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Album Review – Unmerciful / Devouring Darkness (2025)

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This Kansas-based Brutal Death Metal beast strikes again with their fourth studio album, delivering ten tracks of unrelenting speed, crushing riffs, and sheer sonic aggression.

Known for their relentless brutality and technically devastating sound, Topeka, Kansas-based Brutal Death Metal creature Unmerciful returns with their fourth full-length opus, titled Devouring Darkness, the follow-up to their 2020 album Wrath Encompassed. Recorded, produced and mixed by Clinton Appelhanz at Waveworks Studio, mastered by Alan Douches, and displaying a visceral artwork by Santiago Francisco Jarramillo, the new album by newcomer Josh Riley on vocals, guitarists/bassists Clinton Appelhanz and Jeremy Turner, and drummer Trynt Kelly delivers ten tracks of unrelenting speed, crushing riffs, and sheer sonic aggression, solidifying their reputation as one of the most punishing acts in modern Death Metal, being therefore recommended for fans of Hate Eternal, Suffocation, and Origin.

Miracle In Fire is a beyond devastating start to the album, kicking us hard in the head with their no shenanigans, devilish sounds led by the guttural gnarls by Josh, and their Brutal Death Metal infused with Technical Death Metal keeps roaring manically in Unnatural Ferocity, with Trynt sounding like a stone crusher from hell on drums. There’s no time to breathe as Unmerciful simply shows no mercy for our necks and bodies in Malice Unbound, spearheaded by a visceral riff attack by Clinton and Jeremy, whereas the title-track Devouring Darkness offers us all a more obscure, doomed side of the band, with Josh barking deeply like a demonic entity. And Relentless Malevolence blasts our faces with two and a half minutes of sheer insanity and ruthless violence, with the crushing beats by Trynt making the earth tremble.

Their cover version for Origin’s Vomit You Out, which original version was part of their 2000 self-titled debut, is a fulminating rendition of such a tech death classic led by the demented growling by Josh; while Infernal Conquering is one of the heaviest, most infernal of all songs, with their scorching riffs and demented beats and fills providing Josh with exactly what he needs to bark like a beast. The Reaping is another explosion of brutality offered by the band, with the demonic growling by Josh and the inhumane drumming by Trynt being perfect for some action inside the mosh pit; and they keep smashing us like putrid insects in Voracious Lunacy, another killer Brutal and Technical Death Metal composition showcasing their passion for extremely heavy riffs. Finally, the album couldn’t have ended in a more ferocious way than with Vengeance Transcending, where their lancinating guitars and blast beats sound absolutely brutal until the very end.

After all is said and done, it’s clear that Unmerciful are definitely cementing their legacy even further with Devouring Darkness, offering more of their signature precision and brutality for the delight of Death Metal fans worldwide, and you can start following this ruthless band on Facebook and on Instagram, as well as stream their music on Spotify and of course purchase a copy of their sanguinary new album from BandCamp or from Willowtip Records. Unmerciful are among us to blast our ears with Brutal Death Metal at its finest, and instead of succumbing to darkness, let’s simply devour it mercilessly to the sound of their infuriated new album.

Best moments of the album: Miracle In Fire, Infernal Conquering and The Reaping.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2025 Willowtip Records

Track listing
1. Miracle In Fire 4:06
2. Unnatural Ferocity 3:33
3. Malice Unbound 3:39
4. Devouring Darkness 5:35
5. Relentless Malevolence 2:40
6. Vomit You Out (Origin cover) 2:51
7. Infernal Conquering 4:12
8. The Reaping 4:15
9. Voracious Lunacy 3:39
10. Vengeance Transcending 3:51

Band members
Josh Riley – vocals
Clinton Appelhanz – guitar, bass
Jeremy Turner – guitar, bass
Trynt Kelly – drums

Concert Review – Insomnium (The Phoenix Concert Theatre, Toronto, ON, 04/14/2024)

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The third night in a row of first-class heavy music in Toronto was a feast of melody and darkness, courtesy of one of the pillars of Nordic Melodic Death Metal.

