Tag Archives: death metal

Album Review – Violent Life Violent Death / Break. Burn. End. (2023)

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The demonic new album by these North Carolina-based Metalcore and Deathcore heavyweights takes the band’s sound to a whole new level of intensity, resulting in their most assaultive effort yet.

Sometimes violence is the answer. That’s exactly what you’ll get in Break. Burn. End., the incendiary first full-length opus by Charlotte, North Carolina-based Metalcore/Deathcore heavyweights Violent Life Violent Death, following up on their critically acclaimed EPs The Color of Bone (2020), Sadness Rains (2019), Come, Heavy Breath (2018), and V-EP (2016). Mixed and mastered by Kyle Dameron at Rareform Recordings, and featuring a Stygian artwork by Mark De Gruchy, the new album by vocalist Scott Cowan, guitarists Joseph Benham and Daniel Knight, bassist Justin Campbell, and drummer David Holquin takes the band’s sound to a whole new level of intensity, resulting in their most assaultive release since their inception in 2016 and, therefore, placing the album as a must-listen for fans of the more metallic form of Hardcore blasted by Hatebreed, Every Time I Die, Zao, A Life Once Lost and Ringworm, among others.

A dark and cryptic intro ignites the visceral metal feast titled Weapon of Pain, with Scott already delivering his demonic gnarls while David crushes his drums in the name of old school Hardcore, not to mention how austere the riffs by Joseph and Daniel sound; and more of the band’s acid fusion of Metalcore with Hardcore and Death Metal is offered to us all in The Snapping of Teeth, a neck-breaking extravaganza by VLVD that will keep your blood boiling while Scott sounds utterly demonic on vocals. Then grim, devilish guitar sounds kick off the also obscure Deceit Welcomed by Blind Grace, exploding into the band’s trademark heavy music spearheaded by the unstoppable drums by David, supported by the always groovy bass by Justin; whereas the band shows no mercy for our damned souls in Devastation on the Tip of the Tongue, a pulverizing Metalcore and Deathcore onrush perfect for slamming like a beast inside the circle pit, with Scott once again delivering an inhumane performance on vocals. After such infernal tune, they keep the adrenaline flowing in The Light Behind, offering two minutes of pure savagery where Joseph and Daniel alternate between scorching riffs and more melodious lines.

The title-track Break. Burn. End. brings to our avid ears one minute of eerie noises and a wicked narration, working as a demonic interlude to the bestial Saying Your Name is to Choke on Ash, another circle pit feast that will explode your ears to the infernal growls by Scott and the classic blast beats by David, with Justin once again sounding thunderous armed with his bass. There’s no sign of slowing down for those ruthless metallers, with Maintain the Quiet being the perfect depiction of how technical yet brutal and vile their music can be, sounding absolutely pulverizing and thrilling from start to finish; followed by Heaven so Far Away, the second to last breath of evil by VLVD, starting in a more somber, phantasmagorical way before evolving into a rumbling feast of harsh roars, slashing riffs and pounding drums (albeit not as electrifying as its predecessors); and there’s time for one final dive into the mosh pit together with VLVD in Come Armageddon, with the Punk Rock and Hardcore-fueled beats by David speeding things up considerably, offering Scott all he needs to burst his lungs screaming before the song ends in a truly visceral note.

In a nutshell, the guys from VLVD did it again, bringing forward in Break. Burn. End. their undisputed amalgamation of Hardcore with more traditional metal styles in great fashion. Hence, you can get in touch with the band directly on Facebook and on Instagram for news, tour dates and so on, subscribe to their YouTube channel for more of their caustic music and videos, stream their venomous creations on Spotify, and of course grab a copy of Break. Burn. End. From the Innerstrength Records’ BandCamp page, from Apple Music, or from Amazon. This world is broken, burning, and soon coming to its inevitable end, and there’s nothing better than the music offered by VLVD in their newborn opus to guide us through our violent lives into our (most probably) violent deaths.

Best moments of the album: The Snapping of Teeth, Devastation on the Tip of the Tongue and Maintain the Quiet.

Worst moments of the album: Heaven so Far Away.

Released in 2023 Innerstrength Records

Track listing
1. Weapon of Pain 3:24
2. The Snapping of Teeth 2:58
3. Deceit Welcomed by Blind Grace 1:58
4. Devastation on the Tip of the Tongue 2:09
5. The Light Behind 2:25
6. Break. Burn. End. 1:07
7. Saying Your Name is to Choke on Ash 2:18
8. Maintain the Quiet 2:14
9. Heaven so Far Away 3:04
10. Come Armageddon 3:07

Band members
Scott Cowan – vocals
Joseph Benham – guitar
Daniel Knight – guitar
Justin Campbell – bass
David Holquin – drums

Album Review – Warcrab / The Howling Silence (2023)

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UK’s own Death and Doom Metal bulldozer is back in action with their strongest effort to date, having progressed into a faster, crustier direction while still remaining loyal to their doomed roots.

