Western Canada’s Armstrong MetalFest has announced the lineup for its 14th edition, taking place July 12th and 13th at the Hassen Arena, Armstrong, BC, by the Okanagan Valley. This year will be headlined by Decrepit Birth, The Browning, joined by many others. Ghost Cult is an official media partner for the festival in 2024. Head into the article below for the full lineup and more.
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Tag Archives: Xul
Free Download: Happy Metal Annihilation Vol 5
Asher Media Relations has a new holiday sampler Happy Metal Annihilation Vol. 5 available as a free download below.
The track listing is as follows:
01: Accursed Spawn – Clotheshanger Abortion
02: Adrenechrome – The Lead Elephant
03: Aggression – Cut Your Sins Off (Galy Records)
04: Arrival Of Autumn – Like Fire
05: BLEED – Hate March Kill
06: BornBroken – A Nation of Ignorance
07: Cryptic Hymn – Revel In Disgust
08: Defect Designer – Crusaders (Sleaszy Rider Records)
09: Display of Decay – Created To Kill
10: Elderoth – Black And Blue
11: Éohum – Equatorial Rains
12: [Evertrapped] – Palace of Injustice (Hellstorm Recordz)
13: Evilheart – Decimated Opposition (Test Your Metal Records)
14: Exes For Eyes – Done For Good feat Speed Strid of Soilwork
15: Fall City Fall – Love And Art
16: Fallen Angels – Nightmare (Cyberdyne Records)
17: False Flag – Nest Of Vipers
18: FUCK THE FACTS – Solitude (Noise Salvation)
19: Gomorrah – A Disaster’s Nightmare (Test Your Metal Records)
20: Haiduk – Syth
21: Helleborus – Coils
22: Hibria – Pain (Test Your Metal Records)
23: id. – Sagittarius A
24: Infalling– Distorted Visions
25: Inverted Serenity – Everscending
26: Keychain – Shock Rock City
27: Leave The Living – Word of a Whore
28: Meridius – Walk the Plank
29: MUTANK – Corporate Child
30: New Jacobin Club – Parade of Innocents (Manticore Music Group)
31: Odium – Return to Form
32: Psychostick – Obey The Beard
33: Puttin’ On The Foil – Giver To The Liver
34: Pyramids On Mars – Heaven’s Gate
35: Saints of Death – Blood Vendetta
36: Scissortooth – 10 30 (Galy Records)
37: Seven Year Storm – Dyatlov
38: Silent Line – Black and White
39: Striker – Too Late
40: The Apex – Glass Walls
41: The Order of Chaos – Apocalypse Moon
42: Them County Bastardz – No Easy Way
43: Titans Eve – War Path
44: Train Bigger Monkeys – Lack of Morality
45: Tylor Dory Trio – Time The Beholder
46: Van Halst – Save Me
47: Vantablack Warship – The Pit
48: Vesperia – The Western Tempests
49: WILT – Illusion of Hope (Bindrune Recordings)
50: Windy City Slaughter – A Grave For Two
51. XUL – Orbit of Nemesis
XUL – Extinction Necromance
XUL was one of those bands for me that I always heard in conversation but always forgot to look them up when I got home from shows. So needless to say, I was quite surprised seeing their latest EP release, Extinction Necromance (Self-Released), in my stack of albums to review. The EP is 4 tracks spanning just shy of 30 minutes and was just the right sample size I needed as a new listener and fan. While XUL’s sound does not seem groundbreaking, it still gives the blackened death metal genre a breath of fresh air. Each song has its own distinctive parts that make each song a different journey which is always a plus in my book.
The first track, ‘Frozen, We Drown’, has more of a death metal feel to it to start of the album. But just when you feel they stick to that one side of the spectrum, the zoom over to a black metal sounding interlude/bridge. I found each of the tracks had differing percentages of how much of the song would be death versus black metal. Most of the time it felt like an even amount of both in just the right formula for each song. However, the last track, ‘Summon The Swarm’, felt much more like a black metal song that at times reminded me ever so slightly of Watain.
Overall I did find this album to be pretty solid through the few tracks it has to offer. There were times I thought I could do a slow nod to a black metal riff and then wanted to Frank Mullen my hand around to death metal sections. Where I think this is a great place for new fans to listen to a small selection of songs from XUL, I am thinking of seeking out their full album at some point to give that a try as well. If you are looking for a new blackened death metal band or just new music in general, Extinction Necromance from XUL is a hell of a starting point.
8.0/10
TIM LEDIN