Category Archives: 2016 New Releases

Album Review – Circle Of Indifference / Welcome To War (2016)

Posted on by
4

A solid album by a multi-cultural band that invites us all to go to war to the sound of their sharp Melodic Death Metal.

Rating5

CIRCLE OF INDIFFERENCE - Welcome to War cover artAfter listening to the brand new concept album by Melodic Death Metal band Circle Of Indifference, entitled Welcome To War, you might not believe in what I’m going to say about this interesting project recommended for fans of bands like Death and Carcass. Founded in 2013 by Swedish multi-instrumentalist Dagfinn Övstrud in the city of Hönö, Sweden, and having already released their debut album Shadows of Light, in 2014, Circle Of Indifference are a band where none of its members have ever met in person. I’m not joking. Apart from the band’s mastermind Dagfinn on guitars, bass and additional keyboards, Circle Of Indifference are Brandon L. Polaris on vocals directly from Belgium, Tyler Teeple on lead guitars representing Canada, and Kostas Vassilakis, a member of Progressive Death/Thrash Metal band Infravision, from Greece, on keyboards and drums. They use the Internet to communicate with each other, share their thoughts and ideas, record their separate parts in their respective homes, and everything is put together at the end of the recording process.

And although those four metallers are distant around 12,000km from each other in total, the final result is really good, sounding a lot more organic than many regular bands I know. The concept of the album, which presents the lives of two soldiers in World War II on either side of the conflict, starting from their enlistment at the early stages up until they come face to face during a battle at the end, helped the band members to stay focused and follow the same path while writing their parts of the music. The beautiful and melancholic cover art by Turkish digital artist and musician Aybars Altay, who resides in Germany and has already worked with another one of the bands reviewed at The Headbanging Moose (the excellent Norwegian Progressive Death/Black Metal act Maahlas), complements the intensity of the music in Welcome To War, putting a “face” to the story told by Dagfinn and his multi-cultural army.

Without further ado, it’s time to head to the battlefield to the sound of Conscription, bringing forward the heaviness of traditional Death Metal with the modernized atmosphere of Melodic Death Metal, not to mention how perfectly guitar riffs and keyboards complement each other. It’s a bit odd the name of the following song, Einbehrufung (Conscription), is the German translation for the title of the opening track, with its warlike ambience “torturing” the souls of the two main characters. In addition, the growls by Brandon L. Polaris lean towards old school Death Metal, reminding me of the vocals by Johnny Hedlund (Unleashed). Then a gloomy intro kicks off From This I Depart, before the amazing guitars lines by Dagfinn and the progressive drumming by Kostas suddenly fill all spaces in the music, getting more melodic than both previous tracks.

CIRCLE OF INDIFFERENCE band photoThe storyline gets more and more exciting as it progresses, with the kick-ass Menschenmörder (Murderer Of Man), one of the most exciting moments of the album, also presenting a dark intro that evolves to a modern and heavy chant. Furthermore, the guitars by Dagfinn transpire electricity, effectively supporting the song’s lyrics about the torments inside the mind of a soldier (“Inside, a sea of mixed emotions that I still hide / I cannot show them what I really feel / Outside, I wear a mask of brutal terror untied / I cannot show them what I really feel / Inside”). The title-track Welcome To War begins by blasting some loud shots and explosions, giving the sense that we’re in the middle of a battle, with its straightforward Melodic Death Metal sounding working extremely well.  In other words, Circle Of Indifference keep it simple and the final result is awesome, with highlights to the additional layers brought forth by keyboards and backing vocals.

In Kein Entkommen (No Escape), which presents a solid mix of harsh growls and clean vocals, Kostas maintains the energy at a high level with his unstoppable beats, while Tyler, who is beyond superb with all his guitar solos throughout the entire album, might have reached a new level of finesse in this tune. The second to last war anthem by Circle Of Indifference, named Veil Of Despair, offers a more modernized approach than usual, while yet again another great duo of guitars and keyboards lead the musicality. Moreover, Brandon’s voice sounds more polished in this case, maybe due to the song’s sharper sonority, therefore expanding the sonic range of the band. The last track, Ein Akt Der Güte (An Act Of Kindness), is obviously an epic conclusion to the story told so far, with the exciting keyboards by Kostas once again adding fire to the music, as well as the mesmerizing riffs by Dagfinn. The lyrics to the song couldn’t be more realistic, with Brandon declaiming a soldier’s final words full of sorrow and anger (“As I rest against the wall / I take a breath and close my eyes / The British soldier takes my hand / I feel at peace it’s time to die / It’s time to die”).

As previously mentioned, how they managed to be so concise even with each band member being located in distinct parts of the world is beyond my knowledge, but that’s absolutely irrelevant when the final product sounds as compelling as Welcome To War. This is another great example of how heavy music unites us all, no matter where we come from, and if you want to know more about Circle Of Indifference go check their Facebook page, YouTube channel (where the full album is available for a listen) and SoundCloud page, with Welcome To War being on sale at the band’s BandCamp page, on iTunes and on Amazon. I guess their only “problem” right now might be finding a way to get together for live performances, because if there’s one thing that those gigantic distances didn’t stop those guys from doing was creating powerful and dynamic Melodic Death Metal.

Best moments of the album: Menschenmörder (Murderer Of Man), Welcome To War and Ein Akt Der Güte (An Act Of Kindness).

Worst moments of the album: Einbehrufung (Conscription).

Released in 2016 Records Of Indifference

Track listing
1. Conscription 4:33
2. Einbehrufung (Conscription) 5:26
3. From This I Depart 5:35
4. Menschenmörder (Murderer Of Man) 5:05
5. Welcome To War 6:28
6. Kein Entkommen (No Escape) 4:22
7. Veil Of Despair 5:04
8. Ein Akt Der Güte (An Act Of Kindness) 7:45

Band members
Brandon L. Polaris – vocals
Dagfinn Övstrud – guitars, bass, additional keyboards
Tyler Teeple – guitar solos
Kostas Vassilakis – keyboards, drums

Album Review – Mørknatt / Witchcraft of Domination EP (2016)

Posted on by
Reply

If Norwegian Black Metal is what you truly desire, why not going to Spain instead of Norway and try the blasphemous music by this promising horde of darkness?

Rating5

coverWhenever you search for Black Metal, where do you usually go to as the most reliable source of that type of extreme music? I guess your answer is Norway, correct? What if I said you can also find high-end old school Norwegian Black Metal in a place not-so-far from Norway, but with a complete different culture and climate? I’m talking about Spain, more specifically the city of Tarragona, a port city located in the Catalonia region on the Mediterranean Sea, about one hour only from Barcelona. There you’ll find the up-and-coming Satanic/Pagan Black Metal heretics Mørknatt, who have just released their debut EP entitled Witchcraft of Domination.

