Century Media Records

Wolf – Shadowlands Review

By Steel Druhm on March 31, 2022 in Reviews, Heavy Metal, Power Metal, 25 comments

“Wolf have been a reliably entertaining throwback metal act since they first hit the scene back in 1999. Led by vocalist/guitarist Niklas Stålvind, the band successfully integrated NWoBHM basics with elements of Euro-power, giving them a wealth of excitable elements to throw at the wall and make stick. And albums like Evil Star, The Black Flame, and Legions of Bastards found them getting very sticky indeed, making those platters especially fun to rock out with. That said, 2020s Feeding the Machine saw them attempt a style shift that didn’t completely work, resulting in my least favorite outing from them. It seems the band didn’t love the results either, as ninth album Shadowlands is a shift back to what’s always worked for them.” Good doggy!

Blood Incantation – Timewave Zero Review

By Saunders on February 24, 2022 in Reviews, 124 comments

“After releasing a pair of highly acclaimed albums, coupling quality old school death with progressive and psychedelic embellishments and spacey themes, Denver’s Blood Incantation rapidly ascended into a respected, high profile ‘it’ band in the modern death metal scene. As such, any new material is eagerly awaited upon. Hidden History of the Human Race dropped in 2019, rolling the momentum onwards and upwards from their Starspawn debut, again showcasing Blood Incantation’s innovative and experimental approach to death metal. Well-publicized prior to its impending release, third LP, Timewave Zero, marks a drastic experimental detour, featuring a pair of lengthy compositions of ambient, cosmic atmosphere.” Empty space in your face.

Venom Prison – Erebos Review

By Maddog on February 12, 2022 in Reviews, Death Metal, Hardcore, Melodic Death Metal, 81 comments

“In the three years since their sophomore release Samsara, Venom Prison has experienced a meteoric rise to fame. Samsara captured the hearts of both underground metal aficionados and non-sociopaths, by infusing high-energy brutal death metal with a healthy dose of slamming hardcore. Venom Prison’s unrelenting sound earned them a deal with Century Media, and Erebos brings the band to a crossroads as their major label debut.” Prisoner of expectations.

Voivod – Synchro Anarchy Review

By Huck N Roll on February 9, 2022 in Reviews, Progressive Metal, Thrash Metal, 89 comments

“The most frightening album I ever bought was in 1984, a cassette called War and Pain, issued by the weirdly-named Voivod. Up here in Canada it came out on Banzai Records, a strange little upstart that licensed metal albums not otherwise available. Anyhow, back in the 80s my pals and I snapped up everything on that label, even when we had no clue who the band was. We were pretty lucky – Metallica, Exciter, Slayer, Venom, all sorts of great up-and-comers. And then this one. Pressing play on the tape deck resulted in some of the scariest, heaviest thrash-death-punk shit we’d ever heard. That was our introduction to Voivod.” War, pain, anarchy, progress.

Mass Worship – Portal Tombs Review

By Steel Druhm on February 4, 2022 in Reviews, Black Metal, Death Metal, Grind, Sludge Metal, 42 comments

“Not being an especially spiritual bloke, I only took a flyer on Mass Worship’s sophomore platter Portal Tombs because they were tagged “death metal” in our greasy promo sump. Well, the promo sump sits on a greasy throne of greasy lies! These Swedish sadists are NOT death metal, and it’s actually a challenge to explain what they are. I can tell you Portal Tombs is a ridiculously heavy slab of extreme metal designed to smother and obliterate all light and joy from this cursed world. Their style rumbles through death, black, sludge, doom and grind genres like a nuclear-powered killdozer, and the band is more than happy to beat you with any and all tools they come across during their bloody rampage.” Portals and tombs but no cake at all.

Unanimated – Victory in Blood Review

By Steel Druhm on December 2, 2021 in Reviews, Black Metal, Death Metal, 17 comments

“Unanimated is a historical oddity of sorts. Emerging from the Swedish death metal scene in the late 80s, they were one of the first bands to play what we now think of melodeath. Their 1993 In the Forest of the Dreaming Dead debut hit the same year as Dark Tranquillity’s debut and At the Gates sophomore platter, but Unanimated’s music was darker and creepier with a strong black metal element winding through its twisted core. Though the debut has gone on to become a minor cult classic, the band was quickly left behind as their contemporaries garnered all the fame and attention. There was a gap of some 14 years between their second and third release, and now after 12 years, we get their fourth outing, Victory in Blood.” Transcending obscurity.

Omnium Gatherum – Origin Review

By Steel Druhm on November 3, 2021 in Reviews, Death Metal, Melodic Death Metal, 115 comments

“Omnium Gatherum have been at the forefront of the Finnish melodeath movement since 2003, conspiring with countrymates Insomnium and Amorphis to slather the globe in heavy, melancholic tuneage. They’ve shown themselves to be gifted at merging sadboi introspection with hooky melodeath moments on killer albums like New World Shadows and Beyond, and 2018s The Burning Cold was another quality platter, improving on 2016s somewhat somnambulant Grey Heavens. Since The Burning Cold however, nearly half the band’s lineup has changed over, with them losing a guitarist, bassist, and drummer. Armed with new members they’ve also shifted towards a new approach.” Ominous gatherings.

Aborted – ManiaCult Review

By Ferrous Beuller on September 10, 2021 in Reviews, Death Metal, 37 comments

“There’s no such thing as a truly objective review so let’s get one thing straight: I fucking adore Aborted. Their brand of pulverizing death metal appeals to me on a primitive level and I’ve followed these Belgians for years. For the most part, I have enjoyed being reduced to DNA and endorphins every few years. And it’s that time again. 2018’s TerrorVision was good but it had some issues. Or rather it had one big issue. It just seemed to ramble on too long, which, for a band with grind sensibilities, isn’t optimal. ManiaCult is the definitive younger model.” Culted nuts.

At The Gates – The Nightmare of Being Review

By Ferrous Beuller on July 1, 2021 in Reviews, Death Metal, 73 comments

“Swedish death metal and I have a bloody history. The Stockholm sound has always been my preferred space, while I’ve often butted heads with the Gothenburg bands. At The Gates are the only true exception. Their ability to mix melody without compromising creative riffing has ensured their reputation doesn’t go down in flames. However, when they reformed for 2014’s At War With Reality, I was unimpressed.” Gatekeeping.

Bewitcher – Cursed Be Thy Kingdom Review

By Holdeneye on April 18, 2021 in Reviews, Black Metal, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, Speed Metal, 33 comments

“I’ve given out a 4.0 or twenty-one in my time, but this is the first time that one of 4.0ldeneye‘s highly 4.0nored 4.0nies returns 4.0me for yet another s4.0t at glory. Just under two years ago, Portland, Oregon’s Bewitcher released Under the Witching Cross, their sinister sophomore platter of blackened speed metal tunes, and I still haven’t been able to locate my socks after the resulting off-blowing. That record was oozing with attitude, and every track was a killer. I was stoked to hear that the band had been picked up by Century Media for follow-up effort Cursed Be Thy Kingdom.” Cursed by great expectations.