Album Review – Vomitory / All Heads Are Gonna Roll (2023)

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All heads are gonna roll to the sound of the infuriated new album by one of the most important and violent bands in the history of Death Metal.

In any serious conversation about Death Metal, the name Vomitory has to come up. Since their inception in the Swedish city of Karlstad back in 1989, the band has been dropping blistering Death Metal albums that are among the most visceral the genre has ever spewed up, and that’s also the case with their brand new opus, beautifully titled All Heads Are Gonna Roll, the ninth full-length opus in their career and their first since their 2011 release Opus Mortis VIII. Recorded by Mats Lindström at Studio Bunker Z16 and by Rikard Löfgren at Leon Music Studio, mixed and mastered by Lawrence Mackrory at Rorysound Studios, and displaying a sick artwork by Giannis Nakos of Rem3dy Art Design, the album sounds absolutely brutal and relentless, with its lyrics coming from a familiar place, focusing on violence, murder, war, gore, zombies, monsters, anti-religion and so on while always drawing inspiration from movies, books and TV, showcasing the passion for extreme music by vocalist and bassist Erik Rundqvist, guitarists Peter Östlund and Urban Gustafsson, and drummer Tobias Gustafsson and, therefore, resulting in an album that is the whole package for Death Metal fans, a stunning return to form after so many years between releases.

It’s total chaos and rage form the very first second in the Death Metal hymn All Heads Are Gonna Roll, with Tobias kicking some serious ass behind his drums while Erik barks the song’s acid lyrics manically, whereas as furious and demented as the opening tune, the circle pit generator Decrowned will assault your senses spearheaded by the classic riffs by Peter and Urban; followed by Ode to the Meat Saw, another headbanging extravaganza by our unstoppable Swedish quartet where the heaviness flowing from Urban’s bass is insane, accompanied by the rhythmic but at the same time wicked beats by Tobias. Even more frantic and enraged than its predecessors, The Deepest Tomb is a lecture in old school Scandinavian Death Metal where Erik keeps roaring like a beast until the very end, while Piece by Stinking Piece sounds as heavy and piercing as it can be, with the hammering drums by Tobias walking hand in hand with the bestial growling by Erik.

In the pulverizing Raped, Strangled, Sodomized, Dead the lyrics reek of Death Metal (“Perverted cruelty, stalking the prey / In for the kill, reincarnated sin / Kill, devour, a beast of man / Savage hunter, a morbid taste for blood”) while the music is flawless, sick and putrid just the way we all love it, and in Dead Man Stalking the unstoppable Erik keep gnarling more of their acid words (“A shade reborn from hate, reborn from agony / Covered in sore, pus and infected blisters / Deformed entity, lurking in the shadows / Transforming into a corpse of rotten flesh”) amidst a demonic sonority. The quartet brings their heavy artillery to life in Disciples of the Damned, smashing our cranial skulls mercilessly while Erik vociferates rabidly and Peter fires some sharp, strident solos for our total delight. Vomitory’s Death Metal attack goes on in full force in Dead World, where the riffs and solos by Peter and Urban will pierce your minds in the name of extreme music, while lastly the band enhances their obscurity in Beg for Death, offering a heavy-as-hell feast of Death Metal that will leave your head trembling after all is said and done.

Vomitory’s newborn beast can be appreciated in all of its glory on YouTube and on Spotify, but of course if you consider yourself a true servant of old school Death Metal you can purchase a copy of such incendiary album by clicking HERE or HERE, and also follow the quartet on Facebook and on Instagram for more of their music and to keep an eye on when the band will take your city by storm. It might have taken 12 years for Vomitory to release a new album, but the wait was totally worth it as All Heads Are Gonna Roll is undoubtedly one of the strongest albums of the year not only in Death Metal, but in heavy music in general, and may all heads keep on rolling to the sound of the demented music by those Swedish veterans for many years to come.

Best moments of the album: All Heads Are Gonna Roll, Ode to the Meat Saw, Raped, Strangled, Sodomized, Dead and Disciples of the Damned.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2023 Metal Blade Records

Track listing
1. All Heads Are Gonna Roll 3:27
2. Decrowned 3:27
3. Ode to the Meat Saw 4:44
4. The Deepest Tomb 4:28
5. Piece by Stinking Piece 3:23
6. Raped, Strangled, Sodomized, Dead 3:19
7. Dead Man Stalking 4:48
8. Disciples of the Damned 3:29
9. Dead World 4:06
10. Beg for Death 5:34

Japanese Edition bonus tracks
11. Chaos Fury (Live 2013) 3:24
12. Terrorize Brutalize Sodomize (Live 2013) 4:05

Band members
Erik Rundqvist – vocals, bass
Peter Östlund – lead guitars
Urban Gustafsson – guitars
Tobias Gustafsson – drums

Guest musician
Christian Fredriksson – lead guitars (session)

Album Review – Fall Of Earth / From The Ashes (2023)

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A young and rising Canadian Progressive Death Metal and Metalcore act will attack your senses mercilessly with their incendiary and very personal sophomore album.

Hailing from the Canadian city of Edmonton, Alberta, the up-and-coming Progressive Death Metal/Metalcore band Fall Of Earth (a play on words that reflects their core belief that the world is experiencing a multitude of issues including climate change, war and mass extinctions that is leading us all to a darker place as a society) has unleashed this year their sophomore beast titled From The Ashes, highly recommended for fans of Trivium, Gojira, Dream Theater, Periphery and Mastodon, among others. Playing what they like to label as “Hybrid Metal”, with elements of Metalcore, Death, Thrash, Groove, Nu and Progressive Metal combined into a sound all their own, the band formed of Inuit frontman Alex Rye, guitarist Brody Bauer, bassist Aaron Winklmeier  and drummer Brendan Meilleur delivers everything you want in a metal album and more in From The Ashes, with the crisp production, mixing and mastering by Diego Fernandez at Oracle Recording Studios and the fiery artwork designed by the band itself turning the album into the perfect follow-up to their 2020 debut self-titled effort, and a must-listen for anyone who enjoys the more modern version of heavy music found in North America.

