Hells Headbangers Records

Acid Witch – Rot Among Us Review

Acid Witch – Rot Among Us Review

“Unlike the treacherous triumvirate of necromancers up on the hill in Macbeth,Acid Witch are a silly, tongue-in-cheek entity and always have been. Their stoner doom-death style owes more to cheesy horror flicks from the 60s and 70s than it does to Black Sabbath or Autopsy and their typical fare feels like it could function as a soundtrack for Return of the Living Dead or Trick or Treat with the camp levels besting those seen around Crystal Lake. On fourth album Rot Among Us little has changed in their odd witch’s brew.” Come, come to the sabbWitch.

Hammr – Eternal Possession Review

Hammr – Eternal Possession Review

“I’m kind of obsessed with hammers. Write a song about hammers, and I’ll probably like it. Include “hammer” as part of your band name, and I’ll probably like your band. In a roleplaying game, make hammers a wieldable weapon, and, by god, I’m going to wield one (or two). I don’t know how to build shit, but I own a framing hammer and sleep with it next to my bed for personal protection. I use a twenty-pound sledge for my conditioning workouts, often while Asphyx’s “Deathhammer” plays in the background on repeat. Anyway, now you know why I felt so compelled to give Cleveland’s Hammr a swing.” Hammr time.

Bonehunter – Dark Blood Reincarnation System Review

Bonehunter – Dark Blood Reincarnation System Review

Bonehunter and I have a deep, penetrable relationship that’s difficult to describe. They put out albums, and I review them. OK, so that wasn’t complicated. But, the last time I checked, I’ve reviewed more of their albums than I have any other band since starting at AMG. This year’s Dark Blood Reincarnation System makes four albums and four Grier reviews for these crusty Finns. If you don’t know Bonehunter, it’s time you were educated. Bonehunter is best known for two things: bear erections and punky, black-thrash.” Bones to the wall.

Expunged – Into Never Shall Review

Expunged – Into Never Shall Review

“What would you do if you came into possession of a functioning time travel device? Some would undoubtedly set out to right great historical wrongs. Noble stuff that. Unlike these do-gooders, the three low-life bastards in Expunged would blast back to 1990 and make Left Hand Path way more raw, ugly and unpolished. Also a noble endeavor if you ask me.” Violent revision.

Cadaveric Incubator – Nightmare Necropolis Review

Cadaveric Incubator – Nightmare Necropolis Review

“In The Beyond, Italian director Lucio Fulci’s second film in what’s commonly referred to as the “Gates of Hell Trilogy,” an entombed carcass is exhumed and, before an autopsy is conducted, is hooked up to a brainwave machine thanks to a lab tech with a sense of humor. Thankfully the room had a “Do Not Entry” sign so the fellow had some privacy. In Nightmare Necropolis, the second record from Finnish death metal band Cadaveric Incubator, the band takes influence from Entombed, Carcass, Exhumed, and Autopsy. A tree with breasts, a puking skeleton, and what looks like a very sad frog atop a tombstone adorn the cover thanks to an illustrator with a sense of humor. Let’s ignore the sign(s) and entry into the necropolis.” Make way for the Incuba-TOR!

Mongrel’s Cross – Arcana, Scrying and Revelation Review

Mongrel’s Cross – Arcana, Scrying and Revelation Review

“I was but a mere Angry Metal Applicant when Mongrel’s Cross released their sophomore full-length Psalter of the Royal Dragon Court during the summer of 2018, and I can still remember sitting down to read Mark Z.‘s review. I was still in the diaper stage of exploring black metal, and having already enjoyed the output of their Australian countrymates Deströyer 666, I happily indulged in Mongrel’s Cross’ epic, thrashened version of the style.” Read the bones.

Violent Hammer – Riders of the Wasteland Review

Violent Hammer – Riders of the Wasteland Review

“Formed way back in 2006, Hammer feel less like a band that’s been honing their sound and more like one that’s been waiting for the right time to unleash it. This is primitive death metal that’s more abusive than innovative and yet still offers no easy points of comparison. It’s as if the early works of death metal and grindcore were stirred together in a bloody concoction, shoved in the furnace of black metal, and then crystallized in a raw, violent, and merciless final product that feels just as cutthroat as the band name and album title suggest.” Hammer smash!

Hegemony – Enthroned by Persecution Review

Hegemony – Enthroned by Persecution Review

“I love it when a release has riffs and songs I can hum after first listen, but I also love the bludgeoning barbarity of acts like Abominator and Archgoat, where discernible ideas are often sacrificed at the altar of extremity. Hells Headbangers tend to be one of the most reliable peddlers of this sort of stuff, and this once again holds true with Alabama’s Hegemony.” Goats!

Perdition Temple – Sacraments of Descension Review

Perdition Temple – Sacraments of Descension Review

“Though Angelcorpse were only active for five years in their initial run, in that short time they managed to release three terrific albums and establish themselves as one of the most iconic blackened death metal bands of all time. After reuniting and releasing 2007’s Of Lucifer and Lightning to mediocre reception, the Kansas City group would split up again, with guitarist Gene Palubicki going on to showcase his ideas in Blasphemic Cruelty, Apocalypse Command, and Perdition Temple. It seems odd considering their slow rate of output, but Temple have easily been the most prolific of these three projects, with the band now on their third album since their 2009 inception.” Temple ov Anger.