Formed in 2014, this newborn band is obviously highly inspired by the biggest icons of Norwegian Black Metal such as Emperor, Immortal and Darkthrone, having even their name taken from the unique language spoken in the Kingdom of Norway (Mørknatt means “Dark Night” in Norwegian). Led by guitarist Kongen av Slanger (“King of Snakes” from Norwegian) and featuring a beyond controversial artwork by Spanish illustrator Ricardo Caballero, Witchcraft of Domination offers the listener four blasphemous and vile chants as an advancement of the band’s first album to be called Victorious Satan. And based on the content of this short and sweet EP, all hell will break loose when this Spanish horde finally unleashes their first full-length album upon humanity.

The first of the four ungodly tracks of the EP, named Calanda of Antichrist, brings forward classic Black Metal the likes of Gorgoroth and Immortal, with Fenrir summoning darkness through his satanic screams while Kongen av Slanger uses his guitar as a weapon of mass destruction. Moreover, the atmosphere is dense and vile, as expected from a Black Metal act as talented and focused as Mørknatt. Following that infernal start we have Satanic Sex, with one of those sexual/profane intros you should avoid listening to with your grandmother (unless she’s as diabolical as you are) or in front of innocent children. Anyway, the song’s blasphemous lyrics, together with its bestial riffs, are a tribute to true Black Metal and everything a diehard fan of the genre wants to hear in extreme music. And although drummer Kunstdood doesn’t smash his drums like in the previous track, he’s still very technical and heavy, effectively enhancing the song’s pungency.

mørknattThe next track, Serpents, presents a solid feast of extreme music with all traditional elements we enjoy like deep growls, lunatic screeches, hypnotizing riffs and relentless blast beats. In addition to that, both Kongen av Slanger and Fenrir display outstanding performances, being always beyond loyal to the foundations of Black Metal with their sounding. And finally, a brutal carnage named Ave Leviathan, which in my opinion is the most complete and gripping of the four tracks, transpires darkness and hate, switching from sheer bestiality played at full speed to slower but extremely heavy passages. The rhythmic drumming by Kunstdood matches perfectly with the infernal sounding emanating from guitar, bass and vocals, being the final ingredient in this full-bodied hymn of the netherworld.

While we all wait for the debutant full-length opus by Mørknatt, you can go give them a hellish shout at their Facebook page and enjoy their unyielding Black Metal on their YouTube channel, where you can listen to the entire Witchcraft of Domination EP. And in order to show your proper support to the independent metal scene, you can buy your digital copy of the album at their official BandCamp page. As aforementioned, it looks like Spain is an amazing alternative for fans of old school Norwegian Black Metal that want to “think outside Norway”, with the blasphemous and aggressive music by Mørknatt containing everything you look for in this legendary subgenre of extreme music.

Best moments of the album: Ave Leviathan.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2016 Independent

Track listing
1. Calanda of Antichrist 4:54
2. Satanic Sex 4:06
3. Serpents 4:04
4. Ave Leviathan 5:46

Band members
Fenrir – vocals
Kongen av Slanger – lead guitar
Nergous – rythm guitar
Kunstdood – drums

Album Review – Volbeat / Seal the Deal & Let’s Boogie (2016)

Posted on by
1

Seal the deal and let’s boogie to the classy and flammable music by Denmark’s best Rock N’ Roll band of all time.

Rating4

volbeat_seal the deal & lets boogieAfter the release of the highly acclaimed Outlaw Gentlemen & Shady Ladies in 2013, which entered the Billboard 200 in the United States at number nine, topped the charts in Austria, Canada, Denmark and Germany, among others, receiving immediate gold and platinum status in those countries, as well as being nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance, many fans started to wonder where Danish Rock N’ Roll rebels Volbeat could go after achieving such a great success. Fortunately for all admirers of good old Rock N’ Roll music, those rockers from the stunning city of Copenhagen are still on top form, strong and sparkling with excitement, releasing now their action-packed sixth full-length album entitled Seal the Deal & Let’s Boogie.

The album is their first not to feature longtime bassist Anders Kjølholm, who left in November 2015 after being responsible for Volbeat’s rumbling tones since the band’s inception in 2001. Despite that significant change in the lineup, all other ingredients we love in the music by Volbeat are present in the entire album, including obviously their thrilling heavy riffs and the inebriate (and sometimes even hard to understand) vocals by frontman Michael Polsen. Add to that the classy contribution of two very special guests, these being singer Johan Olsen (from Danish rock group Magtens Korridorer) and Canada’s own Danko Jones, and the final result is exactly what every fan of Volbeat could expect from such an accomplished band.

The initial riff in the opening track, the hit single The Devil’s Bleeding Crown, is the purest form of Volbeat you can find on earth, as well as pretty much all vocal lines by Michael Poulsen. Born to be a radio hit, this is the type of song that has all aspects necessary to be successful, such as a catchy chorus, electrified guitars and headbanging beats, which can also be found in the next track, Marie Laveau, another classic Volbeat tune, offering the listener some smooth Rock N’ Roll with a nice melody, not to mention the excellent job done by Rob Caggiano with his always fiery solos. For Evigt (which means “Forever” in Danish), is the song to feature Johan Olsen on guest vocals, being the second collaboration between Olsen and Volbeat following “The Garden’s Tale”. It’s definitely not as amazing as their 2007 classic, but still fresh and exciting, with its guitar riffs and solos, together with the Danish parts of the lyrics, becoming the top moments of this solid Rock N’ Roll song.

