Behold the breathtaking sophomore opus by a ruthless Death Metal unity from Lithuania, embodying the perfect combination of face-melting aggression and electrifying atmosphere.
Formed in 2009 in Kaunas, a city in south-central Lithuania, the ruthless Death Metal band known as Crypts of Despair has made a quantum leap from their well-received debut full-length opus The Stench of the Earth, released in 2017, to their brand new one, entitled All Light Swallowed. Produced by the band itself, recorded at Lapės Records, mixed and engineered by Alexander Sarychev at DTH Studios, mastered by Arthur Rizk, and featuring a classic, somber artwork by Néstor Avalos, All Light Swallowed is at once ferocious, rife with unearthly and dissonant sounds, and punctuated by hair-raising, eerie ambience, embodying the perfect combination of face-melting aggression and electrifying atmosphere, with song structures remaining unpredictable and yet strangely coherent, all carefully brought into being by vocalist and guitarist Dovydas Auglys, guitarist Benas Juskus, bassist and vocalist Simonas Jurkevicius, and drummer Henri Mall. Put differently, if you’re an admirer of the music by bands the likes of Incantation, Anaal Nathrakh and Morbid Angel, this album is a must-have in your personal collection.
Get ready for total annihilation to the sound of the pulverizing opening track Being – Erased, a lecture in modern-day Death Metal led by the blast beast by Henri while Dovydas and Benas extract piercing, sulfurous Black Metal-inspired riffs from their guitars, and there’s no sign of slowing down as the quartet continues their path of devastation in Anguished Exhale, even more brutal and infernal than the opening tune with Dovydas and Simonas roaring manically nonstop. In Choked By The Void a cryptic start morphs into another visceral Death Metal feast led by the strident riffage by the band’s guitar duo, smashing our cranial skulls and dragging us into eternal darkness, and more of their furious sounds comes in the form of Condemned To Life, where Henri pounds and crushes his drums in great fashion, sounding very violent but at the same time technical and melodic and, therefore, resulting into sheer Death Metal awesomeness.
Crypts of Despair All Light Swallowed Black Coffin-Shaped Wooden CD Box Set with Engraving
Living up to the legacy of renowned acts such as Incantation and Immolation, the quartet fires the visceral Synergy Of Suffering, once again presenting the dynamic (and bestial) vocal duet between Dovydas and Simonas, and if you thought those Lithuanian metallers couldn’t sound more demonic you better get ready for The Great End, a sinister, neck-breaking tune that blends their trademark Death Metal with Black Metal nuances. Then venturing through more obscure lands we’re treated to the venomous Disgust, a beautiful Death, Black and (even) Doom Metal creation by Crypts of Despair where the vocal lines sound and feel utterly satanic, not to mention the thunderous drums by Henri. Dovydas and Benas definitely know how to send shivers down our spines with their wicked riffs, generating a menacing ambience in Excruciating Weight, putting a grim smile on the faces of the damned and flowing into the Stygian instrumental outro Bleak View, sounding as if it was taken from the most horrifying psychological thriller you can imagine.
It’s quite easy to put your hands on such amazing album of Baltic Death Metal, as All Light Swallowed (which you can by the way stream in its entirety on YouTube and on Spotify) is available for purchase from the band’s own BandCamp page, from Apple Music or from Amazon, but if I were you I would definitely go for the ass-kicking, limited Black Coffin-Shaped Wooden CD Box Set with Engraving by clicking HERE, HERE or HERE (depending on where in the world you are), containing an 8-panel digipak CD with sandalwood scent, an autographed card, a shaped silver sigil patch, a keychain with bottle opener, an album artwork badge, a beer coaster and a metallic sticker. Also, don’t forget to give the guys from Crypts of Despair a shout on Facebook and on Instagram, showing your support to such incredible band from the Baltics. And you better hurry, before all light is finally swallowed and you’re trapped in eternal Death Metal darkness.
Best moments of the album: Being – Erased, Condemned To Life and Disgust.
Worst moments of the album: None.
Released in 2021 Transcending Obscurity Records
Track listing
1. Being – Erased 4:33
2. Anguished Exhale 4:13
3. Choked By The Void 5:17
4. Condemned To Life 3:27
5. Synergy Of Suffering 2:57
6. The Great End 5:32
7. Disgust 4:23
8. Excruciating Weight 3:57
9. Bleak View 3:37
Band members Dovydas Auglys – vocals, guitar
Benas Juskus – guitar
Simonas Jurkevicius – bass, vocals
Henri Mall – drums
Harare, Zimbabwe-based Melodic and Industrial Death Metal one-man army is back in action sharper than ever with his most powerful and detailed album to date.
After the success of his 2020 EP Stormscapes, Harare, Zimbabwe-based Melodic/Industrial Death Metal one-man army Nuclear Winter is set to unleash the project’s third full-length opus, entitled Greystone, where the band’s mastermind, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Gary Stautmeister recorded, wrote and produced everything by himself, giving the whole album a very personal touch. “I’m very happy to have completed this new album titled Greystone. I was aiming to produce something heavy but also more electronic than my previous EP. It was quite challenging mix-wise because each song uses a slightly different sound on the drums/bass/guitars, but I feel the overall production is an improvement from my previous work, and the songs are now hopefully more distinct from each other. I especially like Corridor of Shells – which is about a battle in which the surrendering army brings shame to their country,” proudly commented Gary about his new “baby”.
And Gary doesn’t waste a single second and begins shredding his guitar mercilessly in the opening tune The Wastelands, all boosted by the song’s futuristic background elements, therefore reminding me of some creations by the iconic Fear Factory. More of his fusion of Industrial and Death Metal comes in the form of the visceral and somber Stygian Awakening, with Gary growling like a demonic entity while at the same time generating an interesting paradox with his own clean vocals, resulting in a headbanging, epic and progressive creation by this Zimbabwean lone wolf; whereas Gary’s metallic bass jabs will hit you hard in the head in The Harvest Moon, another whimsical, multi-layered creation that travels through the realms of Progressive, Death and Melodic Metal flawlessly. It’s quite impressive how his music is so dense and detailed taking into account he’s only one single musician, and in Orwellian Future his undeniable talent becomes even clearer as he’s capable of bringing some welcome hints of electronic music to the song’s overall heaviness.
Time for Gary to invest in a more rockin’ sound in Corridor of Shells, where our one-man band kicks some serious ass with his riffs and solos while crushing his drums with tons of intricacy, sounding very atmospheric and therefore living up to the legacy of modern-day Industrial Metal. The Wavering Shadows beings in full force showcasing strident riffs, epic keyboards and hammering drums, keeping the album at a high level of obscurity and insanity, with Gary firing truly demonic, Black Metal-inspired gnarls, while he will put you to dance under the moonlight in Hidden Shrine, showcasing elements from 80’s electronic bands the likes of Depeche Mode, Pet Shop Boys and New Order added to the project’s core essence. The second to last explosion of Industrial Death Metal by Gary, entitled Graveyard Sculpture, continues his path of devastation and insanity, with the machine-like drums walking hand in hand with all futuristic keys; and The Failing Dawn, the closing tune of the album, might not be as impactful as its predecessors, but it still showcases Gary’s own “darkness versus light” vocal duel and his always visceral riffage.
