Resurfacing from the dark pits of Phoenix after eight years of silence, this unrelenting Death Metal beast returns with their third studio album, a dense and suffocating descent into lacerating and surgically cold darkness.
Resurfacing from the dark pits of Phoenix, Arizona after eight years of silence, the unrelenting Death Metal beast known as Lago attacks again with their third full-length opus, entitled Vigil, following up on their 2018 sophomore offering Sea of Duress. Recorded, mixed, and mastered by the band’s own Brian Miller, and showcasing a sinister artwork by the always amazing Adam Burke of Nightjar Illustration, the new opus by vocalist and guitarist Cole Jacobsen, guitarist Gus Barr, bassist Garrett Thomas, and drummer Brian Miller is a dense and suffocating descent into lacerating and surgically cold darkness, channeling the weight of dissonant and modern Death Metal while carving deeper into their own bleak and atmospheric sound.
The vicious guitars by Cole and Gus will penetrate deep inside your skin in the opening tune Behold, Ruin, offering an overdose of melodic yet feral Death Metal while Brian brings tons of groove to the music with his intricate beats and fills. Fodder presents another avalanche of heaviness and fury by Lago where Cole’s cadaverous guttural matches perfectly with the primeval kitchen blasted by Garrett and Brian, not to mention Gus’ guitar solos are utterly electrifying; and Lago are a band who loves to add elements of Progressive and Technical Death Metal into their music, which is exactly what we get in Procession Into Slaughter, with Brian once again taking the lead with his unrelenting drums. Initiation Rite is a song tailored for admirers of some good old headbanging thanks to the massive riffs by Cole and Gus, and it should become a fan-favorite if played live, whereas their raging riffs continue to crush our bodies and souls in In A House Of Ill Repute, also presenting hints of Doom Metal to give it an even darker vibe. After such a demented tune, Garrett and Brian are in total sync and on absolute fire in the hard hitting Kingdom Without Pulse, a lecture in Death Metal by those relentless guys; and finally, we’re invited for one last mosh pit with the detailed and multi-layered The Land Was A Desert, with Cole’s enraged roars elevating the song’s ferocity to a whole new level.
“The writing for Vigil began in 2023 and found the band rebuilt after a few years of relative silence and this also marks the first time we as a band have completely handled all aspects of the production ourselves. Expect the next step as we build upon our previous releases, calling upon influences from legends Morbid Angel, Immolation and Gorguts. Vigil will be out most focused release to date,” commented the band, and those talented metallers from Arizona are waiting for you on Facebook and on Instagram with more of their music, news and tour dates. Don’t forget to also stream their ruthless music on Spotify, and above all that, to purchase their extremely vile and aggressive new album via mailorder or from BandCamp. The guys from Lago are hungry for your blood armed with their visceral new opus, and hopefully it won’t take another eight years for them to strike again with a new album as devastating and sharp as Vigil.
Best moments of the album:Fodder and Kingdom Without Pulse.
Worst moments of the album: None.
Released in 2026 Everlasting Spew Records
Track listing 1. Behold, Ruin 6:12
2. Fodder 5:59
3. Procession Into Slaughter 5:29
4. Initiation Rite 4:46
5. In A House Of Ill Repute 7:46
6. Kingdom Without Pulse 5:44
7. The Land Was A Desert 6:12
Band members Cole Jacobsen – vocals, guitars
Gus Barr – lead guitars
Garrett Thomas – bass, additional vocals
Brian Miller – drums
Internally, I feel like a cosmic explosion. It’s where the stars are born. It’s where stars die.
In order to properly celebrate 13 years of The Headbanging Moose, our metal lady chosen for this month of October is the ultimate definition of the underground, and I’m sure that after knowing more about her, you’ll get addicted to her ass-kicking music. She’s the frontwoman for a phenomenal new supergroup named Visitant, as well as the vocalist for the also excellent band Voraath, not to mention she’s also an extremely talented voice actress. Call her by her real name Chelsea Strickland, or by her artistic moniker Chelsea Marrow, she will kick your ass with her undisputed Extreme Metal growls, undeniable charisma, and a deep passion for the darkest and most extreme side of music. Having said all that, do you think you have what it takes to enter in the realm of fire and flames ruled by one of the most talented female growlers of the current heavy music scene? Or in other words, get ready to be pulverized by Chelsea’s scathing vocals in our humble tribute to such a multi-talented woman.