I never thought I would see Volbeat singing about a topic usually explored by traditional Heavy Metal bands like what we see in the awesome The Gates of Babylon (“Awakening a goddess in the dark / On a stake she’s been hanging like a doll / Tried to reach for the underworld / Had to pass through the seven gates of hell”), a beautiful composition that adds a lot of harmony and groove to the album and consequently to the band’s portfolio, with even the guitar lines sounding more “Babylonic” than usual. And they do not get tired of firing good rock music, this time entitled Let It Burn, a song that all fans of Volbeat will have a good time listening while on the road, with highlights to Michael’s performance with his Johnny Cash-like vocals enhanced by Rob’s powerful guitar lines.

volbeat 2016Black Rose, featuring Danko Jones, is an awesome Hard Rock hymn perfect for being played on the radio as well, where our guest rocker made in Canada adds a lot of stamina to the song with his heavier and deeper voice; whereas the average Rebound,  a cover version for a generic song by American Punk Rock band Teenage Bottlerocket, brings nothing special to the album. Well, maybe if they turned the electricity up a bit the final result would have been a lot better, because it gets really tiring even having only two and a half minutes. Anyway, girls named Mary Jane will definitely fall in love with the power semi-ballad Mary Jane Kelly, very tuneful and pleasant like most of the songs in the album. Furthermore, Jon Larsen might not be the fastest or most technical drummer in the world, but he knows what to do to make Volbeat’s music thrive. On the other hand, Goodbye Forever is by far the worst of all songs, not because of its rhythm or lyrics, but it’s those horrible choir-like backing vocals that join Michael after three minutes that truly annoy me, being too “churchy” for my taste.

At least that boredom doesn’t last long, as Volbeat blast one of the most electrifying of all songs, the Rock N’ Roll hymn Seal the Deal, with its thrilling rhythm, the blazing solos by Rob, and a first-rate old school Volbeat chorus (“I get groovy / Now turn it on and fight / Seal the deal and let’s boogie for a while / Let’s get groovy / Burning out with rage / Seal the deal and let’s do it all again”). In other words, this is surely one of their best new songs to be added to their live concerts. The second cover of the album, Battleship Chains by American Southern Rock group The Georgia Satellites, sounds a lot better, an old rock classic with a southern sonority nicely played by Volbeat, while You Will Know, the second to last song of the regular version of the album, brings forward more melodic rock crafted in Denmark showcasing passionate performances by all members, with Rob stealing the show once again thanks to his amazing solos. And lastly, the heavy and metallic The Loa’s Crossroad offers the listener a more aggressive side of the band, with its resonant bass guitar and especially its bag pipes adding more violence and epicness to the musicality displayed. Additionally, if you buy the deluxe edition of the album, you’ll also get four awesome bonus tracks that live up to Volbeat’s tradition: a one-minute devastation named Slaytan, the North American version of “For Evigt” entitled The Bliss (where the Danish chorus sung by Johan is replaced by Michael singing it in English), a version of Black Rose without Danko Jones, and a live version of The Devil’s Bleeding Crown recorded in Denmark in 2015.

It might take time for some fans to get used to Seal the Deal & Let’s Boogie, mainly because a few of the songs presented in the album sound too “commercial” compared to their old classics, but after a few listens you’ll realize there’s absolutely nothing wrong with the album, it’s simply the Volbeat we all enjoy. Of course, as a huge fan of extreme music, I would love to see Volbeat getting heavier and darker than what they really are in some of their compositions, but it’s undeniable they remain loyal to their roots no matter what, and I respect that a lot. As long as they keep delivering their unique Rock N’ Roll to the world, with Seal the Deal & Let’s Boogie being a very good example of that, I’ll continue to be a happy rocker.

Best moments of the album: The Devil’s Bleeding Crown, The Gates of Babylon and Seal the Deal.

Worst moments of the album: Rebound and Goodbye Forever.

Released in 2016 Vertigo/Republic/Universal

Track listing
1. The Devil’s Bleeding Crown 3:56
2. Marie Laveau 3:13
3. For Evigt (feat. Johan Olsen) 4:44
4. The Gates of Babylon 4:34
5. Let It Burn 3:39
6. Black Rose (feat. Danko Jones) 3:55
7. Rebound (Teenage Bottlerocket cover) 2:29
8. Mary Jane Kelly 5:39
9. Goodbye Forever 4:30
10. Seal the Deal 4:09
11. Battleship Chains (Georgia Satellites cover) 3:21
12. You Will Know 4:31
13. The Loa’s Crossroad 4:21

Deluxe edition bonus tracks
14. Slaytan 0:58
15. The Bliss 4:42
16. Black Rose 3:57
17. The Devil’s Bleeding Crown (Live at Tusindårsskoven, Odense 2015) 4:04

Band members
Michael Poulsen – vocals, rhythm guitar
Rob Caggiano – lead guitar, bass guitar
Kaspar Boye Larsen – bass guitar (live)
Jon Larsen – drums, percussion

Guest musicians
Johan Olsen – additional vocals on “For Evigt”
Danko Jones – additional vocals on “Black Rose”

Album Review – Malamorte / Devilish Illusions (2016)

Posted on by
3

May the dark clouds of Black and Heavy Metal by this promising Italian project cast an ominous shadow over mankind.

Rating5

4_PanelIf we put together the Italian words “mala” and “morte” and translate them to English, the final result would be the simple but macabre expression “bad death”. Based in the historic city of Rome, Italy, Black/Heavy Metal project Malamorte returns from its ominous crypt to ensure our death is as bad as possible, haunting our souls with more of its creepy and theatrical music inspired by the iconic King Diamond and his Mercyful Fate with a Black Metal twist, this time enfolded as a brand new opus entitled Devilish Illusions.

Although this side project by Alessandro “Alex” Nunziati, best known as Lord Vampyr and the mastermind behind several metal acts like Lord Vampyr, Cain, Nailed God, Shadowsreign, Sepolcrum, VII Arcano and Theatres des Vampires, was founded back in 2009, it was only in 2014 that the debut EP The Fall of Babylon was released. However, after the great feedback received from fans and critics, Lord Vampyr (or in the case of Malamorte, only L.V.) decided it was time to provide the world another blast of his dark compositions in 2016, supported by Italian musician SK on guitars, bass and programming.

Heavily inspired by cult horror movies and the freakish atmosphere by Mercyful Fate, the intro Maleficium I will give you the chills before the title-track Devilish Illusions explodes into extreme and obscure music. L.V. sounds like an inhuman entity on vocals, with his guitar riffs blending traditional Heavy Metal with Black Metal (and even Thrash Metal elements can be noticed in this metallic devastation). After that promising start, dissonant guitar lines kick off the hellish composition named Pactum, slower but still vile and dense. It seems like L.V. is eager to drag us to a dark den and use us for a black magic ritual, with the wolves howling (or maybe tortured souls) in the background being truly disorienting, exactly what L.V. wants us to feel inside our minds.

