Xtreem Music

Killing Addiction – Mind of a New God Review

By Diabolus in Muzaka on June 1, 2021 in Reviews, Death Metal, 38 comments

“Don’t judge a book by its cover. Don’t make your mind up too soon. Things aren’t necessarily always what they seem to be. If you’re about my age and used to watch Thomas the Tank Engine, the above has triggered a flashback and you’ve now got the melody of that song stuck in your head wherein it shall remain for at least twenty-four hours. It’s good advice though, because Killing Addiction’s choice of cover for their second LP Mind of a New God looks like the concept art for a rejected Mortal Kombat boss that you can’t play as in multiplayer. Despite the cover, it shouldn’t be overlooked.” Killing business.

Dormanth – Complete Downfall Review

By Carcharodon on December 17, 2020 in Reviews, 11 comments

“2020 has been a looooonnnng year and here I find myself, almost at the end of it. My List – following a not insignificant amount of agonizing – has been submitted, two TYMHMs have been written (two still to go, admittedly) and I am staring at my last full review of the year. So, what I need now from Dormanth is a real burst of the zingy, energetic melodeath the promo blurb promised, to carry me through these last couple of weeks.” Fever dreams and downfalls.

Decrepid – Endless Sea of Graves Review

By Diabolus in Muzaka on July 6, 2020 in Reviews, Death Metal, 18 comments

“Decrepid is a death metal band from the UK. Predictably, I didn’t guess that on my first listen to Endless Sea of Graves wherein, like any responsible critic, I ignored every digital square inch of promo material the label sent me. Decrepid sound American to my ears, taking most of their songwriting cues from Immolation, Incantation, and Monstrosity and their production cues from Morrisound.” Death over nations.

Totengott – The Abyss Review

By Mark Z. on April 18, 2019 in 2019, Black Metal, Doom Metal, Reviews, Spanish Metal, Thrash Metal, Xtreem Music, Black Metal, Doom Metal, Thrash Metal, 16 comments

“This Spanish trio’s 2017 debut took great pains to emulate the sound of Monotheist and Triptykon, to the point where I wouldn’t be surprised if Tom G. Warrior applied for a restraining order after its release. Nonetheless, the album was still enjoyable, in part because it had one of the best production jobs of anything I’ve ever reviewed on this site. Given that Totengott began life as a Frost cover band in 2013, it’s unsurprising that second album The Abyss largely continues to worship Warrior like he’s a god in human flesh.” Are you still morbid?

Mortal Scepter – Where Light Suffocates Review

By Diabolus in Muzaka on January 22, 2019 in 2019, Death Metal, French Metal, Reviews, Thrash Metal, Xtreem Music, Death Metal, Thrash Metal, 105 comments

“My serious pursuits see me swimming in the olde. Philosophy’s greatest treasures are centuries and millennia old. One area of Ontarian contract law is essentially governed by a case concerning seafaring during the Napoleonic Wars. Romantically, well, I’ve gone grave robbing instead of cradle robbing, my affections being towards a lovely woman a few months my senior. It seems only fitting that French death-thrashers Mortal Scepter caught my eye.” Born too late.

Sönambula – Bicéfalo Review

By Holdeneye on January 4, 2019 in 2018, Death Metal, Doom Metal, Reviews, Spanish Metal, Xtreem Music, Death Metal, Doom Metal, Sludge Metal, 94 comments

“Before hearing Deathhammer by Asphyx a few years ago, I didn’t think that death/doom was something that I wanted or needed in my life. Its combination of crushing heaviness and blistering extremity immediately grabbed me. I love that album so much that I named one of my favorite workouts after it. “Deathhammer” is what happens when I go out to my garage, put the title track on repeat, and beat a giant tire with a 20 pound sledge until I can no longer breathe. You can imagine my glee upon finding out that my latest promo counts the mighty Dutch juggernaut among its primary influences.” Hammer time.

Ravens Creed – Get Killed or Try Dying Review

By GardensTale on August 13, 2018 in 2018, British Metal, Crust Punk, Death Metal, Reviews, Xtreem Music, Crust Punk, Death Metal, 28 comments

“Among the uninitiated, metal has a reputation for being “that angry sort of music.” Of course, we know better than that. Many progressive and power metal bands wax about life-affirming statements in flowery language, and even many heavy metal bands aim more for fun and camaraderie than anger and skull-bashery. With more extreme forms of metal, it’s easier to see where the ignorant come from, but even black metal commonly puts subjects like evil and subversion ahead of sheer violence. Ravens Creed, however, have no problem giving in to the stereotypes.” Violence begets other violence.

Nasty Surgeons – Infectious Stench Review

By Saunders on July 13, 2018 in 2018, Death Metal, Grind, Reviews, Spanish Metal, Xtreem Music, Death Metal, 37 comments

“I hate to start off by being a Negative Nancy, but past the halfway point of 2018, I can’t squash the feeling that the year has been somewhat of a disappointment thus far when considering the plethora of metal releases that have dropped. Sure there’s been standouts and some genuinely very good to great albums, but these have been in short supply when stacked up against the sheer weight of albums that have filtered through the Angry Metal Promo pit. Of course, there’s plenty of time for the year to take an upward turn and blow us all away, and I for one am hoping the quality of death metal albums gets cranked up as the year progresses.” Less is gore.

The Grotesquery – The Lupine Anathema Review

By Ferrous Beuller on April 11, 2018 in 2018, Death Metal, Reviews, Swedish Metal, Xtreem Music, Death Metal, 20 comments

“The man who annually renders your complaints of “not enough time” null and void by spearheading a million bands per annum, Mr. Rogga Johansson returns once again with The Grotesquery, packed to capacity with classic death metal and riffs a-plenty. Having once more conjured Kam Lee from beyond for another round of retro death metal, fourth record, The Lupine Anathema, embarks on a pseudo-concept centered around the legend of the werewolf.” Eyes bigger than your stomach, eh Wolfie?

Neocaesar – 11:11 Review

By Diabolus in Muzaka on December 9, 2017 in 2017, Death Metal, Dutch Metal, Reviews, Xtreem Music, Death Metal, 61 comments

“As this isn’t my memoirs, nor a review of a decades-old Nuclear Blast and Relapse sampler, let’s get to what’s written on the top of this page, and what you came here for: Neocaesar’s 11:11. And what a guy with a dreadful Slayer pun as a pen name who talks about Plato too much has to say about it.” Sophistry and death.