Our resident Post-Queen, Inksterium, may not realize always that post-genres call for her. However, Kazea, a Gothenburg-based trio formed by ex-members of Orochen and Hellsongs, provide a lived-in force to their debut experience I, Ancestral. But all post and no play can still made the Queen a dull monarch. Can Kazea possibly please the Crown?
Read more
Ereb Altor – Hälsingemörker Review
One of the best trends in metal right now is the recent spate of black-trad hybrids. It’s a welcome revival of a combination with a long history that makes a ton of sense as their shared love of drama goes together like blood and ice. Ereb Altor know what I’m talking about — they take their sanguine cocktails on the rocks just like Anti-Peat.
Read more
Häxkapell – Om jordens blod och urgravens grepp Review
Häxkapell leans into a sound that is unmistakably Scandinavian. But Om jordens blod och urgravens grepp is also a black metal album that pays attention to making most of the trek through this earthy forest path memorable. Can its sadboi chords cast a spell on you?
Read more
The Halo Effect – March of the Unheard Review
Stretching beyond melodeath’s greatest works is a long tail of releases that are banal, toothless, or some combination thereof. In theory, The Halo Effect’s roster of In Flames alumni fronted by Dark Tranquillity’s Mikael Stanne is great news for people hoping for more gems. But if you can hear their riffs from a mile away, how can their march be so silent?
Read more
Opeth – The Last Will and Testament Review
Make Åkerfeldt growl again” (#MÅGA). This is the premise on which The Goat Review makes its firmest political stance.
Read more
Carnosus – Wormtales Review
In the spirit of broadening my horizons I decided to dip my toes into melodeath waters. While I am not a huge fan of the genre, there are some standout albums I like. Unfortunately, Bobo found out the melo waters were a lot less worm than expected the hard way.
Read more
Vomitrot – Emetic Imprecations Review
This 6 track primitive death metal is everything a death metal bear could wish for. Filled with prehistoric, down-tuned riffs, bass with a heavy presence and quick decisions from the drummer — Emetic Imprecations never holds back and will mercilessly beat you into submission until you vomit and excrete bodily fluids from every hole.
Read more
Dark Tranquillity – Endtime Signals Review
No band has meant more to me than Dark Tranquillity. Yet somehow I’d have missed the release date of Endtime Signals if friends hadn’t reminded me. Part of that is me living a more complicated life now I’ve grown up. The other part though is that age has simultaneously fractured Dark Tranquillity’s line-up while also ushering in a calmer sound with less wild album to album evolution. They’re not releasing bad albums, but they’re not punishing heavens any more either.
Read more
Crawl – Altar of Disgust Review
Having listened to an obscene amount of death metal, a lot of it including Swedeath over the years, I’ve reached a point in my metal journey where I see a new Swedeath album and groan, because it’s most likely going to be another band beating an extremely dead horse. Dead horses makes Cosmo mad!
Read moreUnlock the Krypts
Crypts of the Unknown: Bound and Gagged – Fornicate the Gutted