The opener Medusa is a feast of Progressive Death Metal form the very first second spearheaded by the classic riffs by Brody supported by the rumbling bass by Aaron, which is pretty much everything Alex needs to blast both his evil roars and cleaner, enraged vocals; whereas investing in a more melodic sonority it’s time for the quartet to deliver a hybrid of violence and harmony in The Dead And Soon To Be, perfect for breaking your neck headbanging to the pounding beats by Brendan. Alex keeps showcasing his wide vocal range, easily going from deep guttural to gentle clean vocals, in Block Out The Sun, a beautiful composition by Fall Of Earth that will please all fans of bands like Mastodon and Trivium, and the classic beats and fills by Brendan invade our ears once again in Path To Self Destruction, while Alex continues to vociferate rabidly nonstop.

It’s then time for almost ten minutes of progressiveness, groove and a hurricane of different emotions titled Crossroads, blending the Progressive Metal of Mastodon with the band’s own Metalcore twist. Moreover, it’s two thumbs up to Alex for such impressive and flawless vocal performance, resulting in one of the album’s most detailed and thrilling songs. The title-track From The Ashes, which speaks levels on childhood abuse, reclamation and metamorphosis, will bring to your ears the band’s most demonic and heaviest side, presenting the trademark scorching riffs by Brody and the metallic bass lines by Aaron, followed by Shores Of War, another Trivium-infused creation that will certainly ignite some fun circle pits and a lot of headbanging, spearheaded by another incendiary performance by Brody armed with his axe. After that, sheer electricity and rage flow nonstop in the excellent Purgatory, elevating the album’s punch considerably thanks to Alex growling like a beast supported by the intricate drumming by Brendan, and lastly those talented Canadian boys deliver another round of their modern-day metal music in Into The Woods, again investing in their most progressive vein. It’s not a bad song, but it could have been slightly heavier and more climatic.

The multi-layered and exciting From The Ashes, which is available in full on YouTube and on Spotify, will definitely help Fall Of Earth go places, effectively increasing the quality of their music and, therefore, attracting the attention of fans and critics worldwide in a very positive way. Hence, you can start following the band on Facebook and on Instagram for news and tour dates (and they kick ass live by the way, like what I was able to witness at The Rockpile in Toronto earlier this year), subscribe to their YouTube channel for more of their music, and grab a copy of the album by clicking HERE. “The album is a consistent ride full of ups and downs, with no breaks. We’ve taken our heavy sections and made them heavier, and taken our softer sections and made them more impactful.  We have carefully calculated all the dynamics and structures of each song so each second of every track serves a purpose. This record has pieces of us personally etched into the music, so we could share who we are and what our minds look like on an audio basis. As far as the listening experience goes, with all this being said, we hope for our fans to feel the love and importance that music has had on our lives, and pass that on to them through our own interpretation,” commented the entire band about their new album, showing not only how much those young guys love heavy music, but also making the whole Canadian metal scene stronger and more fun than ever.

Best moments of the album: Block Out The Sun, Crossroads and Purgatory.

Worst moments of the album: Into The Woods.

Released in 2023 Independent

Track listing
1. Medusa 8:25
2. The Dead And Soon To Be 5:54
3. Block Out The Sun 4:24
4. Path To Self Destruction 6:40
5. Crossroads 9:35
6. From The Ashes 5:14
7. Shores Of War 5:49
8. Purgatory 6:00
9. Into The Woods 6:33

Band members
Alex Rye – vocals
Brody Bauer – guitars
Aaron Winklmeier – bass
Brendan Meilleur – drums

Album Review – Aortha / Monolit (2023)

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Behold the dynamic, diversified and thrilling debut effort of Heavy and Thrash Metal by an Oslo, Norway-based veteran, supported by an array of multi-talented musicians from all over the world.

A new metal project founded by multi-instrumentalist Predrag Glogovac, known for his years with Yougoslavian Heavy/Thrash Metal band Monolit from 1988 until 1992, when the war broke in the country and the band seized to exist, Oslo, Norway-based Heavy/Thrash Metal act Aortha is unleashing upon humanity their debut effort, titled Monolit. Recorded in 2021 in Oslo, New Orleans, Helsinki, Mostar, Trieste, Banja Luka, New York, Nurnberg, Pančevo, Montreal, Alicante, Kraljevo, Hamilton, Kragujevac and Sundsvall, mixed by Fredrik Nordström at Studio Fredman, and mastered by Jens Bogren at Fascination Street, the album presents an array of sensational musicians alongside Predrag including vocalists Diego Valdez (Dream Child), Kyle Thomas (Exhorder), Denis “Snake” Belanger (Voivod), Alessia Scolletti (Temperance, Era), Netta Laurenne (Smackbound) and Christian Älvestam (Scar Symmetry), guitarists Igor Paspalj, Branko Stiković Stika, Saša Kapor and Slobodan Ernjaković, bassist Jacob Umansky (Intervals), pianist Ivan Aleksijević Pančevac, and drummer Hannes Grossmann  (Triptykon, Alkaloid), resulting in a dynamic, diversified and thrilling album of classic metal music.

The sinister piano by Ivan sets the tone in the intro Symposium, sounding cinematic, epic and grim until all explodes into ass-kicking Heavy Metal in Those That Should Not Exist, with the vocal duo Diego and Kyle vociferating rabidly while guitar solos by Predrag and Stika will pierce your soul mercilessly, not to mention how demolishing the drums by Hanners sound. Then it’s time for Diego to team up with Netta in another incendiary tune titled Last Of Our Kind, while the riffs by Predrag sound absolutely scorching in a first-class modern-day Thrash Metal feast; whereas Forging The Locus is another sinister, heavy-as-hell composition by Aortha, with the infernal beats by Hannes offering Diego and Kyle exactly what they need to roar nonstop à la Ripper Owens. And Predrag will kick you in the head with his spot-on riffs and solos in Keep The Dream, where Jacob’s rumbling bass together with Hannes’ drums add tons of groove to the music.

