Destruktor - Indomitable

 

Destruktor are one of Australia's longest running underground metal projects. The bands output is understated to say the least, with only 3 albums across a nearly thirty year career. Yet for those of us who are dedicated to the scene, each record, compilation, demo or split from the band is like a rare treasure. Indomitable is no different, this is muscular, exciting and triumphantly executed blackened death metal that speaks to the talents that Destruktor have honed over their many years of black metal bitterness and unadulterated misery. 

This is a deeply personal record, digging into the concept of death and forcing us to stare it in the face. There is something strangely thrilling about such a personal record and Indomitable forces us to come to terms with our mortality again and again. Indomitable is a terrifying and strange offering, one leaning heavily on blast beats and tremolo picked guitars to unveil layers of chaos and misery. This isn't a record for the faint of heart, but if blackened death metal is your thing - then this is going to drag you deep into the abyss.

Pre-order the album! 

https://shop-hellsheadbangers.com/item.asp?PID=124257

Ulvehunger - Retaliation

Now this is a scorcher. Ulvehunger is a new blackened death metal project featuring Frost from 1349 and Satyricon on drums as well as members of Disgusting and Cadaver. The end result is a ferociously blasting, wonderfully vicious offering torn straight from the underground. There is a sense of desperation throughout the work of Ulvehunger that makes it deliciously resonant. It's counterbalanced by some very high level songwriting, certain to draw listeners deep into the twisted visions of the band. This is blackened death metal done right, with a clear vision of Northern darkness.

There is something truly potent about this record, it might be in the snaking guitar lines, blasting drums or overall spooky auras, but it's a banger by all accounts. A particular highlight to me is the final song on the record "Covenant Of Pestilence", a six minute slow burn that feels strangely anthemic. It's a fitting counterpoint to the blasting intensity of songs like "Sacrifice"/ One larger overall takeaway I have with this record is simply how well it flows, showcasing the dynamics between each of the songs and encouraging listeners to immerse themselves in the bristling, terrifying overarching sense of hatred that guides them forward. 

Surprisingly melodic, oftentimes gnarled and always just a touch frostbitten, Retaliation is an intense and rewarding listen. It's a record that burns with a scorching fire and which seems to encourage listeners to delve ever deeper into the madness. Let yourself get swept away in the darkness and you will start to get a sense for a new form of misery and terror that has brought Ulvehunger into a league of their own. Brooding, angry and powerful, I think heads will start spinning as word of mouth spreads about this one. 

Pre-order the album!

https://ulvehungerdarknessshallrise.bandcamp.com/album/retaliation

Vredehammer - God Slayer

 

It's been four long years since the last album from Norway's blackened death metal stalwarts, Vredehammer. There new album, God Slayer is wonderfully fierce and a potent extension on all that the band has done over the past fifteen years. This is a record that benefits from sumptuous, all encompassing production, twisted black metal vocals and an overarching sense of skull cracking sorcery that makes for some truly compelling work. Vredehammer is punishing, unrelenting and highly polished, a clear step up for the band. 

God Slayer is magical in how it feels larger than life. Every blast beat hits like a hammer and the guitar tones are some of the most impressive of Vredehammer's career. They've been able to take what they've been crafting over the years and bring their brand of angular, slicing blackened death metal and execute it in inspiring new ways. The athletic performances on tracks like the hectic "Blood Of Wolves" make for a headbanging good time, and it's hard to distance yourself from the bludgeoning crush of the rhythm section. Yet counterbalancing this is an ambition in the songwriting and a willingness to experiment with outside elements (Like the industrial fringes you hear throughout the album) that take it to the next level.

Ultimately - Vredehammer understand that the best Norwegian black metal has to rock and at their best, God Slayer truly rocks. These are songs that will snap your neck and which are fit to fill arenas. The band has clearly been hard at work over the pandemic and after it in order to give us their most salient possible recordings. God Slayer is the path to the future that Vredehammer needed, and a record that devotees of underground music will be enamored with for years to come.