In a nutshell, as aforementioned, it’s truly impressive how Gary manages to sound like a full-bodied band even doing all by himself, and in Greystone we must all admit he outdid himself in terms of creativity, punch and heaviness, offering us fans of heavy music what’s perhaps the best metal album that has ever been recorded in Zimbabwe, and even if Zimbabwe might not be considered a true metal country that still means a lot. Hence, don’t forget to show Gary your support and admiration by following him and his Nuclear Winter on Facebook and on Twitter, by streaming all of his wicked compositions on Spotify, and above all that, by purchasing your copy of Greystone from the MDD Records’ BandCamp page (or click HERE for all locations where you can stream or buy the full album). As he keeps evolving as a musician (and as a producer), let’s wait and see what’s next in the career of Mr. Gary Stautmeister, and until then we can keep enjoying all tracks from the excellent Greystone in the name of Heavy Metal and Rock N’ Roll.
Best moments of the album: Stygian Awakening, Corridor of Shells and The Wavering Shadows.
Worst moments of the album: The Failing Dawn.
Released in 2021 MDD Records
Track listing 1. The Wastelands 4:00
2. Stygian Awakening 4:12
3. The Harvest Moon 3:58
4. Orwellian Future 3:43
5. Corridor of Shells 4:20
6. The Wavering Shadows 4:07
7. Hidden Shrine 4:40
8. Graveyard Sculpture 3:13
9. The Failing Dawn 4:08
Band members Gary Stautmeister – vocals, all instruments
An infernal invocation to darkness by a ruthless Colombia-based horde, positioning the band as one of the driving forces of the South American extreme music scene.
Funebria, the name of a rare manuscript “Carmina Funebria in Obitum Clarissimi” of influences in opus “Cantiones Profanae” and a fascination for funeral processions, is also the name of Venezuelan Black Metal horde Funebria, founded in 2004 in Maracaibo, a city in northwestern Venezuela and the capital of Zulia state (but currently based in Bogota, Colombia), having started following the path of pure old school Black Metal with their debut demo Manifiesto Al Esclavo, released in 2005. Currently comprised of Daemonae on vocals and guitars, Blackmiroz also on the guitars, Perverssturm on bass and backing vocals, and Naberius on drums, the band is unleashing upon humanity their third full-length album, entitled Death of the Last Sun, highly recommended for admirers of the music by Behemoth, Hate, Decapitated and Svart Crown, among others. Recorded mixed and mastered at DAE Home Studio by Ranndy Garcia (aka Daemonae), known for his work with Black Metal act Theurgia, Death of the Last Sun is an invocation to darkness in the most tight and raw way imaginable, positioning the band as one of the driving forces of the South American extreme music scene.
The tolling of the bells darkens our minds and hearts in the intro AIN, before all hell breaks loose in Ominous Armaggeddon, a visceral, straightforward Black Metal feast spearheaded by the infernal beats by Naberius while Daemonae roars and barks like a true demonic entity, also presenting progressive and groovy elements to spice the whole song up considerably. After such intense start to the album, more of their venomous fusion of Black and Death Metal is offered to our avid ears in the obscure tune Upheaval & Decadence, with hints of Doom Metal added to its already somber vibe, not to mention how ruthless Daemonae and Blackmiroz are with their riffage; and there’s no time to breathe as those South American beasts keep smashing our skulls mercilessly in Bleeding Sacrament, another brutal display of Black Metal infused with Daemonae’s trademark Death Metal growls that will put a grim smile on the faces of fans of extreme music.
Ethereal Form Of Saints sounds and feels as doomed as its predecessors, with Perverssturm firing low-tuned, bestial bass punches straight to our faces, therefore supporting the headbanging riffs by his bandmates, resulting in a massive tune where every single space in the air is filled with sulfur and hate. Dawn Of Black Inericon might be the shortest song of the album, but that doesn’t mean it’s not as dense, bold and Mephistophelian as all other songs, with Daemonae once again taking the lead with his deep roars supported by Naberius’ massive drums, whereas closing the album there’s more evil and hatred in the form of Black Waters Caesar, a lecture in old school and modern-day Black Metal full of breaks and variations, scorching riffs, bass jabs and the always demented beats by Naberius. Put differently, what a pulverizing conclusion to Death of the Last Sun, leaving us all eager for more of Funebria’s infernal creations in a not-so-distant future.
If you want to have a much better taste of all the darkness and wrath flowing from Funebria’s music, you can enjoy their new album in its entirety on YouTube and on Spotify, but of course you should definitely purchase the album from Dark Terror Temple’s BandCamp page, from the Satanath Records’ BandCamp page, from Apple Music or from Amazon to show your utmost support to such distinguished South American horde. In addition, don’t forget to follow the band on Facebook for news, tour dates, plans for the future and so on, proving you’re indeed a servant of the underworld as you like to brag about. Funebria are one of those bands whose sound is always evolving in the best way possible without abandoning their roots, and Death of the Last Sun is indeed a fantastic representation of their talent, their passion for Black Metal and their loyalty to this always brutal and captivating style.
Best moments of the album: Ominous Armaggeddon and Black Waters Caesar.
Worst moments of the album: None.
Released in 2021 Dark Terror Temple/Satanath Records
Track listing 1. AIN 0:52
2. Ominous Armaggeddon 6:35
3. Upheaval & Decadence 4:43
4. Bleeding Sacrament 4:13
5. Ethereal Form Of Saints 5:35
6. Dawn Of Black Inericon 3:52
7. Black Waters Caesar 5:17
Band members Daemonae – guitars, vocals
Blackmiroz – guitars
Perverssturm – bass, backing vocals
Naberius – drums
The shackles of your demons fall silent… The shackles of your demons fall…
It’s time for the skies to get dark and melancholic here on The Headbanging Moose thanks to the doomed music blasted by our metal lady of the month of May, and I bet you’ll get absolutely addicted to her music right after the very first listen (in case you know nothing yet about her and her bands and projects, of course). Though of German descent, she was born on February 9, 1988 in Cape Town, a port city on South Africa’s southwest coast, and currently resides in Sweden, where she joined Swedish Doom Metal band Draconian as the replacement to former singer Lisa Johansson in 2012. I’m talking about the multi-talented Heike Langhans, a songwriter, singer and designer well known for her work in the Gothic and metal scenes, always exploring a vast array of styles including Dark Wave, Electronic and Gothic Rock, among several others, therefore conquering the blackened hearts of the damned ones.
