Warrior Pope – A Morbid Parody of Justice Review

By Killjoy

There have been many recent headlines about a brand new pope, but Warrior Pope from Bristol, UK are here to tell the story of a much older one. The Cadaver Synod refers to the ecclesiastical trial in the year 897 of Pope Formosus, who was already deceased beforehand. Pope Stephen VI, one of Formosus’ successors, ordered the exhumation and public trial of the corpse, after which the dead pope’s papacy was retroactively pronounced null. Stephen cut three fingers off of Formosus’ right hand, arranged for the body to be reburied in a foreigner’s grave, and later decided it should be dumped in the Tiber River instead. Now, the aptly titled A Morbid Parody of Justice seeks to do the proper justice to this macabre historical event that Formosus was denied long ago.

Whereas Warrior Pope’s earlier material was a quirky mixture of post-metal and stoner doom, A Morbid Parody of Justice is even more of a hodgepodge. There is still a prominent doom metal backbone wherein founder Oli Foxen continues to lay down hefty bass lines alongside longtime drummer Katya’s hypnotic rhythms. However, the framework within which they operate is more volatile now that the steady stoner grooves are diminished. The arrival of guitarist Jack Andrews and vocalist David Burke appears to have helped steer Warrior Pope into a less predictable post-hardcore direction, with muddy riffs and frenzied screams and growls. In addition, Burke’s trombone and Katya’s bowed cymbal scrapes and screeches open up new experimental avenues to enrich the overall atmosphere.

But experimentation left unchecked can become detrimental. A Morbid Parody of Justice begins innocuously enough in “Pornocratia,” with soft bass notes increasing in complexity and tastefully enhanced by a somber trombone. Afterward, however, things unravel into a slurry of haphazard ideas. “Despoiling a Cloisters” dips its toes into slow, sludgy waters; “Twenty-Four Popes Later” is a one-minute hardcore punk whirlwind; and closing track “The Method” suddenly launches into belligerent post-hardcore. By far the most puzzling songwriting decision is the dedication of three minutes in “Experience Severing” to aimless guitar amp feedback and bowed cymbal screeches. This is possibly intended to symbolize the three fingers taken from Formosus but no matter the reason, these three cacophonous minutes last far too long. The transitions between tracks are well thought out, which eases the overall flow, but can’t overcome the fact that few individual songs sound like they belong on the same record.

That said, once one becomes accustomed to the stylistic whiplash, it’s evident that all members of Warrior Pope perform their roles well. Oli Foxen’s bass and Jack Andrews’ guitar have satisfying synergy, like the deft bass fills between viscous guitar chords (“Condemnations of Formosus”) or when they join forces to form imposing sound walls (“Rotten Sun”). Katya showcases her prowess with an extended drum solo at the beginning of “Experience Severing,” and her bowed cymbal technique works well as a subtle accompaniment to guest Mike Bishop’s (Gwar, Kepone) lively narration in “Bishop’s Take.” I’m most impressed by David Burke’s vocal versatility as he emits unhinged screams (“Despoiling a Cloisters,” “The Method”), fragile croons (“Strangled Legacy,” “Rotten Sun”), and everything in between. The album mix, however, plays no favorites and gives everyone equal space to shine, particularly in the doomier moments where Warrior Pope sound the most comfortable.

It’s undeniable that Warrior Pope are a creative bunch. This new lineup has loads of potential to reshape traditional metal conventions, but what A Morbid Parody of Justice needed was some of the focus and consistency from Warrior Pope’s prior work. This is a case where the individual components are stronger individually than as a unified whole. I imagine that mileage may vary widely, so anyone looking for something outside the box should give A Morbid Parody of Justice at least a curious spin. It endeared itself to me the more time I spent with it, warts and all. I’ll be rooting for Warrior Pope, and I look forward to whatever musical or historical concepts they decide to tackle next time.

Rating: 2.5/5.0
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Self-Release
Websites: warriorpope.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/warriorpope
Releases Worldwide: May 30th, 2025

#25 #2025 #AMorbidParodyOfJustice #BritishMetal #DoomMetal #Gwar #Kepone #May25 #PostHardcore #PostMetal #Review #Reviews #SelfRelease #WarriorPope

Sylvanshine – The Offering Review

By Killjoy

The contrast of opposites is fundamentally important in art, and Sylvanshine is an apt name to illustrate this principle. As I just learned from Wikipedia, “Sylvanshine is an optical phenomenon in which dew-covered foliage with wax-coated leaves retroreflect beams of light, as from a vehicle’s headlights. This effect sometimes makes trees appear snow-covered at night during summer.” Fittingly, Ion Ureche’s blackgaze project from Bucharest, Romania, deals with opposing themes, specifically “love and loss, hope and desperation.” Not exactly uncommon themes in blackgaze, but how clearly does Sylvanshine’s debut full-length album portray them?

The Offering oscillates fluidly between the “black” and the “gaze” at a moment’s notice. Crystalline post-black tremolo riffs shimmer and dance to and fro, intertwined with distorted guitar chords and blast beats. The dreamier guitarwork is not unlike that of Alcest’s debut Souvenirs d’un Autre Monde, with plenty of Shelter-era influence also thrown in the mix. What sets Sylvanshine apart from many of its blackgaze peers is the heavy reliance on delicate acoustic guitar plucking and strumming in the vein of early Slowdive. There are three tracks entirely dedicated to this instrument, and it features prominently in the bridges of several others to counterbalance the moody aggression with an intimate touch.

It’s clear that Ureche is a guitarist first and foremost.1 The Offering’s crisp, clear, and poignant lead guitar lines are where the emotional duality alluded to in the promo material shines. The ringing, sorrowful melodies in “Cri de Coeur” and “Rebirth” grow more hopeful as the songs progress, like sunlight breaking through cloudy fissures. If the vocals were similarly expressive, Sylvanshine would be onto something special. They remind me of Sergio Catalán’s deep growls in Winds of Tragedy, but, unfortunately, with more croak than roar. At best, they sound flat (“The Moon and Stars Above,” “Cri de Coeur”) and, at worst, they clash with the guitars (“The Offering”). To his credit, Ureche plays to his strengths by allocating the majority—if not entirety—of each song to instrumental performances.

However, this songwriting decision could have benefited from further refinement in execution. This is particularly true of the tracks that are solely instrumental. It would have been fine to start the album with one acoustic track (“Dirge for a Love”), but the placement of another (“Nothing Will Ever Be the Same”) immediately after the first proper song, “Cri de Coeur,” causes a major pacing stumble. The acoustic guitar bouquet “Reverie” that later follows is gorgeous, but repeats for too long and should have either been fleshed out or trimmed. By the time 5-minute closer “Rebirth” rolls around, instrumental fatigue has set in. Some of the other short songs, “Running from Myself” and “The Offering,” show promise but feel disjointed and underdeveloped. The latter briefly dips into gothic territory midway through, with darker riffs and a haunting organ which sounds slightly out of context here, but the style could fit Sylvanshine very well given more time and attention.

Sylvanshine has all the makings of a young artist in the process of finding his voice, both figuratively and literally. Ion Ureche has a natural talent for composing and performing guitar melodies that mirror the ever-changing spectrum of human emotion. That said, further vocal training—or the addition of a more practiced vocalist—would do wonders for the project. He also has room to grow as a songwriter, and I get the sense that his skill ceiling is high. The Offering is a respectable debut album, but improvement in these main areas will help Sylvanshine to truly stand out amongst the crowd.

Rating: 2.5/5.0
DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: PCM
Label: Self-Release
Websites: sylvanshine.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/sylvanshineMusic
Releases Worldwide: May 23rd, 2025

#25 #2025 #Alcest #BlackMetal #Blackgaze #May25 #PostBlackMetal #Review #Reviews #RomanianMetal #SelfRelease #Shoegaze #Slowdive #Sylvanshine #TheOffering #WindsOfTragedy

Namebearer – Industries of the Fading Sun Review

By Twelve

I’ve a sneaking suspicion that the apocalypse isn’t actually as metal as everyone thinks it is. Can’t explain it, won’t elaborate—that’s just my gut feeling. Despite this, I can’t quite pass up a promo that promises “hazy visions of an apocalyptic world,” as Industries of the Fading Sun does. This album, a purported work of atmospheric black metal from US-based Namebearer, is their debut release and contains all the promise and potential a debut can have within it. How does it stand up to the mighty visions it aims to evoke?

The first thing to notice about Industries of the Fading Sun—the thing that stands out immediately upon pressing play—is the stifling, lo-fi production punch dominating the low end of the record. There’s plenty more to notice as the title track lurches to life, but that fuzzy, thick aura of black metal days gone by that aims right for your throat from second one is the dominating factor. Throughout the song, and indeed the album, this hazy, atmospheric, almost psychedelic quality allows it to blend multiple styles under a roughly black metal umbrella—synths and drawn out guitar leads evoke melodic ideas while the heavy backdrop of riffs give it the promised raw, atmoblack quality. Brian Tenison’s (Eave, Obsidian Tongue) vocals are raspy and vicious, while Brendan Hayter’s (Thrawsunblat, Obsidian Tongue) are clean and straightforward.1 The Blut Aus Nord/Wolves in the Throne Room inspiration is apparent, but put together, Namebearer boasts a sound very much its own.

That’s a win for Industries of the Fading Sun, but you might see it as a drawback too. On an album just barely inching past what we’d call an EP ’round these parts—it doesn’t quite reach the half hour mark—there is a lot going on. “Lumivyöry” is a good example, opening with a sense of urgency—wry tremolos and anguished screaming guide the song through to its halfway mark, where it takes a turn for the dramatic—low, short riffs, clean intoning, narration. From there, a synth lead carries the rest of the song to its end. It’s almost progressive in how unpredictable it is, but it does work, and “Lumivyöry” stands as one of the strongest songs here. On the other hand, it can make it difficult to distinguish individual songs; at first, Industries of the Fading Sun felt more like a long, single song than a collection befitting an album, owing to its comparatively short runtime and the consistency with which its structures, ideas, and paces change.

Ultimately, this disjointed sense of style is the most significant thing that holds Industries of the Fading Sun back. “Black Vein, Atom Drum” is a good example. It’s a grim and brutal piece that rolls and grinds, where the cleanly-sung chorus is the only sense of melody afforded to the whole—which makes it feel out-of-place when you first hear it. Hayter’s synths come in and out of the spotlight sporadically, but dominate “Crystals Distill to New Earth,” ending Industries of the Fading Sun on a very different note from its opener. I’ve already mentioned the strong fuzziness on each song, and the clean singing too, but often these two choices are strongly at odds with each other. Whether through guitars, synths, or singing, most of Namebearer’s melodic impulses fight against the lo-fi, black metal base that naturally takes up most of the listener’s attention—even more strongly than the drumming, which is often swallowed up by the void, robbing the journey of immediacy. Is that an intentional choice? It could well be—Industries of the Black Sun borrows inspiration from quite a few places, but I struggle to definitely name it one thing.

Of course, that’s not a bad thing on its own, but I feel like Industries of the Fading Sun never quite comes together for Namebearer. It aims high and does a lot, but is held back by a lack of cohesion, by seeming to not quite know exactly what it is just yet. The vision is there; hopefully that means there is something stronger on the horizon. There are many promising moments across Industries of the Fading Sun. I would love to hear an album full of them, so I’ll still be keeping an eye out for what Namebearer does next.

Rating: 2.5/5.0
DR: 5 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Self release
Website: namebearer.bandcamp.com
Releases Worldwide: May 2nd, 2025

#25 #2025 #AmericanMetal #AtmosphericBlackMetal #BlutAusNord #Eave #IndustriesOfTheFadingSun #May25 #Namebearer #ObsidianTongue #Review #Reviews #SelfRelease #Thrawsunblat #WolvesInTheThroneRoom

Stuck in the Filter: February 2025’s Angry Misses

By Kenstrosity

February comes down the pipe about two or three months after February. A perfectly normal thing to experience here at AMG HQ, this Filter’s tardiness is brought to you in part by my body getting stuck in one of the tighter conduits that lines the concrete interior of this confounded bunker. My minions are elsewhere, trudging through similar environs, and report their findings to me via eldritch beast telepathy. Since I obviously don’t speak eldritch tongue, I have to use my Codex of Enspongification to decipher these antediluvian transmissions. I’m sure you can imagine, that takes no small measure of time, especially when you’re stuck in this galvanized prison of rusting sheetmetal.

Until my ungrateful minions can find me and rescue me—something I don’t expect to happen anytime soon considering I give them no workers benefits or pay of any kind—you’ll have to make do with the selections of rough-hewn and sharp, but valuable, ore provided below. OBSERVE AT YOUR OWN RISK!

Kenstrosity’s Crusty Grab

Metaphobic // Deranged Excruciations [February 28th, 2025 – Everlasting Spew Records]

When Atlantan death metal quintet Metaphobic caught my attention with the megalithic riffs opening their debut LP Deranged Excruciations, I thought the stank face it brought out of me might be permanent. Nothing new and nothing sophisticated awaits here. Just brutalizing riffs delivered in a relentless sequence of destruction. Lead guitars squeal and scrape against the swampy ground underfoot, leaving a noxious slime trail behind “Mental Deconstruction” and “Execration” that tastes of Tomb Mold, Incantation, and Demilich to varying degrees. Guttural utterances and cacophonic—but accessibly structured—riffs offer the same infernal ferocity of the olden ways. However, in a similar manner to Noxis, their application here feels modern and fresh-ish (“Execration,” “Veiled Horizons,” “Hypnosis Engram”). Not nearly as nuanced as that comparison might suggest, Metaphobic are more than satisfied to use their brutish death metal as a cudgel for blunt force trauma. Nods to death doom in long-form wanderings like “Disciples of Vengeance” and “Insatiable Abyss” provide an appreciable variation in pace, though it doesn’t always work in Metaphobic’s favor. While those songs tend to meander too long on ideas unfit to support such mass for so long, livid outbursts like “Veiled Horizons” and “Reconstituted Grey Matter” more than make up for it. In short Deranged Excruciations commands my attention enough to earn my recommendation here, and my attention going forward.

Tyme’s Missing Minutes

Caustic Phlegm // Purulent Apocalypse [February 28, 2025 – Hells Headbangers]

Caustic Phlegm is the filth project helmed solely by Chestcrush main man Evan Vasilakos, who joyously employed his HM-2 and RAT pedals to create the utter disgustingness that is Purulent Apocalypse. A far cry from the angsty, I’d-rather-see-humanity-dead blackened death metal of his main outfit, Caustic Phlegm is a throwback to the days when Carnage walked the streets of Sweden and Impetigo was melting faces and killing brain cells. Purulent Apocalypse is a platter of pestiferous riffs (“Fouled, Infected & Infested,” “Soft Bones,” “Blister Bliss”), so many it’s like sitting on a death metal toilet puking and shitting riffs ad nauseam. Evan’s drum work, replete with the occasional but very satisfying St. Anger snare tone, drives the mindless fun forward, and the 80’s zombie giallo synth work would have Lucio Fulci himself clawing out of his grave to eat your face. Vasilakos’ vocals are a fine litany of belches, squelches, and gurgles that sound like a colony of maggots cleaning the putrid flesh from a corpulent corpse. Caustic Phlegm is the foul stench of death and will have you reaching for the soap and steel wool as you try to rid yourself of the Purulent Apocalypse infection.

