Raise your horns high to the first full-length opus by this talented American Blackened Death Metal band, sounding technical yet brutal, melodic yet malevolent.
Formed in 2021 originally as a studio project amongst three friends to create fun, heavy Death Metal that eventually became a more serious endeavor to create more unique Black and Death Metal, Cincinnati, Ohio, United States-based Blackened Death Metal entity Nogothulahas just released their first full-length opus, titled Telluric Sepsis, the follow-up to their 2022 debut EP Gore Vortex Ascension. Recorded by the band itself (vocals, guitars, bass and synths) and by Eric Tuffendsam at Moonlight Studios (drums), mixed and mastered by Noah Buchanan at Mercinary Studios, and displaying a sick artwork by Niklas Webjorn (plus a beyond deadly logo by Crepuscular Gloom), the new album by Eric Payne on vocals and bass, Colton Deem on vocals and guitar, John “Nick” Moeller also on the guitar, and Alex Hooper on drums will please fans of both Black and Death Metal, always sounding technical yet brutal, melodic yet malevolent.
The intro Awakening offers us all the band’s heavy-as-hell, menacing welcome card, with their deep guttural and harsh screeches piercing our minds before Chaospore arrives like a hurricane of blackened sounds, with Colton and John hammering their axes nonstop supported by the massive beats by Alex. Then in Catacomb Cauldron the band invests in a more brutal, visceral Death Metal sound led by the unstoppable drums by Alex, while Eric and Colton keep vociferating rabidly, therefore resulting in a perfect song for igniting some insane mosh pits; followed by Lacerating Vibrations, another infernal explosion of Brutal Death Metal, inviting us all to slam into the pit while Eric and Colton continue to deliver their gruesome double vocal attack. And their avalanche of Blackened Death Metal gets even more sulfurous in Observers of Perpetual Rot, again presenting the wicked riffage by Colin and John accompanied by the always menacing bass by Eric.
They still have a lot more fuel to burn, starting with Labyrinthian Sunken Spires, where their raspy, unfriendly roars match perfectly with all the instrumental devastation crafted with tons of hatred, sounding and feeling absolutely infernal until the very end; whereas Morbid Seas of Stygian Blood carries a beautiful name for a lecture in Blackened Death Metal, sounding very detailed, obscure and caustic thanks to the band’s usual demonic vocal lines and crushing drums. Then the title-track Telluric Sepsis brings forward the band’s trademark animosity and rage without forgetting to sound melodic and vibrant, with Alex stealing the spotlight once again with his massive beats and fills; and lastly, let’s enjoy eight minutes of cryptic sounds, vile passages and the band’s hammering Death Metal in Meandering Comatose Twilight… The Carrion Viaduct, where their guttural vocals sound utterly deep, sending shivers down our spines and obviously closing the album on a sulfurous note.
The guys from Nogothula are waiting for you on Facebook and on Instagram with news, tour dates, more of their music, and other nice-to-know details about the band, letting their caustic sounds penetrate deep inside your psyche. Needless to say, above all that, don’t forget to grab a copy of Telluric Sepsis, which is by the way available for streaming in full on YouTube and on Spotify, from their own BandCamp page, keeping your horns high in the name of Black and Death Metal to the sound of the visceral new album by one of the most promising bands of the current American scene.
Best moments of the album:Catacomb Cauldron, Lacerating Vibrations and Morbid Seas of Stygian Blood.
Life is flesh on bone convulsing above the ground.
It’s time to spread absolute fuckin’ evil all over the world here at The Headbanging Moose, courtesy of our multi-talented metal lady of this month of March, and trust me, as soon as you know more about her, about her music and her art as a photographer, you’ll get addicted to everything surrounding her, musically and visually speaking. Owner of a fantastic voice, placing her among the best female growlers of the new generation, she’s the frontwoman for one of the rising forces of the metal scene in her homeland Portugal, inspiring us to raise our horns anytime she hits the stage with her incredible charisma, her looks, and of course her she-demon roars. Her name is Beatriz Mariano, the mastermind behind Portuguese Blackened Death Metal horde Okkultist and a fantastic freelance visual artist, and she’s ready to drink your blood and reap your soul to the sound of her devilish, furious creations. Having said all that, are you ready to face our demonic diva in this humble tribute to her music and her art?
Born on September 9, 1994 in the charming and always cozy Portuguese capital Lisbon, Beatriz has lived and breathed music since she was a little kid. “I’ve learned a few instruments, and I’ve always been into singing. There wasn’t really a time when I wanted to become a singer, because I never actually saw it as something I wanted to do full-time. I’ve always sung for fun! If this makes sense,” commented our talented growler in one of her interviews, complementing by saying what her family thought about it when she founded Okkultist. “When I told my family I was in a band they were accepting. They don’t understand the music though. When I first asked ‘do you wanna listen to it’ the first reaction I got was a fat ‘no’. But as long as I’m happy, they’re supportive.” In addition, her passion for the occult also started at a very early stage of her life. “I’ve been in love with the horror, occult and macabre aesthetic since a very early age. My favorite cartoon as a kid was ‘Courage, the Cowardly Dog’. I was hypnotized by the first horror movie I ever saw. I just fell in love. It just felt right. It was a calling.”
It was back in 2016 when Beatriz founded her infernal sonic cult Okkultist together with guitarist Leander Sandmeier (Toxic Room, Toxikull), making sure they were bringing into being something truly evil. “I remember us all sitting down and just saying ‘this shit has to sound evil. It had to bring people chills to their spine. Let’s make them hallucinate about Satan when our shit plays.’ We wanted a pit to hell to open up as soon as you started playing our album.” Currently formed of Beatriz and Leander alongside bassist David J. Rodrigues and drummer Eduardo Sinatra (Aramaic, Godiva, Heavenwood), Okkultist released their debut EP titled Eye of the Beholder, in 2017, followed by the full-length albums Reinventing Evil, in 2019, and more recently O.M.E.N., in 2023, all available for streaming on Spotify or on any other streaming platform. One interesting fact about their two full-length albums is that both were released under the label Alma Mater Records, whose founder and owner is the iconic Fernado Ribeiro of Moonspell. “It started when Fernando and I were discussing some visual ideas and then I presented him to this project I was involved in, and he immediately sounded interested in us, even though we only had a few demos out,” said Beatriz about her partnership with Fernando.
