Delving into No Name Graves (Unique Leader), a constant quickly becomes evident.
The majority of the songs on the latest effort from Deathcore outfit The Last Ten Seconds Of Life feels introductory. Which is to say the tracks routinely edge listeners by delivering about seventy percent but never really breaks the surface.Continue reading
The sign of a confident album is when the guest appearances bolster rather than salvage the work put in by the primary artists. Thus, Enterprise Earth’s Death: An Anthology (MNRK Heavy) is a certified scorcher in which the 11 featured tracks stand tall, both independently and as an aggregation of technically aligned Deathcore.
The wealth of intricacies and variety is but the starting point for this behemoth. So let’s get into it.Continue reading
New year, new label… Following their first two releases under the Prosthetic Records banner, UK-based Death Metallers Cognizance are back with Phantazein, a concept album via Willowtip Records that focuses primarily on “art, obsession, and the profound influence of one’s environment.”
The five-piece outfit surpasses typical Death Metal and on this record introduces elements of Technical Death Metal and thrash. None of this puts a strain on the production value, which is a well-oiled machine – and certainly sounds like it – from start to finish.
A beguiling atmosphere. A deliberate sense of urgency. A cacophony of turmoil and finality: blackened Grindcore-meets-crust purveyors Yersin needed only a hair under twenty-five minutes to effectively and enthusiastically encapsulate all of the above mentioned techniques, and then some.
The Scythe Is Remorseless (Trepanation Recordings) sounds as if the Sunderland-based trio recorded seven tracks in the midst of an apocalyptic phenomenon known only to them. The sound bites and pierces; the vocals pummel and decimate. Together, it’s enthralling.Continue reading
One of the many things Resin Tomb got right on Cerebral Purgatory (Transcending Obscurity) is how compact yet fully fledged the tracks are. None of the eight songs run longer than 4:20 (nice), and even so, there is a recurring theme of individuality permeating through the entire debut full-length. A combination of desolate Death Metal and gregarious Grindcore is never a bad thing, either. Continue reading
Labeled as a Melodic Death Metal band, Cariosus instead is better defined as a melting pot of exquisite musical elements. Though that descriptor may not sound as flashy or attention grabbing, bear with me (it’s worth it). Will, Until Beauty (Self-Released), the duo’s first full-length, meshes deathcore, metalcore, tech-death and even some progressive techniques while boasting eight thunderous – thunderous – tracks.Continue reading
What Domination Campaign, a duo comprised of Psycroptic bandmates Jason Peppiatt (vocals, guitar, bass) and Joe Haley (drums), have tried to do with A Storm Of Steel (Prosthetic Records) is craft a Death Metal record that reveals the perils and horrors of war (World War II, in particular) in a way that is less sensationalist, and more raw and real.Continue reading
With our sights set on the end of one year and the start of another, we are sharing End of Year lists from staff, bands, and some friends in the business. Ghost Cult scribe (and part of our new, expanded reviews editorial team) Matt Cook has great taste in metal, has the most luxurious beard on staff, and is a great dude. Check out his top picks for his Top Albums of 2023!Continue reading
As the days grow ever shorter and the year creaks to an end, Matt Cook ventures into the subterranean in search of death (metal) and depravity to warm his decomposing cockles…
The marriage between science fiction and Black Metal may not be as prevalent or common as, say, satanic undertones and desecration of religious beliefs and practices.