Yeah I'm into this. At first it was giving me #TheBlackDahliaMurder vibes, but it grows into its own thing from there. #Metal https://youtu.be/95SKFahGA64?si=4DM0yOQ6twgtSBfH
#TheBlackDahliaMurder
I reckon 'Ritual' by The Black Dahlia Murder is an absolute classic.
In fact, I know I say I like a lot of albums...
Also good... The Black Dahlia Murder.
Burned in Effigy – Tyrannus Aeternum Review
By ClarkKent
On their debut, Rex Mortem, the king was dead, but on Burned in Effigy’s sophomore effort, Tyrannus Aeternum, the king is now eternal. Their brand of neo-classical melodeath impressed Holdeneye three years ago—he hailed the debut as a mix of “brutal and beautiful.” However, he showed a rare moment of restraint in scoring Rex Mortem just shy of the vaunted 4.0, and plenty of commenters felt it should have earned that extra notch. Melodeath acts are a dime a dozen, and they don’t always successfully elevate themselves above the generic. So when Burned in Effigy infused their songs with virtuoso-level guitar melodies that emulated classical compositions, they quickly rose above the pack. At just a tidy 32 minutes, fans wanted moar, and now they seek to deliver—moar songs, moar length—on Tyrannus Aeternum.
Be careful what you wish for—moar is not always better. While there are certainly more songs, this album of neo-classical melodeath is notably shy of the neo-classical riffs that made the debut so electric. Tyrannus Aeternum hews a little too close to Burned in Effigy’s main source of inspiration, The Black Dahlia Murder, and some tracks, like “Masquerade,” sound like they could have come straight off of Abysmal or Nighbringers. This isn’t to say there’s nothing to enjoy. The front half has good energy and concise song lengths, even if most of the songs don’t hit quite as hard as anything on the debut. Plus, the record sounds great. The dual guitar approach remains impressive—there’s still plenty of noodly stuff and some melodic riffs that will remind you of the debut. As usual, Smedy’s vocal attack provides a lot of character, as he alternates between Strnad-like rasps and throaty growls. The kit work by Eddie Dec is a particular standout. His speedy, muscular blast beats steal the show on “Sacrificial Seance” and “Monstrosity Reborn.”
One of Rex Mortem’s strengths was its conciseness, and on Tyrannus Aeternum, Burned in Effigy introduce some bloat. It’s not that 45 minutes is necessarily too long, but where songs on the debut hit the 3-4 minute sweet spot, here they often drag on too long. This gets worse on the back half, where most tracks top five minutes. This final stretch becomes wearying, except for the fantastic “The Racking.” The back half also shifts away from the energetic melodeath and more into death-doom territory. These songs still have plenty of good moments, but the lack of hooks makes some of them, frankly, boring. The final two tracks represent the worst stretch on the record. It would have been better to end on the high note of “The Racking” rather than make us wade through an extra ten minutes of forgettable tunes.
Burned in Effigy show signs of their former selves on the two standout tracks, but it takes until song number five, “Wage of Exile,” to get there. The song opens with a neo-classical melodic lead—finally!—and doesn’t let up the energy until ending on the thematically appropriate, “Long live the king!” As good as this is, it’s “The Racking” that steals the show. It sounds fresh and lively, employing a wide variety of guitar techniques—melodic leads, tremolos, and even a neo-classical bass line—as well as some classical strings to keep it sounding fresh and energetic. Tyrannus Aeternum also has a couple of one-minute interludes where Burned in Effigy are at their most experimental musically. “Procession” takes a brief break with some upbeat Spanish guitar, while “Gallows Hymn” is more whimsical and cinematic, sounding like it could find a home on the score for Wednesday. Since these interludes precede the two best tunes on Tyrannus Aeternum, one could argue they should have included more of them.
Sadly, this is probably the biggest disappointment of the year for me. There’s a part of me that wonders if I’m more down on this just because it doesn’t live up to its predecessor. Yet, if this were the debut instead, I don’t think Burned in Effigy would have garnered as much attention. Nonetheless, there’s plenty to enjoy on Tyrannus Aeternum, and plenty to show that Rex Mortem wasn’t a fluke. This feels like a band still trying to shore up its own identity, and hopefully, by the next go-around, they’ll have a better grasp on who they are and return to their exciting roots.