Just when you thought the music by UK-based Doom/Sludge Metal titans Warcrab was getting slower and sludgier, they do the unexpected and bring in Death Metal influences in a huge way in their demolishing new opus, titled The Howling Silence, the follow-up to their critically acclaimed albums Scars of Aeons and Damned In Endless Night. And that Death Metal approach is not even presented in the form of a thick, ponderous blend of the two styles; instead, the band currently formed of Martyn Grant on vocals, Geoff Holmes and Leigh Jones on the guitars, Dave Symonds on bass and Rich Parker on drums has shedded the extra weight that was holding them down and have progressed into a faster, crustier direction. Displaying a sinister artwork by Feltnan Art, The Howling Silence effortlessly switches between the band’s two predominant styles as and when the music demands it rather than having a monotonous and predictable sound, while still remaining loyal to their doomed roots.

The quintet wastes no time and begins shaking the foundations of earth in Orbital Graveyard, a thunderous fusion of Death, Doom and Sludge Metal where Martyn roars and barks manically accompanied by the pounding drums by Rich; followed by Titan of War, another Stoner and Sludge Metal attack spearheaded by the crushing riffs by Geoff and Leigh while Dave hammers his bass in the name of heaviness, and the music flows majestically until the very last second for our vulgar delectation. After such imposing tune we’re treated to Black Serpent Coils, a neck-breaking extravaganza that showcases all the power of the riff, blending the band’s sound from their previous records with a more contemporary sonority, and the final result is yet again superb, whereas their harsher, more visceral vein explodes in the Death Metal-fueled tune Sword of Mars, led by the venomous growls by Martyn while the band’s guitar duo gives a lesson in riffs and solos. Put differently, simply get into the pit and crush your spinal cord to the sound of such pulverizing chant.

After such devastating aria, it’s time for a darker, more introspective creation by Warcrab named As the Mourners Turn Away, starting in a lugubrious way highly inspired by classic Doom Metal and Blackened Doom, with Rich taking the lead with his sluggish beats in almost nine minutes of total darkness; and that Stygian aura goes on in Sourlands Under a Rancid Sun, with the low-tuned, menacing bass by Dave paving the path for his bandmembers to smash us all in a great display of Death and Doom Metal, not to mention how devilish Martyn’s roars sound and feel. Lastly, the band offers our avid ears the 10-minute title-track Howling Silence, a Death, Doom and Sludge Metal voyage presenting sharp, caustic riffs, tribal drums and an absolutely cryptic atmosphere, or in other words, it’s a bestial creation that lives up to the legacy of the most infernal form of Doom Metal imaginable, with Geoff and Leigh being flawless armed with their axes from start to finish, ending the album on a grim, vile manner.

This British bulldozer of extreme music is waiting for you on Facebook to crush your soul with news, tour dates and so on, and on Spotify to haunt you for all eternity with their dense and somber creations. Also, don’t forget to grab a copy of the pulverizing The Howling Silence from their own BandCamp page, as well as from the Transcending Obscurity Records’ webstore as a digipak CD (also available in their European store) or as a very special digipak CD + shirt bundle. The Howling Silence is Warcrab at the peak of their creative prowess; they are back and better than ever before, and you’re more than invited to join them in their feast of death and doom.

Best moments of the album: Titan of War, Sword of Mars and Howling Silence.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2023 Transcending Obscurity Records

Track listing
1. Orbital Graveyard 4:07
2. Titan of War 5:54
3. Black Serpent Coils 5:30
4. Sword of Mars 4:31
5. As the Mourners Turn Away 8:55
6. Sourlands Under a Rancid Sun 5:51
7. Howling Silence 10:41

Band members
Martyn Grant – vocals
Geoff Holmes – lead guitars
Leigh Jones – rhythm guitars
Dave Symonds – bass
Rich Parker – drums

Album Review – Cryptopsy / As Gomorrah Burns (2023)

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And Gomorrah will burn to the sound of the incendiary new album by one of the fiercest Death Metal bands to ever rise from the Canadian scene.

Known as one of the fiercest Death Metal squads to ever rise from the Canadian scene since the band’s inception in the distant year of 1992, Montreal, Quebec-based Technical Death Metal juggernauts Cryptopsy are back to pummel our collective senses anew with their eighth studio album, the infernal As Gomorrah Burns, their first record in over 10 years. Produced, mixed and mastered by the band’s own by guitarist Christian Donaldson, with additional mixing by Dominic Grimard (who’s also their touring bassist), and displaying a stunning artwork by Italian painter Paolo Girardi, As Gomorrah Burns pits the Biblical story of Sodom and Gomorrah against the modern-day Internet, with its stories based on real-life incidences such as online stalkers, cults, misinformation, isolation and intimidation showing how it’s both the birthplace of invention and a cesspool of exploitation, therefore proving why the band formed of vocalist Matt McGachy, guitarist Christian Donaldson, bassist Olivier Pinard and drummer Flo Mounier will forever be one of the references in the history of Canadian Death Metal.