Diego and Kyle will crush our senses one more time in Maximus Metallus, a mid-tempo, extremely heavy tune where the sound of the guitars and drums will make your head tremble; while the vocal trio formed of Snake, Diego and Alessia bring their share of obscurity and melancholy to Divine Future, although not as exciting as the rest of the album. In When All Around You Is Madness we’re treated to nothing more, nothing less than five talented singers alternating between sheer heaviness and ethereal clean vocals while Predrag and his henchmen build a massive wall of heavy and thrashing sounds armed with their sonic weapons; and Diego and Alessia team up for the last two songs of the album, starting with Timeless Soul Cure, where once again Predrag and Igor are ruthless with their riffs and solos supported by the thunderous kitchen by Jacob and Hannes. Lastly, the album concludes with the outro She, with the guitar solos by Igor bringing a touch of finesse to the overall result while Alessia sounds fantastic on vocals.

Predrag and his sonic beast Aortha are waiting for you on Facebook, on Instagram and on YouTube with news and more of their music, and you can also stream their creations on Spotify and, above all that, purchase a copy of Monolit from the band’s own BandCamp page or from Apple Music really soon. It’s a real pleasure to witness the rebirth of Monolit in the form of Aortha, and Predrag and his henchmen and henchwomen all sound amazing throughout the entire album, offering us all another very good reason to keep banging our heads in the name of top-notch heavy music.

Best moments of the album: Those That Should Not Exist, Last Of Our Kind and When All Around You Is Madness.

Worst moments of the album: Divine Future.

Released in 2023 Independent

Track listing
1. Symposium 1:13
2. Those That Should Not Exist 5:01
3. Last Of Our Kind 6:29
4. Forging The Locus 5:06
5. Keep The Dream 4:38
6. Maximus Metallus 5:36
7. Divine Future 4:47
8. When All Around You Is Madness 7:56
9. Timeless Soul Cure 5:05
10. She 1:25

Band members
Diego Valdez – vocals
Kyle Thomas – vocals on “Those That Should Not Exist”, “Forging The Locus”, “Maximus Metallus” and “When All Around You Is Madness”
Denis “Snake” Belanger – vocals on “Divine Future” and “When All Around You Is Madness”
Alessia Scolletti – vocals on “Divine Future”, “When All Around You Is Madness”, “Timeless Soul Cure” and “She”
Netta Laurenne – vocals on “Last Of Our Kind”
Christian Älvestam – vocals on “When All Around You Is Madness”
Predrag Glogovac – lead & rhythm guitars
Igor Paspalj – lead guitars
Branko Stiković Stika – lead guitars on “Those That Should Not Exist”
Saša Kapor – lead guitars on “Forging The Locus”
Slobodan Ernjaković – lead guitars on “Divine Future”
Jacob Umansky – bass
Ivan Aleksijević Pančevac – piano
Hannes Grossmann – drums

Album Review – Melan Selas / Zephyrean Hymns (2023)

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This uncanny Greek Black Metal duo is ready to unleash their sophomore opus, assaulting the listener by raging riffs and eerie screams while at times engrossed in seductive vocals travelling with dreamy melodies.

“A new dimension… Great new meaning.”

Consisting of eight songs that create a unique atmosphere, assaulting the listener by raging riffs and eerie screams while at times engrossed in seductive vocals travelling with dreamy melodies, Zephyrean Hymns is the sophomore opus by Trikala, Greece-based Black Metal duo Melan Selas, the follow-up to their 2019 debut effort Φάος. Formed in 2015 by D.K. (Riffobia, Katavasia), who handles all instruments, and Astraea (Oletir), responsible for all vocals and lyrics, the duo aims at breathing new life into the Black Metal scene with their new album, all embraced by the first-class recording and mixing by D.K. and Astraea themselves, the crisp mastering by Achilleas Kalantzis at Suncord Audiolab, and the stylish logo and layout by Nikos Tsiolis.

D.K. generates a dense and grim atmosphere from the very first second in Mountain Tops while Astraea showcases all her versality going from Stygian clean vocals to demonic gnarls, resulting in an excellent display of modern-day Melodic Black Metal, followed by Frozen Lake, more imposing and detailed than the opening tune where D.K. does a great job with his classic Black Metal riffs and beats, providing Astraea with all she needs to darkly shine on vocals. Let’s keep banging our heads and raising our horns to the visceral Black Metal by Melan Selas in Humble Soil, where the piercing riffs by D.K. and the obscure growling by Astraea will darken your soul for all eternity, whereas a lot more vicious and infernal, the duo will hammer our heads with all of their strength in Trumpets of War, offering our ears a perfect hybrid of classic Black Metal with modern-day Atmospheric Black Metal and nuances of other styles such as Death and Thrash Metal.

In Dreadful Dome, D.K. builds a stunning background with his rumbling bass, pounding drums and hellish riffs while Astraea continues to vociferate like a true she-demon. Put differently, there’s not a single second of peace, it’s total fuckin’ darkness for our absolute delight; and get ready for almost seven minutes of darkness, melancholy and insanity in Darkened Cliff, starting with the Stygian clean vocals by Astraea and getting more and more anguished as the music progresses, while the sound crafted by D.K. lives up to the legacy of old school Black Metal. In the shortest of all tracks, titled Wanderer, Astraea will hypnotize you and drag you to her sinister lair forever, an obscure tune that will set the stage for the duo to kill one last time in Ancient Scrolls, bringing to our avid ears the slashing riffage by D.K. and the beautiful, evil gnarls by Astraea, closing the album on a high and devilish note.

“A quest through space and time, an ascension to something greater… Zephyrean Hymns lead our cause.” This is what the duo had to say about their new album, and if you want to show them your utmost support you can start following them on Facebook for all things Melan Selas, and purchase a copy of the awesome Zephyrean Hymns from The Circle Music’s webstore as a luxurious box embossed in silver (limited to 100 copies), a beautiful LP (limited to 500 copies), or an A5 digipak CD (also limited to 500 copies), or you can also click HERE to grab your favorite version of the album, plus several other retailers including Fantotal.de and Juno. A gentle breeze is flowing from the stunning Athens; however, you better be prepared because it’s not just any breeze, but a Black Metal one, courtesy of the multi-talented D.K. and Astraea, who together are proudly carrying the torch of Greek extreme music anywhere they go armed with their stylish and captivating new album and ,consequently, embracing our damned souls without a single drop of mercy.