Vermilia // Karsikko [February 14, 2025 – Self Release]

Had the incomparable Darkher not released The Buried Storm in 2022, Vermilia‘s Ruska would have garnered my top spot that year, which put her on my radar for the first time. When I saw Vermilia‘s follow-up, Karsikko had dropped in February—sadly we didn’t receive a promo—I jumped at the chance to filter it. While Karsikko is a bit more straightforward than Ruska, it’s full of liltingly beautiful pianos (“Karsikko”) that give way to icy black metal riffs (“Kansojen Kaipuu”) and gorgeously rendered folk metal melodies (“Koti,” “Veresi”). Comparisons with Myrkur and Suldusk would be appropriate, but Vermilia continues to carve out her own space in the folk black metal scene, marrying beatific melody with beastly aggression. Performing all of the music on Karsikko, as is her one-woman calling card, renders her finished products even more impressive. The highlight has always been the voice, though, as Vermilia deftly transitions between angelic cleans (“Suruhymni”) and frosty rasps (“Vakat”), completing a circle that makes each of her releases a joy to listen to. It’s confounding that another of Vermilia‘s albums is an independent release, which might be artistically intentional or the result of bone-headed label execs. Either way, don’t miss out on Karsikko, as Vermilia shouldn’t stay unsigned for long.

Killjoy’s Drowsy Discovery

Noctambulist // Noctambulist II: De Droom [February 7th, 2025 – These Hands Melt]

Although I love blackgaze, I must admit that it can be challenging to find artists who stand out in the genre, whether through quality songwriting or unexpected twists. It turns out that the Dutch band Noctambulist1 offers both. Noctambulist II: De Droom is a fun and fresh blend of Deafheaven-adjacent blackgaze with a Molotov cocktail of post-punk energy. The power chord-driven guitar lines prove to be an unexpectedly compatible fuel source to propel the shimmering, gazey tremolos and blackened rasps to new heights. Many songs (particularly “Aderlater” and “Lichteter”) start with neat intro melodies that catch the listener’s attention, then build and ride that momentum throughout the remainder. A faint sense of loss—stemming from the achingly relatable theme of homeownership drifting further out of many people’s reach—pervades the record, but there is also an infectious cheerfulness. Despite their name, Noctambulist are hardly sleepwalking as they tread along a well-worn genre.

Thus Spoke’s Disregarded Diamonds

Sacred Noose // Vanishing Spires [February 2nd, 2025 – Breath Sun Bone Blood]

My experience with Irish extreme metal has been that it is all incredibly dark, twisted, and supremely, gorgeously dissonant.2 Belfast3 duo Sacred Noose make absolutely no exception to this rule. Vanishing Spires’ ruthlessly brief 31 minutes are defined by stomach-tightening twisted blackened death designed to cut to the heart of misery and fear. The lurching sensation brought about by rapid tremolo descents and sudden accelerations of ever more dissonant chords, impenetrable drums, and pitch-shifting feedback is nauseating (“Entranced by Concrete Lathe,” “True Emancipation”). The pure horror of the inhuman, high-pitched shrieks answering the already fearsome bellows is anxiety-inducing (“”Black Tempests of Promise,” “Moribund”). The near-constant buzzing of noise is oppressive (“Terminal Prologue,” “True Emancipation”); the creeping, malevolent scales unnerving. And Sacred Noose play with their victim, luring them into a trap of deceptively familiar cavern-core (“Sacred Noose”) before throwing a hood over their head and yanking them backwards into more horrifying mania; or perhaps they’ll start with the assault (“True Emancipation”). This more ‘straightforward’ edge to Sacred Noose is most akin to a faster Sparagmos, while their dominant, demonic personality I can compare most faithfully to Thantifaxath, if Thantifaxath were more death-metal-inclined. Vanishing Spires is the first time since the latter’s 2023 Hive Mind Narcosis that a record has genuinely made me feel afraid.

Crown of Madness // Memories Fragmented [February 28th, 2025 – Transcending Obscurity Records]

Life unfortunately got in the way of me giving this a proper review, but Crown of Madness deserve better than to slip by unmentioned. Memories Fragmented is the duo’s debut, but Crown of Madness is one of several projects both are already in.4. The ominous yet colourful sci-fi/fantasy cover art and spiky logo scream ‘tech-death’ and that is indeed what Crown of Madness deliver. At base, there is some damn fine technical death metal here that’s impressive and acrobatic (), but snappy, not outstaying its welcome—the entire record barely stretches beyond 35 minutes. But there is more to Memories Fragmented, and as a result, it is memorable.5 A drawl to certain refrains (), the tendency to gently sway to a slow, near-pensiveness (), the atmospheric hanging of some tremolos over a warm, dense bass (). There is depth. And it reminded me quite starkly of early Ulcerate. In this vein, the record leans towards the more meandering side of the subgenre, gripping not with hooky riffs and heart-pumping tempos, but an intricate kind of intensity. Memories Fragmented arguably goes too far in the indistinct direction, and as a result, loses immediacy. But the churning, introspective compositions presage the potential for true brilliance on future releases.

Vacuous // In His Blood [February 28th, 2025 – Relapse Records]

Full of youthful vigour, London’s Vacuous demonstrate their willing ability to evolve with their sophomore, In His Blood. While debut Dreams of Dysphoria, which I covered back in 2022, played more or less by the disso-death book, here they are already experimenting. Strange, almost post-metal atmosphere now haunts the boundaries (“Hunger,” “Public Humiliation,” “No Longer Human”), combining brilliantly with the band’s already cavernous death metal sound, and amplifying its fearsomeness. Crowning example of this is the gem Vacuous save for the record’s final act in closer “No Longer Human.” In His Blood also sees them flirt with a punkier energy that borrows more than a little bit of malice from the blackened handbook (“In His Blood,” “Flesh Parade”), backed up by d-beats, and contrasting well with their now less frequent crawls. At its most explosive, In His Blood feels downright unhinged, in the best way (“Stress Positions,” “Immersion”), but it never feels messy, and there’s potential in here for Vacuous to evolve into yet another, incredibly potent form of unique, modern hybrid extreme metal. I wish there were more than 30 minutes of this.

Dolphin Whisperer’s Bottom o’ the Barrel Boons

Pissgrave // Malignant Worthlessness [February 21st, 2025 – Profound Lore Records]

Though it may appear, at a glance, that I have gold-colored glasses for bands of rank and urological reference, I’d call it more of a chance happening that such miscreant acts have created intriguing works. And, truthfully, PISSGRAVE has leaned closer to filth first, function second with the war-leaning crackle (and brazenly offensive cover art) that relegates their lineage to corners of listening ears who need therapy with a high tolerance for guts and grime. Malignant Worthlessness, of course, is not accessible by any means, though, despite these Philly boys packing these nine ode to a failed society in a package that doesn’t cause immediate squirm. But with grooves trapped in an endless skronk and blast, and vocals shifted and layered to reflect the sound of a swarm of Daffy Ducks with a serious disdain for life, PISSGRAVE still embodies an endless swirl of unleashed aggression rendered in riffed and regurgitated form. Malignant Worthlessness lives on the dry and crispy side with most of its tones, which allows copious hits of quick delay and reverb on OUGHs and EEEEEEEUGHs to land with an extra psychedelic knocking when you least expect it. Little slows down the pain train here, with tracks like “Heaping Pile of Electrified Gore” and “Internment Orgy” taking brief detours into chunky guitar builds that feel within grasp of normalcy just before dropping back into an intensified flaying. Elsewhere, a martial urgency that reminds of Paracletus-era Deathspell Omega or the industrial-tinged pummel of Concrete Winds, stirs a twitching movement response, all while retaining a grinding death snarl and chromatic fury, leading its fused-by-hatred structures toward an explosive and fuming conclusion. Humanity has no place in the PISSGRAVE environs, and Malignant Worthlessness, in its celebration of a hostile world, does everything it can to reinforce that.

終末回路 // 終端から引き剥がす [February 20th, 2025 – Self Release]

For things that wander around the math rock world, nailing a vibe remains essential to enjoyment. It’s all too easy in this day and edge to fall into the comfortable trap of ambient tapping and comfortable posty swirls to pleasant crescendos that renders many modern acts to high brow background music (even including bands I like, to a degree, like Covet or Jizue). New Japanese act 終末回路,6 however, chooses to imbue their nimble and tricky instrumental center with the searing emotion and urgency of a noisy post-hardcore, with searing vocal inclusions adding a gravitas to passages that would otherwise threaten to flutter away in glee (“誤殖,” “知らねぇよ”). On one end, 終末回路 delivers a bright playfulness that swings with the pedal power and psychedelia of a young Tera Melos. Yet, weighted with a punk urgency and rawer Japanese assembly of tones, which give a physical clang to tight kit heads and blazing squeal to shrill loops and feedback, 終末回路 finds a constant momentum in their shorter form excursion that makes my lack of understanding of its introspective lyrics a non-issue. Packing plaintive piano melodies (“ご自由に “), speaker blowing synth cranking (“dgdf++be”), and prog-tinged guitar flutters (“知らねぇよ”) into one listening session isn’t easy, but with this debut outing of 終端から引き剥がす,7 終末回路 makes it seem as if they’ve been honing the craft for years.

Saunders’ Salacious Skeeves

Möuth // Gobal Warning [February 14th, 2025 – Self Release)

Veteran rockers The Hellacopters returned with a typically rollicking, fun album in February. Elsewhere, dropping with little fanfare, fellow Swedes and unsung power trio Möuth emerged with an intriguing debut rock platter, entitled Global Warning. Featuring more than meets the eye and flashing a dynamic rock sound, Möuth embrace both retro and modern influences, whipped into an infectious concoction of styles, ranging from Sabbathian lurches, doomy grooves, stoner vibes, and elements of psych, punk and hard rock. For the most part it works a treat, creating a welcome change of pace. Fuzzy, upbeat rockers (“Dirt,” “Appetite”) snugly reside amongst moody, psych-bending numbers (“Alike,” “Mantra”), and heavier doom-laden rock, such as powerful opener “Holy Ground,” and brooding, emotive album centerpiece, “Sheep.” Vocally, the passionate, Ozzy-esque croons hit the spot, matching up well to the band’s multi-pronged rock flavors. Compact and infectious, varied in delivery and featuring enough tasty rhythms, fuzzy melodies and rock punch to satisfy, Global Warning marks an intriguing starting point for these Swedish rockers.

Chaos Inception // Vengeance Evangel [February 21st, 2025 – Lavadome Productions]

Emerging from a deep slumber in the depths of the underground, Alabama’s long dormant death metal crew Chaos Inception returned with their first album since 2012’s The Abrogation. Third album Vengeance Evangel went under the radar, festering unclaimed in the promo sump. After the fact, the album’s crushing, controlled chaos smacked me upside the skull with a violent modern interpretation of the classic Floridian death metal sound, with the musty hues of Tucker-era Morbid Angel most prevalent. This is blast-riddled, relentless stuff, played expertly by the trio of Matt Barnes (guitars), Gray White (vocals) and session drummer Kevin Paradis (ex-Benighted). Incredibly dense, atmospheric, and blazingly fast, Vengeance Evangel is a brutal, knotty, technical hammering, punctuated by sick, wildly inventive soloing. While not traditionally catchy, Vengeance Evangel is the kind of intense, layered death metal album that gets under the skin, grafting a deeper impression across repeated listens. The insane tempo shifts, jigsaw arrangements, and wickedly deranged axework delivers big time. From the violent, intricate throes of opener “Artillery of Humwawa,” and disturbed soundscapes of “La Niebla en el Cementerio Etrusco,” through to the brutish grooves of ‘Thymos Beast,” and exotic, tech death shards of “Empire of Prevarication,” Vengeance Evangel does not neatly fit into any one subgenre category but ticks many boxes to cast a wide appeal to death fans of varied equations.

Steel Druhm’s Viscous Biscuits

Ereb Altor // Hälsingemörker [ February 7th, 2025 – Hammerheart Records]

Steel loves his epic metal. I was raised on the stirring odes to swordsmanship and ungovernable back hair from Manowar and Cirth Ungol, and in time, I took a place at the great table in Wotan’s Golden Halls to appreciate the Viking metal exploits of Bathory and later adherents like Falkenbach and Moonsorrow. Sweden’s Ereb Altor got in the game late with their epic By Honour debut in 2008, boasting a very Bathory-esque sound and emotional tapestry that felt larger-than-life and stirred the loins to begird themselves. 10th album Hälsingemörker is a glorious return to those halls of heroes and bravery. This is the large-scale songcraft first heard on Bathory albums like Hammerheart and Twilight of the Gods, and it’s most welcome to these ape ears. Cuts like “Valkyrian Fate” are exactly the kind of sweeping, epic numbers the band’s excelled at over the years. It takes the core sound of Viking era Bathory and builds outward to craft bombastic and heroic compositions that feel HUUUGE. It’s the kind of metal song that embiggens the soul and makes you want to take on a marauding horde by your lonesome and usurp all their battle booty. On “Hälsingemörker,” you get a fat dose of Moonsorrow worship, and elsewhere, Primordial is strongly referenced to very good effect. Hälsingemörker is easily the best Ereb Altor album in a while and the most in line with their beloved early sound. Strap on the sword and get after it!

#AmericanMetal #Arboreal #Benighted #BlackMetal #BlackSabbath #Blackgaze #BreathSunBoneBlood #Carnage #CausticPhlegm #ChaosInception #Chestcrush #ConcreteWinds #Coscradh #Covet #CrownOfMadness #Darkher #Deafheaven #DeathDoom #DeathMetal #DeathspellOmega #Demilich #DerangedExcruciations #DissonantDeathMetal #DustAge #EmbodimentOfDeath #ErebAltor #EverlastingSpewRecords #FolkMetal #GlobalWarning #Hälsingemörker #HellsHeadbangers #Impetigo #InHisBlood #Incantation #IrishMetal #JapaneseMetal #jizue #Karsikko #LavadomeProductions #MalignantWorthlessness #MathRock #MelodicBlackMetal #MemoriesFragmented #Metaphobic #MorbidAngel #Möuth #Myserion #Noctambulist #NoctambulistIIDeDroom #Noxis #OzzyOsbourne #Pissgrave #PostMetal #postPunk #ProfoundLoreRecords #PurulentApocalypse #RelapseRecords #Rock #SacredNoose #SelfRelease #SelfReleased #SermonOfFlames #Sparagmos #SwedishMetal #TechnicalDeathMetal #TerZiele #TeraMelos #Thantifaxath #TheHelicopters #TheseHandsMelt #TombMold #TranscendingObscurityRecords #UKMetal #Ulcerate #Vacuous #VanishingSpires #VengeanceEvangel #Vermilia #VultureSVengeance #終末回路 #終端から引き剥がす

mars mushrooms - Funerals and Carnivals
(Jam-Rock, Prog-Rock / selfreleased)

"Mehr brauch ich dazu einfach nicht schreiben. Der zieht euch sicher den Stecker raus."

Natürlich hat @oranje1986 euch doch ein wenig was zum Album beschrieben. Schaut mal in die Review.
https://vinyl-keks.eu/mars-mushrooms-funerals-and-carnivals

#marsmushrooms #funeralsandcarnivals #jamrock #progrock #selfrelease #review #schallplatten #vinyl

AMG’s Unsigned Band Rodeö: Exterior Palnet – Haragma II

By Dolphin Whisperer

“AMG’s Unsigned Band Rodeö” is a time-honored tradition to showcase the most underground of the underground—the unsigned and unpromoted. This collective review treatment continues to exist to unite our writers in boot or bolster of the bands who remind us that, for better or worse, the metal underground exists as an important part of the global metal scene. The Rodeö rides on.”

