Tag Archives: thrash metal

Concert Review – Hatebreed (The Danforth Music Hall, Toronto, ON, 09/05/2023)

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The city of Toronto let the hate flow through its veins and destroyed everything together with the American juggernauts of Hardcore on a beyond hot and fun night.

OPENING ACTS: Jesus Piece, Vein.FM and Terror

What’s the best thing to do when you’re in the middle of a heat wave, with temperatures over +40oC and a scorching sun to burn you alive? Attending a metal concert, of course! And the city of Toronto had the pleasure of hosting the bands JESUS PIECE, VEIN.FM, TERROR and HATEBREED at The Danforth Music Hall this Tuesday during the Rise of Brutality 20th Anniversary Tour 2023, where Hatebreed are celebrating 20 years of their classic album The Rise of Brutality. I honestly thought that the venue was going to feel like a sauna, because that was the case when Kreator and Sepultura played there a few months ago, but apparently the organizers knew that the heat was way too strong outdoors and decided to crank up the AC to the lowest temperature possible, making it quite comfortable inside for all of the concert goers. You probably saved some lives by doing that! Good job!

As traffic wasn’t too crazy yesterday, all fans had a lot of time to enjoy a few beers and buy some merch between the doors opening at 6pm and the first band of the night, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania-based Hardcore/Metalcore/Sludge Metal act JESUS PIECE, kicking off their concert at 7pm. Spearheaded by the unstoppable frontman  Aaron Heard, the band put on a very entertaining concert from start to finish, blending songs from their new album …So Unknown with their older material, already inspiring the crowd to create a massive circle pit where most kids looked like they were squirrels who had a few cans of Red Bull, moving around like rabid creatures. I just couldn’t catch the names of the songs, mainly because whenever Aaron was talking to the crowd his mic sounded a little muffled, but if you’re curious to know more about such explosive band you can find all of their wicked creations on Spotify.

Band members
Aaron Heard – vocals
David Updike – guitars
John DiStefano – guitars
Anthony Marinaro – bass, backing vocals
Luis Aponte – drums

That mosh pit madness, with everyone following the lesson taught by the mighty Exodus in the classic “Toxic Waltz”, that being “so don’t be a dunce and dance like a runt, just throw your elbows with good friendly violent fun”, continued during the concert by Boston, Massachusetts-based Hardcore Punk/Metalcore outfit VEIN.FM. Having released the album This World Is Going To Ruin You last year, the band formed of Anthony DiDio on vocals, Jeremy Martin on the guitars, Jon Lhaubouet on bass and Matt Wood on drums showed no mercy for our souls, crushing their instruments nonstop and, therefore, inviting the crowd to keep moving wildly as if each person in the pit was fighting some sort of “invisible man”. It was a fun and vibrant show that definitely warmed up all Hatebreed fans at the venue, and if you want to enjoy the music by such talented band at home, in your car, at work, at school, at the gym or anywhere else, you can find those guys on BandCamp and on Spotify. Once again it was impossible to catch the names of the songs played, but that’s just a minor detail as their live performance was awesome.

Band members
Anthony DiDio – vocals
Jeremy Martin – guitar, backing vocals
Jon Lhaubouet – bass, backing vocals
Matt Wood – drums

Quickly after Vein.FM finished their show, it was time for Los Angeles, California’s own Hardcore legends TERROR to burn down The Danforth Music Hall with another insane performance, turning the floor section into a massive circle pit where the kids were once again moving like crazy creatures. Frontman Scott Vogel was the main responsible person for that mosh pit madness, as he kept asking the crowd to keep moving around, to keep doing some sick crowd surfing and so on, and let’s say his requests were promptly answered by everyone inside the pit. Playing songs from their latest album, their 2022 beast Pain into Power, including the amazing title-track, plus some of their old school material, those Californians showed Toronto everything they got, and the temperature inside the venue went up considerably due to all the action going on while Terror continued to distill their flammable Hardcore on stage. I’ve already place in another concert review the links to where you can stream their music, but as they’re really cool guys here we go again with the links to their BandCamp and Spotify, and if they ever visit your hometown, don’t think twice and go join the band to unleash some first-class Hardcore terror, alright?

Band members
Scott Vogel – vocals
Martin Stewart – guitar
Jordan Posner – guitar
Chris Linkovich – bass
Nick Jett – drums

HATEBREED

The break between Terror and Bridgeport, Connecticut-based Hardcore Punk/Metalcore titans HATEBREED was a little longer than the previous ones for obvious reasons, allowing everyone at the venue to go buy some merch (in case they hadn’t done so already), grab a few beers, smoke a cigarette and have a quality chat with their friends, and all those things energized the crowd to the point that the iconic Jamey Jasta kept repeating how much he loves Toronto, being visibly impressed with the rowdy reaction during each song from their amazing setlist. Playing songs form their entire discography, including the classics Last Breath (dedicated to the memory of the deceased The Black Dahlia Murder frontman Trevor Strnad), Driven by Suffering, Tear It Down, Straight to Your Face, Doomsayer, and Confide in No One, the band put on an electrifying show that pleased all fans of their unique fusion of Hardcore with Thrash Metal, Punk Rock and other heavy styles.

My only complaint (and of Keith Ibbitson of Lower Eastside Photography, as well as all other photographers at the venue) was the dim lighting used for all four bands, which is becoming something quite common in most shows not only in Toronto, but everywhere. It’s getting tough to see the bands on stage with clarity, but of course, it’s nothing that would stop the fans from enjoying the shows. Well, it is what it is, and when you have a band like Hatebreed on stage let’s admit we must be really aware of our surroundings due to all the mosh pit action going on, leaving us with not a lot of time to actually pay attention to the stage, right? Jokes aside, it was a true pleasure seeing Wayne Lozinak and Frank Novinec kicking some ass with their guitars while Chris Beattie and Matt Byrne made the venue shake with their insanely heavy kitchen, keeping everyone more than entertained until the very end, with lots of fists and horns in the air, lots of screaming, and the endless insanity inside the circle pit led by the demented vocals by Jamey. Now it’s just a matter of waiting for Hatebreed to return to Canadian lands to destroy everything once again, and I bet everyone who attended their concert last night will be there again to celebrate their undisputed Hardcore music.