OPENING ACTS: Wilderun and Omnium Gatherum

Last but not least, Sunday night was the final round of one of the most metallic weekends in the past few years in Toronto, once again at The Phoenix Concert Theatre, and this time with WILDERUN, OMNIUM GATHERUM and INSOMNIUM during their North American Tour 2024. For the third night in a row, Keith Ibbitson of Metal Paparazzi and I were there to cover another awesome event organized by Noel Peters of Inertia Entertainment, and with much better traffic conditions than Friday and Saturday, basically everyone was able to get to the venue way ahead to enjoy some chat with friends. have a few drinks, buy some merch, and obviously have a good time already with the opening act of the night, even with the doors opening earlier than the previous two days.

And the opening act this time was Boston, Massachusetts-based Symphonic Progressive/Folk Metal band WILDERUN, a band that I highly recommend for fans of Opeth. To be honest, I actually prefer Wilderun’s music to Opeth’s, as I’m not sure why exactly but they do sound heavier to me. Still promoting their 2022 album Epigone, the band formed of Evan Anderson Berry, Wayne Ingram, Daniel Müller and Jonathan Teachey put on a solid performance to the point there were even mosh pits when it’s not normal to see that type of reaction when the music played is a lot more progressive and smoother like theirs. The band even acknowledged that, saying it was the first mosh pit of the tour for them, proving how much Toronto enjoyed their show. Hence, if you want to enjoy their detailed, intricate creations, you can stream all of their albums on Spotify, and I honestly can’t wait to see Wilderun live again in the near future.

Setlist
Distraction II
Identifier
The Tyranny of Imagination
Far From Where Dreams Unfurl

Band members
Evan Anderson Berry – vocals, rhythm & acoustic guitars, mandolin, keyboards
Wayne Ingram – lead & acoustic guitars, backing vocals, keyboards, orchestrations
Daniel Müller – bass, hammered dulcimer, backing vocals
Jonathan Teachey – drums, backing vocals

The second band of the night needs no introduction. Hailing from the always beautiful Finland, Melodic Death Metal squad OMNIUM GATHERUM turned up the heat considerably Sunday night with their undisputed fusion of melody and violence, with their setlist encompassing songs from their whole career (all available on Spotify), including their 2021 album Origin, and their 2023 EP Slasher, with the opener Slasher already igniting some action on the floor section. The entire band sounded amazing during their set, but of course their forntman Jukka Pelkonen stole the show with his deep roars and his amazing interaction with the crowd, which obviously led to a warm and vibrant reaction from the fans. Also, their guitarists Markus Vanhala and Nick Cordle kicked some serious ass on stage, making each song even heavier and more striking, and please keep those names in mind as there was more of the duo right after Omnium Gatherum finalized their show.

Setlist
Slasher
Paragon
Reckoning
Sacred
Soul Journeys
Gods Go First
Planet Scale
Frontiers
White Palace
New Dynamic

Band members
Jukka Pelkonen – vocals
Markus Vanhala – guitars
Nick Cordle – guitars
Mikko Kivistö – bass
Aapo Koivisto – keyboards
Atte Pesonen – drums 

INSOMNIUM

It was just a little past 9pm when Finland’s own Melodic Death Metal masters INSOMNIUM hit the stage at The Phoenix Concert Theatre for another powerful performance, just as great as when they played in the city alongside Enslaved last year, with their setlist being very similar to that, obviously focusing on their 2023 album Anno 1696. The opener 1696, followed by Ephemeral and White Christ (and we do need an Insomnium/Rotting Christ co-headlining tour just so Mr. Sakis Tolis finally joins the stage with Insomnium to sing this beautiful song), were extremely intense, enfolding and dark, and the reaction of their avid fans was fantastic as well. Also, I must say that although Lilian and The Rapids are new songs, they already sound like classics live so good they are.

Now remember when I asked you to keep the names of Nick Cordle and Markus Vanhala in mind? Well, those two guy are on double duty this entire tour, being the guitarists for both Omnium Gatherum AND Insomnium. Markus has already been playing with Insomnium for quite some time, so nothing new about that, but Nick had to take the guitars duties last minute due to a very weird reason. Guitarist Jani Liimatainen simply “disappeared” from the map a few weeks ago (well, rumor has it that he’s spending some time with a girl in Brazil, and I feel like a reporter from TMZ by writing this here) and was therefore kicked out of the band, plus the fact I have no idea why Ville Friman is not touring with Insomnium this year, so it was up to Nick and Markus to be responsible for all riffs and solos during this entire tour. They’re doing a fantastic job, by the way.