The massive, ruthless drum attack by Flo sets the tone in Lascivious Undivine while Matt roars like a true beast in the name of Technical and Brutal Death Metal. It’s a bit generic, though, but a decent start to the album; and they keep destroying their instruments in In Abeyance, with Matt barking the song’s wicked lyrics nonstop (“Boom / I was promised a utopia / I’ve been silenced and isolated / Cast aside human garbage / Tortured monotonous futile existence / Another day, yet another pointless trip”), whereas Godless Deceiver sounds very technical yet violent and frantic just the way we like it in Death Metal. Furthermore, Christian’s riffage sounds absolutely mental accompanied by the metallic slabs by Olivier armed with his bass, followed by Ill Ender, a fantastic creation by the quartet presenting an amazing job by Christian and Olivier with their stringed axes, consequently adding a lot of groove and insanity to the overall result (not to mention how demented Flo is behind his drums once again).

Flayed the Swine showcases a band that’s once again extremely technical and vile, with the song exhaling madness through its lyrics (“Blasted little rotting pick / Egotistical asshole / This puny little mongrel / I will put an end to this / This simple-minded shit”), whereas their grim and thunderous metal attack continues in full force in The Righteous Lost, with Olivier stealing the spotlight with his menacing, in-your-face bass jabs, keeping the album at an insane level of aggressiveness and intricacy. Obeisant is another hellish hurricane of Death Metal sounds spearheaded by the unstoppable blast beast by Flo and the deep, inhumane growls by Matt, a song beyond perfect for heading into the circle pit for some high-quality action, flowing into the closing tune Praise the Filth, offering us all almost six minutes of total darkness and rage where Christian and Olivier are once again flawless with their stringed weapons. Put differently, we face nonstop adrenaline flowing from all instruments, putting a heavy and pulverizing ending to As Gomorrah Burns.

“We are back,” said frontman Matt McGachy. “I want our fans to know we’re more than a legacy band. Yes, we have had massive cult favorite albums – like None So Vile – but we are creating modern and relevant extreme music 30 years later. We’re so proud of As Gomorrah Burns, and we can’t wait for you to hear it!” Hence, if you want to stay updated with all things Cryptopsy and let the guys know how much you love their music, you can get in touch with them on Facebook and on Instagram, subscribe to their YouTube channel and stream more of their music on Spotify, and of course purchase a copy of the breathtaking As Gomorrah Burns from their BandCamp page or by clicking HERE. Having said all that, let Gomorrah burn to the incendiary new album by one of the torchbearers of Canadian death!

Best moments of the album: In Abeyance, Ill Ender and Obeisant.

Worst moments of the album: Lascivious Undivine.

Released in 2023 Nuclear Blast

Track listing
1. Lascivious Undivine 3:50
2. In Abeyance 2:56
3. Godless Deceiver 3:40
4. Ill Ender 4:19
5. Flayed the Swine 4:25
6. The Righteous Lost 4:16
7. Obeisant 3:52
8. Praise the Filth 5:50

Band members
Matt McGachy – vocals
Christian Donaldson – guitars
Olivier Pinard – bass
Flo Mounier – drums

Album Review – Djinn-Ghül / Opulence (2023)

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An uncanny duo from the US and Venezuela will attack your senses with their third full-length opus, flitting between full-on Death Metal brutality and jaw-dropping futuristic and mechanized sounds.

Less than two years following the release of their critically lauded EP Mechalith, industrialized Experimental/Brutal Death Metal/Deathcore unit Djinn-Ghül unleashes their third full-length album, entitled Opulence, building on their previous material while taking things to new levels of extremity. The international duo formed of Venezuelan vocalist Junior “Pat” Patiño (Voraraephilia) and American multi-instrumentalist Grant Nachbur (Auricular Insemination, Nephrectomy) has been evolving and perfecting their sound with each consecutive release since their inception in 2016, with their new album effectively flitting between full-on Death Metal brutality and jaw-dropping futuristic and mechanized sounds with impressive cohesion. Mixed and mastered by Pat himself, and displaying a sick acrylic painting as the album’s artwork by Chinese artist Guang Yang, Opulence showcases a dynamic slab of industrialized Death Metal with a crushing power that will debilitate as much as adrenalize you, resulting in their most chaotic yet refined material to date.