Pre-order the album! 

https://vredehammer.bandcamp.com/album/god-slayer

Necrowretch - Swords of Dajjal

 

 It's been four long years since we've had an album from the wonderfully intense blackened death metal masters Necrowretch, but the kings are back. This latest offering is an absolutely vicious masterpiece and a monolith to the depravity that Necrowretch so eagerly spil out into the world. This is blackened death metal done right, with an intensity and vision that makes ith ard to look away. Swords of Dajjal is an ambitious work from the band, going beyond the high speed intensity of past records to create something more grandiose and wonderfully punishing. 

It's a pleasure to really sink your teeth into the blasphemies found throughout Sword of Dajjal. This is a record that seems to consistently go above and beyond what the bands peers can offer, showing a greater dynamic range than a lot of Necrowretch's past work and hinting at bold new places where the band can go. It's hard for a group to make steps forward like this five albums in, but the indicators have been there the whole time. And, for what it's worth, large portions of this album are still just decidedly Necrowretch doing what they do best, unhinged blackened death metal warfare on the senses. It's just now they have better production and more grandiose songwriting. 

Necrowretch have established a reputation over the last fifteen years a s a cult favorite, a band borne of the underground for the underground. Swords Of Dajjal is the latest excellent admission into their chronology and it's an album that I think fans of all things underground are going to consistently come back too and find themselves thrilled with. It's extreme, it's ambitious and it's a rip roaring step forward for a band with a unique and thrilling vision that seems to only get better and more compelling with every passing year.

Pre-order the album!

https://shop.season-of-mist.com/list/necrowretch-swords-of-dajjal

Theophonos - Ashes In The Huron River

Now this is an interesting one. Theophonos are a sort of avant garde blackened death metal project on Profound Lore, and their new album, Ashes In The Huron River is an impressive offering, that is intense, broad in scope and speaks ot a much darker side of the human condition. It's hard not to get lost in its weird and bleak ramblings that navigate all sorts of unique sonic highways in a mission to drag listeners deeper into a pit of sonic despair. The end result is some pretty damn compelling stuff any way you slice it. 

Ashes In The Huron River is a stunner because of the depth of the compositions. Despite relatively stripped back arrangements, Theophonos really reward multiple listens. Of particular note is the drum performances which are absolutely electric on songs like "An Elegy". The production has a sort of old school extreme metal flair to it too which helps to make Theophonos feel like a much grander project, one that transcends the sum of its parts and is couched in a sort of darker, transcendent world of metal wizardry. The way the album dances back and forth between stunning melodicism and crippling riffage is a testimony to this vision. 

Theophonos is a truly interesting project. The music seems to consistently drive itself forward and delve into bold new passages. Ashes In The Huron River is a very ambitious record, but it's one that seems to meet many of its core goals, maintaining a consistent vibe whilst bringing in a variety of different elements ranging from post metal and hip hop to hardcore and black metal. While the band never really sonically strays far from the world of extreme metal it's interesting to delve into a release that so eagerly borrows from different ideas than the norm. Dig in when it drops February 9th. 

Pre-order the album!

https://theophonos.bandcamp.com/album/ashes-in-the-huron-river

Karkosa - Esoterrorcult

 

Now THIS is a ripper!  Karkosa are a black metal band emerging from the wastes of Indiana whose unflinching assault bears the influence of acts like Belphegor or Dark Funeral. Their new record Esoterrorcult is exciting and at times borderline terrifying, nicely playing into the tropes of the genre and showcasing the vibrant extremity that makes this music so compelling in the first place. In a US black metal scene that seems once more ascendant, Karkosa are bringing their spin on the genre straight into your skull at a million miles an hour. 

Esoterrorcult is the sound of the world collapsing around your head.  Karkosa's sound is far more decorated and less monochromatic than some of their peers, with flashy solos and thoughtful interludes providing a counterpoint to tremolo picked riffs. Karkosa have found a way to make the beast their own. The spiraling power of a song like "Remnants Of Creation" is addictive and will drive listeners ever deeper into dancing with madness. Esoterrorcult blazes constantly, inspiring listeners with an assault that seems to constantly inspire ever darker visions, and the tech inspired assault of tracks like "Cyclopian Gateway" nicely decorates the record. 

Karkosa unleash hate throughout Esoterrorcult and it's hard not to be charmed by the vision that this album presents. While it is certainly not reinventing the steel, it is well executed blackened death metal with all the usual array of tropes deployed with aplomb. Esoterrorcult is in many ways larger than life and its execution, at its best is thrilling. Karkosa clearly understand the genre and have a lot of room to grow. What more could you want?