Rating: 2.5/5.0
DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Self-Released
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: October 31st, 2025
#25 #2025 #americanMetal #burnedInEffigy #deathMetal #melodicDeathMetal #neoClassicalMetal #oct25 #review #reviews #selfReleased #theBlackDahliaMurder #tyrannusAeternum
Gig Review: Lorna Shore Reaped Oblivion Upon the Theater at MSG – 10/30/25:
#GigReview #LivePhotos #LornaShore #TheBlackDahliaMurder #ShadowOfIntent #PeelingFlesh
On my way to catch #LornaShore #ShadowOfIntent and #TheBlackDahliaMurder again but this time in #NewYorkCity
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#MetalInjection
THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER Postpones Their Latin American Tour Again
#THEBLACKDAHLIAMURDER #PostponesTheirLatinAmericanTourAgain #tour #MetalInjection #metal #music
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#MetalInjection
THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER Postpones Their Latin American Tour Again
#THEBLACKDAHLIAMURDER #PostponesTheirLatinAmericanTourAgain #tour #MetalInjection #metal #music
By Dear Hollow
Wretched has always been a strange beast, incorporating the heft of deathcore with the technicality and atmosphere of more progressive acts. While breakout album (and my introduction to the band) Beyond the Gate was an elegantly elegiac deathcore album, swaying between the patient sprawls of “Birthing Sloth” and the bouncy chugs of “My Carrion,” follow-ups Sons of Perdition and Cannibal reflected the changing of the guard at vocals, as Glass Casket frontman Adam Cody injected an unhinged frenetic energy that had the band flirting with grind and thrash. Decay is an important album, released eleven years after its predecessor and existing as a return to form for a band that never had a slump.
While Cody injected the North Carolina act with a sense of urgency, the return of original vocalist Billy Powers returns Wretched to its more elegant and patient approaches. Although deathcore is on the bill, most of the proceeds recall The Black Dahlia Murder and Inferi rather than the Suicide Silences and Whitechapels of the world – landing somewhere in the core- and melo-realm of Vale of Pnath or early The Faceless.1 Yes, you’ll find some sticky chugs that punch through periodically, but the emphasis on the interplay between ominous and melodic shines brightest in Decay, reflecting a concept album that returns to the mythological roots as well as its musical roots – serving as a narrative prequel to the concept behind Beyond the Gate. Retaining that chthonic atmosphere, the balance between the light and dark and newfound experimentation are tantalizing, if imperfect, elements in the rebirth of Wretched.
If Beyond the Gate was your favorite Wretched record, Decay is a welcome return. Waltz-like 6/8 timing, drawn-out passages collapsing into Steve Funderburk’s signature melodic cascades, and periodic breakdowns amid the elegiac, adding a necessary spike to the beautiful melodies. Powers’ vocals, as is the case in debut The Exodus of Anatomy and Beyond the Gate, can feel a bit jarring in their raspier tone and regularly impressive range (feeling asynchronous with the elegant instrumental musings) – but he delivers a charismatic performance that drives the music forward. The bookends of Decay find themselves in this realm, balancing melody with chunky bite and shifting tempos (“Decay,” “The Royal Body,” “Blackout”), while more aggressive rhythms and anthemic lyrics offer bouncy fun (“Malus Incarnate,” “The Golden Tide,” “The Golden Skyway”). While this range works, some tracks feel too rooted in the former, relying on overly long and uninteresting sprawls rooted in semi-heavy open strum patterns (“The Crimson Sky”). Taken as a whole, the first act can be a bit too heavy a mood-setter than a series of interesting songs, as well, due to Wretched’s more subdued approach.
The centerpieces of Decay find Wretched tossing out the template and flipping off the comfort zone. Blessedly, the experimentation is not without an adequate transition, as its simultaneously most brutal and most melodic (“Radiance”) appears to move fluidly into the more experimental meat. Grungy clean vocals and wailing guitar solos move through an almost Southern-fried bluesy melodic template (“Clairvoyance”), a heavenly choral interlude gives rest before the journey (“The Mortal Line”), and the longest Wretched track in its discography: the sixteen-minute long “Behind the Glass”2 moves between moods of despair, forgiveness, and light through layers of guitar leads, violin, flutes, and even accordion, deteriorating into viciously dark chugs. This is capped off by an unsettling foray into dissonance and jagged rhythms (“Lights”), before returning to the more aggressive third act.