Haunting and atmospheric, the opening tune God Lymph will pierce your soul with the band’s hybrid of several extreme styles, with Grant’s crushing drums and phantasmagorical keys permeating the air until everything explodes into violence and insanity with Pat roaring like a demon, whereas the hammering bass and caustic riffs by Grant will demolish your senses in Xobek, a lecture in Blackened Deathcore with some industrial and electronic elements in the background to give it an even more venomous vibe. Their industrialized vein keeps pulsing in Ghola, with Pat’s inhumane growling complementing the infernal atmosphere crafted by Grant, followed by the title-track Opulence, featuring Jordan James of Disentomb on vocals, bringing forward the demented beats and scorching riffs by Grant while the song’s background elements will beautifully darken your soul. Then featuring guest vocalist Alex Marr, the duo’s horror-inspired sounds keep disturbing the minds of the lighthearted in the pulverizing Pseudosapien, where Grant’s bass and drums generate an avalanche of sheer heaviness until the very end.

Sara Crow lends her voice as a guest in Mother, another short and sweet blast of their Experimental Death Metal sounds infused with Deathcore and classic Death Metal nuances; however, it never really takes off, sounding more like an interlude of sorts. Their next guest vocalist is Phlegeton of Wormed, with more of their mechanized, futuristic keys being offered to us in Fruitless Grasp, before the music turns into a demonic feast of devilish screams, piercing guitars, infernal beats and rumbling bass lines. There’s still more from such talented duo to haunt your damned soul for all eternity in Garden of Jaws (It Sees Too Much), blending the most violent elements from Brutal Death Metal with their more experimental and industrialized vein, and with Pat sounding absolutely evil on vocals; flowing into the closing tune Grave Vessel, where the duo clearly sends a message of chaos and darkness through their electrified sounds and noises, not to mention Grant is once again ruthless behind his drums, ending the album on a beyond somber mode.

The vicious Opulence, which is available in full on YouTube and on Spotify, is certainly not recommended for the lighthearted, which is exactly what such ruthless American/Venezuelan duo wanted to achieve with their music. Hence, don’t forget to give Djinn-Ghül a shout on Facebook and on Instagram, to subscribe to their YouTube channel, and above all that, to purchase a copy of their newborn beast from their own BandCamp page, from the Vicious Instinct Records’ BandCamp page, from Apple Music, or from Amazon. In other words, Opulence is heavy, caustic, futuristic and melodic, all at the same time, effectively cementing Djinn-Ghül as one of the most interesting names of the modern extreme music scene.

Best moments of the album: Xobek, Pseudosapien and Garden of Jaws (It Sees Too Much).

Worst moments of the album: Mother.

Released in 2023 Vicious Instinct Records

Track listing
1. God Lymph 3:47
2. Xobek 2:13
3. Ghola 2:49
4. Opulence 3:13
5. Pseudosapien 3:21
6. Mother 2:40
7. Fruitless Grasp 4:29
8. Garden of Jaws (It Sees Too Much) 3:25
9. Grave Vessel 2:37

Band members
Junior “Pat” Patiño – vocals
Grant Nachbur – all instruments

Guest musicians
Jordan James – vocals on “Opulence”
Phlegeton – vocals on “Fruitless Grasp”
Sara Crow – vocals on “Mother”
Alex Marr – vocals on “Pseudosapien”

Album Review – Exmortus / Necrophony (2023)

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California’s own Neoclassical Thrash and Death Metal institution returns with a collection of twelve piercing hymns, sounding blacker and more nefarious as illustrated by the eeriest and evilest Lovecraftian and Tolkien-esque tales.

Formed in 2002 in Whittier, California, in the United States, the unstoppable Neoclassical and Technical Thrash/Death Metal outfit Exmortus is back in action in 2023 with their amazing sixth studio album, titled Necrophony, a portmanteau of “necro” and “phony” (or “dead sounds”), offering nothing but a savage rebirth and a fierce renewal in the form of twelve tracks highly recommended for fans of Hatchet, Warbringer, Havok, Toxic Holocaust and Skeletonwitch, among others. Produced, recorded, mixed and mastered by Zack Ohren at Sharkbite Studios, and displaying a striking artwork by Indonesian artist Toha Mashudi, Necrophony showcases a beyond focused and inspired band currently formed of Jadran “Conan” Gonzalez on vocals and guitars, Chase Becker also on the guitars, Phillip Nuñez on bass, and Adrian Aguilar on drums, emerging stronger, faster and crazier from the throes of the pandemic while going from a Conan the Barbarian and Gladiator aesthetic from their previous records to something blacker and more nefarious as illustrated by the eeriest and evilest Lovecraftian and Tolkien-esque tales.

Melancholy flows from the intro Masquerade, evolving into a cinematic sonority before the quartet kicks some serious ass in Mask of Red Death, with Conan roaring like a beast accompanied by the pounding drums by Adrian and scorching, visceral guitar riffs in a great display of Melodic Death Metal, whereas in Oathbreaker we face poetic words declaimed by Conan (“Over the western lands a long shadow lies / And in evil times the dead awaken and arise / Until the end, they know no peace, remain forlorn / As punishment of old for an oath they have forsworn”) while the music is as vile, fast and heavy as it can be. Mind of Metal is another classic Melodic Death Metal creation by Exmortus where the guitars by Conan and Chase will pierce your mind mercilessly, keeping the album at a high level of animosity; and Yanni’s “The Storm” and Antonio Vivaldi’s “The Four Seasons” are blended together in Storm of Strings, an instrumental metallic extravaganza perfect for banging your head nonstop or simply enjoying some high-end shredding. Then back to their trademark Melodic Death Metal mode we have Test of Time, inspired by the classic sound from the Gothenburg scene, with Adrian dictating the pace with his intricate but thunderous beats.