In the powerful Dark Clouds On Golgotha, which by the way has a beautiful name for a song, its guitars and rhythm lean towards old school Heavy Metal from the 80’s, with its keyboards and drums adding a lot of flavor to it. I’m sure L.V. and his electrified performance on vocals, sounding even more demonic than usual, will put you to bang your head nostop, before the short bridge Maleficium II and its creepy piano notes introduce you to the following track, named Possession.  This high-end Extreme Metal tune displays a similar sonority to “Dark Clouds On Golgotha”, which seems to be where this project truly thrives. In addition to that, not only guest musician SK is an excellent multi-instrumentalist who significantly enhances the level of energy in the music, but the raw sounding presented in this case effectively keeps the musicality on the dark side for our total delight.

mal-bandThe title-track Malamorte keeps up with the vileness found in the rest of the album, starting with a wicked intro with some interesting piano notes and background voices that after a while turns into modern extreme music, blending elements of Black, industrial and Symphonic Metal. There are even some distorted piano notes, which together with some boisterous riffs guide this ode to dementia. Now imagine if Motörhead went Black Metal with hints of Thrash Metal? This is the interesting mixture you’ll get in the amazing high-speed tune Devoted To Self-Destruction, a nonstop sonic demolition perfect for live performances exhibiting guitar riffs and solos inspired by icons such as Slayer and Megadeth, but with a Rock N’ Roll vibe.

And there’s still time for another devilish duo of compositions by Malamorte, entitled Lucifer’s Rebellion and Maleficium III. The first takes the musicality back to the band’s more traditional approach, with its blast beats and deranged growls transpiring obscurity, not to mention its straightforward main message (Hail Lucifer!) and its abrupt and demonic ending; while the closing track is an outro where the initial gathering of background noises return one final time to haunt our sinful souls.

The world of Malamorte can be further explored on Facebook and ReverbNation, and Devilish Illusions is available for sale at the Murdher Records’ webstore and at the Satanath Records’ webstore or BandCamp. May the dark clouds of Black and Heavy Metal by Malamorte cast a shadow over all of us, and may we all sense their ominous energy penetrating our souls and disfiguring our minds.

Best moments of the album: Dark Clouds On Golgotha, Possession and Devoted To Self-Destruction.

Worst moments of the album: Pactum.

Released in 2016 Satanath Records

Track listing
1. Maleficium I 2:09
2. Devilish Illusions 3:21
3. Pactum 4:28
4. Dark Clouds On Golgotha 4:36
5. Maleficium II 0:16
6. Possession 5:02
7. Malamorte 6:30
8. Devoted To Self-Destruction 2:58
9. Lucifer’s Rebellion 3:24
10. Maleficium III 5:06

Band members
L.V. – vocals, guitars, keyboards

Guest musician
SK – guitars, bass, programming

Album Review – Armagh / Venomous Frost MCD (2016)

Posted on by
Reply

Let the venomous and menacing frost of Extreme Metal generated by this young and restless four-piece act from Poland cover your body and dominate your soul.

Rating4

armagh_venomousfrost_coverGet the overpowering impact of metal music from the 80’s, the implacable and raging sound of the early days of Black and Thrash Metal the likes of Dissection, Bathory and Hellhammer, and four young musicians eager to show the world their passion for extreme music, and there you have the vigorous MCD entitled Venomous Frost, bred in the dark vaults of Warsaw, Poland by Blackened Thrash Metal horde Armagh. The band might be relatively new, being founded in 2012, and this MCD might be their first official release ever, but it feels like we’re dealing with an already established band so concise and potent the overall result is.

There is absolutely no (black) magic or any other special ingredients added to the music found in Venomous Frost, but pure Heavy Metal played by a newcomer quartet (actually, they’re now a power trio after the recent departure of guitarist Ace Hellion) that, above all things, knows exactly how to blend fury and melody in their compositions. Not only that, the old school album art, designed by Polish illustrator Robert A. von Ritter, who has already worked with bands such as Outre, Bloodthirst, In Twilight’s Embrace, and more recently with Ragehammer (featured in one of our latest reviews), is beyond precise in portraying the music by Armagh. Just hit play and you’ll find death, nihilism, war and occultism in Venomous Frost, all embraced by faultless Extreme Metal.

A demonic riff kicks off the excellent Criostail/Exmortis, which after an epic intro becomes brutal devastation blending the demonic aura of Black Metal with the always exciting turmoil generated by Thrash Metal. Moreover, Galin Soulreaper and Ace Hellion make an amazing guitar duo, with their riffs and solos transpiring ferocity and malignancy. Their devastation goes on in an old school Black Metal onslaught named Eternal Awareness, with drummer Bloodhammer sounding indeed like he’s using hammers to blast his beats. Put differently, you won’t have a single second to breathe in this high-octane chant of darkness.  And what can I say about Warbeast? They truly sound like beats unleashed from hell, blasting a vile Thrash Metal sounding enhanced by the obscure elements found in Black Metal. This newborn underground classic is perfect for some bestial circle pits and brutal headbanging, not to mention Galin’s spot-on hellish barks.

armagh_bandIn the epic Foggy Dew/Wehrwolf, you’ll be able to enjoy the best riffs of the album by far, with both Galin and Ace being absolutely on fire with their scorching instruments delivering excellent extreme music to us, while Bloodhammer and bassist Mark Usurper provide all the support needed in this exciting tune. Then we have Dark Procession, which in my opinion should be used as the soundtrack to any Satanist procession. This is the most Black Metal of all songs, especially its obscure riffs and growls, with the music slowing down a bit before all hell breaks loose and the band comes crushing again with their furious music, showcasing all band members in total sync.

The last seven minutes of the MCD are an ode to darkness, starting with Witchcraft, a fantastic cover version for Bathory’s 1984 classic. An enraged band blasts pure hatred in their excellent tribute to one of the most important bands in the history of Black Metal, with highlights to the desperate vocals by Galin and the kick-ass drumming by Bloodhammer, qualifying it to be one of the best covers of the year without a shadow of a doubt. And lastly, the title-track Venomous Frost is the icing on the (demonic) cake baked by this awesome Polish quartet, being slightly slower but as obscure and vicious as the rest of the album. In addition, I love how clear and heavy the bass lines by Mark and the drums by Bloodhammer sound throughout the entire song, helping conclude Venomous Frost on a high note and, as a consequence, keeping the flame of Polish metal more alive than ever.

More of the mischievous fusion of Black and Thrash Metal distilled by Armagh can be enjoyed at their Facebook page and YouTube channel, and their amazing debut MCD can be purchased at the official Third Eye Temple in two different versions: a regular jewel case CD limited to 100 copies or a black jewel case CD branded with serigraphy print. Let the venomous and menacing frost of extreme music generated by this young and restless four-piece act from Poland cover your entire body, and consequently dominate your soul. You won’t regret such an amazing experience in Black and Thrash Metal.