Apart from being a sensational vocalist and performer, as aforementioned Beatriz is also an extremely talented visual artist who loves to focus on the most obscure side of music and arts in her work in general. For instance, she was responsible for the photography of the 2014 demo Hellbreaker – Demo XXIV and of the 2014 full-length album Midnight Steel, both by Portuguese Heavy Metal squad Midnight Priest; for the design and layout of Okkultist’s 2023 album O.M.E.N.; and for the photography of the 2016 album Black Sheep, by Portuguese Heavy/Speed Metal band Toxikull; and you can take a look at her entire portfolio by visiting her official Facebook page or her Instagram, or click HERE to get access to all links related to our amazing artist. “Actually, photography is my main activity. And not the band. I am in complete control over the band’s visuals. It just made sense. I first started working with self-portraiture when I was 15. I’m 25 now. And when I first suggested it to the band they immediately accepted it, also because they enjoy my work. There wasn’t even a question. I just took over,” she commented in an interview four years ago, as she’s now 29, about her life as a photographer and as a musician at the same time, but in my humble opinion I believe today Okkultist became her main activity (or maybe she’s able to magically handle both, who knows).
Her life as a photographer definitely deserves a more detailed look due to everything that impacts her as an artist, her creative process and so on. “I’m constantly researching visuals. Anything! From movies to pictures, comics, illustrations, nature. Even sounds and textures. I’m especially attracted to the experimental field,” she said when asked about her inspirations as a photographer. Furthermore, she mentioned that she works with both pre-arranged shootings, when she already has an idea and concept in mind, and more spontaneous photography. “Usually when it comes to editing, I always end up picking the pictures where the model is not posing. Those are the most beautiful and appealing shots to me, and will certainly turn out to be the best and more impactful images.” Also, although she doesn’t think there must be a story behind each picture, she ended up admitting that almost everything that she does has a meaning, a story or a concept involved. Her opinion about having to study photography or not to be a successful photographer also goes in line with her passion for what’s more spontaneous. “To be really honest, the best way to learn is through experience. Schools, classes, or whatever, will never be able to teach you something that only you can go through. You will only get the full experience by doing it, and getting to it, and that’s the most fulfilling and complete way to learn! I’ve done that since I was a teen, and things like that can never be taught. Sure, studies can give you a hand in it, but no one will ever be able to ‘teach’ you something that only you can live and absorb pure and raw knowledge from! I’ve learnt that way, and with all the memories and living experiences it’s more than useful, it’s priceless!”
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An admirer of both analogue and digital photography, which according to Beatriz herself is necessary to go through the full photographic experience, she used to work with a really nice gear containing a 7D, and a 50mm f/1.4 lens, which she used the most, plus of course Photoshop, but I’m sure right now she might have advanced to an even better gear and maybe an updated software. She’s always been passionate for photography, pictures and filming, but it was when she was in high school and one of her teachers, named Ana Paula Xavier, assigned a project using photography and Photoshop to her class that things changed, becoming an obsession for Beatriz, and she couldn’t let go off the cameras ever since, being highly inspired by French photographer and grand couturier Hedi Slimane, therefore helping her find her own artistic identity. And regarding her idols and influences in general, not only in photography, Beatriz considers herself a very weird person, quoting Beetlejuice to describe herself (“I myself am strange and unusual”). She loves everything around creativity, being able to express herself through something she can make with her own hands, and of course being a Heavy Metal fanatic with an unusual and bizarre taste. For instance, she’s a diehard fan of horror, mentioning Clive Barker, Lucio Fulci and Dario Argento as some of her inspirations, but of course she said she’s the type of person that enjoys building their own stuff.
As already mentioned a few times, Beatriz is an amazing vocalist, delivering sheer malignancy and evil through her harsh growls in the best Black and Death Metal style. She used to be a lot more active on her official YouTube channel and on Vimeo before going all-in with Okkultist, but you can still enjoy a lot of amazing videos, cover songs and so on featuring our Portuguese she-wolf. For example, you can enjoy her covers for Summer Wine, by Lee Hazlewood, Texas Sun, by Khruangbin and Leon Bridges, and Scavenger Of Human Sorrow, by Death, as well as countless videos about fashion, make up, music and so on, including an amazing one called Creepy Nun/Valak Inspired Halloween Make Up where she teaches how to make the perfect make up inspired by the mysterious nun character from The Conjuring universe.
Beatriz also mentioned once that she would love to travel the world with Okkultist and blast some “evil fucking music” everywhere, although she knows it’s really tough for any smaller band to tour financially speaking. “We are doing the best we can to tour. But as a small band that barely makes any profit, it makes it extremely difficult for us to finance big projects. But things are on the move!” I believe right now if you want to experience the fantastic music and performance by Okkultist you have to visit their homeland Portugal, which might not be a big country, but I’m sure you’ll get fascinated with its strong heavy music scene. “Portugal is really small, so you can imagine the size of our community, but we’re tight. I see a lot of support from bands to bands, from fans to bands, from everyone,” commented Beatriz, who truly loves her country for its beauty, proudly saying some of the most beautiful places in the world are in Portugal, while on the other hand she thinks the Portuguese music industry doesn’t have the slightest idea of how many great artists Portugal has, with those artists being crushed because the local industry will only give you your due value if you’re coming from another country. “I could go on and on and on about this, but I should probably shut up now. It’s sad, but it’s the truth.”
Last but definitely not least, our beloved diva of darkness is also a tattoo aficionada (or aficionado, as I never know if this term has male and female forms), and she loves to talk about all the amazing ink she has all over her body. “My favorite tattoo has to be the Pinhead portrait. Hellraiser is my favorite movie, Doug Bradley as Pinhead was my ultimate man crush as a teen. No joke. It was also done by my favorite tattoo artist Hollie Pryce Jones. She did it in a 12-hour sitting, with a one-hour break total. She’s a killer artist, and an amazing human being. Love that girl to death,” commented Beatriz about her all-time favorite ink, but life is not all roses and flowers when it comes to tattoos. She mentioned that any tattoos on her hands are the most painful without any doubt, and that her least favorite tattoo are the three coffin nails on her right wrist, albeit not due to the quality of it. “Don’t get me wrong, the tattoo is beautiful and done by an amazing talented artist called Bela Hilário, but the placement I picked is fucking dumb. Blocks the whole arm now that I’m trying to build a sleeve.” Having a Pink Floyd Dark Side of the Moon prism on the back done by Pedro Santos, she said she’s certainly getting the Okkultist symbol tattooed somewhere in the future (if she hasn’t done so already); and that her list of favorite tattoo artists include Hollie Pryce Jones, Maksym Yakubchyk, Anrijs Straume, Felix Seele and Diogo Nunes. You should definitely check the work of those five amazing artists online, and who knows, maybe get inked with them just like Beatriz. Just be aware that it’s not going to look as good on you as on our screaming diva, of course.