After lots and lots of horns in the air, mosh pits, and a killer encore with The Primeval Dark, While We Sleep (and I might sound repetitive, but this song always sounds superb to my ears when I see the band live or when I listen to its studio version) and Heart Like a Grave, it was time for Insomnium to say goodbye to Toronto, but of course promising they’ll be back soon for another captivating show. You can stay up to date with all things Insomnium by clicking HERE, including their tour dates, and I don’t think you’ll want to miss one of the pillars of Nordic Melodic Death Metal when those beyond talented musicians pay your city a visit, right? And for me, after a wild weekend full of first-class metal music, I’ll have only a few days of break before I fly in the direction of the Metal Gods. Oh yeah.

Setlist
1696
Ephemeral
White Christ
Change of Heart
Lilian
And Bells They Toll
The Rapids
The Gale
Mortal Share
Song of the Dusk

Encore:
The Primeval Dark
While We Sleep
Heart Like a Grave

Band members
Niilo Sevänen – lead vocals, bass
Markus Vanhala – guitars, clean vocals
Nick Cordle – guitars, clean vocals
Markus Hirvonen – drums

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Concert Review – Vader (Lee’s Palace, Toronto, ON, 02/11/2024)

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A wild night of pulverizing Death and Thrash Metal in Toronto, spearheaded by the most iconic metal band to ever arise from the Polish scene.

OPENING ACTS: Inhuman Condition and Origin

The best thing about a show being scheduled on the same night as Super Bowl is that traffic is pretty much nonexistent, turning the lives of all metalheads who don’t really care about American football a lot easier when it comes to getting to the venue in time to see all bands playing. That’s exactly what happened last night in Toronto at the always cozy Lee’s Palace, when the fantastic bands INHUMAN CONDITION, ORIGIN and VADER brought to the city a true celebration of extreme music during their 40 Years of the Apocalypse Anniversary Tour 2024, another incredible event organized by the unstoppable Noel Peters of Inertia Entertainment. As usual, my friend  Keith Ibbitson of Metal Paparazzi (as well as other photographers) were there to register some wild moments of all three bands, but honestly I don’t know how they managed to stay alive and keep their cameras intact during the sick circle pits going on the entire night.

The first band to hit the stage was Tampa, Florida’s own Death/Thrash Metal beasts INHUMAN CONDITION, who were by far one of the best and most electrifying opening acts I’ve seen at any concert in the city in the past few years. Spearheaded by the incendiary frontman Jeramie Kling, the band put on a beyond entertaining show, playing songs from all of their albums including their 2022 release Fearsick and their 2023 EP Panic Prayer, with songs like Panic Prayer, Euphoriphobia and I’m Now the Monster inspiring all concert goers to slam into the pit like there’s no tomorrow. As expected, the two songs that generated the wildest mosh pits were Godzilla and Tyrantula, with everyone at the venue, including the band, acting like wild beasts on stage and in the floor section. Jeramie also had some words of wisdom to share with everyone last night; first of all, he said that a true metal concert needs three things, those being the headbangers, the circle pits, and the crowd surfers, and of course bodies started flying around as soon as he mentioned that. Also, that everything we’ve ever heard about Florida, all rumors and so on, are all true, which was quite funny as it’s usually people outside of Florida who make fun of the state. Well, one thing I know for sure, and that’s that heavy music in Florida is phenomenal, with bands like Inhuman Condition showing everything they got on stage anywhere they go, and if you know nothing about those guys, go check their music on BandCamp and on Spotify, as I’m sure you’ll love to get caught in their mosh.