Born on February 2, 1988 in Pensacola, Florida, in the United States, Chelsea started her career in heavy music as the vocalist for a Florida-based Blackened/Melodic Death Metal band named Accursed Creator, with whom she recorded the singles All Will Suffer (2016), Prelude of Worms (2016), and Scourge of Tested Flesh (2018), as well as the three-track EP Sins of the Father in 2016, which includes one of the singles, Prelude of Worms, before departing from the band in 2020. Their new vocalist is a guy named Kodiac Jackson, who joined the band in 2023, but they haven’t released any new material yet with him on vocals. You can enjoy their songs with Chelsea on vocals on both BandCamp and Spotify, and enjoy their official videos for songs like Throne of Iron and Scourge of Tested Flesh on YouTube.
A few years after leaving Accursed Creator, our talented she-wolf joined Asheville, North Carolina-based Technical/Experimental Death Metal band Voraath, alongside Daniel Presnell and Tylor Kohl on the guitars, Paul McBride on bass, and Joshua Nassaru Ward on drums, replacing their previous vocalist Brad Parris, having recorded with the band the excellent Vol 1: The Hymn of the Hunters back in 2024, available on BandCamp, Spotify or any other streaming service. In one of her interviews when she joined the band, she explained how everything happened. “I’ve been friends with Joshua Ward, who’s the current drummer for Voraath, for a couple of years, now. In the past, we’ve discussed the possibility of having me feature on a Voraath song. I believe it paved the way to where we are now. There were some recent lineup changes, and Josh reached out to me. He offered the opportunity to be a permanent member of Voraath and I happily accepted with no hesitation.”
Chelsea likes to describe Voraath’s sound as an auditory odyssey both extreme and emotional. “We wanted to keep our roots and extreme metal while still exploring storytelling,” she commented, also explaining what’s behind their masks and costumes. “We built our own multiverse with cosmic entities who have propagated life throughout a biocentric universe. It’s a complex story but we are in a post-apocalyptic future ruled by corporations and interdimensional entities, and we are just a group of hired retrieval experts trying to support our families in this dismal reality when we are hired to retrieve something that’s beyond our understanding, unearthing the body of a otherworldly being which in the lore is how we get our armor and mask, infused with technology not of this world.”
Unfortunately, the ultra talented Joshua Nassaru Ward, of bands like Rapheumets Well, Olkoth and Xael, sadly passed away on December 31, 2024, and that might have been the end of Voraath as well. Joshua, along with his fiancée and two other people, was killed in a car accident when a drunk driver crashed into their car on New Year’s Eve. Not only Chelsea lost a good friend, but her passion for Voraath and the future of the band together with her bandmates was beautiful, and I’m sure her heart and soul might be broken into tiny pieces after what happened with Joshua based on her previous comments about the band. “Everyone in the band is so fucking talented. I love the depth and storyline behind the music. There is a whole visual experience, in addition to the epic soundscape that Voraath creates. Envisioning myself as an outsider, I see this band as something truly to behold. Memorable.”
Although we might not know what’s going to be of Voraath, Chelsea can also be found now as the frontwoman for a newborn Blackened Death Metal beast named Visitant, and let me tell you such an up-and-coming underground supergroup will crush you like a putrid insect so heavy, dark, emotional and visceral they sound. Formed in February 2022 in Pensacola, Florida by our ruthless diva Chelsea on vocals alongside guitarist Taylor Tidwell (Accursed Creator, Unaligned, Withered Throne), bassist Kilian Duarte (Abiotic, Lattermath, Mimesis, Scale the Summit), and drummer Anthony Lusk-Simone (Abiotic, Lattermath, Pathogenic, Shroud of Bereavement, Your Pain Is Endearing, among many others), this powerhouse of a band brings endless savage energy to the metal community armed with their debut offering, entitled Rubidium, a monster of Blackened Death Metal displaying a stunning yet suffocating artwork crafted by Chelsea herself.