Undulation - An Unhealthy Interest In Suffering

Deeply intense, emotional and above all, weird, Undulation have left me, and many other listeners in awe with their thrilling new release, An Unhealthy Interest In Suffering. Already out on Bandcamp but due out physically with I, Voidhanger on December 15th, this is an incredibly intense, deep and challenging release that even the most hardened blackened death metal stalwart is going to find at times difficult to get in, but by God is it rewarding. This is the sort of intense, ritualistic and weird blackened death metal that so many of us crave. 

An Unhealthy Interest In Suffering is defined by off kilter guitars, eerie synths and otherworldly compositions that couch the bands unique brand of blackened death metal in a soundworld that is surreal and consistently challenging. Undulation crack skulls in bold new ways and the diversity of their sound makes this record, even though it's a mere 28 minutes, feel much longer than that. This is one of the most diversely executed albums I've heard in a good long time and the bands ability to meld dark and light, all in the name of a creepy, hellish and skull melting vibe makes for some wonderfully engaging and thought provoking listening. 

For many, most aspects of Undulation are going to be a turn off. They have taken the framework presented by bands like The Black Dahlia Murder and Wolves In The Throne Room and made it significantly denser, more challenging and dramatically more weird. Yet for those of us who long for this sort of thing, who ifnd beauty in the obscura and joy in the most impenetrable of compositions, then An Unhealthy Interest In Suffering is sure to keep you coming back, thrilled for the blasphemous weirdness that defines the band. 

Pre-order the album! 

https://undulationdeath.bandcamp.com/album/an-unhealthy-interest-in-suffering

Helfro - Talgrof

 

High powered, devilish and sonically abusive, Helfro have quickly made a name for themselves in the Icelandic underground. Their new album Talgrof marks a fitting second chapter for the band, a release that drives people forward and consistently lures listeners ever deeper into the world of Helfro's unique take on blackened death metal. This is an album that comes at the genre with a surprisingly broad scope and the vision that they present throughout is clear and passionate. In a world where blackened death metal often seems to fall into the same tropes, Helfro have crafted something that is wholly their own, and wholly addictive. 

Talgrof shines because of the intensity of the compositions, but also the bands ability to bring together diverse sonic elements in a way that makes sense. The track "Þögnin Ytra, Kyrrðin Innra" nicely illustrates this, with a grinding intro acting as a counterpoint to the sweeping black metal found just a track prior. One thing that stood out quickly is the skill of the drummer, this dude can blast. To maintain this level of intensity is impressive and the colorful fills and unrelenting performance speaks to the vision that they brought to this thing. It's uncompromising and vicious. Similarly - the vocals are all growled, but remarkably diverse, making for a multilayered listening experience. 

This is an impressive record through and through. Talgrof showcases a band with a vision that is clearly their own and with a verve and passion that makes them distinct form the other acts in their scene. Helfro clearly  understand what it's going to take tohelp set them apart in this community and immersing yourself in the balance of bombast and beauty with the filth that they so eagerly exude is only going to make things more copelling, exciting and immaculate. 

Pre-order the album!

https://shop.season-of-mist.com/list/helfro-talgrof

Ascendency - A Manifest Of Imperious Destiny

Now this is a crusher. There is something to be said for extreme metal that apes the old school but draws from a less common well of influences. Such is the power of Ascendency whose new album A Manifest Of Imperious Destiny is gloriously twisted blackened death metal sure to keep you up at night and shock listeners with its burning flame of 90s metal magic. There is a real sense of sorcery behind what's being done here and a sorrowful vision guiding the whole thing forward certain to entrance devotees of the European underground. 

With a production that sounds wonderfully underground and monochromatic guitar lines supporting gnarled vocals, it's clear that Ascendency are unafraid to wear their influences on their collective sleeve. The martial aspect of the sound (Perhaps best showcased on "Victory - In All It's Ephemeral Glory") adds a nice hint of war metal to the offering, but it's the black metal underpinnings and death metal riffing that really define the album. The senes of old school evil and basement dwelling annihilation is entrancing to really get lost in and speaks ot what the band has been able to create and fascinate us with time and time again. 

