I really wanted to like Margin of Error’s second self-released effort a little more, as it mixes deathcore with a sort of electronica/industrial sort of The Berzerker sheen, but in the end, the fusing of the two elements isn’t quite as impressive as it could have been. With a thick heavy production that has a […]

Other than Metallica, I wasn’t really that much into the Bay Area thrash of the late ’80s, preferring the European likes of Sabbat, Xentrix and Kreator and the more extreme sounds of Slayer. As the genre has made a denim clad comeback, albeit now somewhat over saturated, I’m slightly surprised that Arizona’s Hemoptysis hasn’t garnered […]

Progressive metal has taken on many new side streets over the last several years. No longer does the tag necessarily mean a band trying to recreate/reinterpret Rush‘s or Dream Theater‘s music. These days, bands like Opeth, Bigelf, and even Katatonia and Enslaved get included even within the outer fringes of the genre. Opeth in particular […]

So in a year that saw some truly excellent self-released efforts grace my year end list (Iron Thrones, Norse, Contaigeon, Shadow of the Colossus), and a last minute entry (Deathspell Omega’s Paracletus) along comes Italy’s Amia Venera Landscape and pulls a utterly unfathomable hail mary to nudge its way right onto my [yet unpublished, -ed.note] […]

I’ve been get a lot of CDs sent to me by truly independent bands – small but talented bands just wanting some press. Luckily it’s  my and Teeth of the Divine’s pleasure to give some exposure to quality acts like At Dusk, Iron Thrones, Johan Wolfgang Pozoj, The Sequence of Prime, Karnak Seti, Ironwood and […]

Listen, I get sent a lot of things in the mail from bands, labels and PR companies; stickers, CDs, shirts, candy and all that, but the main man behind Santa Cruz’s one man black metal act At Dusk, Korihor, has done a first. The cover art of his split CD-R with fellow Santa Cruz act […]

It’s been two year since I last heard from Micawber. Their last album Bloodrunner contained some amazing music. Though it was plagued by a demo quality the album was insanely heavy. They return with a follow up album entitled Hell On Earth; this is easily one of my favorite deathcore releases all year. The band […]

The debut from this Sydney Australia progressive folk-metal act was ambitious, but didn’t quite reach its potential. Fire:Water:Ash was a bit too wandering and unfocused for its own good. The maritime themed follow-up however, is an improved effort that sees the act fulfill the promise of the debut. Though hailing from Australia, the influences of […]

As the year 2011 draws near, there isn’t anything new about post-rock being combined with metal aesthetics (or vice versa) yet Denmark’s AEDRA showcase themselves in a positive—if not solely unique—light by blending the emotionality of post-rock with slower and much meatier doom elements. But isn’t that what various post-metal/sludge bands have been doing throughout […]

As I’ve lamented a few times this year, it really sucked that Burst broke up. They released two of my favorite releases of the 2000s, post-metal or otherwise, and I was really looking forward to a follow-up to Lazarus Bird. Ah well, they say the best way to get over a break-up is to go […]

You want to know how to get you self-released demo EP reviewed quickly? Send out a professional promotional package/folder that includes a retail CD, band contact information/bio, a poster, some glossy photos, a lyric sheet and some stickers. Even if your band is terrible, I’ll review your latest shite quicker than a few mp3s dumped […]

The hype-machine surrounding France’s Holding Sand seems to be in full-swing and it appears as if the band is at the verge of breaking through—at least in France. Having played through their 17-minute EP On Sleepless Night, I can see why. Pure metalheads need not apply, since there’s isn’t much for you here, even if […]

King Giant may hail from Virginia, but the sludge they dish out on Southern Darkness sounds like something raked up from the bottom of a muddy Louisiana swamp. The sound is dense, like a dark, menacing beast that pays tribute to metal legends like Black Sabbath, walks hand-in-hand with sludge contemporaries like Down and Crowbar […]

What you have is 50% hardcore, and 50% death metal, with two members from the heavy as hell Eyes to the Sky, and then two from Jungle Rot/Cyanosis (drummer and guitarist were in both bands respectively). Whilst none of those bands are what you would deem spectacular, they are stout solid and have good songs, […]

Amid 2010’s big name death metal releases, some smaller and more obscure but no less competent, enjoyable releases more than likely crept under your radar. Releases by the likes of Tormenticon, Fleshrot, Entrails, Scrambled Defuncts, Aosoth, Grind Inc, Domination Through Impurity, Burial Invocation and Syn:drom, which might not get the praise and attention as say […]

While certainly getting inundated with digital promos for the latest and greatest and most anticipated releases from large bands and labels is a perk of this ‘job’, one of the more pleasurable elements is getting set stuff from honest to goodness, hardworking bands that actually want a review. Bands that send you emails, thanks and […]

If a band contacts me or the site and politely asks for a review of their self-released record, and sends me a copy of their record from Portugal, you know what? Even if it’s from 2009, when it’s this solid, I’ll review the damn thing and give the Teeth of the Divine readership some exposure […]

I’ve already contemplated about the state of French metal in a few other reviews this year, so I won’t dwell on subject too much. In fact, I’m getting rather tired of being surprised by the quality acts that stem from France; it would be refreshing to receive something that could be labeled as garbage. But, […]

Rise from Ruins is the debut release from melodic death metallers, Posthuman, hailing from the Netherlands. The album really does contain some solid death with fierce guitar work and also brings in some atmosphere with futuristic-sounding keyboards. The album starts out with an interesting intro in which you hear the news on the radio broadcast […]

I’m a bit of a collector of offbeat recordings. I love strange stuff like (good) parodies, metal tunes covered by groups in other genres (and vice versa), metal Christmas tunes, etc. Given that, and the fact that I’ve always been a closet fan of flamenco guitar, Flametal’s Heavy Mellow was a must-listen for me. Guitarist […]

Probably one of the best things about being a fan of metal is that you’re constantly coming across new and interesting incarnations of the music you love; a luxury not so commonly afforded to the “they’ve been there so let’s do that too” mainstream. Another advantage that the underground has over the radio scene is […]

So Iced Earth guitarist Jon Schaffer, who has always seemed a very patriotic sort, has now launched a side project Sons of Liberty and electronically self-released a debut record Brush-fires of the Mind. The project is heavily political and obsessed with conspiracy theories. He’s said that he intends the band and its website to become […]

The members of Daredevil Squadron wear their varied influences on their sleeves on their debut album Out of the Sun, and, to be honest, it’s quite refreshing. There’s a dash of traditional metal here, a bit of 1970s hard rock there, a pinch of 1980s sleaze, just a touch of blues rock and even an […]

Brazilian band Dynahead deliver some strong, tight Heavy Metal with their debut CD Antigen. After several spins of this album now, I’d have to ultimately place it in the Progressive Metal category. But, don’t get visions of some Dream Theater or Threshold clone in your noggin. The Metal on Antigen is much more aggressive and […]

The full-length debut from Italy’s Future is Tomorrow certainly shows some promise, if not much innovation. It’s a concept record that looks at a funeral through the eyes of the deceased, and apparently only the first part of the concept. On a positive note, Future is Tomorrow plays a brand of power/prog without a lot […]