Formed in France back in 2003, PHAZM is a Black and Death Metal band, but they have a distinct Rock 'n' Roll feel to them. Their latest album, "Scornful Of Lies" (released in March of 2016) really begs the question of why these guys aren't more popular. The Death 'n' Roll music they showcase is a fantastic blend of the morbid themes with brutal sound and laid-back rhythms of Rock 'n' Roll. For anyone who does not like Death Metal, I can see "Scornful of Icons" being a gateway to the genre...or at least the exception.

"Ginnungagap" and "Ubiquitous Almighty" make for an interesting intro pairing. With elements of thrash, fantastic rhythmic guitar riffs, creepy chanting, and rattling groans, they stand apart as an attention-grabbing introductory duo. "The Soothsayer" brings some more of that thrash feel with wailing, roaring guitar solos, and ferocious, unrelenting drum work. The vocals here are throaty and reverberating, and thump around in your chest when the bass is cranked up. It also has a strong technical backbone that really brings the whole thing into a cohesive piece. "The Godless Pope" comes barrelling past everything and brings some VAN HALEN-esque solo guitar work.

The titular track, "Scornful of Icons" starts with, believe it or not, folk violins. It's a stark contrast to the following harshness. This track makes use of some operatic, ethereal, female vocals that make the track more haunting than the rest of the album. The finale, "Never to Return" starts off at such a rapid pace you may encounter some audial whiplash; but you'll get over that quickly. The song maintains a strong presence the whole way through and really made me wish the title of the track isn't literal, because I definitely want PHAZM to come back with more.