Another year, another chance for the Rodeö to lasso a lurking but worthy buck. We do dirty business here at Angry Metal Guy and Sons, LLC, sifting promo after promo to catch a whiff of glory. But we do it all for the love of music, a love of exploration, and a love of dealing in the currency of informed and accurate opinions. Just ask the wise and appreciative minds of the powerful minds at Rolling Stone—they agree 12 we’re putting in the time!

But enough about us. You want to hear about Exterior Palnet, right? Don’t worry, they know that the word planet exists. These Croatian oddballs prefer to use a related and wholly untraceable word instead. And in that essence, Haragma II, their sophomore release, follows a musical path of likely patchwork influence and cross-genre reverence. Trv to black metal roots, a frosty trem and low-clack blast persists. Yet in tempo-fluid runs, Exterior Palnet finds a progressive, thrashy, and unpredictable attitude that sets their attack galaxies away from their frosty Norwegian forebears. So buckle up and prepare for extreme forces as you wrestle with the words our Cow Folk have for you today. And, if I’ve timed this right, this is the named debut of ascended n00b Owlswald (formerly 87).3 He’s a hoot. – Dolphin Whisperer

Exterior Palnet // Haragma II [January 24th, 2025]

El Cruevo: Exterior Palnet caused a ruckus in the AMG.com break room. “early Dødheimsgard plus [redacted shit-head black metal]4 wrapped in a [redacted shit-head thrash metal] package!” cried one individual. “[The band] is firing on all cylinders!” another gushed. When I was done cleaning their excrement off the ceilings, I learned that neither was wrong; Haragma II offers an avant-garde take on black metal executed with pummeling leads that sometimes wander into thrashy territory. But neither description clarified the reality that Exterior Palnet evoke the sadly-inactive A Forest of Stars; bolstered with additional pace and power, but weakened by a lack of dynamism and curiosity. Although the music has the sinister, inescapable feel of a spider’s web, it’s simply not very memorable or enjoyable. There are solid riffs, sure. And a warped, beastly attitude. Ordinarily these might fuse into something compelling. But I find myself drifting in and out while listening to Haragma II. For a record playing with such dissonance, heaviness and speed, the fact that it barely holds my attention rings the death knell. Now that my time with it is over, I have no interest whatsoever in returning. 2.0/5.0

Dolphin Whipserer: Yes, it will take more than one listen of Haragma II to settle into its particular brand of dreamy chaos. In a reckless manner, Exterior Palnet scatters crumbs of its mission about with twangy, swaggering groove that belies an incessant rhythmic trickery. Playing its hand first with the blasting and beguiling “Haragma” and “Zaphnath-Paaneah” feels like a sleight in the wake of the grandiose and wailing “Behind the Veil.” But understanding how it’s sudden hi-hat shuffle and endless bending mania can feel both natural and striking is key to unlocking the HII universe. Much like the early blackened scrawl of an early DHG—also informed by the progressive, narrative drama of the classic A Umbra Omega—a tangible mysticism lurks around every barked and battered word that escapes through Tomislav Hrastovec’s mic. Whether it’s the Hebrew prayer recital that closes “Beyond the Veil,” the surrealistic depiction of seasonless erosion of “Exoskeleton,” the elemental chant that guides the conclusion of “Haragma,” a shroud of existential disaster carves HII’s every edge—I’d suggest reading along with its words, which are all fully available on the Bandcamp page.5 The world we live in is bizarre, and Exterior Palnet does their very best to make sense of its senselessness through long dissonant resolves, whiplash pneumatic propulsions, and scraggly Voivodian bass drives. And yet, as “Heracleidae” stumbles to the total journey’s conclusion, a heroic melody casts a light of hope. Anecdotal, densely packed, and passing like the flash of a forgotten moment, Haragma II wears a brand of drama that drills shrill melody against swerving tempos in hopes to find a straight line. For some of us, the search is the answer. 3.5/5.0

Icebreg: Exterior Palnet are a tough nut to crack. Their music is dense and mechanical, rarely giving the listener an aural handhold. At first blush Haragma II presents as an unyielding barrage of dissonance layered on top of polyrhythm, sporting stream-of-consciousness style cavernous vocals. Amidst the scaling, wailing guitars and humming synths rages the beating heart of Exterior Palnet; a drummer6 who’s clearly read the mathcore brief. The undisputed star of this show, stuttering hi-hat rhythms and bursts of tom patterns reminiscent of Thomas Pridgen-era The Mars Volta live alongside monolithic blastbeats and wall-of-sound cymbal crashes. But exemplary performances don’t always translate into approachability, and Haragma II will rebuff all but the most determined musical excavators. Like staring into a Magic Eye puzzle, cycling chord structures and melodies appear in “Haragma” and “Exoskeletons,” but only after patient, focused listens. And while eleven-minute epic “Behind The Veil” revels in its noisy climax and grindy bookend riffs, it weights down the middle of an album that already suffers from potential fatigue issues. A break in the chaos appears in the twilight minutes of “Heracleidae,” and while my ears are thankful for the change in texture, the band’s performance doesn’t seem as tight as the rest of the album, making the section seem more mistake than intention. Exterior Palnet unflinchingly adhere to their style of blackened mathcore,7 and execute it well, but the lack of sonic relief here makes it a tough listen for this reviewer. 2.5/5.0

Alekihnes Gun: The “No Regerts” style named Exterior Palnet have descended from space. One look at the cover is an excellent setup for expectations; with its Voivod by way of Refrigerator Art décor, it’s clear something herky and jerky is on the horizon. Exterior Palnet manage to slide between an assembly of treble heavy riffs and melodies which inevitably walk back into more straightforward pummeling. Album centerpiece “Behind the Veil” is the real test for listener appreciation, clocking in at a whopping eleven minutes and managing to make each minute count with an assembly of moments ranging from mood setting sustained plucking scales to proper tremelos over blast beats. Haragma II doesn’t want for a glut of such moments, though the entirety of the album sounds more like a collection via stream of consciousness more than a series of cohesive songs. This is partially the fault of the mix, where the drums are produced so heavily as to drown out some of the clarity of the riffs on display, and the bass is reduced to an atonal rumble rather than function as support for the chord progressions. There’s a really fun atmosphere on display here and whiffs of excellence to be found across the album, if they can tighten the screws on the song writing a bit and get a mix to serve the overall presentation. 2.5/5

Thyme: Exterior Palnet‘s sophomore album, Haragma II, was slightly off-putting on the first listen, but it’s grown on me like some feral space rash. Riffs pinball in every direction, ranging from chaotically dissonant (“Haragma”) to pensively inquisitive (“Zaphnath-Paaneah”) as if tip-toeing through blackened tulips and sparking like schizophrenic flashbangs, recalling the experimental instrumentality of acts like Krallice, DsO, and early Dødheimsgard. It wasn’t until the twangy swing of “Behind the Veil” kicked in, however, that Exterior Palnet‘s claws really dug in. An eleven-minute odyssey and the album highlight, “Behind the Veil,” displays all the tricks in Exterior Palnet‘s bag. Bruno Čavara’s guitars crash and splash against each other in sprays of dissonant mist as he expertly ushers us across tremolodic waters and rifferous wastelands. With emotionally restless desperation, Tomislav Hrastovec’s tortured shouts and screams pair perfectly with Čavara’s intricate guitars and session bassist Vedran Rao Brlečić’s punchy low-end work. While no drummer was credited, programmed or not,8 the drums sound lush and vibrant, keeping the serpentine instrumentation in check, which is no small feat. My biggest gripe with Haragma II lies in the mix, which I find too loud. I know this is black metal, but there are so many interesting things happening here that I think the mix robs the listener, especially the casual ones, of experiencing the material’s full complexity. Ultimately, Exterior Palnet has released an album worthy of your time, and I hope you check it out. 3.0/5.0

Owlswald: My relationship with black metal is complicated. No longer drawn to the forthright tremolo and low-fi discords of old, I now find the genre’s more avant-garde forms satiating. This leads me to believe Croatia’s Exterior Palnet should be right up my alley, as they deliver a chaotic yet grounded sound that both captivates and overwhelms me in equal measure. Haragma II’s strength lies in its ability to generate a palpable sense of unease and restlessness through swarms of dissonant guitars, anguished cries and shifting tempos. Whether conjuring Deathspell Omega anxiety and agitation through its swirling and undulating soundscape (“Heracleidae”) or transmuting its frenetic energy via taut blasts and fills (“Exoskeletons,” “Zaphnath-Paaneah”), Haragama II is all about keeping the listener off-kilter. Despite its often exhausting intensity, Exterior Palnet offers brief but welcome respites, including the Doldrum-esque groovy syncopations within “Haragma” or the unexpected shoegaze-tinged textures ending “Behind the Veil.” Still, Haragma II’s songwriting would benefit from greater balance, as it currently prioritizes pandemonium through a loud, upfront mix. Exterior Palnet reach their peak when atmosphere, groove and prevailing intensity are in equilibrium. Haragma II proves there is still room for growth. Good.

#2025 #AForestOfStars #AngryMetalGuySUnsignedBandRodeo #AngryMetalGuySUnsignedBandRodeo2025 #BlackMetal #CroatianMetal #Dödheimsgard #Doldrum #ExteriorPalnet #HaragmaII #IndependentRelease #Jan25 #Krallice #ProgressiveBlackMetal #Review #Reviews #SelfRelease #TheMarsVolta #Voivod

Ancient Mastery – Chapter Three: The Forgotten Realm of Xul’Gothar Review

By Killjoy

Certain musical genres lend themselves well to fantasy themes, and Ancient Mastery has its finger firmly on the pulse of several. Perhaps the most recognizable of the many projects of Austrian artist Erech Leleth, Ancient Mastery doubles as a storytelling conduit for the land of Valdura. Doom_et_Al penned a TYMHM piece for Chapter One wherein he heaped deserved praise for the spellbinding integration of triumphant dungeon synth into epic black metal compositions. While we didn’t cover Chapter Two, I personally enjoyed its unexpected pivot toward blackened power metal even more. Upon receiving Chapter Three, I was intrigued to learn that its story is set long before Chapters One and Two, and I was eager to hear what surprise twists Ancient Mastery had in store from a musical point of view.

Fittingly for a prequel, Chapter Three sounds like a direct ancestor of the diverse array of influences that defined One and Two. The synths exhibit the timidity of a hero at the beginning of their journey, a far cry from the assertive melodies that almost single-handedly carried many of the music passages in Chapter One. But where the synths’ boldness falters, the guitars pick up the slack, alternating between icy tremolos and classic heavy metal hooks with practiced aplomb. While Chapter Three is a return to meloblack emphasis, it retains some of the exuberant guitar leads of Chapter Two. The common thread between the three chapters is Leleth’s dry rasps, which usher the narrative forward with surprisingly high intelligibility.

Chapter Three is the closest that Ancient Mastery has ever been to “traditional” melodic black metal. This is largely due to the increased investment in the guitar riffs, which are considerably more developed and striking. From the rollicking intro of “Behind the Walls of Urduk” to the crooked, menacing tune of “The Dread of Xul’Gothar,” they bring a lot of personality and energy. The drumming has also leveled up, with Jöschu Käser (Aara) lending his talents behind the kit. Album opener “Impending Shadows” is representative of this evolution, beginning with slow, deliberate percussion which gradually increases in tempo over the course of the song, culminating in intricate double bass-centric rhythms for the final verse. As a result, Ancient Mastery now sits closer to the midpoint between the synth-shrouded riffy intensity of Stormkeep and the ambient leanings of Summoning, a nice sweet spot for fantasy black metal.

As welcome as the improvements are, they seem to have cost a bit of Ancient Mastery’s core identity. Chapter Three is darker and more cavernous in tone and atmosphere, which can sometimes be an effective aesthetic, but here it often feels empty rather than imposing. The soft atmospheric sections have inexplicably become the thorn in the side of the album’s overall pacing, with nearly every song abruptly halting to shoehorn a quiet synth interlude. Aside from being out of place, they tend to consist of barely discernible notes (“Impending Shadows”) or empty oohs and ahhs (“Behind the Walls of Urduk”) that add little to the music. Thankfully, the songs recover their momentum and finish strong, so these are ultimately minor—albeit frequent—hiccups. Additionally, it’s hard not to miss the female guest vocalists who previously added such depth and feeling to the storytelling, particularly in Chapter Two.

With three chapters now under his belt, Erech Leleth has demonstrated an aptitude for adopting diverse musical approaches that all sound like Ancient Mastery. It took a little longer to grow on me, possibly due to preconceived expectations, but I expect Chapter Three to be a key entry point for potential new fans. The guitar-driven, synth-supported strategy and liberation from mid-paced tempos were exactly what the project needed to sustain a sense of progression. My hope for Chapter Four, though, is for these new traits to be joined more equally with the shrewd dungeon synth that originally earned Ancient Mastery my endearment. Until then, grab a goblet and witness the wonders of Xul’Gothar.

Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: 190 kb/s VBR mp3
Label: Self Release
Websites: ancientmastery.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/Ancient-Mastery
Releases Worldwide: April 4th, 2025

#2025 #35 #AncientMastery #Apr25 #AustrianMetal #BlackMetal #ChapterThreeTheForgottenRealmOfXulGothar #DungeonSynth #MelodicBlackMetal #Review #Reviews #SelfRelease #Stormkeep #Summoning

Cruce Signatus – II Review

By Eldritch Elitist

One of the scant morsels of criticism I offered to Pillaging Villagers’ self-titled 2022 opus was not explicitly aimed at the record itself, but rather at my perceived longevity of the project. David Frazer’s first solo outing, while a blast to spin to this day, feels like something best suited as a one-off excursion. For this reason, I approached his follow-up project, the instrumental metal/synthwave/electronic mashup that is Cruce Signatus, with a grain of skepticism. From day one, Frazer planned Cruce Signatus as a four-act experience, and for as much as I enjoyed its first volume, it again engendered a nagging sense of doubt as to its shelf life. By its end, the self-titled debut painstakingly explores seemingly every corner of its hyper-specific vision of cinematic metallo-electro-neo-baroque-wave. For this project to truly grow, Frazer would need to up the stakes through an expanded scope, elevated drama, and a broadened emotional palette. Less than a year on from its predecessor, II has done precisely that.

My chief criticisms of Cruce Signatus were levied at its lack of variety in both tone and tempo, and II goes so hard in addressing the former that it somehow absolves itself of the latter. II does feature a handful of tempo shake-ups in its back third, but the record so often drastically departs from its predecessor’s uniformly villainous tone as to not really need them. Opener “Conversio Militiae – Viam Justorum” debuts in expected fashion, all dramatic chords and ascending arpeggios invoking a classical idea of Hell, before gracefully pivoting into a movement that I can only describe as “1990’s JRPG End Credits Theme”-core. Swaths of II feel overtly uplifting, and even when it doesn’t, tracks like “Milites Christi II – Gesta Francorum” are so whimsical and dynamic as to substantially differentiate this record from Cruce Signatus’ first act. Simultaneously, II feels so loyal to Cruce Signatus’ established identity that no one could mistake it for a project under any other name. As an expansion of that identity, II is revelatory.