Setlist
Tear It Down
Straight to Your Face
Destroy Everything
A Lesson Lived Is a Lesson Learned
Empty Promises
To the Threshold
Live for This
Voice of Contention
Looking Down the Barrel of Today
Beholder of Justice
This Is Now
Perseverance
Driven by Suffering
Confide in No One
Last Breath (Dedicated to Trevor Strnad)
Doomsayer
Smash Your Enemies
Another Day Another Vendetta
I Will Be Heard

Band members
Jamey Jasta – vocals
Wayne Lozinak – lead guitar, backing vocals
Frank Novinec – rhythm guitar, backing vocals
Chris Beattie – bass
Matt Byrne – drums

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Album Review – Exmortus / Necrophony (2023)

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California’s own Neoclassical Thrash and Death Metal institution returns with a collection of twelve piercing hymns, sounding blacker and more nefarious as illustrated by the eeriest and evilest Lovecraftian and Tolkien-esque tales.

Formed in 2002 in Whittier, California, in the United States, the unstoppable Neoclassical and Technical Thrash/Death Metal outfit Exmortus is back in action in 2023 with their amazing sixth studio album, titled Necrophony, a portmanteau of “necro” and “phony” (or “dead sounds”), offering nothing but a savage rebirth and a fierce renewal in the form of twelve tracks highly recommended for fans of Hatchet, Warbringer, Havok, Toxic Holocaust and Skeletonwitch, among others. Produced, recorded, mixed and mastered by Zack Ohren at Sharkbite Studios, and displaying a striking artwork by Indonesian artist Toha Mashudi, Necrophony showcases a beyond focused and inspired band currently formed of Jadran “Conan” Gonzalez on vocals and guitars, Chase Becker also on the guitars, Phillip Nuñez on bass, and Adrian Aguilar on drums, emerging stronger, faster and crazier from the throes of the pandemic while going from a Conan the Barbarian and Gladiator aesthetic from their previous records to something blacker and more nefarious as illustrated by the eeriest and evilest Lovecraftian and Tolkien-esque tales.

Melancholy flows from the intro Masquerade, evolving into a cinematic sonority before the quartet kicks some serious ass in Mask of Red Death, with Conan roaring like a beast accompanied by the pounding drums by Adrian and scorching, visceral guitar riffs in a great display of Melodic Death Metal, whereas in Oathbreaker we face poetic words declaimed by Conan (“Over the western lands a long shadow lies / And in evil times the dead awaken and arise / Until the end, they know no peace, remain forlorn / As punishment of old for an oath they have forsworn”) while the music is as vile, fast and heavy as it can be. Mind of Metal is another classic Melodic Death Metal creation by Exmortus where the guitars by Conan and Chase will pierce your mind mercilessly, keeping the album at a high level of animosity; and Yanni’s “The Storm” and Antonio Vivaldi’s “The Four Seasons” are blended together in Storm of Strings, an instrumental metallic extravaganza perfect for banging your head nonstop or simply enjoying some high-end shredding. Then back to their trademark Melodic Death Metal mode we have Test of Time, inspired by the classic sound from the Gothenburg scene, with Adrian dictating the pace with his intricate but thunderous beats.

After such striking tune, strident, melodious guitar lines set the tone in Darkest of Knights, presenting elements from classic Thrash and Death Metal with Phillip and Adrian making the earth tremble with their kitchen while Conan continues to vociferate rabidly, followed by Prophecy,  another neck-breaking tune by the quartet, with Conan roaring nonstop and blasting his stringed axe at the same time, feeling like a fusion of Megadeth, Black Label Society and Ozzy Osbourne. The low-tuned, metallic bass by Phillip will crush your head in Children of the Night, a high-octane, pedal-to-the-metal extravaganza spearheaded by the demonic growls by Conan while Adrian speeds things up considerably behind his drums; whereas the slashing riffage by Conan and Chase keep darkening the skies in Beyond the Grave, blending the brutality of Death Metal with the rebelliousness of Thrash Metal. After that, the melodic and introspective interlude Overture will pave the band’s obscure path until all explodes into the title-track Necrophony, which takes away some of the energy from the rest of the album despite not being a bad song. The guitar work by Conan and Chase is once again truly solid, though.

“We wanted everything on this album to be a fresh take of what we envisioned Exmortus to be,” said Conan about Necrophony. “We had a lot of time to reflect on that during the isolation period of the pandemic, and so, this new material is a sort of rebirth of our approach to writing and performing our music.” Hence, don’t forget to give the guys from Exmortus a shout on Facebook and on Instagram, to subscribe to their official YouTube channel, to stream their wicked music on Spoitfy, and above all that, to purchase a copy of Necrophony from their own webstore, or by clicking HERE or HERE. Exmortus are going to invade your senses with their piercing, scorching “dead sounds”, and there’s nothing you can do about it but succumb to the thunderous music by one of the most innovative and hardworking bands of the current scene.

Best moments of the album: Mask of Red Death, Darkest of Knights and Children of the Night.

Worst moments of the album: Necrophony.

Released in 2023 Nuclear Blast

Track listing
1. Masquerade 2:33
2. Mask of Red Death 4:42
3. Oathbreaker 3:24
4. Mind of Metal 4:33
5. Storm of Strings 2:55
6. Test of Time 4:48
7. Darkest of Knights 8:11
8. Prophecy 4:14
9. Children of the Night 7:13
10. Beyond the Grave 3:48
11. Overture 2:05
12. Necrophony 5:10

Band members
Jadran “Conan” Gonzalez – vocals, guitars
Chase Becker – guitars
Phillip Nuñez – bass
Adrian Aguilar – drums

Album Review – Grand Cadaver / Deities Of Deathlike Sleep (2023)

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This Gothenburg-based horde is back with their breathtaking sophomore album, offering us all ten visceral songs exhaling classic Swedish Death Metal.

