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Album Review – Infested Angel / Threnodies to Eternal Despair (2025)

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An up-and-coming UK Death Metal duo is ready to unleash hell with their first full-length album, taking the listener to the darkest corners of the human soul.

A blastbeat-driven Death Metal band originating from Birmingham, England, the infernal duo known as Infested Angel has honed their sound even further in their new album Threnodies to Eternal Despair, embracing intense, brutal riffs that pulse with a powerful, sorrowful melody, working as the perfect follow-up to their 2021 EP Nourish Me, Satan and their 2022 EP Submit to Death. Recorded, mixed and mastered by Greg Chandler at Priory Recording Studios, and crafted with raw rage and sorrow by vocalist and guitarist Andrew “Mick” Bryan and drummer Patryk “Pat” Kaczmarek, the album promises to take you to the darkest corners of the human soul during its intense 11 songs.

The opener No Time for Despair portrays a story of the imminent and absolute loss of all humankind in an extinction event, reflected in its devilish lyrics (“Finally, the day has come, / Incinerate, she burns the sun, / All we had plundered, / All we had framed, / No Time for Despair, / No time to revere, / Submit to Death, / Our ending is here”), while the duo offers us all six (six six) minutes of absolute darkness and hatred in the form of ass-kicking Death Metal in To Never Return. Then we have Euphony of Dismay, with its lyrics roared by Andrew dealing with a chaotic personal self-reflection on experiencing suicidal depression (“On taking my life, / Of aching and strife, / Oh how could I wish it to be, / Forced into pain, / With cowing and shame, / A ruinous ending foreseen”) in an incendiary fusion of Black and Death Metal; and it’s impressive how two guys only can make so much noise like in Dread Incorporeal, with the blast beats by Patryk sounding truly chaotic and vile.

The acoustic, introspective interlude Fields of Ashes sets the stage for the duo to kill again in Control of Fear, sounding demolishing form start to finish, with Andrew slashing his axe while he also growls rabidly until the very end. Then we have The Lost Battle, featuring composer, sound design and pianist Nathaniel Coxon, with his gentle piano notes beautifully permeating the air until all hell breaks loose to the venomous roars by Andrew and the crushing beats by Patryk; and after such a dense tune, they keep firing sulfur and darkness in Misanthropic Elegy, with Patryk once again delivering bestial yet intricate beats. Darkness Envelops is not as exciting as the previous tunes, despite its heaviness and fury, while Suffering and Retribution is another hammering slab of Death and Black Metal where Andrew delivers his most inhumane guttural of all. Nathaniel Coxon returns in Into the Night’s Embrace, a serene outro that brings some peace to our hearts to conclude the album; however, there’s still time for two bonus tracks titled The Bastard Will Materialise and Unholy Decay, both utterly vile and heavy-as-hell.

Charging depictions of tragedy, loss and existential suffering straight to the heart of the listeners that have been subject to their inimitable style, Infested Angel sound merciless throughout their newborn beast Threnodies to Eternal Despair, which you can purchase from the Art Gates Records webstore as a CD + shirt bundle, a CD + hoodie bundle, or a CD + shirt + hoodie bundle, and don’t forget to also give the duo a shout on Facebook and on Instagram, to stream their music on Spotify, or simply click HERE for all things Infested Angel. Put differently, subsume yourself now into the Infested Angel cult and submit to death, letting the music found in their new album be the ultimate soundtrack to your eulogy.

Best moments of the album: To Never Return, Euphony of Dismay and The Lost Battle.

Worst moments of the album: Darkness Envelops.

Released in 2025 Art Gates Records

Track listing
1. No Time for Despair 3:59
2. To Never Return 6:06
3. Euphony of Dismay 5:11
4. Dread Incorporeal 6:46
5. Fields of Ashes 1:32
6. Control of Fear 4:58
7. The Lost Battle 6:44
8. Misanthropic Elegy 3:52
9. Darkness Envelops 5:14
10. Suffering and Retribution 3:58
11. Into the Night’s Embrace 2:33

Bonus tracks
12. The Bastard Will Materialise 3:47
13. Unholy Decay 5:21

Band members
Andrew “Mick” Bryan – vocals, guitars
Patryk “Pat” Kaczmarek – drums

Guest musician
Nathaniel Coxon – piano on “The Lost Battle” and “Into the Night’s Embrace”

Album Review – Golgothan Remains / Bearer of Light, Matriarch of Death EP (2024)

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A concept EP of monumental Death Metal mastery made in Australia, recounting a journey across a mystical, barren world cloaked in darkness.