Best moments of the album: Warbeast, Foggy Dew/Wehrwolf and Witchcraft.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2016 Third Eye Temple

Track listing
1. Criostail/Exmortis 5:40
2. Eternal Awareness 3:38
3. Warbeast 4:32
4. Foggy Dew/Wehrwolf 6:23
5. Dark Procession 4:59
6. Witchcraft (Bathory cover) 2:35
7. Venomous Frost 4:46

Band members
Galin Soulreaper – vocals, guitars
Ace Hellion* – guitars
Mark Usurper – bass
Bloodhammer – drums

*No longer part of the band.

Album Review – Subliminal Fear / Escape From Leviathan (2016)

Posted on by
Reply

A collection of boundless and modern Melodic Death Metal creations, which together represent the next step in the evolution of the music by this excellent Italian band.

Rating4

Subliminal_Fear-cover640While listening to the brand new full-length album by Italian Modern Melodic Death Metal band Subliminal Fear, entitled Escape From Leviathan, I realized how dynamic, fresh and ravishing the mixture of Extreme and Cyber Metal with electronic music can be when brought forth by a high-skilled and honest band like these Italian metallers. Following the steps of renowned acts such as Sybreed, Mnemic and Fear Factory, this band from the cities of Barletta and Bari put all their passion for heavy music and their futuristic vision in the conception of the album, surpassing their debut album Uncoloured World Dying (2007) and their latest release One More Breath (2012) in quality and feeling. Put differently, Escape From Leviathan is undoubtedly Subliminal Fear’s finest release to date.

There are two additional ingredients that make the album so special, bringing more value to the already gripping music by Subliminal Fear. First of all, the participation of three international guests in different songs add extra layers to the musicality and concept of the album. Guillaume Bideau (Mnemic, One-Way Mirror), Jon Howard (Threat Signal, Arkaea) and Lawrence Mackrory (Darkane) lend their potent voices to some of the best tracks of the album, always in sync with what the band is firing through their instruments. And secondly, the beautiful artwork by Seth Siro Anton, the Greek artist and musician also known as Spiros Antoniou (Septicflesh) who has already worked with bands like Moonspell, Arch Enemy, Paradise Lost and Old Man’s Child, is based on the lyrics concept, which present a futuristic and apocalyptic vision of the world and the society inspired by movies like Terminator, Alien and Matrix. A subtle but very important detail that only proves how focused those guys were while composing the album.

Phantoms Or Drones is industrialized from the very beginning, presenting electrified riffs and a futuristic ambience as expected, as well as a good mix of clean and harsh vocals, with guest singer Guillaume Bideau bringing an extra dosage of aggressiveness to this progressive and groovy tune. The accelerated beats by Ruggiero Lanotte guide the high-octane Industrial Metal chant All Meanings They’ve Torn, featuring Lawrence Mackrory, where once again Carmine Cristallo and Matteo De Bellis make an effective and balanced duo with their clean vocals and visceral growls, respectively; followed by the alternative and mechanized Nexus, an excellent blend of dark and violent soundings with very melodic passages thanks to the electronic effects in the background and its polished riffs. In addition to that, fans of the genre will definitely enjoy the song’s lyrics, in special its excellent chorus.

SubliminalFear-promo_pic1An ominous intro is gradually enhanced by each instrument in the title-track Escape From Leviathan, building a futuristic aura while Ruggiero gets quite progressive behind his drums, adding more intricacy to the overall result; whereas Evilution, featuring guest singer Jon Howard, is a robotic heavy hymn depicting the evolution of man into a greedy and devilish machine. Industrial and Melodic Death Metal are nicely blended in this exctinig song, with the “special effects” in the background together with the industrialized and violent drumming turning it into one of the best moments of the entire album. And if you’re a fan of cover songs, you’ll simply love Living In Another World, an amazing version for a classic from the 80’s by English post-progressive band Talk Talk. The band was capable of keeping the magic from the original version and mechanizing it with their own industrial touch, with guitarist Domenico Murgolo having a great share of responsibility for such a pleasant result due to his powerful guitar lines.

Yet again the band fires a solid Industrial Metal tune with hints of Melodic Death Metal entitled Dark Star Renaissance, with Matteo and his evil growls driving the song’s effectiveness up while Carmine maintains the smoothness in the musicality, before Self-Proclaimed Gods, with its metallic drumming, a brutal industrial atmosphere (even Carmine gets robotic), its lyrics about the arrogance of man (“Killing the parthenogenesis I’ve created / And still living always into the other truth / I’m born on this land for deny / I don’t want to look like you”) and Domenico’s riffs complementing the futuristic keyboards (and vice-versa), brings forward all core elements of the genre, which consequently make it the most exciting of all tunes. Lastly, we have the Melodic Death Metal with industrial elements of Limitless, showcasing a good riffage by Domenico while bassist Alessio Morella and Ruggiero take care of the “structure” of the music, and an eerie outro about the inevitable ending of mankind in a not so distant future named The Disease Is Human Emotion, with its movie-like start (as many industrial bands enjoy doing) and an ominous narrator giving the details about the disease that exists inside every man.

Enjoying this futuristic album by Subliminal Fear and knowing more about the band’s day-to-day activities and music is quite easy, as you can find them on Facebook, YouTube, SoundCloud and ReverbNation, as well as purchase Escape From Leviathan at their BandCamp page, at the Inverse Records’ webstore, at Record Shop X, or on iTunes. In a nutshell, Subliminal Fear are paving a solid and prospering path to stardom with their boundless and modern creations, with Escape From Leviathan being the next step in the evolution of their music.

Best moments of the album: All Meanings They’ve Torn, Evilution and Self-Proclaimed Gods.

Worst moments of the album: Limitless.

Released in 2016 Inverse Records

Track listing
1. Phantoms Or Drones (feat. Guillaume Bideau) 6:17
2. All Meanings They’ve Torn (feat. Lawrence Mackrory) 4:45
3. Nexus 5:00
4. Escape From Leviathan 4:55
5. Evilution (feat. Jon Howard) 5:51
6. Living In Another World (Talk Talk Cover) 4:56
7. Dark Star Renaissance 4:07
8. Self-Proclaimed Gods 5:22
9. Limitless 4:48
10. The Disease Is Human Emotion 3:09

Band members
Carmine Cristallo – clean vocals
Matteo De Bellis – harsh vocals
Domenico Murgolo – guitar
Alessio Morella – bass
Ruggiero Lanotte – drums

Guest musicians
Guillaume Bideau – additional vocals on “Phantoms Or Drones”
Lawrence Mackrory – additional vocals on “All Meanings They’ve Torn”
Jon Howard – additional vocals on “Evilution”

Album Review – Death Angel / The Evil Divide (2016)

Posted on by
3

Fast and furious anthems, dark mid-tempo songs, austere lyrics and endless stamina. This is how high-quality Thrash Metal should always be done.