After such striking tune, strident, melodious guitar lines set the tone in Darkest of Knights, presenting elements from classic Thrash and Death Metal with Phillip and Adrian making the earth tremble with their kitchen while Conan continues to vociferate rabidly, followed by Prophecy,  another neck-breaking tune by the quartet, with Conan roaring nonstop and blasting his stringed axe at the same time, feeling like a fusion of Megadeth, Black Label Society and Ozzy Osbourne. The low-tuned, metallic bass by Phillip will crush your head in Children of the Night, a high-octane, pedal-to-the-metal extravaganza spearheaded by the demonic growls by Conan while Adrian speeds things up considerably behind his drums; whereas the slashing riffage by Conan and Chase keep darkening the skies in Beyond the Grave, blending the brutality of Death Metal with the rebelliousness of Thrash Metal. After that, the melodic and introspective interlude Overture will pave the band’s obscure path until all explodes into the title-track Necrophony, which takes away some of the energy from the rest of the album despite not being a bad song. The guitar work by Conan and Chase is once again truly solid, though.

“We wanted everything on this album to be a fresh take of what we envisioned Exmortus to be,” said Conan about Necrophony. “We had a lot of time to reflect on that during the isolation period of the pandemic, and so, this new material is a sort of rebirth of our approach to writing and performing our music.” Hence, don’t forget to give the guys from Exmortus a shout on Facebook and on Instagram, to subscribe to their official YouTube channel, to stream their wicked music on Spoitfy, and above all that, to purchase a copy of Necrophony from their own webstore, or by clicking HERE or HERE. Exmortus are going to invade your senses with their piercing, scorching “dead sounds”, and there’s nothing you can do about it but succumb to the thunderous music by one of the most innovative and hardworking bands of the current scene.

Best moments of the album: Mask of Red Death, Darkest of Knights and Children of the Night.

Worst moments of the album: Necrophony.

Released in 2023 Nuclear Blast

Track listing
1. Masquerade 2:33
2. Mask of Red Death 4:42
3. Oathbreaker 3:24
4. Mind of Metal 4:33
5. Storm of Strings 2:55
6. Test of Time 4:48
7. Darkest of Knights 8:11
8. Prophecy 4:14
9. Children of the Night 7:13
10. Beyond the Grave 3:48
11. Overture 2:05
12. Necrophony 5:10

Band members
Jadran “Conan” Gonzalez – vocals, guitars
Chase Becker – guitars
Phillip Nuñez – bass
Adrian Aguilar – drums

Album Review – Grand Cadaver / Deities Of Deathlike Sleep (2023)

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This Gothenburg-based horde is back with their breathtaking sophomore album, offering us all ten visceral songs exhaling classic Swedish Death Metal.

When the world abruptly shut down due to the global pandemic in 2020, people started looking for other ways to communicate with each other and engage in various projects during the lockdown. That’s exactly what five longtime friends and seasoned musicians from Gothenburg and Stockholm with a mutual love for the classic Swedish Death Metal sound did, bringing to life what’s known today as Swedish Death Metal beast Grand Cadaver. Now in 2023 the band currently formed of vocalist Mikael Stanne (Dark Tranquillity, The Halo Effect), guitarists Stefan Lagergren (The Grifted, Treblinka, Expulsion) and Alex Stjernfeldt (Novarupta, Let Them Hang, CHILD), bassist Christian Jansson (Pagandom, Dark Tranquillity), and drummer Daniel Liljekvist (Vordor, Disrupted, Katatonia) is unleashing upon us their sophomore album, titled Deities Of Deathlike Sleep. Recorded by Per Stålberg, Kalle Lilja and Daniel ‘Dollars’ Deurell at Welfare Sounds, mixed by Per Stålberg, mastered by Johan Reivén at Audiolord Mastering, and displaying a sick artwork by Illusive Illustration, the album is highly recommended for fans of the most visceral form of Death Metal made in Sweden, proving why those guys are already in their second album within only three years of existence.

