Playing their own blend of Technical and Brutal Death Metal, this Finnish entity will extinguish all existence to the sound of their invigorating and powerful new album.
Playing their own blend of Technical and Brutal Death Metal that’s insanely heavy and yet incredibly varied, Helsinki, Finland-based entity Enragement returns with their fourth full-length beast, an invigorating, powerful expression that ticks all the boxes entitled Extinguish All Existence. Following up on their 2022 album Atrocities, and showcasing a sinister artwork by Daemorph Art, the new album by Atte Ojanne and Tuomas Iivanainen on vocals and guitars, Juhana Korkka Heinonen on vocals and bass, and Lasse Sannikka on drums is a striking depiction of the band’s raw power, aggression and versatility, cementing their name not only in the local Finnish scene, but also everywhere else in the world where the fusion of violence and dexterity is truly appreciated.
Lasse shows no mercy for our souls and begins blasting his drums in Vorarephilia, a demented onrush of Technical Death Metal boosted by the band’s deranged growls and screeches, and things get even more serious and intricate in Abyssal Hellscapes, with the strident guitar lines by Atte and Tuomas bringing an extra dosage of violence to the band’s already demonic sounds. Then a Doom Metal-infused intro morphs into another killer attack by Enragement titled Pathogenesis, where their sulfurous vociferations match perfectly with the finesse and rage flowing from their riffs and solos; whereas the quartet keeps smashing our frail bodies with their blend of Death Metal in Parasitic Ingress, with Lasse once again sounding inhumane behind his drums, followed by Harbingers of Degradation, one of the heaviest, most infuriated songs of the album while also presenting extremely detailed and complex lines, with Lasse stealing the spotlight with his ruthless drumming.
Vesuvius is perhaps the “weakest” of all songs, although it’s still a pulverizing display of the band’s core Technical Death Metal, and it’s pedal to the metal in the technical yet venomous Hypercarnivorous, with the guitar duel by Atte and Tuomas exhaling heaviness and intricacy in an overdose of sonic madness by those talented Finnish metallers. After that, an infuriated attack of harsh growls, blast beats and razor-edged riffs will penetrate deep inside your soul in Insectiferous Abomination, living up to the legacy of complex and violent extreme music, and it’s time to break our necks headbanging to the utterly heavy Natural Mass Asphyxiation, with Juhana and Lasse making sure the earth trembles to the sound of their vicious kitchen. Then we have the title-track Extinguish All Existence closing the album on the most demented note you can think of, where the entire band sounds infernally awesome and with Atte, Tuomas and Juhana bursting their lungs screaming in the name of Death Metal.
In a nutshell, Enragement have struck the right balance with Extinguish All Existence, making their album satisfying, interesting, and also hugely enjoyable, in special for admirers of the bestial music crafted by Cutterred Flesh, Devourment, Abominable Putridity, Blood Red Throne, Katalepsy, Benighted, and Aborted, just to name a few. You can find more details about such an amazing Finnish band on Facebook and on Instagram, stream their awesome music on Spotify, and above all that, show them your utmost support by purchasing their new album from their BandCamp or from the Transcending Obscurity Records’ BandCamp, main store, US store or EU store. It’s time to extinguish all existence, and the music found in the new album by Enragement will most definitely work as a great soundtrack for the cleansing of our putrid and decaying world.
Best moments of the album:Abyssal Hellscapes, Harbingers of Degradation and Extinguish All Existence.
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.
Masterfully blending classic Death Metal with technical and brutal elements, this American band is ready to soar armed with their captivating newborn spawn.
Imbibing various elements of contemporary Death Metal to concoct music that is at once technical, groovy, and riff-driven, Atlanta, Georgia-based Technical Death Metal/Deathcore entity Abyssalis is ready to please fans of bands the likes of Soreption, Eschaton, Fleshbore, Decapitated, and Demon King, among others, with their brand new offering, entitled Adaptation. Featuring five previously unreleased songs, plus all songs from their 2023 debut EP The Mountain as a beyond special bonus (leading to a healthy discussion about the album being a full-length or a special EP), all embraced by the striking artwork by Justin Abraham (Inanimate Existence, Equipoise, Arkaik), the new album by Mac Smith (Eschaton, Apogean) on vocals, Josh Steverson on the guitars, Cole Daniels (Fleshbore, Unaligned) on bass, and Jack Blackburn (Unaligned, Killitorous) on drums masterfully blends classic Death Metal with technical and brutal elements, resulting in a captivating beast tailored for fans of all intricate forms of extreme music.
The extremely technical yet pulverizing riffs by Josh and beats and fills by Jack will crush you like an insect in Adaptation, sounding infernal form start to finish in a lecture in Technical Death Metal; and Jack keeps destroying his drums in great fashion in Indomitable, accompanied by the ruthless bass lines by Cole while Mac growls deeply and manically nonstop. Those metal lunatics will crush your damned bodies mercilessly in Pandemonium, with the demented roars by Mac and the sick drumming by Jack turning it into a must-listen for fans of the genre, and the riffs by Josh will pierce your mind while Cole and Jack will knock you out with their devilish kitchen in Senescence, before we face the also inhumane Valholl, a lesson in brutality and intricacy by the quartet where Jack steals the show with his fulminating beats and fills.
All of the following tracks are from the band’s complete previous The Mountain release, but that only makes the album even more powerful, starting with Arrival, where its dark intro gradually turns into a demonic feast of Death Metal, followed by Attitude of Gratitude, where Jack hammers his drums mercilessly in the name of extreme music. Mac keeps barking like a rabid beast in Synonymous, with the music exhaling hatred, intricacy and darkness just he way we like it in Death Metal; and the venomous riffs by Josh will melt your damned minds and souls in Shine, all while also sounding absolutely melodic. Josh’s hard hitting riffs are nicely complemented by the rumbling bass by Cole in Ethos, keeping the album as vibrant as it can be; whereas lastly, the quartet will demolish our frail bodies with The Hills Have Eyes, spearheaded by the venomous roars by Mac.