At its worst, Wretched offers either dull shimmies of monotonous strums or a progressive edge so wild it can be disorienting. What’s remarkable, though, is that it nonetheless feels distinctly like Wretched, and a return to the mythological heyday of their sophomore effort – that flexibility has been a strength all along. Sure, Powers’ vocals can feel out of place in the gentler moments, some tracks don’t land, the heft is lacking, and the track list is shaped like an epic with weird-ass moments to shake you loose, but the band’s storytelling through its songwriting is well intact, if not better, than eleven years ago. It’s a welcome return to form for Wretched and speaks to avenues of possibility. The fifth full-length suggests more potential than it achieves but the moral is the same: ironically, no decay in sight.
Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Metal Blade Records
Websites: wretchednc.bandcamp.com | wretchedmusic.com | facebook.com/wretchednc
Releases Worldwide: October 17th, 2025
#2025 #30 #AmericanMetal #Deathcore #Decay #GlassCasket #Inferi #MelodicDeathMetal #MelodicDeathcore #MetalBladeRecords #MirrorOfDeadFaces #Oct25 #ProgressiveDeathMetal #Review #Reviews #SuicideSilence #TechnicalDeathcore #TheBlackDahliaMurder #TheFaceless #ValeOfPnath #Whitechapel #Wretched
Killer show. I am sad that Ben wasn’t there to front #ShadowOfIntent but the guy covering for him did really well. A few technical problems and some mix issues but overall #TheBlackDahliaMurder and #LornaShore absolutely crushed it. Hell yeah #Metal rules. It was my wife’s first metal show and while I don’t think she’s converting any time soon, she said she could appreciate what the bands were doing. She definitely enjoyed Lorna Shore more than some of the other bands.
Happy #PeelingFlesh #ShadowOfIntent #TheBlackDahliaMurder and #LornaShore concert day to me! Can't wait to take part in a massive wall of #Metal later today!
Man, I'm super stoked that I get to see #ShadowOfIntent coming up in Seattle, but I just learned that their singer won't be at that show (for good reasons). It'll be unique to see them with a different singer, but not sure what I was hoping for. Also, they aren't playing Barren and Breathless Macrocosm this tour either. Which is unfortunate because they are touring with #TheBlackDahliaMurder but the song was with Trevor.
Complaining aside, it's going to be a brutal show and I can't wait. SOI, TBDM, and #LornaShore. It's also my wife's first ever #Metal show. I'm not sure she's ready :D
Vittra – Intense Indifference Review
By Angry Metal Guy
Two months ago, I saw a post on social media announcing Vittra’s sophomore album, Intense Indifference. The name struck me as funny. “A bit like a Radical Neutrality Party1 or my side-project Exaggerated Understatement,” I quipped quippily while jonesing for that sweet rush of dopamine that comes along with likes. But once my fix was had, I hastily forgot about them. As luck would have it, in this age when melodic death metal releases are few, far between, and often so drenched in reverb that it’s hard to remember that this band is playing death metal, Vittra was my only choice for a melodic death metal record this week. And so, the obvious, hacky hook for which I would shame a n00b needs to be asked: “Is it just a clever name?”
Vittra—hailing from Kolbäck, Sweden (population 2,108)—plays a very Swedish style of death metal. From the opening minutes, Vittra impresses with sticky hooks, thrashy energy, and the kind of melodic death that I associate with bands like Æther Realm, Mors Principium Est, or Xoth more than the stylings of the Insomnia or Omnia Gathera of the world. Vittra benefits from the sense that they are young, hungry, and probably deeply bored in the middle of nowhere in Västmanland. And so, in those long dark winter nights, they have sharpened their riffs, their hooks, and developed a manic energy. And Intense Indifference is 33 minutes of the sharpest riffs, the best harmonies, and a caged animal energy that reminds listeners that Kreator is better than Anthrax.2
Intense Indifference is a record with impeccable energy—unimpeachable vibes. Calling back to the legendary “GO!” on “Slaughter of the Soul,” opener “MOFO” kicks off with a not-yet-legendary, but pretty rad, “MOTHERFUCKER LET’S GO!” that sets the table. And these motherfuckers don’t let up once they get going. Each song on here oozes with the energy and hunger of a young band with a love of riffs and guitar-driven, thrashtastic death metal. From the Dark Tranquillity riffs of “Reign Supreme,” Soilwork’s slick sensibilities on “Burn(h)er,” or a bit of Carnosus/Black Dahlia Murder on “The Leap,” you can go through and pick out all the ways that they synthesize the best of what melodic death has given us over the last 30 years and cooked it down into something you want to freebase.
