Dark Fortress

Alkaloid – Numen Review

Alkaloid – Numen Review

“German collective Alkaloid bucks the trend often associated with bands fitted with the ‘supergroup’ tag. With a line-up boasting members of such lauded acts as Spawn of Possession, Obscura, Necrophagist, Eternity’s End, Dark Fortress, and many others, on 2015’s striking debut The Malkuth Grimoire, and 2018’s phenomenal sophomore opus Liquid Anatomy, Alkaloid ascended to elite status in the modern progressive and technical death metal scenes.” Dream team on paper (but see the N.Y. Jets).

Hannes Grossmann – To Where the Light Retreats Review

Hannes Grossmann – To Where the Light Retreats Review

“I have a confession to make. I have a pathological aversion to bands named after people. Unless your name is Ozzy or Dio, I’m probably not going to listen to your album. Ok, I guess I love the solo stuff from Warrel Dane and Michael Romeo, but that’s it! I honestly can’t explain why, but I’ve just always thought that metal is a band’s genre. Anyways, I’ve said all that to immediately contradict myself.” What’s in a name?

Endezzma – The Archer, Fjord and the Thunder Review

Endezzma – The Archer, Fjord and the Thunder Review

“It’s a silent and foggy evening on the banks of your fjord. You’ve finally got a moment to yourself, away from the chaos of the clan. You press play on your Windir tape as you sit back to watch the fog unfurl over the water. Then a light. Then an arrow. All of a sudden a buff trio of mythological malevolent creatures arrive to upset your reverie and rain fire upon your name. Endezzma has arrived with a slow, evil intent that rapidly turns to chaos and hellfire.” Fjord world problems.

Dark Fortress – Spectres from the Old World Review

Dark Fortress – Spectres from the Old World Review

“Back in 2014, Madam X covered the release of Venereal Dawn by Bavarian brutalists Dark Fortress. Our Marchioness de Machiavelli didn’t particularly care for the album’s progressive expansion of melodic black metal. I, on the other hand, adored it. Since Morean joined forces with V. Santura, their sonic shade has substantially deepened. The duo’s combined involvement in projects as diverse as Alkaloid, Triptykon, Noneuclid and Hannes Grossmann has wrought one my favorite writing partnerships in extreme metal. Six years on, and Dark Fortress are poised to drop eighth album Spectres from the Old World.” Old world, new blackness.

Void Ritual – Heretical Wisdom Review

Void Ritual – Heretical Wisdom Review

“The little I know about Albuquerque, New Mexico comes from Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul. The last thing I’d expect to come to this dry and rift ridden desert landscape is frosty Scandinavian inspired melodic black metal. But, Void Ritual don’t play by the rules, like a unicorn entering a two-horned race.” Rule breaker, horn faker.

Alkaloid – The Malkuth Grimoire Review

Alkaloid – The Malkuth Grimoire Review

“When guitarist Christian Muenzner (Spawn of Possession, ex-Necrophagist) and drummer Hannes Grossman (Blotted Science, ex-Necrophagist) departed Obscura last year, needless to say I was pretty bummed. The duo was an integral part of the band’s sparkling technical and progressive death metal formula that yielded back-to-back masterworks in Cosmogenesis and Omnivium. So while Obscura’s future looks uncertain, the gifted pair have forged ahead with a brand spankin’ new outfit called Alkaloid featuring an all-star line-up….” Dudes from the big names in tech-death coming together in a new super project? Are your slide rulers in a tangled knot of anticipation yet?

Ascension – The Dead of the World Review

Ascension – The Dead of the World Review

“When it comes to orthodox Swedish-style black metal (which I’ll call “orthodox black metal” for the rest of the review), explaining the general aesthetic is essentially pointless. I can call an album cold, frostbitten, grim, and evil until I turn blue in the face from hypothermia, but that won’t answer the one question readers have when they come to reviews: is this worth listening to?” Orthodox black metal for Christmas? I see what they did there.

Dark Fortress – Venereal Dawn Review

Dark Fortress – Venereal Dawn Review

“Concepts are tough nuts to crack, you’ve got to get your story across in roughly 7-10 tracks and at the same time the songs themselves need to stand alone and impress. Venereal Dawn is the latest addition to the now seven-deep discography for German black metallers Dark Fortress and it was three years in the making.” Does Dark Fortress crack said nut? Find out by clicking this handy, dandy link below…

Madam X’s Top Ten(ish) of 2013

Madam X’s Top Ten(ish) of 2013

“Wow, what a year! A large portion of 2013 has had me working my ass off in preparation for my stint out at sea with 70,000 Tons of Pure Fucking METAL! I’ve tried to curtail my excitement, but fuck it, this is huge – Carcass, Septicflesh, Finntroll, Overkill… what more could a girl ask for?” As Madam X shamelessly drops free plugs for a certain novelty cruise line, she also delivers her best albums of the year. That lady can multi-task!