A concept EP of monumental Death Metal mastery, recounting a journey across a mystical, barren world cloaked in darkness, Bearer of Light, Matriarch of Death is the brand new offering by Sydney, Australia-based entity Golgothan Remains, following up on their 2018 debut Perverse Offerings to the Void and their 2022 sophomore album Adorned in Ruin. Re-amped, mixed and mastered by Greg Chandler at Priory Recording Studios, and displaying a stunning artwork by Christian Kiesling of Misanthropic Art, capturing the journey through time and space, and the story’s setting, landscapes and aura which are relayed in the EP, Bearer of Light, Matriarch of Death brings forth the band’s distinct brand of relentless Death Metal, masterfully balancing blistering speeds, sinister Black Metal undertones, and crushing doom, all carefully crafted by Matthieu Van den Brande on vocals, Matt Hillman on the guitars, Adam Martin on bass, and Aled Powell on drums.

The dissonant, cryptic guitars by Matt set the tone in the opening track Methuselah, being gradually accompanied by his bandmates while Matthieu delivers his deepest roars with tons of anger, all boosted by the massive beats by Aled; whereas Tribulation presents an even more infernal and demolishing version of the band where Aled keeps hammering his drums nonstop supported by the rumbling bass by Adam. Put differently, it’s harsh, no shenanigans Death Metal that sounds like it’s coming from the deepest tomb, ending in a haunting manner before we’re treated to Necropoles, another pulverizing explosion of primeval Death Metal spearheaded by the visceral growling by Matthieu. Lastly, closing the EP we face the incendiary, somber Andromeda, where once again the blast beats by Aled match perfectly with the strident riffage by Matt in the best Death Metal vibe possible.

The final result in Bearer of Light, Matriarch of Death is a suffocating, trance-inducing atmosphere of unyielding intensity, with the story being told only making things even more hypnotizing. “It is a wrought, and evil love story about two centuries old creatures trying to find companionship but due to their strong evil spirit are unable to exist with another powerful figure by their side,” commented the band, and you can get in touch with them and find more information about their new EP on Facebook and on Instagram. Don’t forget to also stream their music on Spotify or on Apple Music, and of course to grab a copy of Bearer of Light, Matriarch of Death from their own BandCamp, as well as from the Dark Descent Records’ BandCamp or webstore in CD or vinyl format. The journey through the dark has begun to the sound of the new opus by Golgothan Remains, and you better get ready as once you start following the band on that sinister path, there’s no turning back.

Best moments of the album: Tribulation and Andromeda.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2024 Dark Descent Records

Track listing
1. Methuselah 6:13
2. Tribulation 5:22
3. Necropoles 4:24
4. Andromeda 5:04

Band members
Matthieu Van den Brande – vocals
Matt Hillman – guitars
Adam Martin – bass
Aled Powell – drums

Album Review – Adorior / Bleed on My Teeth (2024)

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This old school beast will attack once again with their brand new album, a revelation for the black-hearted survivors of this diseased and treacherous world, the true nemesis of pseudo-rebellious Heavy Metal.

An expression in Latin meaning “to rise up to attack”, Adorior are a  Black and Death Metal beast formed in 1994 in London, England that has always been the essence and the epitome of Extreme Heavy Metal. Now, after nearly two decades, this avalanche of fist-fucking, speed-thrashing, pitch-black death is about to bury the conformist and comfortable dreamland of nowadays domesticated metal culture with their new album titled Bleed on My Teeth, a nightmare absolute, the true nemesis of pseudo-rebellious Heavy Metal. Recorded and mixed by Greg Chandler at Priory Recording Studios, mastered by Patrick Engel at Temple of Disharmony, and displaying a demonic artwork by Belial NecroArts, the new opus by vocalist Jaded Lungs, guitarists T. Slutsodomizer and S. Assassinator, bassist R.C., and drummer D. Molestör has a lot of dirt under its fingernails, but it finally reanimates the corpse of mind-fucking, repulsive and dangerous music serving the devil, without giving an inch to newer, shitty genre definitions.