Best moments of the album: Frozen Lake, Trumpets of War and Darkened Cliff.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2023 The Circle Music

Track listing
1. Mountain Tops 5:31
2. Frozen Lake 5:42
3. Humble Soil 5:45
4. Trumpets of War 5:04
5. Dreadful Dome 5:02
6. Darkened Cliff 6:46
7. Wanderer 2:44
8. Ancient Scrolls 6:50

Band members
Astraea – vocals
D.K. – all instruments

Album Review – Nuclear Winter / Seagrave (2023)

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Zimbabwe-based Gary Stautmeister and his outer-ego Nuclear Winter attack again with their fourth full-length effort, dripping in symphonic atmospheres, powerful distorted guitar riffage and deep melancholic undertones.

Fusing thundering heavy rhythms with haunting choirs and dynamic electronic textures, the breathtaking Seagrave, the fourth full-length offering by Harare, Zimbabwe-based Melodic/Industrial Death Metal one-man army Nuclear Winter, unleashes a powerful wall of sound highly recommended for fans of Fleshgod Apocalypse, Wintersun, Rammstein and Lorna Shore, to name a few. Dripping in symphonic atmospheres, powerful distorted guitar riffage and deep melancholic undertones, while still maintaining the signature Progressive Metal elements by the project’s mastermind, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Gary Stautmeister, Seagrave is the perfect follow-up to Nuclear Winter’s 2020 EP Stormscapes and the 2021 full-length opus Greystone, taking the listener on a voyage through darkening and cinematic realms.

Gary wastes no time and distills his fusion of the music by Fear Factory, Soilwork and Rammstein in the opening tune The Glimmering Landscape, where his harsh roars walk hand in hand with all background epic elements and his infernal riffs. Then we have Starward Longing, heavy but at the same time very melodic and orchestral, with Gary once again doing a great job with his galloping bass and drums, therefore generating a grandiose atmosphere for admirers of the genre; and there’s no time to breathe as Gary’s hybrid of Industrial, Symphonic and Death Metal comes crushing our souls once again in Fates Mysteries, showcasing his trademark roars and clean vocals, followed by Thy Shadows Fall, even more phantasmagorical, groovy and sinister than its predecessors with Gary adding nuances of Black Metal to the music through his devilish gnarls, sounding solid and electrifying from start to finish. After that we face The Grave is Wide, a lot more industrial and mechanized than its predecessors, feeling like some of the latest creations by Fear Factory but with more demonic vocals.

The Dusk and the Song is perfect for banging your head nonstop while enjoying the sinister ambience crafted by Gary through his whimsical vocals, classic riffs and pounding, industrialized beats, spiced up by all background elements; whereas blending the most electrifying elements of Industrial, Groove and Death Metal, Gary once again barks and roars in great fashion until the very last second in Pale Memories, a great song to be added to your workout playlist. Gary’s second to last breath of industrial and orchestral sounds is offered to us all in Black Waters, with his hammering drums and low-tuned bass bringing tons of groove to the overall result, before such electrifying metal party reaches its epic finale with his cover version for German pop group Bad Boys Blue’s hit House of Silence, from their 1991 album House of Silence (check the original version HERE), the perfect depiction of “Pop Metal” by Gary and his Nuclear Winter, adding his own metallic twist to the original song.

“Get ready for my latest Nuclear Winter album – Seagrave. With a deliberate focus on heavier sounds and a simpler approach to songwriting, Seagrave isn’t just about pure aggression. This album also showcases a bigger incorporation of choir elements that help add an epic dimension to the sound. The result I feel is a step forward from my previous work,” commented Gary about his newborn spawn, and you can show him your support and admiration by following Nuclear Winter on Facebook, by subscribing to the project’s YouTube channel, by streaming his multi-layered creations on Spotify, and of course by purchasing a copy of Seagrave from the MDD Records’ BandCamp page. The music by Nuclear Winter is always in constant evolution thanks to the creative mind of Gary, with Seagrave representing another step forward in his career and, therefore, fueling our multi-talented Zimbabwean musician for a lot more of Nuclear Winter in the coming years.

Best moments of the album: The Glimmering, Thy Shadows Fall and Pale Memories.

Worst moments of the album: The Grave is Wide.

Released in 2023 MDD Records

Track listing
1. The Glimmering Landscape 4:26
2. Starward Longing 4:23
3. Fates Mysteries 4:00
4. Thy Shadows Fall 4:11
5. The Grave is Wide 4:19
6. The Dusk and the Song 4:25
7. Pale Memories 4:29
8. Black Waters 4:10
9. House of Silence (Bad Boys Blue cover) 4:19

Band members
Gary Stautmeister – vocals, all instruments

Album Review – Raven / All Hell’s Breaking Loose (2023)

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All hell is breaking loose to the sound of the fifteenth studio album by one of the most iconic bands from the UK scene, offering ten crisp, visceral metal classics fused with riffs, twists, turns and chaos.

Prepare yourself for a metal rampage the likes of which you haven’t enjoyed in many a year, as New Wave of British Heavy Metal stalwarts Raven have just delivered the electric mayhem of All Hell’s Breaking Loose, their fifteenth studio album offering ten crisp, visceral metal classics, each fused with riffs, twists, turns, chaos and more hooks than all the Hellraiser movies combined. Formed of the Newscatle, England iconic brothers John Gallagher on lead vocals and bass and Mark Gallagher on the guitars, alongside American drummer extraordinaire Mike Heller, Raven are giving permission for everyone to remember exactly what it’s like to lose yourself in the healing aural waters of supreme metal music in their new album, resplendent in sweat-soaked denim and leather.

Medieval is an uncompromised, in-your-face metal attack by the trio where Mike proves why he’s been the perfect drummer for Raven since joining the band in 2018, resulting in a classic and ass-kicking fusion of Heavy and Speed Metal to properly kick things off, whereas Mike dictates the pace in Surf the Tsunami, with Mark delivering sheer electricity through his riffs and, therefore, providing John with everything he needs to distill his trademark vocals. Turn of the Screw is a lot groovier than its predecessors thanks to the great job done by John on bass, while Mark keeps blasting his fiery riffs nonstop, and it’s old school Raven for the masses in the title-track All Hell’s Breaking Loose, with John and Mark being in total sync armed with their stringed weapons, resulting in a fantastic option for igniting some fun mosh pits during their live performances. And those veterans show no sign of slowing down in The Far Side, another fast and thrilling creation with Mike stealing the spotlight with his intricate drumming.