II is full of unexpected victories for a project with an already impressive foundation, with one of the most surprising being just how well it succeeds as a standalone experience. Cruce Signatus’ first act split the difference between soundtrack and traditional album in its construction, and while II retains the soundtrack vibes, its individual tracks feel more self-contained. Each has a distinct identity, resulting in a tonal trajectory that gives the record a pronounced overarching structure akin to a classic “hero’s journey” narrative. While the mid-album cuts (namely “Milites Christi” I & II) feel gritty and combative, the bookends exhibit neon-drenched euphoria, with the massive closing track “Poena” making for what feels like the most gratifying possible conclusion at the end of the journey, ominous stinger foreshadowing Act III notwithstanding.

Beyond Cruce Signatus’ structural and tonal innovations, II just straight up fucking jams. While bearing plenty of introspective moments, II represents an exponentially more energetic, almost power metal-fied take on this project’s sound over its predecessor, which is honestly difficult to wrap my head around considering that it’s also unquestionably the more varied of the two records. It helps, then, that II’s high-end feels notably less shrill than that of Cruce Signatus’ debut, though parts of “Pro Emendatione Malefactorum” occasionally grate through loftily ambitious reprisal. I do find that the overall mix feels less punchy and impactful this time around, but as the electronic soundscape remains lush and engaging, minor production gripes hardly detract from the experience.

II is such an impressive evolutionary leap for Cruce Signatus that even its micro adjustments impress. That each track now naturally blends into the next, eschewing the debut’s odd fades to total silence, is nearly as strong a signal of this project’s growth as its bold leaps into unprecedented emotional territory. Moreover, II fully assures me that this project has more than enough juice to play out its full, four-act structure. If Frazer’s ambitions are this high halfway through, I’m ecstatic to hear where this project goes by its end. Just don’t wait until then to jump in, because II stands shoulder to shoulder with the best records of the burgeoning synth metal scene on its own merits. Oh, and I’ll retract what I said three years ago: I’ll take another three Pillaging Villagers records, please.

Rating: 4.0/5.0
DR: 5 | Format Reviewed: PCM
Label: Self Release
Websites: crucesignatus.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/crucesignatusband
Releases Worldwide: April 4th, 2025

#2025 #40 #AmericanMetal #Apr25 #CruceSignatus #II #InstrumentalMetal #PillagingVillagers #Review #Reviews #SelfRelease #SynthMetal #Synthwave

AMG’s Unsigned Band Rodeö: Nephylim – Circuition

By Dolphin Whisperer

“AMG’s Unsigned Band Rodeö” is a time-honored tradition to showcase the most underground of the underground—the unsigned and unpromoted. This collective review treatment continues to exist to unite our writers in boot or bolster of the bands who remind us that, for better or worse, the metal underground exists as an important part of the global metal scene. The Rodeö rides on.”

Oranjeboom, a low-frills lager, holds little love in its home country of the Netherlands, so much so that its production there was discontinued until only recently.1 Why does that matter? It really doesn’t, but it is a fun fact about the Netherlands and a beer synonymous with their lineage. Nephylim hails from the Netherlands too, and, with any luck, their brand of big scope, big sad melodeath will stake a claim that lands with bolder flavor. Over the past ten years, this five-some has cut an EP and a full-length through their own determination. And now, with this sophomore follow-up Circuition, Nephylim may just be hitting their stride. Or, at least, our Rodeö crew seems to think so. Crack open a cold one and sip on riffy sadness. – Dolphin Whisperer

Nephylim // Circuition [March 7th, 2025]

Steel Druhm: Sometimes when you press play on a Rodeö candidate, you wonder why they aren’t signed because they sound so polished and professional. Such is the case with Dutch melodeathsters, Nephylim, and their sophomore opus, Circulation. Taking cues from Ominium Gatherum, Be’Lakor, Enshine, and the more progressive works of Edge of Sanity, Nephylim voyage across various styles of melodeath but always keep things anchored firmly in the Wheelhouse of Steel. After a beautifully regal instrumental opener, Circulation heats up on “Travail Pt. 2 – Animus,” which is like a glowing distillation of Wolfheart and Be’lakor with a seriously epic vibe coursing through it. The guitars riff, trill, and shimmer with a Tuomos Saukkonen-esque flair as grand orchestrations amplify the sound to herculean proportions. It’s the beast of death metal with the beauty of melancholic music, and this style has a proven appeal. I love the majesty of “Grand Denial” and the hints of Dark Tranquillity woven throughout, and the title track bears traces of Dan Swanö’s Moontower and Tomi Joutsen-era Amorphis as it seamlessly melds heavy and sadboi moments. Unfortunately, not every cut hits with the same soul-searing slash of wintery pathos. “Amaranth” is a bit too generic and pedestrian, and though “Withered” does some things very well, the writing is a touch less compelling. Elsewhere, closer “Inner Paradigm” feels like something from the later eras of In Flames, not bad, but less impactful. At thirty-eight minutes, there are bits of bloat scattered around, but nothing that’s fatal if swallowed. There’s a lot to like about Circulation, and I’m left still wondering why Nephylim aren’t signed. With this much potential, they should be! 3.0/5.0

GardensTale: From two live shows, I already knew Nephylim were good. I could not have anticipated what a masterclass Circuition would turn out to be, though. Combining the maudlin symphonic details of Fires in the Distance with the melancholy hope and impeccable composition of Countless Skies is no easy feat, but the songwriting has taken a giant leap forward. Circuition is absolutely packed with beautiful melodies, addictive hooks and enticing cascades. The flow is downright brilliant, such that even after a dozen spins, I find myself glued to the speaker in anticipation of the next stanza, the next riff, the next solo. These are linked together with transitions that are set up and knocked down perfectly, helping every track rush past in spiraling eddies like white water rapids after heavy rain. “Circuition” yanks the heart-strings the hardest; follow-up “Withered” has a more basic structure, but the amazing harmonies and powerful solo make it a standout anyway. Cherry on the cake is the top-shelf production, with meticulous mastering and a balanced mix. The sparse clean vocals aren’t great, just okay, and a few tracks end a little more abruptly than I’d like, but these are small bumps on an engaging journey that begs to be spun again and again. 4.0/5.0

Kenstrosity: Dutch sadboi melodeath quintet Nephylim graced my Bandcamp feed a few months back. I was intrigued, but did not bite. At least, not until our Kermity GardensTale recced it for Rodeö duty, at which point I dove straight in. Embodying a wondrous merging between Countless Skies, Fires in the Distance, and a light touch of The Drowning, sophomore effort Circuition garnered instant adoration from this sponge. A rarer feat, Nephylim’s latest only deepened its hold on my heart, as the opening “Travail” suite enamored with epic soars of melody, crushing riffs that ground the piece in deathly gravity, and emotive roars that shake the roots underfoot. “Amaranth” doubles down on that palpable momentum, bringing forward a fun factor that belies Circuition’s introspective character. Beautiful synths and keys dot the landscape just above that metallic verve and swinging rhythm, evoking something inherently mystical while still operating within the bounds of the human spirit (“Circuition”). As the potent pull of songs like “Grand Denial,” “Withered,” and immense closer “Inner Paradigm” continually challenge my perception of what constitutes a highlight, I find myself universally immersed, committed, and compelled by Circuition. Experiencing this, as much as I pine for new material from those great acts that Nephylim remind me of, I know in my soul that Circuition is one of 2025’s foremost contenders. Great!

Maddog: When Fenrir finally closes the curtain on 2025, Nephylim’s Circuition will be one of my few fond memories of this disastrous year. This hidden melodeath gem triumphs by embracing simplicity without stagnation. No one would argue that Nephylim’s guitarists stretch the limits of human dexterity. And yet, as Circuition buried my ears in riffs upon riffs, it dragged me into its orbit. Blending the classic stylings of Dark Tranquillity with the modern touch of Æther Realm, Nephylim won me over through its irresistible energy. While I initially fell in love with merely a couple of its songs, Circuition’s consistency unveiled itself over time. Indeed, while the closer “Inner Paradigm” was initially my least favorite song, its Shadows of the Dying Sun riffs and its somber ending have made it a highlight. Despite its consistency, Circuition’s mood changes keep it fresh. The fantastic midsection of the album progresses from gargantuan riffs (“Grand Denial”) to tear-jerking Enshine melodies (“Circuition”) to explosive choruses (“Withered”). Circuition is textbook, but it’s both a thrilling spectacle and an emotive powerhouse. Every piece is essential, and every piece is distinctive. 4.0/5.0

Killjoy: The term “Nephilim” in the Hebrew Bible is often translated as “giants” in English. Accordingly, melodic death metal band Nephylim does everything big. Riffs? Big. Rumbling death roars? Big. Thunderous rhythm section? Big. Circuition feels like a highlight reel of the serious and somber side of melodeath, with each individual song bringing something unique to the table. “Travail Pt. II – Animus” embellishes the somber intensity of Insomnium with delicate piano keys reminiscent of Fires in the Distance and heaps of symphonic bombast. The suspenseful drum beats which introduce “Amaranth” organically build excitement by layering on bass and then guitar lines before releasing the pent-up energy with a furious snarl and fiery riffs. But there’s also a tender side to Nephylim; “Circuition” adopts a melancholic and folk-tinted mood laced with deep, beautiful croons, all of which I associate with Vorna. Circuition is considerably more ambitious than Nephylim’s debut, but they never let their ambitions spiral out of control. If anything, I’d like to see them continue to develop their symphonic side that they teased in the first two tracks. Although I find the last third of the record ever so slightly less engaging, I can endorse all thirty-eight minutes of Circuition as worthy of your time. 3.5/5.0

#2025 #AngryMetalGuySUnsignedBandRodeo #AngryMetalGuySUnsignedBandRodeo2025 #ÆtherRealm #BeLakor #Circuition #CountlessSkies #DarkTranquillity #DutchMetal #EdgeOfSanity #Enshine #FiresInTheDistance #InFlames #IndependentRelease #Insomnium #Mar25 #MelodicDeathMetal #Moontower #Nephylim #OmniumGatherum #ProgressiveDeathMetal #SelfRelease #TheDrowning #Wolfheart

Krav Boca - Heretic
(Punk, Rap / Self-Release)

"Sie haben auf der Strasse begonnen, in Squats, alternativen Läden und sind quer durch Europa getourt!
Mehr - in meiner Welt absolut positiver - Attitüde geht ja kaum.
Das bringen sie mit all ihren Worten auch zum Ausdruck."

Und Felix weitere Worte zum Album gibts in der Review.
https://vinyl-keks.eu/krav-boca-heretic/

#kravboca #heretic #punk #rap #selfrelease #vinyl #review

Judicator – Concord Review

By Iceberg

Seven albums into their career, Utah’s Judicator are back with another platter of American power metal designed to raise both your horns and your calorie load. Originally the epitome of Blind Guardian worship, Judicator began moving away from their Hansi-centric style with the departure of founding guitarist Alicia Cordisco in 2022. This coincided with the release of The Majesty of Decay, an album that saw Judicator adding prog to their power core, a move that satisfied the Eye of Holden but didn’t sit so well with resident power metal maven Eldritch. Their latest LP, Concord, has Judicator tackling the American West, a mythos that’s rightfully earned its reputation as good, bad, and ugly. With this timely subject matter in tow, can Judicator and sole remaining founder John Yellend find their new voice in power metal, or will they leave us looking over our shoulders at better days and greener shores?

Judicator remain a reliable band for fans of quality, USDA Choice Power, while managing to streamline their songwriting approach. The orchestral grandiosity of Blind Guardians meets the rabid thrashing of Iced Earth, but this time around there’s a more straightforward, heavy metal sensibility not unlike genre titans Judas Priest or Iron Maiden. Gone are the long, experimental windings of The Majesty of Decay, and in their place are truncated song structures, sharpened riffcraft, and a renewed focus on powerful, hooky choruses. Yellend’s bright tenor carries the brunt of the workload here, shining in the barreling, traditional power metal moments (“Call Us Out Of Slumber,” “Concord”) but sounding slightly out of place in the slower, quieter passages (“Johannah’s Song,” “Hold Your Smile”). Yellend’s lyrics seem genuine, though, relating tales of lost valor (“Call Us Out Of Slumber”), the call of the wilderness (“Sawtooth”), the massacre at Wounded Knee (“Imperial”), and Cormac McCarthy’s harrowing epic Blood Meridian, an apt epilogue for an album about the scarring legacy of Manifest Destiny.

For all their pushing and rearranging of the genre envelope, Judicator are still a power metal band at the end of the day, and they shall be judged on the memorability of their hooks. I’m happy to report that after shying away from the magic of the chorus on The Majesty of Decay, the earworms have made a triumphant return. Singalong anthems pepper the album, less cheesy than the Italian variety and more like the unabashed brawniness of Manowar or last year’s Nemedian Chronicles (“Sawtooth,” “Hold Your Smile,” “Concord”). The riffs on Concord eschew the lightning-fast runs one might expect from Dragonforce-core and opt for a grounded, foot-stomping aesthetic that fits neatly into the album’s concept (“Imperial,” “A Miracle of Life”). Replayability is also helped by the album’s editing, running 51 minutes across 9 tracks, with a closing epic whose structure is well executed, justifying its runtime (“Blood Meridian”).

Concord feels like a turn in the right direction for Judicator, but it hasn’t fully avoided the pitfalls of its core genre. While the album is stuffed with some real crowd-pleasers, some songs don’t quite make the same impression as their brethren. The relentless major key optimism of “Johannah’s Song” feels like a musical idea that hasn’t been fully formed, and the narrative-dependent “Weeping Willow” never seems to find its footing. Tracks set up in a storytelling format often have clunky lyrics, a little too on-the-nose, and fall prey to power metal’s reputation for cringe (“Johannah’s Song,” “Weeping Willow,” “Hold Your Smile”). But Judicator succeed in channeling a genuine love for their genre on the lion’s share of Concord, and its hard to be untouched by their infectious enthusiasm.

Concord represents a laudatory return to form for Judicator. Cuts like “Call Us Out Of Slumber,” “Sawtooth,” and the embedded title track have monster choruses that threaten to secure slots on my SOTY playlist, and the album as a whole has the gift of memorability. While not breaking any new ground, it feels as if Judicator have finally found the feet to stand on since losing Cordisco, and not a moment too soon. Some may find the closing scene of “Blood Meridian”–ripped straight from the epilogue of the book–a bit hokey, but I think it sums up Judicator’s current state nicely. As the din of fiddles and revelry thickens, Judge Holden whips the bar patrons into an inebriated frenzy and repeats, endlessly, with a menacing snarl, “I will never die.”

Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: WAV
Label: Self-Release
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: March 28th, 2024

#2024 #35 #BlindGuardian #Concord #HeavyMetal #IcedEarth #JudasPriest #Judicator #Manowar #Mar24 #NemedianChronicles #PowerMetal #Review #Reviews #SelfRelease #USMetal

Kerberos – Apostle to the Malevolent Review

By Saunders

Symphonic death is a tricky subgenre to nail. While there are skilled exponents, bands peddling the dramatic style tread a fine line in balancing the ornate orchestral elements and heavy-hitting metal, without diminishing one or the other of the fused components. Such as the symphonic elements feeling tacked on or the metal edge blunted. Overall, it’s a mixed formula for yours truly, though I am certainly not opposed to the style when executed well (Fleshgod Apocalypse, Zornheym, Septicflesh, Dreamgrave). Hailing from Switzerland and sporting a bombastic, prog-infected symphonic death sound, unheralded act Kerberos aim to make their mark on the scene with their second album, Apostle to the Malevolent. Not one to do the style in half measures, Apostle to the Malevolent jams a multitude of orchestral elements and symphonic flair to otherwise traditional metal instrumentation, creating a colorful sound that on surface levels ticks all the boxes for a good time for enthusiasts of the style. Kerberos manage to cram all their sophisticated ideas, choirs and orchestra into a lean runtime, clocking in a shade under the half-hour mark. But can Kerberos back up the bombast and efficiency with gripping songwriting?