Drawn to melancholy Gothic music during her teenage years, Heike Langhans (which correct pronunciation is ‘hey-keh’ and ‘lung [the organ] – huns [like guns]’, as it’s a German name) began to dabble in composition, writing and singing at a very young age, already being part of school choirs at the age of eight, although she got sick of singing in groups, left that behind and started doing her own thing. She played piano occasionally, but mostly played classical guitar, which helped a lot in her writing process, and used to sing with her father when he played guitar at social gatherings. Heike joined her first band when she was around 15 years old, an all-girls band comprised of friends of her that was mainly a fun holiday thing, while she kept doing music on her own until she joined a proper band at the age of 19. Needless to say, she kept doing her own thing on the side to stay focused and as an outlet for her frustrations with the world and her surroundings.
Active since 2005, our South African started her career being associated with a few distinguished projects and bands, those being her Dark Electronic solo project :LOR3L3I:, South African Symphonic Metal band Inferium, and South African Black/Thrash Metal band Warthane, with her vocals being known to be sorrowful and her music peculiar and melancholic in nature. Regarding :LOR3L3I: (also known as LOR3L3I, LORELEI, or simply Lorelei), everything started back in 2006 as a melancholic electronic side project, with the name Lorelei having almost acted as an alter ego in a sense. According to Heike herself, the songs are raw and unpolished, a “spur-of-the-moment” type project where she just pours her heart into a song, record it and then struggle to touch it again, and you can take a very good listen at all her demos on her official BandCamp page, savoring delicate creations such as Jade Light and Fables. “I’ve said many times that I will never be able to sing these songs live, simply because I’ll be too emotional. It’s hard for me to wear my heart on my sleeve sometimes, so music is the only way. Lorelei is definitely my outlet and it’s quite revealing in many ways. Many people think me intimidating and secretive, but I’m more of an open book than what they care to realize,” commented Heike about her solo endeavor.
Inferium and Warthane are completely different stories, as they were already relatively established bands when Heike joined them. Under the moniker Heike Van Dominic, she was Inferium’s vocalist from 2005 until 2010, joining the band when they were still an instrumental group. They were the only band she knew doing Symphonic Metal at that time, with a huge influence from bands like Nightwish and Within Temptation. She said in one of her interviews that the band had a lot of potential and that they were doing quite well, but as they had a lot of issues with finding time and money to record and push it further they decided to call it quits in 2010. “I’ll always remember and enjoy my time in Inferium and I’ll forever be sad about the stellar songs that were to come, but it’s a sweet memory,” said Heike. Right after Inferium disbanded, more specifically in 2011, our diva, again under the name Heike Van Dominic, recorded the female vocals for the album Black Divine, by Warthane, which you can enjoy in its entirety on Spotify. Not only that, she also used her graphic designer skills to create the album’s stylish, somber artwork, proving how focused and talented she is it doesn’t matter which band or project she’s involved with.
Since 2012, Heike has been acting as the singer for Swedish Gothic/Doom Metal act Draconian, a cult band that started back in the already distant year of 1994 as Kerberos, playing Melodic Heavy and Death Metal with Black Metal influences, changing its name to Draconian around seven months after its inception. Heike joined the band following the departure of singer Lisa Johansson in 2011 after having made contact with guitarist Daniel Arvidsson, then with vocalist Anders Jacobsson to try an audition in Sweden. At first, she struggled to get a work visa in Sweden, which hampered the band’s ability to record an album, and until obtaining the visa she performed as a temporary singer for Gothic Rock band The Great Sleep in South Africa, as you can see for example in the song The Last Funeral. At the end of 2013, she finally received her work visa and was able to emigrate to Sweden, when she started working with Draconian while at the same time she started playing as a guest singer, guitarist and keyboardist in 2015 for Swedish Doom Metal band ISON, a side-project of Daniel Änghede (of Crippled Black Phoenix and Hearts of Black Science). She mentioned her main reasons for joining ISON were being able to play an instrument again like what she used to do in her teens, and putting a part of her own soul into it within a genre that was not electronic. You can have a very good taste of the music by ISON on their BandCamp page, with their first three albums having Heike on vocals, those being Cosmic Drone, Andromeda Skyline and Inner Space, or go to YouTube and search for their official videos such as the one for the song ISAE, as well as other precious gems like the duo playing a stunning acoustic version for The Final Cut by Pink Floyd (and you can compare their beautiful rendition with the original one HERE).
Finally, in 2015 Heike was able to record her first album with Draconian, by the way the sixth in the band’s career, the excellent Sovran, which she was not only responsible for the female vocal parts, but she also collaborated on writing the lyrics for tracks Dusk Mariner, Dishearten and The Marriage of Attaris, showing how easy it has been for Heike to connect with everyone at Draconian. “When I came to Sweden, I thought it would be very intimidating to have to all of a sudden be in this professional studio and work with world-class producers, and I underestimated myself a lot. But once I actually started doing it, I realized I was completely over-thinking everything. The guys were really laid back and easy to work with,” commented Heike. Then in 2020 she released with Draconian their second opus together, entitled Under a Godless Veil, where once again she was responsible for part of the lyrics, more specifically for the lyrics for the song Sleepwalkers, on top of her usual vocal duties. She also mentioned in one of her interviews that her work with Draconian hasn’t had any negative impact on her solo project :LOR3L3I: so far; quite the contrary, several Draconian fans kept writing her and asking her to continue to create music under her solo project, although she said nowadays she doesn’t have enough time to focus on that. It doesn’t matter if you’re a longtime fan of Draconian or a newcomer to their doomed world, you must check all of their official videos on YouTube such as the ones for the songs Sorrow Of Sophia, Sleepwalkers, Lustrous Heart, The Sacrificial Flame, Moon Over Sabaoth and Stellar Tombs, all of their creations on Spotify, as well as live footage the likes of Pale Tortured Blue live at MS Connexion Complex in Mannheim, Germany in 2019, and simply get lost in their realm of melancholy.
Apart from all of those previous and current bands and projects, you can also enjoy Heike’s unique voice as a guest vocalist in several other bands from all over the world. For instance, she played live with Finnish Atmospheric Doom/Death Metal band Hallatar in 2018, with whom she also recorded vocals for the song My Mistake and narrations for the songs Raven’s Song, Pieces and Spiral Gate from their 2017 album No Stars Upon the Bridge; she was a guest vocalist in the song Vision VII: One with the Soil from the 2017 album Visions, by Austrian Post-Black Metal act Anomalie; she also recorded the female vocal parts for the song The Path to Puya, from the 2019 album Aamamata by Spanish Doom/Gothic Metal act Helevorn; and vocals for the song Wolves at the Border, from the 2015 album Signal, by Swedish duo Hearts of Black Science. Not only that, Heike also did the layout and band photos for the 2020 album Premonitions, by International Epic/Atmospheric Black Metal band Sojourner, and was responsible for the vocals, keyboards, songwriting, lyrics, vocal recording, artwork, layout and design in the 2020 album Another World, by International Atmospheric Doom Metal band Light Field Reverie.