“I’ve learned a few instruments, and I’ve always been into singing. There wasn’t really a time when I wanted to become a singer, because I never actually saw it as something I wanted to do full-time. I’ve always sung for fun!” – Beatriz Mariano
Branded with the mark of the beast, this French Blackened Death Metal horde returns blacker than ever with a magnificent opus dedicated to the Islamic Antichrist.
Formed in 2008 by vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Vlad in Valence, a city in southeast France in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, with the revival of old school Death Metal while always branded with the mark of the beast, Blackened Death Metal entity Necrowretch has just opened the most ambitious chapter of their career with Swords Of Dajjal, their three-years-in-the-making fifth album. Recorded, mixed and mastered by Francis Caste at Studio Sainte Marthe, Swords of Dajjal isn’t just named after the Islamic Antichrist, but a statement of the devotion to Satan by the aforementioned Vlad on vocals and guitars alongside guitarist and bassist W. Cadaver, and drummer N. Destroyer, being highly recommended for fans of Possessed, Dark Angel, Dissection, Necrophobic, and Merciless, or to anyone who sold their whole souls to the devil just like this French horde. Represented on the cover of the album (masterfully brought into being by Stefan Thanneur, also known as Manifeste) with his double-edged sword and bathed in the same kind of reddish and orangey mesmerizing lights one can experience when the sun sets on wind-beaten deserts, all eight songs on the album are prophecies, past and future, where Dajjal plays the leading role.
The Stygian guitars by Vlad and W. Cadaver ignite the opening tune Ksar Al-Kufar (describing a dark and forbidden land characterized by disbelief and ominous imagery), offering us all pure evil in the form of Blackened Death Metal; whereas N. Destroyer hammers his drums in the name of absolute darkness in The Fifth Door, living up to the legacy of the genre and being tailored for admirers of Behemoth, Belphegor and Septicflesh, while Vlad vociferates rabidly in a pure Black Metal style. Then obscure riffs and menacing vocal lines set the tone in Dii Mauri (or the “Mauran gods” mentioned in Latin inscriptions of the third century in North Africa), a phantasmagorical creation by Necrowretch that should sound insane live, summoning all creatures of the netherworld to their feast of blackened music. And the title-track Swords of Dajjal is a lecture in extreme music, blasphemy and hatred, with the harsh roars by Vlad walking hand in hand with the strident, piercing riffage by W. Cadaver while N. Destroyer keeps demolishing his drum set with endless dexterity and anger.
It’s time to bang your heads nonstop to the visceral sounds blasted by Necrowretch in Numidian Knowledge, another song where their passion for the darkest side of music becomes even stronger, whereas speeding things up and sounding more venomous than ever we have Vae Victis, which is Latin for “woe to the vanquished”, where Vlad is inhumane on vocals, barking and roaring like a beast from the crypts of Hades in a must-listen for admirers of Blackened Death Metal. The second to last burst of sulfur by the band is offered to our ears in Daeva (a supernatural entity of disagreeable nature, an evil spirit, or demon in Zoroastrianism), a more melodic composition, or an instrumental interlude that’s not bad but doesn’t add much to the album, flowing into the cryptic closing tune Total Obliteration, bringing forward six minutes of classy, energetic and grim Black and Death Metal that will haunt your damned souls for all eternity, all spearheaded by the visceral screams by Vlad supported by the always sharp riffs by W. Cadaver.
Armed with the biggest, most complex and intense album of their career, Necrowretch are about to yield their sword of destruction and exterminate everything in sight. The result is, according to Vlad, “our most black metal record, with splashes of death metal here and there. Whereas on the previous album all tempos were pushed to the extreme, there’s far more variety here to be found. It also gave us free reins to reach a more mystical, Biblical if you will vibe” fed by his experience living in Turkey in the late 2010’s. “We choose to focus on the Dajjal character, basically the antichrist in the Muslim religion. The Coran says that he’ll appear as a false prophet only to bring doom to this world, with an army of demons coming from the east.” Hence, if you’re also willing to sell your soul to the devil alongside the guys from Necrowretch, you can stream Swords of Dajjal in full on YouTube and on Spotify, and grab a copy of the album from their own BandCamp page, from Season of Mist, or by clicking HERE, and don’t forget to also give the band a shout on Facebook and on Instagram. Necrowretch are sounding blacker and more sulfurous than ever, bringing doom to our already decaying world just like Dajjal with their new album, and I’m sure you’ll have a blast listening to such masterpiece of darkness.
Best moments of the album:The Fifth Door, Swords of Dajjal, Vae Victis and Total Obliteration.
Worst moments of the album:Daeva.
Released in 2024 Season of Mist
Track listing 1. Ksar Al-Kufar 4:21
2. The Fifth Door 5:29
3. Dii Mauri 5:06
4. Swords of Dajjal 4:55
5. Numidian Knowledge 4:11
6. Vae Victis 4:18
7. Daeva 2:49
8. Total Obliteration 6:13
Band members Vlad – vocals, guitars
W. Cadaver – lead guitars, bass
N. Destroyer – drums
The blind dragon steed of Lilith will breathe fire upon humanity once again to the sound of his fourth full-length opus, an outpouring of blazing hatred and rage in the form of devilish Blackened Death Metal.
“The heavenly serpent is a blind prince with name of Tanin’iver…he is the bond, the accompaniment and the union between Samael and Lilith. If he were created whole in the fullness of his emanation he would have destroyed the world in an instant.” – The Early Kabbalah
A Black and Death Metal embodiment of one man’s creative spirit, forged in the cold flames of tragedy, loss and personal struggle, an outpouring of blazing hatred and rage at a world blighted by sickness, cursed by violence and intolerance, drowning in greed and ignorance, Adelaide, Australia-based Blackened Death Metal outfit Tanin’iver (the blind dragon steed of Lilith in ancient mythology) is unleashing upon humanity its fourth full-length opus, titled Dark Evils Desecrate, the follow-up to the project’s 2021 album The Lucifer Effect. Produced, mixed and mastered by the band’s mastermind, vocalist and guitarist Steve Lillywhite (aka Skorpa), Dark Evils Desecrate sees Steve (alongside once again guitarist and bassist Liam Mohor) turning his coruscating gaze from the poisonous cesspit of religion and delivering a bombardment of scathing, acidic vitriol onto humanity’s obsessions with war, violence, intolerance and the brain-sapping curse of social media, being therefore highly recommended for fans of Dissection, Belphegor, Mayhem and Svart Crown.
