Month: July 2019

2018 albums

Album Review: Whoretopsy – Take My Breath Away 8.5 (Brutal Death)

July 30, 2019 Melinda (Carcassbomb)

Whoretopsy recently got a new vocalist and I have to say right off the bat that he sounds awesome. The style is far more hardcore influenced than a lot of the brutal and grind death still around, it’s a really nice blending of genres that doesn’t shift hard enough to ever betray what makes them so metal. From Australian accented hardcore shouts to full blown pig sequels, it’s all here and it all feels valid. Musically they are technically proficient and playful, just down-tuned to hell. They often qualify under death metal and grindcore in equal measure, some more purist metalheads might not enjoy this offering but I consider it refreshing and a heap of fun. They embody “Australia” in a lot of ways – often sarcastically which in it’s self is very Australian. Nothing here is done without anger coated humor or humor coated anger. […]

2019 Albums

Album Review: Desecresy – “Towards Nebulae” 9.2/10 (Death Metal)

July 29, 2019 Melinda (Carcassbomb)

Desecresy is an interesting name, I wonder how many people read it differently from me, perhaps resembling something closer to the word “secretary” for some. I went into this with no expectations and as usual that pays off. This is a strange kind of lo-fi death metal that I can’t really pin to an era despite the band stating 90’s influences. They also use a level of dischord in their music that always brushes my fancy, it’s hard to explain but it’s a kind of tone not unlike a warped cassette tape or a fever dream. […]

2019 Albums

Album Review: Hate – Auric Gates of Veles 8.3 (Black Metal)

July 27, 2019 Melinda (Carcassbomb)

Despite having formed a year earlier than Behemoth, Hate has always been in the shadow of their more distinguished compatriots. As it is very common within this domain, they have undergone several (read many) personnel changes. But approximately three decades into their career, they have established themselves with stumping iron feet and bellowing screams of triumph. It was in 2017 that they released Tremendum, a paradigm-shift in their long career and a praiseworthy album for certain. 2019 marks a second step toward their new destination; it is Auric Gates of Veles that further emphasizes their trajectory away from the so frequent themes of sacrilege and toward a more deeply pagan sphere, in particular probing and reflecting the Slavic rituals and folktales, at the same time having an eye on lesser known tales of other parts of the world. […]

2019 Albums

Double dose: A Constant Knowledge Of Death – Vol III. Part A & B (Post Hardcore)

July 26, 2019 Melinda (Carcassbomb)

ACKOD is a very unique project that somehow exists between the void of minimalism and the bravado of extreme metal – not so surprisingly, out of California (partly), recorded at . It’s complex and brooding. It’s also likely to challenge a lot of people whose idea of music is more neatly packaged and familiar. Personally I find it quite exciting because it’s a part of a sound that doesn’t belong to a time in music but rather one that pops up here and there throughout it’s history like a rare breed. Stuff like Maudlin Of The Well if anyone can remember an underrated project from so long ago. ACKOD have come to 2019 with two releases and two more on the way. All of these releases are following the same story thread started with their first release in 2015, Vol. I: Enculturation and then Vol. II: Organic Emotions in 2016. 

These two 2019 albums in particular are quite special, not only as a return for the project but also their collaboration with artist ma-ko (@drivemeawaytroubledheart) on both album covers, really elevating the presentation of the project. ma-ko’s art has been on my feed for some time, I completely adore their style which to me seems very inspired by video game fantasy, I have a feeling these covers had some inspiration from Hyper Light Drifter but their other work on IG speaks to older JRPG’s with a beautiful and traditional aesthetic. The lyrics seem to come from the same place as the art, perhaps there was synergy there. The stories resemble the volatile societies, history and politics of such fictional places.  So let’s get into these two albums and keep an eye out for the third. […]

2019 Albums

Album Review: Abbath – The Outstrider 7.5 (Black Metal)

July 24, 2019 zaxrecordreviews

Anyone who knows anything about kvlt black metal or 2nd wave black metal knows Abbath. The man is an absolute legend. He was the front man of Immortal, and the corpse paint design he wears is easily the most immediately recognizable piece of black metal symbolism we have. After cutting ties with Immortal he formed a new eponymous band that has just released it’s sophomore album titled, The Outstrider. […]