Reviewed: October 2020 Released: 2020 – Blood Harvest Records Rating: 3.5/5 Reviewer: Beandog “Patience and perseverance” – These are the things Transcendence credit for their current position when considering the span of time between their formation in 2013 and the 2020 release of this; their debut album, Towards Obscurities Beyond. …
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The Infernal Sea – Negotium Crucis
Reviewed: October 2020 Released: September 18th 2020, Apocalyptic Witchcraft Rating: 4/5 Reviewer: Annalisa Orlando These black metallers from the fens of East Anglia, a flat nothingness that makes up much of the surrounding area native to The Infernal Sea, bring a nuanced and groove-rifting record of British black betal. Energetically…
Undead – Existential Horror
Reviewed: September 2020 Released: 2020, Kadabra Music Rating: 4/5 Reviewer: Pete Mutant Undead were an unknown band for me but, I have to say, they will be one that sticks from now on. Their first full length effort ‘Existential Horror’ is a fine example of modern death metal which comes…
Ayr – The Dark
Review Date: September, 2020 Released: 2020, Wolves of Hades Rating: 3/5 Reviewer: Pete Mutant Ayr, you ever been there? Pretty bleak and miserable place on the west coast of Scotland. I live not too far away so I know this to be true. Ayr (the band) though, are not from…
MESSIAH – Fatal Grotesque Symbols – Darken Universe
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…
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…