ALBUM REVIEW: Ellende – Todbringerin


If Taylor Swift can do it, so can Ellende.

The longtime Austrian Atmospheric Black Metal outfit have re-recorded their 2016 record Todbringer for purposes of acquiring ownership. That new effort, entitled Todbringerin (AOP Records), is a shining example of Ellende’s innate ability to produce music that is precise and approached with care and balance.Continue reading


ALBUM REVIEW: Fohn – Condescending


The worst that can happen by pairing two contrasting ideas is it doesn’t sound or feel pleasing or appropriate.Continue reading


ALBUM REVIEW: Alleviate – DMNS


The two (not entirely insignificant) selling points for Alleviate and their new album, DMNS (Arising Empire) are that the musicians all have credits from other bands and the music is Metalcore, but it’s also technical, has Deathcore influences, and is able to blend all of this together into a forceful display.Continue reading


ALBUM REVIEW: Hatchend – Summer of ‘69


A new group, known simply as Hatchend, has forcibly hatched its way into existence with members from differing death metal and grindcore bands. The debut album, Summer of ‘69 (Selfmadegod Records) dropped and it goes full throttle for thirty-three minutes. Bringing in their previous influences and dumping them on top of crossover foundations sets up quite the demolition derby of sound.Continue reading


EP REVIEW: Horns and Hooves – Spectral Voyeurism


The two renowned Extreme Metal labels Stygian Black Hand and Invictus Productions are collaborating this time to release the anticipated mini-album coming from the ever-gnarly unholy trinity Horns & Hooves, entitled Spectral VoyeurismContinue reading


ALBUM REVIEW: Aivvass – Spiritual Archives


The occult has a questionable history in Rock music, as it is typically used for window dressing with little substance behind it. Continue reading


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: Kurokuma – Of Amber and Sand


The dog days of Summer are here in the Northern Hemisphere, meaning the days are slowly getting shorter as Autumn and Winter loom in the shadows. Perfectly timed, Kurokuma has released Of Amber and Sand (Self-Released) which is about the concept of time according to ancient civilizations. The use of Middle Eastern influences as well as a baglama solo bring it all together in this thirty-eight-minute journey through the temporary and the permanent.Continue reading


ALBUM REVIEW: Monument Of Misanthropy – Vile Postmortem Irrumatio


Shining light on a deranged serial killer isn’t exactly the most taboo concept, especially in Extreme Metal. And really, what better vehicle to use for that purpose?Continue reading