Tag Archives: subterranean watchtower studios

Album Review – Aduanten / Apocryphal Verse EP (2025)

Posted on by
Reply

This up-and-coming Melodic Death Metal outfit is unleashing a striking new EP, weaving a narrative of decay and despair driven by a maelstrom of intricate guitar work and a pummeling rhythm section.

An up-and-coming Melodic Death Metal entity based in Austin, Texas, featuring members of Obsequiae, Vex, Panopticon, and Horrendous, Aduanten are unleashing their full power on their new EP, entitled Apocryphal Verse. Recorded in the cities of Austin, Arlington, Boston, Chicago, and Dublin, mixed by Damian Herring at Subterranean Watchtower Studios, and mastered by Adrian Benavides, the follow-up to their 2021 debut EP Sullen Cadence sees the band formed of Ciaran McCloskey and Mike Day on the guitars and synths, and Eoghan McCloskey on drums and synths, with the support of guest musicians Tanner Anderson (Obsequiae, Panopticon) and Damian Herring (Horrendous) on vocals, Joel Miller on bass, and Adrian Benavides on percussion and synths, masterfully blend the searing aggression of classic Death Metal with the atmospheric introspection of Melodic Black Metal, weaving a narrative of decay and despair driven by a maelstrom of intricate guitar work and a pummeling rhythm section.

Cerulean Dream sounds experimental, avantgarde and grim from the very first second, with the devilish vocals by Tanner and Damian matching perfectly with the guitar lines by Ciaran and Mike, whereas they invest in a more progressive blend of Melodic Death Metal in Decameron, with the stylish riffs by the band’s guitar duo walking hand in hand with Eoghan’s melodic yet fierce beats and fills. Then bringing forward elements from the Melodic Death Metal played by giants the likes of Insomnium we have Grace of Departure, while also sounding a bit Melodic Black Metal thanks to all of its Stygian vociferations; and the crushing bass by Joel adds even more energy to The Weakening Sovereign, a galloping, intricate and scorching creation by the band, with their guitars once again breathing fire.

Fans of Dissection, Sacramentum, and Obsequiae will find the new offering by Aduanten to be an phenomenal addition to their collection, as the album is not only extremely heavy just the way we like it, but its lyrical themes of destruction, sorrow, and hopelessness are also perfectly mirrored in its dynamic and emotionally charged soundscapes. Those beyond talented musicians are waiting for you on Facebook, on Instagram, on YouTube, and on Spotify with news, tour dates, and more of their striking music, and of course you can show them your utmost support and purchase their new EP from BandCamp. The Melodic Death Metal presented by Aduanten in Apocryphal Verse is as aggressive and vibrant as it is intricate and detailed, and I’m sure we’ll hear a lot more from those guys in the near future based on the high quality of their music.

Best moments of the album: Grace of Departure and The Weakening Sovereign.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2025 Nameless Grave Records

Track listing
1. Cerulean Dream 5:16
2. Decameron 4:34
3. Grace of Departure 4:36
4. The Weakening Sovereign 5:00

Band members
Ciaran McCloskey – guitars, synths
Mike Day – guitars, synths
Eoghan McCloskey – drums, synths

Guest musicians
Tanner Anderson – vocals (session)
Damian Herring – vocals (session)
Joel Miller – bass (session)
Adrian Benavides – percussion, synths (session)

Album Review – Horrendous / Ontological Mysterium (2023)

Posted on by
1

Philadelphia’s filthiest and finest Progressive Death Metal band returns in full force with their fifth studio album, a labyrinth where the deeper in you go, the more it twists and churns, luring you toward some monstrous final battle.

Five years after their latest album Idol, Philadelphia’s filthiest and finest Progressive Death Metal band Horrendous is finally back with their fifth full-length instalment, titled Ontological Mysterium, a love letter to Death, Atheist and other classics from the late 80’s and early 90’s. Produced, engineered, mixed and mastered by the band’s own Damian Herring at Subterranean Watchtower Studios, and displaying a sick artwork by Alex Brown and Brian Smith, Ontological Mysterium is a labyrinth where the deeper in you go, the more it twists and churns, luring you toward some monstrous final battle, all masterfully brought into being by the aforementioned Damian Herring on vocals and guitars alongside Matt Knox also on vocals and guitars, Alex Kulick on bass, and Jamie Knox on drums.