But Vittra’s vibe offers a unique flavor that works well here, while providing ample promise for the future. These guys seem to have a deep appreciation for Americana, classic rock ‘n’ roll, and blues. And while I struggle with that stuff myself, somehow these Swedish weirdos make it work. “Transylvanian Buffet” transports you to the honkytonk on the piano, while Johan Murmester and new guitarist Lars Elofsson genuinely impress with acoustic blues on “Soul Searcher.” And throughout, there are moments when hard turns toward blue notes or start-and-stop writing evoke the genre’s influence on Megadeth or AC/DC.3 These bits are few and far between, but they keep things creative and fresh, and you can bet your ass that there’s a lot of room for growth around them in the future.
The problem with Intense Indifference is that it flies by too quickly. At 33 minutes, 2:06 of which is spent on a cover of Slayer’s classic “Piece by Piece,” the record definitely fits within the 45-minute rule. But so little original music (covers don’t count, dudes) is a bit of a disappointment, given that the quality on here is stellar. Between the band’s two albums, they don’t even have a headlining set. And that’s a shame, because they have the kind of swagger we all love. And since the album sounds great, thanks to a Simon Johansson (Wolf, Memory Garden, now apparently Soilwork) recording, a Johan Murmester (Vittra) production, and a Lawrence Mackrory (FKÜ, Blackscape) mastering job, the listener wants more. And not just more bass.4 More great thrashy melodeath goodness!
Intense Indifference may be a kind of stupid name, but it’s also a better-than-kinda-good record, and the band is clearly better than this record. Right now, this slots easily into Listurnalia considerations and is one of the better melodic death metal records I’ve heard in a while. Sure, if you’re allergic to Slaughter of the Soul, you might call it tired.5 But I just call it very, very good.
LET’S FUCKIN’ GO!
Rating: Very Good!
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s CBR MP3
Label: Self-released
Websites: Vittra Official | Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram
Out Worldwide: September 19th, 2025
#2025 #35 #ACDC #ÆtherRealm #Carnosus #DarkTranquillity #Insomnium #IntenseIndifference #Megadeth #MelodicDeathMetal #MorsPrincipiumEst #OmniumGatherum #Review #Sep25 #Slayer #Soilwork #TheBlackDahliaMurder #ThrashMetal #Vittra #Xoth
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#BraveWords
CANNIBAL CORPSE Plays First Show With Former THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER Guitarist BRANDON ELLIS; Video
#CANNIBALCORPSE #THEBLACKDAHLIAMURDER #PlaysFirstShowWithFormer #Guitarist #deathmetal #tour #EP #video #BraveWords #metal #music
#TheMetalDogArticleList
#Blabbermouth
Watch: CANNIBAL CORPSE Performs With Ex-THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER Guitarist BRANDON ELLIS For First Time
#CANNIBALCORPSE #THEBLACKDAHLIAMURDER #Watch #PerformsWithEx #deathmetal #tour #EP #guitarist #Blabbermouth #metal #music
#TheMetalDogArticleList
#MetalInjection
CANNIBAL CORPSE Recruits Ex-THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER Guitarist BRANDON ELLIS For Upcoming Tour
#CANNIBALCORPSE #THEBLACKDAHLIAMURDER #RecruitsEx #Guitarist #tour #MetalInjection #metal #music
#TheMetalDogArticleList
#Blabbermouth
CANNIBAL CORPSE Recruits Ex-THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER Guitarist BRANDON ELLIS For Summer/Fall 2025 U.S. Tour
#CANNIBALCORPSE #THEBLACKDAHLIAMURDER #RecruitsEx #Guitarist #deathmetal #tour #EP #Blabbermouth #metal #music
Visions Unseen – Echoes Through Time Review
By Killjoy
Time and memory are innately connected. In the hourglass of life, the sand of time from the top steadily and mercilessly passes to the bottom, where it may live on as memories. Musings of this nature are the inspiration of Echoes Through Time, the debut album of Visions Unseen from Montréal, Canada, which is billed as “a meditation on the impermanence of existence and the memories that persist long after all else has faded.” Yet, the mind is but an imperfect, finite vessel unable to remember all. Is Echoes Through Time memorable enough to remain in the hourglass or will it spill out through the cracks?