All tracks in Rubidium are fantastic, which each one having a special meaning for Chelsea and the boys. For instance, she had a few words to say about the idea and video for the killer single Fodder. “In the dream, I attempted to bring my friend back from the dead against the warnings of my ancestors – and everything went wrong. It felt like a horror short from my subconscious, and the video captures that eerie, ritualistic atmosphere.” Furthermore, in a recent interview to the excellent The Zach Moonshine Show, Chelsea opened up about the band’s journey, the personal grief behind Fodder, and channeling pain into power through music. “I’m just putting every bit of my spirit into it,” she commented, reflecting on the band’s rise and her transition from Voraath to Visitant. She also discussed the haunting inspiration behind Starless, describing it as “the embodiment of shadow work,” and explained the dreamlike vision that drives her lyricism and visuals. “I like to take personal experiences and turn them into ghost stories.” If you’re eager to know more about Visitant and put your hands on Rubidium, you can find the band on Spotify, purchase the album by clicking HERE, or simply access this link for all things Visitant.
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Chelsea can also be found as a guest vocalist for some amazing metal bands from the underground scene. Her first contributions happened back in 2019, when she recorded guest vocals for the songs Black Annis, from the album Fear In Fiction, by American Metalcore/Rap Metal musician and audio engineer Sammy SlamDance, and Ancient of Days, from the album Dead Gods, by the now defunct American Progressive/Brutal Death Metal band Nekroí Theoí; followed by the song Entity 6, from the 2023 EP Wounded, by American Technical Deathcore piece Fleshbound; and more recently the female vocals for the single Ascended Deliverance, released earlier this year by UK’s Sludge Metal outfit Tigguo Cobauc. She also sang with an American Death Metal band named Seditious Deceit back in 2020, although there isn’t much information about how she contributed to the band’s music at that time. In addition, Chelsea was also responsible for the artwork for the split album Ashes of Dagoth, by American Melodic Death/Black Metal band Ob Nixilis and American Post-Metal act To Keep the Wolves Away, once again showcasing her passion for the darkest side of arts.
When asked about her idols and influences in one of her interviews about Voraath, Chelsea mentioned Sci-Fi movies and video game soundtracks as her main references, while also drawing inspiration from bands such as Dimmu Borgir, Fleshgod Apocalypse, Septicflesh, Cattle Decapitation, Acid Bath, Alkaloid, and Igorr, mentioning in special Fleshgod Apocalypse and Cattle Decapitation as their biggest influences and the top bands she would like to collaborate with either by herself or together with Voraath (and I’m sure with Visitant as well). Moreover, speaking of collaborating with other bands, which leads to also touring with her own band plus other bands, Chelsea also had a few words to say about how anyone can better manage their time and relationships with all band members. “Have a pliable and comprimisable attitude. You’re stuck in a vehicle with four to five other people so developing good coping strategies and having solid communication with each other is important.”
As aforementioned, our she-wolf is also a respectable voice actress, working in the “monster sounds” division of The Monster Factory (or La Fabrique de Monstres), having the ability to craft sounds that resemble zombies, undead creatures, ghouls, vampires, trolls, orcs, goblins, demons, aliens, wizards, humans, animals in general, small creatures, insects, ghosts, whispers, dragons, and robots. For instance, as part of The Monster Factory team, she provided choir vocals for the soundtrack of the 2020 video game Doom Eternal. Not only that, apart from her career as a musician, a voice actress and a visual artist, Chelsea also works as a social media marketing manager and barista at Pacific Kava Bar in Florida, as one of the sponsored artists by CAD Audio, and as a photographer at Metal Purgatory Media and at Chelsea Marrow Photography, proving how relentless and focused she can be.
After all is said and done, I’m sure you perfectly understand now why Chelsea was chosen as our beyond talented metal lady to celebrate another year in the life (and death) of The Headbanging Moose. She lives and breathes heavy music, she never gives up no matter what, and she will keep delivering first-class extreme music for us avid metalheads for many decades to come without a shadow of a doubt. Keep an eye on her social media because we’ll probably see Visitant paying a dark and ruthless visit to several cities and towns in North America anytime soon, hopefully also spreading their blackened wings over Canada, Europe and all other parts of the world, giving us mere mortals the chance to witness live onstage one of the must-see names of the current extreme music scene worldwide. Needless to say, Chelsea will love to see you in the crowd headbanging to her infernal vocals.
A newborn Blackened Death Metal beast from Florida is ready to kill to the sound of their debut offering, embodying the bleakest parts of being human.
