ALBUM REVIEW: Cytotoxin – Biographyte


Cytotoxin have well and truly embraced the Chernobyl disaster as impetus for what they term Nuclear Death Metal, and their latest foray, Biographyte (Self-Released) is yet another gruelling installment, for better and worse.Continue reading


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: Masters of Reality – The Archer


For those with the good fortune (and talent) to make an indelible mark on the music world, there are those who achieve mainstream fame, and then like a concurrent shadow are those so vital that their creative essence is absorbed into the very fabric of the music world. Continue reading


ALBUM REVIEW: Messa – The Spin


Messa’s fourth album, The Spin (Metal Blade Records), finds the band embracing their inner prog rock guitar gods, and channeling that energy in a few different directions. The first few songs might fake you out as they sound as if the band is heading in a more post-punk direction. The guitars gallop with more tension at a fairly brisk pace. This is certainly a shift from their earlier material that found them as more of a doom band. The vocals are very strong and well-defined from a songwriting perspective, which is the most important element of their sound. The band has always carried a smoky blues-based undercurrent, which is still present, though at times they wander off into more atmospheric shadows, as heard on  ” At the Races”. Their guitarist begins to shine on this one, and his heroics do not let up from here. Continue reading


ALBUM REVIEW: Winona Fighter – My Apologies To The Chef – Rise Records


Nashville rockers Winona Fighter are rapidly making their name known in the scene with their upbeat and widely accessible brand of Punk. Combining catchy melodies with rollicking guitars, the trio have proven their collective musicianship with their debut album, My Apologies To The Chef (Rise Records). At a whopping fourteen tracks, it is clear the group put their all into making a strong impression that includes both quality and quantity. Continue reading


ALBUM REVIEW: Magnolia Park – Vamp


The press release can call it “neo-gothic” or whatever they want, but Magnolia Park‘s Vamp (Epitaph Records) is Nu Metal, landing somewhere between Linkin Park, and Oh! The Horror.  What that means in this context is that I really dig it. Continue reading


ALBUM REVIEW: Jivebomb – Ethereal


Baltimore-based hardcore punk group Jivebomb released their debut full-length record Ethereal via Flatspot Records. Clocking in at just 15 minutes, the group’s inaugural LP is a heavy-hitting, unrelenting body of work that cements the group as one of the genre’s most brutal and poetic up-and-coming acts. Continue reading


ALBUM REVIEW: Fractal Universe – The Great Filters


French Prog Metal band Fractal Universe poses some interesting questions regarding this sub-genre of Metal on their new album, The Great Filters (M-Theory Audio).

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ALBUM REVIEW: Warfield – With The Old Breed


A common lesson we’re all taught at some point is to never judge a book by its cover. There are times, however, when it’s actually perfectly acceptable to do just that. Especially when talking about three-piece Thrash Metal bands from the mainland of Western Europe. Continue reading