As regular readers know I'm deeply in love with this brand of old school blackened death metal. It feels evil and it feels ancient. A Manifest Of Imperious Destiny is a blackened death metal album to explore ruined castles too, while barely hinting at any of the dungeon synth tropes that tend to define that weirdly specific subgenre. Ascendency have found their own left hand path and their devotion to basement production, stripped back songwriting and true old school vibes is a delight to really lean into and start to come to terms with. 

Pre-order the album!

Pestilength - Basom Gryphos

Now this one is a veritable monster.  Pestilength made some waves last year when they first released Basom Gryphos and I'm thrilled to have a chance to write about this album. It's blackened death metal done right. These Spaniards have honed something wonderfully evil and blasphemously loud with Basom Gryphos and it's hard not to lose yourself in the hard hitting nature of darkness that Pestilength seem to so easily invoke and dish out. It's twisted sounds done to the nth degree, vibrant in its brutality and impressive in scope. 

Pestilength are unapologetic in their atonal approaches and the off kilter riffs only add to the bleeding edge magic that defines so much of Basom Gryphos. These tracks conjure up hellish atmospheres, providing a veritable soundtrack to the apocalypse even as you try to wrap your head around their strange and otherworldly compositions. This is blackened death metal done with an eye for clawing at your sanity and forcing listeners to come to terms with some of the darkest visions that they have brought to the table. There's a very small set of records where the album art seems to really reflect what the music is like, but the twisted being and hellscape that graces the cover of Vasom Gryphos seems to be a fitting analogy for the music within. 

This is not an album for the faint of heart or an album that I would define as easy listening in any way shape or form. Instead what Basom Gryphos focuses on is forcing the listener to confront hard and brutal sonic realities, many of which may seem tricky to really comprehend upon first listen. Howling and fierce, Basom Gryphos is the sound of empires crumbling and my sanity gradually fading away. Let yourself get lost in these avant facing brutalism and you'll find yourself experiencing a whole new level of blackened death metal blasphemy. 

Pre-order the album!

https://sentientruin.bandcamp.com/album/basom-gryphos

Hiss From The Moat - The Way Out Of Hell

 

16 years in and the fire still burns. Such is the magic of Hiss From The Moat. Their new album, The Way Out Of Hell is an absolute barn stormer. A release that leaves behind so many of their deathcore roots and sees them fully embracing the world of blackened death metal, The Way Out Of Hell is a thriller on so many levels. This is a record that speaks to the sublime inner darkness of this music and which, after repeat listens will draw you deep into the existential nightmare and potent sonic vortex that has begun to shape their future. 

The Way Out Of Hell is impressive because of how it resolves its various influences. While the sound of the band is clearly firmly rooted in modern blackened death metal, there are still moments that feel tied into deathcore and other genres. For instance - the trademark bounce that shapes "The Killing Of Innocence" wouldn't be out of place on a Suicide Silence song. This all being said - Hiss From The Moat do an impressive job of shaping their own distinct sense of email and impressing with the bottomless pit of darkness that fuels so many of these tracks. It draws listeners in and then reminds them of the fragility of their own existence. 

Hiss From The Moat is an impressive band to say the least, and The Way Out Of Hell is a potent next step for them. There is a very real magic to what is being accomplished here, and the tremolo picked riffs, gnarled vocals and unrelenting drums come together to make this an offering that I think many of the bands peers will come to admire. Hiss From The Moat are a premier Italian metal force for a reason. Letting yourself get lost in their unique brand of carnage is something every metalhead should do when this drops Friday.

 

Pre-order the new album!

https://www.indiemerchstore.com/collections/hiss-from-the-moat

Embrace Of Thorns - Entropy Dynamics

 

Yeah this record rules. Embrace of Thorns are a Hellenic black metal band, and their latest offering Entropy Dynamics sees the band firmly in the drivers seat as masters of Greek blackened death metal. The balls out assault that defines their latest record with its fist pumping riffs and hard hitting rhythms is truly thrilling and speaks to a band who understand the thrilling power of the underground. It's hard not to be charmed by the high energy assault and sonic firestorm that Embrace of Thorns so reliably churn out for us. 