In a nutshell, Adaptation is a solid, enjoyable release that serves as a fine introduction for this unheralded band that is poised for bigger things in the future, and if you like what you hear you should definitely give the guys from Abyssalis a shout on Facebook and on Instagram, as well as stream their creations on Spotify, and grab a copy of the album from their own BandCamp or from the Transcending Obscurity Records’ main store, Bandcamp, Europe store or US store. The future of Death Metal is certainly in good hands with bands like Abyssalis embellishing the airwaves with their unique and dynamic sounds, and I’m sure we’ll hear a lot more from those guys in the near future, shortly after their newborn spawn Adaptation takes the world of heavy music by storm.
Best moments of the album:Adaptation, Pandemonium and Synonymous.
Boasting of a celebrated lineup, this Florida, United States-based beast is ready to kill armed with their first full-length album, an exemplary display of Progressive and Technical Death and Black Metal.
Boasting of a celebrated lineup featuring members of Withered Throne, Demon King, Fleshbore and others, Florida, United States-based beast Unaligned offers a blackened and comparatively more atmospheric take on the Technical Death Metal style. Mixed and mastered by Mike Low, edited and mixed by Erik Johnson at Dark Prophet Audio, and displaying another sick artwork by the amazing Adam Burke of Nightjar Illustration, the band’s first full-length opus, titled A Form Beyond, is an exemplary Progressive and Technical Death and Black Metal album that only gets better with more listens, showcasing all the talent and dexterity by Andrew Guia (Withered Throne) on vocals, Taylor Tidwell (Withered Throne) and Shane Dreher (Nightspake) on the guitars, Cole Daniels (Demon King, Fleshbore) on bass, and Jack Blackburn (Killitorous, Inferi) on drums.
Eerie, atmospheric sounds permeate the air in the opening track Entities of Ash, until all hell breaks loose to the venomous gnarling by Andrew, supported by the demented beats and fills by Jack; and the visceral riffage by Taylor and Shane exhale Technical Death Metal in Unbecoming of I, accompanied by the intricate and heavy-as-hell bass by Cole. Then the harsh vociferations by Andrew reek of venomous and infuriated Deathcore in Ruins of Lunacy, while the music is as bestial, savage and technical as possible, followed by the title-track A Form Beyond, a lesson in Technical Death Metal with a blackened approach, with Jack stealing the spotlight with his demonic beats and fills.
Then after a streak of hard hitting songs, the band offers the more cadenced and not so dynamic Essence Erased, which is still very technical, though, showcasing their trademark heavy sounds. Again presenting a more obscure, pensive atmosphere we have Spirit Dysmorphia; however, in this case the band gets back on track with a slab of dexterity and aggression led by the pulverizing drums by Jack. Death Entwines Us All presents a phantasmagorical, melancholic start to the minimalist guitars by Taylor and Shane, warming us up for another metallic attack of Death and Black Metal by the band, resulting in a must-listen for fans of the genre. Finally, the album ends with the also infernal Dreaming in Decay, where the ruthless bass lines by Cole add tons of thunder to the extremely intricate riffage by Taylor and Shane.
Meticulously written and impeccably executed, A Form Beyond undoubtedly positions Unaligned as a force to be reckoned with in the extreme music scene worldwide, being therefore highly recommended for fans of Demon King, Withered Throne, Inferi, Enfold Darkness, Warforged, and Vale of Pnath, among others. As usual, you can find more details about the band on Facebook and on Instagram, stream their demented creations on Spotify, and of course purchase A Form Beyond from their BandCamp or from the Transcending Obscurity Records’ main store, Bandcamp, Europe store or US store. A Form Beyond is not only technical, but visceral and dark, and once you get a taste of what Unaligned are capable of by listening to the album, you’ll certainly get addicted to their infuriated sounds.
Best moments of the album:Entities of Ash, A Form Beyond and Death Entwines Us All.
Worst moments of the album:Essence Erased.
Released in 2025 Transcending Obscurity Records
Track listing 1. Entities of Ash 5:11
2. Unbecoming of I 4:35
3. Ruins of Lunacy 4:33
4. A Form Beyond 4:30
5. Essence Erased 4:32
6. Spirit Dysmorphia 4:47
7. Death Entwines Us All 5:01
8. Dreaming in Decay 5:04
Band members Andrew Guia – vocals
Taylor Tidwell – guitars
Shane Dreher – guitars
Cole Daniels – bass
Jack Blackburn – drums
Demons from the war now lives… Rain down explosions upon us… Terror in the air!
As we’re heading to the end of another hot and humid summer, let’s keep the temperatures as warm as possible with our metal lady of this month of September, and you better be prepared as she will breathe fire into your damned soul with her scorching guttural. She’s the unrelenting frontwoman for an amazing Italian Technical Death Metal band named Mechanical God Creation, and since mid-2024 she has also become a vocalist for a ruthless Italian Black Metal band named Stormcrow. As you can see, she takes no prisoners in her quest for extreme music, and I’m sure you’ll have an absolute blast listening to the amazing music crafted by her bands. Her name is Luciana Catananti, a talented she-wolf that will kick your ass mercilessly, keeping the fires of Death and Black Metal burning brighter than a thousand suns in her beautiful homeland.
Born on May 2, 1985 in Bergamo, an Italian city northeast of Milan, in the Lombardy region, Luciana was part of a band named Art of Mutilation when she lived in the UK, and also a member of a band called The Anger back then, but there isn’t much information about The Anger anywhere. Well, at least we know that Art of Mutilation was a Melodic Death/Thrash Metal band based in Birkenhead, England in its early days, then moving to Wrexham, Wales, and the band lasted between 2002 and 2011 before splitting up. Luciana was only part of the band in the year of 2005, having recorded with them the demo Mortality that same year. The demo had only three songs, those being Eviscerated, Blackened Sculpture, and Cabal, and as you can see by the only two songs available on YouTube, Luciana and the boys were a really promising band (which unfortunately is no more), and her vocals were already ruthless.