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When asked about her main idols and influences in music, Heike said it’s actually hard to pinpoint influences because many of her personal likes are not in any genres considered as Gothic in modern terms. However, the bands she related to early on would be Fields of The Nephilim, The Awakening, Sisters of Mercy, The Cure, Type O Negative, Dead Can Dance and Lycia, to name a few. In addition, as far as more modern Goth-inspired music goes, she has spent a great deal of time listening to Diary Of Dreams, Tiamat, Tristania, Paradise Lost, Anathema, Sins Of Thy Beloved, Katatonia, Draconian, and of course My Dying Bride. She said her passion for metal started when she was a teenager, as she used to get her father’s Pink Floyd and Meat Loaf CD’s and listen to them on repeat in her room while singing along, also watching renowned acts like Black Sabbath on VH1 and taping whatever metal she could find onto VHS or cassette. By the time she was 16, she was consuming a lot of metal from all sub-genres, gradually focusing on what suited her best emotionally speaking like Gothic, Symphonic and Doom Metal, only getting into Black Metal in her 20’s, but of course the emotional aspect and the melodies found in Doom Metal turned it into her all-time favorite genre as it certainly triggers a lot more in her personally.
In regards to touring, Heike said in one of her interviews she would love to tour around a South America, South Africa and Australia with Draconian, understanding that requires a lot of traveling and a huge investment, of course. “I look forward to traveling to countries to enjoy the scenery, food and people. The music is just our way of saying thank you for having us. It would feel slightly selfish to think our music is what made the show worth it, if you know what I mean,” complemented Heike, who also has a deep connection with the metal scene in her homeland. “Despite what most South Africans make themselves believe, Cape Town actually has a great metal scene and more bands than you might think. I can count on one hand the amount of friends I have there who ISN’T a musician. It’s a very creative and beautiful town.” She recommends Atmospheric Black Metal band Crow Black Sky, 2017 Battle for Wacken winners Megalodon, scene-legend Industrial Metal band Terminatryx and a few new-comers such as Constellatia as excellent bands from her beautiful country (and city) that we should all take a listen at.
Moving from South Africa to Sweden wasn’t an easy task for Heike, as it took around 19 months for her to receive her residence permit renewal in Sweden due to the country dealing with an influx of refugees. Based in Säffle, a municipality in Värmland County in west central Sweden, with the rest of the band since December 2019, Heike said she obviously misses Cape Town, her friends, the forwardness of people, Afrikaans jokes and Afrikaans words that you really can’t say anywhere else, but of course that she loves Scandinavia and that her head and her heart are in the North. Her Swedish might not be perfect yet, but her Afrikaans (Dutch) and German background ended up helping her a lot in understanding the language in the beginning, and she’s picking it up quite fast in her own opinion. She also commented about the fact that a lot of people in Sweden and in different parts of the world keep asking her why she’s white, which she believes that happens due to the idea the media sells that everyone in the African continent is black, complementing by saying she usually takes the opportunity to explain how things really work in South Africa.
Lastly, although Heike seems to be an unstoppable music-making machine, she’s just a regular human being like all of us who has her favorite hobbies and pastimes when she’s not singing, recording or performing on stage. As an avid gamer, she said she loves playing World of Warcraft and old school RPG’s the likes of Icewind Dale, Baldur’s Gate, Neverwinter Nights and Lionheart, as well as newer games like Skyrim, but of course she spends a great amount of time doing art, mostly digital and editing. There are days when she doesn’t want to deal with technology and she focuses of drawings and illustrations by hand, though. She also enjoys painting and photography, albeit she considers those quite expensive hobbies, and sewing, showing how versatile and talented she is. Furthermore, Heike is a big supporter of the Ubuntu Liberation Movement in South Africa, the Venus Project and the Zeitgeist Movement, always focusing on human liberation and free energy. “I will not eat or drink anything that comes from big corporations. Yes it’s difficult, but I refuse to support them. I also don’t eat meat any more, and I don’t really care what people have to say about that. I think that once people really put in the time and effort and research, not only from a health or principle perspective, but from an environmental perspective, they will realize that there is a lot that they are not being told. If they want to follow all the bullshit lies in the industry, then fine. But I will actively be against that. That’s what I think being an activist is about,” said our dauntless diva, and you can know a lot more about Heike, her bands, projects and so on by watching several online interviews with her, such as this one at FemME 2015 and this one for Metal & High Heels in 2019, letting her smooth and enchanting words and her undeniable charisma penetrate deep inside your doomed soul.
“I love slow and melancholic music. It brings my inner suffering to the surface and Doom Metal makes me feel like it’s okay to be an emotional being that suffers in this strange world.” – Heike Langhans
After over a decade of silence, this infernal Italian horde returns from the netherworld with an amazing, ritualistic concept album based on the figure of the Mother Goddess.
Born in 1994 in Reggio di Calabria, a coastal city in southern Italy, by the will of their vocalist Daemonia, influenced by obscure Italian metal music, 90’s Epic Black Metal horde Demonia Mundi returns in full force after 12 years of silence with their new long-awaited full length album titled In Grembo Mater…, their best and most ambitious work to date, a stunning concept album featuring a furious metal journey enhanced by beautiful folkish atmospheres that reminds of cult bands such as Death SS, Opera IX, Windir and Limbonic Art. Currently comprised of the aforementioned frontman Daemonia together with guitarists Morlock and Vagrant, bassist Beast and drummer Uw, this Stygian Italian entity brought into being a concept album based on the figure of the Mother Goddess, a ritualistic path in which the music is a soundtrack that leads the listener during the evocation and invocation of familiar demons, realized using also traditional and ritualistic instruments used thousand years ago during the Matriarchal Era previous to our Patriarchal Era, with the album art representing the double-headed axe, or the weapon symbol of the Mother Goddess.
The fires of Black Metal burn bright accompanied by melancholic acoustic guitars in the intro Iniziazione (or “initiation” in English), with the vociferations by Daemonia setting the tone for A:·A:·Of Black Fogs And Shaded Empires, exploding into a Dimmu Borgir-inspired hybrid of Symphonic and Epic Black Metal led by the incendiary riffs by Morlock and Vagrant, therefore sounding dense and bold from start to finish. Uw and Beast generate a venomous base for their bandmates in the infuriated hymn Et In Arcadia Ego, exhaling sulfur and hatred while once again presenting an old school Black Metal sonority with imposing and epic background elements, ending in a darkly tribal way; whereas an acoustic start evolves into a feast of Black and Doom Metal in Alesa, where Daemonia’s devilish gnarls will haunt your soul for all eternity supported by the pounding beats by Uw and all phantasmagorical sounds that permeate the atmosphere in this hellish composition.