This entire record impresses, be it with the creepy doomed passages on "The Breath of the Beast" or the blazing black metal fury that defines tracks like "I Wish You Burn In An Endless Funeral Pyre." There's just so much to really immerse yourself in. While the album does trend a bit longer, approaching 50 minutes, most of what's done here is justified. There's very little to cut out, but rather more to bend the knee in front of. While nothing on Entropy Dynamics is really reinventing the steel, as a general rule this is a really potent offering that seems to be full of exciting twists and turns that are going to keep underground fans coming back. 

Few bands have been able to have the longevity and consistency of Embrace of Thorns. The band, now on their sixth album has been doing this for nearly a quarter century at this point. Entropy Dynamics should serve as your invitation to delve deeper into the twisted world of Embrace of Thorns, a black metal band with a demented vision that ties nicely into so many of the classics. If you are a lover of all things blackened and underground then this is definitely a record to get lost in, fall in love with and then never ever forget.

Pre-order the album!

http://nuclearwinterrecords.bandcamp.com/track/entropy-dynamics-nucleus-dissolved

Blood Chalice - The Blasphemous Psalms Of Cannibalism

Another day, another awesome Finnish black metal record. Blood Chalice are among the latest blasphemers to be released on the always excellent Werewolf Record. Their new album, The Blasphemous Psalms Of Cannibalism builds nicely on the bands legacy and ties into what the press release refers to as a 'closeminded' blackened death metal assault. In all honesty - that seems like an accurate analysis of the music. It's blackened death metal, it's really goddamn good, it's got no room for bullshit and if you don't like it then I guess you can pack up your toys and go home, because Blood Chalice are here for the die hards and that's it. 

Before we get too deep into the pummeling assault of the album let's take a moment to talk about the cover art. Seriously, go zoom in on that shit. It's insane. Some of the most wonderfully evil art I've seen in a long time, full of lovely touches, like how the baby Jesus is still connected to Mary via the umbilical cord. Excellent stuff. It actually serves as a very apt teaser for the music which is brutal, uncompromising and full of twisted visions of a Godless future. The record is unwilling to stray from the path of darkness and the bitter vision that they peddle throughout this release is entrancing. It speaks to a bleak soundworld full of demons and ghouls determined to drag you to the deepest pits of hell. 

With an undeniable groove and a lovely lust for blood, Blood chalice manage to differentiate themselves from the rest of the Finnish black metal scene with a record that peddles in big riffs and throat slitting rhythms. Blast beat focused and unrepentent in its intensity, this is blackened death metal determined to crack skulls and drink the cerebral fluid. Few of the bands peers are as willing to lose themselves in the vile gurgling muck as Blood Chalice, and The Blasphemous Psalms Of Cannibalism is going to leave you begging for more.

Pre-order the album!

https://shop-hellsheadbangers.com/blood-chalice-the-blasphemous-psalms-ofcannibalism.asp

Promethean - Aornos

 

Promethean - now there's a band name! Their new record, Aornos is a striking fusion of black and death metal, with doom metal fringes and epic frills to keep listeners deeply engaged in the depth of their larger than life, and oftentimes all entrancing story. This is blackened death metal done right, using ancient Greek instruments to maximize the atavistic aura and tenebrous sounds to cast a dark pall over the music being created here. The doomed magic of this album, and the devotion to ancient Greek mysteries makes for a unique listening experience. 

Aornos is a little bit in love with its own majesty, but that's honestly a huge part of the fun. This is epic and grandiose metal that is going to keep underground fans in awe and which will continue to leave listeners excited for what more is to come. There is a real sense of forgotten glory that shines through the best moments of this song and an overarching sense of sorrow that helps to drag listeners down into the pit. While at times the album can get a bit too cerebral ("Vessel Of Empiricism" I'm looking at you) in general this is a really impressive offering that shines with its immaculate execution. It's a distinct take on an already diverse genre. 

This is a potent record, and one that lovers of myth and magic are going to really wind up being entranced with. While the nerdiness of Aornos often shines through, for those of us enamored with that sort of thing, it's going to have listeners coming back for more. As it is, Promethean have managed to take a serious step forward in their careers with this piece, showing that their early promise was no fluke, but that they are going to keep pushing further and reaching ever more transcendental heights, impressing listeners and leaving them in awe of the grandiose wizardry of their sound.