Another World’s Hell hits us hard in the face with its infernal lyrics roared by Steve (“Long, the way, to light / Out of all this dark / To be precise, / The killing of the night /Will be the end, / Of what I failed to be / Your dreams, are dead”) while the music is as bestial as it can be, with his caustic riffage adding an extra touch of evil to the overall result; followed by Disrepair, another pulverizing, devilish tune by the duo, with Liam sounding thunderous with his bass while also delivering a crisp guitar solo for our total delight. Then we’re treated to Separatist, sounding absolutely devastating from the very first second, with its blast beats and venomous screams and riffs generating a truly demonic atmosphere perfect for some vigorous headbanging, whereas a rumbling, massive wall of sounds will crush your soul in Better the Devil, with its mechanized, pounding rhythm matching perfectly with Steve’s devilish gnarls.
It’s time for another feast of Black and Death Metal titled Freedom Is Never Free, with the guitars by both Steve and Liam grinding your mind in the name of absolute evil and darkness, flowing into Soul Thief, offering our putrid ears six minutes of hatred and fury blasted by the duo, with Steve stealing the spotlight with his most Black Metal, infuriated harsh growls, showcasing a very detailed and dense sonority. Get ready for another Blackened Death Metal onrush by Tanin’iver titled The Seer, where Steve vociferates like a demonic entity nonstop supported by the song’s classic riffs, beast and fills; and a cryptic start evolves into more of the band’s hellish sounds in Drowning on Dry Land, this time also presenting subtle elements from Industrial Metal in special in its drums. It drags for a bit too long, though. And lastly, the band offers us all an ode to the pits of hell titled So Was Red, bringing forward more of Steve’s high-pitched growling, demented riffs and brutal drums, consequently spreading a visceral, demonic stench in the air.
Steve’s story has been one of ongoing struggle, fighting against illness and addiction and processing the impact of heart rending loss, but he has harnessed the chaos that has raged around his life and channeled it into music of profound power and impact. Hence, if you want to show Steve how much you love the music by his Tanin’iver, you can start following him on Instagram, stream more of his music on Spotify, and above all that, purchase the sulfurous Dark Evils Desecrate from his own BandCamp page or from the Morning Star Heresy webstore as a CD or a cassette, letting the music by the blind dragon steed of Lilith reach deep inside your blackened heart.
Best moments of the album:Another World’s Hell, Separatist and The Seer.
Worst moments of the album:Drowning on Dry Land.
Released in 2024 Morning Star Heresy
Track listing 1. Another World’s Hell 4:14
2. Disrepair 5:40
3. Separatist 4:41
4. Better the Devil 4:32
5. Freedom Is Never Free 5:26
6. Soul Thief 6:22
7. The Seer 3:50
8. Drowning on Dry Land 4:34
9. So Was Red 5:30
Band members Steve Lillywhite – vocals, rhythm guitars, sampling
Liam Mohor – lead guitars, bass
“Whatever your age may be, when you go to a heavy metal gig, you’re a teenager again.” – Rob Halford
I believe that quote from the Metal God himself perfectly represents the year of 2023 for most of us metalheads, including of course myself and my buddy Keith Ibbitson of Metal Paparazzi as we’ve been to countless metal gigs this year (and you can see detailed reviews with amazing professional photos for each one of them HERE), keeping our inner fires burning during such difficult times for the entire world. A never-ending economic crisis that’s dragging tons and tons of people to poverty everywhere, the Russo-Ukrainian War that persists for almost two years now, the extremely sad and inhumane Gaza–Israel conflict, all environmental disasters that in the end are all mankind’s fault, and so on. On the heavy music side, we witnessed the final concert ever by KISS, the end of great bands like The Agonist and Betraying the Martyrs, and the deaths of Sebastian Marino (former guitarist of Overkill and Anvil), Michael “Majk Moti” Kupper (former guitarist of Running Wild), Jon Kennedy (former bassist of Cradle of Filth and former vocalist of Hecate Enthroned), Hiroshi “Heath” Morie (bassist of X Japan), Charlie Dominici (former vocalist of Dream Theater), and several other talented musicians.
Despite all those losses, it was a very good year for heavy music, as bands kept fighting for rock and metal no matter what, putting on fantastic albums and memorable tours for us fans, with some already voicing their dissatisfaction against Live Nation and Ticketmaster for their sky-rocketing ticket prices, shady fees, and an obscure ticket reselling “mafia” running in the background that inflates those prices even more. In 2024 we’ll surely (and hopefully) see more of this insurgence against their ticket monopoly, and while we wait for that let’s enjoy The Headbanging Moose’s Top 10 Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Albums of 2023, excluding EP’s, best of’s and live albums, offering our avid ears the perfect soundtrack to every single moment in our lives, even if that moment is the apocalypse.
1. UADA – Crepuscule Natura (REVIEW) One of the rising stars of the current Melodic Black Metal scene returns with their majestic fourth album, unleashing upon us five sonic vessels.
Best song of the album: Retraversing the Void
2. Cattle Decapitation – Terrasite (REVIEW) Fear the devourer of earth in the form of the brand new and absolutely majestic album by California’s own Deathgrind masters.
Best song of the album: We Eat Our Young
3. Overkill – Scorched (REVIEW) One of the pillars of old school Thrash Metal will scorch the earth to the sound of their breathtaking new album.
Best song of the album: The Surgeon
4. Hellripper – Warlocks Grim & Withered Hags (REVIEW) Behold this infernal storm of Blackened Thrash Metal by a one-man army deeply rooted in his Scottish origins.
Best song of the album: Goat Vomit Nightmare
5. Viscera – Carcinogenesis (REVIEW) UK’s own Technical Death Metal/Deathcore monster returns with their striking sophomore album.
Best song of the album: Sungazer
6. Cannibal Corpse – Chaos Horrific (REVIEW) The mighty Corpse is back with another pulverizing album of old school, undisputed Death Metal, blasting gore, blood and violence.
Best song of the album: Chaos Horrific
7. Primal Fear – Code Red (REVIEW) German Power Metal masters are back with their thirteenth opus, a hard-hitting metal lesson and living proof of the healing power of music.
Best song of the album: Play a Song
8. Werewolves – My Enemies Look and Sound like Me (REVIEW) The most savage Blackened Death Metal band from Australia returns to the battlefield in full force with an even more demented offering.
Best song of the album: I Hate Therefore I Am
9. Vomitory – All Heads Are Gonna Roll (REVIEW) All heads are gonna roll to the sound of the infuriated new album by one of the most important bands in the history of Death Metal.
Best song of the album: Raped, Strangled, Sodomized, Dead
10. Marduk – Memento Mori (REVIEW) One of the pillars of Swedish Black Metal is back with a devilish new album, reminding us that we all must die.
