Tag Archives: death metal

Album Review – Mikaela / Nocturne In Red (2020)

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Succumb to the dark and personal fusion of Metalcore, Deathcore, Progressive and Nu Metal by one of the most prominent voices of the Maltese metal scene in her debut solo album.

A few months after leaving her previous band MartYrium due to personal issues with the other band members, Maltese metal goddess Mikaela Attard is unleashing upon humanity under her newborn Metalcore solo project Mikaela her debut opus entitled Nocturne In Red, featuring guitarist and bassist Kyle Farrugia (from Maltese Active Metal band Align the Tide) and drummer Marco Minnemann as her loyal henchmen throughout the entire album. Written and produced by Mikaela herself, and mixed and mastered by Tue Madsen at Antfarm Studio, the pivotal concept behind Nocturne In Red highlights subjects surrounding personal experiences and states of the mind, but according to Mikaela it is up to the listener and viewer to perceive them on how it’s relative to their lives. Not only that, the album also provides an incendiary mixture of Metalcore, Deathcore, Progressive and Nu Metal, and even nuances of Black and Death Metal, all spiced up by Miakela’s native language Maltese carefully added to some of the tracks from the album, being therefore recommended for fans of the music by Pantera, Godsmack, Mastodon and Lamb Of God, among several others.

The cinematic and creepy intro Into a New Hell opens the gates of the underworld for the she-demon Mikaela to stun us all in Bring Me Blood, showcasing darkly poetic lyrics declaimed by Mikaela (“I flew high on black wings when death looked me closer in the eye / I may have pushed up daisies before, I gasped and wanted more / Now, hell came to me to show you what I see / The blade won’t reign on me, you sick fuck, it ends when you can’t breathe”) embraced by the solid fusion of Metalcore and Deathcore blasted by Kyle and Marco. And her insanity in the form of music keeps flowing nonstop in the also heavy and groovy Chaotic Mind, once again presenting psychological lyrics growled by our talented diva (“A whisper of existence / A face wrapped in maleficent greed / Silence even grins at you / Delusion creeps in the lies let lose”), smashing drums by Marco and Groove Metal-inspired riffs and bass punches by Kyle; followed by Disenthralled, highly recommended for fans of the demented music by Slipknot and Jinjer, where Mikaela is on fire with both her violent roars and strident clean vocals, and with the riffage and solos by Kyle sounding even more piercing than before. Then it’s time to break your neck headbanging to the venomous Alternative Metal hymn Nightmare, with Mikaela’s growling ranging from deep guttural to hellish gnarls while Marco brings his dosage of heaviness with his progressive beats.

In Death Dance we face more of Kyle’s metallic, rumbling bass jabs accompanied by Marco’s smashing drums and the mesmerizing vocals by Mikaela, blending elements from Metalcore with Melodic Death and Groove Metal, albeit going on for a bit too long, though, whereas Abyss is a piano-infused dark ballad by Mikaela where the sharp guitars by Kyle walk hand in hand with her passionate vocal performance, sounding very personal, epic and obscure from start to finish and presenting a unique and captivating side of our banshee. Back to her beastly she-wolf mode, our dauntless diva of darkness and her henchmen will penetrate deep inside our psyche once again with the Metalcore extravaganza titled Enthalpy Rage, feeling like an electrifying fusion of the current music played by Arch Enemy with modern-day Deathcore, while Ophidian’s Whisper is another solid composition by the trio with Marco dictating the pace with his infernal and intricate drumming, and with Mikaela once again alternating between demonic screams and melodious clean lines. And lastly, we’re treated to a sinister atmosphere embellished by a melancholic piano and the gorgeous voice by Mikaela, morphing into one final metal attack titled Room Hell, with both Marco and Kyle being on absolute fire with their sonic weapons, providing all Mikaela needs to shine on vocals and, consequently, ending the album in a truly devilish way.

Mikaela’s musical journey to hell and back can be appreciated in its entirety on Spotify and on Deezer, but of course you should purchase a copy of such amazing album of modern-day Metalcore from her own webstore, from Apple Music or from Amazon, also showing your support to one of Malta’s most prominent names in metal music by following her on Facebook and on Instagram, and by subscribing to her YouTube channel for more of her darkly enchanting official videos. Nocturne In Red is a very personal album by Mikaela that will undoubtedly please all fans of Metalcore, Deathcore and all related styles, showing us all the darkest side of such talented artist while at the same time adding the charming Republic of Malta to the worldwide map of contemporary metal music.

Best moments of the album: Bring Me Blood, Disenthralled and Enthalpy Rage.

Worst moments of the album: Death Dance.

Released in 2020 Independent

Track listing
1. Into a New Hell – Intro 2:29
2. Bring Me Blood 4:25
3. Chaotic Mind 4:35
4. Disenthralled 5:44
5. Nightmare 6:37
6. Death Dance 6:20
7. Abyss 4:56
8. Enthalpy Rage 4:41
9. Ophidian’s Whisper 5:23
10. Room Hell 5:00

Band members
Mikaela Attard – vocals

Guest musicians
Kyle Farrugia – guitars, bass
Marco Minnemann – drums

Album Review – Dormanth / Complete Downfall (2020)

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This already prominent band from the Spanish underground scene returns with the perfect soundtrack for mankind’s downfall, continuing with their traditional style of Melodic Death Metal.

Two years and a few lineup changes after the release of their highly acclaimed 2018 album IX Sins, Bilbao, Spain-based Melodic Doom/Death Metal outfit Dormanth returns to the battlefield with their fourth full-length opus titled Complete Downfall, featuring 11 songs where double bass drums, melodies and catchy choruses prevail in many of the songs along with other mid-tempo tunes, continuing with their traditional style of Melodic Death Metal influenced by bands like Paradise Lost, Amorphis, Amon Amarth, In Flames and Insomnium. Produced, mixed and mastered by Pedro J. Monge at Chromaticity Studios, and displaying a stylish cover art by The Blind Gallery, the album represents another step forward in the career of the band now formed by vocalist and guitarist Oscar Del Val, guitarist Jokin Andrés, bassist Isma Fernández and drummer Javi Martínez.