Daniel takes the lead in the fast and furious The Forever Doom, offering us all straightforward Death Metal with Mikael growling in great fashion in a nonstop, high-octane tune that will surely sound fantastic when played live. It’s pedal to the metal with Stefan and Alex burning our damned souls with their scorching riffs in A Crawling Feast of Decay, a headbanging extravaganza that lives up to the legacy of Scandinavian Death Metal, followed by The Wishful Dead, even darker and more menacing than its predecessors, spearheaded by Mikael and his demonic roaring while Daniel keeps dictating the albums wicked pace behind his drums. After that we have Serrated Jaws, a great name for a heavy-as-hell, mid-tempo feast of darkness by Grand Cadaver where the sinister guitars by Stefan and Alex are nicely supported by the metallic bass by Christian; whereas the title-track Deities Of Deathlike Sleep will go straight to your jugular, with the band’s guitar duo delivering a lesson in Death Metal riffage while Christian continues to hammer his bass mercilessly.

The band needs just a few seconds to ignite an insane circle pit in Vortex Of Blood, adding elements from Thrash Metal and Crust to their core deadly sounds, all of course spiced up by the demented growls by Mikael; and more of the band’s crushing, visceral music comes in the form of Funeral Reversal, with all background elements darkening their sonority even further, not to mention how bestial Daniel sounds once again on drums. Then switching gears to a Doom and Stoner Metal-infused vibe it’s time for True Necrogeny, a neck-breaking creation by the band where Mikael’s deep roars walk hand in hand with the low-tuned, thunderous bass by Christian; and back to a more direct Death Metal sound, the quintet will pulverize our senses with Stabbed With Frozen Blood, where Mikael keeps barking nonstop accompanied by the crushing beats by Daniel and the always flammable riffs by Stefan and Alex. Last but not least, Grand Cadaver will hit us hard one final time with Necrosanctum, bringing forward almost five minutes of sheer brutality blasted by all band members to perfection, resulting in a superb ending to the album.

“We never even planned to release a full-length album, and here we are with our second! ‘Deities of Deathlike Sleep’ was conceived and recorded with the same mindset and the same team as our previous recordings, keeping it quick, spontaneous and enjoyable. This time it turned out a bit more dynamic, with the pummeling fury interspersed with some doom, gloom and darkness. But still, it’s simply ten tracks of Swedish Fucking Death Metal, the way we love it,” commented Grand Cadaver about their newborn beast, and you can put your dirty hands on such infernal album by purchasing it from their own BandCamp page, from the Majestic Mountain Records’ Big Cartel as a digipak or a gatefold LP, various bundles from Trust No One Recordings, the Bengans Edition limited to 100 copies, different versions from Napalm Records, from Apple Music, and from Amazon, and don’t forget to also follow the band on Facebook and on Instagram, and to stream their wicked creations on Spotify. In the end, all that leads to a simple question. Are you craving some first-class Swedish Death Metal? If your answer is yes with a deep guttural scream, then you’ll certainly have a blast with Deities Of Deathlike Sleep.

Best moments of the album: A Crawling Feast of Decay, Deities Of Deathlike Sleep and Stabbed With Frozen Blood.

Worst moments of the album: True Necrogeny.

Released in 2023 Majestic Mountain Records

Track listing
1. The Forever Doom 3:02
2. A Crawling Feast of Decay 3:16
3. The Wishful Dead 3:35
4. Serrated Jaws 4:23
5. Deities Of Deathlike Sleep 3:26
6. Vortex Of Blood 2:24
7. Funeral Reversal 3:15
8. True Necrogeny 3:29
9. Stabbed With Frozen Blood 3:06
10. Necrosanctum 4:51

Band members
Mikael Stanne – vocals
Stefan Lagergren – guitar
Alex Stjernfeldt – guitar
Christian Jansson – bass
Daniel Liljekvist – drums

Album Review – Olkoth / At The Eye Of Chaos (2023)

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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)

Metal Chick of the Month – Katiuzca Guerrero

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Chaos, war and death!

Just like what happens in old school Death Metal, our tribute to our metal lady of the month of August will go straight to the point, with no shenanigans nor anything like that, focusing on the music above anything else, and I’m sure you’re going to be impressed with her undeniable talent as a musician, as an illustrator, and also as a martial arts fighter. The Right Hand of Kali Ma, the Hindu goddess of time, creation, preservation, and destruction, she’s known as the guitarist for Peruvian Death Metal veterans Disinter, and she takes no prisoners in her quest for underground extreme music and arts. Her full name is Katiuzca Guerrero Medina, or simply Katiuzca Guerrero, but you’ll also find her under the monikers Sadistik Kali and Tsurr when she’s armed with her scorching guitar. Having said all that, get ready to be stunned and crushed like an insect here on The Headbanging Moose by a fierce and ruthless woman who lives and breathes Death Metal, proudly carrying the flag of Peruvian extreme music wherever she goes.

