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 …
Headshrinker ‒ Callous Indifference Review
One of the neatest things in death metal over the last couple years has been the number of bands putting unique spins on old sounds while still firmly remaining within the walls of death metal. …
Septage ‒ Septisk Eradikasyon Review
Even in a year as loaded with great goregrind as 2020, the debut demo from Copenhagen’s Septage really stood out. Septic Decadence was four tunes in just under 12 minutes, loaded with blasts and tremolo …
Ophidian I ‒ Desolate Review
[Artwork by the incomparable Eliran Kantor] The most convenient way to describe Desolate, the sophomore effort from Icelandic tech-deathers Ophidian I, is to call it a serious guitar nerd’s death metal album. This is far …