Jul19

Carnal Tomb – Abhorrent Veneration Review

Carnal Tomb – Abhorrent Veneration Review

“I’m sitting here watching the sun illuminate the leaves of the many trees in my gigantic new backyard, and I’m finally allowing myself to entertain a glimmer of hope that this all might work out. Ask Mrs. Holdeneye and she will tell you that I can become quite despondent and Eeyore-like when exposed to even mild amounts of stress, so moving twice this year has affected my baseline mood significantly. Perhaps this explains why I’ve been listening to far more death metal during the last few months than is my norm — I’ve been unconsciously trying to vent the frustration that comes from uncertainty and constant change, things I love just about as much as Ron Swanson does.”Stressball deathball.

Hatriot – From Days Unto Darkness Review

Hatriot – From Days Unto Darkness Review

“Like father, like son, they say. Hatriot was the side project of Steve “Zetro” Souza of Exodus fame and his sons Cody, who handled bass duties, and Nick, who manned the kit. Their 2013 debut Heroes of Origin was a rip-roaring dose of classic thrash, and though 2014s Dawn of the New Centurion felt like a drop off, it was still a respectable slice of speed. The band’s been silent since then, but From Days Unto Darkness sees the Souza clan return sans dad, with Cody picking up vocal duties.” Thrash is thicker than blood.

Wormwood – Nattarvet Review

Wormwood – Nattarvet Review

“In March 2017 Wormwood’s debut release Ghostlands: Wounds from a Bleeding Earth received a very positive review. I found it graceful and powerful, its montage of melodic sounds moving with a “ghostly smoothness that ebbs, flows, rises and falls with a mixture of beauty and malice that only impresses.” There were more than a few standout set-piece moments on that record which impress me still. However, the idea of the montage sullied my listens over the two years between records: Ghostlands, on reflection, felt too diametric in tone.” Contrition and evolution.

Holocausto – Diario de Guerra Review

Holocausto – Diario de Guerra Review

“Once someone gets into extreme metal, they find a point of glorious musical stupidity that they gravitate to. This point is normally either war metal (i.e. Revenge, GoatPenis, Conqueror) or the most delightfully moronic slam (i.e. the first Abominable Putridity record, Cephalotripsy). How did these endpoints come to be?” Dear Diario.

The Negative Bias – Narcissus Rising Review

The Negative Bias – Narcissus Rising Review

“When last this great Hall ov ours was graced by The Negative Bias, I was pretty pissed off; how dare these Austrians arrive outta left field with such a straight-up banger like Lamentations of the Chaos Omega so close to list season? Their follow-up might be more considerately scheduled this time around, but I found myself just as angry when news of Narcissus Rising reached my ears. Hierarchically speaking, I would have to cover it — all two tracks and forty-two fvcking minutes ov it.” Go big.

SinHeresY – Out of Connection Review

SinHeresY – Out of Connection Review

“We all have our weird idiosyncratic dislikes. For me, one of those is people who cut spaghetti with a knife. Despicable barbarism. Another is the random and unnecessary capitalization of letters within a word. So you can imagine my reaction when the new album from SinHeresY landed in my lap.” Don’t hang up.

Rotten Hate – Stabbing the Masses Review

Rotten Hate – Stabbing the Masses Review

“If blackened death metal is like a nuclear bomb going off, then crust punk is like getting a nail bomb shoved in your body’s tightest orifice. Add some death metal to the mix and it’s like getting a nail bomb shoved in every orifice. At least, that’s what I hope for when I see these two styles mixed together. And that’s what I hoped for with Rotten Hate, a new Chilean trio formed by members of underground doom acts Ruined and Black Harvest.” Hate is the new love.

Botis – Grand Abominations Album Premiere and Review

Botis – Grand Abominations Album Premiere and Review

“Usually when we review albums, our readers have only our flimsy prose to rely on in order to make an informed purchase. Sure, we’ll embed a Bandcamp single or music video into the review in almost all cases, but those pre-release tracks are typically selected in order to quickly hook the listener, rather than to give a broad overview of the record in question. So then, what we’re doing with Grand Abominations, the debut LP of Philadelphia black/prog/thrash metal act Botis, is a bit of a treat: you not only get to endure my flimsy prose, but you also have the opportunity to explore the entire record ahead of its release.” Grand expectations.

As I May – My Own Creation Review

As I May – My Own Creation Review

“It’s only in the last stage of preparing my reviews that I investigate the social media and marketing bullshit vomited by a band going under the pen. My musical opinion is already formed but I may need some basic information to reference in the introduction. What I love most is when certain terms arise: ‘innovative/unique’ (a quality so few can truly espouse); ‘hotly anticipated’ (by their mums and no one else); but most of all, characterizing themselves as ‘modern metal.’ This hallowed descriptor demarcates a band either attempting to distance themselves from the entirety of ‘metalcore’ or who mistakenly believe that their ‘metalcore’ is different to other ‘metalcore.'” Modern problems.