Born and raised in the Peruvian capital of Lima, our dauntless Katiuzca went to Colegio Nacional San Agustin 2085, and later studied Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation at Instituto de Educación Superior Ricardo Palma, both located in Lima, before starting her career in music and arts. In 2014 she began kicking some ass on the guitar and bass with Lima, Peru-based band Tunjum (which began in 2007 as an all-female project playing Pagan-themed Death Metal), under the moniker Tsurr (which might have been inspired by a sentient species, among the galaxy’s most dangerous predators, indigenous to the planet of T’surr, from Star Wars), having recorded with them a rehearsal promo/demo, the EP Sagrado Tiempo De Caos, and the demo Muerte Ancestral, all in 2014. You can find the EP available on some online underground retailers, and some videos online such as the song Demonios de la Tierra, but overall Tunjum are a very underground act and apart from their most recent release (already without Katiuzca in their lineup) you won’t find anything on BandCamp or on Spotify.

After her brief stint with Tunjum, our Peruvian metaller joined Lima, Peru-based Funeral Doom/Death Metal masters Lament Christ from 2017 to 2019, but the band didn’t release any new material while they had her on the guitars. Then after leaving Lament Christ she became the rhythm guitarist of Peruvian Death Metal band Necrofagore as Sadistik Kali, having recorded with the band the 2020 album Into the Gloom of the Buried Valley before departing from the band in 2021. As a matter of fact, she was also responsible for the cover art for the album recorded with Necrofagore, but let’s talk about that in more detail when we focus on her career as a Death Metal illustrator.

Finally, in 2022, Katiuzca became the second guitarist for Lima, Peru-based Death Metal institution Disinter also under the moniker Sadistik Kali, having recorded with the band their 2022 pulverizing opus Guerra Eterna, a 12-track concept album divided into three chapters, those being Chapter I: Caos, Guerra y Muerte (tracks 1-4), Chapter II: Ancestrales Cultos Heréticos (tracks 5-8), and Chapter III: Gloria Inmortal (tracks 9-12), featuring absolute Death Metal beasts such as the song Illiatupac. Currently formed of our ass-kicking Katiuzca on the guitars alongside founder and drummer Roberto Leonardi (Supplicium, Gore), former vocalist and current bassist Leonardo Navarrete (Black Angel, Eternal Exhumation, Rotten Evisceration, Ritual), and guitarist Jose Delion (Flagelum, Metal Crucifier, Konrac), Disinter craft austere music about anti-Christianity, gore, history, paganism, Peruvian nationalism and terror, and if you’re curious to know more about such important band of the Peruvian extreme music scene you can find them on Facebook and on Instagram, and buy or stream their ferocious music on BandCamp and on Spotify. In addition, there are a few interesting video on YouTube with Katiuzca slashing her stringed axe together with Disinter, including a summary of their concert at Total Thrash Attack 2023, the song I Have Come also at Total Thrash Attack 2023, a rehearsal of the song Aberrantes Ofrendas Al Ukupacha, another rehearsal for the song Señores De La Guerra Chimu, and the live videos for La Ultima Ofensiva and Aberrantes Ofrendas Al Ukupacha.

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Regarding her career as a Death Metal cover artist and graphic designer, Katiuzca owns her own business named Temple of Kalighat Arts, also located in Lima, Peru, labeling her own practice as “a world full of madness and death dedicated to the illustrations done by the Right Hand of Kali Ma.” You’ll find her artworks beautifully embracing the demonic music by bands the likes of Abatuar, Grave Desecration, Sepulchral Voices, Black Communion and Putrid, anog many others. For instance, you can feast your eyes on the cover arts for the 2017 album Perversiones de Muerte Putrefacta by Abatuar; the 2019 album Porkus Filth’s Crusher by Excruciate 666; the 2022 self-titled EP by Serpent Antique; and of course the 2022 album Guerra Eterna by her current band Disinter; just to name a few. In addition, you can also see her art on the front cover of underground webzines like the one for the Call from Beyond zine issue #2, published in 2018. Hence, don’t forget to keep an eye on the official Facebook and Instagram for Temple of Kalighat Arts for more of her sensational and devilish creations. If you think that’s a lot for just one person, let me tell you that she also works in the sales and distribution department of a Peruvian company named Thrashirts, a heavy music-oriented label specialized in booking and management, distribution, merchandising, concerts and festivals, and more. Is that enough for you?

Well, let’s say Katiuzca is an unstoppable woman, and while you might already be too tired to follow her speed, she still has a lot of energy left to kick your ass as a Muay Thai, boxing and MMA fighter and instructor. She’s one of the teachers and part of the administrative staff at Peru Fight Academy Norte, having arrived from the #NiUnaMenos campaign (a movement against violence against women, spearheaded by an organization called Frente Nacional de Mujeres por la Gobernabilidad y la Democracia), and at that time she was already a national No-Gi Jiu Jitsu champion and a national runner-up in Muay Thai. You can see her in action on a couple of YouTube videos like this one and this one, and check out her profile HERE, but be careful, as she will mercilessly kick your damned ass in the name of Death Metal.