Best song of the album: Blood of the Funeral
And here we have the runner-ups, completing the top 20 for the year:
11. Angelus Apatrida – Aftermath (REVIEW)
12. Immortal – War Against All (REVIEW)
13. Blackbraid – Blackbraid II (REVIEW)
14. 4ARM – Pathway to Oblivion (REVIEW)
15. When Plagues Collide – An Unbiblical Paradigm (REVIEW)
16. Hrothgar – Rise of Ragnarök (REVIEW)
17. Mystic Prophecy – Hellriot (REVIEW)
18. Tsjuder – Helvegr (REVIEW)
19. Hyperia – The Serpent’s Cycle (REVIEW)
20. Sarcoptes – Prayers to Oblivion (REVIEW)
In addition to all that, let’s bang our heads with our Top 10 EP’s of 2023 to prove once and for all that not all great albums of the year have to be so long. The EP’s from this list are simply awesome, showcasing the band’s talent and their ability to sound epic even if the music lasts for only a few minutes.
1. Imperial Demonic – Beneath the Crimson Eclipse (REVIEW)
2. Spectral Lore – 11 Days (REVIEW)
3. Admire the Grim – Rogue Five (REVIEW)
4. Saint Vermin – Together as None (REVIEW)
5. Lost Brethren – Dimensional Rift (REVIEW)
6. Cryptosis – The Silent Call (REVIEW)
7. Nemesism – Nemesism (REVIEW)
8. Decompose To Ashes – In The Eternal Silence (REVIEW)
9. Dysease – Era of Decay (REVIEW)
10. Throat Locust – Dragged Through Glass (REVIEW)
Do you agree with our list? What are your top 10 albums of 2023? Also, don’t forget to tune in every Tuesday at 10pm BRT on Rádio Coringão to enjoy the best of classic and underground metal with Jorge Diaz and his Timão Metal, and every Thursday at 8pm UTC+2 on Midnight Madness Metal e-Radio for the best of underground metal with The Headbanging Moose Show! And if you lost some of our latest special editions of The Headbanging Moose Show, including our Top 20 Underground Albums of 2023 – Parts I and II, go to our Mixcloud page and there you have hours and hours of the best of the independent scene, sounds good?
Metal Xmas and a Headbanging New Year! See you in 2024!
And before I go, I need to talk once again about Savage Lands, a nonprofit featuring members of Megadeth, Sepultura, Obituary and other legends of metal to support forests in Costa Rica, who released an amazing single titled The Last Howl back in November. The Last Howl is a howling tribute to the howler monkey, which are endangered in Costa Rica. The song features Savage Lands co-founders Sylvain Demercastel and Dirk Verbeuren (Megadeth), as well as support from John Tardy (Obituary), Andreas Kisser (Sepultura), Poun (Black Bomb A) and Etienne Treton (Black Bomb A). 100% of the song royalties will help fund nature sanctuaries, establish green zones and other land preservation projects in Costa Rica. Having said that, why don’t you go and make a nice donation to the cause, and learn more about Savage Lands on their official website? I’m sure Sylvain and Dirk, plus everyone else involved in this magnificent project, will love to receive that Christmas gift from you!
A rising force of the Spanish Black and Death Metal scene will destroy your soul with their first full-length album, a hymn to the three ruling powers of existence – death, chaos and the void.
Embodying different influences from Doom Metal to Noise with the ambition to reflect absolute evil in their creations, A Coruña, Spain-based Blackened Death Metal horde Akouphenom (a name that comes from a twist on the word tinnitus, a real consequence of the band’s prolific live activities) is unleashing upon humanity their first full-length opus, titled Death·Chaos·Void. Mixed and mastered by Simón Da Silva at The Empty Hall Studio, Death·Chaos·Void is a hymn to the three ruling powers of existence – death, chaos and the void, leaders, kings and conquerors for all eternity, all carefully brought into being by DraGon on vocals and guitars, Pandemia also on the guitars, Korgüll on bass, and Prgich on drums. Furthemore, Death·Chaos·Void is a concept album divided into six chapters, which Akouphenom explain as a journey to unveil the truths of the Arkhé, the natural law, which is no more than an extension of the chaotic reality of the human condition.
The obscure, atmospheric intro Tritone Descent will drag your soul to the pits of the underworld before the band comes crushing our souls in Devour, offering our damned ears over eight minutes of a first-class fusion of Black and Death Metal where Prgich sounds demolishing with his blast beats accompanied by the demonic riffage by DraGon and Pandemia, flowing into the 12-minute beast titled Upper Cycle of Infinite Tails, a lecture in Blackened Death Metal where DraGon and Pandemia once again extract pure insanity and darkness form their guitars, while DraGon roars and vociferates nonstop for our total delight. And the song will haunt our souls until its very last second, being immediately followed by Flesh Sublimation, where the quartet keeps blasting their devilish sounds mercilessly, with Korgüll and Prgich making the ambience feel truly heavy, dense and grim armed with their heavy-as-hell kitchen, alternating between pounding, infernal moments and sheer Black Metal attack. The title-track Death·Chaos·Void begins in full force with another thrilling display of savagery by the band’s guitar duo, resulting in a hurricane of blackened, demonic sounds not recommended for the lighthearted, not to mention DraGon’s vocals sound insanely heavy and grim; whereas lastly, get ready for one final blast of the band’s infernal sounds in Incorporeal, trapping our minds in pitch black darkness to the sound of the demented drums by Prgich, therefore resulting in a twisted, vile conclusion to the album.
Death·Chaos·Void, which is available for a full listen on YouTube and on Spotify, certainly places Akouphenom as one of the new driving forces of the Spanish underground scene, and you can help the band go even higher (or lower, depending if you consider hell the ultimate place to be for a Black and Death Metal band) by following them on Facebook and on Instagram, and of course by purchasing a copy of their amazing new album from their own BandCamp page, from the Avantgarde Music’s BandCamp page or webstore (as a CD or an LP), or simply by clicking HERE and choosing your favorite version of the album. Akouphenom are among us to bring death, chaos and void to our lives armed with their debut album, and once you listen to their music you better be prepared because there’s no coming back from the dark side.
Best moments of the album:Upper Cycle of Infinite Tails and Death·Chaos·Void.
Worst moments of the album: None.
