Formed last year by Undeath vocalist Alexander Jones and Liam McMahon, Sulfuric Hatred try to establish a sense of identity in the swamp of other War Metal bands by adding dash of stompy Hardcore to their potent concoction. This most extreme sect of Black/Death Metal is one of the most tricky to navigate due to an obscenely large amount of far-right leaning or otherwise disclaimer-worthy bands. Luckily, Sulfuric Hatred is not one of these. We reserve the disclaimers for the black metal bands.
Read moreSublation – On the Advancement of Decay Review
The guitar solos in “Born Out of a Whim” and “Like a Fire That Consumes All Before It” are very fun and inject an extra bit of “oomph” into the songs that would be devoid of substance without them. On the advancement of OOMPH!
Read moreSOL – Promethean Sessions Review
The album oscillates between droney soundscapes that come across as somewhat improvised, and more focused gothic-leaning classic Doom. I am not aware of the methodology of improvisation used here, whether there were rules or guidelines, but the droney sections of the album are pleasant and even provide a sense of mental relief. But is this all enough to set Goat’s charts ablaze?
Read moreMourn the Light / High Priest / Ice Howl / Archdruid – Split Review
Ah, the split. The underappreciated release that can highlight potential up-and-comers, or showcase multiple bands that don’t bring anything interesting to the table. Sometimes, a split gets released and reveals the best of a band’s material. So where does this four-way split land? Pick your player.
Read moreLower 13 – Deception Review
For better or worse, Deception sounds like it stepped out of the time capsule of Monster Energy-era Metalcore from 2005-2008. For what it’s worth, the production on this album as well as the talent of the band members is present though. Don’t chug and drive.
Read moreObsidian Tide – The Grand Crescendo Review
I can hear the seeds of Obsidian Tide’s voice forming on The Grand Crescendo. That is not to say that the influences cannot be clearly heard on the album. On the contrary, the soft/heavy dynamic and transitions lean heavily on Opeth still, sometimes even sounding like direct quotes. Prog Monday, anyone?
Read moreArborescence of Wrath – Inferno Review
Arborescence of Wrath, a band adorned with members of Origin and Marduk, ventures into the realm of Technical Brutal Death Metal with their debut. Will their music soar above the sea of mediocrity, or drown into the pool of lacklustre blastfests?
Read moreSeraphic Entombment – Sickness Particles Gleam Review
Even when Seraphic Entombment can´t break out of their own framework within a song, there is some slight variation and mood shift. Particularly the two shorter songs breathe some life into the album in how they seem faster and more riff oriented. Maybe some additional CPR is required.
Read moreTerra Builder – Solar Temple Review
At its best, Solar Temple has some novel ideas: the title track combines a Morbid Angel sounding riff with Grindcore intensity and “Dead Celestial” features a tremolo riff throughout that works well with the forward charging groove. So at least you could say that they’re a good Trem Builder.
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