And cryptic, eerie sounds enfold us all in The Golden Bough, before Beast begins hammering his bass in great fashion, once again morphing into a disruptive and vicious display of Symphonic Black Metal that sounds majestic and infernal, with Uw being unstoppable behind his drum set, while razor-edged riffs and the otherworldly growling by Daemonia are the main ingredients in the also demolishing Hieros Gamos, not to mention the song’s skull crushing aura. After such disruptive tune we have Intra Grembo, where the band slows things down a bit and sounds more melodic than before, spearheaded by the stylish guitars by Morlock and Vagrant. However, although they tried to make it sound like a black mass, it unfortunately falls flat in the end. Lastly, another Stygian intro evolves into the early Cradle of Filth-inspired hymn The Horned And His Thousand Whelps, where all band members are on fire with their sonic weapons, in special Daemonia with his vicious roaring and Uw with his violent but very intricate beats and fills, until the music fades into a ritualistic, horror movie-ish ambience that goes on until the very last second.
In a nutshell, if you consider yourself a lover of the darkest side of music, I’m sure you’ll have an absolute blast listening to In Grembo Mater…, which is by the way available for a full and detailed listen on YouTube and on Spotify, as the album brings forward all elements we learned to love in such distinct type of heavy music through the years. In addition, if you want to put your evil hands on this amazing opus, you can purchase it from several locations including the Cult Of Parthenope’s BandCamp page, Season of Mist, IndieMerchstore and Amazon, or simply click HERE for other places where you can buy or stream the album. Also, don’t forget to follow Demonia Mundi on Facebook for news, tour dates and more of their demonic music. It might have taken over a decade for Daemonia and his venomous horde to provide us fans with a new batch of devilish arias, but after listening to In Grembo Mater… we must all admit the wait was absolutely worth it, inviting us all to worship the Mother Goddess to the sound of their wicked Black Metal.
Best moments of the album: A:·A:·Of Black Fogs And Shaded Empires, The Golden Bough and The Horned And His Thousand Whelps.
Worst moments of the album:Intra Grembo.
Released in 2021 Cult Of Parthenope
Track listing 1. Iniziazione 2:28
2. A:·A:·Of Black Fogs And Shaded Empires 6:49
3. Et In Arcadia Ego 6:13
4. Alesa 5:49
5. The Golden Bough 4:57
6. Hieros Gamos 5:03
7. Intra Grembo 6:43
8. The Horned And His Thousand Whelps 8:16
One of the most promising metal acts from the Czech Republic returns with their awesome sophomore opus, again dealing with topics of our own existence and naturalism.
Established in Pilsen, a city in the western Czech Republic, in the fall of 2015, Melodic Death/Thrash Metal unity Innersphere has just released their sophomore opus, entitled Omfalos, the follow-up to their critically acclaimed 2018 debut effort Amnesia. Produced, mastered and engineered by Dan Friml (Mean Messiah), recorded at The Barn, and displaying a darkly stunning artwork by Martina Samková (Ghost in the Shell, Llyr), Omfalos, which derives from the Greek ομφαλός (omphalos), meaning “center of the world”, once again deals with topics of our own existence and naturalism through mysterious stories with many metaphors, all beautifully brought into being by the ominous quartet comprised of Míra Litomerický on vocals, guitars and samples, Lukáš Mai also on the guitars, Marek Hubocký on bass and Filip Wintr on drums.
The atmospheric and somber intro Presentiment warms up our senses for The Darkest Hour, an imposing Progressive Metal tune showcasing obscure lyrics growled by Míra (“Droughts, plague, famine – we all blame the gods – surrendered / Cannot escape our fate – raising blackest thought – in this hour”) while the instrumental parts remain dense and captivating from start to finish; and enhancing their aggressiveness considerably, Míra and Lukáš sound infernal with their riffs in Above accompanied by the crushing drums by Filip, therefore resulting in a multi-layered, bold Melodic Death Metal aria. Then it’s time to set fire to the album in Fire, where the classic, strident riffage blasted by the band’s guitarists walks hand in hand with the bass punches by Marek, reverberating in the air in great Black and Death Metal fashion, whereas the title-track Omfalos is a headbanging beast led by the intricate drumming by Filip, with all background elements and orchestrations adding a touch of epicness to the overall result. Not only that, Míra’s roaring gets deeper and more enraged as the music progresses for our total delight.
In Wisdom, a sinister, Blackened Doom-infused intro evolves into a massive wall of sounds, showcasing neck-breaking riffs and beats, a mournful atmosphere and the always demonic vociferations by Míra, ending in a beyond climatic manner; and putting the pedal to the metal, Filip fires some tribal beats in the violent Blackness, with the bass by Marek sounding truly thunderous in an amazing display of their trademark fusion of Melodic Death and Thrash Metal, not to mention the song’s sick guitar solo. Back to a more somber vibe, the quartet brings forward a fusion of Death, Black and Doom Metal in Nature Of Sorrow, which unfortunately falls flat after a while, sounding a bit generic compared to the rest of the album; however, Innersphere gets back on track with their second to last explosion of Melodic Death and Thrash Metal, titled The Embodiment, where they keep slashing their stringed axes nonstop, providing Míra all he needs to growl and scream demonically. Finally, melancholic piano notes ignite the closing aria The Fall, once again investing in a Blackened Doom sonority (in special through the deep gnarls by Míra and the sluggish beats by Filip), flowing smoothly until its Stygian finale.
Such intense fusion of melodic, progressive and dark music can be appreciated in its entirety on YouTube and on Spotify, and you should also show your support to the guys from Innersphere by following them on Facebook and on Instagram for new, tour dates and so on, and subscribe to their YouTube channel for more of their awesome music. And above all that, you should definitely add Omfalos to your vast collection of metal albums by purchasing it from their BandCamp page, from the Slovak Metal Army webstore, from Apple Music or from Amazon. The guys from Innersphere more than succeeded in depicting the center of the world through their unique music, leaving us more-than-curious to know what’s next in their shining path of life and death.
Best moments of the album: Above, Omfalos and Blackness.
Worst moments of the album:Nature Of Sorrow.