A Stygian invocation titled The Blaze warms up the listener for the infernal metal attack that’s about to come in Chrysopoeia (The Archaeology of Dawn), a fast and demolishing tune where the riffs by Damian and Matt set fire to the atmosphere spiced up by the song’s demented lyrics (“Immerse me / In jubilant flames / With iridescent tongue / Lick away the skin / Don’t dare be kind / Paralyze me in paraffin / And spark the match”). Then blending the madness and creativity of Mastodon with their own Death Metal vein we have Neon Leviathan, and the result is a crushing tune where Alex steals the spotlight with his metallic, groovy bass punches; followed by Aurora Neoterica, bringing forward two minutes of sheer insanity, progressiveness and atmospheric passages where Jamie and Alex make an amazing duo with their respective beats and bass lines, flowing into the intricate Preterition Hymn, where the quartet once again blasts our ears with their sonic extravaganza, delivering a sick fusion of harsh growls and clean vocals (albeit not as exciting as the rest of the album).

In the wicked Cult of Shaad’oah  we’re treated to more of their lunatic words (“Beat me back but I’ll keep on climbing / When you’re lost in the dreams / Of the dead / And the final sun burns / Oh, the battle begins… / Prepare for brutal ascent”) amidst a fantastic Progressive Death Metal sonority led by the band’s guitar duo’s caustic riffage; whereas switching gears to a darker, heavier sound with a dense atmosphere, it’s time for the cryptic Exeg(en)esis, once again blasting our ears with their chaotic yet extremely melodic riffs, beats and bass lines, or in other words, a weird creation that fits really well in the album, followed by the Progressive Metal-infused title-track Ontological Mysterium, where Horrendous showcase all their insanity and passion for heavy music. Moreover, Jamie is amazing as usual behind his drums while the diversity of vocal styles again reminds me of some of the best songs by Mastodon. Lastly, how about another explosion of Progressive Death Metal to close the album on a high note? That’s what you’ll get in The Death Knell Ringeth, with the whole song sounding very compelling and dynamic, while the guitars by Damian and Matt exhale sheer electricity.

“At this point, we want to wave the Horrendous banner high in a way that we perhaps didn’t around Idol and continue on this path that we’ve forged,” said the band’s talented drummer Jamie Knox. “We are very proud of Ontological Mysterium and what our band has become – it’s almost like we’ve figured out how to make this band work amidst the wildness of adult life. This entity feels worth celebrating and feeding to see where it might take us next.” Hence, go check what the band is up to on Facebook and on Instagram, including their tour dates and plans for the future, and of course go grab a copy of Ontological Mysterium from the Season of Mist webstore, as well as by clicking HERE or HERE, and don’t forget to also stream such demonic album in full on YouTube and on Spotify. Having said all that, what are you waiting for to enter the labyrinth of progressive, technical and extremely heavy Death Metal crafted by Horrendous in their infernal new album?

Best moments of the album: Chrysopoeia (The Archaeology of Dawn), Cult of Shaad’oah and Ontological Mysterium.

Worst moments of the album: Preterition Hymn.

Released in 2023 Season of Mist

Track listing
1. The Blaze 2:00
2. Chrysopoeia (The Archaeology of Dawn) 7:16
3. Neon Leviathan 3:30
4. Aurora Neoterica 1:56
5. Preterition Hymn 3:58
6. Cult of Shaad’oah 5:24
7. Exeg(en)esis, 3:38
8. Ontological Mysterium 4:44
9. The Death Knell Ringeth 5:20

Band members
Damian Herring – guitars, vocals
Matt Knox – guitars, vocals
Alex Kulick – bass
Jamie Knox – drums

Album Review – Hellripper / Warlocks Grim & Withered Hags (2023)

Posted on by
1

Behold this infernal storm of Blackened Thrash Metal by a one-man army from Scotland, heavily inspired by witchcraft and the supernatural while also deeply rooted in his Scottish origins.