Katiuzca Guerrero’s Official Facebook page
Temple of Kalighat Arts’ Official Facebook page
Temple of Kalighat Arts’ Official Instagram
Disinter’s Official Facebook page
Disinter’s Official Instagram
Disinter’s Official YouTube channel

Album Review – Hrothgar / Rise of Ragnarök (2023)

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Behold the breathtaking first full-length opus by a ruthless Melodic Death Metal horde hailing from France, narrating the end of the world of gods and men through ten incendiary battle hymns.

Formed in 2012 under the name of Esteliath in Montélimar, a town in the Drôme department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in north Provence, Southeastern France, the unrelenting Melodic Death Metal horde Hrothgar (a Scylding, the son of Halfdan, the brother of Halga, and the uncle of Hrólfr Kraki, in both Anglo-Saxon and Scandinavian tradition) unleashed upon humanity earlier this year their debut full-length opus, titled Rise of Ragnarök, following up on their 2018 EP First Blood. Recorded and mixed at Studio Artmusic, and mastered by Kristian Kohlmannslehner at Kohlekeller Studio, the album offers a brilliant fusion of Heavy, Death and Viking Metal with Nordic mythology, Viking history and warrior stories masterfully brought into being by Quentin Peyrouse on vocals, Tristan Vatrain and Florian Lagoutte (who has just left the band due to scheduling conflicts) on the guitars, Bertrand Paradis on bass and Sébastien Couriol on drums, being highly recommended for anyone who loves the music by Swedish metal titans Amon Amarth.

The crushing drums by Sébastien ignite the band’s Viking feast titled Dawn of Midgard, with Quentin already delivering a deep roar as his welcome card. Put differently it’s pure Amon Amarth (on a French baguette, I might say), making it impossible to stand still to such thrilling tune. Then the venomous riffs by Tristan and Florian are spiced up by the metallic bass by Bertrand in War Makes Us Beast, another heavy-as-hell, no-shenanigans Melodic Death Metal extravaganza by the band; and get ready to bang your head nonstop to the newborn classic Sons of Odin, sounding like a song written by Amon Amarth but of course Hrothgar added their own French twist to it, with Quentin leading his horde with his deep, devilish growls. After such thrilling feast, the caustic riffage by the band’s guitar duo sets the tone in the dark hymn I Am Berserker, a mid-tempo tune that will please all fans of Scandinavian Melodic Death Metal, whereas the title-track Rise of Ragnarök brings to our avid ears another fantastic wall of sounds blasted by the band, offering everything Quentin needs to shine on vocals in a lecture in Melodic Death Metal.

It’s time to grab your sword and shield and join Hrothgar in the battlefield to the sound of For Gods and North, a tribute to all things Viking Metal where the guitars by Tristan and Florian exhale metal and electricity, followed by A Great Death for the Einherjar, another song clearly inspired by some of the most recent creations by Amon Amarth, with the kitchen by Bertrand and Sébastien sounding truly thunderous. Kill My Son is hands down one of the most exciting of all songs, and you can feel all hatred flowing from Quentin’s vocals while Sébastien keeps hammering his drums in the name of heavy music, whereas their second to last Viking attack comes in the form of Tyr’s Sacrifice, with Tristan and Floiran doing a very good job with their riffs and solos. The song is a bit repetitive, though, but still very enjoyable. Lastly, there’s of course a song about braving the cold and dangerous seas of the north titled Warriors of the Sea, showcasing their always sharp guitars and pounding drums, therefore ending the album in a beyond exciting way.

The fun and thunderous debut album by Hrothgar is available in full on YouTube and on Spotify, but of course if you want to join those French metallers in their quest for heavy music you can purchase a copy of it from their own BandCamp page or from Apple Music. Don’t forget to also start following the band on Facebook, on Instagram and on YouTube for news, tour dates and so on, proving you’re ready to fight side by side the guys from Hrothgar until your very last breath, and finally have your place right by the gods in Valhalla. The Doom of the Gods is upon us, and there’s nothing better than a first-class album like the new one by Hrothgar to put a huge smile on our faces even when our inevitable end is getting closer and closer.

Best moments of the album: Dawn of Midgard, Sons of Odin, Rise of Ragnarök and Kill My Son.

Worst moments of the album: Tyr’s Sacrifice.

Released in 2023 Independent

Track listing
1. Dawn of Midgard 4:15
2. War Makes Us Beast 4:26
3. Sons of Odin 4:13
4. I Am Berserker 5:17
5. Rise of Ragnarök 4:36
6. For Gods and North 4:42
7. A Great Death for the Einherjar 4:53
8. Kill My Son 4:32
9. Tyr’s Sacrifice 5:17
10. Warriors of the Sea 4:05

Band members
Quentin Peyrouse – vocals
Tristan Vatrain – guitars, backing vocals
Florian Lagoutte – guitars
Bertrand Paradis – bass
Sébastien Couriol – drums

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2023 Metal Blade Records

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

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

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

Guest musician
Christian Fredriksson – lead guitars (session)