Angelcorpse

Ascended Dead – Evenfall of the Apocalypse Review

By Steel Druhm on May 12, 2023 in Reviews, Death Metal, 39 comments

“Ascended Dead hail from the San Diego area and despite the region’s nearly perfect climate with endless sunny days, they’re fucking furious and verging on a total nervous breakdown. This results in some of the most over-the-top and feral death metal I’ve heard in a while, and their sophomore outing Evenfall of the Apocalypse is a proper soundtrack for even the most hellish of end times. With Jon Reider and C. Koryn, both formerly of VoidCeremony leading the charge, Ascended Dead take a sturdy OSDM foundation and slather it with dangerously twisted and jagged progressive ideas.” Brace for body trauma.

Atomwinter – Sakrileg Review

By Carcharodon on February 8, 2023 in Reviews, Death Metal, 14 comments

“Walking the line between old school death metal and blackened speed-thrash, Atomwinter are barely fucking around. I say ‘barely’, rather than ‘not’, because there is the obligatory one-minute instrumental opener to skip on Sakrileg. The album would’ve opened far stronger had the band just ripped straight into “Ov Blood and Flesh,” which tells us immediately that these guys have listened to a lot of early Incantation and taken that as their creative starting point.” Up and Atom.

Dead Void – Volatile Forms

By Dear Hollow on September 12, 2022 in Reviews, Death Metal, Doom Metal, 11 comments

“I became acquainted with Dead Void through their quiet yet mammoth 2018 demo The Looming Spectre. I was neck deep in the melodic style of death/doom, my only experience with more ominous mutterings consisting of Thergothon or Swallowing, so these Danes’ breed of absolutely devastating death/doom hit me like a ton of slimy bricks. As dead and dripping as the walls of R’lyeh, with a megaton weight that more closely recalled funeral doom, it cranked my excitement meter to a solid 11. When Volatile Forms appeared in the promo dump, I hungrily gobbled it up.” Void if forms removed.

Prosanctus Inferi – Hypnotic Blood Art Review

By Mark Z. on August 18, 2020 in Reviews, Black Metal, Death Metal, 20 comments

“I’ll be honest: I don’t give a fuck about most new music out there today. Lately, the only thing I want to listen to is blackened death, blackened thrash, and the occasional hardcore band that actually has interesting guitar parts. Fortunately, bands like Prosanctus Inferi are here to provide new music that I’m actually interested in hearing.” Blood art is fine art.

Temple Nightside – Pillars of Damnation Review

By Mark Z. on August 5, 2020 in Reviews, Black Metal, Death Metal, 35 comments

“Readers of this site will not find it surprising when I say that I love blackened death metal of the chaotic and brutal variety, with groups like Impiety, Archgoat, and Angelcorpse being some of my favorites. In the last decade, however, a new strain of blackened death metal came to prominence that seemed to prioritize atmosphere and uneasiness above all else. Some of the more notable bands in this category are Portal, Abyssal, and Teitanblood—groups whose work I respect, even if it doesn’t resonate with me as deeply. When I grabbed Pillars of Damnation, the fourth album by Australia’s Temple Nightside, I had no idea what strain of blackened death metal it would be.” Cavern kegger.

Perdition Temple – Sacraments of Descension Review

By Mark Z. on March 26, 2020 in 2020, American Metal, Black Metal, Death Metal, Hells Headbangers Records, Reviews, Black Metal, Death Metal, 10 comments

“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.

Impiety – Versus All Gods Review

By Mark Z. on January 25, 2020 in 2020, Black Metal, Death Metal, Reviews, Singaporean Metal, Black Metal, Death Metal, 25 comments

“When it comes to sheer force, nothing compares to Impiety. Formed in 1990, this Singaporean quartet originally played fairly traditional black metal before transforming into a blakkened fukkin death monstrosity with 1999’s iconic Skullfucking Armageddon. Amidst a salvo of blast beats, staccato riffing, and livid vocals, that album began a musical warpath which has now continued for over two decades.” God fight!

Sammath – Across the Rhine Is Only Death Review

By Diabolus in Muzaka on October 16, 2019 in 2019, Black Metal, Dutch Metal, Hammerheart Records, Reviews, Black Metal, Death Metal, 44 comments

“We see a lot expressed in a painting of shoes. Another artist could paint the shoes and using the same subject express a wholly different outlook. Metal has this habit with war⁠—myriad bands contemplate it and find wildly different elements to paint their sonic portrait, their own vision of the peasant shoes. Sammath sees war in an unforgiving light. Their death-tinged black metal sees war⁠—specifically World War II⁠—as human folly writ large, a senseless mess of faceless killing, death, and destruction with no real resolution.” The true face of war.

Spearhead – Pacifism Is Cowardice Review

By Mark Z. on November 23, 2018 in 2018, Black Metal, British Metal, Death Metal, Invictus Productions, Reviews, Black Metal, Death Metal, 35 comments

“Sometimes blackened death metal feels like the only music that matters. No, more than that—it feels like the only thing that matters. The pummeling drums, the frenzied riffs, the scathing vocals—it just makes me want to put my fist through a wall, rip off my shirt, and go skullfuck the nearest quadruped. When the need arises to rally my inner Z-beast, Angelcorpse often does the trick, but they’re not the only game in town.” Tip of the spear.

Lucifericon – Al-Khem-Me Review

By Mark Z. on October 7, 2018 in 2018, Black Metal, Death Metal, Dutch Metal, Invictus Productions, Reviews, Black Metal, Death Metal, 21 comments

“Al-Khem-Me. Like alchemy. Get it? It’s kind of a silly pun, but upon further reflection, the word does serve as a decent metaphor for what Lucifericon are trying to do here. Ancient alchemists like Nicolas Flamel attempted to turn common metals into gold; by the same token, this Dutch quartet attempt to take decent riffs and turn them into vast and smoldering blackened death metal songs.” Lead or gold?