It was then in 2006 in the charming Italian city of Milan when Luciana founded Mechanical God Creation alongside guitarist Simo, and quickly adding bassist Andrea “Veon” Marini, guitarist Andrea “Runza” Galdi, and drummer Mattia Jay “Jambra” Giambini to their lineup; however, as all four already left the band after a few years, she remains as the only member of the original lineup. Their music also morphed from Melodic Death Metal the likes of Arch Enemy in their early days, hence the name of the band (taken from their 2005 masterpiece Doomsday Machine), to a more visceral, brutal and infernal form of Technical Death Metal, even adding hints of modern-day Death Metal and Progressive Death Metal to their core sound, as you can se in the evolution of their music from their 2007 demo …and the Battle Becomes War, to their 2010 debut Cell XIII, followed by their 2013 sophomore Artifact of Annihilation, and finally their 2019 album The New Chapter, all available for streaming in most streaming services like BandCamp, YouTube and Spotify, except for their demo, and you can also enjoy a lot of official videos like Terror In The Air and I Am The Godless Man, and lots of cool live footage including Walking Dead live in Russia in 2014, on their official YouTube channel.
Although Mechanical God Creation haven’t released any new material since 2019, we can also enjoy our dauntless growler as the new frontwoman for an Italian Black Metal band named Stormcrow since July 2024, under the moniker Vexa (maybe taken from a half-troll from Dungeons & Dragons, who knows). Playing what they like to label as “Alpine Black Metal”, the band currently formed of our beloved Luciana, or if you prefer, Vexa on vocals alongside Vastis also on vocals, Astaroth and Tohrus on the guitars, Zedar on bass, and Wraith on drums has been making a name for themselves since 1997, having already released the demo Hell on Earth (2000), the EP Wounded Skies (2004), and the full-length albums Disposition to Tyranny (2012), Face the Giant (2019), and more recently Path to Ascension (2024), all available on BandCamp and on Spotify. Furthermore, although Luciana has only been playing live with the band for now, with no participation in any of the band’s albums, not only you should still listen to all of their discography as their music is awesome, but it will also give you a very good taste of what Luciana has to offer when hitting the stages together with her new horde (and stay tuned as their 2026 European dates are coming soon).
Apart from Mechanical God Creation, Stormcrow, The Anger, and Art of Mutilation, you can also find Luciana as a guest vocalist for the song Urban Massacre, from the 2019 album 1996, by an Italian Death Metal/Grindcore band named Abbinormal. It’s a one-minute song, which might be very short for us metalheads eager for more of Luciana’s vocals, but enough already to show how violent she can sound. She has also recently contributed with her powerful vocals to a track titled Portals, on the new album by legendary Dutch Death Metal band Pestilence that should see the light of day sometime still in 2025 (or maybe only in 2026). In addition, you can also find on YouTube a cover version for Lamb of God’s Walk With Me In Hell by Luciana alongside Italian guitarist and bassist Francesca Mancini, of bands like Chaos Rising, Necrosy, and Sudden Death, and let me tell you that such an incredible female duo kicked some serious ass with their rendition of one of the best songs by Randy Blythe and his crew.
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Highly influenced by bands the likes of Morbid Angel, Behemoth, Cannibal Corpse and Deicide, just to name a few, Luciana enjoys writing caustic, harsh lyrics that reflect the daily reality and the problems we all face in the time we’re living that is so full of very important and sudden changes from the cultural, political and technological point of view. Moreover, apart from heavy music, Luciana also enjoys listening to bands and artists like David Bowie, Adele, Coldplay, and Amy Winehouse, showing her eclectic music taste, and when asked which was her first ever live concert and the very first album she bought, she mentioned the always controversial Marilyn Manson (saying it was a great show and that he is a good frontman, but also pointing out she doesn’t listen to him anymore), and probably a Metallica album as far as she remembers.
Having already played at some of the biggest festivals in Europe with heavy music giants including Ozzy Osbourne, Korn, Megadeth, Graveworm, Meshuggah, and Amon Amarth, just to name a few, Luciana also mentioned in one of her interviews that she really enjoys a festival in Slovenia named Metalcamp, saying that although it’s not as big as Wacken Open Air, it’s a very nice festival in the midst of nature. I really wish both Mechanical God Creation and Stormcrow would cross the pond and come play a few shows in Canada and in the United States, but I understand it’s not easy nowadays to tour the world due to the high touring costs. Well, maybe I can catch them at an European festival next year, right?
Despite being a proud Italian, while at the same time of course having her own constructive feedback about the current political and social landscapes in her homeland, Luciana is not very involved with the Italian underground scene. She mentioned in one of her interviews that she obviously knows bands like Fleshgod Apocalypse are proudly carrying the Italian flag everywhere they go, and she feels very happy for them despite not being a true fan of their music.
Currently working in the A&R (Artists and Repertoire) department of WormHoleDeath and Epictronic, Luciana mentioned in an interview that one of her biggest mistakes in music was having stopped to play the piano after years playing it, as it certainly helped her to feel calm. However, if you think she enjoys movies that would also make her calm down and relax, you’ve got another thing coming as her favorite flicks are horror movies with zombies or exorcisms, with her favorite one being the classic Dawn of the Dead. Maybe one day we’ll see Luciana joining the cast of a horror movie, playing some sort of she-demon, screaming at our faces, and sending shivers down the spines of the lighthearted. Because she’s a true extreme music diva, and she will show no mercy for your soul armed with her phenomenal vocals and badass attitude.
This one-man Technical and Brutal Death Metal machine is back with its ruthless sophomore opus, constructed from eleven sonic acts of torture.
