Review

Review/Interview: Heráldica de Mandrake – Esto también pasará 8.7

October 16, 2019 CarcassBOMB 0

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).

Album Review: The Ritual Aura – Velothi 8.2

October 15, 2019 CarcassBOMB 0

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.

Micro Dose: Agabas – Debut EP (2019)

October 13, 2019 CarcassBOMB 0

So I got a message from this band, Agabas, a few days ago asking me to check out their self titled EP. It’s a super cool little thing. They call themselves a death jazz band and I can’t say that’s something I’ve ever listened to before. This kind of music certainly isn’t my area of expertise but I do know fun music when

Review: Witch Vomit – Buried Deep in a Bottomless Grave 8

October 13, 2019 CarcassBOMB 0

This has been a hell of a year for death metal. From Tomb Mold to Triumvir Foul to Cerebral Rot, there have been some big death metal releases that have got me hyped on the genre again. Notice also that these are all bands on 20 Buck Spin? What the fuck is in the water over there that they are turning out all these amazing records? 20 Buck Spin many just convert me to an OSDM fan yet.

Review: Kublai Khan TX – Absolute 8

October 12, 2019 CarcassBOMB 0

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!

Review: Sugar Wounds – Mechanical Friends (2019)

October 6, 2019 CarcassBOMB 0

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.

Review: Insomnium – Heart Like A Grave 9.6

October 6, 2019 CarcassBOMB 0

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.

Hard Album Review: Opeth – In Cauda Venenum 8.5

October 4, 2019 CarcassBOMB 0

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.