Released in 2023 Avantgarde Music/Unorthodox Emanations
Whenever you think of Brutal Death Metal, words such as gore, torture, murder and depravity, among several others, quickly come to your mind, creating that physical and mental preparedness needed to endure the heaviness and violence of this distinct subgenre of extreme music. However, after reading our tribute to our metal lady of this month of October here on The Headbanging Moose, I’m sure her first and last name will also be added to your Death Metal dictionary, and you better get ready because her guttural roars are definitely not recommended for the lighthearted. As a matter of fact, she’s not just a fantastic growler, but also a talented bassist, a drum programmer, an illustrator and a tattoo artist, and if for any reason you think that’s still not enough, let me tell you that the multi-talented Bridget Lynch, the frontwoman for Texas-based Brutal Death Metal outfit Stabbing, will kick you right in the head and teach you a lesson in violence.
Born on April 14, 1998 in Houston, the most populous city in Texas and in the Southern United States, we can say Bridget began her career as a metal vocalist in 2014, when she did live vocals for a New York-based Brutal Death Metal/Grindcore band named Animals Killing People, whose music is, among other topics, inspired by animal rights. There’s only one decent video online showing her contribution to the band live at Building Temples From Death Fest in Houston back in 2014, and although the quality of the sound is not great you can already sense how venomous her growls are. Furthermore, in 2015 she was supposed to be part of a San Francisco, California-based Brutal Death Metal/Grindcore band named Cerebral Engorgement, and although there are a couple of pictures online of Bridget with the band, she never officially played with the band, nor released any recording with them.
Let’s say that her first official band was Houston, Texas-based Grindcore/Queercore trio Dystopian Reality, having recorded alongside guitarist Valerie and drummer CC their 2019 self-titled EP. The band doesn’t seem to exist anymore (or at least it’s not active on any social media), but you can enjoy not only their full EP on Youtube or on BandCamp, but also this fun live footage from the band in 2019 on YouTube. Right after her stint with Dystopian Reality, our dauntless growler was also part of another Brutal Death Metal project from Houston named Nephilim Grinder, having recorded with them their two-track debut 2020 demo (which can be enjoyed in full on BandCamp), and one important detail about Nephilim Grinder is that it was the band that put her in contact with Marvin Ruiz, the guitarist for her current band Stabbing (and we’ll get to that shortly).
In the middle of 2020, Bridget founded her own solo project (most probably due to the isolation that happened during the Covid-19 pandemic), a Goregrind beast entitled Pyosisified, being responsible for all vocals and instruments in the best “one-woman army” way you can imagine, and releasing that same year the project’s self-titled five-track demo (which is available on BandCamp). No one knows for sure if Bridget will keep her solo beast alive due to her commitments with Stabbing, but I’m sure the Grindcore and Brutal Death Metal scene would love to hear more from Pyosisified. And apart from all those bands, you can also enjoy her demented vocals in the song Hash Driveway, from the EP Split the Fuck Open, released earlier this year by Colorado Springs-based Death Metal/Grindcore act 10 to the Chest.
It was back in 2021 when Bridget alongside guitarist Marvin Ruiz, plus husband and wife Rene Martinez on drums and Meryl Martinez on bass (both having recently left the band, by the way), founded Austin/Houston, Texas-based powerhouse Stabbing. As a matter of fact, in the beginning we can say it was just Marvin and Rene jamming back and forth with guitar riffs and drum parts. “We thought we had something and we just needed a vocalist and a bass player. He knew Bridget and I knew Meryl, so there you go. We got a band. So that’s how we put that together. And it was pretty easy. We didn’t really expect to put together a full band like that,” said Rene. Highly recommended for fans of bands the likes of Cannibal Corpse, Disgorge, Devangelic and Defeated Sanity, just to name a few, Stabbing deliver a vicious sonic assault, combining sick guttural vocals, slamming blast beats, menacing guitar riffs and terrifying lyrics.
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Rene mentioned that in the beginning they actually tried out a few vocalists before they went with Bridget, but in the end, she was the best fit for it hands down. “Bridget is just a beast on the mic. You don’t really see a frontwoman in this genre, which adds a great dynamic to the band,” he mentioned in an interview. And we must all admit her gore drenched, gut-ripping vocals are exactly what Stabbing needs to solidify even more their beyond brutal fusion of slam, grind and unfiltered brutality. Hence, you can enjoy Bridget’s maniac guttural attack by listening to their 2021 debut demo, to their 2021 EP Ravenous Psychotic Onslaught, and to their 2022 full-length opus Extirpated Mortal Process, all available on BandCamp and on Spotify (or click HERE for all things Stabbing), and you can also enjoy some of their wicked creations with Bridget kicking some serious ass on vocals on YouTube, including the songs Gutted By The Beast, Extirpated Mortal Process, Splatter Pit, live versions of Excrement Sarcophagus and Splatter Pit, and a rehearsal of their set for Sick Dog Fest in 2021.
As mentioned in the beginning of this tribute to Bridget, she’s also an up-and-coming illustrator and a tattoo artist who’s making a name for herself not only in the metal scene in Houston, but anywhere in the world where art and brutality unite in the name of heavy music. For instance, she’s the artist responsible for the artworks for the 2019 album Double Promo Penetration, by multinational Brutal Death Metal band Kraanium; for the 2018 EP Nullity of Light, by Tempe, Arizona-based Blackened Death Metal act Light Dweller; for the 2018 EP Purity Through Putrefaction, by Los Angeles, California’s own Death Metal group Malignant; for the 2021 demo by Oakland, California-based Brutal Death Metal band Summoner; and of course the artwork (and sometimes the logo only) for some releases by her past and present bands, those being the 2020 demo by Nephilim Grinder, the 2020 demo for her own project Pyosisified, and the 2021 EP Ravenous Psychotic Onslaught by Stabbing. In addition, if you want to know more about her illustrator and tattoo artist endeavor, and even book an appointment with Bridget to get a new ink, you can do so by visiting her Instagram profile dedicated to her work as a tattoo artist.
Stabbing are touring the United States and Canada (and hopefully I’ll be able to witness Bridget kicking ass live with her demented roars here in Toronto) this November and December as one of the opening acts for American Brutal Death Metal masters Suffocation and American Death Metal institution Incantation, as part of their Ancient Unholy Uprising Tour 2023, and if Bridget and her Stabbing are soon taking your hometown by storm, don’t miss the chance to witness one of the most electrifying growlers of the new generation of extreme music, as she definitely has the talent, the charisma and the strength to reach new heights with Stabbing or any of her other projects. She’s a hard working musician and artist that deserves our full recognition and appreciation, crafting her Death Metal magic just the way we like it, always keeping it as brutal, technical and awesome as it can be.
The most savage Blackened Death Metal band to ever arise from Australia returns to the battlefield in full force with an even more demented offering.