Born in Naugatuck, Connecticut, but currently based in Boston, Massachusetts, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Darren Cesca, the demented drummer with Goratory, Eschaton and previously Deeds Of Flesh, has returned with Surge Of Cruelty, the second album from his unconscionably brutal solo project, Cytolysis, following up on his 2020 debut Portraits of Malevolence. Mixed and mastered by Darren Cesca himself, adorned in the hypnotically horrifying artwork of Vladimir Cebakov (Six Feet Under, 1914, DeadHead), and featuring brutal guest vocal performances from Mac Smith (Eschaton), Brian Forgue (Syphilic), Adam Mason (Goratory) and Flo Butcher (Tortured), Surge Of Cruelty is constructed from eleven sonic acts of torture, where twisted technicality and methodical precision collide with frenzied explosions of fury and unnerving alien atmospheres, offering exactly what we’re always looking for in high-quality Technical and Brutal Death Metal in the vein of Cannibal Corpse, Deeds Of Flesh, In Asymmetry, and Incinerate.
Darren wastes no time and ignite his demented metal attack in the form of Your Slow Demise, where his infernal gnarling matches perfectly with his killer blast beats; and featuring guest vocals by Mac Smith, Devout Sacrifice is a beyond demented creation where the sound of his riffs is truly piercing and austere, resulting in a lecture in violence and gore. Then in the title-track Surge of Cruelty our dauntless Darren keeps barking like a demented creature while also firing some of his most intricate and visceral riffage, and get ready to headbang until your neck breaks in half to the sound of Consenting Brood, with Darren’s metallic bass and pounding drums boosting his visceral growls in great fashion. After such an insane tune, guest Brian Forgue lends his demented gnarls to A Blood-Soaked Offering, leaning towards the most gruesome form of Brutal Death Metal.
The Stygian, atmospheric interlude Ritual Carnage will darken the skies before Darren comes ripping once again with Tribal Savagery, where his deep pig-like screeches will disturb your frail mind while he keeps blasting his drums in the name of extreme music. Then featuring guest vocals by Adam Mason, Tortured Flesh brings forward more of the inhumane fusion of Brutal Death Metal and classic Deathcore by Cytolysis, spiced up by some nicely inserted cryptic nuances; and of course with a guy like Flo Butcher as a guest vocalist the final result was going to be demolishing to say the least in Mark of the Demons, offering those downtempo breaks perfect for some brutal slamming. Darren doesn’t sound human with his deep guttural and unstoppable beats and fills in Innocence is Raped, offering an avalanche of first-class Brutal Death Metal, whereas the last song of the album, titled Hung from the Rafters, is just as insane and demented, with Darren hammering his guitars and bass until the very end.
Not only a seasoned musician who has already played with tons of amazing underground bands the likes of Eschaton, Goratory, Pillory, Serpent of Gnosis, Vile, In Asymmetry, Virulence, Hideous Deformity, Arsis, Blasphemer, Deeds of Flesh, Incinerate , Burn in Silence, Strappado, and Embers from Cremation, Darren has also studied Performance: Percussion at Berklee College of Music, and appeared as a guest drummer in the video game Call of Duty: Black Ops II, just to give you an idea of how talented he is, and how he crafted Surge of Cruelty to sound as catchy as razor wire through flesh, offering a blend of Technical and Brutal Death Metal of the highest order. You can find more information about him on Facebook, and put your dirty hands on Surge Of Cruelty via Comatose Music’s BandCamp or webstore, supporting such an amazing underground musician in his quest for extreme music.
Best moments of the album:Devout Sacrifice, A Blood-Soaked Offering and Innocence is Raped.
Worst moments of the album:Ritual Carnage.
Released in 2025 Comatose Music
Track listing 1. Your Slow Demise 4:29
2. Devout Sacrifice 4:29
3. Surge of Cruelty 4:32
4. Consenting Brood 3:19
5. A Blood-Soaked Offering 3:41
6. Ritual Carnage (Instrumental) 1:34
7. Tribal Savagery 3:40
8. Tortured Flesh 4:58
9. Mark of the Demons 5:07
10. Innocence is Raped 3:48
11. Hung from the Rafters 4:03
Band members Darren Cesca – vocals, all instruments
Guest musician
Mac Smith – vocals on “Devout Sacrifice”
Brian Forgue – vocals on “A Blood-Soaked Offering”
Adam Mason – vocals on “Tortured Flesh”
Flo Butcher – vocals on “Mark of the Demons”
A scorching night of sheer progressiveness and aggressiveness in Toronto, courtesy of some of the must-see names of the current American rock and metal scene.
This Sunday night in Toronto was one of those days that felt like you were at an open air sauna, and GLACIAL TOMB, INTER ARMA, HOLY FAWN and RIVERS OF NIHIL made sure Lee’s Palace got even hotter and more humid during their The Aggressive Progressive Tour2025, their last stop of the tour, and another excellent event brought to the city by the one and only Noel Peters of Inertia Entertainment. Keith Ibbitson of Metal Paparazzi coundn’t be there, unfortunately, but not only I was there inside the rock and metal sauna called Lee’s Palace to cover such a great night of heavy music, but I was also lucky enough to get some wild shots from our brother Ryan Miles Leblanc to add to this review. Furthermore, if you take into account almost every single band on this planet is playing at all of those awesome European summer festivals (just check the lineup for Graspop Metal Meeting this year, for example), it’s actually a miracle Toronto got this show during what’s in my humble opinion one of the biggest “metal concert draughts” in the history of the city. In all seriousness, I’m starting to get worried about the future of heavy music in Toronto, as we’re getting less and less concerts, and even being left out of tours scheduled for multiple Canadian location, but Toronto.
