It appears parts of Africa, namely, West Africa, has a bit of a burgeoning metal scene over the last several years.  One such stand-out is Arka’n Asrafokor.  Back in 2019 they dropped their debut album Zã Keli and now the band has followed it up with Dzikkuh.  Picture their debut album, but more extreme and […]

Minnesota’s Grand Demise of Civilization returns with their fourth full-length album. If you are not familiar with Grand Demise of Civilization they play a unique style of black metal. Part of what makes their sound unique is their use of eight-string guitars mixed with unbelievably relentless drum work. “The Redeemer of Wrath” kicks off the […]

18 years, 12 albums, 9 labels, 8 vocalists. You have to hand it to the lone remaining founding member/ drummer Dave Astor; he is certainly persistent and keeps shuffling lineups and releasing albums on multiple labels, even with all the above he’s seemingly settled on a somewhat stable lineup for a few albums now (Obie […]

Atmospheric black metal is perfectly fine as a descriptor, but what it should really be called is headphones black metal. Strap on a pair of your best reality-blockers, close your eyes, and get lost in a blizzard of sound and fury. Mare Cognitum released a perfect experience with Phobos Monolith, my #1 pick for 2014. […]

So I get an email from Jassem “Darkvain” Alrumaidheen, the bassist, keyboardist and clean vocalist for Divine Disorder, a symphonic/progressive death metal band from Kuwait, requesting a review of his band’s 2014 release, Garden of Dystopia. I normally politely pass on 2014 releases at this point, but the press release he sent got my attention; A host of […]

In my review of Mesmur’s self-titled debut, I lamented the lack of death/doom in 2014. However, there were a few worthy entries in the genre last year, and one of the most exciting actually happened to be Mesmur-related. You see, their vocalist, Chris G, is also the voice in the Australia/New Zealand-based project, Orphans of […]

“The mouth of hell”. That is what Hadal Maw roughly translates to and the band has released an album that defines that translation with substantial purity. Very much steeped in the realm of death metal, they manage to throw in bits-and-pieces of discordant hardcore to complete a sound that is very reminiscent of modern death […]

The debut Where Distant Spirits Remain, from Glasgow’s Falloch was an interesting post rock/black metal/grey metal opus with Agalloch-ian hues. However it was the work of a duo, Andy Marshall and Scott Mclean, and Marshall since left the band (creating more atmospheric black/Celtic metal with Saor, which I highly recommend) leaving McLean to rebuild, and rebuild he has […]

Holy shit, Brazil’s Nervochaos are still going?  That’s pretty amazing, honestly.  These guys were always like the death metal band that was just right there biting at the larger pack, but never could seem to totally sink teeth into the flesh of the alphas.  I’ve had one of their albums, heard at least 3 more […]

As usual, here we are in 2015, and we are unearthing a few 2014 releases worth your time. Amid the many 2014 releases I overlooked is this album I randomly downloaded amid all of the digital promos we get sent having no idea about the band at all. But the internet helped me out… Apparently, despite being […]

Despite their spikey Satanic imagery and artwork, Portugal’s Martelo Negro (Black Hammer- their former moniker), present a far more varied and catchy sound on their second album  than their presentation would  have you believe. Rather than lo-fi black thrash, the band’s sound is a curiously addictive take on death n roll or black n roll […]

Thanatos formed in 1984, under the watchful eye of a youthful Stephan Gebédi, in the Netherlands.  So essentially one could make the argument that he is responsible for starting the death/thrash movement in that part of the world.  Without going into too much history I’ll just say Century Media, from 2013-2014 re-issued and remastered all […]

Owl is a German duo that has three prior offenses under their belt and on their record.  I haven’t heard a single lick of anything they’ve done to date, so I’m drawn into their forest bewildered and untainted by past opinion for this new release.  Patrick Schroeder handles drums/percussion and Christian Kolf multitasks on guitars, […]

Here’s a nice little 2014, self released gem of blackened death metal from the depths of Austin, Texas spawned from a few obscure Texas veteran acts like Disfigured, Scattered Remains and Carnal Befoulment.But the group has come together to form a pretty impressive debut album that lies somewhere between Behemoth, Morbid Angel and Goatwhore ( […]