Setlist
Recycled Hate
Panic Prayer
Euphoriphobia
The Neck Step
I’m Now the Monster
Killing Pace
Civilized Holocaust
Godzilla (Blue Öyster Cult cover)
Tyrantula

Band members
Jeramie Kling – vocals
Taylor Nordberg – guitars
Terry Butler – bass
Colton Zietler – drums

After a quick break, it was time for Kansas City-based Technical/Brutal Death Metal veterans ORIGIN to keep the circle pits moving frantically to the sound of their vicious, intricate and demolishing creations. Having released the album Chaosmos back in 2022, the band formed of vocalist Jason Keyser (and by the way, if you haven’t listened to it yet, go check the album Inferno by his brand new project Arborescence of Wrath as it’s a killer album), guitarist Paul Ryan, bassist Mike Flores (one of the best bass players I’ve seen in a while), and drummer John Longstreth showed absolutely no mercy for our necks and souls during their demented performance, blending Technical and Brutal Death Metal with nuances of Grindcore just to make things even more infuriated. The band was ruthless, savage and beyond technical, sounding absolutely insane with songs like Chaosmos, Panoptical and The Aftermath driving everyone at the venue simply insane inside the pit. Jason also had some words to say to the crowd before playing the song Decolonizer, where he showed his pure old school vein by demanding everyone to not take any pictures or record any videos of the song, but simply to go nuts inside the circle pit and collect bruises and black eyes as the memories of that moment (although they kept checking their phones due to Kansas City Chiefs being one of the teams playing the Super Bowl). Needless to say, it was intense, as well as the wall of death he organized before even playing one of the songs, trying to make their show as 90’s-inspired as possible. Origin are one of the coolest bands of the underground scene, and in case you still don’t know them go check their infernal music on Spotify, and don’t miss their live concerts whenever they take your depraved city by storm.

Setlist
Expulsion of Fury
Chaosmos
Accident and Error
Panoptical
Saligia
Decolonizer
Portal
The Aftermath
Unattainable Zero

Band members
Jason Keyser – vocals
Paul Ryan – guitars, backing vocals
Mike Flores – bass, backing vocals
John Longstreth – drums

VADER

It was getting late (and cold) in Toronto, but nothing that could stop Poland’s own Death/Thrash Metal institution VADER to crush everything and everyone that dared to cross their path at Lee’s Palace last night. The band formed of the iconic Peter on vocals and guitars, Spider also on the guitars, Hal on bass, and Michał Andrzejczyk on drums was flawless throughout their entire set, celebrating 40 years of existence for the delight of all lovers of extreme music in Toronto. Their setlist was a thing of beauty, including songs from their 1992 cult album The Ultimate Incantation, like Vicious Circle, Dark Age and The Crucified Ones, plus several other classics like Black to the Blind, while closing their setlist with a newer song, Shock and Awe, from their latest opus Solitude in Madness, released in 2020, and the response from the fans in Toronto was brilliant, with the circle pits moving majestically until the very last second of their performance.

It’s impressive how they can still sound to tight, vicious and heavy after so many decades on the road, showing their utmost passion for Death and Thrash Metal, and of course as we all know how much they love to play for us, that inspired us to send our love back to them by headbanging nonstop, raising our horns, and getting wild in the pit. The only “issue” was that their official photographer doesn’t seem to be a big fan of crowd surfing, but that was fine as all crowd surfers quickly learned that show was not the best place to practice such metallic art. Anyway, apart from that, and from the same two guys that almost got into a fight with each other countless time (please, be adults and behave next time, alright?), everyone had an amazing time together with those Polish metallers, and hopefully we’ll also have the pleasure of hosting in Toronto the celebration of their 45th, 50th, 55th and so on anniversaries, keeping the fires of Death and Thrash Metal burning forever in the city.

Setlist
Macbeth (Laibach song)
Decapitated Saints
The Wrath
Chaos
Vicious Circle
Dark Age
The Crucified Ones
Silent Empire
Sothis
Black to the Blind
Carnal
Wings
Cold Demons
Epitaph
Dark Transmission
Para Bellum
This Is the War
Helleluyah!!! (God Is Dead)
Never Say My Name
Come and See My Sacrifice
Triumph of Death
Shock and Awe
The Imperial March (John Williams song)

Band members
Peter – vocals, guitars
Spider – guitars
Hal – bass
Michał Andrzejczyk – drums

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Album Review – The Hypothesis / Origin (2016)

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A complete lineup change and almost four years to conclude an album? In the case of these Finnish metallers, it was definitely worth the wait.