They keep pressing the gas pedal hard in Desperate Measures, another one that should sound amazing if played live, showcasing their signature riffs and raspy vocals, whereas one more round of their frantic Speed Metal comes in the form of Victory’s Call, with the trio blasting first-class heavy music spearheaded by the razor-edged riffs by Mark while also showcasing spot-on beats and backing vocals. Edge of a Nightmare is a fun and vibrant Rock N’ Roll party by those veterans where we’re all invited to simply enjoy the wicked vocals by John and slam into the circle pit like true metalheads, followed by Invasion, the second to last song of the album, offering more of their solid Heavy Metal albeit not as electrifying as the rest of the album. Finally, one final explosion of Heavy and Speed Metal will hit you hard in the head in Go for the Gold, where Mike takes the lead with his furious drums accompanied by the rumbling bass by John.

“You got three guys with very strong, passionate, opinions, and when those are brought together, it’s a case of ‘iron sharpens iron’,” commented Mark about the energy around the band and how that impacts their creative process, with John adding “we’re very hard on ourselves, it had to be ‘all killer, no filler’. Absolutely every single part of every song had to make sense, had to mean something, and had to be there for a purpose.” Hence, if you want to experience the undisputed energy and heaviness blasted by Raven in All Hell’s Breaking Loose, you can stream the album in full on YouTube and on Spotify, and of course purchase a copy of the album by clicking HERE or HERE, and don’t forget to also follow the band on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube, for news, tour dates, and more of their breathtaking Heavy Metal. Having said all that, what are you waiting for to hit play and let all hell break loose together with one of the most iconic metal bands from the UK scene?

Best moments of the album: Medieval, All Hell’s Breaking Loose and Victory’s Call.

Worst moments of the album: Invasion.

Released in 2023 Silver Lining Music

Track listing
1. Medieval 4:24
2. Surf the Tsunami 3:27
3. Turn of the Screw 3:21
4. All Hell’s Breaking Loose 3:48
5. The Far Side 4:13
6. Desperate Measures 3:13
7. Victory’s Call 3:15
8. Edge of a Nightmare 3:16
9. Invasion 4:52
10. Go for the Gold 3:32

Japanese Edition bonus tracks
11. Gimme A Lie 3:00
12. Rotten  3:03

Band members
John Gallagher – lead vocals, bass, 12-string bass
Mark Gallagher – guitars, backing vocals
Mike Heller – drums

Concert Review – Volbeat (RBC Echo Beach, Toronto, ON, 07/12/2023)

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A perfect summer night in Toronto always demands a good dosage of first-class Rock N’ Roll, and Volbeat provided their fans in the city with exactly what they needed to enjoy it to the fullest.

OPENING ACT: Halestorm

I’ll start this review by saying that the city of Toronto definitely needs more open air concerts and festivals during the summer. It’s such a great vibe and feeling, and everyone always has an amazing time. It’s hard to understand why there are very few rock and metal concerts like that in the city. Well, last night at the RBC Echo Beach that great atmosphere happened once again when HALESTORM and VOLBEAT kicked some serious ass with the first concert of their brand new Servant of the Road World Tour 2023, and all the action going on and off stage turned it into a memorable night for everyone who were desperate for some good old Rock N’ Roll and Heavy Metal (as most bands seem to be playing at the famous European festivals at the moment, completely ignoring Toronto and the rest of Canada right now).

The weather was beyond perfect, we all had a nice view of the CN Tower in the background, and shortly after 7pm Lzzy Hale and her henchmen, collectively known as Red Lion, Pennsylvania, United States-based Hard Rock/Rock N’ Roll outfit HALESTORM, hit the stage for a very energetic and fun performance, beautifully warming up the crowd for the main attraction of the night, Volbeat. Currently promoting their 2022 album Back from the Dead, the quartet put on a flawless show playing songs from their entire career, with songs like I Miss the Misery and the closing one The Steeple inspiring everyone at the RBC Echo Beach to raise their horns together with the band. Lzzy has some respectful pipes, we all must admit that, as the girl can powerfully sing and scream without any effort, but let’s say it was her brother Arejay who stole the show with a spot-on drum solo, even using some giant drumsticks that looked like baseball bats. In other words, when Halestorm take your city by storm, you better be there to witness one of the best bands of the current Rock N’ Roll scene.

Setlist
I Miss the Misery
Love Bites (So Do I)
I Get Off
Wicked Ways
Freak Like Me
Familiar Taste of Poison
Takes My Life
Drum Solo
Back From the Dead
Mayhem
The Steeple

Band members
Lzzy Hale – lead vocals, rhythm guitar, acoustic guitar, keyboards, piano
Joe Hottinger – lead guitar, acoustic guitar, backing vocals
Josh Smith – bass, keyboards, piano, backing vocals
Arejay Hale – drums, backing vocals

VOLBEAT

It was around 9pm when Copenhagen, Denmark’s own Heavy Metal/Rock N’ Roll institution VOLBEAT kicked off their Servant of the Road World Tour 2023 in North America with a beyond fun and thrilling performance. By the way, it was their first performance in the city since 2019 when they played alongside Behemoth, Gojira and Slipknot, and it was more than clear how eagerly all fans had been waiting to see Volbeat live again. In addition, if you follow the band you probably know that with the departure of longtime guitarist Rob Caggiano in the beginning of June the whole tour almost had to be cancelled, but thanks to the talented Danish guitarist Flemming C. Lund (of bands like Temple of Scorn and The Arcane Order), who stepped in and learned all songs in just a few weeks, the band will be able to follow their schedule without any issues. Kudos to Flemming for being so professional, skillful, charismatic, and also for sporting a nice The Number of the Beast shirt on his first-ever concert with Volbeat! UP THE IRONS, FLEMMING!