Javi begins hammering our heads with his vicious beats in the doomed and melodic opening tune Dreamcatcher, before Oscar comes ripping with his deep guttural growls and sick riffs in a first-class lecture in Melodic Death Metal as Dormanth’s welcome card, whereas Fire is another classic creation by the quartet, living up to the legacy of the genre and loyal to their own roots, with Oscar and Jokin being spot-on with their melodious guitars supported by the metallic bass by Isma. Tragicomic Day is as melodic and thrilling as its predecessors, with Oscar roaring in a beyond infernal way accompanied by the traditional drums by Javi, inspiring us all to break our necks headbanging like true bastards, and speeding things up and sounding more vicious than before they offer us all Beyond the Gates, sounding like the early days of Arch Enemy at times and with the riffs and solos by Oscar and Jokin feeling sharper than a razor blade. And in Odyssey in Time we’re treated to a no shenanigans, no bullshit fusion of Death and Doom Metal by Dormanth that will put all fans of heavy music to raise their horns high, with Javi once again showcasing an amazing performance behind his drums.

Galloping bass and drums set the pace in the also harmonious extravaganza The Origin, where the strident guitars by Oscar and Jokin bring a touch of finesse to the overall result, whereas slashing riffs are boosted by endless fury in the excellent Dark Times for the God’s Creation, spearheaded by Oscar’s demented roars and leaning towards a more epic version of Death Metal the likes of Unleashed. Then in the instrumental bridge -273° K enfolding guitars permeate the air before Dormanth kick ass once again with Brainstorm, where the band invites us all to keep banging our heads to their demolishing but very melodic music, also presenting interesting breaks and variations until its crushing finale. And the band puts the pedal to the metal in the Black Metal-ish Crystal Bone, with all band members sounding extremely sharp and focused, specially Javi with his venomous beats and fills, being therefore recommended for diehard fans of Melodic Death and Black Metal. Lastly, it’s time for Dormanth to go full Doom Metal in Bloody Scars, sounding and feeling sluggish and vile from start to finish, with Oscar being even more deranged and infuriated on vocals than before, and the atmosphere remains dark, menacing and grim until the very end.

Dormanth are eager to unleash all the darkness and fury from their first-class new album upon us all sooner than you can imagine, and while we wait for their doomed tempest we can keep an eye on their Facebook page and Instagram for news, tour dates and other nice-to-know details about such talented Spanish squad, and purchase a copy of Complete downfall from their own BandCamp page, as well as from Xtreem Music’s BandCamp page or webstore. As the complete downfall of mankind gets closer and closer, Dormanth are among us to provide our avid ears the perfect soundtrack for our doomsday, exploding our senses with their refined Melodic Death Metal and, above all, proving once and for all that their homeland Spain is indeed the birthplace of some of the best underground metal acts of all time.

Best moments of the album: Dreamcatcher, Beyond the Gates and Dark Times for the God’s Creation.

Worst moments of the album: The Origin.

Released in 2020 Xtreem Music

Track listing
1. Dreamcatcher 4:15
2. Fire 3:35
3. Tragicomic Day 4:52
4. Beyond the Gates 4:10
5. Odyssey in Time 3:37
6. The Origin 4:02
7. Dark Times for the God’s Creation 3:53
8. -273° K 0:50
9. Brainstorm 3:32
10. Crystal Bone 4:23
11. Bloody Scars 5:12

Band members
Oscar Del Val – vocals, guitar
Jokin Andrés – guitar
Isma Fernández – bass
Javi Martínez – drums

Album Review – Depravity / Grand Malevolence (2020)

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Get ready to be stunned by one of the most devastating albums of 2020, showcasing a solid fusion of masterful songwriting and skull-smashing brutality executed with blinding speed and power.

After releasing their groundbreaking debut album Evil Upheaval in 2018, Perth, Australia-based Death Metal horde Depravity are taking things to the next level on their new album, beautifully entitled Grand Malevolence, one of the most devastating albums of 2020. Technically evolved, showcasing a solid fusion of masterful songwriting and skull-smashing brutality executed with blinding speed and power, and embraced by an ass-kicking artwork by Russian artist Alex Tartsus (Sepulchral Curse, De Profundis), Grand Malevolence is a testament to the best expression this style holds, showcasing facets of the sub-genres without allowing it to dilute the overall intensity and momentum, all thanks to the undeniable talent by Jamie Kay (Inanimacy, The Ritual Aura) on vocals, Lynton Cessford (Entrails Eradicated) and Jarrod Curly (Malignant Monster) on the guitars, Ainsley Watkins (Scourge) on bass and Louis Rando (Impiety, The Furor) on drums, turning it into a must-have for admirers of the pummeling Death Metal blasted by giants such as Suffocation, Morbid Angel, Nile, Spawn of Possession, Gorgasm and Immolation, just to name a few.

Indulging Psychotic Thoughts is gruesome and devastating form the very first second, where Jamie doesn’t waste any time and begins barking deeply accompanied by the machine gun-like drums by Louis in an awesome display of classic Death Metal, and the band keeps blasting sheer animosity and vile sounds in the title-track Grand Malevolence, with the band’s guitar duo Lynton and Jarrod showcasing all their passion for extreme shredding while Louis continues to impress with his demented drumming. Then get ready to have your spinal cord smashed to tiny pieces in Invalid Majesty, where Depravity invite us all to kill into the circle pit, with Jamie sounding even more inhumane with both his deep guttural and deranged screams, not to mention the song’s wicked guitar solos; whereas investing in a Cannibal Corpse and Morbid Angel-inspired sonority the quintet fires the obscure and visceral Cantankerous Butcher, an ode to all things Death Metal where Aisnley’s bass jabs and Louis’ vicious beats provide Jamie all he needs to vociferate demonically. If you think Depravity are tired of so much violence, they continue their immoral path of devastation in Trophies of Inhumanity, another brutal creation by the quintet showcasing Lynton and Jarrod’s usual guitar duel, firing depraved riffs and solos amidst a hurricane of blast beats and evil gnarls.