When the world abruptly shut down due to the global pandemic in 2020, people started looking for other ways to communicate with each other and engage in various projects during the lockdown. That’s exactly what five longtime friends and seasoned musicians from Gothenburg and Stockholm with a mutual love for the classic Swedish Death Metal sound did, bringing to life what’s known today as Swedish Death Metal beast Grand Cadaver. Now in 2023 the band currently formed of vocalist Mikael Stanne (Dark Tranquillity, The Halo Effect), guitarists Stefan Lagergren (The Grifted, Treblinka, Expulsion) and Alex Stjernfeldt (Novarupta, Let Them Hang, CHILD), bassist Christian Jansson (Pagandom, Dark Tranquillity), and drummer Daniel Liljekvist (Vordor, Disrupted, Katatonia) is unleashing upon us their sophomore album, titled Deities Of Deathlike Sleep. Recorded by Per Stålberg, Kalle Lilja and Daniel ‘Dollars’ Deurell at Welfare Sounds, mixed by Per Stålberg, mastered by Johan Reivén at Audiolord Mastering, and displaying a sick artwork by Illusive Illustration, the album is highly recommended for fans of the most visceral form of Death Metal made in Sweden, proving why those guys are already in their second album within only three years of existence.

Daniel takes the lead in the fast and furious The Forever Doom, offering us all straightforward Death Metal with Mikael growling in great fashion in a nonstop, high-octane tune that will surely sound fantastic when played live. It’s pedal to the metal with Stefan and Alex burning our damned souls with their scorching riffs in A Crawling Feast of Decay, a headbanging extravaganza that lives up to the legacy of Scandinavian Death Metal, followed by The Wishful Dead, even darker and more menacing than its predecessors, spearheaded by Mikael and his demonic roaring while Daniel keeps dictating the albums wicked pace behind his drums. After that we have Serrated Jaws, a great name for a heavy-as-hell, mid-tempo feast of darkness by Grand Cadaver where the sinister guitars by Stefan and Alex are nicely supported by the metallic bass by Christian; whereas the title-track Deities Of Deathlike Sleep will go straight to your jugular, with the band’s guitar duo delivering a lesson in Death Metal riffage while Christian continues to hammer his bass mercilessly.

The band needs just a few seconds to ignite an insane circle pit in Vortex Of Blood, adding elements from Thrash Metal and Crust to their core deadly sounds, all of course spiced up by the demented growls by Mikael; and more of the band’s crushing, visceral music comes in the form of Funeral Reversal, with all background elements darkening their sonority even further, not to mention how bestial Daniel sounds once again on drums. Then switching gears to a Doom and Stoner Metal-infused vibe it’s time for True Necrogeny, a neck-breaking creation by the band where Mikael’s deep roars walk hand in hand with the low-tuned, thunderous bass by Christian; and back to a more direct Death Metal sound, the quintet will pulverize our senses with Stabbed With Frozen Blood, where Mikael keeps barking nonstop accompanied by the crushing beats by Daniel and the always flammable riffs by Stefan and Alex. Last but not least, Grand Cadaver will hit us hard one final time with Necrosanctum, bringing forward almost five minutes of sheer brutality blasted by all band members to perfection, resulting in a superb ending to the album.

“We never even planned to release a full-length album, and here we are with our second! ‘Deities of Deathlike Sleep’ was conceived and recorded with the same mindset and the same team as our previous recordings, keeping it quick, spontaneous and enjoyable. This time it turned out a bit more dynamic, with the pummeling fury interspersed with some doom, gloom and darkness. But still, it’s simply ten tracks of Swedish Fucking Death Metal, the way we love it,” commented Grand Cadaver about their newborn beast, and you can put your dirty hands on such infernal album by purchasing it from their own BandCamp page, from the Majestic Mountain Records’ Big Cartel as a digipak or a gatefold LP, various bundles from Trust No One Recordings, the Bengans Edition limited to 100 copies, different versions from Napalm Records, from Apple Music, and from Amazon, and don’t forget to also follow the band on Facebook and on Instagram, and to stream their wicked creations on Spotify. In the end, all that leads to a simple question. Are you craving some first-class Swedish Death Metal? If your answer is yes with a deep guttural scream, then you’ll certainly have a blast with Deities Of Deathlike Sleep.

Best moments of the album: A Crawling Feast of Decay, Deities Of Deathlike Sleep and Stabbed With Frozen Blood.

Worst moments of the album: True Necrogeny.

Released in 2023 Majestic Mountain Records

Track listing
1. The Forever Doom 3:02
2. A Crawling Feast of Decay 3:16
3. The Wishful Dead 3:35
4. Serrated Jaws 4:23
5. Deities Of Deathlike Sleep 3:26
6. Vortex Of Blood 2:24
7. Funeral Reversal 3:15
8. True Necrogeny 3:29
9. Stabbed With Frozen Blood 3:06
10. Necrosanctum 4:51

Band members
Mikael Stanne – vocals
Stefan Lagergren – guitar
Alex Stjernfeldt – guitar
Christian Jansson – bass
Daniel Liljekvist – drums

Concert Review – Pantera (Budweiser Stage, Toronto, ON, 08/08/2023)

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The best band to ever arise from Texas took the city of Toronto by storm on Saturday with their undisputed metal music in a memorable night for their fans, for their brothers, and for their legacy.

OPENING ACTS: Child Bite and Lamb of God

If I’m not mistaken, the last time Pantera visited the city of Toronto was on February 9, 1999 at the SkyDome (currently known as Rogers Centre) during their World Domination Tour, as one of the guest openers for Black Sabbath. Having said that, you can imagine how desperate for more Pantera the Torontonian metalheads were until this Saturday when CHILD BITE, LAMB OF GOD and PANTERA took the Budweiser Stage by storm on a beyond emotional night, one of them being my good friend Keith Ibbitson of Lower Eastside Photography, and as I couldn’t be there mainly due to the ticket prices, Keith took care of both the photos (although not with a photo pass, but just as a regular fan) and the review. As a matter of fact, the ticket prices for this show were so ridiculous that you could find CHEAPER tickets at resale websites such as TickPick and StubHub than at the official Live Nation website, just to give you an idea of how insane things are these days.

Anyway, as the lines were absurdly huge according to Keith, he couldn’t get inside the venue to watch the opener at 7pm, Detroit, Michigan-based Hardcore Punk/Metal outfit CHILD BITE. They were a weird choice taking into account the type of music played by Lamb of God and Pantera, and as each date of the tour seems to have a different opener (each band being responsible for opening the night in four or five different cities), I wonder if it was a combination of friendship with the guys from Pantera, the geography/location of the band, and their availability. Anyway, their latest album was released back in 2019 and is titled Blow Off the Omens, and if you love the fusion of Hardcore and Punk Rock you can find it on Spotify and on BandCamp in case you want to give their music a try.

