Hammerheart Records

Master – Saints Dispelled Review

By Kenstrosity on January 17, 2024 in Reviews, Death Metal, Thrash Metal, 35 comments

“Five years and a little over one month ago, Master’s fourteenth full-length Vindictive Miscreant fell into my lap, courtesy of one Master of Muppets. Thanks to this serendipitous windfall, I get dibs on all Master records going forward, despite their classic pedigree and extensive back catalog which predates my own existence on planet Earth by almost ten years. What should belong to one of our olde curmudgeons, like Steel or even Dr. A.N. Grier, belongs to me. Today, Saints Dispelled grants me another opportunity to swing my big dibs-stick and acquire Master’s newest slab of fun, wretched, thrashy death metal madness.” Master baiting.

Salacious Gods – Oalevluuk Review

By Iceberg on October 15, 2023 in Reviews, Black Metal, 6 comments

“Second-wave black metal worship is like that regular at your local dive: omnipresent, predictable with their order, and armed with the same old stories for whoever happens to be within earshot. They’re not bad for business per se, but familiarity has been known to breed contempt. And few styles are as familiar as Norwegian black metal of the early ’90s, inspiring generations to revere and—occasionally—innovate upon that trademark of “trve evil.” Enter mercurial Dutch black metallers Salacious Gods, rising from the ashes of self-imposed exile to bring us their first record in 18(!) years.” Salacious layoffs.

Tumulation – Haunted Funeral Creations Review

By Carcharodon on August 7, 2023 in Reviews, Death Doom, Doom Metal, 18 comments

“Tumulation’s offering is quite simple: they play down-tuned, sludgy death doom. There’s nothing overly complex or flashy about it. On the contrary, it’s filthy. Like, really nasty, murky filth.” Filth for the masses.

Sammath – Grebbeberg Review

By Maddog on June 27, 2023 in Reviews, Black Metal, Death Metal, 8 comments

“Sammath’s style isn’t my usual cup of tea, but Godless Arrogance still wowed me nearly a decade ago. Avoiding any pretense of variety, the Netherlands’ Sammath played war metal in the truest sense. Monotony can be hit-or-miss, but Sammath made it work through the emotive power of their music. Godless Arrogance both sounded and felt like being in the trenches during a losing battle. Its successor Across the Rhine Is Only Death shattered the underpaid Score Safety Counter in 2019, leaving me with high expectations for 2023’s follow-up Grebbeberg.” Back to the front!

Phlebotomized – Clouds of Confusion Review

By Kenstrosity on May 26, 2023 in Reviews, Death Metal, Melodic Death Metal, Progressive Metal, Symphonic Metal, 30 comments

“With their resurgence in 2019 with Deformation of Humanity, Dutch progressive death metal sextet[ Phlebotomized reestablished a foothold on the oddball prog-death scene. Combining off-kilter songwriting with dramatic synths and eerie croons didn’t dull the sharp edge of the Dutchmen’s death metal blade, and afforded the band an immediately recognizable identity. Now, the band prepares their next outing, entitled Clouds of Confusion, and with it comes another awesome cover and even MOAR weird death metal.” Blood for the Blood Takers!

Runemagick – Beyond the Cenotaph of Mankind Review

By Steel Druhm on April 28, 2023 in Reviews, Death Metal, Doom Metal, 23 comments

“Sweden’s Runemagick have been banging away at the extreme metal world since the late 90s. With a sound traveling from basic nuts n’ bolts death metal into doom-death, these magick wielders have put in over 3 decades of sweat equity with 12 albums to show for their efforts. That makes it all the weirder that I’ve never heard them until grabbing the promo for album number thirteen, Beyond the Cenotaph of Mankind. Making my decades-long oversight all the more glaring, Katatonia drummer, Daniel Moilanen has manned the kit for Runemagick since 2002. Oh, the shame! With a poser check on Steel frantically underway at AMG HR, I ran back through their voluminous back catalog to sample their wares.” Spells of concealment.

Isole – Anesidora Review

By Steel Druhm on March 8, 2023 in Reviews, Doom Metal, 79 comments

“Isole have slowly but inexorably become one of my favorite doom bands over the last 10 years, reliably delivering big albums in the Candlemass, Solitude Aeturnus, While Heaven Wept tradition. With 2 of those 3 big acts now out of action, Isole have steadily ascended the doom hierarchy ladder as they continued to improve with time.” Doom to improve.

Deviser – Evil Summons Evil Review

By Dr. A.N. Grier on February 14, 2023 in Reviews, Melodic Black Metal, 26 comments

“After exploring the band’s catalog, I’m rather impressed with their ’90s classics, Unspeakable Cults and Transmission to Chaos. Their mid-paced approach to songwriting and clever use of keys and atmospheres have me returning to Transmission to Chaos a lot. Again, while there are similarities to Rotting Christ in the songwriting (specifically the pace of the songs), Deviser was able to carve a place for themselves in the genre. But, as we’ve seen with so many bands in this class, the need to up their game in the symphonic side took hold. The result was two albums that under-delivered and left me cold inside. With Evil Summons Evil, the tries to recapture the days of yore while utilizing today’s modern production and punch.” DeviserER!

Defy the Curse – Horrors of Human Sacrifice Review

By Holdeneye on January 13, 2023 in Reviews, Crust Punk, Death Metal, 38 comments

“Hailing from the Netherlands, Defy the Curse do indeed play a mashup of death metal and hardcore, but they are in no way a stereotypical metalcore or deathcore outfit. This metal/core hybrid sounds like the rumbling Entombed-meets-Discharge style of a band like Black Breath.” Defy the d-beat.

Arallu – Death Covenant Review

By Itchymenace on December 6, 2022 in Reviews, Black Metal, 36 comments

“A great benefit of working for AMG, beyond the weekly bowl of gruel that barely keeps you alive enough to clack out reviews on the blood-stained keys of the staff Commodore 64, is the exposure to bands from around the globe. This is my third review of a Middle Eastern band and my second Israeli band. While new to me, Arallu has been around. They’ve spent 25 years writing about religious wars and the hatred that’s perpetuated in the age-old conflicts in their corner of the world. Their sound began as raw blackened metal, inspired by early pioneers of the genre, but is steeped in traditional and ancient Sumerian melodies and instrumentation.” Metal tourism.