Released in 2021 Slovak Metal Army
Track listing
1. Presentiment 1:14
2. The Darkest Hour 4:13
3. Above 5:05
4. Fire 4:49
5. Omfalos 4:17
6. Wisdom 6:13
7. Blackness 4:03
8. Nature Of Sorrow 5:48
9. The Embodiment 4:47
10. The Fall 6:05
Band members Míra Litomerický – vocals, guitars, samples
Lukáš Mai – guitars
Marek Hubocký – bass, backing vocals
Filip Wintr – drums
A pulverizing display of German Melodic Death and Thrash Metal that will lay waste to any listener unfortunate enough to venture near the battlefield.
Originally founded in 2012 in the city of Barnstorf, a municipality in the district of Diepholz, in Lower Saxony, Germany, as what was solely intended to be a studio project, Melodic Death/Thrash Metal outfit Scythe Beast quickly morphed into its very own entity, culminating with the released of their debut effort Breeding Devastation in 2016. Now in 2021 it’s time for frontman Claus Ulka, guitarists Sven Stoppelberg and Frank Schwenker, bassist Jens Weymann and drummer Andreas Tegeler to unleash upon us their sophomore opus, entitled Indicted for Misconception, a deadly barrage brought into being during the lockdown period in Germany that will lay waste to any listener unfortunate enough to venture near the battlefield, living up to the legacy of renowned acts the likes of God Dethroned, Carcass and old Dark Tranquility.
Sven and Frank rev up Scythe Beast’s angry machine in the opening tune King of a Dead Land, evolving into a violent fusion of classic Death and Thrash Metal perfect for slamming into the pit right form the very first second, and it’s then time for a Carcass-infused tune entitled Kill Machine, where the quintet fires more of their vicious sounds spearheaded by the raspy roars by Claus, while Andreas keeps hammering his drums mercilessly. What a fulminating start to the album I might say, and their fire keeps burning in Soulicide, where they slow things down a bit while still sounding heavy-as-hell and utterly aggressive, increasing in insanity until exploding into visceral Melodic Death Metal where Jens extracts violent metallic sounds from his bass for our vulgar delectation; whereas the slashing riffs by the band’s guitar duo set the tone in the frantic Colonize, a Swedish Melodic Death Metal-inspired tune where the thrashing beats by Andreas bring even more fury to the overall sonority.
The tile-track Indicted for Misconception brings to our avid ears more of the band’s visceral and extremely harmonious metal music, a multi-layered, imposing tune spiced up by sick guitar solos by Sven and Frank as the icing on the cake, and never letting the energy level go down the quintet blasts our minds with the straightforward Signs of the Decline, where Claus’ demonic roaring is effectively supported by his bandmates’ classic backing vocals. If you think you’re safe from Scythe Beast, you better get ready to be crushed like an insect in For the Love of God, where Claus keeps vociferating rabidly while Sven and Frank are on fire with their wicked riffage, and Sven, Frank and Jens are once again ruthless with their stringed weapons in Truth Beyond, supported by the trademark blast beats by Andreas while also bringing some welcome hints of Black Metal. Lastly, the band demolishes everything and everyone that crosses their path with the venomous Scapegoat, presenting their usual demented riffs and beats and with Claus sounding like a furious beast on vocals just the way we like it in extreme music.
These German beasts of Melodic Death and Thrash Metal are waiting for you on Facebook and on YouTube, but of course if you want to show your true support to the underground you should definitely purchase a copy of Indicted for Misconception from the band’s own BandCamp page or from Apple Music. As already mentioned a few times on The Headbanging Moose in the past year or so, although no one can stand this never-ending lockdown anymore, it looks like several bands the likes of Scythe Beast are making very good usage of their time away from the road, generating top-of-the-line metal music for us fans and, consequently, keeping us sane and making our days a lot more fun to the sound of their wicked creations. I obviously hope this lockdown comes to an end sooner than later, but if this type of isolation is needed for Scythe Beast to keep smashing our souls with their music, then I’m more than fine having to spend some more time indoors.
Best moments of the album: King of a Dead Land, Kill Machine and Indicted for Misconception.
Worst moments of the album:Truth Beyond.
Released in 2021 Independent
Track listing
1. King of a Dead Land 4:23
2. Kill Machine 4:21
3. Soulicide 6:31
4. Colonize 4:31
5. Indicted for Misconception 4:43
6. Signs of the Decline 4:53
7. For the Love of God 5:06
8. Truth Beyond 4:27
9. Scapegoat 5:00
Band members Claus Ulka – vocals
Sven Stoppelberg – guitars
Frank Schwenker – guitars
Jens Weymann – bass
Andreas Tegeler – drums
A lecture in Blackened and Melodic Death Metal made in the United States, delving into the concept of desensitization and losing one’s soul or humanity.
Showcasing an incredible amount of new growth from a group already brimming with abundant talent as is, Inhumation, the brand new opus by Portsmouth, New Hampshire-based three-piece Blackened Melodic Death Metal entity Unflesh, is not only the perfect follow-up to their 2018 album Savior, but also a bold statement by the band confirming they’re among us to stay. Mixed and Mastered by V. Santura at Woodshed Studios and featuring a killer artwork by Junki Sakuraba, Inhumation will show you why vocalist and guitarist Ryan Beevers (Solium Fatalis), bassist Orin Hubbard (Excrecor) and drummer Jeff Saltzman (Aversed, Allegaeon, Continuum, Solium Fatalis) have everything it takes to conquer the world of extreme music with their wicked creations. “Inhumation delves into the concept of desensitization and losing one’s soul or losing one’s humanity so to speak. The title itself is used in a metaphorical sense, as the actual definition of the word ‘Inhumation’ is the action or practice of burying the dead. For album purposes, the title is used on a more spiritual and emotional level. Each track on the album is a bit of a meditation on different aspects of the primary concept. When the listener gets to the last song on the album, the totality of the album will have taken form,” commented Ryan about the band’s newborn spawn.
The acoustic guitars by Ryan ignite the intro Behold Nightfall, gradually growing in intensity until all hell breaks loose in the devastating Vast Forest of Impaled Cadavers, where Ryan vociferates the song’s devilish words manically (“Spawned from scales of iron / Demonic icon of fear / Bathing in the draining blood / From the steel / Emotionless / Orchestrating blasphemies / Of hundreds and thousands / Their putrefaction is my crest”) accompanied by the crushing drums by Jeff. To Renounce Flesh and Blood is another demonic and very technical creation by Unflesh blending the fury of Death Metal with the obscurity of Black Metal, not to mention Orin’s bass jabs will make your head tremble, followed by the title-track Inhumation, bringing to your ears over seven minutes of breathtaking riffs and bass punches, intricate beats and all of the elements that make Technical Death Metal so compelling. In addition, Jeff sounds truly bestial behind his drum set, while Ryan keeps roaring like a demonic entity from start to finish.
