Apr22

Audrey Horne – Devil’s Bell Review

By Steel Druhm on April 20, 2022 in Reviews, Hard Rock, 55 comments

“Since 2005 Audrey Horne have been showing the world that some of the best American-style rock n’ roll comes from Norway courtesy of black metal and stoner doom musicians. Yeah, I know, go figure, but damn if that’s not how things played out. On the strength of albums like Youngblood and Pure Heavy the band carved out a sizeable niche of hard-rocking good times music with a strong NWoBHM flavor and they’ve been in heavy rotation in my neck of the woods for many a year. They’ve been quiet since 2018’s Blackout, but 2022 sees them return with seventh album, Devil’s Bell.” Bell’s end.

Void Dancer – Prone Burial Review

By Thus Spoke on April 20, 2022 in Reviews, Melodic Death Metal, Metalcore, Technical Death Metal, 37 comments

“Metal as a genre is still relatively young. This means both that the meanings and definitions of sub-genres are constantly evolving, and that musicians are continually combining them in novel ways. Void Dancer’s debut Prone Burial purports to be melodic death metal, but is actually more a blend of metalcore and tech death. I’m not mad about it, in spite of being misled, because Void Dancer hit upon something. They manage to do on their debut album what many fail to achieve after several: fuse technicality with punchiness. And they do it in an enjoyable, fairly unique way.” Burn, baby, burn, disco abyss.

Viande – L’abime dévore les âmes Review

By Carcharodon on April 19, 2022 in Reviews, Death Metal, 16 comments

“Many of us know, I guess, that moment of extreme disappointment when you unwrap a prime steak you’ve been looking forward to, only to be greeted by the putrid smell of gone-off meat. “It makes no sense, I only bought the fucking thing yesterday,” you mutter darkly to yourself. That steak should have been good for another couple of days at least. “How could this have happened? Why did it have to happen to me and why today?” I can’t answer any of those questions—quite frankly, I have my own problems—but that foul whiff of putrefaction reminds of the rancid filth that emanates from the debut record of French four-piece Viande.” Meat tragedy and death woes.

Monuments – In Stasis Review

By Dear Hollow on April 18, 2022 in Reviews, Djent, Metalcore, 52 comments

“To my credit, I was prepared. For those who enter the prog trailer park via that sketchy patch of woods at the back called “djent,” the polyrhythm abusers can be easier to spot. Futuristic-looking album covers, scientific names, and vaguely mathematic monikers like Structures, Tesseract, Volumes, and Intervals greet the eyes – or Monuments, in this case.” Escape from 2003.

Bhleg – Fäghring Review

By Itchymenace on April 17, 2022 in Reviews, Black Metal, 28 comments

“Fäghring is what you might imagine the soundtrack to be if you happened upon a pagan cult in the woods. Kind of “Number of The Beast” meets Midsommar. Birds play a prominent role, and you can almost imagine the canopy of trees gently bending with the breeze throughout. The album begins slowly with a chorus of birds before the chants and drums let you know something more sinister is going on.” Forest packages abound.

Alunah – Strange Machine Review

By Crispy Hooligan on April 16, 2022 in Reviews, Doom Metal, Psychedelic Rock, Stoner Rock, 32 comments

“Birmingham-based Alunah returns with their fourth album—Strange Machine—and second since the departure of founding members Sophie and David Day. As originally formulated, Alunah played straightforward—albeit folk-tinged—doom metal. Perhaps the biggest difference from doom in the vein of Saint Vitus is Alunah’s penchant for the bounce and swing of early Black Sabbath’s heavy blues.” Rage against the Strange Machine.

Urferd – Resan Review

By Twelve on April 15, 2022 in Reviews, Neofolk, Not Metal, 45 comments

“Promotional material is magical. Often it’s a poorly written, exaggerated exercise in alternate realities. That’s par for the course when you’re talking about marketing, and everyone who reads it knows what they’re getting into, but it’s funny how sometimes it works anyway. In the case of Resan, the debut full-length from the Swedish Urferd, it almost worked too well. By suggesting that Resan is “a journey through dark and olden Nordic forests” suitable for fans of Heilung, Myrkur, and Forndom, sole band member Daniel Beckman (Twilight Force, Ages) certainly caught my attention, but he also set the bar sky-high. And then… well, then he took me on a journey through dark and olden Nordic forests.” Nice forest package!

The Troops of Doom – Antichrist Reborn Review

By Steel Druhm on April 14, 2022 in Reviews, Death Metal, Thrash Metal, 40 comments

“Here’s an interesting release for you. The Troops of Doom (likely named for the classic Sepultura song) are a new Brazilan thrash/kinda-sorta death metal act, having only formed in 2020. Despite the project’s relative youth, the various members are grizzled scene vets with years spent in many other metal acts. On their Antichrist Reborn debut, they offer an interesting blend of classic thrash and death influences full of righteous nods to the big names that influenced them. The core sound is very much in line with early Sepultura material like Schizophrenia and Beneath the Remains, but vintage Slayer riffs percolate throughout and inform the writing, and the band’s deep Celtic Frost appreciation also becomes apparent on several tracks.” Old dogs, nasty bites.

Beyond Mortal Dreams – Abomination of the Flames Review

By Kenstrosity on April 14, 2022 in Reviews, Death Metal, 24 comments

“Two albums in thirty years does not a prolific act make. But that’s exactly how Beyond Mortal Dreams’ story begins. 1992 saw the youthful Australian death metallers spawn upon this mortal plane, under the moniker Suffering. After changing their name to Beyond Mortal Dreams in ’95, the band…. well, disbanded until 2003. Upon reforming, Beyond Mortal Dreams extracted enough evil and grotesquery from the depths of hell to concoct their debut record, From Hell, in 2008. Now, fourteen years later, these hellish imps prepare to unleash their second tome, entitled Abomination of the Flames, accompanied by this wonderfully infernal visage beside this introduction.” Olden demons, scarcely known.

Egregore – The Word of His Law Review

By Dear Hollow on April 13, 2022 in Reviews, Black Metal, Death Metal, 36 comments

“Now, technically, Egregore’s full title is, ahem, The Word of His Law: An Address to Abraxas in His Time and Place, Through His Grand Viseer, Thine Pansychopompos. If that gives you any idea, this duo fuses their chaotic tunes with a shroud of supernatural haze that represents their occult nature. Punctuating aural punishment with layers of guitar, synth, and chanting, and undergirded by an unhinged aesthetic, you can expect your ears to bleed, but by, I don’t know, ghosts?” The Code of Harambe.