Setlist
Smog & Viscera
Swan Song of a Boiled Dog
Glazed in a Skeletal Maze
Disposable Hysteria
Ancestral Ooze
Erect for Dystopia
Blow Off The Omens

Band members
Shawn Knight – vocals
Jeremy Waun – guitar
Sean Clancy – bass
Jeff Porter – drums

After a quick break, more precisely at 7:50pm, it was time for one of the coolest bands to witness live, Richmond, Virginia’s iconic Groove Metal institution LAMB OF GOD, to kick some serious ass once again at the Budweiser Stage, this time promoting their 2022 beast Omens. I feel terrible for missing Mr. Randy Blythe and his crew this time, but it is what it is. Well, Keith said they didn’t disappoint at all (as expected), blending classics the likes of Memento Mori (one of the best songs ever to properly kick off any concert), Walk With Me in Hell and Now You’ve Got Something to Die For, with new songs such as Ditch and Omens, igniting some serious mosh pits in the general admission area. Randy took some time to interact with the crowd, remembering when that famous fan Chris LaRocque got kicked out of the venue and tried to get back swimming when they opened for the mighty Slayer (or maybe I should say SLAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYEEEEEEEERRRRR!) in 2018. That was a memorable night, just like this Saturday, and next time Lamb of God comes to Toronto I’ll make sure I’ll be there no matter what.

Setlist
Memento Mori
Walk With Me in Hell
Resurrection Man
Now You’ve Got Something to Die For
Ditch
Omens
Ruin
Contractor
Laid to Rest
Redneck

Band members
D. Randall “Randy” Blythe – vocals
Mark Morton – guitar
Willie Adler – guitar
John Campbell – bass
Art Cruz – drums

PANTERA

Finally, after 24 years, the best band ever to arise from Texas, Thrash/Groove Metal monsters PANTERA, hit the stage at 9:15pm for the delight of everyone who attended the concert, and according to Keith, who saw them for the first time ever this Saturday, they were absolutely perfect. I guess I don’t need to say that EVERYONE on this fuckin’ planet would want to see their classic formation on stage with Dimebag Darrell and Vinnie Paul, which is something impossible for obvious reasons (to be honest, I think everyone would be extremely happy if both were still alive, it doesn’t matter if they would be playing with Pantera or not, just because they deserved to be still alive), but Phil Anselmo and Rex Brown alongside Zakk Wylde and Charlie Benante are proudly living up to the legacy of the band.

Playing classics from all of their albums, from A New Level and Mouth for War to 5 Minutes Alone and This Love, from Fucking Hostile and Cemetery Gates to Cowboys From Hell, and to the surprise of many ending their concert with Revolution Is My Name and Yesterday Don’t Mean Shit, both from their last album ever Reinventing the Steel, released back in 2000, which I remember got mixed reactions when it was launched, Pantera were on absolute fire, receiving an amazing feedback from the crowd (which according to Keith’s brother was “goddamn electric”) who was singling along all the lyrics together with them. They even played their classic cover version for Black Sabbath’s Planet Caravan, and when they set their fans on fire with the all-time headbanging classic Walk, they even invited the guys from Child Bite to join them on backing vocals on stage. I don’t know exactly how the mosh pits were during the entire concert, but I bet they were simply insane, surely making Dimebag and Vinnie very proud and happy wherever they are.

Keith said that Phil mentioned the absolute respect the band has for the city of Toronto, saying the fans here made them feel extremely welcome and that they were stunned by the fact the show was sold out (although as I said there were plenty of scalpers “dying” with tickets in their hands because they were too greedy to drive their prices down). One curios thing about Phil was that at the same time he said that Saturday night was most probably the last time they would be in Toronto because they’re not touring anymore after this tour is done, by the end of the concert he also said Pantera would come to Toronto again. Which Phil Anselmo should we trust, right? Hopefully the right Phil is the one that said that the band will return to Toronto, although we have no idea when, and whenever that happens let’s also hope for lower, more affordable ticket prices so many other fans who couldn’t attend the concert for economic reasons can finally see the legacy of Pantera live on stage.

Setlist
Regular People (Conceit)
In Heaven (Lady in the Radiator Song) (Peter Ivers & David Lynch song)
A New Level
Mouth for War
Strength Beyond Strength
Becoming (with “Throes of Rejection” outro)
I’m Broken (with “By Demons Be Driven” outro)
Suicide Note Pt. II
5 Minutes Alone
This Love
Fucking Hostile
Cemetery Gates
Planet Caravan (Black Sabbath cover)
Walk
Domination / Hollow
Cowboys From Hell

Encore:
Slaughtered
Revolution Is My Name

Encore 2:
Yesterday Don’t Mean Shit
How Soon Is Now? (The Smiths song)

Band members
Philip Anselmo – vocals
Zakk Wylde – guitars
Rex Brown – bass
Charlie Benante – drums

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Album Review – State of Deceit / Stalked by Daemons (2023)

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This Metalcore, Thrash and Groove Metal band with an attitude is ready to attack your senses with their debut full-length album.

A Metalcore, Thrash and Groove Metal band with an attitude founded by guitarist Jonathan Russell in South Wales, UK, and currently formed of Jonathan alongside vocalist Peter Scammell, guitarist Gareth Jones, bassist Davide Santini and drummer Matthew Toner, the unrelenting metal act State of Deceit is about to unleash upon us their first full-length opus titled Stalked by Daemons, following up on their 2019 EP Retribution. Recorded by Tim Hamill at Sonic One Studio, and displaying a modern and captivating artwork by Pierre-Alain D. of 3mmi Design, Stalked by Daemons delivers the best of several extreme music styles, often in stylistic antithesis that is startling and ultimately satisfying, resulting in a must-listen album for fans of Trivium, Pantera, Fit For a King, Machine Head and Killswitch Engage, just to name a few.