Back to the concert itself, Volbeat ignited their breathtaking performance with the classic The Devil’s Bleeding Crown, winning the hearts of the fans right away and making it extremely easy for them to keep the energy level truly high until the very end, blending classics the likes of Seal the Deal and Lola Montez with the new songs from their 2021 album Servant of the Mind, those being Temple of Ekur, Shotgun Blues, The Devil Rages On, Becoming and Wait a Minute My Girl, and by the way all sounded amazing live and inspired the crowd to start some sick and frantic circle pits. As I always say, all metalheads in Toronto love circle pits, period. The song Black Rose, featuring the one and only Danko Jones as a guest vocalist, and Hallelujah Goat, one of my favorite Volbeat songs of all time, also helped to elevate the level of adrenaline on and off stage, proving Volbeat are a band who was born to play live.

I must admit the circle pit action was a little scary due to the type of floor at the RBC Echo Beach, which is not sand in case you’re curious to know, but pure, hard and rough cement, and every single time someone fell to the floor the word “merthiolate” would come to my mind. Fortunately, nothing truly serious happened, and all the kids and veterans who bravely entered the pit had some memorable moments inside of it. Well, not everyone, as Kevin, brother of my buddy Keith Ibbitson of Lower Eastside Photography, was hit by surprise and had his nose broken and swollen, requiring first-aid attention from the Live Nation medical staff. We can’t say it wasn’t a memorable moment for him, right? Jokes aside, I’m sure he’ll recover quickly and get back in action inside the pit at any future concert in the city.

The encore by Michael Poulsen and his henchmen was awesome as expected, starting with the classic Fallen, which he always dedicates to his deceased father Jørn Poulsen, followed by the aforementioned Wait a Minute My Girl, For Evigt (which Michael mentioned is about enjoying our lives), and of course ending with Still Counting, where Michael asked everyone at the RBC Echo Beach to sing its lyrics along with him. After all was said and done, everyone had a big smile on their faces due to the stunning performance by Volbeat, but due to the preparations for the Honda Indy in Toronto this weekend most fans had to find some extra inner fuel for a very long walk to the parking lots as we couldn’t simply cross through the BMO Field like countless times before. That wasn’t entirely bad or boring because the view of the city and the lake were fantastic, and of course I guess everyone was still singing one of the songs from Volbeat inside their heads to conclude another excellent Wednesday of summer in Toronto.

Setlist
The Devil’s Bleeding Crown
Temple of Ekur
Seal the Deal
Lola Montez
Die to Live
Ring of Fire
Sad Man’s Tongue
Shotgun Blues
Mary Ann’s Place
Black Rose
Hallelujah Goat
The Devil Rages On
Becoming

Encore:
Fallen
Wait a Minute My Girl
For Evigt
Still Counting

Band members
Michael Poulsen – lead vocals, rhythm guitar
Flemming C. Lund – lead guitar, backing vocals
Kaspar Boye Larsen – bass, backing vocals
Jon Larsen – drums

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Album Review – Delyria/ III; Oracles And Tentacles (2023)

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An introspective journey into the deepest fears and disbelief that keeps humanity on the religious and irreligious leash of doubt, brought into being by an unrelenting Italian Death and Thrash Metal squad.

Having their name inspired by the 1987 thriller/horror movie Deliria, by Michele Soavi, Grosseto, Italy-based Death/Thrash Metal squad Delyria was founded back in 2005 and coils in the Lovecraftian concept of some kind of unnamable horrors from beyond the known boundaries of the universe. Now in 2023 the band formed of Synder (Eyeconoclast, Promaetheus Unbound, Hideous Divinity) on vocals, Fabio Barbetti and Franco Piras on the guitars, Dario Capitani on bass and Kyle Mencucci on drums returns in full force with III; Oracles And Tentacles, the third full-length album in their career. Recorded at Fugu Studios,  mixed and mastered at Tide Studios, and with the participation of Giuseppe “Tat0” Tatangelo (Zora, Defechate, Glacial Fear, Spiral Wounds, Throne Of Flesh, Unscriptural) and artwork by Francesco “Basthard” Moretti (Southern Drinkstruction, Corpsefucking Art), the album is an introspective journey into the deepest fears and disbelief that keeps humanity on the religious and irreligious leash of doubt, blindly reading an hypothetical anti-book of Doom – The Book Of Nihil.

A humongous amount of heaviness will smash your cranial skull in the opening tune The Glyph, with Kyle dictating the song’s demented pace and, therefore, offering Synder all he needs to roar manically; and  their Thrash Metal vein arises stronger than ever in Irreligious Fallout, while also presenting their more violent Death Metal side and an amazing guitar job done by Fabio and Franco with their guitars, exhaling pure electricity. The band keeps the momentum going with another circle pit feast titled Serpents In Your Churches, again showcasing the heavy and groovy kitchen by Dario and Kyle, and the always demonic roars by Synder; followed by From Outer Spheres, another solid and aggressive creation by the quintet bringing to our ears a well-balanced fusion of modern-day Thrash and Death Metal. After such vibrant tune we have Book Of Nihil, one of the most exciting and caustic of all songs, where Synder sounds infernal on vocals while Fabio and Franco add their share of intricacy and darkness to the music with their classy riffage.

Then investing in a more detailed sound by bringing elements from Progressive Death Metal to their music the band offers us all Republic Of The Obscene, which is not a bad song but it sounds confusing at times as it doesn’t decide if it’s a straightforward heavy tune or a more progressive one. Putrid Monarch Crowned is utterly sinister and evil thanks to the deep growls by Synder, while Dario makes the earth tremble with his bass, again blending the most visceral elements from Thrash and Death Metal, and it’s pedal to the metal as those Italian metallers are on absolute fire in Scourges Of The Sybilline, with Fabio and Franco distilling their metallic venom through their stringed axes supported by the massive beats by Kyle in a great display of contemporary extreme music. Last but not least, the band will hammer our heads one final time with the pulverizing Gazmasked Reaper, ending the album on a high and venomous note with Synder once again stealing the spotlight with his sick roars.