“Listen here you beautiful bitch, I’m about to fuck you up with some truth”– Kenny Flowers (“I Can’t Believe She Got in the Van with Me”) In 2013 , I reviewed the second album ..The Dissection of Christ, from these Kansas City death metalers, it was a solid hodge-podge of death metal styles that showed some […]

Filthy Finnish stalwarts Satanic Warmaster are back with fifth full length Fimbulwinter, with 8 more songs about wolves, snow, Satan, and their usual mix of everything that makes underground black metal both great and simultaneously cringe inducing.  If you haven’t ever checked them out, the name alone (either the best or worst name ever) might […]

The whole orthodox black metal scene has gotten to a point where individual bands are nearly indistinguishable from one another, but despite that, I don’t think I’ve ever really heard anyone imitate the ones who started all this shit in the first place, Deathspell Omega… until now. Enter Plebeian Grandstand. Filled with immense, searing rage, […]

2014 was  an quietly decent  year for high quality folk/viking with Eluveitie’s Origins, Crimson Shadows‘ Kings Among Men, Nothgards, Age of Pandora, Skalmond’s Með vættum, Valknacht’s Le Sacrifice d’Ymir and Equilibrium’s Erdentempel (with only Equilibrium making my 2014 year end list).  And I wish I could say that Denmark’s Vanir and their 3rd album would be included in that list but unfortunately it’s a […]

2014 certainly won’t be remembered as a banner year for the most deathly of doom metal. Not that the most despondent of metal’s subgenres have ever been highly adored and prolific, but they seem especially forgotten by all this year. That makes this late entry courtesy of Code666 Records all the more welcome, and surprising. […]

I’ve said it once, and I’ll say it again, Canada has a killer, underrated folk viking metal scene; Battlesoul, Vesperia , Valknacht, Will of the Ancients, Valfreya, Trollwar, Nordheim, Battlesoul, and of course Blackguard are all fine acts to rival their Finnish peers. Well, poised to make a move to the top of the scene is Toronto’s Crimson Shadows […]

Not to be confused with Colorado’s tech death Execration or the many other Execrations, Norway’s Execration are an altogether different beast. Sounding very similar to country mates Obliteration, Execration play a murky, psychedelic and heavily Autopsy influenced style of death metal (also, think a nastier, dirtier version of Morbus Chron) that isn’t a quick, easy listen, but […]

So both former Cradle of Filth member Paul Allender  and lone remaining Cradle of Filth member Dani Filth released their own side project/new bands in 2014. Allender had White Empress, a strange symphonic, female fronted mash up and Dani had Devilment. Devilment features new-ish Man Must Die bassist (and now Cradle of Filth bassist) Daniel Firth,  and […]

Another year. Another year of great metal, comebacks, surprises, letdowns, and everything in between. For Teethofthedivine, it was a transitional year as staff turnover was balanced by amazing output that resulted in new content virtually every day of the year. Former Internal Bleeding vocalist Frank Rini joined our ranks, and a number of fresh-faced, bright-eyed writers entered the fray, allured by free metal and a chance to have their voices heard. A few of the regular, grizzled denizens remained.

However, it was business as usual getting both old and new staff to get their year-end lists submitted. It took weeks of Liam Neeson-like emails and gravelly-voiced threats (“I have particular set of skills, skills that make me a nightmare for writers like you. Get me your list and I’ll think nothing of it. But if you don’t get your list submitted, I will find you and I will send you an everso slightly peeved Facebook message”) to get the lists all submitted in time.

So without further ado, here are the Staff Picks for 2014. Please feel free to share, comment and add your own list.  Here’s to 2015!

The Teeth of the Divine crew wishes you happy holidays (or whatever) and the best of mosh for the year 2015.

Generation of Vipers’ Howl and Filth was, in my opinion, one of the top records from 2011. So it was with bated breath that I waited for the follow up, which arrived in October 2014 in the form of Coffin Wisdom.  Follow-ups to favorite albums are dangerous, because bands run the risk of letting fans […]