The guitars by Gareth and Jonathan will inspire you for some sick headbanging in the opening tune Endure My Fate, while Davide brings the groove to the music armed with his thunderous bass in a great fusion of Melodic Death Metal with Hardcore elements. Then it’s pedal to the metal as the pounding drums by Matthew will hammer your heads mercilessly in Demi-God, with Peter manically barking and roaring for our total delight; and get ready to break your freakin’ neck headbanging like a metalmaniac in Stalked By Daemons, Guarded By Angels, exhaling heaviness and violence to the visceral growling by Peter. It’s time for a darker, more melancholic creation by State of Deceit titled Hate Within, with the band’s stringed trio adding tons of feeling to the music, whereas drinking from the same metallic fountain as Soilwork and Arch Enemy, the band delivers sheer adrenaline in Withered, with the riffage by Gareth and Jonathan piercing our ears in great fashion.

Mark Of The Whale is a decent song, but it lacks the same punch and heaviness of the previous ones, albeit Matthew does a very good job on drums as usual; and back to a more thrilling and vibrant mode, the quintet will drag your soul into the circle pit to the sound of Scorched, a rumbling extravaganza showcasing elements from Death and Thrash Metal added to their core sound. After such demented tune, a slow and sinister start suddenly explodes in more of the band’s crushing Metalcore in Suffer, spearheaded by the venomous riffs by the band’s guitar duo and the always enraged, demented guttural by Peter. Davide’s bass sets the tone in the heavy and groovy At What Cost?, perfect for some vigorous headbanging while Matthew keeps blasting his drums nonstop; while one last round of aggressiveness infused with tons of melody and groove is offered to our ears in Digital Tattoo, with Pater and Matthew making an incendiary duo from start to finish, therefore ending the album on a sensational note.

The guys from State of Deceit are waiting for you on Facebook, on Instagram and on YouTube with news, tour dates and more of their flammable music, and if you want to show them your total support you can purchase a copy of the excellent Stalked by Daemons by clicking HERE. As expected in most debut albums, Stalked by Daemons is daring and inspiring through and through track to track, positioning State of Deceit as one of the most interesting names of the current UK scene and, consequently, fueling their minds and souls for another blast of their solid and captivating music in the coming years whenever the band is ready for their sophomore opus, all of course in the name of heavy music.

Best moments of the album: Endure My Fate, Withered and Digital Tattoo.

Worst moments of the album: Mark Of The Whale.

Released in 2023 Eclipse Records

Track listing
1. Endure My Fate 3:47
2. Demi-God 4:14
3. Stalked By Daemons, Guarded By Angels 4:46
4. Hate Within 4:40
5. Withered 3:41
6. Mark Of The Whale 4:45
7. Scorched 3:57
8. Suffer 4:17
9. At What Cost? 3:52
10. Digital Tattoo 3:08

Band members
Peter Scammell – vocals
Gareth Jones – lead guitar
Jonathan Russell – rhythm guitar
Davide Santini – bass, backing vocals
Matthew Toner – drums

Album Review – Fall Of Earth / From The Ashes (2023)

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A young and rising Canadian Progressive Death Metal and Metalcore act will attack your senses mercilessly with their incendiary and very personal sophomore album.

Hailing from the Canadian city of Edmonton, Alberta, the up-and-coming Progressive Death Metal/Metalcore band Fall Of Earth (a play on words that reflects their core belief that the world is experiencing a multitude of issues including climate change, war and mass extinctions that is leading us all to a darker place as a society) has unleashed this year their sophomore beast titled From The Ashes, highly recommended for fans of Trivium, Gojira, Dream Theater, Periphery and Mastodon, among others. Playing what they like to label as “Hybrid Metal”, with elements of Metalcore, Death, Thrash, Groove, Nu and Progressive Metal combined into a sound all their own, the band formed of Inuit frontman Alex Rye, guitarist Brody Bauer, bassist Aaron Winklmeier  and drummer Brendan Meilleur delivers everything you want in a metal album and more in From The Ashes, with the crisp production, mixing and mastering by Diego Fernandez at Oracle Recording Studios and the fiery artwork designed by the band itself turning the album into the perfect follow-up to their 2020 debut self-titled effort, and a must-listen for anyone who enjoys the more modern version of heavy music found in North America.

The opener Medusa is a feast of Progressive Death Metal form the very first second spearheaded by the classic riffs by Brody supported by the rumbling bass by Aaron, which is pretty much everything Alex needs to blast both his evil roars and cleaner, enraged vocals; whereas investing in a more melodic sonority it’s time for the quartet to deliver a hybrid of violence and harmony in The Dead And Soon To Be, perfect for breaking your neck headbanging to the pounding beats by Brendan. Alex keeps showcasing his wide vocal range, easily going from deep guttural to gentle clean vocals, in Block Out The Sun, a beautiful composition by Fall Of Earth that will please all fans of bands like Mastodon and Trivium, and the classic beats and fills by Brendan invade our ears once again in Path To Self Destruction, while Alex continues to vociferate rabidly nonstop.

It’s then time for almost ten minutes of progressiveness, groove and a hurricane of different emotions titled Crossroads, blending the Progressive Metal of Mastodon with the band’s own Metalcore twist. Moreover, it’s two thumbs up to Alex for such impressive and flawless vocal performance, resulting in one of the album’s most detailed and thrilling songs. The title-track From The Ashes, which speaks levels on childhood abuse, reclamation and metamorphosis, will bring to your ears the band’s most demonic and heaviest side, presenting the trademark scorching riffs by Brody and the metallic bass lines by Aaron, followed by Shores Of War, another Trivium-infused creation that will certainly ignite some fun circle pits and a lot of headbanging, spearheaded by another incendiary performance by Brody armed with his axe. After that, sheer electricity and rage flow nonstop in the excellent Purgatory, elevating the album’s punch considerably thanks to Alex growling like a beast supported by the intricate drumming by Brendan, and lastly those talented Canadian boys deliver another round of their modern-day metal music in Into The Woods, again investing in their most progressive vein. It’s not a bad song, but it could have been slightly heavier and more climatic.