The first couple of the five tracks comprising Apostle to the Malevolent will likely weed out the non-believers. Opening instrumental “Praeludium in H Moli” plays into the band’s flair for orchestral dramatics with mixed results, setting the scene for first proper track, “Near-Violence Experience.” Apostle to the Malevolent credits a Kerberos choir and orchestra in addition to the core foursome. The elaborate nature of the band’s vision is reflected in the song’s crunchy riffs, busy arrangement, densely layered instrumentation, and dueling male-female vox; ranging from operatic female contributions and a strange mix of deep male clean singing and harsher growls. It’s an ambitious tune, if a little scattershot. The impressive musicianship, countered by the overstuffed and convoluted nature of the arrangement, prevents it fully lifting off.

Vocally, the male cleans come across as melodramatic and more than a little cheesy. However, Ai-lan Metzger’s stirring vocals and accompanying choirs lend the album a vibrant voice to match the swelling orchestral touches. When traded off with the harsher variations, the impact is more forceful. On the other hand, Félicien Burkard (who also handles guitars and fretless bass) clean vox are an unwelcome distraction. Kerberos lean further into the goth-tinged symphonic dramatics on “Alpine Sea,” another example of the band’s solid skills and exuberant talents, marred by a longer than needed runtime and questionable vocal transitions. The most successful example of Kerberos’ talents resides in mid-album cut “Liar Within.” it doesn’t greatly deviate from the rest of the album. However, the ingredients flow with greater fluency, while the increased aggression, speed and thrashy urges lend some extra punch to the soaring vocal hooks and lush symphonics.

Song length remains a recurring issue. As previously stated, the album is short and sweet, though several individual tracks struggle to maintain interest across their heftier lengths (including nine-minute closer “Apostle to the Malevolent”). On the plus side, some tasty material is scattered throughout, flashing the potential for Kerberos to deliver something more substantial and fully formed down the track. Importantly for any symphonic metal project, the orchestral elements don’t sound like tacked on afterthoughts, bolstered by a bright, dynamic production. However, occasionally the instruments seem to fight and jostle for space, creating a clunkier feel to certain sections, leading to some overkill and awkward results. This may present a case for Kerberos and their additional friends to refine and declutter their sound to more potent effect. The mixed bag vocals also require some work, the attempts at deeper growls and Burkard’s questionable cleans could use some tuning up.

Symphonic metal can go either way for me, and I am often especially selective with what floats my boat. Kerberos deliver an intriguing LP, featuring enough positives to find a solid audience on board with their particular brand of grandiosity and gothy-drama. Unfortunately, Apostle to the Malevolent is a messy affair, which feels unnecessarily bloated and convoluted despite its scant length. When they hone their songwriting focus into more aggressive, urgent realms and let the riffs do the heavy lifting, the band’s potential shines brightly. There remains some solid material and classy elements, with ample room for growth and refinement for Kerberos to match their ambitious vision with tighter songwriting chops.

Rating: 2.5/5.0
DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Self-Released
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: March 14th, 2025

#25 #2025 #ApostleToTheMalevolent #Dreamgrave #FleshgodApocalypse #IndependentRelease #Kerberos #ProgressiveMetal #Review #Reviews #SelfRelease #SepticFlesh #SwissMetal #SymphonicDeathMetal #SymphonicMetal #Zornheym

Vokodlok – The Egregious Being Review

By Kenstrosity

Hailing from Romania and dealing in Transylvanian mythology, Vokodlok began life as a raw black metal band. Their debut, Mass Murder Genesis, represented that genre in all its sonic roughness, featuring guitar tones worthy only of magnetic tape, a bona fide trash can lid snare, and croaking rasps galore. Shortly after that debut dropped, Vokodlok called it quits until reforming in 2018 with a slightly restructured lineup. But that’s not the only thing that’s transformed since their rebirth. What alchemic concoctions lay in store for this latest incarnation of Vokodlok? Only this sponge can tell, as I dive deep into sophomore outing The Egregious Being.

What once was true blue raw black is now but a ghost. 2025 sees Vokodlok exploring a starkly different sound, sharing much more in kind with death and thrash metal, although still dusted in cold soot. In the spirit of this metamorphosis, The Egregious Being hones in on fast-paced, chunky riffs and thrashy rhythms. Vokodlok’s production shifted to reflect this updated style, warming up considerably—certainly enough to defrost the ice draping from those trem-heavy leads of olde and allow the hellish flame of death to bloom anew. Yet, much of this material retains a level of rawness that belies Vokodlok’s shapeshifting instincts, permitting listeners a window into these Romanians’ past selves and highlighting significant character development in not just their sound but also their songwriting.

This character development showcases Vokodlok’s versatility as musicians while still exhibiting a distinct voice that sets them apart from other bands in this space. Strong cuts such as “The Human,” “Death Terror,” “Bestiarium,” and “jagh ‘lw vlpoQ” explore that voice, but also apply tasteful notes of Death, Úlfúð, Eximperitus, Immolation, and Cell to ground listeners on familiar territory. Whether that influence takes the form of a swaggering lean (“jagh ‘lw vlpoQ”), a ripping classic death metal solo (“Death Terror”), riffs that straddle the fence between styles (“The Human”), or a multifaceted songwriting structure forged from the annals of black, death, and thrash metal combined (“Warzone,” “Bestiarium,” “Denizen”), The Egregious Being thrives on adapting touchstones of multiple disciplines in synchronized unity with their own creativity. More melodic cuts like “The Faces Within” further enliven the experience in its light-footed agility through more exuberant musicality, but it’s never so jubilant or expressive as to create distance between that and their darker, moodier pieces (“The Monster,” “Disdain”).

If there was one aspect of Vokodlok’s songwriting that pulls the material down, it’s their penchant for repetition and ungentle transitions. Blunt force constitutes the majority of these songs’ movements between themes, riffs, and verses. Some tracks, like “The Faces Within” and “Death Terror,” smooth these out a bit more and thereby create fluidity without compromising extremity. However, abrupt and, at times, jarring moments create an unpleasant roughness to this ride that never threaten enjoyment, but sometimes immersion (“Denizen”). Of course, this isn’t helped by the odd production, personified by a weird mix of warm, modern, and murky tones. Not altogether disruptive or bothersome, a handful of motifs across the record seem notably simplistic or overly repetitive in relation to others. While this in and of itself doesn’t warrant much concern, considering Vokodlok’s high level of quality across the board, it creates a disconnect from more intricately constructed or richly layered compositions. In those instances where a single track represents both sides of this dichotomy, any such rift between one moment and another poses the greatest threat to my enjoyment (“Disdain”).

Overall, The Egregious Being is a pleasant and quite unexpected surprise. Where I had every reason to anticipate something raw, ragged, and sloppy (on purpose), I instead received something fresh, well-developed, and mature. The Egregious Being may not be a perfect record, but it does illustrate a willingness to evolve and grow into something more unique, more substantial, and altogether more engaging. If this is just the beginning for Vokodlok, then the future is bright!

Rating: Very Good
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Self Release
Websites: vokodlok.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/VokodloK-1429971080417504
Releases Worldwide: March 14th, 2025

#2025 #35 #BlackMetal #Cell #Death #DeathMetal #Eximperitus #Immolation #Mar25 #Review #Reviews #RomanianMetal #SelfRelease #TheEgregiousBeing #ThrashMetal #Úlfúð #Vokodlok

Stuck in the Filter: January 2025’s Angry Misses

By Kenstrosity

We enter January under the impression that our underpowered filtration system couldn’t possibly get any more clogged up. Those blistering winds that overwhelm the vents with an even greater portion of debris and detritus pose a great challenge and a grave danger to my minions. Crawling through the refuse as more flies in all william-nilliam, my faithful lackeys brave the perils of the job and return, as they always do, with solid chunks of semi-precious ore.

And so I stand before you, my greedy little gremlins, in a freshly pressed flesh suit that only the elite like myself adorn, and present January 2025’s Filter finds. REJOICE!

Kenstrosity’s Fresh(ish) Finds

Bloodcrusher // Voidseeker [January 9th, 2025 – Barf Bag Records]

The sun rises on a new year, and most are angrier than ever. What’s a better way to process that anger than jamming a phat slab of brutal slamming deathcore into your gob, right? Oregon one-man-slammajamma Bloodcrusher understand this, and so sophomore outburst Voidseeker provides the goods. These are tunes meant not for musicality or delicacy but for brute-force face-caving. Ignorant stomps and trunk-rattling slams trade blows with serrated tremolo slides and a dry pong snare with a level of ferocity uncommon even in this unforgiving field (“Agonal Cherubim ft. Jack Christensen”). Feel the blistering heat of choice cuts “Serpents Circle ft. Azerate Nakamura” or “Death Battalion: Blood Company ft. The Gore Corps” and you have no choice but to submit to their immense heft. Prime lifting material, Voidseeker’s most straightforward cuts guarantee shattered PRs and spontaneous combustion of your favorite gym shorts as your musculature explodes in volume (“Slave Cult,” “Sanguis Aeternus,” “Blood Frenzy”). If you ask me, that sounds like a wonderful problem to have. As they pummel your cranium into dust with deadly slam riffs (“Malus et Mortis ft. Ryan Sporer,” “Seeker of the Void,” “Earthcrusher”) or hack and slash your bones with serrated tremolos (“Razors of Anguish,” “Methmouth PSA”), remember that Bloodcrusher is only trying to help.

Skaldr // Saṃsṛ [January 31st, 2025 – Avantgarde Music]

Virginia’s black metal upstarts Skaldr don’t do anything new. If you’ve heard any of black metal’s second wave, or even more melodic fare by some of my favorite meloblack bands like Oubliette, Stormkeep, and Vorga, Skaldr’s material feels like a cozy blanket of fresh snow. Kicking off their second record, Saṃsṛ, in epic fashion, “The Sum of All Loss” evokes a swaying dance that lulls me into its otherwordly arms. As Saṃsṛ progresses through its seven movements, tracks like the gorgeous “Storms Collide” and the lively “The Crossing” strike true every synapse in my brain, flooding my system with a goosebump-inducing fervor quelled solely by the burden of knowing it must end. Indeed, these short 43 minutes leave me ravenous for more, as Skaldr’s lead-focused wiles charm me over and over again without excess repetition of motifs or homogenization of tones and textures (“From Depth to Dark,” “The Cinder, The Flame, The Sun”). Some of its best moments eclipse its weakest, but weak moments are thankfully few and far between. In reality, Skaldr‘s most serious flaw is that they align so closely with their influences, thereby limiting Saṃsṛ‘s potential to stand out. Nonetheless, it represents one of the more engaging and well-realized examples of the style. Hear it!

Subterranean Lava Dragon // The Great Architect [January 23rd, 2025 – Self Release]

Formed from members of Black Crown Initiate and Minarchist, Pennsylvania’s Subterranean Lava Dragon take the successful parts of their pedigree’s progressive death metal history and transplant them into epic, fantastical soundscapes on their debut LP The Great Architect. Despite the riff-focused, off-kilter nature of The Great Architect, there lies a mystical, mythical backbone behind everything Subterranean Lava Dragon do (“The Great Architect,” “Bleed the Throne”). Delicate strums of the guitar, multifaceted percussion, and noodly soloing provide a thoughtful thread behind the heaviest crush of prog-death riffs and rabid roars, a combination that favorably recalls Blind the Huntsmen (“The Silent Kin,” “A Dream of Drowning”). In a tight 42 minutes, Subterranean Lava Dragon approaches progressive metal with a beastly heft and a compelling set of teeth—largely driven by the expert swing and swagger of the bass guitar—that differentiates The Great Architect from the greater pool of current prog. Yet, its pursuit of creative song structure, reminiscent of Obsidious at times, allows textured gradations and nuanced layers to elevate the final product (“A Question of Eris,” “Ov Ritual Matricide”). It is for these reasons that I heartily recommend The Great Architect to anyone who appreciates smart, but still dangerous and deadly, metal.

Thus Spoke’s Likeable Leftovers

Besna // Krásno [January 16th, 2025 – Self Release]

It was the esteemed Doom et Al who first made me aware of Solvakian post-black group Besna. 2022’s Zverstvá was charming and moving in equal respects, with its folky vibe amplifying the punch of blackened atmosphere and epicness. With Krásno, the group take things in a sharper, more refined, and still more compelling direction, showing real evolution and improvement. The vague leanings towards the electronic play a larger role (“Zmráka sa,” “Hranice”), but songs also make use of snappier, and stronger emotional surges (“Krásno,” “Mesto spí”), the polished production to the atmospherics counterbalanced sleekly by the rough, ardent screams and pleasingly prominent percussion. Krásno literally translates as ‘beautiful,’ and Besna get away with titling their sophomore so bluntly because it is accurate. Melodies are more sweeping and stirring (“Krásno,” “Oceán prachu,” “Meso spí”), and the integration of the harsh amidst the mellow is executed more affectively (“Hranice,” “Bezhviezdna obloha”) than in the band’s previous work. Particularly potent are Krásno’s subtle nods and reprises of harmonic themes spanning the record (“Krásno,” “Oceán prachu,” “Mesto spí”), recurring like waves in an uplifting way that reminds me of Deadly Carnage‘s Through the Void, Above the Suns. Barely scraping past half an hour, the beautiful Krásno can be experienced repeatedly in short succession; which is the very least this little gem deserves.

Tyme’s Ticking Bomb

Trauma Bond // Summer Ends. Some Are Long Gone [January 12, 2025 – Self-Released]

Conceptualized by multi-instrumentalist Tom Mitchell1 and vocalist Eloise Chong-Gargette, London, England’s Trauma Bond plays grindcore with a twist. Formed in 2020 and on the heels of two other EPs—’21’s The Violence of Spring and ’22’s Winter’s Light—January 2025 sees Trauma Bond release its first proper album, Summer Ends. Some Are Long Gone, the third in a seasonally themed quadrilogy. Twisting and reshaping the boundaries of grindcore, not unlike Beaten to Death or Big Chef, Trauma Bond douses its grind with a gravy boat full of sludge. Past the moodily tribal and convincing intro “Brushed by the Storm” lies fourteen minutes of grindy goodness (“Regards,” “Repulsion”), sludgian skullduggery (“Chewing Fat”), and caustic cantankerousness (“Thumb Skin for Dinner”). You’ll feel violated and breathless even before staring down the barrel of nine-and-a-half minute closer “Dissonance,” a gargantuanly heavy ear-fuck that will liquefy what’s left of the organs inside your worthless skin with its slow, creeping sludgeastation. I was not expecting to hear what Trauma Bond served up, as the minimalist cover art drew me in initially, but I’m digging it muchly. Independently released, Summer Ends. Some Are Long Gone is a hell of an experience and should garner Trauma Bond a label partner. I’ll be hoping for that, continuing to support them, and looking forward to whatever autumn brings.