Like a train directly from hell the quintet arrives in full force in Begrime Judas, blending Black and Death Metal with endless sulfur and rebelliousness led by the she-demon vocals by Jaded Lungs, not to mention its scorching thrashing riffs; and the rumbling bass by R.C. kicks off the also demented Ophidian Strike, with the galloping drums by D. Molestör inspiring us all to bang our heads nonstop before exploding into a demented feast of old school Black Metal. Once again adding an endless amount of Thrash Metal and Hardcore elements to their core essence we’re treated to L.O.T.P. – Vomit Vomit Vomit Bastard, while D. Molestör crushes his drums in the most visceral Death Metal way imaginable, whereas in Precipice of Fire the band offers more of the guitar madness blasted by T. Slutsodomizer and S. Assassinator, resulting in an infernal metal attack that sounds like it was taken directly from the 80’s.

Jaded Lungs is a beast incarnate in the seven-minute aria of hell titled Sips of Sarin, where her bandmates blast their sonic weapons in the name of evil, allowing her to scream and gnarl with tons of despair, therefore turning it into one of the best moments of the album. It’s quite interesting how all of their songs go beyond the five or six minute mark, and Scavengers of Vengeance couldn’t have been any different than that, sounding insane from start to finish thanks to the slashing riffage by the band’s guitar duo, whereas the second to last blast of old school blasphemy by Adorior is entitled Moment of Mania, with Jaded Lungs gnarling rabidly amidst a hurricane of chaotic, demented sounds blasted by her bandmates, and with the sound of their riffs being a thing of beauty. Lastly, let’s all face almost seven minutes of impious, sulfurous Death and Thrash Metal made in the UK in the title-track Bleed on My Teeth, with D. Molestör sounding ruthless on drums and, consequently, putting a beyond infernal conclusion to the band’s blackened death and thrash attack.

Bleed on my Teeth is a revelation for the black-hearted survivors of this diseased and treacherous world, and you will certainly feel this record like it has been tattooed into your bones, but if you don’t, then fuck off and pray that you never will. Hence, keep an eye on their Facebook for news and tour dates, stream their depraved creations on Spotify, and grab a copy of the sulfurous Bleed on my Teeth from their own BandCamp page, from the Sepulchral Voice’s BandCamp page, or from the Dark Descent Records webstore as a digisleeve CD, a black LP, a red and black LP, or a cassette. Adorior are still alive and kicking after so many decades on the road, and you better be prepared for their ruthless attack to the sound of their high-octane, unfiltered new album as you’re quickly consumed by evil.

Best moments of the album: Ophidian Strike, Precipice of Fire and Sips of Sarin.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2024 Dark Descent Records/Sepulchral Voice

Track listing
1. Begrime Judas 5:55
2. Ophidian Strike 5:33
3. L.O.T.P. – Vomit Vomit Vomit Bastard 6:16
4. Precipice of Fire 5:40
5. Sips of Sarin 7:08
6. Scavengers of Vengeance 6:29
7. Moment of Mania 5:52
8. Bleed on My Teeth 6:51

Band members
Jaded Lungs – vocals
T. Slutsodomizer – guitars
S. Assassinator – guitars
R.C. – bass
D. Molestör – drums

Album Review – Coldun / Grand Sun Ritual (2021)

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Armed with their third full-length opus, this excellent German act is among us all to prove that in death nothing is absolute, and certainly not an end.

Initiated as a solo project by vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Coldun himself in 2006 in Chemnitz, a city in Saxony, eastern Germany, Atmospheric Progressive Metal act Coldun has grown into a veritable formation through the years, being currently formed by the aforementioned Coldun supported by his henchmen ZK and MR on the guitars, and NC on drums. Now in 2021 those talented musicians climb the logical next step together with their enthroned throat emperor in the project’s new and third album with the inspiring title Grand Sun Ritual, a real soul slurper that shows influences from Doom to Post-Metal, connecting both worlds throughout its over 51 minutes of atmospheric passages and grandiose, progressive music. Mixed and Mastered by Greg Chandler at Priory Recordings in Birmingham, UK and featuring a minimalist but impactful artwork by KaGo.O_O, Grand Sun Ritual revolves around the eternally topical questions of humanity about the respective meaning of life and death, With its thought-provoking lyrics showing a radically positive basic tenor, which stands for Coldun’s personal conviction that in death nothing is absolute, and certainly not an end.