The multi-layered and exciting From The Ashes, which is available in full on YouTube and on Spotify, will definitely help Fall Of Earth go places, effectively increasing the quality of their music and, therefore, attracting the attention of fans and critics worldwide in a very positive way. Hence, you can start following the band on Facebook and on Instagram for news and tour dates (and they kick ass live by the way, like what I was able to witness at The Rockpile in Toronto earlier this year), subscribe to their YouTube channel for more of their music, and grab a copy of the album by clicking HERE. “The album is a consistent ride full of ups and downs, with no breaks. We’ve taken our heavy sections and made them heavier, and taken our softer sections and made them more impactful.  We have carefully calculated all the dynamics and structures of each song so each second of every track serves a purpose. This record has pieces of us personally etched into the music, so we could share who we are and what our minds look like on an audio basis. As far as the listening experience goes, with all this being said, we hope for our fans to feel the love and importance that music has had on our lives, and pass that on to them through our own interpretation,” commented the entire band about their new album, showing not only how much those young guys love heavy music, but also making the whole Canadian metal scene stronger and more fun than ever.

Best moments of the album: Block Out The Sun, Crossroads and Purgatory.

Worst moments of the album: Into The Woods.

Released in 2023 Independent

Track listing
1. Medusa 8:25
2. The Dead And Soon To Be 5:54
3. Block Out The Sun 4:24
4. Path To Self Destruction 6:40
5. Crossroads 9:35
6. From The Ashes 5:14
7. Shores Of War 5:49
8. Purgatory 6:00
9. Into The Woods 6:33

Band members
Alex Rye – vocals
Brody Bauer – guitars
Aaron Winklmeier – bass
Brendan Meilleur – drums

Album Review – Aortha / Monolit (2023)

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Behold the dynamic, diversified and thrilling debut effort of Heavy and Thrash Metal by an Oslo, Norway-based veteran, supported by an array of multi-talented musicians from all over the world.

A new metal project founded by multi-instrumentalist Predrag Glogovac, known for his years with Yougoslavian Heavy/Thrash Metal band Monolit from 1988 until 1992, when the war broke in the country and the band seized to exist, Oslo, Norway-based Heavy/Thrash Metal act Aortha is unleashing upon humanity their debut effort, titled Monolit. Recorded in 2021 in Oslo, New Orleans, Helsinki, Mostar, Trieste, Banja Luka, New York, Nurnberg, Pančevo, Montreal, Alicante, Kraljevo, Hamilton, Kragujevac and Sundsvall, mixed by Fredrik Nordström at Studio Fredman, and mastered by Jens Bogren at Fascination Street, the album presents an array of sensational musicians alongside Predrag including vocalists Diego Valdez (Dream Child), Kyle Thomas (Exhorder), Denis “Snake” Belanger (Voivod), Alessia Scolletti (Temperance, Era), Netta Laurenne (Smackbound) and Christian Älvestam (Scar Symmetry), guitarists Igor Paspalj, Branko Stiković Stika, Saša Kapor and Slobodan Ernjaković, bassist Jacob Umansky (Intervals), pianist Ivan Aleksijević Pančevac, and drummer Hannes Grossmann  (Triptykon, Alkaloid), resulting in a dynamic, diversified and thrilling album of classic metal music.

The sinister piano by Ivan sets the tone in the intro Symposium, sounding cinematic, epic and grim until all explodes into ass-kicking Heavy Metal in Those That Should Not Exist, with the vocal duo Diego and Kyle vociferating rabidly while guitar solos by Predrag and Stika will pierce your soul mercilessly, not to mention how demolishing the drums by Hanners sound. Then it’s time for Diego to team up with Netta in another incendiary tune titled Last Of Our Kind, while the riffs by Predrag sound absolutely scorching in a first-class modern-day Thrash Metal feast; whereas Forging The Locus is another sinister, heavy-as-hell composition by Aortha, with the infernal beats by Hannes offering Diego and Kyle exactly what they need to roar nonstop à la Ripper Owens. And Predrag will kick you in the head with his spot-on riffs and solos in Keep The Dream, where Jacob’s rumbling bass together with Hannes’ drums add tons of groove to the music.

Diego and Kyle will crush our senses one more time in Maximus Metallus, a mid-tempo, extremely heavy tune where the sound of the guitars and drums will make your head tremble; while the vocal trio formed of Snake, Diego and Alessia bring their share of obscurity and melancholy to Divine Future, although not as exciting as the rest of the album. In When All Around You Is Madness we’re treated to nothing more, nothing less than five talented singers alternating between sheer heaviness and ethereal clean vocals while Predrag and his henchmen build a massive wall of heavy and thrashing sounds armed with their sonic weapons; and Diego and Alessia team up for the last two songs of the album, starting with Timeless Soul Cure, where once again Predrag and Igor are ruthless with their riffs and solos supported by the thunderous kitchen by Jacob and Hannes. Lastly, the album concludes with the outro She, with the guitar solos by Igor bringing a touch of finesse to the overall result while Alessia sounds fantastic on vocals.

Predrag and his sonic beast Aortha are waiting for you on Facebook, on Instagram and on YouTube with news and more of their music, and you can also stream their creations on Spotify and, above all that, purchase a copy of Monolit from the band’s own BandCamp page or from Apple Music really soon. It’s a real pleasure to witness the rebirth of Monolit in the form of Aortha, and Predrag and his henchmen and henchwomen all sound amazing throughout the entire album, offering us all another very good reason to keep banging our heads in the name of top-notch heavy music.

Best moments of the album: Those That Should Not Exist, Last Of Our Kind and When All Around You Is Madness.

Worst moments of the album: Divine Future.

Released in 2023 Independent

Track listing
1. Symposium 1:13
2. Those That Should Not Exist 5:01
3. Last Of Our Kind 6:29
4. Forging The Locus 5:06
5. Keep The Dream 4:38
6. Maximus Metallus 5:36
7. Divine Future 4:47
8. When All Around You Is Madness 7:56
9. Timeless Soul Cure 5:05
10. She 1:25

Band members
Diego Valdez – vocals
Kyle Thomas – vocals on “Those That Should Not Exist”, “Forging The Locus”, “Maximus Metallus” and “When All Around You Is Madness”
Denis “Snake” Belanger – vocals on “Divine Future” and “When All Around You Is Madness”
Alessia Scolletti – vocals on “Divine Future”, “When All Around You Is Madness”, “Timeless Soul Cure” and “She”
Netta Laurenne – vocals on “Last Of Our Kind”
Christian Älvestam – vocals on “When All Around You Is Madness”
Predrag Glogovac – lead & rhythm guitars
Igor Paspalj – lead guitars
Branko Stiković Stika – lead guitars on “Those That Should Not Exist”
Saša Kapor – lead guitars on “Forging The Locus”
Slobodan Ernjaković – lead guitars on “Divine Future”
Jacob Umansky – bass
Ivan Aleksijević Pančevac – piano
Hannes Grossmann – drums

Album Review – Melan Selas / Zephyrean Hymns (2023)

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This uncanny Greek Black Metal duo is ready to unleash their sophomore opus, assaulting the listener by raging riffs and eerie screams while at times engrossed in seductive vocals travelling with dreamy melodies.