Depravity Grand Malevolence Wooden Coffin-Shaped CD Box Set (Limited to 100)

Sounding like a stone crusher from hell, the band smashes everything and everyone that crosses their way in Castrate the Perpetrators, a song led by the destructive riffs by the band’s ruthless guitarists perfect for cracking your neck in half headbanging like a maniac, followed by The Coming of the Hammering, carrying a stunning name for a devastating sound by Depravity, obviously living up to the legacy of old school Death Metal without sounding outdated at all, where Jamie and Louis are in absolute sync with their respective roars and infernal beats. After such intense tune, it’s time more insanity and violence in the form of putrid Death Metal made in Australia in Barbaric Eternity, where those guys sound unstoppable and merciless with their killing instruments, not to mention I have no idea how Louis managed to stay so violent throughout the whole album. Anyway, are you tired already? Because Depravity still have a lot of fuel to burn starting with Hallucination Aflame, presenting their usual sonic devastation full of fulminating beats and fills, scorching riffs and rumbling bass lines, followed by the somber Epitome of Extinction, where the band delivers tons of groove and intricacy before going mental once again, with Ainsley giving a lesson in groove on bass. And lastly, an atmospheric, phantasmagorical start permeates the air, suddenly exploding into their venomous Death Metal in Ghosts in the Void, where Lynton and Jarrod take the lead with their neck-breaking riffage, therefore putting a beyond violent ending to the album.

It’s time to slam into the pit to the fulminating Death Metal blasted by Depravity, and in order to do so simply go check what those depraved metallers from Down Under are up to on Facebook and on Instagram, and above all, purchase your copy of the insane Grand Malevolence from their own BandCamp page, from the Transcending Obscuity Records’ webstore by clicking HERE or HERE (and if I were you, I would definitely go for the Wooden Coffin-Shaped CD Box Set, limited to 100 copies in coffin-shaped wooden box with engraving of the band logo and containing a12-panel inverted cross-shaped digipak CD with metallic effect and embossing, an autographed certificate, a gold logo patch, a fridge magnet and a badge), from Apple Music or from Amazon. Depravity are ready to smash us all like a beast with Grand Malevolence, proving once and for all Death Metal will always remain strong, vile, gory and, of course, brutal.

Best moments of the album: Grand Malevolence, Cantankerous Butcher and The Coming of the Hammering.

Worst moments of the album: Hallucination Aflame.

Released in 2020 Transcending Obscurity Records

Track listing
1. Indulging Psychotic Thoughts 4:08
2. Grand Malevolence 3:25
3. Invalid Majesty 4:17
4. Cantankerous Butcher 4:43
5. Trophies of Inhumanity 5:03
6. Castrate the Perpetrators 5:02
7. The Coming of the Hammering 5:34
8. Barbaric Eternity 3:04
9. Hallucination Aflame 3:51
10. Epitome of Extinction 4:36
11. Ghosts in the Void 5:24

Band members
Jamie Kay – vocals
Lynton Cessford – guitar
Jarrod Curly – guitar
Ainsley Watkins – bass
Louis Rando – drums

Album Review – Without Mercy / Seismic (2020)

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A merciless Vancouver-based Death and Thrash Metal unity is ready to strike us all once again with their newest opus, representing four years of solid work ethic and unwillingness to compromise even in the slightest.

What’s in a name? Everything. And Vancouver, Canada-based Death/Thrash Metal unity Without Mercy certainly stays true to its name. Ruthless and menacing, these Canadian metal titans have cultivated a fusion of death and thrash, a sound that shows off the band’s respect for and dedication to both genres since their inception in 2004, being highly recommended for fans of the fulminating music by Cattle Decapitation, Meshuggah, Whitechapel and Pantera, among others. Now in 2020, the band comprised of Alex Friis on vocals, DJ Temple on the guitars, Ryan Loewen on bass and Matt Helie on  drums is ready to strike once again with their sophomore full-length effort Seismic, representing four years of solid work ethic and unwillingness to compromise even in the slightest. Produced by DJ Temple himself, mixed and mastered by Dave Otero at Flatline Audio, displaying a venomous artwork by Canadian artist Brayden Eshuis, and featuring very special guests Jeff Loomis (Arch Enemy, Nevermore) and Chris Broderick (Act of Defiance, Megadeth, Jag Panzer), Seismic will go straight for your jugular, offering you the most visceral fusion of Death, Thrash and Groove Metal you can think of.

With guest Jeff Loomis blasting one of his trademark, incendiary guitar solos, Thunderbird is an explosion of Thrash and Groove Metal the likes of Lamb of God and Meshuggah where Matt is bestial with his blast beats while Alex sounds like a rabid creature on vocals, and continuing their path of progressiveness, heaviness and rage, DJ Temple fires razor-edged riffs supported by the rumbling bass by Ryan in Abysmal, highly recommended for fans of Progressive Death and Thrash Metal. What DJ Temple does with his axe in the next song, titled Left Alone, is truly impressive, resulting in a lesson in intricacy and violence accompanied by his infuriated band members, and the final sound couldn’t have been more demented and sharper than what it already is; whereas Alex’s deranged roars and gnarls will penetrate deep inside your mind in Wiindigo, while Matt and Ryan make sure the earth trembles to the sound of their respective beats and bass jabs in another solid fusion of modern-day Death and Groove Metal.

