2019 Albums

Album Review: Messora – The Door 8.7 (Prog Death)

Progressive death metal is a very underrated subgenre. I think it’s sort of overlooked because it’s pretty hard to classify, I often think of it as all encompassing yet forward thinking death metal. Every year there’s at least one progressive death record that absolutely blows me away. Last year it was Where Owls Know My Name by Rivers Of Nihil, this year it’s The Door by Messora. […]

2019 Albums

Review/Interview: Heráldica de Mandrake – Esto también pasará 8.7 (Stoner Doom)

This is one of those scenarios where you don’t understand Spanish but can identify enough words capable of setting a tone. Get ready for some psychedelic action from this Chilean doom trio that’s wet with distortion, I may have even heard an amp blow at some point – unless it’s a drum they’ve down tuned or a pedal effect. There’s a strange aspect to it that a lot of people would describe as “not music”, bordering on noise doom, but it works organically into the overall sound. It’s an interesting release made ever more so by its distinguishable album art created by the frontman Francisco Rivera who offered some insight to the story behind their art as well as their anti-fascist stance (included at the end). […]

2019 Albums

Album Review: The Ritual Aura – Velothi 8.2 (Tech Death)

Before even pressing play I am more or less in love with this album and I think the concept of Morrowind Metal has been a long ass time coming. Morrowind was the game of my life, no doubt about it, I found it at Video Ezy on original XBOX when I was 11. I played Morrowind and only Morrowind until Oblivion was released on 360 when I was 15. I have an encyclopedia like memory of that game and its many quest lines, as well as exploits. I found that fucking Dwemer Cube about 300 times. I’ve played it plenty as an adult too, fully modded. This is even more in my wheelhouse than Dark Souls. The Ritual Aura are also an Australian band with great album art. The music would have to suck more balls than I can imagine being sucked to fuck this up. […]

2019 Albums

Album Review: Kublai Khan TX – Absolute 8 (Hardcore)

The latter half of the 2010s has brought a savage strain of hardcore to the masses. It’s metalcore tinged hardcore filled with savage breakdowns, fight riffs, and 2-steps galore. It’s been a very nice evolution to the genre, and popularity is at an all-time high with bands like Knocked Loose raking in huge first week sales and Billboard numbers. A front runner in the genre has been the mighty Kublai Khan, or Kublai Khan TX now (they haven’t spoken out about the inclusion of the TX to my knowledge, but I can assume it’s because of legal troubles with an old speed metal band by the same name). I was super pumped for this album. I’ve seen the band live, met their lead singer, own some of their merch, and jam their stuff on the regular. They did not disappoint my sky-high expectations! […]

2019 Albums

Album Review: Sugar Wounds – Mechanical Friends (Grind/Gaze)

Like many things in the information age, extreme metal has become over saturated and more accessible than ever. Now, this is a good thing and a bad thing for bands and listeners alike. As a listener, you have access to tons of amazing albums by tons of amazing bands that you would have never heard otherwise, but you’ll find yourself getting bored with certain sounds and styles, things can get redundant. As a band, it’s easier than ever to make and promote your music, but it’s hard to standout in a musical landscape where most things have been done. I will always stand by the idea that generic does not equal bad, however it’s always exciting and refreshing to hear something you’ve never heard before. […]

2019 Albums

Album Review: Insomnium – Heart Like A Grave 9.6 (Melo Death)

Insomnium – the band that got me hooked on melodic death metal for life. And here we are with their latest album, Heart Like a Grave. And what a gem of an album it is! The sound of the album and the image it depicts through words and melodies are as bleak and dispirited as the taiga forests and fens of their motherland in winter. It takes the cheery and chirpy soul and renders it depressed and forlorn, casting it into the abyss of desolation. […]

2019 Albums

Album Review: Opeth – In Cauda Venenum 8.5

Very few names in the history of prog metal can shine as dazzlingly as Opeth does, and even fewer bands have had such a repertoire of stunning albums as those of Opeth throughout their career of 30 years. They have established themselves as an undisputable act of Swedish metal and have also been able to garner a huge fan base in addition to instilling imposing respect among fellow musicians and critics alike. Their brand of progressive death metal in their early years and their own take on progressive metal in their midcareer were the main basis for this awe-inspiring stature the band enjoys these days. However, starting maybe with Heritage (2011), the band inclined ever more toward progressive rock, bringing their metal roots with themselves to this rather ‘new’ sphere – of course ‘new’ for the band. Taking this different approach, they proved to prioritize progression and holding this issue above all else. They are a true “progressive” band. […]

2019 Albums

Interview with Cold In Berlin (UK Doom)

Cold In Berlin have been playing equally atmospheric and abrasive live performances in London for almost a decade now. Starting with the essence of a post punk band and gradually absorbing the darkness of the world developing around them, dragging along with them a sense of doom. Their latest album, Rituals Of Surrender is a gothed up stoner doom album that releases on the 11th of October. I had a chance to hear the album early and very much enjoyed it, I also went back through their previous releases to find they basically started as an awesome band and stayed that way. So I’m very happy to present my interview with Cold In Berlin, an entertaining read whether you know the band or not (Just press play) […]

2019 Albums

Album Review: And Hell Followed With – Chimerical Reality 7.8 (Deathcore)

2019 has been a very interesting year for music, but metal in particular has seen a surplus of fantastic releases. Another thing that has characterized the year has been comebacks from artists we never knew we’d hear from again. These have come from the likes of Possessed, Tool, Exhorder, Annotations Of An Autopsy, and now we have a new EP from deathcore band And Hell Followed With. Some of these comebacks have been lackluster in my opinion, but some have been great. This EP falls into the latter category without a doubt. […]