Done with the rant about the lack of metal concerts in Toronto. Let’s get back to the show, and what an amazing show by Denver, Colorado’s own Sludge/Death/Black Metal beast GLACIAL TOMB, kicking ass hard in the ass with their heavier-than-hell sounds. Having released the excellent Lightless Expanse last year, available on both BandCamp and on Spotify, the band formed of Ben Hutcherson, Kevin Berstler, David Small and Joey Spates took no prisoners in their quest for heaviness and obscurity, crushing our damned souls with violent yet melodic and grim songs like Abyssal Host and Stygian Abattoir. Those guys were by far one of the most solid opening bands I’ve ever seen live, raising the bar high for the upcoming attractions of the night, and if you’ve never seen Glacial Tomb live or if you’ve never heard anything from them, I highly recommend you go check their discography and keep an eye on their tour dates, because they’re definitely a must-see band of the current underground scene.
Setlist Abyssal Host
Voidwomb
Stygian Abattoir
Wound of Existence
The Lightless Expanse
Enshrined in Concrete
Band members Ben Hutcherson – vocals, guitars
Kevin Berstler – guitars
David Small – bass
Joey Spates – drums
After a short and necessary break, where everyone took the time to cool off with some beer and water (and one of the concert goers even said the air outdoor felt like “butternut squash soup,” just to give you an idea of how hot and humid it was), it was time for Richmond, Virginia-based Sludge/Black/Death/Post-Metal outfit INTER ARMA (and hell yeah, I love their name!) to bring sheer doom to the venue with their noisy and apocalyptic performance. Their ruthless setlist was comprised basically of songs from their latest album New Heaven, released in 2024 (also available on BandCamp and on Spotify), those being New Heaven, Violet Seizures, and Concrete Cliffs, and oh boy, those songs sounded heavier than a thousand thunders. Frontman Mike Paparo was on fire throughout their entire concert, as well as a tiny bit drunk (which was actually fun), supported by the unrelenting guitarists Steven “Dirt” Russell and Trey Dalton, and just like I said for Glacial Tomb, if you know nothing about Inter Arma simply go after their discography because those guys play amazing metal music.
Setlist New Heaven
Citadel
Violet Seizures
Concrete Cliffs
An Archer in the Emptiness
Band members Mike Paparo – vocals
Steven “Dirt” Russell – guitars
Trey Dalton – guitars
Joel Moore – bass
Alex Tomlin – drums
The venue got really packed (and consequently even hotter) when Phoenix, Arizona’s cult Post-Black Metal/Rock act HOLY FAWN took the stage for the total delight of their fans, blasting a dark and gripping setlist including songs from all of their albums, like their 2022 opus Dimensional Bleed, plus their brand new single Beneath a Lightless Star, all available on BandCamp and on Spotify. Literally everyone at Lee’s Palace was having an absolute blast with those American rockers, getting louder and louder as they kept delivering total heaviness armed with their sonic weapons. It was indeed a phenomenal concert by Holy Fawn, proving why they’ve become legends in the underground scene, and even the guys from Rivers of Nihil were enjoying their show a lot from backstage. I guess it won’t take long for the band to return to Toronto, maybe as the headliners next time, and I’m beyond certain it will be a sold out event.
Setlist Candy
Dark Stone
Blood Pact
Beneath a Lightless Star
New song (SVR)
Void of Light
Seer
Band members Ryan Osterman – vocals, guitar
Evan Phelps – guitar
Alexander Rieth – bass
Austin Reinholz – drums
It wasn’t even 9:30pm, which is amazing as that usually means we can all enjoy the show to the fullest without worrying about the time and go home earlier than expected, when the main attraction of the night, Reading, Pennsylvania’s unstoppable Progressive/Technical Death Metal masters RIVERS OF NIHIL took the stage by storm with a brilliant performance, igniting a beautiful “hurricane” on the floor section. Currently promoting their 2025 self-titled new album, which you can enjoy in full on BandCamp and on Spotify, the band formed of Adam Biggs, Brody Uttley, Andy Thomas and Jared Klei, with the support of the awesome saxophonist Patrick Corona (of the excellent Progressive Metalcore band Cyborg Octopus), delivered a powerful, captivating, heavy-as-hell and extremely dynamic show, with songs like The Silent Life, American Death and Water & Time sounding even better live than in the studio, which is always a delight for me, by the way. The band was tight, there was zero room for error, and the reaction of their fans to each song played was a thing of beauty. We even got a wall of death to the sound of Patrick’s saxophone. Thank you, Rivers of Nihil, for bringing some quality heavy music to the city during this boring period of musical draught, and whenever you guys decide to pay the city of Toronto a visit again, rest assured we’ll all be here waiting for you.
Setlist The Sub‐Orbital Blues
The Silent Life
American Death
A Home
The Void From Which No Sound Escapes
Water & Time
House of Light
Death Is Real
Episode
Where Owls Know My Name
Encore:
Clean
Band members Adam Biggs – vocals, bass
Brody Uttley – guitars
Andy Thomas – guitars, backing vocals
Jared Klein – drums, backing vocals
Patrick Corona – saxophone
Danish Death Metal juggernauts return with fire and fury on their sophomore full-length opus, casting a harsh light on human cruelty and societal decay.
Pulling inspiration from Death Metal legends the likes of Aborted, Suffocation, Cannibal Corpse, and even the progressive might of Mastodon, Aarhus, Denmark-based Death Metal juggernaut Wrath of Belial returns with fire and fury on their sophomore full-length opus, entitled Embers of Dead Empires, the follow-up to their critically acclaimed 2017 debut Bloodstained Rebellion. Mixed and mastered by Mendel bij de Leij (Aborted, Severe Torture, Cytotoxin), with drums recorded under the skilled engineering of Jacob Bredahl at Dead Rat Studios, and featuring a brutally futuristic artwork by world renowned illustrator Daemorph, the new album by Kasper B. Hornstrup on vocals, Jonas L. Thomsen on the guitars, and Anders F.S. Mikkelsen on bass, with support from session musicians Alex Bossen (of OXX) on lead guitars, and Bastian Thusgaard (of Soilwork, Dawn of Demise, and The Arcane Order) on drums, while the live lineup now includes Richardt Olsen on the guitars and Bent Bisballe Nyeng on drums, is a savage, refined, and punishingly tight release that casts a harsh light on human cruelty and societal decay, featuring ten meticulously crafted tracks of Brutal and Melodic Death Metal packed with razor-sharp riffs, breakneck drumming, and searing vocals.