The dark and furious III; Oracles And Tentacles is available in full on YouTube and on Spotify, but of course in order to show those Italian metallers your utmost support you should purchase a copy of the album from the Great Dane Records’ BandCamp page or webstore, as well as from Season of Mist or from Apple Music. Don’t forget to also start following the band on Facebook to stay updated with all things Delyria, letting your inner demons and deepest fears arise to the sound of the band’s devilish new album of contemporary Death and Thrash Metal.

Best moments of the album: Irreligious Fallout, Book Of Nihil and Scourges Of The Sybilline.

Worst moments of the album: Republic Of The Obscene.

Released in 2023 Great Dane Records

Track listing
1. The Glyph 4:01
2. Irreligious Fallout 3:18
3. Serpents In Your Churches 3:00
4. From Outer Spheres 4:23
5. Book Of Nihil 3:06
6. Republic Of The Obscene 3:46
7. Putrid Monarch Crowned 4:50
8. Scourges Of The Sybilline 2:45
9. Gazmasked Reaper 3:39

Band members
Synder – vocals
Fabio Barbetti – guitar
Franco Piras – guitar
Dario Capitani – bass
Kyle Mencucci – drums

Guest musicians
Giuseppe “Tat0” Tatangelo – additional vocals

Album Review – Cattle Decapitation / Terrasite (2023)

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Fear the devourer of earth in the form of the brand new and absolutely majestic album by California’s own Progressive Death Metal and Grindcore masters.

Dedicated to the memory of Gabe Serbian (RIP), former guitarist and drummer of the band from 1996 until 2000 and also known for his work with The Locust, Holy Molar and Zu, the acid and infernal Terrasite, the brand new album by San Diego, California’s own Progressive Death Metal/Grindcore masters Cattle Decapitation, is a work-of-art by one of the most important extreme music bands of all time. Produced, mixed and mastered by Dave Otero at Flatline Audio, and displaying a phenomenal artwork by American illustrator Wes Benscoter, who has been working with the band since their 2002 album To Serve Man and with countless other metal giants the likes of Bloodbath, Slayer and Hipocrisy, Terrasite (which is the portmanteau of the words “terra”, or “earth” in Latin, and “sitos”, or “food” in Greek, and a paronomasia with the word “parasite”, meaning a devourer or destroyer of land or earth or a post-Anthropocene “humanity”) offers our avid ears everything we love and more in the music by frontman Travis Ryan, guitarists Josh Elmore and Belisario Dimuzio, bassist Olivier Pinard and drummer David McGraw, positioning it as one of the beast albums in their career and, consequently, as one of the top metal releases of 2023.

Featuring keys and drums by Dis Pater (of Midnight Odyssey), Terrasitic Adaptation is a sinister opener that already blasts our minds with their caustic lyrics (“Life finds a way / The fauna from the trauma / Culled from the pages of this human drama / Our petrified tombs / Now crumbling oothecas / From which a new species of human arises”) and an infernal but extremely technical sound; followed by We Eat Our Young, a bestial creation by Cattle Decapitation with Travis sounding inhumane on vocals accompanied by the demented drums by David and the always scorching riffs by Josh and Belisario, or in other words, it’s a newborn classic by those unrelenting metallers. Dis Pater returns in the ruthless Scourge of the Offspring, a song that keeps the album at an insane level of aggressiveness with Travis once again barking and roaring nonstop amidst a stunning Progressive Death Metal hurricane. There’s no sign of slowing down as The Insignificants is another breathtaking aria by the quintet where the drums by David and the rumbling bass by Olivier generate a massive sonic earthquake, whereas The Storm Upstairs sounds chaotic, grim and austere from the very first second, with the razor-edged riffage by Josh and Belisario piercing our minds mercilessly.

Get ready to be smashed like a putrid corpse in …And the World Will Go on Without You, spearheaded by the infernal blast beats by David and the inhumane growls by Travis, resulting in one of the heaviest moments of the album hands down. There’s no hope for mankind and Cattle Decapitation make sure we understand that in A Photic Doom, with the band’s stringed trio bringing endless heaviness and electricity to their music; followed by Dead End Residents, a headbanging composition by the band showcasing their trademark violence and dexterity, also presenting somber background elements which enhance Travis’ vocal performance considerably. Solastalgia is ruthless and extremely intricate from start to finish, with the entire band being on fire delivering first-class Progressive Death Metal with Grindcore nuances for our vulgar delectation; and lastly we have the grim aria Just Another Body, again featuring keys and drums by Dis Pater and more of their darkly poetic words (“Existence… the poetry of the flesh which we will trust from conception to dust / Just another body – a temple of shit / Filled with the trash that we dump in it”), offering us all over ten minutes of sonic perfection, with the combination of phantasmagorical keys with sheer Death Metal devastation turning the song into a must-listen for any fan of heavy music.

“We are one of the few bands that have never rested on our laurels and keep pushing ourselves to improve. At this stage of our careers we could easily be trying to rewrite Monolith Of Inhumanity (2012) over and over, but since we did not and have never settled that way, the end results were The Anthropocene Extinction (2015), Death Atlas (2019) and now Terrasite, which have pushed us further into more mature and experimental territory,” commented Josh about their new album, while Travis said that “I just feel with the way things change so drastically nowadays, especially the last three or four years, that it’s surprising an extreme metal band can not only be around for so damn long but still stay anchored in this constantly changing scene that’s dictated where it’s going to go by younger generations – and still maintain relevance. Our band truly is an anomaly. I’d prefer to keep it that way.” If they’re an anomaly, they’re an ass-kicking one, and Terrasite, which is available for a full listen on YouTube and on Spotify, will always feature among their best albums due to its heaviness, intricacy and impact. Hence, don’t forget to follow Cattle Decapitation on Facebook and on Instagram, to subscribe to their YouTube channel, and to purchase a copy of the stunning Terrasite by clicking HERE, adding such hymns to the downfall of mankind to your bestial collection and, therefore, having the perfect soundtrack to our extinction on your dirty hands.