Formed in 2019 in Melbourne, Australia, the ruthless Technical Black/Death Metal horde that goes by the name of Werewolves has been making a name for themselves in the worldwide extreme music scene not only by the undeniable quality of their music, but also by their hard work and passion for what they do, as now in 2023, only a few years after the band’s inception, they’re unleashing upon humanity their impressive fourth studio album, the annihilating My Enemies Look and Sound like Me. Recorded by Chris Themelco at Anubis Studios (drums), Matt Wilcock and Sam Johnson at Holes & Corners Studio (guitars and bass), Jack Hartley at Jack Hartley Audio (vocals), and Marc Russo at Beveridge Road Studio (additional vocals), mixed and mastered by Joe Haley at Crawlspace Productions, and displaying a sick artwork by Mitchell Nolte (with design and layout by Sam Dishington), My Enemies Look and Sound like Me is a lecture in hatred, nihilism and violence by Sam Bean on vocals and bass, Matt Wilcock on the guitars, and David Haley on drums, taking the band’s fury to a whole new level in the majestic follow-up to their critically acclaimed albums The Dead Are Screaming (2020), What a Time to Be Alive (2021), and From the Cave to the Grave (2022).
There’s no peace in the music by Werewolves, and the opening tune Under The Ground is the perfect depiction of that, already offering our putrid ears the demonic drumming by David accompanied by the rumbling bass and devilish roars by Sam; whereas the title-track My Enemies Look And Sound Like Me sounds like a hurricane of Black and Death Metal that will demolish your senses, or a bestial devastation by the trio with Matt showcasing all his dexterity, rage and passion for extreme music armed with his axe. Get ready to break your freakin’ neck headbanging and to slam into the pit like a beast to the sound of Bring To Me The Kill, another infernal Black and Death Metal aria where David continues to hammer his drums manically, and those Aussie metallers show no mercy for our damned souls in Brace For Impact, blasting more of their frantic Blackened Death Metal spearheaded by the thunderous blast beats by David.
In Destroyer of Worlds we’re treated to devilish, obscure words vociferated by Sam (“Plead my cause against an unfaithful nation / Rescue me from those who are deceitful and wicked / An abomination / Nausea and tears / I am become Fake / Destroyer of worlds / We are not his image / Creature of blasphemy / Spitting in their eye / Pissing holy water”) while the music is the most cryptic form of Black Metal you can think of; and back to their more ferocious, ruthless vibe it’s time for a circle pit feast titled Neanderhell, with Sam roaring nonstop supported by the caustic riffage by Matt. I Hate Therefore I Am carries a beautiful name for a demonic, pulverizing hymn by Werewolves, making it impossible to stand still to the venomous riffs by Matt in one of the best songs of the album hands down. I Knew Nothing Then And I Know Less Now is another song with a classy name, offering our ears one more round of the band’s visceral Black and Death Metal. Put differently, simply bang your head nonstop to the stone crushing drums by David, and be prepared for the last tune from such hellish opus, titled Do Not Hold Me Back, which will punch you hard in the head one final time with Sam sounding darkly evil on vocals.
The demolishing, unrelenting My Enemies Look and Sound like Me can be appreciated in full on YouTube and on Spotify, but of course if I were you I would certainly grab a copy of it from the band’s own BandCamp page or by clicking HERE. Don’t forget to also follow Werewolves on Facebook and on Instagram for news, tour dates and so on, keeping your damned heart as black and evil as it can be while listening to the first-class extreme music by this amazing Australian band. Will Werewolves keep the momentum going and release another jaw-dropping full-length album in 2024? Do your enemies look and sound like you? Hopefully the answer to those two questions is yes, as Werewolves are quickly becoming one of the must-see names of both the Australian and the worldwide Black and Death Metal scenes, offering us all nonstop action, adrenaline and hatred in the form of their sick creations.
Best moments of the album:My Enemies Look And Sound Like Me, Bring To Me The Kill, Neanderhell and I Hate Therefore I Am.
Worst moments of the album: None.
Released in 2023 Prosthetic Records
Track listing 1. Under The Ground 2:29
2. My Enemies Look And Sound Like Me 3:46
3. Bring To Me The Kill 3:01
4. Brace For Impact 3:14
5. Destroyer of Worlds 5:41
6. Neanderhell 3:28
7. I Hate Therefore I Am 3:23
8. I Knew Nothing Then And I Know Less Now 4:07
9. Do Not Hold Me Back 4:52
Band members
Sam Bean – vocals, bass
Matt Wilcock – guitars
David Haley – drums
A Brazilian Death and Doom Metal duo attacks with their first full-length album, offering us all eight savage tracks soaked in doomy despair.
One of the most acclaimed and praised newcomers in the underground recesses of the contended and highly demanding Death Metal feud, São Paulo, Brazil-based Death/Doom Metal duo Fossilization attacks with their first full album, entitled Leprous Daylight, an utterly crushing and brutally wrenching release. Recorded at Hellspass Studio, mixed and mastered by Finnish musician and producer Otso Ukkonen, produced by the band’s own V, and featuring illustrations by Indonesian artist Rio Oka of Digtrash Art, the album offers us all eight savage tracks soaked in doomy despair maliciously crafted and fiercely executed by the aforementioned V (aka Thiago Oliveira of Jupiterian) on vocals, guitars and bass, and P (aka Paulo Pinheiro of Jupiterian, Mortal Embodiment and Riffcoven) on drums, being a must-listen for fans of Dead Congregation, Krypts, Spectral Voice, Incantation, and for all admirers of the Brazilian Death Metal scene in general.
The sinister, grim intro Archæan Gateway introduces the duo’s deep and sharp heaviness before all hell breaks loose in Once Was God, where P is infernal behind his drums making the earth tremble while V roars like an entity from the underworld, or in other words, it’s a modern-day Blackened Doom aria that will darken your mind mercilessly. In Oracle of Reversion we face hellish words vociferated by V (“Transcending through the ages of fog and cold / Usurper of the throne in the skies and stars / Shadows bent before thee in honor / The Gods hum their lament and sadness / To nothingness”) while he also slashes his stringed axe in the name of darkness and evil; and V also does a superb job with both his scorching riffs and thunderous bass in At the Heart of the Nest, a lecture in Blackened Death Metal with a menacing Doom Metal vibe not recommended for the lighthearted.
