Iron Bonehead Productions

Black Cilice – Transfixion of Spirits Review

Black Cilice – Transfixion of Spirits Review

“When I tell people I listen to black metal because I find it ‘relaxing,’ I’m often met by bemused stares. How could such ferocious, pummeling music, in any shape or form, be relaxing, they ask? Yet it is precisely the cacophony of noise and shrieking that allows, if only for a few blissful minutes, my overactive brain to rest. Much like children with hyperactivity, who take a stimulant to focus their restless minds, the anxiety, sadness, and worry that constantly swirl around in my brain are temporarily and gloriously cocooned in the chaos of furious blast beats and thunderous riffs that only the most extreme music can provide.” Lo-fi hi-five.

Pa Vesh En – Pyrefication Review

Pa Vesh En – Pyrefication Review

Pa Vesh En’s Pyrefication begins as many black metal records begin, with a foggy sequence of sustained riffs and electronic noises that draw an atmospheric veil. It takes a moment to adjust to this tenebrosity. The music appears monolithic at first, until silhouettes of individual ideas start revealing themselves. Like a symphonic orchestra attuning their instruments in preparation of a concert, the Belarusian one-man project uses the opening “…In the Ghostly Haze” to timidly set the stage of its second full-length release, exploring and expanding into sound spaces.” Purity through fire.

Hagzissa – They Ride Along Review

Hagzissa – They Ride Along Review

“I guarantee that you are looking at the album cover to the left (or above, if you’re cellphone-advantageous) and are probably guessing the review score without even scrolling down. Believe me when I say that I took one look at that garishly drawn, purple-as-fuck monstrosity and noped the daylights out of it myself. In my fuzzy cat-brain, without even hearing a note of They Ride Along by Austrian newcomers Hagzissa. But I’m always willing to give everyone a fair shot, and we all know how the old adage goes about books and covers.” Purple is the new black.

Reign in Blood – Missa Pro Defunctis Review

Reign in Blood – Missa Pro Defunctis Review

“OK, so this week’s selection is a little too obvious. Against my better judgment, I grabbed Missa Pro Defunctis because I love Slayer’s Reign in Blood. Also against my better judgment, I chose Reign in Blood’s newest release without hearing a single note. While this could turn out to be an AotY pick, most of the time, grabbing something by instinct rather than logic is a bad idea. For instance, going to the convenient store to get a case of beer and finding a twelve-pack of Bud Light at a ridiculously low price. Then, when you get home, you discover that you bought Bud Light Minis.” Looks like reign.

Cult of Extinction – Ritual in the Absolute Absence of Light Review

Cult of Extinction – Ritual in the Absolute Absence of Light Review

“Bestial war metal. It’s an evocative name, isn’t it? Succinct. Direct. Descriptive. You’re not getting pretentious instrumentation, or strange ancient languages, or complicated metaphors about the modern condition. Raw, primal, direct black metal designed to quicken the pulse is the name of this game. Enter Cult of Extinction, a one-man war metal band hailing from Germany, and the brain-child of the mysterious Void.” War metal. What’s it good for?

Vomit Angel – Imprint of Extinction Review

Vomit Angel – Imprint of Extinction Review

“There are two types of bad art in the world, just like there are two types of turds. The first type is embodied by the movie The Room. It’s a massive turd. It’s a turd that you look at and marvel over how it was produced by a human being, a turd that you immediately want to share and laugh about with your friends. And then, there is the fouler type. This is the turd that is spoken of in hushed tones, the pungent semi-diarrhea laced with the partially digested remnants of yesterday’s corn, the turd with a stench so foul it would wrinkle the nose of Beezlebub himself. This is the turd you immediately want to flush and never want to speak of again. This turd is Vomit Angel’s Imprint of Extinction debut.” Up the creek without an angel.

Arkhaaik – *dʰg̑ʰm̥tós Review

Arkhaaik – *dʰg̑ʰm̥tós Review

Arkhaaik have, for reasons best known to them, decided to write and perform this in proto-Indo-European (PIE). The PIE tongue, last spoken several thousand years BC, remains only partially reconstructed. And this, according to my extensive Wikipedia research, at least explains the asterisks, which are used to mark reconstructed words. What’s that? Enough linguistic history? Well, there’s more but, if you’re sure.” Dead tongues and other creepy things.

Celestial Grave – Secular Flesh Review

Celestial Grave – Secular Flesh Review

“There are few things in this world as pleasant as raw black metal. The kind that barely registers as music to the ears of the unwashed. The kind that gives all of your family members doubts about your competency. The kind that elicits concerned glares from passers-by. You know what I’m talking about. So it was with great anticipation that I plucked Finland’s Celestial Grave from the AMG promo vault for a look-see.” When the void plucks you.

Valaraukar – Demonian Abyssal Visions Review

Valaraukar – Demonian Abyssal Visions Review

“It’s become a cliché to list all the things for which Scotland is famous. But cliché gets you banned to the Skull Pit Corner ov Naughtiness™ in these parts. So let’s look at something less well-known that Scotland’s capital, Edinburgh, is renowned for… deep-fried Mars Bars. I should love them. Chocolate, caramel, and nougat, all deliciously fried up as a warm, crunchy breakfast dessert. Yet I don’t. It’s really difficult for me to explain why, because every individual component is something I love, but the final product just underwhelms.” Sums and blackened parts.

Infernal Conjuration – Infernale Metallum Mortis Review

Infernal Conjuration – Infernale Metallum Mortis Review

“Barring pre-Hero Bölzer, I’ve never seen a band without a full-length generate as much passion as Sadistic Intent. The southern California death metal band formed in 1987 and have released little more than four EPs in their career, yet they’re still earning high slots at festivals and seem to be adored by a lot of people. It’s a testament to the quality of their music, I suppose, and I must admit their musty take on early Morbid Angel has tickled my fancy on more than one occasion. Yet their sporadic and limited output generates an obvious demand for more music in the style, and that’s where Infernal Conjuration come in.” Infernal overkill.