Reviews

Only The Stars Are Left

War Dogs

Spain is a country that is producing more and more bands that fit into the NWOTHM category. That in itself is quite commendable, as long as the bands in question make good music. One of those is WAR DOGS from Alicante, in the South of that country.

The Book of Life

Exodus Rising

16 songs is an ambitious effort indeed, and add a concept into it also, and that becomes twice as ambitious. They are all very strong at their trades, and although some of the songs do get a little repetitive after that long, I admire the band’s confidence. The story, though linear and well crafted, just gets a little hard to listen to after that much time. Call it the short attention span of a reviewer. Overall however, this was an excellent effort, but I would like to hear the band outside of a concept album.

The Skull 3

Legions of Doom

LEGIONS OF DOOM have returned with their 2024 LP, "The Skull 3," a monumental offering from the Chicago, Illinois doom metal scene. This album showcases their mastery of modern doom metal, blending crushing riffs with hauntingly evocative vocals and impeccable production. Each track on this record feels thoughtfully crafted, with layers of emotion and intensity that pull the listener into a dark, atmospheric journey. The harmoniously performed vocals, are a highlight, adding a unique dimension to the slow, heavy soundscape.

Tomatized

Corpsefucking Art

The Italian death metal force CORPSEFUCKING ART returns with their latest offering, "Tomatized," a concept album that takes the listener on a thrilling, visceral ride through an apocalyptic vision of humanity’s downfall—this time at the hands of bio-engineered, monstrous tomatoes. The theme is both absurd and darkly thought-provoking, a dystopian reflection on mad science, unchecked corporate greed, and the fragile ecological web we've manipulated without considering the consequences. With stunning artwork that captures an overwhelming tomato invasion crushing civilization, buildings buried beneath an unstoppable crop, "Tomatized," paints a vivid picture of ecological catastrophe.

Leria

Kaisas

Earthquake from Greece.

Tidal Passages

Drownship

The haunting melodies are layered with sharp, jagged riffs that reflect the internal conflict we so often hide from the world. The vocals serve as the raw, aching voice of someone grappling with their own demons, shifting between quiet reflection and anguished outbursts, mirroring the push and pull of the mind as it contends with doubt and despair. The album doesn’t offer easy answers—it doesn’t seek to soothe or simplify the chaos. Instead, it embraces the complexity of facing yourself, of confronting your deepest fears and weaknesses head-on.

Tragedie D’Amour

Carmeria

“Tragedie D’Amour” is a mixed bag ofmelodic Metal album with symphonic Metal elements and a few Power Metal vibes. The result is an easy-to-listen set of 10 songs

Blood And Angels’ Tears

Vision Divine

VISION DIVINE were formed in 1998 and they are from Massa, Italy. The symphonic Power […]

Death Divine

Hail Darkness

HAIL DARKNESS is an AI-generated project which was first positioned as a real band with a real human lineup. You can read the “band’s” explanation on their Sep 7, 2024 Substack article entitled “WHAT IS REAL? NOTHING IS REAL: The HAIL DARKNESS Experiment – ‘Anno Inferni. Occult Soul of a Machine.'”

Hand of Severance

Coma Hole

COMA HOLE is reminiscent of HEAVY TEMPLE and RUBY THE HATCHET and carries on the great tradition of Northeastern Stoner/Doom bands. “Hand of Severance” is a solid debut full-length.

Where the Shadows Adorn

Mother of Graves

From Bandcamp, “Named after a mythological Latvian protector of cemeteries (Kapu māte), MOTHER OF GRAVES’ […]

The Return of the Frozen Souls

Ashtar

ASHTAR is a blackened doom metal band from Switzerland who formed in 2012. Their latest […]

Necessity of Unreal

Infernal Cult

All in all, INFERNAL CULT’s “Necessity of Unreal,” is a nice surprise so close to the end of the year. It’s familiar enough for fans of the genre to be accepting but unique enough to appeal to a wider audience.

Where Gods Live and Men Die

Capilla Ardiente

All in all, CAILLA ARDIENTE’s “Where Gods Live and Men Die,” is another win for the heavy underground scene of South America–and for anyone who likes melodic doom/heavy metal.

The Hedonist

A Mighty Forest Black

A MIGHTY FOREST BLACK is a band from Italy that has been described, and would […]

Hide From The Light

Camos

Demonic riffs from Brazil.

Stars 4 A Nite

Beautiful Loser

Not so Hard Rock from Italy.

Black Hole District

Monolithe

The band masterfully balances the crushing weight of Doom Metal with haunting, melancholic melodies that feel almost ethereal in their delicacy. The slow, deliberate tempo common in Doom is ever-present, creating a sense of impending dread that lingers throughout each track, but it's never overwhelming to the point of suffocation. The melodies serve as a lifeline, offering glimpses of light within the murky depths. This is an album where the heavy and the melodic entwine in a dance that feels both tragic and cathartic. It’s a testament to their ability to merge two seemingly opposing forces into a cohesive, stirring experience.