“A new dimension… Great new meaning.”

Consisting of eight songs that create a unique atmosphere, assaulting the listener by raging riffs and eerie screams while at times engrossed in seductive vocals travelling with dreamy melodies, Zephyrean Hymns is the sophomore opus by Trikala, Greece-based Black Metal duo Melan Selas, the follow-up to their 2019 debut effort Φάος. Formed in 2015 by D.K. (Riffobia, Katavasia), who handles all instruments, and Astraea (Oletir), responsible for all vocals and lyrics, the duo aims at breathing new life into the Black Metal scene with their new album, all embraced by the first-class recording and mixing by D.K. and Astraea themselves, the crisp mastering by Achilleas Kalantzis at Suncord Audiolab, and the stylish logo and layout by Nikos Tsiolis.

D.K. generates a dense and grim atmosphere from the very first second in Mountain Tops while Astraea showcases all her versality going from Stygian clean vocals to demonic gnarls, resulting in an excellent display of modern-day Melodic Black Metal, followed by Frozen Lake, more imposing and detailed than the opening tune where D.K. does a great job with his classic Black Metal riffs and beats, providing Astraea with all she needs to darkly shine on vocals. Let’s keep banging our heads and raising our horns to the visceral Black Metal by Melan Selas in Humble Soil, where the piercing riffs by D.K. and the obscure growling by Astraea will darken your soul for all eternity, whereas a lot more vicious and infernal, the duo will hammer our heads with all of their strength in Trumpets of War, offering our ears a perfect hybrid of classic Black Metal with modern-day Atmospheric Black Metal and nuances of other styles such as Death and Thrash Metal.

In Dreadful Dome, D.K. builds a stunning background with his rumbling bass, pounding drums and hellish riffs while Astraea continues to vociferate like a true she-demon. Put differently, there’s not a single second of peace, it’s total fuckin’ darkness for our absolute delight; and get ready for almost seven minutes of darkness, melancholy and insanity in Darkened Cliff, starting with the Stygian clean vocals by Astraea and getting more and more anguished as the music progresses, while the sound crafted by D.K. lives up to the legacy of old school Black Metal. In the shortest of all tracks, titled Wanderer, Astraea will hypnotize you and drag you to her sinister lair forever, an obscure tune that will set the stage for the duo to kill one last time in Ancient Scrolls, bringing to our avid ears the slashing riffage by D.K. and the beautiful, evil gnarls by Astraea, closing the album on a high and devilish note.

“A quest through space and time, an ascension to something greater… Zephyrean Hymns lead our cause.” This is what the duo had to say about their new album, and if you want to show them your utmost support you can start following them on Facebook for all things Melan Selas, and purchase a copy of the awesome Zephyrean Hymns from The Circle Music’s webstore as a luxurious box embossed in silver (limited to 100 copies), a beautiful LP (limited to 500 copies), or an A5 digipak CD (also limited to 500 copies), or you can also click HERE to grab your favorite version of the album, plus several other retailers including Fantotal.de and Juno. A gentle breeze is flowing from the stunning Athens; however, you better be prepared because it’s not just any breeze, but a Black Metal one, courtesy of the multi-talented D.K. and Astraea, who together are proudly carrying the torch of Greek extreme music anywhere they go armed with their stylish and captivating new album and ,consequently, embracing our damned souls without a single drop of mercy.

Best moments of the album: Frozen Lake, Trumpets of War and Darkened Cliff.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2023 The Circle Music

Track listing
1. Mountain Tops 5:31
2. Frozen Lake 5:42
3. Humble Soil 5:45
4. Trumpets of War 5:04
5. Dreadful Dome 5:02
6. Darkened Cliff 6:46
7. Wanderer 2:44
8. Ancient Scrolls 6:50

Band members
Astraea – vocals
D.K. – all instruments

Album Review – Delyria/ III; Oracles And Tentacles (2023)

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An introspective journey into the deepest fears and disbelief that keeps humanity on the religious and irreligious leash of doubt, brought into being by an unrelenting Italian Death and Thrash Metal squad.

Having their name inspired by the 1987 thriller/horror movie Deliria, by Michele Soavi, Grosseto, Italy-based Death/Thrash Metal squad Delyria was founded back in 2005 and coils in the Lovecraftian concept of some kind of unnamable horrors from beyond the known boundaries of the universe. Now in 2023 the band formed of Synder (Eyeconoclast, Promaetheus Unbound, Hideous Divinity) on vocals, Fabio Barbetti and Franco Piras on the guitars, Dario Capitani on bass and Kyle Mencucci on drums returns in full force with III; Oracles And Tentacles, the third full-length album in their career. Recorded at Fugu Studios,  mixed and mastered at Tide Studios, and with the participation of Giuseppe “Tat0” Tatangelo (Zora, Defechate, Glacial Fear, Spiral Wounds, Throne Of Flesh, Unscriptural) and artwork by Francesco “Basthard” Moretti (Southern Drinkstruction, Corpsefucking Art), the album is an introspective journey into the deepest fears and disbelief that keeps humanity on the religious and irreligious leash of doubt, blindly reading an hypothetical anti-book of Doom – The Book Of Nihil.

A humongous amount of heaviness will smash your cranial skull in the opening tune The Glyph, with Kyle dictating the song’s demented pace and, therefore, offering Synder all he needs to roar manically; and  their Thrash Metal vein arises stronger than ever in Irreligious Fallout, while also presenting their more violent Death Metal side and an amazing guitar job done by Fabio and Franco with their guitars, exhaling pure electricity. The band keeps the momentum going with another circle pit feast titled Serpents In Your Churches, again showcasing the heavy and groovy kitchen by Dario and Kyle, and the always demonic roars by Synder; followed by From Outer Spheres, another solid and aggressive creation by the quintet bringing to our ears a well-balanced fusion of modern-day Thrash and Death Metal. After such vibrant tune we have Book Of Nihil, one of the most exciting and caustic of all songs, where Synder sounds infernal on vocals while Fabio and Franco add their share of intricacy and darkness to the music with their classy riffage.

