Sarpa ( the Sanskrit term for serpent) is the Austin, Texas-based one-man black/death project from the mind of David Baxter, formerly of industrial thrashers Skrew). The aptly named album Solivagus (roughly translated from Latin to ‘wondering alone’) is his first effort, no demos, no singles, just right into this ambitious 7 song 48-minute affair that […]

Well, imagine my surprise when I was perusing the promos and found a new release from one of my most favorite bands, Behemoth. It’s not a new full length, unfortunately, but an EP titled A Forest, which has two versions of the song by the same title originally recorded by The Cure. There’s a recorded […]

Werewolves is a new blackened death metal super group of sorts from Australia featuring Sam Bean (The Berzerker, The Senseless,The Antichirst Imperium ) on vocals/bass, Matt Wilcock (The Berzerker, Abramalin, The Antichirst Imperium) and most notably drummer Dave Haley (Abramelin, The Amenta, Psycroptic, Ruins). According to the promotional materials , the album was written and […]

Necrowretch, from France, return with their fourth long-player, The Ones From Hell. I have been a huge fan of the band since their ripping 2013 debut Putrid Death Sorcery and have reviewed all their albums and interviewed singer/guitarist Vlad years ago. Their last album Satanic Slavery was a massively intense album-and saw the band break […]

Tampa Florida’s Black Death Serpents of Perdition Temple return with their third full length album Sacraments of Descension.  Having been a fan of Gene Palubicki’s work in past Projects like Angel Corpse and Blasphemic Cruelty I was excited to review this.   Palubicki’s riffing is on point throughout this whole album and there is not an […]

I, like I’m sure many of you reading this, LOVE beer. I brew my own beer. I love visiting new breweries and talking with brewers about their craft. I’m all for brewers trying new techniques and experimenting with different ingredients. That being said, it’s also very easy for brewers to just go too fucking far. […]

There wasn’t much hype I saw surrounding the new self-titled album from Kaoteon. This is their third full length, in addition to a couple of singles and demos. Songwriter and band namesake Anthony Kaoteon enlisted the likes of Linus Klausenitzer from Obscura on the bass, Adrian Erlandsson from At The Gates , and vocalist Walid […]

After Swedish Death Metal, my favorite kind of death metal is that burly, chunky blackened death metal,. Big beefy riffs, commanding deep vocals, and a pretty strong militant vibe. It’s a sound Behemoth perfected in the mid 00s, (with Zos Kia Cultus being the arguable apex of the style) and recently bands like Poland’s Hate, […]

Oh shit. So I’ve been on a bit of a blackened death metal kick lately, but also still riding last years symphonic black metal wave that had me impressed and littered my year end list. Well outta nowhere come Australia’s Oath of Damnation with a sophomore album with a violent double penetration of both styles. […]

I had high hopes for the second effort from Pete Helmkamp’s latest post Angelcorpse endeavor, especially after the nasty little slab of black/death filth that was the debut, Larvae Offal Swine. But alas, Proselyte Parasite Plague is a disappointing, flat (literally) follow up. The main reason for the album’s failure is the guitar tone and production. […]

If you haven’t checked out Virginia’s Construct of Lethe, do so now. Their 2018 effort Exiler, was one of 2018s best death metal albums, and now founder Tony Petrocelly has gone back to Construct of Lethe‘s past to deliver a vision of the band’s future…bear with me here. Back in the early 00s , before […]

With autumn upon us and the seasons starting to turn colder this review is a bit ironic for this reviewer in that if fills me with so much joy to review another insanely talented band from Minnesota for your ears to discover. Formed in 2008, Grand Demise of Civilization is a meticulously layered Black Death […]

Do you pine for the grimy years of Blasphemy?  Have you always hoped they would drop one last dirty bomb of skinhead ignorance?  Did you spend month’s booze budget for die hard versions of the last reissues?  If so, then dudes… there are a LOT of options in lo-fi bestial bands who have adopted that […]

With a name like Necromutilator, an album title like Black Blood Aggression, and songs titled “Blessed in Hellvomit”, “Putrefaction Rites”and “Black Mayhemic Torment” , you kinda know what you are getting when you hit play on the second effort from these Satan lovin’, leather clad Italians; No frills, raspy, sneering, semi bestial, blackened thrash metal, […]

Sxuperion is the side (main?) project of Valdur’s Lord Sxuperion , (aka Matthew Schott), and has a pretty large back catalog of releases under this moniker, including 4 albums, with this one being the fourth, but my first exposure to the project. Whereas some side projects (again, I’m not sure which is main vs side […]

I’m new to the UKs Sathamel, but based on this, the band’s impressive debut full length album, after a few demos and a live release, they look to be a killer new black death metal act rising from the UK metal scene, despite some scandal. Apparently, the band was caught stealing material from US act […]

Richmond Virginia’s Appalling return with their second full length album Inverted Realm out on Redefining darkness records.  I must admit I was not familiar with this group until reading the band’s bio in which Angel Corpse was mentioned as an influence.  Appalling play quite a catchy form of blackened death thrash that reminds me of […]

Willowtip Records have to be one of the most diverse underground metal labels out there.  With over a half dozen new releases on deck for 2019 Jason Tipton has built quite the label lineup of diverse talent (Ceremony of Silence, Vale of Pnath,).  New Jersey’s Hath are no exception.  Debuting way back in 2015 these […]

First off- Love that cover- I want that on a giant print or t-shirt. Second, Valdur has quickly released their 6th album, barely a year after their last effort, Divine Cessation, came out. How’s that for production? Third, the band appears to have swung the pendulum ever so slightly back towards their black metal roots from the pure, noisy […]

In the grand tradition of underrated, fellow Chicagoans, Forest of Impaled, Blood of the Wolf erupt from the Midwest with a stellar sophomore release of pummeling, blood pumping blackened, death/war metal  and it’s  a god damn scorcher. I have not heard the band’s debut  I: The Law of Retaliation, but you can bet I’ll be rectifying […]

I’m not familiar with California’s Valdur other than they started out as a standard USBM band back about a decade ago and this very site reviewed their 2009 split with Fellow Californians Lightning Swords of Death, whom  i have heard. So I was in fact expecting some black metal, but what I got was an […]

   Wisconsin’s Emblazoned released their debut album, in 2014, Eucharistiae Sacramentum and it was outstanding.  Even topping their 2013 ep, The Living Magisterium.  They return with their second full-length, Catharsis.  Emblazoned have always had a black metal edge to the death metal sound and the black metal moments definitely are taking center stage with Catharsis.  […]

As I looked over the cover artwork for these Aussies, which I like, reminiscent of the great Chris Moyen (Abominant, Absu, Archgoat, Beherit, Goatlord etc) I sarcastically think to myself, “Uuuhm, I wonder what they will sound like?” First song “Hammer of Hatred” kicks in and it’s full on Marduk, meets Angelcorpse and I love it.  […]