Dismantling Logos is absolutely insane from the very first second, with guest drummer Robin Stone (of Ashen Horde and Norse) crushing his drums manically while Kasper roars like a demonic entity. In other words, the album couldn’t have started in a more ferocious and exciting way; and Alex and Jonas shred their axes without a single drop of mercy in Mask of Commiseration, offering more of the band’s demented blend of Brutal and Technical Death Metal, followed by The Secular and the Divine, a lecture in Technical Death Metal with the infuriated growls by Kasper walking hand in hand with the inhumane beats and fills by Bastian. The stringed weapons by Alex, Jonas and Anders keep breathing fire and violence in Embers, showcasing the band’s trademark fusion of intricacy and darkness, whereas the metallic, rumbling bass by Anders adds tons of groove to their sound in Visions of the Annointed, being more than perfect for some hard hitting action inside the circle pit.
Bastian shows no mercy for our damned necks an bodies in Atonement, hammering his drums nonstop in the name of classic Death Metal, therefore keeping the album at a humongous level of animosity; followed by The Devouring Mother, one of the heaviest, most infernal of all songs, led by the brutal guttural by Kasper while the band’s guitarists shred their instruments in the name of sheer aggression. There’s absolutely no time to breath to the sound of The Marble and the Sculptor, a no shenanigans, in-your-face Death Metal attack by Wrath of Belial that should work majestically if played live; and the band then sounds even more infuriated in The Stench, a visceral lesson in extreme music where Bastian steals the spotlight with his ruthless and precise drumming. Lastly, the band’s final attack, titled Weight of the Transcendent, offers more of Kasper’s demented screeches while Alex and Jonas keep firing their trademark hellish riffage nonstop.
Fans of bands such as The Black Dahlia Murder, Aborted, and high-speed Death Metal with a razor-sharp melodic edge will have a great time listening to Embers of Dead Empires, which in the end is more than just a record, but a sharpened spear aimed at the heart of apathy and decay. Hence, as Wrath of Belial ignite the underground once again, you can start following the band on Facebook and on Instagram for news, tour dates and so on, stream their music on any platform such as Spotify, get more details about the band from CDN Records or by clicking HERE, and of course grab your copy of their ruthless new album from the CDN Records webstore. Danish Death Metal has never sounded stronger than now with Wrath of Belial, and if you think you have what it takes to face Embers of Dead Empires, I’m sure you won’t regret getting pulverized by the music found in the band’s newborn beast.
Best moments of the album:Dismantling Logos, The Secular and the Divine, The Devouring Mother and The Stench.
Worst moments of the album: None.
Released in 2025 CDN Records
Track listing 1. Dismantling Logos 4:49
2. Mask of Commiseration 4:23
3. The Secular and the Divine 3:49 4. Embers 5:19 5. Visions of the Annointed 4:05
6. Atonement 4:14
7. The Devouring Mother 4:07
8. The Marble and the Sculptor 3:30
9. The Stench 4:11
10. Weight of the Transcendent 4:42
Band members Kasper B. Hornstrup – vocals
Jonas L. Thomsen – guitars
Anders F.S. Mikkelsen – bass
Guest musicians
Alex Bossen – lead guitars (session)
Bastian Thusgaard – drums (session)
Robin Stone – drums on “Dismantling Logos”
Richardt Olsen – guitars (live)
Bent Bisballe Nyeng – drums (live)
Catching the light with every stroke… Bringing to life the soul trapped in stone… Carving your name into eternity!
After witnessing her latest breathtaking live performance in Toronto last month, let’s say that the our metal lady of this month of June on The Headbanging Moose climbed up to the top of the list in terms of priority. She was simply fantastic onstage together with her also amazing band, hypnotizing every single person at the venue with her undeniable talent, incredible voice, and stunning looks. A dramatic soprano better known as the Opera singer of Italian Symphonic Death Metal band Fleshgod Apocalypse, she can sing pretty much any type of music, from Opera to Heavy Metal, from modern rock music to pop, and so on, and whenever she has some free time from music she’s also a PC gamer geek. I’m talking about the beyond talented Veronica Bordacchini, and I’m sure after knowing more about her life and career you’ll definitely get addicted to her beautiful vocals and music.
Born on July 9, 1988 in Todi, a town and “comune” (or municipality) of the province of Perugia, in the region of Umbria in central Italy, Veronica was a fan of games like hide-and-seek and playing cards during her childhood. “I was lucky enough to have been born in a country area, just a few kilometres from the historic centre of my little town, Todi, in the province of Perugia. I grew up in this building with five families. All five families had at least one child my age, so we went to kindergarten, elementary, and middle school together. From the first to the last day of summer vacation always under the house playing hide-and-seek and then cards because I’m old at heart. I was already playing cards when I was 12 years old, it’s wonderful. I still enjoy it. So ‘briscola’ (a typical Italian game cards) with friends of the same age was another game,” she mentioned in one of her interviews.
Speaking about her career with Italian cult metallers Fleshgod Apocalypse, the band had already been active for a few years before she joined them first as a guest musician, and then as a permanent member of the band. Fleshgod Apocalypse were formed back in April 2007 by Francesco Paoli, formerly frontman of the band Hour of Penance, releasing their debut opus Oracles in 2008, and a few years later, more specifically in 2011, it was when Veronica started singing with the band both in the studio as a guest vocalist in a few songs per album, as well as a touring musician, always as a soprano. Her first songs with the band were Temptation and The Egoism, both from their 2011 album Agony, followed by Kingborn, Towards the Sun, Warpledge and Epilogue, from their 2013 album Labyrinth; Cold as Perfection, Paramour (Die Leidenschaft bringt Leiden) and Syphilis, from their 2016 album King; and finally doing all soprano vocals in their 2019 album Veleno, still as a guest musician, like in the songs Sugar and Carnivorous Lamb.