Featuring guest Markus Bär on saxophone, Middle-Eastern sounds permeate the air in the mesmerizing title-track Grand Sun Ritual, with sheer poetry flowing from the song’s lyrics darkly declaimed by Coldun (“Awaked in timeless space / Bright and dark at once / Where is the coloured field I lay? / Where is the blood, where is the pain?”) while NC dictates the pace with his Doom Metal-inspired progressive beats; and more of Coldun’s atmospheric sounds and passages come in the form of The Forest And The Soul, where ZK and MR will pierce your mind with their classy riffs and solos, reminding me of some of the latest creations by bands like Insomnium with a touch of the melancholy of HIM. Then dark clouds are above us all in the Atmospheric Metal aria Down Below, once again presenting striking guitar riffs and solos supported by the solid bass jabs by Coldun, who also fires his trademark, anguished vocals in a lecture in Atmospheric Progressive Metal.

Blending the sonority of progressive music from the 80’s, 90’s and 2000’s, Coldun and his loyal squad deliver the also bold and epic Salvation Day, where ZK and MR are in absolute sync with NC, crafting a dense ambience perfect for another round of Coldun’s deep vocals. After such intense tune, it’s time to close our eyes and relax to the smooth sound of the acoustic guitars in Stories Untold, where we must all let their piercing guitar solos soothe our souls while NC keeps the rhythm as pleasant and enfolding as possible with his classic beats, and you better get ready for over nine minutes of heavy and imposing sounds in the multi-layered Hail Out To Thebes, uniting the Progressive Metal of Dream Theater with the obscurity and potency of Type O Negative and Danzig. Put differently, you’ll be absolutely stunned by such detailed and powerful aria, before Coldun close the album with the experimental, embracing song I Dreamed That Dream, where all band members do a fantastic job by crafting minimalist but dense sounds, in special their stringed trio that’s on fire from start to finish, not to mention the song’s beautiful atmosphere.

In summary, Coldun’s dark, pensive and progressive voyage offered in Grand Sun Ritual will undoubtedly please all fans of the more atmospheric side of metal music, while at the same time also point to a more introspective path ahead of this excellent German act. Hence, don’t forget to follow Coldun on Facebook for news, tour dates and other nice-to-know details about the band, to subscribe to their YouTube channel for more of their music, and above all, to grab your copy of their new album from their own BandCamp page or from Apple Music. As already mentioned, in death nothing is absolute, and certainly not an end, but in heavy music we can all say that the music by Coldun is forever, atemporal and eternal, carving Coldun’s name in the hearts of all metalheads who have the pleasure of listening to the band’s stylish creations like the ones found in their newborn opus.

Best moments of the album: Grand Sun Ritual and Hail Out To Thebes.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2021 Independent

Track listing
1. Grand Sun Ritual 7:41
2. The Forest And The Soul 6:23
3. Down Below 7:42
4. Salvation Day 8:32
5. Stories Untold 5:19
6. Hail Out To Thebes 9:16
7. I Dreamed That Dream 6:34

Band members
Coldun – vocals, bass, Hammond, synths
ZK – guitars
MR – guitars
NC – drums

Guest musician
Markus Bär – saxophone on “Grand Sun Ritual”

Album Review – Descend into Despair / Opium (2020)

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It’s time to get lost in the musical and lyrical universe developed around a pervasive feeling of “weltschmertz” by this distinguished Romanian Funeral Doom act.