Rating3

death angel_the evil dividethrash
/THraSH/

verb
1. beat (a person or animal) repeatedly and violently with a stick or whip.
“she thrashed him across the head and shoulders” 

noun
1. a violent or noisy movement, typically involving hitting something repeatedly.
“the thrash of the waves”
2. a style of fast, loud, harsh-sounding rock music, combining elements of punk and heavy metal.

In case you didn’t know the meaning of the word “thrash”, this is the official definition of both the verb and the noun for you to memorize anytime someone asks you why Thrash Metal has such a peculiar name. However, if this is too much for you to remember during a conversation (or if you’re too drunk to make long and complex sentences), simply keep two words in mind, those being Death Angel, and it will be extremely easy for you to explain exactly what Thrash Metal is all about. Those thrash metallers from Daly City, the largest city in San Mateo County, California, in the United States, might have gone through several line-up changes and a huge hiatus during the 90’s, but after their resurrection in 2001 they have been delivering nothing but top-notch heavy music to the world.

After the release of the excellent The Dream Calls for Blood, in 2013, one of the key bands in the Bay Area Thrash movement of the 80’s returns at full force in 2016 with their eighth studio album, the also amazing The Evil Divide. Featuring a distinct artwork by American tattoo artist Bob Tyrrell, The Evil Divide is a feast of fast and furious Thrash Metal anthems, dark mid-tempo songs, austere lyrics and, of course, flawless performances by all band members, especially frontman Mark Osegueda who displays a wider-than-usual vocal range throughout the entire album, providing a special taste to each one of the ten songs masterfully played by the band, turning The Evil Divide into one of the best albums of the year and a must-have for lovers of old school Thrash Metal.

Get yourself ready for a high-octane onslaught, because the opening track, named The Moth, offers those piercing riffs and overpowering drums we truly love in this type of music, being melodic and polished but keeping the overall violence at a high level. Moreover, as already mentioned, Mark Osegueda is getting more demonic (and consequently more awesome) through the years, bringing more dynamism to Death Angel’s musicality. Right after that solid start, the sick bass lines by Damien Sisson kick off the circle pit-generator Cause for Alarm, where guest guitarist Jason Suecof (Charred Walls of the Damned) fires an amazing solo while drummer Will Carroll paves a path of devastation behind his drum kit. Honestly, there’s no way a real metalhead can stand still to this hurricane of Thrash Metal.

Then it’s time to slow things down a bit in Lost, a powerful heavy ballad by Death Angel with Mark stealing the spotlight with his passionate performance on vocals, while guitarists Rob Cavestany and Ted Aguilar make sure the band’s aggression keeps burning nonstop through their riffs and solos; followed by Father of Lies, a belligerent Thrash Metal tune that reminds me of the golden years of Bay Area Thrash. All you have to do is grab a beer, slam into the pit and enjoy this excellent song, paying good attention to the outstanding job done on guitars and singing along with the band its catchy and vicious chorus.

death angelIn Hell to Pay, not only its lyrics and chorus couldn’t be any thrashier (“Lurid speaker, you toxic feeder / There’s no damage on the way / Selfish user, trust abuser / There will be hell to pay”), but the overall performance of the entire band is superb. Mark leads this sonic havoc with his sharp screams, while the rest of the band keeps “feeding the beast” with all their strength. Holy fuckin’ shit, what an amazing Thrash Metal anthem! And Death Angel keep blasting their fantastic music in It Can’t Be This, another tune to sing along with the band with highlights to the amazing riffs by Rob and Ted, as well as the rumbling bass lines by Damien, which increase the song’s impact on the listener. And there’s still a lot more to come, as Hatred United/United Hate is yet another song born to be a Thrash Metal classic of modern times. Guest guitarist Andreas Kisser (Sepultura) provides an excellent guitar solo that sounds like some of his classic creations from the early days of Sepultura, whereas Mark effectively follows the lines crafted by guitars and drums with his enraged screams.

In Breakaway, an intro keeps growing until the music explodes into cataclysmic Thrash Metal, with pure electricity flowing through all instruments in one of the best tracks of the album. This is an ode to everything we admire in the music by Exodus, Testament, Slayer and so many other icons, bringing forward the speed, melody and heaviness of most classic Thrash Metal anthems.  The Electric Cell, with its old school lyrics (“A cold deathly grip on the shovel of greed / You dig a mass unmarked grave / Just know your bones will be the first to lie / At the bottom of the masses betrayed”), is a good exhibit of the endless stamina present in all band members, especially Will who doesn’t seem to know the meaning of the word “soft” while playing drums, before the cutting tune Let the Pieces Fall closes this superb album. It’s heavy and thrilling just like the rest of the album, with the vocal lines by Mark transpiring hatred. Thus, when it’s over you’ll go back to the beginning of the album and start listening to it all over again, and probably repeat that a few (or even a lot) more times until your body collapses due to unstoppable moshing and slamming.

In a nutshell, what Death Angel (or maybe I should call them “Thrash Angel”) offer us in The Evil Divide might not be a revolution in music, but it is exactly how high-quality Thrash Metal should always be done. And that seems to be an easy task for them due to the refined skills of each band member, a good sign of the bright future that lies ahead for the band and also for traditional Thrash Metal without a shadow of a doubt. No one knows if they’ll be able to top what they have achieved with The Dream Calls for Blood and The Evil Divide in recent years, and while we wait for their next release there’s plenty of awe-inspiring metal music from this iconic band in The Evil Divide to keep us banging our heads and raising our horns to the unparalleled and unrelenting sound of Thrash Metal for a good while.