It was back in 2020 when Veronica became a permanent member of the band, doing both soprano and clean vocals in a few singles, those being The Day We’ll Be Gone, No, Blue (Turns To Red), and Pendulum, before recording with them in 2024 the superb full-length opus Opera, definitely marking another step forward for the band, incorporating new suggestions into that unique blend they’re renowned for, such as sheer violence, majestic orchestrations, and soaring melodies. Not only that, the cover art portrays Veronica as Music, a superior entity that defeats the social and artistic decay of modern age, and the music found in the album is simply stunning as you can enjoy in songs like Morphine Waltz, I Can Never Die, and Bloodclock. All of their creations with (and without) Veronica are available on Spotify, as well as all of their official videos can be found on YouTube. Currently formed of Francesco Paoli on lead vocals, rhythm guitar and bass, Francesco Ferrini on the piano, string arrangements and orchestral effects, our diva Veronica Bordacchini on operatic and clean vocals, Fabio Bartoletti on lead and rhythm guitars, and Eugene Ryabchenko on drums, Fleshgod Apocalypse are reaching new heights with Opera, and I can’t wait to see what’s next for the band in the world of music.
Veronica is (or was) also the vocalist for a Perugia, Italy-based Symphonic/Gothic Metal band named In Tenebra, which doesn’t have anything released after their 2009 demo Introspection, a 2012 two-song promo, and a 2014 five-song promo including the two tracks from their 2012 promo, one from their debut demo, and two new songs. The songs from Introspection are available on YouTube, which means you can enjoy some pre-Fleshgod Apocalype Veronica in the songs Against Myself, The Promise, and My Perfect Evil, but that’s it. She was also part of a Gothic/Industrial Metal duo named Wisteria over ten years ago under the moniker ValchiReA, alongside multi-instrumentalist Stefano Urbani (aka AtoragoN), not only recording the vocals for their 2010 demo Mechanical Phoenix and their 2014 album Under an 8-Bit Moon, but also taking care of the layout for the 2014 release. You can enjoy some of the coolest songs of their 2014 album on Youtube, those being R’Lyeh (The Call of the Cthulhu), Cenobite (Hellraiser), and their cover version for Eleanor Rigby, by The Beatles.
She can also be found as a guest vocalist in a variety of songs and albums from bands from different styles, those being the song What She Creates, She Will Destroy, from the 2021 EP The Holocene Termination, by Indian Death/Black/Thrash Metal machine Demonstealer; all female vocals in the 2022 album Decade of Silence, by Finnish Symphonic Death/Doom Metal band Depressed Mode; the song The Great Tribulation, from the 2022 EP The Alchemy Project, by Dutch Symphonic Metal masters Epica; the song Tartarus Rising, from the 2025 album Tomb of the Tormentor, by International Symphonic Deathcore act Hate Within; and the song Holographic Webs We Weave, from the 2019 album Lamentations: Of Deceit & Redemption, by Australian Technical Black/Death Metal band In the Burial. Let’s say it was more than obvious that we would see Veronica contributing to countless bands, because you know, her vocals are simply perfect for any type of music.
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In some of her interviews, Veronica discussed her life on the road, not only talking about how demanding touring can be, but also about some of her favorite places to play, as well as the weirdest ones. When asked about the weirdest venue she’s ever played at, her answer was a boat named Petit Bain in Paris. “Because it’s a very small boat, even though it’s a full-fledged venue inside. But when the audience does the wall of death, circle pit, or moshpit, the boat moves, and you’re there saying, ‘Oh my God.’ But on the other side, the 70,000 Tons of Metal was twice the best experience of my life, just because of the concept,” commented Veronica, who also prefer long tours with 30 or more shows in a row than smaller ones. “You come back home after three days, then you have to leave for other 3 days, then again you go home, then you leave again and so on. Usually you feel good when you have to face really long tours, even with a hostile weather, even if I have to say that the first week is always a bit tougher, then you go with the flow and you get used to it.”
She also mentioned that although it might be a bit harder for women to be part of a metal band, once you’re in you end up getting all the necessary support from the rest of the band, as well as from fans and even other musicians. “I consider myself lucky because those guys with whom I share so much of my life are brothers,” she said, mentioning all the support she’s been receiving from Francesco from day one. In addition, she also commented about the confidence she now has thanks to the one and only George “Corpsegrinder” Fisher of Cannibal Corpse, who went to see Fleshgod Apocalypse once in Berlin. He hugged her after the show and said “this is the coolest thing I’ve ever seen,” and Veronica replied “I have like all your records, I’ve been a fan of yours since I was a little girl,” because she said she grew up listening to Grindcore and Deathcore. Then she told him she was afraid of his judgment, to which he replied “are you kidding? I mean, it’s well done, it’s beautiful. You’re beautiful and good.”
Veronica also loves to play in the United States and Canada, saying the band has even gotten bigger in those countries than in her homeland Italy, because in her opinion the North American fans are always willing to drive longer distances to see concerts, and buy a lot more merchandise during those concerts. “I still remember when I was the merch chick for Fleshgod Apocalypse. I remember a guy who came to get a copy of the album and he told me that he already had a copy at home, he had also t-shirts and he told me that he wanted to buy even more because he wanted to give us his complete support.” The band has already headlined a few tours across the United States and Canada, all very successful with lots of sold out concerts, which proves Veronica is not wrong at all when she praises her North American fans.
