USA

2019 Albums

Album Review: Skullcrush – Archaic Towers Of Annihilation 7 (Death Metal)

January 7, 2020 Melinda (Carcassbomb)

There are few things in my maladroit passage through life as recognizable, or dare I say addictive, as that sweet swedeath guitar tone. Muffled and thick, the pure encapsulation and distillation of sonic headbangable heft. 2019 certainly offered an abundance of riffs that fit said bill–however, it’s a sound that, when executed with a modicum of technical prowess, seldom gets old. When Skullcrush came out of the December gate a tad unnoticed with Archaic Towers Of Annihilation, a worthy album unfortunately birthed in the months o’ lists, they certainly delivered in the prowess department. In short? Throw on your gym outfit of choice and lace up them sneakers (or joggers, as may apply.) It’s time to get sweaty. […]

2020 Albums

Album Review: Ironflame – Blood Red Victory 8 (Heavy Metal)

December 31, 2019 Melinda (Carcassbomb)

Ironflame is one of those projects where it’s very difficult to tell that this is a solo studio project with a live band due to how insanely well rounded it is. I’ve always had a sort of glee in covering solo projects and have a tendency to romanticise the idea of the lone creator but it is not undeserved when talking about the legendary Andrew D’Cagna of Icarus Witch. As with many lone creatives one project just isn’t enough, he’s in loads of projects not just as a musician but also as a sound engineer. […]

2019 Albums

Album Review: Novembers Doom – Nephilim Grove 8.3 (Doom Metal)

December 9, 2019 Melinda (Carcassbomb)

Nephilim Grove marks the American death doom giants, Novembers Doom’s 30th anniversary. Indeed, an infrequent feat (at least these days) to celebrate. Thirty years of firm, ferocious and fanciful activity, breaking necks as well as breaking hearts. Having been released on November 1st, the album insinuates, all so subtly, the symbolic capacity that it possesses: the quintessence of the band’s career or their next step on their path… or maybe simultaneously both? […]

2019 Albums

Microdose: Xeno Ooze – Parasligm Shift (Grindcore)

November 17, 2019 Melinda (Carcassbomb)

Xeno Ooze are a unique new force in the grind underground. They formed in 2018 – making this their very first LP, but you couldn’t guess that just from listening. I love the level of vocal commitment on this album, it’s a hardcore style that sounds super throaty. It plays well the trebelled out mix of lofi grind and sludge riffage. It’s also a lot of fun, something important for any grindcore album no matter how bad ass the covers get. […]

2018 albums

Esoteric Tape: Sullest – Fashionable Male 8.7 (Hardcore/Pop Punk)

September 25, 2019 Melinda (Carcassbomb)

I’m just too excited. It’s hard to write this review while or immediately after listening to this record because there is so much going on here and I react in very different ways to all of it. This is a tape sent to me courtesy of Tor Johnson Records when I ordered Cyttorak’s EP I reviewed earlier this year here. I’ve ordered from them a couple times now and it’s always great, cheap as chips as we say in Australia. Their bandcamp discog is 3.25 USD. The tapes are like 2 – 6 bucks a pop at the most and it’s always the strangest and actual esoteric stuff (what I’m all about baby). This is Sullest and their tape Fashionable Male. An adventure into hardcore pop-punk. […]

2019 Albums

Album Review: The Callous Daoboys – Die On Mars 9 (Mathcore)

September 6, 2019 zaxrecordreviews

You know that feeling when you hear about an album and know immediately that it will be right up your ally? That’s how I was with this new Callous Daoboys record. These guys are an Atlanta, Georgia based mathcore band. Before I get into the album, I wanna preface this by saying, this will not be for everybody. This album is very weird and chaotic. It’s a niche that not everyone will vibe with, and I get that. […]

2019 Albums

Album Review: Knocked Loose – A Different Kind Of Blue 9.2 (Hardcore)

August 29, 2019 Melinda (Carcassbomb)

A Different Shade Of Blue is a really appropriate album for 2019. You can hear the exhaustion and frustration in every bit of the music, this isn’t aimless-angry that the metallic hardcore scene is often guilty of. If blue is melancholy then this is something else, a late stage of melancholy brought on by living in a fucked world. This kind of blue is tragic and disgusting. It’s a bruise on the world and our very souls. […]

2019 Albums

Album Review: Shadow Of Intent – Melancholy 8.5 (Deathcore)

August 23, 2019 zaxrecordreviews

After reviewing a few black metal records on this site I figured i’d change it up a bit, after all I enjoy all types of extreme metal, including deathcore. Deathcore is easily one of the most controversial extreme metal genres, because everyone has very strong opinions about it. I enjoy a great deal of deathcore myself, despite some of the more boring and generic bands and records in the genre. One of the biggest bands in the genre right now is Shadow Of Intent. Much like the genre they play, opinions on them are very divided. […]