Then it’s time for Chris Broderick to provide a sick guitar solo in Disinfect The Soul, a metal beast brought into being by this insane squad showcasing austere, in-your-face words barked by Alex (“Thank God there’s only one of you / I’m striving for a better form of survival / THE MEANS AREN’T AVAILABLE without the threat / I finally understand what could make a man run / Chasing my tail, I have it now / SO MUCH WORSE than first thought”), while in The Disaster the thrashing riffs and solos by DJ Temple are amplified by the crushing drums by Matt, or in other words, it’s a straightforward tune that will inspire you to slam into the circle pit like a maniac. Possessed brings forward another explosive round of their trademark music, feeling and sounding absolutely berserk from start to finish, and with Alex being once again demonic with his sick gnarls, presenting elements from the darkest forms of Death, Thrash and Groove Metal you can think of. I Break The Chain, the second to last blast of infernal metal music by Without Mercy, feels like a more deranged version of Gojira infused with the austerity of Cattle Decapitation, meaning it will hammer your heads mercilessly until the very end, before the band closes the album with Uprooted, presenting beautiful, darkly poetic lyrics “declaimed” by Alex (“To dream of the earth dying is nothing new / To watch in awe of its beauty is something I don’t do / To hold a dead bird in my hand and demand it sing / To hold a gift in my hand and not feel a thing”) while the music remains as acid and pulverizing as possible, spearheaded by DJ Temple’s scorching riffage and the always demented beats by Matt.

The Death and Thrash Metal landscapes might seem a bit too saturated for a lot of fans from all over the world, but let’s say Without Mercy managed to sound unique and fresh throughout Seismic, turning it into a must-listen to anyone who enjoys some well-engendered extreme music while at the same time loves to slam his or her cranial skull into a frantic mosh pit. Hence, you can show your support to those brave Canadian metallers by following them on Facebook and on Instagram, by subscribing to their YouTube channel, by listening to more of their infernal creations on Spotify, and specially by purchasing your copy of Seismic from their own BandCamp page (or simply click HERE for all locations where you can buy or stream the album). In the beginning of this review it was mentioned that the name of the band, Without Mercy, says it all about their music. Well, the same can be said about the album name, as this is a true headbanging, thrashing earthquake made in Canada that will leave you completely disoriented after all is said and done, exactly the way the band had in mind. Yes, my friends, there’s indeed a mission accomplished in the name of death and thrash here.

Best moments of the album: Left Alone, Possessed and Uprooted.

Worst moments of the album: Wiindigo.

Released in 2020 Bloodblast Distribution

Track listing
1. Thunderbird 4:53
2. Abysmal 5:42
3. Left Alone 4:00
4. Wiindigo 4:55
5. Disinfect The Soul 7:18
6. The Disaster 3:52
7. Possessed 4:04
8. I Break The Chain 4:44
9. Uprooted 4:58

Band members
Alex Friis – vocals
DJ Temple – guitars
Ryan Loewen – bass
Matt Helie – drums

Guest musicians
Jeff Loomis – guitar solo on “Thunderbird”
Chris Broderick – guitar solo on “Disinfect The Soul”

Album Review – Goratory / Sour Grapes (2020)

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A ruthless Death Metal entity is back from its putrid grave with a brand new album after 16 years to spread their filthy and immoral music to all four corners of the earth.

After sixteen years of absolute silence, Boston, Massachusetts-based sickest perverts Goratory are finally back with a brand album of degenerating, grinding and schizoid Technical and Brutal Death Metal entitled Sour Grapes, reigniting their path of devastation initiated with their 2000 demo Wrestling with Feces and that was interrupted in 2004 with their third full-length opus Rice on Suede. Mixed and mastered by the band’s own drummer Darren Cesca at House of Grind Studios, with the vinyl mastering being handled by Carlo Altobelli at Toxic Basement Studios, and displaying a psychedelic artwork by Tony Koehl, Sour Grapes is tailored for admirers of the gory and depraved death blasted by Malignancy, Cryptopsy, Gorgasm and Pillory, among others, showing why lead singer Adam Mason, guitarist Alan Glassman, bassist Zachary Pappas and the aforementioned Darren Cesca decided to come back from their putrid grave after so many years to spread their filthy and immoral music to all four corners of the earth once again.

Get ready to be bombarded with blood and feces by this evil horde of extreme music in Rat King, undoubtedly a bestial, sick and depraved display of Brutal Death Metal perfect for kicking off the album, with Darren being infernal on drums while Adam barks and vomits the song’s wicked words manically.  Then demented vociferations and endless insanity will haunt your souls in Losing Streak, an ode to gory and grim Death Metal where Alan shreds his axe with tons of violence accompanied by the fretting bass punches by Zachary, and there’s  no sign of the band slowing down or making things lighter in I Shit Your Pants; quite the contrary, it’s another feast of heavy-as-hell riffs and beats, showcasing the band’s dynamism, refined technique and passion for sheer brutality, followed by Bottom Feeder, where Goratory will smash your head to pieces to the sound of the unstoppable blast beats by Darren and the metallic bass by Zachary. Moreover, what the hell are those lyrics (“I recall it all in flashes. / What was left unconsumed is now ashes. / Power turned to powder. / Rice on my Suede socks? Chop you into pieces and puree you into sauce.”)?

Adam keeps growling and snarling like a rabid creature while his bandmates exhale aggression and progressiveness through their vicious instruments in Evolutionary Wart, displaying a great fusion of Technical and Brutal Death Metal, and you might not believe this but Goratory managed to sound even more violent and thunderous in The People’s Temple, highly recommended for fans of both Death Metal and Grindcore, with Zachary being on fire with his Alex Webster-inspired bass lines. The quartet then offers their personal tribute to Seth Edward Putnam (1968 – 2011),  the founder, vocalist and occasional guitarist of American Grindcore act Anal Cunt, titled Seth Putnam Was A Sensitive Man, bringing forward distinguished lyrics (“Fuck you cause you’re dead, / Now you’re giving Satan head. / Force fed demon splooge, / Loads of jizz inside of you, / Bukkake in a Putnam stew.”) amidst a sonic demolition that would put a huge and sick smile on Seth’s face. And lastly we have Back To The Grinding Machine, originally released as “Into The Grinding Machine” on their 2001 album Sexual Intercorpse, with the 2020 version maintaining the core malignancy, depravity and fury from the original one, with Alan and Darren making a venomous duo with their pulverizing riffs and beats.