Founded in 2010 in Rădăuți, Suceava County, in Romania, but currently located in Cluj-Napoca, Cluj County, also in Romania, an idiosyncratic Doom Metal/Funeral Doom entity known as Descend into Despair has been gradually rising from that point into one of the most noteworthy bands in the local scene, fusing together Death, Black and Sludge Metal with Electronica and Dark Ambient elements to further refine what they like to call “Introspective Doom Metal”, pushing creative boundaries and taking pride in experimenting as much as they can. The band currently comprised of Xander Coza on vocals, analogue synthesizer and guitars, Florentin Popa on clean and choir vocals, lap steel guitars and field recordings, Dragoș C. and Cosmin Farcău on the guitars, Alex Costin on bass, Flaviu Roșca on keyboards and piano, and Luca Breaz on drums developed a musical and lyrical universe around a pervasive feeling of “weltschmertz”, a brooding and ever-looming feeling that physical reality can never fully satisfy the demands of the mind. Now in 2020 the band returns with their third full-length opus, simply titled Opium, offering fans of Funeral Doom almost one hour of cryptic and melancholic passages split into three unique compositions, all embraced by a stunning cover artwork conceptualized by Xander himself, featuring model Melinda Nagy, painting by István Bába and bodypaint by Brigitta Adorjan. “Opium’s conceptual driving force is, we believe, fully grasped within this image, blurring the lines between painting and photography. Twisting classical beauty into modern obsession, weaving harmony of proportion into the disharmony of meaning that soaks through the fabric of existence, our Venus rises forth from horror and remembrance, drained by her rebirth, as murky as the sea that bore her,” commented the band about the connection between the concept of the art and the musical content of their newborn opus.

Featuring guest female vocals by Tara Vanflower, an atmospheric and peaceful start slowly and gradually evolves into a lugubrious feast of doom in ensh[r]ine, with the band’s guitarists Dragos and Cosmin meticulously smashing their stringed axes while Luca brings the thunder with his potent beats. Furthermore, Xander sounds like a beast from the pits of hell with his deep guttural gnarls, with the crisp and crystalline background keys and synths by Flaviu adding a touch of finesse to their mournful musicality. In other words, it’s truly impressive how they fill every single space in the air with tons of heaviness but sounding melodic and ethereal at the same time, ending such massive composition in a beyond enfolding way. Then sinister, atmospheric sounds and tones permeate the air in the also extensive, multi-layered and utterly doomed antumbra, where Xander’s gruesome roars get even more introspective and grim accompanied by the sluggish and melancholic beats by Luca, while the raw sounds of the guitars generate a beautiful paradox with all background keys and synths, also presenting several breaks and variations throughout its 17 lugubrious minutes, and once again bringing an orchestral, cinematic vibe until the very end. Lastly, an array of guests doing choir vocals and spoken pieces are one of the main ingredients in the pensive and obscure closing tune dis[re]member, where the delicate piano notes by Flaviu and the slow and steady beats by Luca walk hand in hand in a hypnotizing Doom Metal voyage. It’s by far the most intricate and the darkest of all three songs, with Dragos, Cosmin and Alex bringing an otherworldly vibe to the music with their sonic weapons, not to mention the breathtaking final act showcasing grim spoken words, crisp guitars and infernal roars amidst a perturbing sense of hopelessness.

In summary, if you can’t live without your daily dosage of Funeral Doom, then this excellent album made in Romania is exactly what you need to fulfill your darkest needs. Hence, don’t forget to show your true support to the guys from Descend into Despair by following them on Facebook and on Instagram, and above all that, by purchasing Opium (which is also available in full on YouTube and on Spotify) from Funere’s Bandcamp page, or go to DistroKid for all options where you can buy or stream the album. Mixed by Indee Rehal Sagoo in London, UK, and mastered by Greg Chandler at Priory Recording Studios in Birmingham, UK, Opium will certainly please all admirers of the most introspective and funereal side of Doom Metal, leaving a scathing mark in the hearts of those who dare to venture through the album’s 59 minutes of sheer obscurity, solitude and sorrow.

Best moments of the album: dis[re]member.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2020 Funere

Track listing
1. ensh[r]ine 22:27
2. antumbra 17:08
3. dis[re]member 19:54

Band members
Xander Coza – vocals, analogue synthesizer, guitars
Florentin Popa – clean and choir vocals, lap steel guitars, field recordings
Dragoș C. – guitars
Cosmin Farcău – guitars
Alex Costin – bass
Flaviu Roșca – keyboards, piano
Luca Breaz – drums, choir vocals on “dis[re]member”

Guest musicians
Tara Vanflower  – female vocals on “ensh[r]ine”
Irina Movileanu & Eva Breaz – choir vocals on “dis[re]member”
Bogdan Neciu & Răzvan Târnovan – spoken words on “dis[re]member”