Crowned “Scotland’s king of the arcane mosh” by Metal Hammer magazine, Aberdeen-based Blackened Thrash Metal one-man army Hellripper, the brainchild of vocalist and multi-instrumentalist James McBain (Lock Howl, Lord Rot, Rats of Reality), aims to invoke the quintessential Black N’ Roll sound by mixing influences from classic 80’s Black Metal records with a more modern edge, heavily inspired by witchcraft and the supernatural while also deeply rooted in his Scottish origins, and always using the landscape and historical events as a backdrop for his lyrics and imagery. Now in 2023 it’s time for Hellripper to kill once again with Warlocks Grim & Withered Hags, the project’s third studio album, establishing a new threshold of excellence and raising the bar further over its 2020 album The Affair of the Poisons. Recorded and mixed by James himself at Coronach Studios, mastered by Damian Herring at Subterranean Watchtower Studios, and displaying a sick artwork by Adam Burke of Nightjar Illustration, the album is undoubtedly James’ most personal and diverse work to date, bringing the landscapes and legends of the Scottish Highlands to life in a beyond fantastic way.

James wastes no time and begin his sonic massacre in The Nuckelavee, delivering sheer electricity and rage through his riffs and blast beats in a demolishing fusion of Black and Thrash Metal for admirers of the darkest side of music, and the party is just starting as James has endless fuel to burn, bringing to our ears more of his acid roars and riffs in I, The Deceiver, sounding brutal yet very melodic; whereas the title-track Warlocks Grim & Withered Hags, featuring the majestic bagpipes by guest Antonio Rodríguez, blends James’ passion for extreme music with his Scottish roots in a very compelling manner, with his riffs and beats walking hand in hand with his visceral screams. As you all know, a beautiful song name requires an even more beautiful sound, and that’s exactly what James has to offer us all in Goat Vomit Nightmare, being frantic, sulfurous and blasphemous from the very first second, not to mention his thrashing riffs and solos are simply fantastic.

Featuring Joseph Quinlan (Desert Heretic) on lead guitars and additional vocals by Marianne, James takes no prisoners in his quest for violence and blood in The Cursed Carrion Crown, where his vocals get more and more demented as the music progresses, therefore blasting endless aggression for our vulgar delight. Joseph is back in The Hissing Marshes, where it’s impressive how James was able to blend the music by Motörhead and The Exploited to perfection. Moreover, his work on bass and drums is superb throughout the entire song, all spiced up of course by his devilish growling, whereas in Poison Womb (The Curse of the Witch) we face the last guest solo by Joseph, with the music being as fast and infernal as the rest of the album, or in other words an ode to all things 666, or a “lovely” song perfect for a “romantic” moment with your significant other. Last but not least, we’re treated to over eight minutes of pure hell and sulfur titled Mester Stoor Worm, perhaps the most Black Metal of all songs (which is obviously a good thing) where James is yet again spot-on with his screams, riffs and demented beats.

You can enjoy all the fury, speed and energy of the Blackened Thrash Metal played by Hellripper by following James and his Scottish beast on Facebook and on Instagram, by subscribing to his YouTube channel and by streaming his music on Spotify, and above all that, by purchasing the phenomenal Warlocks Grim & Withered Hags from his own BandCamp page, from his official EU store as a CD or an LP, or simply by clicking HERE or HERE. Hellripper is absolutely fast, loud and uncompromising, with Warlocks Grim & Withered Hags being a contemporary masterpiece of extreme music that deserves a listen from any living being that enjoys some good old Black Metal with a powerful Rock N’ Roll attitude. So keep calm, listen to the superb new opus by Hellripper, and all hail the goat!

Best moments of the album: Goat Vomit Nightmare, The Cursed Carrion Crown, The Hissing Marshes and Mester Stoor Worm.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2023 Peaceville Records

Track listing
1. The Nuckelavee 5:47
2. I, The Deceiver 4:55
3. Warlocks Grim & Withered Hags 7:14
4. Goat Vomit Nightmare 3:15
5. The Cursed Carrion Crown 5:47
6. The Hissing Marshes 3:51
7. Poison Womb (The Curse of the Witch) 3:43
8. Mester Stoor Worm 8:31

Band members
James McBain – vocals, all instruments

Guest musicians
Joseph Quinlan – additional lead guitars on “Poison Womb (The Curse of the Witch)”, “The Cursed Carrion Crown” and “The Hissing Marshes”
Marianne – additional vocals on “The Cursed Carrion Crown”
Antonio Rodríguez – great highland bagpipes on “Warlocks Grim & Withered Hags”