Getting all bleary-eyed and waxing poetic about a given band’s “old school sound” is one of the metal world’s most time-honored tropes. It’s not even just the old heads that can’t help but get all nostalgic for a good throwback, either – these days you’ll find no shortage of trucker hat-wearing, often-mustachioed young men with […]

Finally, we have Abhoria’s second full-length, Depths. I feel like this album has been teased frequently on social media. However, that may be because I follow their record label, Prosthetic, and the band. So, if there’s anything teased, I’m going to see it. Oddly enough, though, when I was finally sent the promo, I was […]

I have seen Portland Oregon’s Lord Dying’s name float around the metal scene for at least a decade now.  Never heard them in my life and they have three prior albums: Summon the Faithless in 2013, Poisoned Altars in 2015, and Mysterium Tremendum in 2019.  Suffice it to say this reviewing bastid now must go […]

When talking about French technical death metal, the absolute top of the list is Gorod, but I think there is an argument to be made for Exocrine to be right there with them. The Bordeuax band has been on an absolute tear since 2018’s Molten Giant, which was somehow their third album already. Then with […]

Being in a league with bands like 1349, Tsjuder, Horna and Nargoroth must be a great feeling (or maybe not, they might hate each other) but either way making metal this black is what Funeral Winds have been consistent with throughout their career. Since 1992 the band has been the constant work of Hellchrist Xul […]

Cariosus is a new young Chicago duo comprised of Alex Pfister on vocals/bass and Kevin Kryszak on guitars (I can’t find any drummer information, so maybe programmed? They sound fine if so). The duo plays a form of modern metal that pulls from metalcore, melodic death metal, deathcore and such that leans into bands like […]

The island state of Tasmania, located just across the southern Bass Strait from mainland Australia, is tiny. And being, you know, an island, it’s pretty isolated as well, despite it’s proximity to Australia. So it comes as no surprise that the output of quality metal bands from there might be a bit limited. That said, […]

Beginning with an eerie sound effect which could be from the creepiest horror movie of 2023 you haven’t yet seen, Guhts decides not to let it linger too long. You get some keys, tortured vocals, sludgy guitars, and a ton of atmosphere. That’s all within the first minute of the opening track “White Noise.” It’s […]

Paul Speckman, (bass/vox), a long staple in the mid-west death metal scene, has been around since the 80’s with his main band Master. Some may be unaware, but some years ago, frustrated with the living costs in America and politics, packed up his shit and relocated to the Czech Republic.Buthere are still nods to their […]

There’s very little I enjoy more than grinding my Escuela. I became an instant fan hearing their debut full-length, Memory Theater. However, where they truly shine is on stage. I’ve seen them in multiple venues and will again in February. They’re a “can’t miss” for me. I struggle to find a band with more energy, […]

There must be something in the water up Portland way. Maybe it’s toxic fluids hidden in the vast forests, Wendigo got involved… whatever it might be there’s been a slimey thing growing in the Portland area for a few years now since 2019 to be exact, it’s name is Dripping Decay and since their first […]

Our glorious editor, Erik “The Enforcer”, passed along the promo for Iron Front to me, thinking it would be up my alley to review, and he was correct Hailing from Oakland California the band has been around a few years. Their notable releases are the Demo-nic Possession demo from 2020, Flayed Alive EP in 2021, […]

2024 is coming in hot. I picked up this promo and a couple more biding my time and waiting for a new release to which I am also looking forward. It’s unnecessary to mention which, but it dropped mere days after I grabbed the debut full-length from Resin Tomb. Those circumstances almost caused me to […]

Though 2023 is in our rearview mirror, there’s still a slew of quality late 2023  releases lingering that deserve your attention. One such release is the third album from Belgium’s Carnation, who burst onto the scene with the impressive debut Chapel of Abhorrence back in 2018 and followed it up with the equally impressive Where […]

I became a fan of the UK’s technical death metal band Cognizance, from their Inquisition EP, their debut release in 2013, and reviewed it back then.  I was pretty blown away by the array of technical wizardry and monstrously brutal moments.  The band reminding me of Beneath The Massacre/Obscura type of music.  After releasing a […]

Mid-West death doomsters Dusk had a cool album back in 1995 …Majestic Thou in Ruin.  After breaking up in the late 90’s they reformed in 2015 and this is the band’s second full-length album Dissolve into Ash, at the end of 2023. The legitimacy of such a reformation, which happened several years back, is the […]

This UK deathcore band has been busy over the last few years in terms of writing and playing shows.  Osiah’s last full-length album in 2021, Loss, I felt was pretty damn monstrous and their best album.  The band somewhat falls into the category of technical deathcore and while there are those prevalent influences, I find […]

Formerly known as ‘Gyze‘, and with four albums under that moniker from 2013-2019, this Japanese melodic death metal band has themed their music as ‘Samurai metal’, using copious Eastern instrumentation and influences (dragon flute, erhu, shamisen, etc) and visuals to bolster their energetic, shredding take on melodic death metal. And now armed with a new […]