As a very active person in different social media platforms, Veronica believes the internet has done more good than bad to most bands and music in general. She said in one of her interviews that the internet allowed people from the most remote corners of the earth to get to know bands from all across the globe, as well as several kids started playing instruments because of online tutorials and lessons, also mentioning that, on the other hand, the human contact between teacher and student might have been lost a little bit. The internet also played a nice part in the life of Veronica back in January 2023, as she was taken by surprise when her partner asked her to marry him onstage during one of their shows in Madrid, Spain. Her then boyfriend, Alessandro Salari, came out from behind the stage holding the ring box behind his back, approached her, showed her the box and knelt down, and of course she nodded “yes,” and the couple hugged as the crowd cheered wildly. The internet played a huge part in it as she was able to share such a special moment in her life with the entire world via her official Instagram account. “I know this might sound cheesy, but words can’t describe my feelings at all right now. The sacrifices this guy made just to get to Madrid and propose in front of the whole venue are remarkable. I can’t be happier to share my everything with the best person I’ve ever met in my whole life. I know you’ll make me the happiest wife ever and I promise I’ll try to do the same for you. I love you.” Not sure if it was the adrenaline and happiness that took her entire body and soul at that moment, but after that her vocals got even more powerful, touching and emotional both in the studio and on stage. Is it the power of love, of the power of metal? I would say both, and may she continue her incredible path in heavy music for many decades to come, always hypnotizing us all with her undeniable talent and charisma.
This Technical Death Metal and Deathcore juggernaut returns after a gap of six years with a reinvigorated, star-studded lineup, offering us all their breathtaking, intricate and demented third studio album.
Formed in 2006 and based in both Naugatuck, Connecticut and Lowell, Massachusetts, Technical Death Metal/Deathcore juggernaut Eschaton returns after a gap of six years with a reinvigorated, star-studded lineup that undoubtedly elevates their sound to hitherto unexplored heights, exploding our senses with their third full-length offering, entitled Techtalitarian. Displaying an Aliens-inspired artwork by Dave Melvin, the new beast by vocalist Mac Smith (Apogean, Abyssalis, Hammer of Dawn), guitarists Christian Muenzner (Retromorphosis, Eternity’s End, Necrophagist, Obscura, Alkaloid) and Josh Berry (the band’s founder), bassist Scott Bradley (Inanimate Existence), and drummer Darren Cesca (Goratory, Serpents of Gnosis, Pillory, Deeds of Flesh, Arsis) is the perfect follow-up to their 2019 album Death Obsession, standing on its own without having to be necessarily pitted against any of the aforementioned bands’ past efforts.
Their futuristic Death Metal attack begins with Inferior Superior, with Darren simply demolishing everything and everyone that dares to cross his path while Mac fires inhumane roars for our total delight, and the sick shredding by Christian and Josh set the tone in Devour the Contrarian, another bestial tune overflowing heaviness and insanity. Then their violent sounds will hammer our heads mercilessly in Blood of the People, where they showcase all their dexterity while also staying loyal to the foundations of the most ruthless form of Death Metal, whereas more demented riffs, solos, blast beats and demonic vociferations are offered to our avid ears in Hellfire’s Woe, perfect for some wicked headbanging, with Scott’s bass lines sounding utterly metallic. And The Bellicose Duality sounds even more infuriated and insane than its predecessors, with the entire band melting our faces with their undisputed Technical Death Metal sounds.
The album continues on a high and visceral note with Econocracy, with Darren once again demolishing his drums with tons of rage and dexterity while Mac barks and growls like a rabid beast nonstop; and in Antimatter the rabid Mac vociferates the song’s wicked lyrics manically (“Bleeding from inanimate spiracles / Metonymy of our existence / Our roaming stative / Repelling forces within all existence”) amidst a hurricane of aggressive yet complex Death Metal. Techtalitarian, the song that carries the name of the album, perfectly summarizes Eschaton’s current sound, a striking combination of violence with the most technical form of extreme music you can imagine. Darren also dictates the pace in The Sufferer’s Dichotomy, while Christian and Josh extract sheer insanity from their axes; followed by the closing tune Castle Strnad, which might be their homage to Trevor Strnad of The Black Dahlia Murder, who sadly passed away on May 11, 2022. Not sure if that’s the case, but even if it’s not, this is another neck-breaking, unrelenting display of first-class Death Metal by the band.
You can put your tech death hands on Techtalitarian by purchasing a copy of it from their own BandCamp, as well as from the Transcending Obscurity Records’ main store, Bandcamp, Europe store or US store, and don’t forget to also follow the band on Facebook and on Instagram, and to stream more of their demented creations on Spotify or any other streaming service. Eschaton are back into the Death Metal battlefield stronger and sharper than ever, staying loyal to their foundations but of course with the renewed energy brought by the band’s new members turning their heat and aggression up to 11, and if you consider yourself a loyal servant of the extreme music arts, always staying tech, then Techtalitarian is a must-have in your dark and heavy collection.
Best moments of the album:Hellfire’s Woe, The Bellicose Duality and Techtalitarian.
Worst moments of the album: None.
Released in 2025 Transcending Obscurity Records
Track listing 1. Inferior Superior 4:12
2. Devour the Contrarian 3:46
3. Blood of the People 4:51
4. Hellfire’s Woe 5:04
5. The Bellicose Duality 4:24
6. Econocracy 5:28
7. Antimatter 4:02
8. Techtalitarian 4:00
9. The Sufferer’s Dichotomy 4:20
10. Castle Strnad 5:21
Band members Mac Smith – vocals
Christian Muenzner – lead guitars
Josh Berry – guitars
Scott Bradley – bass
Darren Cesca – drums
Playing their own blend of Technical and Brutal Death Metal that’s insanely heavy and yet incredibly varied, Helsinki, Finland-based entity Enragement returns with their fourth full-length beast, an invigorating, powerful expression that ticks all the boxes entitled Extinguish All Existence. Following up on their 2022 album Atrocities, and showcasing a sinister artwork by Daemorph Art, the new album by Atte Ojanne and Tuomas Iivanainen on vocals and guitars, Juhana Korkka Heinonen on vocals and bass, and Lasse Sannikka on drums is a striking depiction of the band’s raw power, aggression and versatility, cementing their name not only in the local Finnish scene, but also everywhere else in the world where the fusion of violence and dexterity is truly appreciated.
THE HEADBANGING MOOSE 