by Bickel despite the band not being politically charged themselves, whether this proves potentially off-putting to some remains to be seen. Continue reading
For a band composed of members of other prog bands, creating something more melodic based in the post-hardcore-meets-hard-rock project, Black Map was something not entirely expected over a decade ago. Now three albums into the band’s career, and the band have made huge strides, having the technicality of their previous progressive bands and bringing it into a whole new scene, Black Map captured something new. For Hex (Spinefarm Records), the trio went in a more upfront approach to the creation process. While a complete U-turn from their previous album, how will this fare for the new release? Continue reading
The wait for a new Candlemass album can often be slower than their riffs so it’s always a pleasant surprise when an interim release appears on the horizon. Four-track EP Black Star (Napalm Records) might only contain two original songs from the Godfathers of Swedish Doom but, as usual, it’s a tale of quality over quantity. Continue reading