Best moments of the album: Cause for Alarm, Hell to Pay, Hatred United/United Hate and Breakaway.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2016 Nuclear Blast

Track listing
1. The Moth 4:38
2. Cause for Alarm (feat. Jason Succof) 3:22
3. Lost 4:57
4. Father of Lies 5:05
5. Hell to Pay 3:12
6. It Can’t Be This 4:16
7. Hatred United/United Hate (feat. Andreas Kisser) 5:17
8. Breakaway 4:01
9. The Electric Cell 4:38
10. Let the Pieces Fall 5:47

CD/DVD Digipak bonus track
11. Wasteland 5:18

Band members
Mark Osegueda – vocals
Rob Cavestany – guitar
Ted Aguilar – guitar
Damien Sisson – bass
Will Carroll – drums

Guest musicians
Jason Suecof – guitar solo on “Cause for Alarm”
Andreas Kisser – guitar solo on “Hatred United/United Hate”

Album Review – Slitherum / Godbox Suicide (2016)

Posted on by
Reply

A Dark Metal album that beautifully represents all the diversity, radiance and finesse of the Greek culture, crafted by a power trio ready to conquer the world of heavy music.

Rating4

frontIn order to properly celebrate the 300th album review by The Headbanging Moose, let’s go back to a country that has always played a very important role in the history of immigration to Canada, especially during the early 20th century, building a healthy and flourishing relationship with “The Great White North”. Known for their incomparable history, rich cuisine and astonishing landscapes, Greece has always been a place where past, present and future meet, creating a distinct atmosphere not found anywhere else in the world, and the same can be said about their multilayered music as you’ll be able to see in Godbox Suicide, the debut full-length album by Gothic/Industrial Metal act Slitherum.

Amazing groups from the Hellenic Republic such as Diablery, Primeval Mass and Defision have already had their powerful music reviewed at The Headbanging Moose, not to mention the iconic Rotting Christ, all of them shaping their own style by blending elements from different genres and subgenres of rock and heavy music similarly to what Slitherum offer us in their new album. Formed in 2015 in the city of Athens, the power trio comprised of Nick Marinos on vocals, Giannis Kalamatas on guitars, bass and synths, and Antonis Kanaras on drums will take you on a journey through the realms of obscure and melodic music, showcasing all their skills and their passion for Dark Metal.

Godbox suicide starts with Λεχωνα (pronounced “Lechona”), which is Greek for a woman who has just given birth, an atmospheric intro that “gives birth” to the album and sets the tone for Feet, presenting a groovy sounding with the resonant bass lines by Giannis building the perfect ambience for the devilish growls by Nick. Not only it sounds like a hybrid of Moonspell and early In Flames, but it’s quite interesting how they add pure Hard Rock elements amidst the havoc generated by their Death and Black Metal vein, creating a fresh and solid sonority.

The title-track Godbox Suicide offers the listener slightly more melodic lines in a journey back to the 80’s, mainly due to the Type O Negative-inspired vocals by Nick. This is one of those top-notch Gothic Rock and Metal tunes tailored for lovers of the dark side who enjoy dancing facing the wall (if you know what I mean), with highlights to its powerful solos and extremely catchy chorus; whereas Vulnus, the Latin word for wound or injury, is another thrilling Gothic Metal composition with vocals leaning towards Black and Doom Metal, being melancholic, sorrowful and venomous. In addition, the spot-on Doom Metal beats by Antonis boost the song’s impact on the listener, making the whole experience of listening to Slitherum a lot more pleasant.

slitherumKeyboards bring forward an electronic vibe before Antonis smashes his drums in the awesome Industrial Metal chant Mother, with Nick going from the deepest low vocals to the harshest screeches while Giannis keeps kicking ass with his riffs and solos. After listening to this song, you’ll realize how much those Greek guys simply love all the alternative and obscure subgenres of heavy music and how elegantly and passionately they mix all their main influences into their musicality.

Before Godbox Suicide is over, Slitherum have another blast of their dark music entitled Child, a mesmerizing and atmospheric power ballad led by its strong bass lines and synths where Nick has a great performance declaiming the song’s cryptic lyrics, sometimes sounding like the weird creations by Faith No More (which just proves how versatile Slitherum are). And then the wicked composition Cure concludes the album in the darkest way possible, working almost as a regular outro but with extra layers added to it, including some eerie vocal lines in the background.

This up-and-coming Greek band can be found on Facebook and on YouTube, and Godbox Suicide can be purchased at Discogs as a CD or as a special vinyl version. Godbox Suicide is not only an album that beautifully represents all the diversity, radiance and finesse of the Greek culture, but also an album that will help this talented band go places and spread their peculiar metal music throughout the entire world.

Best moments of the album: Feet, Godbox Suicide and Mother.

Worst moments of the album: Cure.

Released in 2016 Independent

Track listing
1.Λεχωνα (“Lechona”) 3:31
2.Feet 3:13
3.Godbox Suicide 3:23
4.Vulnus 4:12
5.Mother 2:42
6.Child 5:00
7.Cure 4:35

Band members
Nick Marinos – vocals
Giannis Kalamatas – guitars, bass, synths
Antonis Kanaras – drums

Album Review – Devolted / Broken Kings EP (2016)

Posted on by
Reply

How about grabbing a pint, getting drunk and, to the sound of this promising Irish band, picking up a fight at a rowdy pub in Dublin?

Rating5

Devolted_-_Broken_Kings_2016-667x650If you’re a metalhead living in the Greater Dublin Area, in the Republic of Ireland, or if you’re a tourist visiting Dublin and looking for some good metal music in the city, I highly recommend you take a look at the official Facebook page of Heavy Metal/Hard Rock quartet Devolted and see if they’re playing anywhere in the city while you’re around. This “musical four-piece of reprobates” plays straightforward old school heavy music perfect for engaging in a pub fight, and where else can you find better pubs than in Dublin?

Bounded together in 2010 through their passion for Heavy Metal and beer, Devolted are releasing their second installment now in 2016, the fast-paced and very enjoyable EP entitled Broken Kings. After releasing their debut EP The Curious Case in 2014 and suffering a major lineup change in 2015, Devolted began focusing on more contemporary, sharper and groovier sounds, blending a shitload of styles and genres in their music to the point you have to get properly drunk to be able to list all of them. However, as already mentioned, the final result is far from being messy or untuneful. Quite the contrary, this totally uncompromised band managed to reach a unique musicality that will definitely inspire you to jump up and down with the band and (who knows) throw some good punches around.

The first track of the EP, My Monster, brings forward a rhythmic start with modern and heavy guitar lines, until lead singer and bassist Rafal Smyczynski screams a nice “FUCK!” and the festivities begin. Moreover, Devolted offer an interesting fusion of the aggressiveness by Pantera with Metalcore and Hard Rock during the entire song, with the bridge to the chorus being perfect for enlivening the listener’s experience.