Beckoning Tribulations

Aberrator

This was a good album, but there is room for improvement. Besides the high level of control the band has on the album, which is noteworthy, the songs themselves are just too similar sounding. The band is talented as well. I would just like to have seen them take some more chances, because the groundwork is there, and they are capable of some surprises.

Absolute Elsewhere

Blood Incantation

The album delivers a stunning display of balance—an artful contrast of light and dark, chaos and control, both musical and existential. It masterfully balances aggression with melody, showcasing a rare ability to create harmonies that soar over deep, guttural growls and blistering guitar work, a testament to the band's technical prowess and deep understanding of composition. The pacing of the album is impeccable, transitioning seamlessly from relentless assaults to reflective, constantly in motion. With each listen, this balance becomes more profound, revealing layers of complexity and nuance that make it one of the most compelling metal releases of the year.

Wildfires

Rising Insane

Rising Insane are back with their fourth studio album "Wildfires". The album takes an in-depth […]

River Child

Anomalie

This was an excellent album that straddled both the Black Metal and Doom Metal genres very well, and there were balanced amounts of aggression, anger, melancholy, and despair. The more you listen, the more you will be swept away with the tide.

Warlords

Helevetets Port

Helevetets Port are a NWOTHM (New Wave Of Traditional Heavy Metal) band which come from […]

New Horizons

Skyeye

Great heavy metal knows no borders and comes from all parts of the world, as […]

Portal

Häxenzijrkell

This album had a slow start, but that ending song really dug deep into my soul. It opened up horrors I didn’t even know existed, and I shut that door firmly after the album was over.

The Blame Dagger

Nubivagant

First thing right off the bat before I summarize the album, is that you have to consider that the entire project was created by just one person, so keep that in mind. With that, the album just fell flat for me. The clean vocals were something different for sure, but I just don’t think they worked well enough with the music.

Necrocosmic Death Ritual

Dead Flesh Stigma

What started out partly as an ode to the forefathers of Black Metal transformed into some wider boundaries of evil and disease. The end product was quite well done, and the band was able to stretch boundaries while still holding true to the tenants that created the genre.

Stardust Sermons

Silvern

Overall, this was a good album. Although I heard more on the darker side of life than hope per se, it still achieved a nice balance. Many of the tones were aggressive and angry, in the way that you would want a Black Metal album to sound.

There Will Be No Peace In My Valley

Magnetar

The band is 100% right about one thing…people in power lose their shit at the prospect of losing said power. But us peasants suffer the consequences. I hear that fear reflected on the album very clearly. It’s aggressive when it needs to be, and solemn at other times.

End Of Time

Neptune

To call NEPTUNE just another power metal band does not do them justice. There is […]

Throw Down The Gauntlet

Amethyst

Swiss Iron Maiden

Heal (Reissue)

Sacred Reich

The North American Thrash Metal Beasts are back on this reissue! Listen to it!!! 🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻

Shattered Elysium

Triskelyon

For Thrash Metal fans, this album is a 'must have item.

Into the Nocturne

Sathanas

And after all these years, these veterans of Old School Thrash/Black/Death Metal are still relevant and teaching some lessons...

Paradis

Maybe this English Metalcore/Modern Metal band can be pointing to new horizons for the genre.

Somood

Ostoraton

This quartet is opening new possibilities mixing Oriental Metal, Melodic Death Metal and Progressive Death Metal elements!!! 🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻

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Reviews

Only The Stars Are Left

War Dogs

The Book of Life

Exodus Rising

The Skull 3

Legions of Doom

Tomatized

Corpsefucking Art

Leria

Kaisas

Tidal Passages

Drownship

Tragedie D’Amour

Carmeria

Blood And Angels’ Tears

Vision Divine

Death Divine

Hail Darkness

Hand of Severance

Coma Hole

Where the Shadows Adorn

Mother of Graves

The Return of the Frozen Souls

Ashtar

Necessity of Unreal

Infernal Cult

Where Gods Live and Men Die

Capilla Ardiente

The Hedonist

A Mighty Forest Black

Hide From The Light

Camos

Stars 4 A Nite

Beautiful Loser

Black Hole District

Monolithe

Beckoning Tribulations

Aberrator

Absolute Elsewhere

Blood Incantation

Wildfires

Rising Insane

River Child

Anomalie

Warlords

Helevetets Port

New Horizons

Skyeye

Portal

Häxenzijrkell

The Blame Dagger

Nubivagant

Necrocosmic Death Ritual

Dead Flesh Stigma

Stardust Sermons

Silvern

There Will Be No Peace In My Valley

Magnetar

End Of Time

Neptune

Throw Down The Gauntlet

Amethyst

Heal (Reissue)

Sacred Reich

Shattered Elysium

Triskelyon

Into the Nocturne

Sathanas

Paradis

Paradis

Somood

Ostoraton

Latest Reviews

House of the Rising Smoke

Goatfather

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