Black Curse had huge shoes to fill with sophomore album Burning in Celestial Poison, as the sophomore hump is the true test for bands to prove that they’re not a once-and-done affair. Thankfully, Burning in Celestial Poison not only surpasses the hump, but makes every other war metal album released this year appear as threatening as pool noodles in terms of sheer aggression and vitriol. So grab your pool noodles, we’re going to war!
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Typhonian – The Gate of the Veiled Beyond Review
I haven’t heard bands worshiping Unleashed, specifically Across the Open Sea era before, so that was a nice surprise upon pressing play and listening to the first proper track after the intro. However, this is not a short album, and while the music is largely serviceable, not everything works.
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Esoctrilihum – Döth-Derniàlh Review
Another year, another new Esoctrilihum album. At this point, it could be considered an annual occurrence, since Asthâghul, the only person behind this project, has released an album every year since 2017, sometimes pumping out two a year. Esocthrilledium?
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Pyrrhon – Exhaust Review
“…Fuck man, I just wanna go home” vocalist Doug Moore lambasts on “The Greatest City on Earth.” Thematically, Exhaust channels the most pissed-off version of Pyrrhon into a thirty-eight minute record, a record made by people broken down by the ever-growing financial strains of living in their home of New York City. What’s the deal with inflation anyway?
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Pneuma Hagion – From Beyond Review
Pneuma Hagion are back and they’re meaner than ever. From impressive lyrical content about a tyrant taking control of the known world by force and murdering any dissidents to their empire to earth-shattering riffs and blasts, the most impressive thing about Pneuma Hagion is that it’s just two people. May them blow the winds of tyranny with their crushing riffs.
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Fleshgod Apocalypse – Opera Review
There will always be a special place in Cosmo’s heart for Fleshgod Apocalypse, since it was one of the first bands that he fell in love with in his formative years. But will their latest aria bridge the gap between fanbat and metal connoisseur?
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Har – Cursed Creation Review
If the metal ain’t ferocious Cosmo doesn’t want it! But Har seems to have stirred and shaken him with their debut album Cursed Creation.
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Mayhemic – Toba Review
In yet another tale of a metal subgenre rapidly stagnating, blackened thrash finds itself needing revitalizing. But where there’s a riff, there’s a way.
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Ceremony of Silence – Halios Review
Opening with a swarm of discordant riffs on “Primaeval Sacrifice”, the listener must adapt to Halios’ rapidly advancing tide or give in to the swallow of the maelstrom. Formerly a duo, Ceremony of Silence has now become a trio. And combined with a sleeker, fuller production, Halios sounds a lot more polished and a lot more mean than 2019’s Outis ever could.
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Crypts of the Unknown: Incubator – McGillroy the Housefly