Best moments of the album: We Eat Our Young, Scourge of the Offspring, …And the World Will Go on Without You, Solastalgia and Just Another Body.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2023 Metal Blade Records

Track listing
1. Terrasitic Adaptation 5:01
2. We Eat Our Young 3:55
3. Scourge of the Offspring 4:28
4. The Insignificants 4:43
5. The Storm Upstairs 5:27
6. …And the World Will Go on Without You 4:14
7. A Photic Doom 4:26
8. Dead End Residents 5:09
9. Solastalgia 4:56
10. Just Another Body 10:15

Band members
Travis Ryan – vocals
Josh Elmore – lead guitars
Belisario Dimuzio – rhythm guitars
Olivier Pinard – bass
David McGraw – drums

Guest musicians
Dis Pater – keyboards and drums on “Terrasitic Adaptation”, “Scourge of the Offspring” and “Just Another Body”
Dave Otero – additional keyboards on “Just Another Body”

Album Review – Tsjuder / Helvegr (2023)

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This legendary horde is finally back with a new opus, a must-listen for admirers of old school Norwegian extreme music and a serious contender for Black Metal album of the year.

The path to the underworld is open once again as Oslo, Norway’s own Black Metal legends Tsjuder are back in action with a sulfurous new opus, titled Helvegr, which by the way means “Path to the Underworld” or “Road To Hel”, their sixth studio album and the perfect follow-up to their 2015 effort Antiliv. Known best for their relentless, aggressive approach to Black Metal, Tsjuder have been responsible for some of the most hate-filled ferocity perpetrated under the banner of True Norwegian Black Metal since their inception in 1993, with the iconic Nag on vocals and bass, and Draugluin on the guitars, supported by drummer Jon “The Charn” Rice, taking their darkness to a whole new level in Helvegr. Not only that, the mixing and mastering by Pål Emanuelsen at North Waves Studios, plus the wicked artwork by Jonas Svensson and Laura Nardelli, turn it into a must-listen for admirers of old school Norwegian extreme music, and into a serious contender for Black Metal album of the year.

The opener Iron Beast brings forward absolute madness and hatred from the very first second, while Nag screams the song’s infernal lyrics manically (“Black metal razor blades / Fifty cal hellraiser / Barbed wire wrapped / Diesel monster unleashed / Aw, come on! Raise Hell!”) in a lecture in Norwegian Black Metal; whereas the caustic riffage by Draugluin and the brutal drums by Jon will crush your damned body to pieces in Prestehammeren (or “the priest’s hammer” from Norwegian), a fast and demented display of Black Metal by Tsjuder that will please all fans of the genre. Then a melodic, sinister start evolves into another sonic beast entitled Surtr, with the blast beats by Jon bringing sheer aggressiveness to their sound while Nag continues to vociferate like a demonic entity. There isn’t a single second of peace in Gamle-Erik (or “Old Erik”), featuring a guest guitar solo by Pål Emanuelsen, with Nag once again sounding inhumane on vocals as well as armed with his thunderous bass lines while Draugluin slashes his guitar in the name of Black Metal; and Chaos Fiend is as chaotic as its name states, with Jon hammering your skull with his vile drumming, offering Nag everything he needs to darkly growl and snarl in another fantastic depiction of first-class Norwegian Black Metal.

Tsjuder Tribute to Bathory Scandinavian Black Metal Attack

Featuring guest vocals by Seidemann (of 1349 and Mortem), Gods of Black Blood offers another round of Tsjuder’s hellish words (“We stride triumphant, Hellspawned Demon Lords / Trampling the fallen, Violated agonized wailing / Worldgrinders, necrotic sovereigns”) while the music once again exhales Black Metal; and after such intense, darkened feast, it’s time for the grim and phantasmagorical title-track Helvegr, leaning towards Doom Metal and even Blackened Doom, sounding, sluggish, evil and melodic from start to finish. Then back to their more ferocious and satanic mode we have Faenskap og Død (“hell and death”), a hurricane of Black Metal masterfully crafted by Tsjuder where the razor-edged riffs by Draugluin will pierce your mind and soul mercilessly. Lastly, the doomed Hvit Død (“white death”) is not a bad outro, but it takes away some of the fire and electricity from the album. In other words, it could have been placed before the previous song as an intro to give it a stronger meaning. Furthermore, if you go for one of the special or deluxe editions of the album you’ll be treated to the bonus disc Tsjuder Tribute to Bathory Scandinavian Black Metal Attack, a killer EP that is definitely worth the extra money, beautifully representing Tsjuder’s respect and admiration for one of the pillars of Norwegian Black Metal, with their cover version for Satan my Master being absurdly awesome.

In case you want to give Helvegr a try before purchasing it, you can stream the album in full on YouTube and on Spotify, but I bet you’ll get addicted to their music and grab your favorite version of the album from the band’s own BandCamp page, from Season of Mist in Europe or in the US (and if I were you I would go for the LP box + digital or for the digibox + digital as both come with some fantastic items including the aforementioned EP), or by clicking HERE or HERE. Don’t forget to also follow such imposing Norwegian horde on Facebook and on Instagram for news, tour dates and so on, and to stream their entire catalogue on Spotify. We’ll undoubtedly see Helvegr as part of most “top metal albums of the year” lists this year, and of course in almost all “top Black Metal albums of the year” lists, reinforcing the power, impact and importance of Tsjuder to the entire metal scene, and leaving us all eager for their next blast of Black Metal magic in a not-so-distant future.

Best moments of the album: Iron Beast, Prestehammeren, Chaos Fiend and Gods of Black Blood.

Worst moments of the album: Hvit Død.

Released in 2023 Season of Mist

Track listing
1. Iron Beast 3:37
2. Prestehammeren 4:01
3. Surtr 6:59
4. Gamle-Erik 3:46
5. Chaos Fiend 4:02
6. Gods of Black Blood 5:19
7. Helvegr 7:36
8. Faenskap og Død 3:08
9. Hvit Død 2:52

Tsjuder Tribute to Bathory Scandinavian Black Metal Attack bonus disc
1. The Return of Darkness and Evil 4:53
2. Satan my Master 2:02
3. Born for Burning 5:11
4. Reaper 2:33
5. Raise the Dead 3:53

Band members
Nag – vocals, bass
Draugluin – guitars, backing vocals
Jon “The Charn” Rice – drums

Guest musicians
Pål Emanuelsen – guitars solo on “Gamle-Erik”
Seidemann – additional vocals on “Gods of Black Blood”