Iceberg’s Bleak Bygones

Barshasketh // Antinomian Asceticsm [January 9th, 2025 – W.T.C Productions]

My taste for black metal runs a narrow, anti-secondwave path. I want oppressive, nightmarish atmosphere, sure, but I also crave rich, modern production and technically proficient instrumental performances. Blending the fury of early Behemoth, the cinematic scope of Deathspell Omega, and the backbeat-supported drones of Panzerfaust, Barshasketh’s latest fell square in my target area. The pealing bells of “Radiant Aperture” beckoned me into Antinomian Asceticsm’s sacred space, a dark world populated with rippling drum fills, surprisingly melodic guitar work, and a varied vocal attack that consistently keeps things fresh. With the average track length in the 6-minute territory, repeat listens are necessary to reveal layers of rhythm and synth atmosphere that give the album its complexity. A throwaway interlude (“Phaneron Engulf”) and a drop in energy in the second and third tracks stop this from being a TYMHM entry, but anyone with a passing interest in technical black metal with lots of atmosphere should check this out.

Deus Sabaoth // Cycle of Death [January 17th, 2025 – Self-Released]

Deus Sabaoth have a lot going for them to catch my attention, beyond that absolutely entrancing cover art. Released under the shadow of war, this debut record from the Ukrainian trio bills itself as “Baroque metal,” another tag that piqued my interest. Simply put, Deus Sabaoth play melodic black metal, but there’s a lot more brewing under the surface. I hear the gothic, unsettled storytelling of The Vision Bleak, the drenching laments of Draconian, and the diligent, dynamic riffing of Mistur. The core metal ensemble of guitar, bass and drums is present, but the trio is augmented by a persistent accompaniment of piano and strings. The piano melodies—often doubled on the guitar—are where the baroque influence shines the greatest, echoing the bouncing, repetitive styling of a toccata (“Mercenary Seer,” “Faceless Warrior”). The vocals are something of an acquired taste, mainly due to their too-far-forward mix, but there’s a vitality and drive to this album that keeps me hooked throughout. And while its svelte 7 song runtime feels more like an EP at times, Cycle of Death shows enough promise from the young band that I’ll keep my eyes peeled in the future.

GardensTale’s Tab of Acid

I Don’t Do Drugs, I Am Drugs // I Don’t Do Drugs, I Am Drugs [January 27th, 2025 – Self-released]

When you name yourself after a famous Salvador Dalí quote, you better be prepared to back it up with an appropriate amount of weird shit. Thankfully, I Don’t Do Drugs, I Am Drugs strives to be worthy of the moniker. The band’s self-titled debut is a psychedelic prog-death nightmare of off-kilter riffs, structures that seem built upon dream logic, layers of ethereal synths and bizarre mixtures of vocal styles. The project was founded by Scott Hogg, guitarist for Cyclops Cataract, who is responsible for everything but the vocals. That includes all the songwriting. Hogg throws the listener off with an ever-shifting array of Gojira-esque plodding syncopation and thick, throbbing layers of harmonics that lean discordant without fully shifting into dissonance. But the songs float as easily into other-worldly soundscapes (“The Tree that Died in it’s[sic] Sleep”) or off-putting balladry (“Confierous”). BP of Madder Mortem handles vocals, and he displays an aptitude for the many facets required to buoy the intriguing but unintuitive music, his shouts and screams and cleans and hushes often layered together in strange strata either more or less than human. The combined result resembles a nightmare Devin may have had around 2005 after listening too much Ephel Duath. It’s not yet perfected; the ballad doesn’t quite work, and the compositions are sometimes a bit too dedicated to their lack of handholds. But it’s a hell of a trip, and a very convincing mission statement. A band to keep an eye on!

Dear Hollow’s Gunk Behooval

Bloodbark // Sacred Sound of Solitude [January 3rd, 2025 – Northern Silence Productions]

Bloodbark’s debut Bonebranches offered atmospheric black metal a minimalist spin, as cold and relentless as Paysage d’Hiver, as textured as Fen, and as barren as the mountains it depicts, exuding a natural crispness that recalls Falls of Rauros. Seven years later, we are graced with its follow-up, the majestic Sacred Sound of Solitude. Like its predecessor, the classic atmoblack template is cut with post-black to create an immensely rich and dynamic tapestry, lending all the hallmarks of frostbitten blackened sound (shrieks, blastbeats, tremolo) with the depth of a more modern approach. Twinkling leads, frosty synths, and forlorn piano survey the frigid vistas, while the more furious blackened portions scale snowbound peaks, utilized with the utmost restraint and bound by yearning chord progressions (“Glacial Respite,” “Griever’s Domain”). A new element in the act’s sound is clean vocals (“Time is Nothing,” “Augury of Snow”), which lend a far more melancholy vibe alongside trademark shrieking. Bloodbark offers top-tier atmospheric black metal, a reminder of the always-looming winter.

Great American Ghost // Tragedy of the Commons [January 31st, 2025 – SharpTone Records]

Boston’s Great American Ghost used to be extremely one-note, a coattail-rider of the likes of Kublai Khan and Knocked Loose. Deathcore muscles whose veins pulse to the beat of a hardcore heart, you’d be forgiven to see opener “Kerosene” as a sign of stagnation – chunky breakdowns and punk beats, feral barks and callouts, and a hardcore frowny face sported throughout. But Tragedy of the Commons is a far more layered affair, with echoes of metalcore past (“Ghost in Flesh,” “Hymns of Decay”), pronounced and tasteful nu-metal influence a la Deftones (“Genocide,” “Reality/Relapse”), and more variety in their rhythms and tempos, reflecting a Fit for an Autopsy-esque cutthroat intensity and ominous crescendos alongside a more pronounced influence of melody and manic dissonance (“Echoes of War,” “Forsaken”). Is it still meatheaded? Absolutely. Are its more “experimental” pieces in just well-trodden paths of metalcore bands past? Oh definitely. But gracing Great American Ghost a voice beyond the hardcore beatdowns does Tragedy of the Commons good and gives this one-trick pony another trail to wander.

Steel Druhm’s Detestible Digestibles

Guts // Nightmare Fuel [January 31st, 2025 – Self-Release]

Finland’s Guts play a weird “caveman on a Zamboni” variant of groove-heavy death metal that mixes OSDM with sludge and stoner elements for something uniquely sticky and pulversizing. On Nightmare Fuel, the material keeps grinding forward at a universal mid-tempo pace powered by phat, crushing grooves. “571” sounds like a Melvins song turned into a death metal assault, and it shouldn’t work, but it very much does. The blueprint for what Guts do is so basic, but they manage to keep cracking skulls on track after track as you remain locked in place helplessly. Nightmare Fuel is a case study into how less can be MOAR, as Guts staunchly adhere to their uncomplicated approach and make it work so well. Each track introduces a rudimentary riff and beats you savagely with it for 3-4 minutes with little variation. Things reset for the next track, and a new riff comes out to pound you into schnitzel all over again. This is the Guts experience, and you will be utterly mulched by massive prime movers like “Mortar” and “Ravenous Leech,” the latter of which sounds like an old Kyuss song refitted with death vocals and unleashed upon mankind. The relentlessly monochromatic riffs are things of minimalist elegance that you need to experience. Nightmare Fuel is a slow-motion ride straight into a brick wall, so brace for a concrete facial.

#2025 #AmericanMetal #AntinomianAsceticism #AtmosphericBlackMetal #AvantgardeMusic #BarfBagRecords #Barshasketh #BeatenToDeath #Behemoth #Besna #BigChef #BlackCrownInitiate #BlackMetal #BlindTheHuntsmen #Bloodbark #Bloodcrusher #BrutalDeathMetal #Converge #CycleOfDeath #CyclopsCataract #DeadlyCarnage #DeathMetal #Deathcore #DeathspellOmega #Deftones #DeusSabaoth #DevinTownsend #DoomMetal #Draconian #EphelDuath #FallsOfRauros #Fen #FitForAnAutopsy #Gojira #GothicMetal #GreatAmericanGhost #Grind #Grindcore #Guts #Hardcore #IDonTDoDrugsIAmDrugs #Jan25 #KnockedLoose #Krásno #KublaiKhan #MadderMortem #MelodicBlackMetal #Minarchist #Mistur #NightmareFuel #NorthernSilenceProductions #NuMetal #Oubliette #Panzerfaust #PaysageDHiver #PostBlack #ProgressiveDeathMetal #ProgressiveMetal #Review #Reviews #SacredSoundOfSolitude #SamSr_ #SelfRelease #SharpToneRecords #Skaldr #Slam #SlovakianMetal #Sludge #Stormkeep #StuckInTheFilter #SubterraneanLavaDragon #SummerEndsSomeAreLongGone #TheGreatArchitect #TheVisionBleak #TragedyOfTheCommons #TraumaBond #UKMetal #UkranianMetal #Voidseeker #Vorga #WTCProductions

Frogg – Eclipse Review

By Dolphin Whisperer

It’s a bird! It’s a plane? No! It’s a Frogg! Hailing from the festering urban sprawl of New York City, the upstart amphibian clan skews modern in influence and modernER in attack. Pulling the rip to progressive twist of Between the Buried and Me with the focus of tight structures and virtuosic play, Eclipse as a debut full-length, spins scales and riffs in only the way that a driven tech death band can. In this day and age, of course, tech alone can’t make the only splash. But something’s in the water where Frogg dwells, something laced with all the fidgeting whirr and tongue-out gambol for which a thirsting prog fan could ask.

In sweeping flair and uptempo character, Eclipse displays a corona of youthful exuberance around its core of high-practice death metal. Death metal via aggressive, riff-based drives and scratchy, barked vocals anyway—Frogg does not play the straight and skanky vomitous mosh tunes of olde. Rather, the swamp that Frogg inhabits spews a funk that curls senses around the Cynic-enabled rumblings of Augury or the ever-flowing melody of prime Neuraxis. And though the sounds of heavy chord chugs (“Life Zero”) and tricky-picked sweeps (“Interspecific Hybrid Species”) exist along that thought pattern, in bursts of individuality Frogg tears in equal abandon from ethereal jazz fusion (“Walpurgisnacht”) and metalcore-coded guitar fury (“Double Vision Roll”). Ambient long enough to let its gasping audience realign for another round of progressive tumbling, Eclipse barrels from jumping jack percussive runs to full layout fretboard gymnastics to chirping keys alerts all in a steady and vigorous breath.

Dense and meticulous, and through a love of screeching guitar histrionics and high-spirit guitar and synth work, the splatter of Frogg’s patchwork renders clear as a Klimt through virgin eyes. Despite the seeming excess, founding mind (and primary throat) Sky Moon Clark (The Mantle) and Brett Fairchild, while displaying their talent for hyperspeed, harmonized arpeggio runs (“Dandelion,” “Wake Up,” “Interspecific…”), maintain firm drops back into developed melodies and shrill inclusions—squabbling whammy flutters, clanging pick rakes, harmonic pings—to attach madness to memory. Wearing a strong relative compression,1 layers upon layers of these dancing guitar melodies stack atop pummeling kick runs and sputters, and lockstep counterpoint bass runs,2 to construct a shifting, shuffling mass of amplified chatter that never loses momentum. And with breaks both into hand-percussion and piano-led dance moments (“Walpurgisnacht,” “Wake Up,” “Sun Stealer”), full-blown mosh bridges (“Life Zero,” “Omni Trigger”), and guitar hero antics, keeping the feet and neck and fingers still throughout Eclipse is no easy task.

Though the tech lineage waves proudly in every Frogg leap, an attachment to human touches in production keeps Eclipse from feeling like another sterile outing in the crowded genre. It caught me by surprise the first time I heard “Dandelion,” Its introductory tap-sweep bustling with a clacking dryness that exposed its slight imperfections while creating an allure of reckless speed and challenge. Many look to technical expressions of metal to be effortless, but this particular patina about Frogg’s escalating scale runs, which swirls through screaming, bent peaks and note-stuffed solo explosions, transforms the feeling of étude into an extemporaneous romp. In this playful platform, Pat Metheny-imbued guitar whimsy can crash against glitching djentisms to gentle resolve (“Interspecific…”) or even force an end-of-range guitar squeak to take center stage after an exercise of finger envy (“Sun Stealer”). Boisterous might be the default loudness setting for this kind of saturated work, but in Frogg’s and seasoned engineer Jamie King‘s hands, Eclipse finds wrinkles along its dialed lines.

Yet, Eclipse isn’t perfect. Its extreme dedication to complex construction will pose an issue to the unprepared—digesting this kind of technicality-positioned music is never effortless. The volume of riffage, the speed of every rollicking bar, the force of every abundant fill present loaded and crooked in smile, though the shorter-form execution lowers the threshold for repeated exposure. In a rose-colored vision of what progressive death metal can be, Frogg finds a freedom in fanciful melody, brief poppy breaks, and unrestrained (but not all encompassing) musical showmanship. And if a debut can unwrap as fresh as Eclipse does, Frogg may very well find the world entrapped in their sticky wiles.

Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 9 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Self Release
Websites: froggofficial.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/froggband | tiktok.com/@froggband3
Releases Worldwide: March 7th, 2025

#2025 #35 #AmericanMetal #Augury #BetweenTheBuriedAndMe #Cynic #Eclipse #Frogg #IndependentRelease #Mar25 #Neuraxis #PatMetheny #ProgressiveDeathMetal #ProgressiveMetal #ProgressiveMetalcore #Review #Reviews #SelfRelease #TechnicalDeathMetal

Scare – In the End, Was It Worth It? Review

By Dear Hollow

Hardcore is usually pretty one-note, a hard-and-fast genre for white young ‘uns to unleash their anti-establishment rage against the machine, and it can be difficult to create anything that contains even a mere smidge of memorability. Scare embodies all the vigor of hardcore but attempts to fuse it with the bitter vinegar of sludge metal, making the sound of being beaten by police batons more like being showered by bricks. In the spirit of hardcore brevity and bleak nihilism, indeed: In the End, Was It Worth It?

Scare embodies what you love or hate about hardcore and nihilism of more extreme styles. Embodying the grindcore brevity in thirty-three minutes in thirteen tracks, Quebecois collective Scare brings the hard-and-fast attack with chuggy riffs, hardcore barks, and wailing solos, recalling a more sludge-inclined version of province-mates Apes. However, while density is certainly there, the sludge influence is less about the swampy soup-bubbling tone-abusers and more about the classic bluesy riff-and-solo approach of Crowbar or Down. While In the End, Was It Worth It? features the hallmarks of an enjoyable hardcore record with a misanthropic tone reminiscent of The Hope Conspiracy, it’s “inconsistent when it matters and consistent when it’s boring” quality makes Scare more of a yawn.

To their credit, Scare manages to fashion an effective blend of riff and solo. When the songwriting is fluid and the track identity secure, it achieves two approaches within this framework: a metallic hardcore darkness that feels as dark and foreboding as its artwork, and a kickass stew of groovy riffs that doesn’t let up. The fusion of chuggy riffs and diminished tremolo picking offers its trademark nihilism alongside creative drumming and blastbeats (“The Black Painting,” “Crowned in Yellow”), while a more sprawling and layered creepy placidity adds punch where it matters most (“Doomynation” 1 and 2, “Jeanne Dark”). Full-throttle riffs that don’t let up are the feature of the second approach, chunky and blazing leads with hardcore progressions giving way to wild solos and throat-shredding vocals (“Thrash Melrose,” “Midnight Ride,” “Reality of Death in the Maze of Hope”). To Scare’s credit, the decision to make In the End, Was It Worth It? less sludge-fucked tonally allows it a fluidity that allows both approaches to work – on paper.

