Deception – Daenacteh Review

Deception – Daenacteh Review

Daenacteh is a melodeath record at it’s core, but augmented with so many other elements it’s become it’s own unique monster. The orchestral accompaniments, which are both omnipresent and superbly executed, seem of the Italian neo-classical school of Septicflesh and Fleshgod, but MENA-tinged like Aeternam.” The many sounds and flavors of the desert.

Civerous – Maze Envy Review

Civerous – Maze Envy Review

“As I gazed upon the purple-toned maze—which, does not appear to be a very well-designed maze in its hissing sculpture—and heard the early, shimmering notes of what Civerous brought to the table for this sophomore release, Maze Envy, my mind raced. This Los Angeles-based act’s 2021 full-length debut, Decrepit Flesh Felic, filled a snarling, buzzing diSEMBOWELMENT-shaped niche of pounding, shifting death metal that supplies ample kicks to the seat. Though Civerous never turned quite as doom-laden and tortured as that Australian novelty, they pushed into the bounds of long-form tumble in their cavernous lane with a proud stomp.” Maze stunners.

Hideous Divinity – Unextinct Review

Hideous Divinity – Unextinct Review

Hideous Divinity has been on a blazing trajectory in their recent career, culminating in the excellent Simulacrum. My former list buddy Ferrous, whose disappearance requires no police investigation I assure you, was rather enthused by that record, and it was one of the few overlapping entries on both our listicles that year. The Italians have earned their pedigree through battering brutality anchored to semi-progressive song structures and rendered with tight technical wizardry. No wonder that expectations are high for Unextinct” Hideous or glorious?

Altar of Betelgeuze – Echoes Review

Altar of Betelgeuze – Echoes Review

Echoes is the quartet’s third full-length since the act’s conception in 2010. While featuring the armaments and cavernous bellows of Incantation or Winter, it also is armed with a stoner doom fuzz and vocal influence from Candlemass. However, you can be sure that the “married iguana” haze does not subtract from Altar of Betelgeuze’s intention of crushing your skull in.” Betelgeuze!

Vorga – Beyond the Palest Star Review

Vorga – Beyond the Palest Star Review

“Ah, space. How little we know of thee. How awestruck we are by thine crushing beauty. It’s no surprise, as I noted in my review for Vorga’s debut record, Striving Toward Oblivion, that artists across various fields and mediums draw inspiration from the immense, unknowable thing that is space. With such a deep well to draw from—as much in terms of raw data and information as in fiction and imagination—I doubt even the relative microcosm of black metal could ever exhaust this rich and ever-expanding resource. Picking up right where they left off in 2022, German melodic black metal quartet Vorga blast off into the deepest reaches of inky blackness.” MOARGA Vorga.

Khold – Du dømmes til død Review

Khold – Du dømmes til død Review

“After being dormant for eight years, Khold surprised the masses in 2022 with their comeback album, Svartsyn. And boy did they come back in a big way—completely erasing 2014’s Til endes from my memory. Reformed with all the key players and even feistier than ever, these Norwegian giants had me so convinced of their greatest that they made it on old Grier‘s top-ten list. Nothing made me happier that year than hearing Gald’s signature snarl and Sarke’s punishing drum work. Hell, I would have been happy just to hear the album, much less love it the way I do. Two years later, it looks as if the band is sticking around because now we have this year’s Du dømmes til død.” You can’t spell Khold without “old”.

Stress Angel – Punished by Nemesis Review

Stress Angel – Punished by Nemesis Review

“2021 saw Stress Angel belch forth out of Brooklyn with a hideous sound marrying Autopsy-core with punky d-beatery and crust-encrusted doom. Bursting Church was a slippery, slimy, nasty piece of work and the duo behind it was effective at throttling throats and sacrificing goats. 2024 comes around and the gruesome twosome returns with sophomore outing Punished by Nemesis, and with it a more expansive palette and grander vision.” Punishment is overdue.

Acathexis – Immerse Review

Acathexis – Immerse Review

“After the immensely affecting self-titled debut released at the end of 2018, Acathexis rapidly became one of my more closely watched new acts. A dream team of Mare Cognitum’s Jacob Buczarski (drums), Déhà (guitars, bass), and Los Males del Mundo’s Dany Tee (vocals, lyrics) comprises the talent, and melancholic black metal rife with weeping melodies and misty atmosphere makes up the content.” Super groups, man…

Iterum Nata – From The Infinite Light Review

Iterum Nata – From The Infinite Light Review

“Another week, another genre mashup for Iceberg, the frozen fringe-dweller. After a disappointing—and apparently controversial—dive into more straightforward waters, I was excited to spy the black/neofolk/prog tag on the newest release from Finnish one-man band Iterum Nata. Jesse Heikkinen spent some time with countrymen and fellow genre-blenders Hexvessel before striking out on his own, and this will mark his fifth solo release.” Moose mania.