Formed in February 2022 in Pensacola, Florida, in the United States by guitarist Taylor Tidwell (Unaligned, Withered Throne) and vocalist Chelsea Marrow (Voraath, The Monster Factory), Visitant are a Blackened Death Metal band that weaves ethereal elements into a soundscape that is as haunting as it is aggressive. Lyrically and musically, the band crafts immersive dreamscapes, ritualistic and unrelenting, that channel the essence of restless, vengeful spirits. Recorded by Taylor Tidwell and Anthony Lusk-Simone, produced and mixed by Anthony Lusk-Simone, mastered by Jason Fisher at Exitus Stratagem Records, and displaying a stylish artwork by Chelsea Marrow (with layout and logo by Maxwell Aston), Rubidiumis the debut album by the aforementioned Taylor Tidwell and Chelsea Marrow alongside bassist Kilian Duarte (Abiotic, Lattermath, Felix Martin, Scale the Summit), and drummer Anthony Lusk-Simone (Abiotic, Lattermath, Pathogenic), embodying the bleakest parts of being human while dealing with the darkest emotions such as grief, loss, betrayal, vengeance, time lost, and regret.
Chelsea already showcases all her vocal depth and rage in the opening tune Unworldly, an imposing Black Metal aria where Anthony’s pounding drums and background orchestrations sound absurdly heavy, followed by Briars, offering another whimsical, atmospheric start to the band’s minimalist sounds before Taylor and Killian fire piercing, monumental sounds from their axes supported by the Black and Death Metal drumming by Anthony. Visitant then bring to our avid years another avalanche of cinematic and obscure sounds in Starless, where Chelsea’s gnarls walk hand in hand with Anthony’s drums, followed by the demolishing Rubidium, keeping the atmosphere as heavy and dense as possible. In Fodder, Chelsea keeps screaming the song’s devilish words (“A cold eclipse / An opening amidst flame / Your being, engulfed / I never thought I’d see your face beyond the light”) while her bandmates generate the most sulfurous and evil Blackened Death Metal sound imaginable. Then blasting a gripping fusion of Symphonic Black Metal with Post-Black Metal elements we have Envies Lament, with the riffage by Taylor sounding acid and vile; and last but not least, we face one final Black Metal attack by the quartet entitled Moon Bathe, with Taylor stealing the spotlight with his infernal, caustic riffage.
In a nutshell, fans of Gojira, Opeth, Naglfar, and Between the Buried and Me will certainly have a blast with the visceral experience that transcends genre boundaries offered by Visitant in Rubidium, placing the band under the radar of most metalheads across the world who enjoy a solid and professional fusion of aggressiveness, violence, harmony, obscurity and rage. You can get more details about this up-and-coming horde hailing from Florida by following them on Facebook and on Instagram, keep an eye on their official videos on their YouTube channel, stream their music on Spotify, and of course purchase a copy of their flammable debut by clicking HERE. Chelsea, Taylor & Co. are summoning a beast from the abyss in their first ever full-length offering, darkening the skies and haunting our souls mercilessly and, therefore, already getting us all hyped for whatever comes next in their exciting career in the upcoming years.
Best moments of the album:Unworldly, Fodder and Envies Lament.
Resurfacing from the dark pits of Phoenix, Arizona after eight years of silence, the unrelenting Death Metal beast known as Lago attacks again with their third full-length opus, entitled Vigil, following up on their 2018 sophomore offering Sea of Duress. Recorded, mixed, and mastered by the band’s own Brian Miller, and showcasing a sinister artwork by the always amazing Adam Burke of Nightjar Illustration, the new opus by vocalist and guitarist Cole Jacobsen, guitarist Gus Barr, bassist Garrett Thomas, and drummer Brian Miller is a dense and suffocating descent into lacerating and surgically cold darkness, channeling the weight of dissonant and modern Death Metal while carving deeper into their own bleak and atmospheric sound.
“The writing for Vigil began in 2023 and found the band rebuilt after a few years of relative silence and this also marks the first time we as a band have completely handled all aspects of the production ourselves. Expect the next step as we build upon our previous releases, calling upon influences from legends Morbid Angel, Immolation and Gorguts. Vigil will be out most focused release to date,” commented the band, and those talented metallers from Arizona are waiting for you on Facebook and on Instagram with more of their music, news and tour dates. Don’t forget to also stream their ruthless music on Spotify, and above all that, to purchase their extremely vile and aggressive new album via mailorder or from BandCamp. The guys from Lago are hungry for your blood armed with their visceral new opus, and hopefully it won’t take another eight years for them to strike again with a new album as devastating and sharp as Vigil.
THE HEADBANGING MOOSE 