Rating4

The_Hypothesis_cover_2400After what happened with Guns N’ Roses and their controversial album Chinese Democracy (2008), whenever a band suffers significant lineup changes and takes a good amount of time to release an album, people get really skeptical about the final result. Fortunately, that’s not the case with Finnish Modern Melodic Metal band The Hypothesis, who after a complete change in their lineup and four years locked in the middle of a dark forest of Viitasaari, in Central Finland, are finally releasing their debut full-length album, entitled Origin, an excellent display of modern and melodic heavy music.

Formed in the city of Kouvola, Finland in 2009, but currently based about 130km to the southwest of that, in the capital Helsinki, The Hypothesis have already built a solid reputation in Melodic Death Metal, playing in renowned festivals such as Nummirock and Qstock, and sharing the stage with names like Swallow The Sun, Scar Symmetry, Wolfheart and Before The Dawn. And that’s after having released only one EP, named Nightshade, back in 2010. And now, without further ado, it’s time to hit play and start moshing with those Finnish metallers.

Right from the first few notes in Shades to Escape, you’ll notice how much they love futuristic keyboard noises, providing a sound that’s very harmonious and polished as usual, but always as violent as this type of music demands. In addition, frontman Antti Seppälä offers sharp and harsh growls nicely complemented by some clean vocals to give more balance to the song, with the powerful riffs and solos by both guitarists Juuso Turkki and Asko Sartanen filling all the spaces left. Leak, an old school Melodic Death Metal with hints of Metalcore, sounds less experimental and a lot heavier and more vicious, with the precise drumming by Waltteri Väyrynen enhancing the electricity found in the music; while End of Your Days somehow “takes off” from where the opening track stopped, with Antti going on with his furious screams and both guitars blasting some awesome riffs, all supported by the song’s background keyboards and the intricate bass lines by Markku “Neissu” Ruuskanen.

The_Hypothesis_promopic_largeOnce again exhibiting a futuristic and metallic aura, Scarface is a decent composition that unfortunately doesn’t live up to the energy found throughout the rest of the album, with its rhythm sounding a bit confusing (or maybe too progressive compared to what the other songs offer). Exit puts the band back on track with its high level of violence and nonstop action, boosted by an amazing guitar solo by guest musician Daniel Freyberg. Moreover, Markku can’t stop pounding his thunderous strings in this modern and melodic Death Metal chant tailored for fans of the genre, and almost immediately they connect it to Atonement, another song presenting potent riffs and high-end solos by Juuso and Asko where Antti showcases some clean vocals before going back to his demonic mode.

In Eye for an Eye, the rhythmic beats by Waltteri craft the perfect sonic tornado for Antti to fire desperate and harsh vocal lines in the best song of the album. This is how a Melodic Death Metal band should always add progressive elements to their musicality, not to mention its yet again flawless keyboard notes. On the other hand, Weak Story, despite its instrumental pieces being as good as the rest of the album (in special its guitar solos), brings forward out-of-place clean vocals that sound taken from a generic Metalcore song. And closing the album we have the interesting instrumental song Second Chance, where the modern elements added to its polished production turn it into a nice experimental voyage in Melodic Death Metal. Besides, you can pretend to be Antti and add your own lyrics and vocals to it, how about that? Or you can simply relax and relish the beautiful guitar riffs and rumbling bass lines offered by the band during the whole song as well.

This up-and-coming band from Finland can be found on Facebook and on YouTube, and you can purchase Origin at the Inverse Records’ webshop, on iTunes or on Amazon. It might have taken almost four years for The Hypothesis to conclude their first full-length record, but after listening to it you’ll realize it was definitely worth the wait thanks to all the energy and passion those guys put into the making of the album.

Best moments of the album: Leak, Exit and Eye for an Eye.

Worst moments of the album: Scarface and Weak Story.

Released in 2016 Inverse Records

Track listing
1. Shades to Escape 4:20
2. Leak 4:25
3. End of Your Days 4:47
4. Scarface 3:51
5. Exit 3:34
6. Atonement 3:28
7. Eye for an Eye 4:46
8. Weak Story 4:03
9. Second Chance (Instrumental) 4:43

Band members
Antti Seppälä – vocals
Juuso Turkki – guitar
Asko Sartanen – guitar
Markku “Neissu” Ruuskanen – bass
Waltteri Väyrynen – drums

Guest musician
Daniel Freyberg – guitar solo on “Exit”