The main problem with In the End, Was It Worth It? is Scare’s awkward songwriting. In spite of song lengths being capped at a very reasonable three-and-a-half minutes, they each nonetheless feel far too long for their own good. Heartfelt ascending major chord progressions shoehorned amid diminished tremolo passages (“Drifted Away,” “Harakiri Ton Industrie”), grindy intensity leading to awkward transitions within brief songs (“Nevermind If It All Explodes, I’ll Die Anyway,” “PMA – Pessimistic Mental Attitude”), excessive repetition (“Harakiri Ton Industrie,” “Jeanne Dark”), and shrieking vocal monotony throughout (variety only appears as growls in the identical two parts of “Doomynation”) are all killjoys in this reckless album. Tracks are also grouped thematically, leading to massive inconsistency: for instance, while “The Black Painting” and “Crowned in Yellow” offer a tastefully dark vibe (that is never addressed again), the hardcore-focused three-song marathon of “Jeanne Dark” to “Turbograine” wears thin way too fast. What’s ultimately frustrating about Scare is that even the best tracks aboard In the End, Was It Worth It? feel only partially formed, with neat riffs vanishing too soon and nothing sticking as a defining moment for that band.

Scare has a lot of good ideas but few solid executions. In the End, Was It Worth It? poses a yearning question and the answers are surprisingly disappointing, with hardcore intensity vanishing abruptly, bluesy sludge feeling halfhearted, and bleak nihilism being communicated only in sporadic moments. Even though the album is brief and track lengths reasonable, it feels far longer and I feel wearier having gone through it. In the End, Was It Worth It? Not really.

Rating: 1.5/5.0
DR: 11 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Self-Release
Websites: scareqc.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/scareqc
Releases Worldwide: February 21st, 2025

#15 #2025 #Apes #CanadianMetal #Crowbar #Down #Feb25 #Grindcore #HardcorePunk #InTheEnd #Review #Reviews #Scare #SelfRelease #SludgeMetal #TheHopeConspiracy #WasItWorthIt_

Black Talon – Scenes of Agony Review

By Kenstrosity

The thrash revival scene is alive and well, for better or worse. I don’t have a horse in the “for better or worse” race, but any thrash, newe or olde, hits hard when it strikes true. A big part of that impact comes from the spirit of thrash at its core. An inherent political lean and a pointed, punk energy defines much of what makes thrash thrash—to oversimplify the scene—and also makes up a significant portion of its appeal. For Edinburgh’s Black Talon, that spirit thrives and that appeal remains intact, despite ten long years separating their upcoming Scenes of Agony from their unsung debut, Endless Realities. With such a lengthy turnaround between albums, I’m interested to hear what Black Talon have to say in 2025.

If you’ve heard Havok and Municipal Waste, you possess a decent frame of reference for Black Talon’s sound. Throw in the particularly energetic wiles of Death Angel and their ilk, and a greater sense of familiarity with this material manifests. Politics and current events remain Black Talon’s subject of choice. To that end, earnest, if wholly unsubtle, lyrics deliver their message of frustration and disdain for various modern-age issues sneering from Johnny Steele’s versatile and venomous throat. Guitarist Rory Strachan stuffs an intimidating number of high-octane riffs, pulling from all corners of the thrashverse, into these forty-seven minutes, while drummer Dave Taylor pummels D-beats, freakouts, and double-bass runs—among other neat tricks—with wild abandon. Plucky and audible, bassist Eddie Campbell allots a delightful measure of low-end bounce to Scenes of Agony, giving the record a fuller heft than many modern records of this ilk can claim.

The style they play may be well-worn and reliable, but Black Talon’s execution on Scenes of Agony is rock-solid and at least a cut above stock. No matter where you look, a ridiculously effective hook lurks right around the corner. One of my favorite examples, “Falsifier” offers choice vocal nuggets such as “STAGES OF DENIAL AT YOUR DISCRETION,” bouncy riffing and a deeply satisfying double bass run to seal the song permanently inside my hippocampus. Quick and vicious cuts “Scenes of Agony,” “Cryptocracy,” and “Killing Time” offer similar sticky moments that make it easy to pick them out of a lineup without checking the tracklist. Unexpectedly, long-form troublemakers “Isolation” and “The Bastard Gene” also stand out as highlights by virtue of sheer vivacity. Even factoring in their somewhat lengthy buildups, these songs shrink before my ears so radically that I would never guess “Isolation” ran over nine minutes and “The Bastard Gene” barely under eight. To achieve this result, these numbers exhibit strong motifs of similar sharpness to their leaner companions, a high level of instrumental detail, and dynamic momentum.

Meanwhile, other sections of Scenes of Agony struggle to clear the high bar Black Talon set with their strongest material. Obviously, ten years of marinating time permitted even these cuts to make some marks, but offerings such as “Obnoxion” and closer “Not Meant to Last” don’t have the same staying power as others. In the former example, I struggle to grasp what the underlying message its lyrics mean to express. While it might be just a comprehension failure on my part (very likely), this confusion takes me out of the musical experience, as does the disorienting rapid fade that rudely shuts the number down. “Not Meant to Last,” on the flipside, simply lacks strong characteristics to magnify its voice in the greater crowd of engaging material preceding it, save for a very nice guitar solo. As a result, it sends Scenes of Agony off on a weaker note than it deserved. As an additional note, while I appreciate Black Talon’s focus on excellent riffcraft and muscular songwriting, developing fiery solo work, like that on “The Bastard Gene” and “Not Meant to Last,” into a few more nooks and crannies might’ve offered complementary points interest to an already compelling work.

It bears mentioning that Scenes of Agony sounds great regardless of its songwriting strengths and weaknesses. Full tones, rich textures, and a nice balance between instruments with Johnny’s vocals placed appropriately in front, this production strikes the right chord with this sponge. In effect, that’s what pushes Scenes of Agony past Good and into Very Good territory. It’s clear Black Talon loved making this record, and that care and passion for the craft comes through in the final product. A couple of nicks here and there aren’t nearly enough to dull the ear-catching luster of what might be one of the better modern thrash records to come out this year. Only time will tell!

Rating: Very Good
DR: 9 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Self Release
Websites: blacktalonthrash.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/blacktalonthrash
Releases Worldwide: January 31st, 2025

#2025 #35 #BlackTalon #BritishMetal #DeathAngel #Havok #Jan25 #MunicipalWaste #Review #Reviews #ScenesOfAgony #SelfRelease #ThrashMetal #UK

Mad Parish – The Dust of Forever Review

By El Cuervo

Woe betide the lowly copywriter / AI bot that dared to write that a band was ‘for fans of’ Iron Maiden, Virgin Steele, Camel, Rush and Rainbow. Iron Maiden and Camel are among my favorite acts in any genre, while the latter two boast a couple of the best rock albums ever released.1 Following this description I metaphorically elbowed other staffers aside to reach the sophomore Mad Parish record entitled The Dust of Forever. It’s certainly ambitious, weaving its yarn over 71 minutes and 21 tracks, including ten that run no more than two minutes designed to tell the album’s story through atmospheric interludes. Do these Canadians execute on these ambitions?

The comparator bands are reasonably appropriate. Mad Parish’s music falls somewhere in the blurred lines between 70s hard rock, 80s heavy metal, and prog rock. It prioritizes guitar and vocal melodies, but features plenty of synths and has conceptual aspirations supported by the story-telling interludes and a comic. The guitars play some solid riffs but these are typically limited to introductions; by the time they reach the verses and choruses, they’re more forgettable. For example, “An Age of Quell” opens with proper energy and weaves its guitars with synths in a Yes-sy fashion. But the ensuing verse lead can’t match the energy and invention of the introduction. Likewise, the first riff on “Cathedron Wakes” bridges technicality with melody and later bleeds into a crisp groove. But these cool leads are ruined with computerized vocals as the song develops. Hampering the core music the most is the production. The prominent synths undercut any guitar crunch, while the vocals can be over-produced and the drums lack punch through their weak bass presence. I like the leads a lot better when they’re exposed without the synths which stray into silly far too often. Dust of Forever is substantially rock music, but it doesn’t always feel like it.

I also struggle with the sometimes unclear songwriting signposts. Songs like “Possess the Child” careen from melody to melody with little indication that you’ve moved from verse to bridge to chorus. Of course, it’s possible to pick these out if you’re listening closely but without strong melodies, it feels directionless. And while this song improves in the second half, its instrumental passage might as well not belong to this song at all because it’s melodically inconsistent with the remainder. This trait extends across the album. In particular, the ten story-telling interludes are unnecessarily distinct from the main songs. The flute on “Outerest in Irisius” is just as odd as the horns on “Hunted.” Worse are the first two “Transmission” tracks that feature intriguing snippets of music from other genres – happy folk rock and jazzy swing – but are nonetheless superfluous and strange. They don’t improve the overall quality or flow, and these interludes add 15 minutes to an album that already feels too long.

All this endorses the position that Dust of Forever lacks a musical sense of direction. Given that it has a concept and supporting comic, you would expect that it would at least trace a discernible route through its many songs and interludes. But this isn’t the case, and there’s no sense of climax towards the end of the album. The last main song is just another song enclosed by weird short tracks. Across an album this long, I at least want some sense of payoff but there’s none. However, the most damning quality of Dust of Forever is that even if it only ran for 30 minutes, it would still feel repetitive and dull. I struggle to get through just a ten-minute stint without my attention wandering elsewhere, let alone all 71 minutes. Spreading material that lazily sways from sub-par to mediocre over such a long period results in a record that proactively saps my energy and enthusiasm.

While Mad Parish may stylistically fit between the bands that form their core influences, the quality here falls far short. Dust of Forever lacks the infectious energy of Iron Maiden, the progressive levity of Camel, the technical grandeur of Rush, and the groovy boldness of Rainbow. This album isn’t totally devoid of value, but the choice fragments are buried in a deluge of other material that I cannot approve of. Picking out the positives involves cherry-picking specific guitar or vocal melodies from specific songs. This is possible but it wouldn’t tell you much about the overall quality or key characteristics of the album. Hopefully, the remainder of this review has done so.

Rating: 1.5/5.0
DR: 11 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Self-release
Websites: madparish.com | madparish.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/madparish
Releases Worldwide: January 31st, 2024

#15 #2025 #Camel #CanadianMetal #HardRock #HeavyMetal #IronMaiden #Jan25 #MadParish #ProgressiveRock #Rainbow #Review #Reviews #Rush #SelfRelease #TheDustOfForever #VirginSteele #Yes

Stuck in the Filter: November and December 2024’s Angry Misses

By Kenstrosity

Seeing as how it’s already almost February, you must be wondering why we’re still talking about shit from 2024. Not that I have to explain myself to you, but I didn’t give my minions grueling tasks just so that I could not take the glory for their labors. That wouldn’t embody this blog’s continual aspiration of being terrible capitalists! And so, we press on, searching and rescuing worthy—but not too worthy—pledges for the barbaric, Hunger Games-esque event that is Stuck in the Filter.

BEHOLD! Gaze upon these late-year candidates with the appropriate levels of awe, ye ov little consequence!

Kenstrosity’s Wintry Wonders

Caelestra // Bastion [December 13th, 2024 – Self Release]

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. For this sponge, I know something is beautiful when it ensnares me into otherworldly environments unlike those which mirrors terrestrial mundanity. UK post-metal one-man act Caelestra specializes in such ethereal worlds, with debut record Black Widow Nebula catching my attention under its blazing miasma of Countless Skies lushness, Astronoidal optimism, and Dreadnought-esque compositional vibrancy. Follow-up Bastion treads much the same path, but with an added emphasis on cathartic spells of intensity reminiscent of current Irreversible Mechanism (“Finisterre”), Kardashev (“Soteria”), or Devin Townsend (“The Hollow Altar”). Balancing these potentially disparate references, mastermind Frank Harper’s compositions flow with an uncanny smoothness without falling into a pit of homogeny. Bastion thereby represents a varied and textured affair built upon compelling guitar leads, unexpected riffs, multifaceted vocal techniques, and athletic percussive movements (“Finisterre,” “Lightbringer,” “The Hollow Altar”). Choosing the long form as Caelestra’s primary vehicle for this musical journey only deepens the experience, as each act offers a wide spectrum of moods, a rich tapestry of characters, and a lush layering of story to enrich any listener’s journey through Bastion (“Lightbringer,” “Eos”). Yet, the whole coheres tightly into a memorable and accessible forty-eight-minute span, easily replayable and effortlessly enjoyable. That, more than anything, makes Bastion a neat little triumph worth checking out.

Earthbound // Chronos [November 26th, 2024 – Self Release]

I have the honor of claiming this find all to my own—something that hasn’t occurred as often this past year as it has in those preceding. Bristol’s Earthbound offer a particular brand of melodic death metal that I want to love more often than I actually do, but they checked all my boxes here. Occupying a space somewhere between Amorphis, Countless Skies, and Dark Tranquillity, Earthbound’s style is simultaneously effervescent, introspective, and crushing on debut record Chronos. Boasting chunky riffs, soaring leads, classic melodeath rhythms, and buttery-smooth baritone vocals, Chronos throws blow after blow for forty-nine minutes of high-engagement material. Looking at standout tracks “A Conversation with God,” “The Architect,” “Cloudburst,” “Aperture,” and “Transmission,” Earthbound’s compelling songwriting tactics and knack for a killer hook recall underappreciated gems by modern contemporaries Rifftera and Svavelvinter. Some of their most accessible moments almost, but not quite, veer into pop-levels of accessibility, further accentuating Earthbound’s infectious energy (“Change,” “Flight,” “Transmission,” “Chasing the Wind”). This works marvelously in Earthbound’s favor, not only making Chronos a joy to listen to in its own right but also impressing me with how polished and professional the band is with only one full-length under the belt. Don’t let this one fall through the cracks!

Flaahgra // Plant Based Anatomy [November 15th, 2024 – Self Release]

WWWWOOOOOORRRRRRMMMHHHHHHOOO… wait, what? Oh, no, this is Flaahgra. But, the riffs sound like my beloved Wormhole! What’s going on? Oh, well this explains it. Sanil Kumar of Wormhole fame is responsible for Plant Based Anatomy’s guitar work. Rounded out by Tim “Toothhead” Lodge (bass), Chris Kulak (drums), and Anthony Michelli (vocals), this Baltimore quartet concoct a fast-paced, riff-burdened blunderbuss of gurgling vegan slam meatier than the fattest flank this side of Texas. It may be based around plants (and Metroid), but there are enough muscular grooves, neat lead work, and boisterous percussive rhythms here to keep even the most ravenous death fiend stuffed to the stamen (“Blood Flower,” “Toxic Green Fluid,” “Solar Recharge,” “Plant Based Anatomy”). Oversaturated with killer hooks, Plant Based Anatomy feels every bit as headbangable as this group’s pedigree indicates, but their application is delightfully straightforward, allowing Sanil’s standard-setting slams to shine brightest (“Plant Based Anatomy,” “Garden Cascade,” “Venom Weed Atrocity”). At a lean twenty-five minutes, Plant Based Anatomy rips through my system as efficiently as any grease-laden, overstuffed fast-food chimichanga, leaving just as vivid an impression in its wake. If there was ever a quick and easily digestible example of what differentiates really good slam from two-buck upchuck, Plant Based Anatomy is it. FFFLLAAAAHHHHGGGRRRAAAA!

