Review Date: January 2021 Released: 2020, Independent Rating: 4/5 Reviewer: RC2000 Unredeemer is a relatively new band from Finland, and they’ve released their 4-song EP called 4-19-23. Vocalist Saša Pul hails from Croatia and joined the band after moving to Finland. After a brief intro, “Defiance” kicks in and right…
Album Reviews
Napalm Death – Throes of Joy in the Jaws of Defeatism
Napalm Death – Throes of Joy in the Jaws of Defeatism Reviewed: January 2021 Released: 2020, Century Media Records Rating: 5/5 Reviewer: Aaron Yurkiewicz For almost 40 years and I don’t know how many albums at this point, Napalm Death has explored and documented every corner of musical extremity. They’ve…
Corrosium – Undertow
Reviewed: January 2021 Released: 2020, Inverse Records Rating: 3/5 Reviewer: Kat Knite Bombastic metal band Corrosium from Kytäjä, Finland emerged in the final stretches of 2020 to deliver us their brand new EP, Undertow. Unlike their debut album, for which some of the songs were written before the formation of the band, the…
Cynik Scald – Aged Spirit
January 2021 December 27th, 2019 / Self-Release Rating: 3.5 / 5.0 Reviewer: John Haseltine Motorcycles, metal, and harmonicas! Oh My! So when I thought I was listening to a newly released album by the multicultured Cynik Scald from Cyprus, I was wrong. It did take a little digging, but…
And Now The Owls Are Smiling – Dirges
And Now The Owls Are Smiling – Dirges Reviewed: January 2021 Released: 2021, Clobber Records Rating: 4.5/5 Reviewer: Aaron Yurkiewicz As I sit here and write this, there’s a sharp chill in the winter air, the sun has been absent for hours (though it’s barely 8pm), and Anno 2020 is…
Bron – Pred Dverima Noci
Reviewed: January 2021 Released: 2020, Nordvis Rating: 4.5/5 Reviewer: Demitri Levantis Scotland, New Zealand and Serbia are three very different nations all with very deep and enriched attractions and mystical qualities. It is no surprise that said qualities and mythologies, and the natural beauties of these lands would inspire black…
Spellmaster – Unearthed Arcana
Reviewed: January, 2020 Released: 2020, Independent Rating: 2.5/5 Reviewer: Cristóbal Torres At the end of November the debut album of Spellmaster came out, a trio that tries to sail with the flag of power metal and the new wave of traditional heavy. Their efforts made them create three characters: Gwydion…
Endezzma – The Archer, Fjord & The Thunder
Reviewed: January 2021 Released: 2020, Dark Essence Records Rating: 4/5 Reviewer: Lee Carter Ask anyone with even a passing interest in metal to offer a description of black metal and you’ll likely get at least one person mention the word “dark”. And you would usually expect most black metal records…
Utbyrd – Varskrik
Reviewed: January 2021 Released: 2021, Petrichor Rating: 4/5 Reviewer: Svetlana Likhacheva Norwegian black metal band Utbyrd, through Petrichor, are about to give their album Varskrik (which translates into English as Warning) a chance to see the world with the physical release. The digital version was released in the far 2017,…
Bhleg – Odhin
Reviewed: January 2021 Released: 2021, Nordvis Produktion Rating: 4.5/5 Reviewer: Demitri Levantis Like all other metal genres, black metal is in a constant state of change, with its numerous subgenres emerging and rising in popularity across the global fandom. With atmospherics and the raw sound marking some of the biggest…
Harwood, Mark (Dir.) Soaring Highs And Brutal Lows (documentary)
Reviewed: January, 2021 Released: 2015, Streaming Amazon Prime Rating: 4/5 Reviewer: JP SOARING HIGHS AND BRUTAL LOWS the documentary about female singers in Metal has been out for five years now and is STILL not available on DVD. When it came out I thought to myself, “I can’t stream it…
Various Artists – Vol. 4 [Redux]
Various Artists – Vol. 4 [Redux] Reviewed: January 2021 Released: 2020, Magnetic Eye Records Rating: 3.5/5 Reviewer: Aaron Yurkiewicz Tribute albums are usually a mixed bag. At best, you get a new interpretation of a classic song that works really well. At worst, you get a new interpretation of a…
Hatebreed – Weight of the False Self
Reviewed: January 2021 Released: 2020, Nuclear Blast Records Rating: 4/5 Reviewer: Jack Merry Hailing from Connecticut, metalcore and hardcore punk outfit Hatebreed have unleashed their ninth studio album Weight of the False Self unto the world, and it arrives on the heels of the band’s sold-out 2019 anniversary shows and the unprecedented…
Benediction – Scriptures
Benediction – Scriptures Reviewed: January 2021 Released: 2020, Nuclear Blast Records Rating: 4/5 Reviewer: Aaron Yurkiewicz Despite sporadic touring and the occasional festival appearance, it’s been 12 mother loving years since we’ve had a proper new Benediction LP. In that time we’ve had 3 US Presidential election cycles, 3 new…
Old Castles – Die Wampyriskra Symphonies
Reviewed: January, 2021 Released: 2021, Infernus Profundus Records Rating: 2/5 Reviewer: Pete Mutant Old Castles would never have crossed my path, I don’t think, if it wasn’t for receiving this album to review. This was first taste of ‘Dungeon Synth’ so forgive me for not being well versed enough to…