Asphyx

Heaving Earth – Darkness of God Review

By Maddog on May 30, 2022 in Reviews, Death Metal, 31 comments

“While I usually avoid harming animals, I had to chase a certain Abbathian cat up a tree to get my hands on this promo. My feline colleague gushed about Czechia’s Heaving Earth in 2015, calling Denouncing the Holy Throne a shamelessly uncreative but satisfying slab of vintage death metal. The band is back with its third record Darkness of God, but the seven intervening years have seen its sound evolve. Much like the latest Golgothan Remains, Heaving Earth’s newest offering adorns old-school death metal with speckles of dissonance and malice, and influences from across the death metal universe.” Darkness before divinity.

Obscene – From Dead Horizon to Dead Horizon Review

By Steel Druhm on May 26, 2022 in Reviews, Death Metal, 14 comments

“Obscene’s debut The Inhabitable Dark hit in the midst of a grand revival of old school death worship at the House of Steel. It packed a big, ugly punch and mined the rarefied territory of Obituary, Hail of Bullets and Asphyx for all they were worth. It had just the right amount of nastiness and extremity and the songs were short and sweet too. The WAY over-the-top vocals by Kyle Shaw were a win for me, but some of my AMG colleagues thought they were too WAY over-the-top. That was nonsense of course, and I spent a lot of time with The Inhabitable Dark. This month we got the followup, From Dead Horizon to Dead Horizon and I found myself giddy to hear what kind of vile charms they had in store.” Bring me the Dead Horizons.

Mortify – Fragments at the Edge of Sorrow Review

By Felagund on April 10, 2022 in Reviews, Death Metal, Doom Metal, 27 comments

“South America has an enviable metal pedigree. Like the early 90s Floridian filth we know and love, or the Gothenburg school that scratches that brutal yet melodic itch, the South American scene has delivered its own unique set of sounds, approaches and atmospheres to the heavy metal maelstrom. Perhaps that was why I was so eager to pick up Fragments at the Edge of Sorrow, the sophomore release from Mortify, a Chilean group who specialize in a murky, bass-forward death doom concoction verging on the technical.” Life on the edge.

Grand Harvest – Consummatum Est Review

By Holdeneye on March 25, 2022 in Reviews, Death Metal, Doom Metal, 74 comments

“Ostensibly labeled as “death-doom,” Grand Harvest plays a powerful mixture of styles that includes but transcends such a label. Each of the record’s eight proper tracks displays its own unique personality while still fitting nicely within the band’s core sound. Combining the rhythmic barbarism of Bolt Thrower or Asphyx with the introspective atmospheric black metal of a band like Eneferens, Grand Harvest is able to convey their esoteric message while covering a wide swath of emotional territory.” Harvesting of sorrows

Ectoplasma — Inferna Kabbalah Review

By Ferox on January 24, 2022 in Reviews, Death Metal, 23 comments

“Reader, we have before us a scabby and indelicate piece of business. It’s been a busy few shifts at the filth factory for Ectoplasma; Inferna Kabbalah marks the fourth time in recent years that they’ve dropped a compost heap filled with dung and rotting offal on our doorsteps. And a ghastly pile it is!” Nasty plasma.

Abyssus – Death Revival Review

By Steel Druhm on January 19, 2022 in Reviews, Death Metal, Speed Metal, 33 comments

“Steps to ensure Steel Druhm throws his dirty ape cash at your old school death metal album: 1) Make it sound like it came from between 1987 and 1992, 2) Be as riffy and aggressive as possible, 3) Tie together nods to Obituary, Asphyx, and Death circa Leprosy / Spiritual Healing, 4) Cram some Possessed influence into all the cracks like so much snot grout. Greek death metal act Abyssus do all these things on sophomore platter Death Revival, and what’s more, they make it fun and mindlessly enjoyable to boot.” Abyssus for all of us.

Holdeneye’s Top Ten(ish) of 2021

By Holdeneye on January 1, 2022 in Blog Posts, Lists, 172 comments

Holdeneye picks things up and throws them down, including his Top Ten(ish) of 2021. Ponderous!

1914 – Where Fear and Weapons Meet Review

By Holdeneye on October 21, 2021 in Reviews, Black Metal, Death Metal, Doom Metal, 153 comments

“If I said that a new 1914 album is a big deal for me, it would be a huge understatement. The band’s 2018 opus The Blind Leading the Blind was one of the first records I covered for this site—and my first 4.0. I was still a probationary writer at the time, and as a brand new music journalist, watching the metalverse collectively lose its mind over what 1914 accomplished on that record was a surreal and humbling experience. 1914 have already demonstrated that they are consummate pros with a clear strategic objective, and I would have been shocked if 2021 follow-up Where Fear and Weapons Meet was anything less than great.” War 4 sale.

Dead Soul Alliance – Behind the Scenes Review

By Steel Druhm on September 2, 2021 in Reviews, Death Metal, 4 comments

“I’ve soaked up more death metal in 2021 than in the past five years combined. Why? Hard to say exactly. Perhaps the combination of an unending pandemic and the generally chaotic state of world affairs helped rekindle my love of the extreme and ugly side of metal. The Ottawa-based duo behind Dead Soul Alliance also prefer things ugly and extreme. On their full-length debut Behind the Scenes, they’ve conjured the worst angels of old school death metal, going hard for the heavy and unpleasant without entirely forsaking hooks and memorable dynamics.” Dead collective bargaining.

Celestial Sanctuary – Soul Diminished Review

By Steel Druhm on March 26, 2021 in Reviews, Death Metal, 27 comments

“There’s little I enjoy more than boastful, vain-glorious chest thumping in a young band’s promo package, and the U.K.’s Celestial Sanctuary delivered just that, proudly proclaiming themselves the forerunner of a New Wave of British Death Metal. Strong words for such a young act with nary but a demo and single to their name, but can they back it up on their full-length debut, Soul Diminished?” Diminishing soul returns?