Goratory’s vicious and brutal comeback can be better appreciated in its entirety on YouTube and on Spotify, but of course in order to show your support to those sick bastards don’t forget to grab your copy of Sour Grapes from the Everlasting Spew Records’ BandCamp page or webstore (in CD format or as a special CD + LP + shirt bundle), as well as from IndieMerchstore, from Apple Music or from Amazon. In addition, why don’t you give the guys from Goratory a shout on Facebook and follow them on Instagram? I’m sure that by doing those things you’ll inspire Adam, Alan, Zachary and Darren to keep blasting their demented music for many years to come instead of going into dormant mode once again, keeping our world as vile, insane and putrid as it can be.

Best moments of the album: I Shit Your Pants, Bottom Feeder and The People’s Temple.

Worst moments of the album: Losing Streak.

Released in 2020 Everlasting Spew Records

Track listing
1. Rat King 3:07
2. Losing Streak 3:35
3. I Shit Your Pants 2:58
4. Bottom Feeder 3:04
5. Evolutionary Wart 3:14
6. The People’s Temple 3:00
7. Seth Putnam Was A Sensitive Man 3:07
8. Back To The Grinding Machine 4:09

Band members
Adam Mason – vocals
Alan Glassman – guitars
Zachary Pappas – bass
Darren Cesca – drums

Album Review – Walls of Hate / Wall of Hate EP (2020)

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A one-man army from Honduras is ready to share his personal ideas and music influences with the world armed with his fulminating debut EP.

Founded earlier this year by sole member Rizalde Antonio Peralta (Dragon Eyes, Crathos) in San Pedro Sula, a city in the Sula Valley of northern Honduras, aiming at sharing his personal ideas and music influences with the world, Blackened Death Metal one-man army Walls of Hate began his infernal musical path in June with the release of his self-titled debut EP, offering fans of extreme music four original tracks that reek of darkness and devastation. Recorded at Alien Media Prods and mixed and mastered by Juan Ayestas (Acrocosm, Corpse Forest), who’s also featured on the album as a guest vocalist and lyricist, Walls of Hate is a very honest, organic and straight-to-the-point EP, being highly recommended for fans of the music by devilish giants the likes of Behemoth, Dimmu Borgir and Necronomicon, among several others.

In the opening track Involution we already face austere lyrics that couldn’t have been more in line with our harsh reality these days (“World leaders spreading disease across the skies / Hunt for those who reveal the secrets / Governments of the world like to annihilate / They enjoy our painful and slow deaths”), while musically speaking it’s a raw, dirty and no shenanigans display of classic Black and Death Metal by Antonio. Then in the fantastic Xerxes, imposing background sounds enhance the song’s malignancy considerably, with Antonio kicking ass with both his incendiary riffage and crushing beats while Juan barks and roars like a true demonic entity, resulting in top-notch Blackened Death Metal made in Honduras that will please all fans of the genre. And somber elements grow in intensity and are joined by Antonio’s razor-edged guitars in the phantasmagorical Bestiary, with Juan growling deeply and manically in a hybrid of old school Black and Death Metal where the infernal drums by Antonio dictate the song’s pulverizing pace, whereas more of his demented extreme music flows into our damned minds in the mid-tempo Death Metal feast Legions of Truth, showcasing a great work done by Antonio with both his scorching riffs and low-tuned bass.

In summary, despite being short in duration with a little less than 19 minutes of music in total, Walls of Hate is a kick-ass, venomous spawn of extreme music brought forth by a young and talented Honduran musician who loves Black and Death Metal from the bottom of his Stygian heart, and you can show your support to such skillful metaller by listening to the EP in full on YouTube and on Spotify, by following him on Facebook and on Instagram, and obviously by purchasing his debut EP from his own BandCamp page, from Apple Music or from Amazon. And by doing so we can all rest assured the walls of hate and Blackened Death Metal carefully raised by Antonio will remain strong and imposing for many years to come, proudly displaying the waving flag of Honduran metal high in the sky for all of us metalheads to admire.

Best moments of the album: Xerxes.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2020 Independent

Track listing
1. Involution 3:54
2. Xerxes 5:25
3. Bestiary 5:00
4. Legions of Truth 4:27

Band members
Rizalde Antonio Peralta – vocals, all instruments

Guest musician
Juan Ayestas – vocals on “Involution”, “Xerxes” and “Bestiary”

Album Review – Malfested / Shallow Graves EP (2020)

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Behold this epic tale about a great battle between men and the undead in the form of the pulverizing Death Metal crafted by an uncanny Belgian horde.

Forged in the fires of Kortrijk, a Belgian city and municipality in the Flemish province of West Flanders, in 2020, the year of “the great plague”, the unrelenting Death Metal unity known as Malfested released on November 2, the famous “Day of the Dead”, their debut EP entitled Shallow Graves. Highly inspired by renowned acts the likes of Bloodbath, Deicide and Carnation, the band comprised of Arne on vocals and Niels on the guitar, as well as other anonymous members, offers in Shallow Graves an epic tale about a great battle between men and the undead, where they have to find a way to stop this overwhelming evil. Recorded, mixed and mastered by Cyril Hostyn, Shallow Graves exhales aggression, anger and heaviness just the way we like it in classic Death Metal, leaving us completely disoriented after the album’s 21 minutes of vicious music are over. Put differently, simply hit play and head into the violent and merciless battlefield side by side with those uncanny Belgian metallers in the name of our good old Death Metal.

