Tag Archives: scapegoat

Album Review – Altarheart / Prone To Wander (2026)

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The ride is about to begin to the sound of the new album by this talented American Progressive Metalcore duo.

Hailing from Charleston, in the “Mountain State” of West Virginia, Progressive Metalcore project Altarheart began in early 2023 as a solo endeavour from vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Anthony Conn. After releasing one full-length album, and welcoming his brother Alex Conn on drums, the new, expanded Altarheart released the EP Creatures Here Below in 2024, followed now in 2026 by their second full-length album, titled Prone To Wander. Mixed and mastered by Anthony Conn himself, Prone To Wander affords space and clarity to every element of the band’s complex sound, while it also sees the duo taking giant strides forward and fulfilling all the potential shown by their previous EP in abundance.

All background elements elevate the epicness and add an extra kick to Wayward, with Anthony roaring in great fashion while his brother Alex pounds his drums in the best Metalcore way imaginable. Then in Mortal Man, featuring Scapegoat as a guest vocalist, Anthony delivers an overdose of scathing riffs while also hammering his bass nonstop, followed by Not Well, which sounds and feels introspective yet enraged at the same time, with Alex bringing his share of heaviness through his pounding drums. Rustbelt sees the duo again deliver a solid blend of Progressive Metalcore with Djent elements, with the guitar work by Anthony sounding insane; and the atmospheric Consider The Lillies works like the calm before the storm for Low Souls, another dark and visceral creation by the Conn Brothers, with Alex stealing the spotlight with his killer beats and fills.

Brother, Sister presents what’s perhaps their most Metalcore sound of all, following a more traditional take while Anthony’s harsh and clean vocals exhale despair; whereas Weaken My Flesh, featuring Michael Grice on guest vocals, is an explosion of Technical and Progressive Metalcore where Anthony delivers another round of his piercing roars and guitars lines. Streets Of Mold feels extremely metallic and detailed, with even nuances of Industrial Metal added to its core, resulting in an enfolding aria by the duo, while Island Of One is an excellent option for headbanging together with the boys, with Anthony and Alex being in absolute sync with their scorching riffs and pounding drums. Then a serene intro morphs into another ruthless display of Metalcore entitled Reconcile, keeping the atmosphere dense and pensive, before we face For Those Who Have Wandered Away, closing the album on a high note with its epic background sounds.

An achievement in itself, but also a step in a journey still to unfold, Prone To Wander is highly recommended for fans of Bring Me The Horizon, August Burns Red, Refiner, and The Light Superior, just to name a few, and you can give those talented brothers a shout on Facebook and on Instagram, stream their classy music on Spotify, and purchase Prone To Wander from their own BandCamp (or click HERE for all things Altarheart). The ride is about to begin to the sound of the new opus by Altarheart, and you better get ready because it’s going to be a heavy and melodic one.

Best moments of the album: Wayward, Rustbelt and Island Of One.

Worst moments of the album: Consider The Lillies.

Released in 2026 Rottweiler Records

Track listing
1. Wayward 3:43
2. Mortal Man 3:14
3. Not Well 3:26
4. Rustbelt 3:55
5. Consider The Lillies 3:17
6. Low Souls 4:18
7. Brother, Sister 3:41
8. Weaken My Flesh 4:33
9. Streets Of Mold 3:51
10. Island Of One 3:30
11. Reconcile 4:27
12. For Those Who Have Wandered Away 4:39

Band members
Anthony Conn – vocals, guitars, bass
Alex Conn – drums

Guest musicians
Scapegoat – additional vocals on “Mortal Man”
Michael Grice – additional vocals on “Weaken My Flesh”

Album Review – De Profundis / The Corruption of Virtue (2022)

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This unrelenting London, UK-based Death Metal entity will corrupt us all to the sound of their most intense, aggressive and challenging release to date.

