Code666 Records

Maestus – Deliquesce Review

Maestus – Deliquesce Review

“Funeral doom is the cilantro of the metal world. Those who like it tend to love it. Others wonder why anyone would want to eat a little leaf that tastes like soap listen to a twenty-minute song with four beats per minute. On the occasions it’s reviewed here, there are usually a few predictable cries from the peanut gallery of “Only listened to 30 seconds! Why this boring? Me want fast!” That’s right. I made you sound like Cookie Monster.” C is for Cookie and it’s better than you deserve.

Piah Mater – The Wandering Daughter Review

Piah Mater – The Wandering Daughter Review

“The pia mater, Latin for “tender mother,” is one of three meninges that surround and protect the brain from damage. So as you’re headbanging at your local metal show, your pia mater keeps your delicate, spongy brain tissue from dashing itself against the inside of your skull and knocking you out cold.” Keep your mothers close and your Opeth-core closer.

Al Ard – Al Ard Review

Al Ard – Al Ard Review

Al Ard are described as a mixture of black metal and dubstep, and if you didn’t grimace at least a little just now, you probably managed not to hear about dubstep in the first place. Dubstep is the unholy combination of a computer on the fritz and all the worst tendencies of electronic music. The last time we saw a metal band try to incorporate dubstep was about as pleasant as using a lamprey for a fleshlight. Can Al Ard overcome my prejudice?” Step off.

Rise of Avernus – Eigengrau Review

Rise of Avernus – Eigengrau Review

“Labeled as “Orchestral Doom Death” in AMG’s top-secret promo vault, I figured this Australian act would at the very least make for an interesting listening experience regardless of quality, and with Eigengrau being their second LP, it’s more likely that they’d have their ambitious sound already dialed in. Indeed, Eigengrau is far from boring, and even quite good at times, but Rise of Avernus’ identity crisis makes it a regularly frustrating listen.” Symphony of frustration.

Syn Ze Șase Tri – Zăul moș Review

Syn Ze Șase Tri – Zăul moș Review

“I have to admit, I’d never heard of Syn Ze Șase Tri before I grabbed their 2017 release Zăul moș. For six years these Romanian black metallers have been roaming the earth without my knowledge—dropping their unique brand of symphonic black/death on the planet. Though these Transylvanians hail from the same hometown as Negură Bunget, things are done differently. Both bands have their folky songwriting and both have their native mythologies and concepts, but Syn Ze Șase Tri focuses on bigness.” Transylvania? Symphonic black metal? Big? Just in time for Halloween.

Eoront – Another Realm Review

Eoront – Another Realm Review

“Take a good hard look at your music collection. Go on, I’ll wait. Do you have a lot of black metal in your CD, vinyl, cassette, or MP3 collection? If not, ignore what I’m about to say, but if you do… how much of it is of the variety that Euronymous would shit his leather trousers for? There’s a good chance that there’s not much of it because, let’s face it, black metal has become such a gimongous umbrella that anything that may have hyper-blasts, tremolo riffing, and a production that cranks the high end up would fall into this category” Wield the black umbrella.

Saille – Gnosis Review

Saille – Gnosis Review

“Have you ever been away from someone for a while, whether a friend, family member, or former love interest, and when you reunite, that person has changed dramatically? Was it because they cleaned up, got their shit together, lost or gained weight in a healthy matter, or otherwise became an outrageously successful person without you? Or did you see them with a beer belly, receding hairline, on their third divorce, and you try to find a nice way to cheer them up while thinking in your head, ‘What the hell happened to you?'” Absence makes the heart grow fatter.

Ashenspire – Speak Not of the Laudanum Quandary Review

Ashenspire – Speak Not of the Laudanum Quandary Review

Ashenspire hail from Glasgow (Scotland) and like their British / Norwegian counterparts (A Forest of Stars / Vulture Industries), Ashenspire deliver a brand of avant-garde black metal that has you sit up and take notice. Clad in a single-breasted frock coat, Speak Not of the Laudanum Quandary tells of the harrowing odyssey of British imperialist tragedy using 7 lengthy tracks.” Big topic, big music.