Visions Unseen resides somewhere between technical and melodic death metal without feeling fully like either. Guitarist Rémi Legresley,1 who creatively spearheads the group, plays vaguely neoclassical leads and solos, though you won’t hear much of the hyperactive shredding commonly found in modern tech death. The meat of the riffwork recalls Revocation’s burly brand of death metal battling against the turbulence of The Black Dahlia Murder. There are trace elements of Gojira groove at times, although Yann Guénette’s bass lines tend to be more hulking and rattling. Visions Unseen managed to nab the drum services of Simon McKay following the breakup of The Agonist, who refuses to let the frequent stylistic shifts throw him off balance.
Though the goal of combining multiple genres is for them to complement one another, the risk is a final product that doesn’t feel like it belongs anywhere. The latter is, sadly, the case with Echoes Through Time. The melodies are not particularly striking; this is no Retromorphosis or Dååth with ultra-hooky guitars that zip around. Likewise, when vocalist Patrick Goyette sings, he sounds more intent on conveying grit than a tune. Neither does Visions Unseen offer the intense sensory overload that defines tech death. The guitar solos are enjoyable (particularly in opener “Forged in Resolve” and closer “The Final Reckoning”), but they also lack purpose and structure, nor are they virtuosic enough to wow from that standpoint. Worse, the musical tones almost always come across as clinical or emotionally devoid, one of tech death’s most common pitfalls.
In truth, I would enjoy Echoes Through Time more if not for the smothering demeanor of the vocals. The guttural screams and growls are often needlessly loud and belligerent, leaving many passages charred on the outside and undercooked on the inside like an ill-fated steak. But when the compositions are occasionally given a chance to breathe, glimpses of potential shine through. The synth-led interlude midway through “Breaking the Illusions” and the tranquil guitar plucks in “The Final Reckoning” provide much-needed nuance, as well as a reprieve from the noisy assault. Interestingly, many of the intros and outros are what show the most promise, most notably the buildup of ominous keyboards and the peppy melodeath riffing bookending “Nothing Will Remain.” In like manner, McKay’s strong drumwork bolsters the opening moments of “Edge of Eternity” beyond what they would have been otherwise.
Much like its cover artwork, Echoes Through Time contains many competing ideas and philosophies that don’t completely come together. Neither the guitars nor the vocals carry enough melodic potency to cement a lasting place in my memory, even after many front-to-back spins. The style of the guttural vocals doesn’t feel like a good fit, distracting from or even actively hurting the overall experience. Visions Unseen is capable of writing ear-catching sections, but they are generally concentrated in the intros and sometimes feel totally divorced from the remainder of their respective songs. Ultimately, those looking for melody and/or technicality in their death metal would likely find more success elsewhere.
Rating: 2.0/5.0
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: PCM
Label: Self-Release
Websites: visionsunseen.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/people/Visions-Unseen
Releases Worldwide: August 11th, 2025
#20 #2025 #Aug25 #CanadianMetal #DeathMetal #EchoesThroughTime #Gojira #MelodicDeathMetal #Review #Reviews #Revocation #SelfRelease #TechnicalDeathMetal #TheAgonist #TheBlackDahliaMurder #VisionsUnseen
Morrn 🤘🏻
I forgot #MisanthropicMonday yesterday. 🥺
https://song.link/de/i/53265139
#NowPlaying #TheBlackDahliaMurder #RandomMusickMayhem #DeathMetal #Metal
Alcatraz Festival… wow. Four days gone in a heartbeat. 🤯🤘
Kick, Eus & Ralf: legends 🫶
Top 10 from days 3 & 4 coming right up:
Day 3:
1) #Psycroptic
2) #Suffocation
3) #RiversofNihil
4) #Leprous
5) #Vola
6) #BetweentheBuriedandMe
7) #Baest
8) #TheBlackDahliaMurder
9) #Evergrey
10) #Myrath
Day 4:
1) #Borknagar
2) #FearFactory
3) #Gaera
4) #CultofLuna
5) #Emperor
6) #DimmuBorgir
7) #MachineHead
8) #Tsjuder
9) #Prong
10) #KerryKing
Full photo report & concert review online soon!
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