I always like to support the local scene, which is more important than ever until somehow the world decides to unfuck itself. For me, there is a “local” scene just a few minutes away, but I really mean Pittsburgh, which is obviously larger and within an hour. Supporting this local scene is why I attended […]

Falconer holds a special place in my heart. Their 2003 album The Sceptre of Deception is one of my favorite power metal albums of all time. I was quick to find out, however, that this was not the definitive lineup of the band. At this time, they were operating with vocalist Kristoffer Gobel, with whom […]

I have a lot of inappropriate shirts. Perhaps my favorite is my Carach Angren “You came to the wrong forest, mother fucker.” It’s not my Satanic Warmaster shirt where someone is getting sawed in half through the genital region, which I once accidentally wore (or so I told my girlfriend at the time) to the […]

I’ll make a full confession so you know where I stand. I am a Lamb of God fanboy. I have the Wrath era logo tattooed on me in what was, at the time, the most painful place I had yet to receive a tattoo (I will not confirm or deny if it was my b-hole). […]

Epic doom isn’t really my thing. Well, it never used to be. Sure, one of my favorite vocalists of all time is Ronnie James Dio. I have no children, so the closest I have is my black cat and his name is Dio, so that’s the best tribute I can give. Side note: I picked […]

All hail Hail Spirit Noir who hail from Greece. These gentlemen caught my ears and eyes when they released Oi Strigoi all the way back in the “before times” in 2014. I was, and remain a big fan of that album, so I was excited when they released Mayhem in Blue in 2016. While I […]

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 […]

Imagine for a moment Abysmal Dawn were your average, every day, 9-5 productive cog in society. It’s not too far from the truth. After all, they do make death metal for a living (although, let’s face it, they probably need other jobs, too). They get up, go to work every day, do a great job, […]

Singaporean death/black/thrash/war metal blasphemers Impiety have been around since I was about 6, but my introduction to them was much later. If you have paid any attention to my words on this site at all, you have no doubt noticed I have picked up quite a few albums on a whim. While I am unsure […]

Oh, Forgotten Tomb. I’ve never forgotten you. How could I, baby? You gave me 2015’s Hurt Yourself and the Ones You Love. I purchased it on a whim in a record store that sadly no longer exists simply because the cover grabbed my attention. When gazing at the cover, one could easily dismiss it, call […]

By the time you read this, the latest album from Katatonia will have already been on the streets for a couple weeks. I’m sure you’ve read some reviews by now and those are most likely from fan boys or former fan boys. I must give you a fair warning I am no such person. If […]

When one thinks of the phrase Cemetery Filth, what picture forms? For me, I think of that Linnea Quigley graveyard scene in “Return of the Living Dead.” If you’ve seen it, you know the one. For others, I’m sure it’s quite different. When it comes to music, you’re probably thinking of some grimy, slimy, disgusting […]

Heavy metal sub genres are often pretentious, yet commonly essential. To an outsider, it may seem unnecessary and even ridiculous. Then again, it can seem that way to an insider, too. I’m sorry to offend the local post progressive blackened Swedish grindcore expert. I even had an appearance on a short-lived podcast in college where […]

Ah, symphonic, female-fronted, progressive metal… WAIT! Where are you going? Come back! Fine. At least pick up your garbage on the way out and shut the damn door! Do you think we live in a barn? Who’s we? I’m by myself living in quarantine. Well, anyway, the joke’s on you because this is not symphonic, […]

Give In To Despair

When one who is familiar with the label sits down with a Unique Leader release, there are a few items which come to mind. Firstly, this is going to likely be technical death metal. There will be fantastic musicianship on display. Frequently, the production will also be brick walled, and it may be difficult to […]

Unless you’ve somehow stumbled upon our site looking for affordable dentistry, then you have likely heard of Death. The band, that is. As someone with a Leprosy tattoo, one could say I hold the band in high esteem. I’m sure many other metalheads agree. The reason I even mention the name is because of Morbus […]

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 […]

I want to start out by saying I first heard of We Sell The Dead because of the involvement of former drummer for HIM, Mika “Gas Lipstick” Karppinen. Yeah, I know I ruined what little metal “cred” I imagined myself even having right off the bat, dear reader. So, if you wish to back out […]

Have you ever had an itch you just can’t explain? Worse yet, one you can’t seem to reach? For a lot of people, this is somewhere on the back. You know that place below the neck and between the shoulders. Inventors have made millions (I assume) from this. For me, unfortunately, the itch is on […]

After releasing a four-song demo in 2017, all female death doom newcomers, Konvent, have now bestowed upon us their full-length debut, Puritan Masochism. Their own Bandcamp page states that it would not be a surprise if this album conjures a well-deserved revival for the entire death doom genre. That’s quite a proclamation with so many […]

Maybe it’s the Relapse Records lineage, but I always seem to forget just how heavy Tombs are. That’s not to say there aren’t heavy bands on the Relapse roster because there most certainly are. However, I am always expecting something sludgy, along the lines of Baroness or Mastodon. Then, I press play and have a […]

I am and will continue to be a massive fan of Deathwhite’s 2018 debut album For A Black Tomorrow. It was an album I didn’t know I needed at the time. Add into this the fact they are listed as from Pittsburgh, PA, which is my local scene, and I became an even bigger fan. All of the […]

At the end of last year, Oni released their new EP, Alone. While I was aware of it being released, I didn’t get the chance to listen until after the new year. This nearly 25-minute EP is a digital only release, which may have contributed to it not showing up on my radar. I remember listening to and enjoying […]

I love Type O Negative. Although I latched onto them kind of late around the time of World Coming Down I continued listening to every successive album. Of course, a real fan goes back and purchases their early discography, too. So, anytime Kenny Hickey and Johnny Kelly from one of my favorite bands do something, […]