Unflesh keep decimating our senses in the hellish extravaganza titled Amongst Horrors Must I Dwell, displaying an amazing job done by Ryan with his visceral Black Metal riffage and growling, therefore adding an extra touch of malignancy to the overall result, whereas putting the pedal to the metal the trio brings forward the explosive Blackened Death Metal tune Holocaust of Stars, where Orin and Jeff are on fire with their thunderous kitchen generating a reverberating ambience that will ruthlessly smash your cranial skull; and featuring a sick guitar solo by guest Jim Gregory (Solium Fatalis), The Sepulchral Depths is just as violent and sulfurous as its predecessors, offering us fans an ass-kicking portrait of the band’s trademark hybrid of Blackened and Melodic Death Metal. Not only that, Jeff is once again a stone crusher on drums, taking the lead with his blast beats and fills for our total delight. And last but not least, Unflesh bring forth nine minutes of sonic savagery, acoustic and atmospheric passages, enraged roars and endless obscurity in the form of Dehumanized Legion, where the trio is unstoppable and vile throughout the entire song, putting a beyond demolishing end to this precious gem of Extreme Metal.
After all is said and done, I’m sure you’re more than eager to put your hands on Inhumation, which is by the way available for a full listen on YouTube and on Spotify, and in order to do that simply go to the band’s own BandCamp page, to Apple Music or to Amazon, and don’t forget to also show your support to such promising act by following them on Facebook and on Instagram, and by subscribing to their YouTube channel. Ryan and his henchmen Orin and Jeff did a superb job in Inhumation, beautifully translating into eight multi-layered, dense Blackened and Melodic Death Metal compositions exactly what Ryan mentioned as “the concept of desensitization and losing one’s soul or losing one’s humanity.” This is exactly how dark and extreme music should always sound, with the band’s new album being a strong contender to feature among the best albums of the year, consequently pointing to a brilliant future ahead of those multi-talented musicians.
Best moments of the album: Vast Forest of Impaled Cadavers, Inhumation and Holocaust of Stars.
Worst moments of the album: None.
Released in 2021 Independent
Track listing
1. Behold Nightfall 2:21
2. Vast Forest of Impaled Cadavers 5:21
3. To Renounce Flesh and Blood 5:26
4. Inhumation 7:20
5. Amongst Horrors Must I Dwell 6:37
6. Holocaust of Stars 4:42
7. The Sepulchral Depths 5:27
8. Dehumanized Legion 9:01
Band members Ryan Beevers – vocals, guitars, acoustic guitars, orchestrations
Orin Hubbard – bass
Jeff Saltzman – drums
Guest musician Jim Gregory – guitar solo on “The Sepulchral Depths”
Nature will prevail to the sound of the first full-length album by this multi-talented one-man project based in Germany, offering us all what can be called the “New Wave Of Black Eco Metal”.
After four years in the making, One Inch of Peace, the first full-length opus by Ruhrpott, Germany-based Melodic Black Metal one-man army Through Chaos & Solitude (also known as TCAS KVLT), finally saw the light of day on the first day of spring this year, offering us fans 35 minutes of what the project’s mastermind Tim Rule likes to call the “New Wave Of Black Eco Metal”. Mixed & mastered by Dennis Israel at Clintworks Mixing and Mastering, and with the help of Simon Castigator and Delio Soro on drum programming and Matze Castigator on synths recording, One Inch of Peace is a huge step forward in the career of the multi-talented Tim, not only representing the long-awaited return of Through Chaos & Solitude after the project’s debut EP The Thawing Winds Of The Morning Sun, but also being extremely recommended for admirers of the whimsical music blasted by renowned acts the likes of Woods Of Ypres, Alcest and Agalloch.
Cinematic and enfolding from the very first second, the lyrics in A Heart Is Heavy (Tonight In The North) reek of poetry (“To write it down and to face it is to truly test our fears and beliefs / It’s so humbling to write something in strength and conviction / Only to later fear what you have created / Because it hurts too much, oh it is too close”), with Tim roaring and growling nonstop while firing razor-edged riffs at the same time, and with the programmed drums sounding truly organic. Then starting in a pensive, acoustic way, the title-track One Inch Of Peace brings forward Tim’s trademark fusion of the aggressiveness of Black Metal with smoother and more melodic sounds, also displaying hints of Blackened Doom in its core sonority. In other words, it couldn’t have sounded more infernal and acid than this, whereas venturing through the progressive lands of Atmospheric Black Metal, Post-Black Metal and Post-Metal, Tim offers our ears the ethereal The Integrity Of Nothingness Versus The Fragile Beauty Of Life, where he showcases a great balance of clean vocals and deranged screams, flowing into the melancholic My Heart Is In Your Hands, where Tim alternates between sharp riffs and semi-acoustic passages, resulting in an even more atmospheric creation than its predecessors. And lastly, the bonus track Of Walking An Alley Lined With Oaks (Nature Always Wins), previously released in 2018, blends the beautiful sounds of nature with Tim’s introspective and multi-layered Black Metal in a beyond stunning ending to the album.
It’s a pleasure seeing the evolution in the music of Tim Rule and his Through Chaos & Solitude in his new album One Inch of Peace, available in full on Spotify, and if you also want to show your support to the underground you should start following the project on Facebook and, of course, purchase a copy of the album from his own BandCamp page, from the Bound By Modern Age Records’ BandCamp page or webstore, or from Apple Music. One of the song titles already states that “nature always wins”, and I couldn’t agree more with that. Add to that the fact that Black Metal has always had a deep connection with nature, always against the evils of men, and there you have the perfect recipe for a great album of atmospheric and dark music just like what Tim unleashed upon us all in his new album of stunning Black Eco Metal.
Best moments of the album: One Inch Of Peace and My Heart Is In Your Hands.
Worst moments of the album: None.
Released in 2021 Bound By Modern Age Records
Track listing 1. A Heart Is Heavy (Tonight In The North) 9:12
2. One Inch Of Peace 9:42
3. The Integrity Of Nothingness Versus The Fragile Beauty Of Life 7:05
4. My Heart Is In Your Hands 9:26
Bonus track 5. Of Walking An Alley Lined With Oaks (Nature Always Wins) 7:58
Band members Tim Rule – vocals, guitars, bass, keyboards
A primordial feeling of anguish speaks through five Croatian musicians and the dissonant fusion of Black, Death and Doom Metal found in their brand new EP.
A primordial feeling of anguish speaks through five musicians hailing from Zagreb, Croatia that gathered around a vision of perpetual struggle of critical reason against the pale, gray and uninspiring surroundings. That’s the core essence of the dissonant Black, Death and Doom Metal entity known as Muka, who are among us to arouse and awake our humanity, our striving for freedom and rejection of false existence, flawed idols and deceptive personalities. Comprised of Ivan Borčić on vocals, Edin Karabašić and Goran Tatalović on the guitars, Stjepan Dianić on bass and Marin Lelas on drums, Muka are unleashing upon our rotten society their third EP, entitled Patologija Poniznosti (or “the pathology of humility” in English), following up on their 2017 EP Sveta Stoka. Recorded, mixed and mastered by Filip Pacak, and displaying a raw and stylish artwork by Jelena Murk, Patologija Poniznosti will penetrate deep inside your soul mercilessly throughout its 25 minutes of extreme music styles fused in a special and vile atmosphere, positioning it as Muka’s strongest release since their inception in 2012.