Pre-order the album!

https://i-voidhangerrecords.bandcamp.com/album/aornos

Perdition Temple - Merciless Upheaval

 

Perdition Temple have long been favorites of mine in the world of the twisted and brutal blackened death metal underground. Their sound has always destroyed lives and slit throats. There is a very real magic that makes their records compelling and a sort of inner evil that is hard to deny. On their latest record Merciless Upheaval Perdition Temple manage to showcase this with a unique approach. Side A features four originals, and side B sees them covering 4 classic bands from all across the extreme underground. The end result is gloriously sickening. 

When Perdition Temple kick off the record, you are treated to a hefty dose of all that makes them great. This means hectic guitars, double bass drums blasting and crudely barked vocals. It's thrilling stuff to hear come together. On the flip side though, the covers seem to only add more to the mystique of a truly excellent band. Seriously - what kind of band would even think to cover Shub Niggurath or Infernal Majesty in 2022? But Perdition Temple do, and it rules. What's more, they sit nicely alongside more conventional reprises of Morbid Angel and Pestilence. The end result is a thrilling set of offerings that will keep fans in awe. 

Merciless Upheaval is a thrilling and crushing offering. It's a record that shows how much more Perdition Temple have to offer as well as proving that they still haven't strayed too far from their roots. Perdition Temple have found a way to balance all the components that make them great and prove with this burly tour de force that they are among the best to be doing it today. Letting yourself get lost in the assault is only part of the fun. Turn it all the way up and get ready to rage, because Merciless Upheaval is a stone cold stunner. 

Pre-order the album!

https://perditiontemple.bandcamp.com/

Lord Belial - Rapture

Swedish black metal masters Lord Belial are back and thirsting for blood! This new offering, Rapture is the bands first in years and marks some of the best work of their careers to date. On their ninth full length, Lord Belial have captured the essence of the black metal magic that makes them so special and leave listeners gasping for breath as they lay down a master class in what second wave black metal is supposed to be. Though it's been 14 years since they last put out material, it's clear that these blasphemers haven't missed a step.

Even now as the band intricately weaves in touches of black metal and more on Rapture, you see that Lord Belial have been carefully honing this sound. After thirty years they have a clear understanding of exactly what makes this band so special and what sets them in a demented league of their own. It's addictive to get lost in the twisted and blasphemous sonic savagery of this band. Rapture fascinates because of the grandiose nature of the music and the larger than life approach that drives this album forward. It makes for a record that entrances listeners with high powered hate and a sense that there is no bottom to the void that Lord Belial have crafted. 

Join me in getting lost in the burning wreckage and twisted suffering of Rapture. This is an album that really grasps the glory of black metal and the throat crunching magic of this genre at its finest. Lord Belial may have put in over a decade to craft this record but the wait has been almost worth it. Listening to these legends reborn is a rare treat and a reminder that sometimes those who have been doing it longest are still those doing it best. For old school fans this is one to really get lost in for spin after spin.

Pre-order the album!

https://bit.ly/3K5GWL5

Egregore - The Word Of His Law

Well this is a stunner. Egregore have just burst into my life and I'm in awe. Their unique brand of deeply occult blackened death metal is sure to fascinate listeners and leaves me curious for what's to come next from these visionaries. Having heard the bands first full length I can assure you that Egregore have achieved a bold new level of cosmic metal darkness. This is blackened death metal done right, twisted, evil and gloriously blasphemous. It's an epic album that leaves listeners in awe. 

The Word Of His Law is a stunner. It's a record that speaks to countless hours spent songwriting, crafting epic arrangements and forcing listeners to really reflect on the glorious darkness within. It's an album that will drag you with the band straight to hell, trying to grasp just how monumental their compositions are. The Word Of His Law is a record that delves deep into the occult, that is proudly larger than life and which will keep you coming back, constantly trying to find new layers of an album that so easily borrows from influences ranging from 80s black metal to neo folk by way of classic Earache death metal. 