Most bands mellow with age, but that’s not the case with London, UK-based Death Metal entity De Profundis. Nearly two decades since their inception, the band currently comprised of Craig Land on vocals, Shoi Sen and Paul Nazarkardeh (both of Monument of Misanthropy) on the guitars, Steve Woodcock on bass and Tom Atherton on drums has only evolved to become more and more extreme with each album, their latest probably being their most intense, aggressive and challenging release to date, entitled The Corruption of Virtue, the follow-up to their 2018 critically acclaimed album The Blinding Light of Faith. Produced by Peter Dowsett and displaying a sick artwork by Alex Tartsus (Depravity, Sepulchral Curse), The Corruption of Virtue is an absolute treat for any fan of Death Metal who likes the music to be demanding, engrossing and well thought out, being therefore highly recommended for lovers of bands such as Death, At The Gates, Carcass and Martyr, among several others.

The quintet wastes no time and begin their Progressive Death Metal attack in Ritual Cannibalism, where Craig sounds awesomely gruesome on vocals supported by Shoi and Paul’s acid riffage, not to mention the demolishing beats by Tom; whereas Sectarian Warfare is even more devastating than the opening tune, with Shoi and Paul being simply flawless armed with their stringed axes while Steve and Tom make the earth tremble with their respective bass and drums in a lecture in Death Metal. Then the low-tuned, rumbling bass by Steve will crawl deep inside your mind in the venomous Relentless March, the perfect fusion of brutality and intricacy, with Craig sounding like a creature from the abyss; and it’s time to slam into the circle pit like a headbanging bastard to the sound of Weaponised Rape, where their progressive vein gets even stronger spearheaded by the unstoppable blast beats by Tom.

Sick guitar riffs and solos spiced up by endless violence and dementia are the main ingredients in the multi-layered Death Metal feast Embrace Dystopia, simply infernal from start to finish, and more of their undisputed Death Metal is offered to us all in Desecrating Innocence, with Craig vociferating rabidly in the name of evil, blasphemy and rage. In Religious Cancer we face three minutes of vicious, thunderous sounds blasted by De Profundis where the guitar solos by Shoi and Paul sound as sharp as a knife, always supported by the metallic bass by Steve. Following such demented tune, another round of their obscure but extremely melodic and technical music is offered to us all in Scapegoat, showcasing a great job done by the band’s guitar duo while Tom hammers his drums mercilessly. Lastly, we’re treated to another solid composition titled The Sword Verses, and albeit it lacks a little of the violence from the rest of the album we can still enjoy Craig barking in great fashion as usual.

As already mentioned, De Profundis are far from slowing down or mellowing as the years go by; quite the contrary, in their vicious new opus The Corruption of Virtue they keep growing as a Death Metal beast, and if you want to show your total admiration and respect for those British death metallers you can start following them on Facebook and on Instagram, stream more of their infernal music on Spotify, and of course purchase a copy of the caustic The Corruption of Virtue from their own BandCamp page, as well as from the Transcending Obscurity Records webstore as a CD or as a gatefold LP with metallic effect and UV lamination by clicking HERE or HERE. It’s not easy at all to sound even more brutal than usual with each album released, but if the band in question is De Profundis let’s say that their new album proves that’s just another regular day in their undisputed career.

Best moments of the album: Sectarian Warfare, Desecrating Innocence and Scapegoat.

Worst moments of the album: The Sword Verses.

Released in 2022 Transcending Obscurity Records

Track listing
1. Ritual Cannibalism 3:34
2. Sectarian Warfare 4:09
3. Relentless March 4:47
4. Weaponised Rape 4:08
5. Embrace Dystopia 4:35
6. Desecrating Innocence 4:55
7. Religious Cancer 3:20
8. Scapegoat 4:03
9. The Sword Verses 4:59

Band members
Craig Land – vocals
Shoi Sen – guitars
Paul Nazarkardeh – guitars
Steve Woodcock – bass
Tom Atherton – drums