Flies buzzing and the stench of dead bodies ignite the vicious onrush of old school Death Metal titled Shallow Graves, where Arne vociferates rabidly and deeply accompanied by the Hardcore-infused riffage by Niels, and whoever is playing the drums is a true metal beast. And you better be physically prepared as they keep hammering our heads and haunting our souls with their undisputed fusion of old school and modern-day Death Metal in Masked with the Skulls of the Fallen, where once again Arne’s growls and snarls sound beyond brutal, building an instant and visceral connection with the pulverizing Fields of Bloodshed, showcasing austere lyrics (“One wounded man had made it out – to the tell the tale before he bled out / Like fire the word spread through the land – a whole town crushed by a demon hand / Summon the fearless – send them out to investigate / Expose the demons – that only live in old wife’s tales”), frantic beats and the trademark scorching riffs by Niels.

I the excellent Venefica (The Banished One) we’re treated to a sick and thrilling display of savagery and hatred in the form of Death Metal by Malfested. Moreover, Arne and Niels must be really proud of the stone crusher they called to be their drummer, resulting in the perfect combination of evil sounds tailored for slamming our skulls into the circle pit. Then leaning towards the darkest form of Death Metal you can think of, you can sense sheer rage flowing from Arne’s guttural roars in Incantations, while the music remains as bestial and aggressive as possible, not to mention the demolishing but at the same time melodious riffs by Niels. Finally, Malfested show no mercy for our necks and souls as they offer our ears another infernal tune titled Cistern of Souls, inspired by the glory of 90’s Death Metal the likes of Deicide, Morbid Angel and Death, among several others, and as soon as it’s over you’ll feel desperate for more of their violent music.

I guess I don’t need to say Malfested are here to stay based on the high quality of the music found in Shallow Graves, right? Those Belgian metallers are on fire throughout the entire EP, which by the way can be enjoyed in its entirety on YouTube and on Spotify, pointing to a bright (and demolishing) future ahead of them. Hence, don’t forget to follow those cryptic musicians on Facebook and, above all, to purchase a copy of Shallow Graves from their own BandCamp page. Will Arne, Niels and their henchmen win their battle against the undead armed with their undisputed Death Metal? Only time will tell, but until then we can rest assured Malfested will continue to decimate our senses with their wicked and perverse creations, elevating the name of their homeland in the underworld of extreme music.

Best moments of the album: Shallow Graves and Venefica (The Banished One).

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2020 Independent

Track listing
1. Shallow Graves 3:14
2. Masked with the Skulls of the Fallen 3:47
3. Fields of Bloodshed 3:37
4. Venefica (The Banished One) 3:48
5. Incantations 4:00
6. Cistern of Souls 3:10

Band members
Arne – vocals
Niels – guitar
Unknown – guitar, bass, drums*

* There’s no information available about the other band members.

Album Review – BleedSkin / Blood Reign (2020)

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Bang your heads to the brutal display of classic and contemporary Death Metal blasted by this promising Belgian band in their debut album.

Forged in 2016 in the fires of Andenne, a Belgian municipality located in the Walloon province of Namur, BleedSkin are an up-and-coming band highly inspired by iconic names from the 80’s and 90’s the likes of  Slayer, Cannibal Corpse, Behemoth, Dying Fetus and Aborted, among others, playing an old school, no bullshit style of Death Metal while singing about controversial topics such as dismemberment, butchery and annihilation. All that hard work and passion for heavy music has already led frontwoman Anouk Debecq, guitarists Benjamin Lefevre and Céline Mazay, bassist Rémy Adam and drummer Julien Vanhees to open for an array of bands including Exuviated, Debauchery and Blood Red Throne since their inception, culminating now in 2020 with the release of their debut effort Blood Reign, a brutal display of classic and contemporary Death Metal that will please all fans of the genre, recorded and mixed by Benoît Polomé at Noise Factory Studio and Soundwave Studio and embraced by a sinister artwork by Venezuelan artist Jesus Lhysta, better known under his moniker Rotted Artist.

A creepy, tribalistic and symphonic horror movie-inspired intro named Perverted Feelings sets the tone for the bestial devastation titled Eternal Hatred, where Benjamin and Céline begin slashing their axes while Anouk screams and roars deeply like an infernal entity, or in other words, this is a high-octane, classic Death Metal tune perfect for slamming into the circle pit, also bringing forward spot-on guitar solos and endless savagery. Once again inspired by renowned acts like Cannibal Corpse, Death and Morbid Angel, the band delivers Obsession, a great headbanging tune with Anouk once again showcasing all her she-wolf skills on vocals and where Julien hammers his drums without a single drop of mercy; and blending the ferocity of Death Metal with the speed of Thrash Metal the band offers us all No One Will Hear You, where Rémy and Julien will make your cranial skull tremble to the thunderous sound of their respective bass and drums. Then sounding as heavy as a stone crusher, it’s time for BleedSkin to pulverize our heads with Schizophrenia, with Benjamin and Céline yet again firing pure hatred from their guitars, and with guest Logan Dykens, the band’s former vocalist, bringing his share of dementia on backing vocals, whereas Point of No Return is an ode to the classic Death Metal sound from the 90’s and the 2000’s, with Anouk getting more and more demented on vocals as the music progresses without a single second of peace for our total delight.