This is a record that is going to impact a lot of different people. The way these songs are constructed almost makes them a potpourri of interesting intellectual metal elements encouraging listeners to really immerse themselves in what's been done here. The Word Of His Law is epic in scope and there are myriad twists and turns for you to uncover. This is a band in love with the grandiose side of metal, but delivering it in a triumphantly extreme format. Turn this one all the way up and expect to feel the suffering. 

Pre-order the album!

https://listen.20buckspin.com/album/the-word-of-his-law

AngelBlast - Throne Of Ashes

AngelBlast's sophomore seven inch is here to prove the second strike is still deadly. Throne Of Ashes is a stunner any way you slice it. While it may be just two tracks, it's a worthy supplement to the bands 3 track debut, Rotting Paradise. This is the sort of blackened death metal assault that the Nordics are known for. It's reminiscent of bands like Dissection and Malevolent Creation, but somehow even more blackened than either of those acts. The end result is a crusher, a record that leans into its own sense of evil. Throne Of Ashes can't help but to impress and it's a record that seems obsessed with its own neverending sense of darkness. AngelBlast have proven on this record that their debut was no fluke and that there's much more rotten darkness to emerge from these madmen. Brace yourselves - a new level of evil is coming!

Pre-order the record!

http://edgedcircleproductions.bandcamp.com/album/throne-of-ashes

Vortex Of End - Abhorrent Fervor

Vortex Of End is a French blackened death metal band whose greatest ambition seems to be fighting the world. Their balls out assault and go for the throat attack speaks to a band who are unashamed to drink from the blood of their enemies. The bombastic and fiery rage that they bring to the table on their latest offering, Abhorrent Fervor is addictive, exactly the sort of fierce baclekened death metal that so many of us long for in the first place. It's a furious existence and one that willl continually provoke twisted emotions in the underground. 

Abhorrent Fervor stuns because of the ferocity of its assault. Tracks like "Cascades Of Epiphanies" make the torrential outburst of fury from the band feel much more real. The blazing hellspawn that drives this record is addictive. In particular, I love the drumming, it's ferocious and the asault is unrelenting. This, when paired with tight riffing and barely restrained vocals makes for an in depth listening experience that you're going to continually want to bathe yourself in. It's blackened death metal done in the grand old style with none of your concern for trends or trying to reinvent the genre in any way shape or form.

Extreme metal devotees are going to love this album. It's an unapologetic release that delves into some of the darkest moments of the genre. There is a very real sense of bombast here and tracks like really fleshes out the record on tracks like 'Cascades Of Epiphanies'. Abhorrent Fervor is a harrowing collection of tracks and immersing yourself in its beautiful and twisted vision is something that any headbanger should try to do. Join me in celebrating the dark and drinking from the night itself. This is music to make you gnash your teeth.

Pre-order the album!

https://osmoseproductions-label.com/vortex-of-end-abhorrent-fervor-release/

Defacement - S/T

Rare are the records that make me stop and say out loud, "Damn, this is a sick record." Defacement though, is one such record. It's an offering that is, for all intents and purposes, a monster. The glorious torment that shines through on this record with its larger than life guitars and fierce guttural vocal performances is addictive and speaks to a band who know what it means to really go for the throat. The demented visions that guide this offering are addictive and will leave devotees of the underground delving deep into the underbelly of this insanity. 

Defacement really thrive in the dungeon dwelling punishment of tracks like 'Disenchanted.' Splaying out over nearly 10 minutes it's a track that uses twisted noises as a bridge between moments of blistering blackened death metal. The overarching vibe is powerful and disturbing, a testament to the twisted vision behind this record. The punishing unreality that they craft on Defacement borders on the terrifying, encouraging listeners to uncover blasphemous ideas and weird new concepts within the realm of a genre that seems to only get darker. Losing yourself in a rapture of bleak ideas is a strange sort of triumph. 

This is a masterpiece of a record that encourages isolated listening as you revisit every fucked up thing you've done in your life. It's a record that makes us come face to face with some of the bleaker aspects of the human condition and which acts as a sort of conduit towards darker futures. There are throat ripping visions behind what's being done here that will leave listeners gloriously addicted and excited to come back to new material from this band. Defacement have found a way to conjure up pure evil with their blasted death metal visions. Join them.

Pre-order the album!

https://i-voidhangerrecords.bandcamp.com/album/defacement