Displaying elements from traditional Heavy Metal, Hardcore and Metalcore, Dogs Of War is another solid composition tailored for setting fire to a Rock N’ Roll party, and you can easily notice how much guitarists Mark O’Reilly and Killian Chellar might love the unparalleled riffs by guitar heroes Dimebag Darrell and Michael Amott. In God Of Light, drummer Dominik Tokarski begins pounding his drums until the whole band joins him in a parade of inebriate vocals, metallic riffs and a pure headbanging rhythm. Hints of Groove and Stoner Metal add an extra flavor to the music, and while Rafal screams the song title, the riffs blasted by Mark and Killian will fill your ears with pure good old Rock N’ Roll.

online resolutionLast but not least, the title-track Broken Kings begins by displaying an interesting merger of Melodic Death Metal and Hardcore through the excellent job done on guitars as well as on drums. This is undoubtedly the most electrifying tune of the EP where all band members are on beast mode, with highlights to its backing vocals providing the necessary support to Rafal and his Pantera-inspired vocals, as well as its guitar solo which simply helps it in being the most complete of the four tracks. In other words, this composition will leave you eager for more of Devolted’s solid rock music.

Knowing how much Dubliners love metal music, I can’t believe this is the first review to ever be done for a band from such a special city. Well, at least it was worth the wait, as Devolted simply kick fuckin’ ass with their storm of rock and metal. And in order to know more about the band, go visit their Facebook page, YouTube channel and ReverbNation, and don’t forget to support Irish Heavy Metal by purchasing Broken Kings at their BandCamp page or on iTunes. After getting used to their music, all you have to do is head to the nearest Irish pub, grab a couple of pints, get drunk and, to the sound of Devolted, start a nice brawl with some strangers (or even with your friends), how about that?

Best moments of the album: Broken Kings.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2016 Independent

Track listing
1. My Monster 4:36
2. Dogs Of War 3:37
3. God Of Light 4:05
4. Broken Kings 4:40

Band members
Rafal Smyczynski – vocals, bass
Mark O’Reilly – guitar, backing vocals
Killian Chellar – guitar, backing vocals
Dominik Tokarski – drums

Album Review – ZØRORMR / The Aftermath EP (2016)

Posted on by
2

Enjoy these six powerful and distinct Black Metal chants that together bring to a conclusion the first era in the history of this excellent extreme project from Poland. Arise ZØRORMR, Arise!

Rating5

coverAs today is June 6, 2016 (or 6/6/16), the eleventh edition of the world-famous International Day of Slayer, there’s nothing better than relishing this date with a good dosage of dark and heavy music, and the chosen soundtrack for such a distinct celebration this year by The Headbanging Moose is the six-track diabolical EP entitled The Aftermath, meticulously crafted in the dark shadows of Opole, a city located in southern Poland, by Black Metal one-man army ZØRORMR. Born on the ruins of a dark ambient project named I.A. Serpentor in the beginning of 2010, ZØRORMR already released the albums Kval (2010), HIS (2013) and Corpus Hermeticum (2015), with The Aftermath closing the first era in the history of this excellent project led by Polish artist and multi-instrumentalist Moloch.

Featuring a hellish artwork by Russian artist Timur Khabirov and with the support of guest musicians Przemysław “Quazarre” Olbryt on lead guitar and Icanraz on drums (both from Polish Symphonic Black/Death Metal act Devilish Impressions), The Aftermath consists of four tracks recorded during the Corpus Hermeticum session (with 3 of them never heard before), produced by Arek “Malta” Malczewski (a longtime producer for Blackened Death Metal titans Behemoth), as well as two bonus tracks from the HIS and Kval sessions. The music itself is a hybrid of the works by bands like Rotting Christ, Naglfar and other important names fom extreme music, being also heavily inspired by Heavy Metal from the 80’s.

A heavy storm announces darkness has arrived in The Last Judgement, a classy Black Metal composition with hints of Doom Metal and symphonic elements that kicks off the EP on a high note. Moloch vigorously leads this black mass with his demonic growls and riffs, while Icanraz displays all his skills by blending an occult and tribal drumming with traditional Black Metal blast beats. The Crawling Chaos presents another smooth intro that evolves to lugubrious Black Metal, enhanced by an additional layer of intricacy comprised of interesting Blackened Doom elements, which help the band craft a disturbing and demonic ambience. In addition to that, the infernal screams by Moloch will torture your soul, whereas Quazarre does an outstanding job with his precise guitar solos.

molochThe Adversary is yet again a solid and dense composition offered to the listener by this incredible Polish project, with the sick drumming by Icanraz generating an amazing uproar for Moloch to spill his somber vociferations upon us. And there’s no place to hide from ZØRORMR, as all that heaviness and vileness goes on in the title-track, the grim The Aftermath. Moloch definitely knows how to craft gripping intros to his creations, with the song’s obscure rhythm together with its beautiful piano notes resembling a dark funeral march. In other words, this is an instrumental song that could easily be used as the soundtrack of a demented horror movie.

The first bonus tack, entitled Arise Cthulhu, Arise!, goes full Black Metal, presenting a disquieting musicality perfect for fans of old school extreme music. Every single moment of the song is filled with malevolence and causticity, which is obviously a good thing in Black Metal and, consequently, turns this chant into the best of all six tracks in The Aftermath. Lastly, the second bonus track Zørormr, which carries the name of the band, brings forward sharper riffs and a cutting sonority, concluding the EP in a thrilling way. Despite being another instrumental track by ZØRORMR, it’s fairly different from “The Aftermath” due to the Thrash and Death Metal hints added to it, showcasing the wide musical range Moloch is capable of reaching with his music.

In summary, not only the music found in The Aftermath keeps up with the creations of the biggest Extreme Metal icons from Poland, but it also provides an accurate and outright epitome of everything ZØRORMR have already provided to the world of heavy music, as well as what to expect from this striking project by Moloch in the future. In case you want to follow the “evilution” of ZØRORMR, go check their Facebook page, YouTube channel and SoundCloud page, and if you want to buy a copy of The Aftermath you can find it for sale at the Via Nocturna’s webstore or BandCamp page. Arise ZØRORMR, Arise!

Best moments of the album: The Adversary and Arise Cthulhu, Arise!

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2016 Via Nocturna

Track listing
1. The Last Judgement 6:29
2. The Crawling Chaos 5:15
3. The Adversary 2:54
4. The Aftermath 3:53

Bonus tracks
5. Arise Cthulhu, Arise! 3:27
6. Zørormr 3:01

Band members
Moloch – vocals, guitars, bass, keyboards

Guest musicians
Przemysław “Quazarre” Olbryt – lead guitar
Icanraz  – drums