Blending the heaviness of Doom Metal with the aggression and darkness of Black and Death Metal the band fires the Stygian hymn Idolomantis Diabolica (“an idol man of diabolics”), with Ivan roaring like a true demon while Edin and Goran extract sheer sulfur form their guitars; whereas the rhythmic beats by Marin together with the rumbling bass by Stjepan kick off the Blackened Doom-inspired tune Unatoč Svemu (“in spite of everything”), gradually evolving into a demented sonic beast with Ivan vociferating the song’s Croatian words darkly and rabidly. Čezneš, or “you disappear”, is another headbanging, grim creation by Muka, with Marin and Stjepan making our heads tremble while Edin and Goran slash their stringed weapons extracting minimalist but extremely acid riffs, and a neck-breaking, venomous sound permeates the air in U Zabludi (“mistaken”), bringing forward hints of Post-Metal to the band’s core Black Metal and showcasing an amazing job done by Marin behind his drum set, while his bandmates fire endless dementia and hatred through their strings and screams. Finally, their last breath of evil and obscurity comes in the form of Ljudi (which translates as “people” or “men”), where the strident guitars by Edin and Goran walk hand in hand with the metallic bass jabs by Stjepan, concluding the album on the most insane and disturbing way imaginable.
As aforementioned, Patologija Poniznosti, which can be enjoyed in its entirety on Spotify, is by far Muka’s heaviest and most detailed release to date, pointing to an even brighter future ahead of those Croatian metallers. Hence, don’t forget to give them a shout on Facebook, to subscribe to their YouTube channel for more of their cryptic creations, and to grab your copy of their new EP from their BandCamp page, from the No Profit Recordings’ BandCamp page, from Apple Music or from Amazon. You don’t need to speak or understand Croatian to capture the message and vibe of the music by Muka, which just proves how sharp and piercing their sound can be. Simply hit play and immerse yourself in a world of despair, inner struggles and pain, courtesy of five talented musicians who definitely know how to turn all of those negative and somber feelings into first-class extreme music.
Best moments of the album: Idolomantis Diabolica and U Zabludi.
Worst moments of the album: None.
Released in 2021 Independent
Track listing 1. Idolomantis Diabolica 6:00
2. Unatoč Svemu 5:30
3. Čezneš 5:02
4. U Zabludi 3:39
5. Ljudi 5:33
Band members Ivan Borčić – vocals
Edin Karabašić – guitar
Goran Tatalović – guitar
Stjepan Dianić – bass
Marin Lelas – drums
Formed in 2009 in Kaunas, a city in south-central Lithuania, the ruthless Death Metal band known as Crypts of Despair has made a quantum leap from their well-received debut full-length opus The Stench of the Earth, released in 2017, to their brand new one, entitled All Light Swallowed. Produced by the band itself, recorded at Lapės Records, mixed and engineered by Alexander Sarychev at DTH Studios, mastered by Arthur Rizk, and featuring a classic, somber artwork by Néstor Avalos, All Light Swallowed is at once ferocious, rife with unearthly and dissonant sounds, and punctuated by hair-raising, eerie ambience, embodying the perfect combination of face-melting aggression and electrifying atmosphere, with song structures remaining unpredictable and yet strangely coherent, all carefully brought into being by vocalist and guitarist Dovydas Auglys, guitarist Benas Juskus, bassist and vocalist Simonas Jurkevicius, and drummer Henri Mall. Put differently, if you’re an admirer of the music by bands the likes of Incantation, Anaal Nathrakh and Morbid Angel, this album is a must-have in your personal collection.
It’s quite easy to put your hands on such amazing album of Baltic Death Metal, as All Light Swallowed (which you can by the way stream in its entirety on YouTube and on Spotify) is available for purchase from the band’s own BandCamp page, from Apple Music or from Amazon, but if I were you I would definitely go for the ass-kicking, limited Black Coffin-Shaped Wooden CD Box Set with Engraving by clicking HERE, HERE or HERE (depending on where in the world you are), containing an 8-panel digipak CD with sandalwood scent, an autographed card, a shaped silver sigil patch, a keychain with bottle opener, an album artwork badge, a beer coaster and a metallic sticker. Also, don’t forget to give the guys from Crypts of Despair a shout on Facebook and on Instagram, showing your support to such incredible band from the Baltics. And you better hurry, before all light is finally swallowed and you’re trapped in eternal Death Metal darkness.
After the success of his 2020 EP 
In a nutshell, as aforementioned, it’s truly impressive how Gary manages to sound like a full-bodied band even doing all by himself, and in Greystone we must all admit he outdid himself in terms of creativity, punch and heaviness, offering us fans of heavy music what’s perhaps the best metal album that has ever been recorded in Zimbabwe, and even if Zimbabwe might not be considered a true metal country that still means a lot. Hence, don’t forget to show Gary your support and admiration by following him and his Nuclear Winter on 
Funebria, the name of a rare manuscript “Carmina Funebria in Obitum Clarissimi” of influences in opus “Cantiones Profanae” and a fascination for funeral processions, is also the name of Venezuelan Black Metal horde 
If you want to have a much better taste of all the darkness and wrath flowing from Funebria’s music, you can enjoy their new album in its entirety on 
Born in 1994 in Reggio di Calabria, a coastal city in southern Italy, by the will of their vocalist Daemonia, influenced by obscure Italian metal music, 90’s Epic Black Metal horde 
In a nutshell, if you consider yourself a lover of the darkest side of music, I’m sure you’ll have an absolute blast listening to In Grembo Mater…, which is by the way available for a full and detailed listen on 
Established in Pilsen, a city in the western Czech Republic, in the fall of 2015, Melodic Death/Thrash Metal unity 
Such intense fusion of melodic, progressive and dark music can be appreciated in its entirety on 
Originally founded in 2012 in the city of Barnstorf, a municipality in the district of Diepholz, in Lower Saxony, Germany, as what was solely intended to be a studio project, Melodic Death/Thrash Metal outfit 
These German beasts of Melodic Death and Thrash Metal are waiting for you on 
Showcasing an incredible amount of new growth from a group already brimming with abundant talent as is, 
After all is said and done, I’m sure you’re more than eager to put your hands on Inhumation, which is by the way available for a full listen on 
THE HEADBANGING MOOSE 