Unique Experience Sept. 8, 2016

Origin
by Oddland

Time for something different. Meet Finnish progressive metal band, Oddland. Founded in 2003 in Turku, their latest album was recorded at Fantom Studio (Insomnium, Korpiklaani, Oranssi Pazuzu) and mastered by Daniel Bergstrand (Meshuggah, In Flames, Dimmu Borgir). The artwork was created by Egyptian ...

Mini-Review Roundup: Minenwerfer, 1914, Nocturna, and more Sept. 8, 2016

It seems fitting that I review this just days after seeing Cobalt live. While the bands don't have too many things sonically in common, they are both obsessed with themes of war. Minenwerfer and 1914 play some heavy black metal on this split, whose title translates sadly (morbidly) to "I had a comra...

Confused and Aroused Sept. 7, 2016

Harmonic Confusion
by Tardive Dyskinesia

Tardive Dyskinesia is a progressive metal band from Athens, Greece formed in 2004. The group has recieved some accolades previously with the release of their critically-acclaimed Static Apathy in Fast Forward. I'm going to have to check that one out too, because if it's anything like Harmonic Confus...

Mini-Review Roundup: NAG, Maze of Terror, Grace Disgraced, and more Sept. 6, 2016

NAG is crust/metallic punk/hardcore band from Stavanger, Norway. They are new to the scene having justformed in 2015. The trio have recently completed recording their first full-length, which was releasedlast weekthrough Fysisk Format. The band's sound is ideal for fans of groups like Converge, Trap...

Alkaloid Fans Here? Sept. 5, 2016

The Crypts Of Sleep
by Hannes Grossman

German musical virtuosoHannesGrossmannhas already had a very interesting and prolific career in metal. Growing up in a musical family, he began playing the piano at the age of 8 followed soon after by finding his passion in drumming. He got his first professional gig in 2003 by joining the now well-...

The Tar Pits Sept. 2, 2016

Purge
by Fange

Fange was founded in 2013 in Rennes, France. The band plays a devastating mix of stoner doom and blackened sludge thatshould bejust delightful forour more disturbed denizens. The closest comparison seems to be Plebeian Grandstand with the focus often on atmosphere and dissonance, but at the drop of ...

What's the Opposite of Opposite? Sept. 1, 2016

Polar Similar
by Norma Jean

If you dont feel like hearing me wax sentimental again over how long I have followed this band, feel free to skip to the next paragraph. For the rest of you, this one is a long time coming. Norma Jeans seminal album, Bless the Martyr and Kiss the Child was another one that changed the way I looked a...

Undeniably Evil Aug. 31, 2016

Bloodshed Across The Empyrean Altar Beyond The Celestial Zenith
by Inquisition

Columbian Seattle-based black metal band Inquisition have returned once more. Despite controversy regarding theduo's belief systems among other things, topics thathave been pretty commonplace for the genre since its inception, they have managed to perservere musically.The result is yet another long-...

Big Step Forward Aug. 30, 2016

The Anthropic Principle
by The Overmind

Anthropic means relating to human beings or their existence. Principle means law. The Anthropic Principle is the Law of Human Existence. It is well known that our existence in this universe depends on numerous cosmological constants and parameters whose numerical values must fall within a very nar...

Mini-Review Roundup: Henbane/Urfuchs, Whipstriker, Hegemony, and more Aug. 30, 2016

Two more black metal bands for the price of one, and that price just happens to be whatever you please. Urfuchs from Hamburg and Henbane from Hildesheim. If there is a country outside of Scandivia equally known for black metal over the years, it's Germany. Both of these groups maintain an extremely ...

Giallo Soundtrack Aug. 29, 2016

Uccisora
by Arcimago

Arcimago is a one man electronica project inspired by the soundtracks of Italian horror films. Under the name of composerUgo Negroni, this Italian native performs this music live, hidden by a mask under the Arcimago banner. Influences and possible reference points include The Haxan Cloak, Umberto...

Technical Precipice Aug. 26, 2016

Mind Cemeteries
by Coma Cluster Void

Have you ever been driving in a car, and you or your friend is smoking? It's almost done, so it's time to flick it out the window. Then a few miles later...you start to smell smoke. So you turn around...AND THERE'S A BUNCH OF MURDEROUS CYBORGS IN YOUR BACKSEAT AND THEY USE THEIR PISTON-LIKE STRENGTH...

Dark Descent Aug. 25, 2016

Huldar Slóðir
by Dulvitund

Dulvitund isthe one man ambient/electronicproject of rir skar Bjrnsson. Reported themesinclude the human condition and crippling depression. In this way, there is a black metal spirit flowing through these otherwise relatively chill tunes. The 2015 debut lbum,Lfsins ungu spor waswell-recieved andsaw...

Split Brain Aug. 24, 2016

DA/IW Split
by Dendritic Arbor

Do I need to even say at this point thatDendritic Arbor, to me at least, is one of the most exciting bands out there right now? Their experimentation, their fusion of avant-garde black and grind, their perfect placement of jarring ambience...it's all utter perfection. That out of the way, I am both ...

Mini-Review Roundup: While Sun Ends, Bangladeafy, The 21st Agenda, and more Aug. 23, 2016

Terminus is the new album from Italian progressivedeathmetalband While Sun Ends.Joiningthe ethereal female vocals of new singer Stefania Torino with her equally unearthly death growls, the group recalls elements of Katatonia, Opeth, Isis and Ihsahn. This is theirsecond full-length album; one with th...

Deliver Us Aug. 22, 2016

Keep
by Salvation For Me

Salvation For Me is a Russian metalcore band.Much like when the UK reappropriated American blues (another tired genre at the time) to create a new wave ofbands like The Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin, other countries around the world seem to be taking what we started with metalcore and making it fr...

Black Metal Enya Aug. 19, 2016

Mausoleum
by Myrkur

So as with Skuggsja, this istechnicallynot a "metal" release, but more an acoustic album by a metal musician. In any case, love or hate her,black metal mistressMyrkuris back. Last year'sM seemed to largely divide fans of the genre; which to me was silly. People liked to argue due to some old videos ...

Long Live The Witch Aug. 19, 2016

The Apthic Gloom
by Skeletonwitch

The return of the kings! Whenit comes to the world of blackened thrash, there are two names that always come most readily to mind: Absu and Skeletonwitch.With their own different takes on the style, these bands haveruled on high for some time now. When it comes to speed, intensity, and catchiness;on...

Silence is a Deadly Weapon Aug. 18, 2016

Entropy
by Spire

Welcome Spire from Australia. Formed in 2007, the band has already released two EP's and a split, but this is their first LP: Entropy. This is a combination of black, death, and doom that is sure to compliment a miserable day. And not a "I just failed a test" or :"my wife just left me" kind of day; ...

3 For 1 Aug. 17, 2016

Split (ICV/H/S)
by In Cauda Venenum/Heir/Spectrale

Three French groups, all displaying different takes on atmospheric black metal. And all of this presented by the ever growing power of label LADLO. What dwells within? Let's start things off with Toulouse band, Heir. "Descent" starts off as a sleepy meditation in drifting post-metal before erupt...
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