Perversion of Mankind, which touches the complicated subject of pedophilia (and in order not to be censored, Anouk wrote it as if it were a children’s story where the monster is the pedophile), is another avalanche of incendiary riffs, blast beats and venomous vociferations brought forth by BleedSkin, while Silence Is Your Only Way, a song about sexism, violence against women, abortion and rape, is a demolishing composition where the music matches perfectly with the topics discussed (or maybe I should say barked) by Anouk in the lyrics, not to mention how unstoppable the band’s guitar duo sounds with their endless riffs and solos. Then more of their hellish growls and blast beats will penetrate deep inside your skin in The Dead Sale, feeling like Benjamin and Céline want to disintegrate their guitar strings due to the violence they apply to their riffage; followed by Innocent, the album’s second to last blast of classic Death Metal made in Belgium, where Benjamin is spot-on with his wicked guitar solo while Rémy doesn’t stop pounding his bass not even for a single second in a solid display of aggressiveness and rage. Lastly, how about more heaviness, anger and speed to properly close the album? That’s what they offer our metallic ears in Chaos Theory, where Anouk’s deranged, guttural roars are not recommended for the lighthearted, and with Julian dictating the pace with his demonic beats and fills.

BleedSkin’s debut full-length opus can be better appreciated in its entirety on YouTube and on Spotify, but of course in order to show them your utmost support don’t forget to follow such promising band hailing from Belgium on Facebook and on Instagram, to subscribe to their YouTube channel for more of their sick creations and official videos, and above all that, to click HERE and purchase or stream your favorite version of Blood Reign. As you might have already noticed, those Belgian metallers do not aim at reinventing Death Metal nor anything like that, having as their main goal keeping the fires of classic Death Metal burning bright in the underground and, consequently, offering us fans a very good reason for breaking our necks headbanging and slamming like maniacs. Well, in the end, what else can we ask for in first-class extreme music, right? And thanks to the girls an boys from BleedSkin, we can rest assured we’ll have a lot of fuel to burn into the circle pit to the sound of their visceral music for quite a while.

Best moments of the album: Eternal Hatred, Schizophrenia and Silence Is Your Only Way.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2020 Independent

Track listing
1. Perverted Feelings 1:51
2. Eternal Hatred 3:18
3. Obsession 3:19
4. No One Will Hear You 3:44
5. Schizophrenia 3:33
6. Point of No Return 4:03
7. Perversion of Mankind 3:33
8. Silence Is Your Only Way 3:55
9. The Dead Sale 3:18
10. Innocent 4:02
11. Chaos Theory 4:03

Band members
Anouk Debecq – vocals
Benjamin Lefevre – lead guitars
Céline Mazay – guitars
Rémy Adam – bass
Julien Vanhees – drums

Guest musician
Logan Dykens – backing vocals on “Schizophrenia”, “Silence Is Your Only Way”, “The Dead Sale” and “Innocent”

Album Review – Invernoir / The Void and the Unbearable Loss (2020)

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Succumb to the fusion of the Doom, Death and Gothic Metal sounds found in the first full-length opus by an Italian act that perfectly represents the coldness of anguish and pain.

Born from the desire to revive the fusion of Doom, Death and Gothic Metal sounds of the 90’s taking inspiration from the best albums of bands like My Dying Bride, Anathema, Katatonia and Paradise Lost, Rome, Italy-based project Invernoir is cold and decadence, the anguish due to the awareness of not having a goal, the lack of answers, apathy and pain. Comprised of Alessandro Sforza (Ars Onirica) on harsh vocals, guitars, drum programming and cymbals, Lorenzo Carlini (Black Therapy) on clean vocals and guitars, and Valerio Lippera (Lykaion) on bass, Invernoir have been making a name for themselves since their inception in 2016, having already played alongside amazing bands such as Candlemass, Ahab, Skepticism, Shores of Null, Naga and Weeping Silence, and now two years after their debut four-track EP Mourn this dark and talented Italian triumvirate (now a quartet with the recent addition of drummer Flavio Castagnoli to their lineup, by the way) returns with the bold and atmospheric The Void and the Unbearable Loss, not only their first ever full-length effort, but an album that will surely carve the word “doom” in the blackened hearts of fans of the genre from all over the world.

It’s a grey, rainy and bleak day, the perfect ambience for Invernoir to captivate our senses with the title-track The Void and The Unbearable Loss, slowly growing in intensity until their sluggish beats and piercing guitars permeate the air for our total delight, followed by The Path, sounding less doomed and a lot more inclined to Gothic Metal than its predecessor. Furthermore, Alessandro and Lorenzo are once again precise with their riffs while alternating between their anguished roars and gloomy clean vocals, while Valerio blasts his bass with tons of groove. Then get ready for a somber and heavy-as-hell hybrid of traditional Doom Metal with Blackened Doom and Gothic Metal entitled House of Debris, perfect for breaking your neck headbanging in solitude while Alessandro screams like a demonic entity. And more melancholy in the form of first-class Doom Metal is offered by Invernoir in Suspended Alive, showcasing truly deep and obscure lyrics (“The purest form of pain / I saw it before it was born / The purest form of pain / A frame / Of what it was / And yet not”), smashing drums and endless agony flowing from their riffs.

Investing in a much more atmospheric and melodious sound, with Lorenzo taking the lead with his passionate clean vocals, Cast Away is another dense and introspective fusion of Melodic Doom Metal and Gothic Rock by this talented Italian trio, and they continue their downward spiral into madness and obscurity with the hammering Doom Metal feast titled The Burden, displaying a great job done by all three band members with their stringed weapons, therefore offering both Alessandro and Lorenzo all they need to sing and gnarl in anger. After such dense sonority, a strident riff kicks off the brutal, slow-paced At Night, presenting the band’s most damned side and reminding me of some of the creations by the iconic Paradise Lost and My Dying Bride in what’s probably their rawest and most visceral of all songs, before they come ripping with one more of their Stygian voyages through the realms of gothic and doom in The Loneliest, where Lorenzo is spot-on with his clean vocals by generating an amazing paradox with the harsh growls by Alessandro, always supported by the minimalist, thunderous bass by Valerio. Put differently, they couldn’t have ended the album in a more beautiful way.

