Nullification ‒ Kingdoms to Hovel Review
Cover art by Ov Exvn Infërnvz. A lot of metal bands wear their influences on their sleeves, sometimes literally in the form of a long-sleeve t-shirt with 15 logos on each arm. Much rarer are …
Best Of 2021 – Zach Duvall: Rank And Tear Until It Is Done
Uh-oh. Hello. Hello again. I’ve never had as tough a time putting together a snapshot list of heavy metal albums as I did in 2021. Part of that is because I generally spend a lower …
Concrete Winds ‒ Nerve Butcherer Review
Entering “racket” into ye olde Dictionary.com yields several results, with the following coming up under noun definitions: Social excitement, gaiety, or dissipation. Legolas and Gimli took part in the celebratory racket following the victorious battle …
Diamonds & Rust: Enslaved ‒ Mardraum ‒ Beyond the Within
Enslaved’s career is one defined by eras. They started as perhaps the most prodigious band of Norway’s second wave of black metal, releasing their Hordanes Land EP when guitarist Ivar Bjørnson was a mere 15 …
Gaahls Wyrd ‒ The Humming Mountain Review
Gaahl has been around the Norwegian black metal scene a very long time, and for a guy that once fronted among the more stubbornly traditional acts in Gorgoroth, he has shown a notable willingness to …
Upon Stone ‒ Where Wild Sorrows Grow Review
Fast Rites: because sometimes brevity is fundamental. LA’s Upon Stone prefer their melodeath the way it was originally played in Sweden in the early and mid-90s: equal parts classy and brutal, haggard in the vocal …
Enslaved ‒ Caravans To The Outer Worlds Review
Here’s the blistering hot take on the new Enslaved EP, Caravans to the Outer Worlds, that we know you’re craving like grandma’s homemade biscuits: The title track is the most immediate, urgent, and possibly best …
Replicant ‒ Malignant Reality Review
There’s something to be said for finding a core sound and generally sticking within its bounds. No one expects Cannibal Corpse to suddenly start adding power metal vocals any more than they’d expect Blind Guardian …