Reviewed: August 2020 Released: 2020, High Roller Records Rating: 3/5 Reviewer: Jack Merry 26 years after their last studio album, extreme metallers Messiah are about to unleash the successor to their “Underground” record from 1994, entitled “Fracmont” on High Roller Records later this year. For now, however, the band are sweetening…
album
Elmsfire – Wings of Reckoning
Reviewed: August, 2020 Released: 2020, Recordjet Rating: 2.5/5 Reviewer: Pete Mutant Elmsfire have been about since 1999 and have had two full lengths and a few demos up until this point. The band from Düsseldorf have been in a bit of a transition again as they shake up the lineup…
Cardiac Arrest – The Day That Death Prevailed
Reviewed: August 2020 Released: 27 July 2020, Boris Records/ Memento Mori Rating: 4/5 Reviewer: Annalisa Orlando Staunch and pleasantly straightforward death metal from Chicago veterans. The record kicks off with “Thrive On Fear” with a howling siren. It’s a real headbanger, the best of roaring, aggressive death metal, with screeching…
From The Depth – Moments
Reviewed: August, 2020 Released: 2020, Rockshot Records Rating: 3.5/5 Reviewer: Pete Mutant Italian power metallers From The Depth have brought the band back after a bit of a gap since their last recorded effort, 2014’s EP ‘Perserverance’. There’s a few new faces to the lineup which now is purported to…
Vampire – Rex
Reviewed: July 2020 Released: 2020, Century Media Records Rating: 4/5 Reviewer: Kira Levine With Darkthrone’s Fenriz being one of the fans who helped their eponymous demo sell out in a matter of days back in 2012, Vampire have been an underground favourite in the Swedish metal scene ever since. This…
High Spirits – Hard To Stop
Reviewed: July, 2020 Released: 2020, High Roller Records Rating: 4.5/5 Reviewer: Jack Merry Chris Black might be the busiest musician in Chicago’s heavy metal scene. The multi-instrumentalist fronts three Chicago bands: Dawnbringer, Superchrist, and High Spirits. He’s also a former bassist for Nachtmystium and has worked with the band in both production and creative…
Ozzy Osbourne – Ordinary Man
Reviewed: April 2020 Released: 2020, Epic Records Rating: 4/5 Reviewer: Jack Merry Ozzy Osbourne is anything but an ordinary man, despite what the title of his latest effort would have you believe. He’s lived an extraordinary life since bursting onto the music scene with Black Sabbath, jumping from one extreme…
Dark Fortress – Spectres From The Old World
Reviewed: May 2020 Released: 2020, Century Media Rating: 5/5 Reviewer: Kira Levine Spectres From The Old World is album number eight from the mighty melodic black metallers Dark Fortress. The band – formed in Landshut, Bavaria (Germany) – seem to lead a little more with their dark approach in terms…
Sinistral King – Serpent Uncoiling
Reviewed: May 2020 Released: 2020, Vendetta Records Rating: 5/5 Reviewer: Kira Levine What do you get when the members of the bands Unlight, Triumph Of Death and Vredehammer (from Germany, Switzerland and Norway respectively) collaborate? A mix of pulverising death vocals, shattering black metal screams and otherworldly chorals that perfectly…
Agarwaen – Dottore I
Review Date: March, 2020 Released: 2020 Rating: 3.5/5 Review by: Pete Mutant Agarwaen is a project spearheaded by Pauli “Vryko” Hodju which was born from an older band which was joined by Janne Suhonen called Shathanas back in 2005. This Shathanas band had one focus which was ‘Christmas Black Metal’ …
Strykjärn – En Jävla Massa Lidande
Reviewed: January 2020 Released: November 2019, Big Balls Productions Rating: 3.5/5 Reviewer: Beandog Twelve years into their career, and this five piece from Sweden are keen to emphasise the potency of their newest release. To be honest, you can probably draw your own conclusions from the 23 minute running time…
Ad Nemori – Akrateia
Reviewed: January 2020 Released: 2019, independent Rating: 4.5/5 Reviewer: Kira Levine Akrateia is the debut full length from Ad Nemori, hailing from Berlin, Germany. It follows their EP Pyre, which was released three years prior. Instrumental ‘Miasma’ is a delicate melodic track, which leads nicely into ‘Tellurian Doom’, transforming the…
Ironflame – Blood Red Victory
Reviewed: January, 2020 Released: 2020, Divebomb Records Rating: 3/5 Reviewer: Jack Merry American heavy metallers Ironflame will release their third full-length album ‘Blood Red Victory’ in February on Divebomb Records. Written, recorded and mixed by Andrew D’Cagna (with guitar leads by Quinn Lukas and Jesse Scott) over three months, ‘Blood Red…
Diabolical Mental State – Diabolical World
Reviewed: October 2019 Released: 2019 – Self Released Rating: 3/5 Reviewer: Beandog Formed in 2012, Diabolical Mental State’s debut album has been a long time coming. That’s not to suggest the band haven’t been busy. By all accounts there is a healthy underground metal scene in Lisbon which the band…
Destruction – Born To Perish
Reviewed: September 2019 Released: 2019, Nuclear Blast Records Rating: 3/5 Reviewer: Pete Mutant Destruction are back with their 16th full length album, which is impressive in itself. Their last release two years ago saw the band once again revisit and re-record some of the best of their earlier work. They…