This fantastic and somber gem of Italian gothic and doom can be fully appreciated on YouTube and on Spotify, and if you’re curious to know more about the guys from Invernoir, their music and their plans for the future you can start following them on Facebook and on Instagram, and of course purchase The Void and the Unbearable Loss from their own BandCamp page, from Funere’s BandCamp page or from the BadMoodMan Music’s BandCamp page, as well as from Apple Music, Amazon and Discogs. As aforementioned, the new album by Invernoir is highly recommended for lovers of the melancholy blasted by the titans of the genre like My Dying Bride and Katatonia, proving once again why Italy has become (and will always be) a reference in underground doom.

Best moments of the album: Suspended Alive and Cast Away.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2020 Funere/BadMoodMan Music

Track listing
1. The Void and The Unbearable Loss 7:03
2. The Path 7:02
3. House of Debris 5:57
4. Suspended Alive 5:37
5. Cast Away 7:09
6. The Burden 5:28
7. At Night 6:08
8. The Loneliest 7:00

Band members
Alessandro Sforza – harsh vocals, guitars, drum programming, cymbals
Lorenzo Carlini – clean vocals, guitars
Valerio Lippera – bass

Album Review – Kuujeojabenojujanomiashikushija / The Hunting Boar! The Hunting Tyrant! (2020)

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A solitary man on a mission seeking self-emptying and seeing the violent animal within brings to our ears his brand new experimental musical journey.

“You can kill it, but you must see it.”

If you throw  the expression “Kuujeojabenojujanomiashikushija” into Google Translator just out of curiosity like I did, you’ll see the app recognizes it as Swahili, translating it to “Come on in, take a look and enjoy yourself!” I have absolutely no idea if that was the intention of the mysterious American vocalist and multi-instrumentalist R.P. when he originally named his Experimental Death Metal project Kuujeojabenojujanomiashikushija, a solitary man on a mission seeking self-emptying and seeing the violent animal within, but just like its name, this extreme music entity offers a weird, uncanny and absolutely experimental musical journey to the listener in its second studio album, beautifully entitled The Hunting Boar! The Hunting Tyrant!, following up on all the madness found in the project’s 2014 debut EP 82121 and its 2017 full-length opus Hheoalle. In addition, as you might suspect based on the uniqueness of the project, absolutely everything in the album was done by R.P. himself, giving it an additional touch of lunacy and rawness and, therefore, sounding very organic from start to finish.

A mix of Industrial and Avantgarde Metal kicks off the album in the wicked intro Ripped Apart Under Glimmering Constellations, before R.P. slashes his raw, dirty guitar and crushes his drums like a maniac in the excellent Christ’s Descent Into Hell, and let me tell you that the song’s lyrics couldn’t have been more insane than what they already are (“Words accursed: mutational and eclipsed / Iron disc, zwarte zon / Coma of the soul from death to death / I wring the neck! It’s finished. / Poison diplomacy”). You better leave your mind and ears wide open as rumbling bass punches, cryptic vociferations and a sense of hopelessness and despair permeate the air in Vision Of Spinning Golgotha, uniting the sickness of Industrial Death Metal with the finesse of Progressive Metal, whereas R.P.’s demented riffs and beats are the main ingredients in Predator Reconfigured As Prey, another disruptive, dissident metal extravaganza that will make your head tremble throughout its less than three minutes of intense obscurity. And extracting sheer rage and insanity from his razor-edged guitar, R.P. offers our ears more of his Experimental Death Metal in Lycanthrope Before God, resulting in a headbanging tune tailored for admirers of the genre.

Then eerie noises ignite three minutes of industrialized sounds and tones in the instrumental (and lengthy) aria titled Entry, setting the stage for R.P. to roar venomous words (“If they can see me, I will kill them”) nonstop in They Can See Me, while the music remains as paradoxal to anything that can be called mainstream as possible, making an instant bridge with the also eccentric Murderer Swings The Censer, one of the most progressive of all songs, taking his innovative Death Metal to a whole new level of heaviness and fury and ending in a truly sick manner before R.P. comes ripping once again with his austere riffs and low-tuned bass in Scent Trail Under Arched Sconces. Blending the most visceral elements from Death, Groove and Industrial Metal with tons of feeling and darkness, this is one of the best songs of the album hands down. Lastly, are you ready for another round of sick guitars, pounding drums and wicked background noises? That’s what you’ll get in Do You See Over That Mountain?, sounding like an industrialized and instrumental version of the progressive madness blasted by Mastodon, and morphing into the idiosyncratic Epektasis, starting in an atmospheric and ethereal way before becoming a Progressive Rock and Metal exhibit by R.P. until all fades into the void.

I guess after all is said and done, the aforementioned translation to the project’s name, “Come on in, take a look and enjoy yourself!”, makes total sense, as if R.P. is indeed inviting us all to enter his wicked realm of experimentations and violence, take a very good look (or maybe I should say listen) around, and have a good time to the sound of each one of his multi-layered creations. Hence, in order to do that and show him your support and admiration for the underground, you can start following R.P. and his Kuujeojabenojujanomiashikushija on Facebook and purchase a copy of The Hunting Boar! The Hunting Tyrant! From the project’s own BandCamp page. As R.P. himself likes to cryptically say, “you can kill it, but you must see it”, or in the case of his newborn opus, you can kill “it”, but of course you must listen to his entertaining new album first.

Best moments of the album: Christ’s Descent Into Hell, Predator Reconfigured As Prey and Scent Trail Under Arched Sconces.

Worst moments of the album: Entry.

Released in 2020 Independent

Track listing
1. Ripped Apart Under Glimmering Constellations 1:09
2. Christ’s Descent Into Hell 3:20
3. Vision Of Spinning Golgotha 1:55
4. Predator Reconfigured As Prey 2:45
5. Lycanthrope Before God 2:14
6. Entry 3:00
7. They Can See Me 1:30
8. Murderer Swings The Censer 3:23
9. Scent Trail Under Arched Sconces 4:03
10. Do You See Over That Mountain? 3:13
11. Epektasis 4:33

Band members
R.P. – vocals, all instruments