Then investing in a more detailed sound by bringing elements from Progressive Death Metal to their music the band offers us all Republic Of The Obscene, which is not a bad song but it sounds confusing at times as it doesn’t decide if it’s a straightforward heavy tune or a more progressive one. Putrid Monarch Crowned is utterly sinister and evil thanks to the deep growls by Synder, while Dario makes the earth tremble with his bass, again blending the most visceral elements from Thrash and Death Metal, and it’s pedal to the metal as those Italian metallers are on absolute fire in Scourges Of The Sybilline, with Fabio and Franco distilling their metallic venom through their stringed axes supported by the massive beats by Kyle in a great display of contemporary extreme music. Last but not least, the band will hammer our heads one final time with the pulverizing Gazmasked Reaper, ending the album on a high and venomous note with Synder once again stealing the spotlight with his sick roars.

The dark and furious III; Oracles And Tentacles is available in full on YouTube and on Spotify, but of course in order to show those Italian metallers your utmost support you should purchase a copy of the album from the Great Dane Records’ BandCamp page or webstore, as well as from Season of Mist or from Apple Music. Don’t forget to also start following the band on Facebook to stay updated with all things Delyria, letting your inner demons and deepest fears arise to the sound of the band’s devilish new album of contemporary Death and Thrash Metal.

Best moments of the album: Irreligious Fallout, Book Of Nihil and Scourges Of The Sybilline.

Worst moments of the album: Republic Of The Obscene.

Released in 2023 Great Dane Records

Track listing
1. The Glyph 4:01
2. Irreligious Fallout 3:18
3. Serpents In Your Churches 3:00
4. From Outer Spheres 4:23
5. Book Of Nihil 3:06
6. Republic Of The Obscene 3:46
7. Putrid Monarch Crowned 4:50
8. Scourges Of The Sybilline 2:45
9. Gazmasked Reaper 3:39

Band members
Synder – vocals
Fabio Barbetti – guitar
Franco Piras – guitar
Dario Capitani – bass
Kyle Mencucci – drums

Guest musicians
Giuseppe “Tat0” Tatangelo – additional vocals

Album Review – The Bleeding / Monokrator (2023)

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A ruthless UK Death and Thrash Metal squad attacks with their third full-length album, a blitzkrieg-like listening experience with a full frontal assault that pulls no punches and will leave your head spinning in delight.

After forming in the city of London, England in 2010, the infernal Death/Thrash Metal squad The Bleeding has been on a demolishing roll with the release of an array of EP’s and albums offering their fans top-of-the-line extreme music made in the UK. Now in 2023 the band formed of Jamie Stungo on vocals, Tasos Tzimorotas on the guitars, Jordan Muscatello on bass, and James Loh on drums attacks again with the pulverizing Monokrator, the third full-length opus in their career. Produced by Ronnie Björnström and Tasos Tzimorotas, mixed and mastered by Ronnie Björnström at Björnström Sound & Production, and displaying an old school artwork by Juanjo Castellano, Monokrator combines thrash elements comparable to latter day Exodus, Kreator and Destruction with the ferocity of Demolition Hammer, and a vocal attack akin to Jeff Walker and Chuck Schuldiner, to create a blitzkrieg-like listening experience with a full frontal assault that pulls no punches and will leave your head spinning in delight.

Pedal to the metal as it’s time to slam your dammed body into the pit to the sound of Chemical Lobotomy, a fantastic display of Death Metal spearheaded by the venomous blast beats by James while Jamie vociferates rabidly nonstop, followed by Chainsaw Deathcult, absolutely incendiary from the very first second, where the riffs by Tasos will penetrate deep inside your skin while Jordan makes the earth tremble with his sick bass lines. Put differently, if the album had ended here it would have already been a phenomenal release by The Bleeding. After such demented display of extreme music we have Mutation Chamber, slightly slower but still brutal and vile, showcasing another superb job done by Tasos with his demonic riffage, whereas Union of Horror is just as bestial as its predecessors, a beyond electrifying Death Metal onrush once again presenting an insane James on drums supported by the metallic bass punches by Jordan.

Get ready to be smashed like an insect by The Bleeding in Screams of Torment, bringing forward all their dexterity and fury, being therefore tailored for lovers of classic Death Metal; and Tasos will cut your ears with his strident axe in On Wings of Tribulation, another bestial display of Death Metal sounding very technical while Jamie screams mercilessly. The title-track Monokrator is a lecture in Death and Thrash Metal, with Jamie’s devilish roars walking hand in hand with the thunderous instrumental parts crafted by his bandmates, resulting in the perfect soundtrack for some frantic action inside the circle pit. And lastly, the band invites us all to kill inside the pit in Throes of Repulsion, sounding and feeling absolutely fast, furious and insane from start to finish, with the caustic riffs by Tasos and the unstoppable beats by James leaving you totally disoriented after all is said and done.

This beast of an album can be appreciated in full on YouTube and on Spotify, but of course if you think you have what it takes to get into the pit together with The Bleeding, you should purchase a copy of the album from their own BandCamp page, as well as from the Redefining Darkness Records’ webstore in the United States (CD or LP) or in Europe (CD or LP), from Apple Music or from Amazon, and don’t forget to also follow the band on Facebook and on Instagram. The Bleeding are not just aiming at putting the UK back on the Thrash and Death Metal map with Monokrator, but they also want to put a huge smile on your face while you listen to the album, keeping their evil motor running for many years to come in the name of good extreme music.

Best moments of the album: Chemical Lobotomy, Chainsaw Deathcult and Monokrator.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2023 Redefining Darkness Records

Track listing
1. Chemical Lobotomy 3:16
2. Chainsaw Deathcult 3:50
3. Mutation Chamber 4:22
4. Union of Horror 3:50
5. Screams of Torment 4:09
6. On Wings of Tribulation 3:47
7. Monokrator 3:59
8. Throes of Repulsion 3:07

Band members
Jamie Stungo – vocals
Tasos Tzimorotas – guitars
Jordan Muscatello – bass
James Loh – drums