Tag Archives: melo-death

ALBUM REVIEW: The Absence – The Absence

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Every so often, I get a message from the captain here at Ghost Cult to potentially squeeze in a review. Let’s just say, this was an easy “sure thing” when I saw it was the new, self-titled album by The Absence (Listenable Insanity Records). While it has been a while since I last listened to these Floridian thrash-meets-melodic-death-metalers, the lineup has seen some big changes outside of vocalist Jamie Stewart and returning drummer Jeramie Kling. The good news: we all get another thirty-seven minutes worth of killer, groovy, riff-tastic, death metal!Continue reading →


ALBUM REVIEW: Hand Of Kalliach – Corryvreckan

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Ah, Scotland. Home of the highlands, tartan kilts, bagpipes, haggis, and whisky; Connor MacLeod of the Clan MacLeod, the deep-fried Mars bar, the Loch Ness Monster, Outlander, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and an instant aversion to anyone from England who casually reduces the country to a series of stereotypes for the sake of a quick laugh. Not to mention its thriving metal scene, of course, with folk metal being one of the country’s most popular exports.Continue reading →


ALBUM REVIEW: Scar Symmetry – The Singularity (Phase II – Xenotaph)

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It has been nine years since Scar Symmetry released their previous album and the first in a planned trilogy, and time has seemingly not been the kindest to them since then with a plethora of delays (am pretty sure we can all guess one of them by now) preventing them releasing any form of follow up.

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REVIEWS ROUND-UP: ft. Enforced – Chronicle – Vintersea – Ignea – Burning Witches

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While paring Enforced’s third album, War Remains (Century Media) down to a violent interbreeding of Seasons In The Abyss and Nightmare Logic may seem a little unfair and reductive, nonetheless, it immediately focuses the mind on the sort of aggressive perfection you have in store on this utter treat of metallic pummelling. Continue reading →


INTERVIEW: Guitarists Johannes Mäkinen and Vili Vottonen of Horizon Ignited Discuss Their New Album

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We caught up with Johannes Mäkinen and Vili Vottonen of Horizon Ignited to discuss their new album “Towards The Dying Lands” – out now via Nuclear Blast! We chatted about the history of the band, signing with Nuclear Blast, death metal guitar, touring with Hypocrisy, and why Finland rules for metal.

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CONCERT REVIEW: At The Gates – Municipal Waste – Enforced Live at Irving Plaza

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Recently renovated classic venue Irving Plaza in New York City is the scene for the finale of the US leg of At The Gates most popular album, Slaughter of the Soul. Enforced opened the night. They’re an interesting group to me. They sound like a mix of Death Metal/Thrash with a some hardcore-tinged vocals. Whatever they’re going for, it’s working for them. I dig it.

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ALBUM REVIEW: Soilwork – Övergivenheten

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Whilst being long-term veterans and a pinnacle force of Swedish melodic death metal, recent years have shown to be quite a turning point for Soilwork. 2019’s Verkligheten was arguably both the band’s strongest album for some time and their most well-received.Continue reading →


ALBUM REVIEW: Amon Amarth – The Great Heathen Army

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It’s been thirty years since beard and battleaxe aficionados Amon Amarth began their quest for world domination. Armed with swords, shields, and drinking horns, the hairy horde has journeyed far and wide, going on to become one of the most popular bands in Swedish metal history. Rarely deviating from their tried and tested formula, each successive album is a reliably thunderous collection of ancient history, myths, and legends told in the loudest, catchiest ways possibleContinue reading →


Darkness Everywhere (Light This City, Crepuscle, and More) Shares New Single “Reign of Chaos

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New Melodic Death Metal band Darkness Everywhere unites vocalist – guitarist -drummer Ben Murray (Light This City), guitarist Cameron Stucky (Crepuscle), and renowned muscian, producer, and engineer Zack Ohren (Machine Head, All Shall Perish, Pathology) on bass. The band was formed in late 2020 with the goal of writing songs heavily influenced by the classic mid-1990s Swedish Melo-Death sound. The Bay Area-based band will release their new full-length album, The Seventh Circle, will see a digital release on February 25th through Creator-Destructor – the label owned and operated by Murray. There will be a vinyl version to follow shortly after. The digital preorders are live at their Bandcamp. Listen to the first single “Reign of Chaos” right now!

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ALBUM REVIEW: The Lurking Fear – Death Madness Horror Decay

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Consistency and identity – albeit a distorted, perturbed sense of being – are the cornerstones of the second album of The Lurking Fear – the “ugly step-child” (according to Tomas Lindberg Redant) of Swedish melodeath rejuvenants At The Gates. There has been a conscious effort to double down and to make clear what was originally “just” a side-project is, why it exists, and just what it’s purpose is. Indeed, as the parent group have taken further strides to redefine and push themselves since their return, particularly this year, so too the offspring has engaged in a campaign of scent-marking; defining their own identity on Death, Madness, Horror, Decay’(Century Media).

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