Finland’s Astral Sleep has gone through quite the sound changes in the last few years. Originally a Death Doom band with a thick, almost Funeral Doom sounding sound with the lo fi production but also having gothic and psychedelic tinges. Over time, especially with the psychedelic touches, they got more prominent and more present, and now with the n...

26/04/2023

Poland’s Exul have been around since 2011, but the time it has taken to get things really going has taken quite a while. Active for a short bit then taking a break before becoming active again, 2023 is finally seeing a full length debut after a few demos, so the title “Path To The Unknown” is very fitting because listeners/ fans, and even the band...

25/04/2023

Hackberry are pretty unknown, but those that do know they are a five piece from the Netherlands that perform all instrumental prog/psychedelic rock or metal, depending on the track they are hearing. The music here is definitely not by any means aggressive or abrasive, like a Post Metal trip or overly dramatic and keyboard soaked like that of solo w...

24/04/2023

Litost hail from Spain, and “Pathos” is their 2nd full length album right along the lines of their debut, “Ethos.” Following a similar approach with a few more surprises, one should not take this black metal releases lightly or think it is going to be a raw ‘kvlt’ affair (like Judas Iscariot) or an overly dramatized black metal symphony (like that...

19/04/2023

“Chronicles” is the debut full length from French solo Death Metal band Ars Notoria. Headed by Antoine Grasser since 2017 who has been part of other acts like Beyond the Void, which was formed more recently, listeners are going to get a bit more of technical side of what they’ve heard from Grasser in the past and compared to other projects he has b...

18/04/2023

Posthuman Abomination’s album “Mankind Recall” is a visit into the depraved depths of the reality of what is must be like trying to reason with insanity. You know what’s coming, and you know what your fate is, but the origin of your fear is knowing you cannot stop the inevitable. That is the very definition of this album. A massive slab of sinew ri...

17/04/2023

Awaken The Misogynist’s album “Descended From Vast Dimensions” is one hell of a chaotic ride through hell. The sheer rawness and feel of this release has not been heard since the days, but is reminiscent of, early Napalm Death and Deviated Instinct. Perhaps not in sound mind you, but just in the absolute raw presentation of their material. If you c...

05/04/2023

Here we have 2 black metal bands but very different sounds. The first is Astarium from Russia, headed since 2005 solely by Sin. Sin creates a more symphonic atmospheric black metal similar to a mix of very early Cradle of Filth mixed with early Satyricon. Expect a very wintery feel with the croaked vocals, buzz saw guitars, and landscape of lush ke...

16/02/2023

Face stomping death metal is what one gets when hearing the 6th album from Germany’s Epidemic Scorn, “Destrumanity.” A mix of mid paced to slow death metal similar to that of Kataklysm meets early Insomnium. There is a lot of melody involved among the heaviness such as on the track ‘The Day After Tomorrow.’ Then there are the more straightforward c...

15/02/2023

Wendigo is a rather interesting band as there is almost no information out there on them. A mix of what one could call thrash sludge, the music is all over the place with anywhere from a country western feel to it mid paced thrash with progressive elements. Almost all in Russian there is a bit of a language barrier but every track seems pretty diff...

13/02/2023

“A Sinister Coming Into This World” is the debut full length release headed by blackened death metal group, Obscuris. Hailing from the Netherlands, this 2 man band led by MD on drums and MV on vocals, guitar, and bass unleash a freight train of non stop fury that is a mix of 1349 meets Cannibal Corpse with little room for melody or soft moments. A...

08/02/2023

Internal Organs External is a one-man band inside the slamming brutal death metal style that was born in 2020 in Prescott, Arizona, USA by the mind and hands of Vince Otero. This is the second album of the project and it is a cosmic slamming gore travel in a sci-fi dark apocalypse, "The Brutality Of Tomorrow" was released by Vicious Instinct Record...

19/01/2023

“Where The Shadows Adorn” is the debut full length from Indianapolis U.S.A. based Mother Of Graves. A melodic death doom outfit, this five piece creates a sound that is well balanced and crafted in the vein of Rapture or the likes of Katatonia’s “Brave Murder Day.” The sound is dark and depressing but surprisingly clean and melodic at the same time...

18/01/2023

Having bragged about Bonecarver's debut album "Evil" upon my last review, I can confirm the band are still signed to Jamie Graham's excellent roster of upcoming and bedazzling talent within the Unique Leader Records spectrum. Meaning Bonecarver are label buddies with some of the best bands in the extreme metal world, such as Vulvodynia, To The Grav...

10/01/2023

The Chasm was born back in 1992 after frontman Daniel Corchado left his previous band, which many of you will know, Mexican by the name Cenotaph. The musical path of the old band was going a bit narrow to the needs and desire to go in new directions of good old Daniel. Accompanied since the beginning by drummer Antonio Leòn, The Chasm arrive with t...

05/01/2023