Immolation

Immolation – Atonement Review

Immolation – Atonement Review

“My grim compulsion for all things death metal was initially born from a worship of the burgeoning Floridian and Swedish scenes, spawned originally as a continuation of my immortal love of thrash. I was immediately addicted to the genre’s inherent heaviness and dark theatricality, but it wasn’t until I eventually stumbled into the path of the New York acts, who heralded a denser, altogether heavier wave of death, that I would come into contact with Immolation, marking the first time I would be exposed to truly oppressive metal.” Proudly oppressing the masses since 1988.

The Ominous Circle – Appalling Ascension Review

The Ominous Circle – Appalling Ascension Review

“The disturbing rumble of old school, dark and brooding death metal is a familiar one. Burrowing, buzzing riffs, inhuman growls, and tumultuous drums and bass lines are encased in a constant, over-the-top imagery of torture and dread. But why are we so attracted to this blacker than black despair and sense of suffocation?” Embrace the horrors.

Ekpyrosis – Asphyxiating Devotion Review

Ekpyrosis – Asphyxiating Devotion Review

“The stoics believed in ekpyrosis, the yearly destruction of the universe by an all-consuming inferno. They believed that life is a cycle of destruction and rebirth. Recreation out of chaos. Ekpyrosis embody ekpyrosis through their fiery homage to old-school death metal and Asphyxiating Devotion is the unrelenting debut record by this Italian four-piece.” Burning the way to rebirth!

Sarpanitum – Blessed Be my Brothers… [Things You Might Have Missed 2015]

Sarpanitum – Blessed Be my Brothers… [Things You Might Have Missed 2015]

Sarpanitum is now over a decade old, which is terrifying because it seems like only yesterday that I first stumbled on them in Zero Tolerance magazine’s Death Metal Special Part II (featured alongside yours truly, believe it or not). That was in 2006. Identified as promising UK death metal hopefuls, both they and I have since amply justified that tag with our prolific outputs of… one full-length record each.” Slow and steady wins the death race.

Rex Shachath – Revocation of the Blood Elect EP Review

Rex Shachath – Revocation of the Blood Elect EP Review

“I like my death metal like the Swedes like their herrings: putrefied to the point of being potentially hazardous to consumers. Come to think of it, that’s also how the Swedes like their death metal. No wonder I’ve been enjoying the waves of throwback Swedeath that have splashed across my eardrums with remarkable frequency since Bloodbath’s debut re-popularized the Stockholm sound over ten years ago. But even the pungent flavor of semi-rotten fish becomes bland and unsatisfying when consumed in bulk, and so it is with retro death metal.” When is too much really too much?

Sulphur Aeon – Gateway to the Antisphere Review

Sulphur Aeon – Gateway to the Antisphere Review

“AMG’s Law of Diminishing Recordings is a cruel mistress. She delivers a cold left hook to the smiling face of over-optimism, reminding us time and time again that in no way does a great record necessitate a great follow-up. Through this we learn the value of cautious optimism, reasonable expectations, and keeping a cool head when looking forward to an upcoming release. In most cases, that’s how I approach new music from a band I’m already excited about. Sulphur Aeon releasing a new record is decidedly not “most cases.”” Watch the oceans. The truth is out there….

Karyn Crisis’ Gospel of the Witches – Salem’s Wounds Review

Karyn Crisis’ Gospel of the Witches – Salem’s Wounds Review

“Karyn Crisis needs no introduction. Her ability to use her considerable vocal chords, going from charming siren to raging banshee to guttural demon (sometimes within the same breath), is quite legendary. When her band, Crisis, went belly-up in 2006, Karyn took a sabbatical from music to concentrate on her art before meeting up with Davide Tiso, future husband and mastermind behind Italian avant-garde machine Ephel Duath in 2009….” And now we get a much more personal album from Karyn and Davide. This should be interesting.

Perdition Temple – The Tempter’s Victorious Review

Perdition Temple – The Tempter’s Victorious Review

“Oh, how things have changed. Back in the Unchain the Underground days we used to get physical copies of releases. When I first started it as a print ‘zine in 1988, before some of my fellow staphers here at AMG were alive, it was a cassette and onesheet, then CDs. The digital copies just started to creep in towards the end of UtU existing as a web site.” Some things change, some don’t. Like the smell of a good angel corpse, for instance.

Heaving Earth – Denouncing the Holy Throne Review

Heaving Earth – Denouncing the Holy Throne Review

“I’m always up for hearing music from bands who are pushing envelopes, crafting daring, original soundscapes of sheer genius that leave people slack-jawed and awestruck, inspiring young, budding musicians to pick up an instrument and pay homage to their ancestors. Morbid Angel was (at one point) one of those bands.” If you’re going to mimic someone, old Morbid Angel isn’t a bad way to go.