Tyme’s Time Turners

Solar Wimp // Trails of Light [November 15th, 2024 – Self Release]

The richly dense knowledge and tastes of the commentariat here at AMG are a marvel. And despite the long hours of hard work the staff put in writing and keeping Redis at bay, not to mention the gut-wrenching task of pumping the n00b sump pit every Friday1 we continue to scour tons of promo to bring you the best and the rest of all things metal(ish). Invariably, some things trickle up from our most precious readers that deserve more attention than a few rando comments and respects. Such is the case with L.A.’s Solar Wimp. It was during my most recent stint in2 continued n00bdom that I scoped one of our commenters pimping the Wimp‘s who released, sadly to me now, their last album, Trails of Light, in November. As my ears absorbed the immediately quirky dissonance of the opener, “Entwined with Glass,” I was reminded of how blown away I was upon hearing Jute Gyte for the first time, this more due to my un-expectations than anything else. What followed was a journey I happily embarked on through fields of saxophonic freedom (“Strand and Tether”) and forests of long-form avant-garde brilliance (“Shimmer”). The black(ish) metal vocals and tech-jazz guitar histrionics of Jeremy Kerner, combined with Justin Brown’s bassinations and Mark Kimbrell’s drums, imbue so much passion into the music on Trails of Light, it has me guessing Solar Wimp may have very well saved their best for last. While I’m sure you’re ready to move on from 2024, I’d encourage you to dip back into last year’s well for a bit and give Solar Wimp’s Trails of Light a listen or five.

Thus Spoke’s Fallen Fragments

Yoth Iria // Blazing Inferno [November 8th, 2024 – Edged Circle Productions]

Yoth Iria’s sophomore Blazing Inferno arrived with little fanfare, which is a shame because they’re very good at what they do. Their brand of Hellenic black metal even charmed a 3.5 out of GardensTale with their 2021 debut As the Flame Withers. The new album very much picks up where its predecessor left off, in musical content as well as the fact that Yoth Iria clearly have a thing for giant demonic figures dwarfing human civilization. In a refreshingly to-the-point format, the group3 serve up some solid, groovy Satanic triumphalism that belies the relatively diminutive breadth of the songs that contain it. With thundering drums (“In the Tongue of Birds,” “We Call Upon the Elements”), spirited guitar leads (“But Fear Not,” “Mornings of the One Thousand Golds”), and a collection of classic growls, ominous whispers, and cleans, Yoth Iria craft engaging and very enjoyable compositions. Tracks manage to hold atmosphere and presence without detracting from the dopamine-producing tremolo twists and wails of drawn-out melody (title track, “Rites of Blood and Ice,” “Mornings…”) that draw it all together. This is black metal that makes you feel good about allying with the light-bringer. Not in any highbrow way, of course, just with great riffs, the right amount of tension and nuance, and convincingly massive compositions that steer away from the overwrought and cringe-inducing. It’s just plain good.

Botanist // VII: Beast of Arpocalyx [December 6th, 2024 – Self-Release]

Though recorded all the way back in 2016, the music of Beast of Arpocalyx has not seen the light until now. The seventh installment in the esoteric, botanical saga, VII: Beast of Arpocalyx focuses on plants with mythological animal associations. In comparison to last May’s Paleobotany, this is the solo work of founder Otrebor yet the heart of Botanist’s music has never been compromised. The distinctive tones of hammered dulcimer, make the black metal ring—literally and metaphorically—with playful mysticism when they engage in chirruping and cheerful refrains (“Wolfsbane,” “The Barnacle Tree”) and a weird eeriness when they stray into the dissonant (“The Vegetable Lamb of Tartary,” “Floral Onyx Chiroptera”). Nothing is substantially different here, but Botanist’s style is an enjoyably quirky one that I, at least, am always happy to indulge in. In many ways, this is not far removed from raw black metal, with the prominent chimes of (not always tuneful) melodicism wrapping snarls and rasps in an iridescent veil that makes the psychedelic turns from whimsical peace to urgent and barbed blastbeat aggression (“The Vegetable Lamb of Tartary,” “The Paw of Anigozanthos”) very compelling, pleasant even. Yeah, it’s kind of weird to hear chorals or synths under blackened rasps and clanging drums, while a dulcimer warbles along. But when the weirdness nonetheless succeeds in developing an atmosphere and inducing a desire to garner a similarly obsessive knowledge of flora, I can’t really complain.

Killjoy’s Atmospheric Attractions

Nishaiar // Enat Meret [December 5, 2024 – Self-Release]

2024 may technically be over, but there were a few releases in December that keep dragging my attention back to last year. First up is Nishaiar from Gondar, Ethiopia, whose sound resides at the unlikely intersection of traditional Ethiopian music, post-black metal, and Enya-style New Age. Coming off an arduous release schedule that yielded an EP and 5 full-lengths in only 4 years, Nishaiar took some extra time to recharge since Nahaxar in 2021. The results are readily apparent–Enat Meret features some of the punchiest material the band has written to date. “Yemelek” combines folk instruments, vibrant male chanting, and rending screams. An important element that elevates Enat Meret is the addition of a full-time female vocalist, whose moniker also happens to be Enat Meret. Her voice ranges from ethereal (“Idil”) to wistful (“Enat Midir”) to commanding (“Beheke”). There is some bloat—intro track “Semayawi” repeats itself for too long and “Awedal” through “Alem” leans too hard into atmosphere to be suitable for active listening. Even so, this is an album unlike any other you’re likely to hear anytime soon.

Atra Vetosus // Undying Splendour [December 20, 2024 – Immortal Frost Productions]

Next up is Atra Vetosus, who came to me by way of rec-master TomazP. Undying Splendour is a captivating work of atmospheric black metal that tempers the wanderlust of Skyforest with the melodic trem-picked fury of Mare Cognitum. It’s stuffed with triumphant, uplifting guitar melodies that contrast compellingly with mournful, anguished shouts and screams. Like a flowing stream, the graceful orchestrations smooth out any rough edges in their path, pairing exceptionally well with the rhythm section in the intro of “Forsaking Dreaded Paths.” The brawny bass lines throughout the album add satisfying oomph and the drumming is constantly engaging with lots of fleeting tempo shifts (“This Fallow Heart”) and expansive tom rolls (“Elysian Echoes”). Atra Vetosus have perfected the difficult art of long-form atmoblack—all the proper songs on Undying Splendour are between 7 and 11 minutes long and, crucially, feel purposeful without meandering. Though atmoblack is often maligned, I’ll happily get behind Atra Vetosus as one of the new standard bearers of the genre at its very best.

Skagos // Chariot Sun Blazing [December 21, 2024 – Self-Release]

They say that good things come to those who wait. Skagos makes an excellent case for this expression with Chariot Sun Blazing, an appropriate title given the tremendous glow-up that the atmospheric black metal group underwent since releasing Anarchic in 2013. While their woodsy black metal has always maintained similarities with the likes of Wolves in the Throne Room (who are also based in Olympia, Washington), this time around the music is infused with a real live string quartet and a two-horn section4. The effects of this additional instrumentation run way more than skin deep; Chariot Sun Blazing feels and flows like an actual symphony. For instance, the combination of the Wagner tuba with guitar plucking in the beginning of “Which in Turn Meet the Sea” evoke a misty morning which gradually warms up with guitar and string crescendos to thaw the leftover frost. The compositions are introspective and intimate, which is refreshing when compared with the usual grandiosity and bombast of symphonic music (metal or otherwise). While there’s nothing wrong with the raspy vocals, this is a rare instance when I would be completely okay if this were an instrumental album. This is an experience absolutely not to be missed.

Dolphin Whisperer’s Late-Blooming Bustles

Alarum // Recontinue [November 8th, 2024 – Self Release]

So many bands in the progressive and technical lanes forget to have fun. Not long, unheralded Australian prog/thrash/jazz fusion-heads Alarum, though. Truth be told, I had forgotten this band existed sometime before their 2011 release Natural Causes all up until about September of 2024 when I caught wind of this new release, Recontinue. Their oddball, heavily Cynic-inspired 2004 opus Eventuality… had stood the test of time in my archives plenty for its wild fusion antics woven into a riff-tricky, bass-poppin’ technical platform. And here, twenty years later, little has changed at Alarum’s foundation. A few things have shifted for the better, though, namely Alarum finding a more balanced resonance in production brightness and clarity, which helps highlight the flirtatious bass play of tracks like “The Visitor” and “Footprints” come to life. Additionally, this crisp and cutting mix allows the joyous neoclassical shredding escapades to carve a blazing path toward textures and alien warbles with a Holdsworth-ian charm (“Zero Nine Thirty,” “Awaken by Fire”). But, most importantly, Alarum continues to bring an ever-shuffling thrash energy similar to early Martyr works (“Imperative,” “Unheard Words,” “Into Existing”) while continuing to remember to toss in off-the-wall detours, like the funk-wah intro of “A Lifelong Question” or the bossa nova outro of “The Visitor.” Recontinue, as a late-career release from a continual dark horse from the land down under remains a consistent joy for the ears. If you’ve never heard Alarum to this point, and you’ve always wished that a jazzy, Cynic-inspired band would come around with a more metal attitude than the current trajectory of their inspirations, get Recontinue in your ears as soon as possible. And if, like me, you’ve fallen of the righteous path, know that time can correct all sorts of silly mistakes.

Gorging Shade // Inversions [November 11th, 2024 – Self Release]

With a sound that is as otherwordly and looming as it is terrestrial and bass-loaded, Gorging Shade has taken a vigorous and shaking progressive death metal form. The proficiency with which every performer weaves disparate melodic lines through echoing, ghastly samples and chaotic, witchy background chatter does not come entirely as a surprise, as the entire roster consists of the members of instrumental progressive act Canvas Solaris. Mood, atmosphere and a bellowing howl, though, separate this incarnation of Georgia’s finest. But the eerie space that Inversions inhabits too has manifested as a collective of talents on display with another offshoot from this act, the dark industrial Plague Pslams (composed of bassist Gael Pirlot and drummer Hunter Ginn, who also currently plays with Agalloch). As an experience layered between the history of sounds these tech wizards have created, Inversions lands dense and challenging. At its core, a rhythmic stomp propels each of its tracks alongside percussive riffs that echo the constant motion of Cynic, the blackened scrawl of Emperor, and the melancholy triumph of Ulcerate swells. But in a package uniquely Gorging Shade, a world emerges from each carefully constructed narrative. Sometimes energy rushes forth (“Disease of Feeling, Germed”). At others, noises creaking and crawling lay teasing grounds for careful exploration (“Ordeal of the Bitter Water,” “A Concession of Our City to Modernity”). Whatever the mode of attack, Gorging Shade delivers in a classic and meticulous wall of sound—perhaps a touch too volume-loaded on occasion—that hits first in waves of melodic intrigue, second in aftershocks of plotted and studied efforts. Its later in the year released may have kept Inversions’ treasures more hidden than I would have liked. The beauty of music, of course, is that we may sit with it as little or as long as we wish to parse its tireless arrangement.

#2024 #Agalloch #Alarum #AmericanMetal #Amorphis #Astronoid #AtmosphericBlackMetal #AtraVetosus #AustralianMetal #AvantGardeMetal #BlackMetal #BlazingInferno #Botanist #Caelestra #CanvasSolaris #ChariotSunBlazing #Chronos #CountlessSkies #Cynic #DarkTranquility #DeathMetal #Dec24 #DevinTownsend #Dreadnought #Earthbound #EdgedCircleProductions #Emperor #EnatMeret #Enya #EthiopianMetal #Flaahgra #GorgingShade #GreekMetal #Holdsworth #ImmortalFrostProductions #Inversions #IrreversibleMechanism #JuteGyte #Kardashev #MareCognitum #martyr #MelodicDeathMetal #Nishaiar #Nov24 #PlaguePsalms #PostBlackMetal #PostMetal #ProgressiveDeathMetal #ProgressiveMetal #Recontinue #Review #Reviews #Rifftera #RottingChrist #SelfRelease #Skagos #Skyforest #Slam #SolarWimp #StuckInTheFilter #Svavelvinter #TechDeath #TechnicalDeathMetal #TrailsOfLight #UKMetal #Ulcerate #UndyingSplendour #VIIBeastOfArpocalyx #WolvesInTheThroneRoom #Wormhole #YothIria

Corroding Soul – Corroding Soul Review

By Twelve

Atmospheric black metal is a deceptively wide (sub-)genre, and it seems like every time I opt to review some, I end up with something different. The UK’s Corroding Soul has me in a musing mood over this because I’m not sure I’ve heard atmospheric metal quite like it before. The solo project of David Lovejoy, Corroding Soul, formerly Sorrow Plagues, is releasing its debut release under that moniker and plays symphonic, highly atmospheric black metal in a way that once again is making me reconsider what I think about when I hear the atmoblack term. Usually, we like different around here, but it’s no guarantee of anything—so let’s take a listen and see where we end up.

Corroding Soul is unquestionably a work of atmospheric black metal, in that it’s got the blast beats, the hazy guitar riffs, and the screaming vocal performances that the style is well-known for. What sets it apart from its contemporaries is the heavy use of symphonic elements that help to give the album a space-themed feel. It reminds me of Enshine, if Enshine went the black metal route, or perhaps if they collaborated with a project like Woods of Desolation. Most melodies are performed through piercing guitar leads and propped up by heavy synths and pads that give Corroding Soul a dream-like texture. I haven’t heard much like it—dreamy, spacey metal, sure, effective atmoblack, sure, but not together. The more I think about it, the more that surprises me because it works quite well here.

David Lovejoy is very talented, and his abilities are on full display across Corroding Soul. The guitar leads that act as primary drivers for their songs sound terrific, wistful, and strong, while the rhythm guitars are clear enough to provide genuine heaviness to the album. Opener “Shadow” is a remarkable journey, built around a single, beautiful lead that repeats and shifts, building and releasing tension in a powerful way. “Sapphire” and “Tempest” allow the synths to show off the most, through ringing chords that pair nicely with Lovejoy’s tortured screams (juxtaposing, of course). “Tempest” in particular is beautiful for all its power—and it has plenty of that, bass, guitars, and drums all racing to keep up with each other up to the perfectly-timed interlude halfway through. The sound profile that Corroded Soul aims for has so much potential, and, as a result, there are beautiful, heavy, powerful, and intense moments scattered all across Corroded Soul.

The main reason Corroded Soul does not resonate with me the way I feel it should is that those moments are at times few and far between. With four songs stretching thirty-nine minutes, Corroded Soul puts a lot into each track, and leans heavily on repetition to get to the finish line. This means it’s a problem that the primary theme on “Bound” reminds heavily of “Shadow.” On the other side of the fence, “Sapphire” doesn’t really have a singular unifying idea like the other three songs do. Instead, it explores a great many ideas over eleven minutes. Some of these are genuinely great—I love the hopeful keyboard work about halfway through, for instance—but the repetitions and structures make the back half of Corroded Soul feel longer than they are. I can’t say I dislike it, but it doesn’t hold my attention either.

I want to like Corroding Soul a lot more than I do. I love its themes, the dreamy blend of sorrowful and hopeful music, and the way everything works so well together to create a cohesive sound. The performances are strong, but the songwriting doesn’t quite resonate with me, particularly in the back half of the album. I will be excited to see what comes next for Corroding Soul, but this debut feels ever-so-slightly lost in space to this listener.

Rating: 2.5/5.0
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Self-release
Websites: corrodingsoul.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/corrodingsoulofficial
Releases Worldwide: January 24th, 2025

#25 #2025 #AtmosphericBlackMetal #BritishMetal #CorrodingSoul #Enshine #Jan25 #Review #Reviews #SelfRelease #SorrowPlagues #WoodsOfDesolation