The second half of the album begins with the pulverizing title-track Leprous Daylight, where P sounds inhumane behind his drums, bringing his heaviest artillery and therefore generating a beyond infernal atmosphere perfect for V’s demonic roars; followed by The Night Spoke the Tongue of Flames, another brutal, neck-breaking tune of darkness blasted by the duo, and Fossilization don’t show a single drop of mercy for our souls, hammering our cranial skulls with their devilish fusion of Black, Death and Doom Metal until the very end. Then the riffage by V sounds even darker and more sulfurous in Eon, a lecture in heaviness, brutality and insanity by Fossilization that lives up to the legacy of the most visceral form of Doom Metal, with P pounding his drums with tons of rage and dexterity, whereas lastly we face the most Doom Metal of all tracks, the sluggish and grim Wrought in the Abyss. It loses its grip after a while, though, but V and P still showcase a venomous performance throughout the entire song, putting a Stygian ending to the album.
This bestial album made in the depths of the Brazilian hellish pits can be enjoyed in full on YouTube and on Spotify, and you can obviously grab a copy of it from HERE (mailorder) or HERE (BandCamp), adding an extra touch of darkness and sulfur to your already demonic collection. In addition, go check what V and P are up to on Facebook and on Instagram, succumbing to the most obscure side of heavy music, and keeping such infernal duo inspired to keep blasting our ears with their music for many years to come like what they have to offer us all in their debut opus.
Best moments of the album:Once Was God, At the Heart of the Nest and Eon.
Worst moments of the album:Wrought in the Abyss.
Released in 2023 Everlasting Spew Records
Track listing 1. Archæan Gateway 0:55
2. Once Was God 4:59
3. Oracle of Reversion 5:02
4. At the Heart of the Nest 4:24
5. Leprous Daylight 5:03
6. The Night Spoke the Tongue of Flames 4:56
7. Eon 5:40
8. Wrought in the Abyss 5:36
A newborn Blackened Death Metal entity formed of seasoned underground musicians is ready to kill with their debut album, a deadly, ferocious extreme music feast that’s absolutely true to the band’s brutal and blackened roots.
Dedicated to the memory of Vance Reon Jeffcoat, former drummer of the band who died of cystic fibrosis in 2017 at the age of 36, At The Eye Of Chaos, the debut opus by Columbia, South Carolina-based Blackened Death Metal outfit Olkoth, is a deadly, ferocious extreme music feast taking the animosity of Nile and Hate Eternal and bringing it even further, while also taking inspiration from the occult, horror, mythology and corruption throughout history. Recorded and Produced by the band itself at Hexology Studios, mixed and mastered by Ronnie Björnström at Björnström Ljud & Produktion, and displaying an sick, nightmarish artwork by Paolo Girardi, the album offers a unique and brutal blend of Death and Black Metal by Zach Jeter on vocals and guitars, Hunter Ross also on the guitars, and Alex Rush on bass and backing vocals, supported by session drummer Krzysztof Klingbein (10 Plagues, Deathspawn, Resurrection), sounding utterly loyal and true to the band’s brutal and blackened roots.
The band’s devilish and obscure side arises majestically in the opening tune Alhazred, inspired by Abdul Alhazred, a fictional character created by American horror writer H. P. Lovecraft, with Zach sounding inhumane on vocals while Krzysztof pounds his drums in the name of darkness. Then after such infernal start it’s time for more of the band’s acid lyrics in Incendiary Prayer (“For the lord who knows all that is / Has promised the crown of an Emperor / Giving power to the false / Who pray spinelessly to god as their greed becomes our overlord”), another bestial Death Metal creation by Olkoth; whereas the demonic riffs by Zach and Hunter are beautifully complemented by the metallic bass by Alex in The Resurrectionist, a heavy-as-hell, deep and dense metal attack that keeps the album as sulfurous as possible. And Thousand Faced Moon sounds and feels extremely intricate, or in other words, it’s a multi-layered and incendiary lecture in Blackened and Progressive Death Metal led by the venomous drumming by Krzysztof.
To Eat Of The Lotus is another excellent tune showcasing darkly poetic lyrics (“Lost within this self-made haze of gnarled delusion / You create deception to hide your life’s failures / Bury all of your demons; you’re too weak to face them / To eat of the lotus, you’ll abandon all that’s sacred”) and the demolishing kitchen by Alex and Krzysztof; and a sinister intro quickly explodes into a Stygian fusion of Black and Death Metal titled Eidolon In The Flames, with the guitars by Zach and Hunter exhaling sulfur while Zach deeply growls for our total delight. Following such high level of insanity we have Lords Of The Kali Yuga, one of the most devastating songs of the album (and let’s not forget it is already an album that overflows brutality and rage) where Zach leads his horde with his hellish screams supported by the stone crushing beats by Krzysztof, flowing into the title-track At The Eye Of Chaos, closing the album in a stylish manner with all band members generating a vile yet progressive wall of sounds tailored for admirers of Blackened Death Metal.
If you want to experience At The Eye Of Chaos in all of its glory, you can stream the album in full on YouTube and on Spotify, but of course in order to show all your support to the underground you can purchase a copy of the album by clicking HERE (mailorder) or HERE (BandCamp), or visit this link for all things Olkoth. In addition, don’t forget to follow the band on Facebook and on Instagram, staying up to date with all of their tour dates, news and other details, adding even more first-class Black and Death Metal into your life. Olkoth might be a new name from the underground scene, but its members are seasoned veterans from an array of amazing bands the likes of Rapheumets Well, Enthean, Lecherous Nocture and Imperium, and that experience certainly helped the band to achieve the amazing quality of the music found in At The Eye Of Chaos, offering us all another very good reason to keep banging our heads and leaving us eager for more of the music by those skillful musicians. I’m sure Vance is also banging his head inspired by the music by his friends wherever he might be.
Best moments of the album:Alhazred, Thousand Faced Moon and Lords Of The Kali Yuga.
Worst moments of the album: None.
Released in 2023 Everlasting Spew Records
Track listing 1. Alhazred 4:26
2. Incendiary Prayer 3:58
3. The Resurrectionist 3:41
4. Thousand Faced Moon 4:21
5. To Eat Of The Lotus 5:24
6. Eidolon In The Flames 4:31
7. Lords Of The Kali Yuga 3:20
8. At The Eye Of Chaos 5:19
Band members Zach Jeter – vocals, rhythm & lead guitars
Hunter Ross – rhythm & lead guitars
Alex Rush – bass, backing vocals
Guest musician Krzysztof Klingbein – drums (session)
The guys from Nogothula are waiting for you on Facebook and on Instagram with news, tour dates, more of their music, and other nice-to-know details about the band, letting their caustic sounds penetrate deep inside your psyche. Needless to say, above all that, don’t forget to grab a copy of Telluric Sepsis, which is by the way available for streaming in full on YouTube and on Spotify, from their own BandCamp page, keeping your horns high in the name of Black and Death Metal to the sound of the visceral new album by one of the most promising bands of the current American scene.
THE HEADBANGING MOOSE 