Enjoy Incubus Aug. 6, 2015

Incubus
by Dark Ritual

Dark Ritual is a black metal band from London. Formed less than a year ago in September 2014, this group is already hitting hard with their first EP, Incubus. For those not in the know, Incubus is more than just an alternative band from the early 2000's that once knew how to rock hard. An Incubus...

Ami...Amen...census? Whatever. Aug. 5, 2015

Ascension (Amiensus)
by Amiensus

I won't lie. I'm still not sure how to pronounce “Amiensus,” nor do I know what it means. What I due know is that they sent me this LP called Asccension, and it's pretty awesome. Now based on what the band told me, I'm going to put a little disclaimer here: do not go into this expecting a straigh...

The Slow Burn Aug. 4, 2015

Convergence
by Ostrov

Time for some slow-burning, doomy post-metal. It's a good day for music that wavers between soft, clean passages and thick walls of distorted guitars and screaming. Of course, that's pretty much every day for me, but I digress. Ostrov is the subject of this particular outing, and it does not fail...

It's Just Sangwich Aug. 3, 2015

Lung Punch Fantasy
by Jerseyband

"It can be anything that you want. It's just sangwich." So sums up the strangeness that is Jerseyband. Ten points to whoever guesses where they're from. Consisting of three sax players, a trumpet, guitar, bass, drums, and vocals; this is marching band metal. Even when the guitar pulls back, thi...

Do You Hear Me, Major Tom? July 31, 2015

Archivist
by Archivist

If you enjoyed listening to the latest Vattnet Viskar, than I may have another one for you here. Meet Archivist, a post-metal and sludge group with just a touch of black metal to their sound. Members hail from Austria, England, and Germany; coming together to create something they aptly describe a...

Saved the Best for Last July 30, 2015

Teethed Glory & Injury
by Altar of Plagues

I'll admit it, I found myself bored with AoP's previous offerings of basic post-black. It’s a well-trodden genre when sticking to the basics. But here...my God, what a swansong. Fusing post-black, post-metal, and industrial; Teethed Glory and Injury is a truly unique experience that despite all in...

Blackened Folk Benchmark July 29, 2015

The Voice of Steel
by Nokturnal Mortum

Nokturnal Mortum is a band that has been shrouded in controversy. I could go on and on about their NSBM roots, less than culturally-sensitive lyrics, and more recent reform; but I'm not. I'd prefer to stick to the music, and damn that music is good. Despite not agreeing with the content, I enjoy ...

Watch the World Burn July 28, 2015

Untitled
by The Armed

Fancy the hardcore? Once again, producer/musician Kurt Ballou (Converge, etc.) has you covered. All I know about the band is that they are from Detroit, and they rock face. Without a single word, the cover speaks volumes about what you are about to hear. Equal parts gritty, ugly, satirical, aggr...

Harvest Time July 27, 2015

Abject
by Black Harvest

When I started this experiment, I had no idea what the response would look like. I was simply mining through bandcamp and various other sites for groups to reach out to, testing the waters. I still do that, but now much of the search is brought right to my front door. I cannot state thanks enough...

The Conquerer Worm July 26, 2015

Vexovoid
by Portal

Portal. I'm a bit of a geek, so the first time I heard the name, I thought we were talking about the game by Valve. Turns out that the band is not only equally good, but twice as mind-bending. I get sick of using the same old metaphors for sound, so here's some fresh ones: The guitars are a colo...

Purity? Riiiight... July 25, 2015

From All Purity
by Indian

Note that I’ve nicked parts of this review from my own review of Primitive Man’s Scorn that I was not entirely happy with. I think they serve a better purpose here. People sometimes misunderstand the word "melody" to mean upbeat or accessible, and "subtle" to always mean delicate or refined. Qui...

"I haven’t got a speech..." July 24, 2015

Raum Kingdom
by Raum Kingdom

Like Tool? Like sludge? Well now you like Raum Kingdom. Just accept it. This 30 minute EP from Ireland is filled to the brim with effects-laden, winding Adam Jones riffs and soft, meditative Maynard singing; but also crushing waves of crunchy distortion and angsty howls. The careful melding of ...

A Modern Progressive July 24, 2015

Two Demons
by Warforged

When I think progressive, and I doubt I’m alone here, I think LONG songs. It’s not a bad thing, but it definitely took me a lot longer to understand the genius of, ro example, Morningrise than it did Damage Done. Going back to the works of King Crimson, or Rush’s “2112,” the genre is known for bui...

Psychological Punishment July 23, 2015

ἀηδής
by NOÛS

I'll be brief. I don't want to deprive you one second of these 20 minutes of punishment. One time I tried to listen to this in the dark. When I regained consciousness I was missing several fingernails and about a pint of blood. NOÛS doesn't “play guitar.” They waited by the Sam Ash dumpster and...

Ethan McCarthy is a Busy (Primitive) Man July 23, 2015

Permanence
by Vermin Womb

So if you haven’t heard of Ethan McCarthy, the time to correct that is now. One of the growing names in underground extreme music, there is no lack of content available with his name attached. Most widely known for blackened sludge act, Primitive Man, Ethan “ELM” has also fronted Clinging to the T...

Change of Pace July 22, 2015

Broken on the Wheel
by Headcasey

While my interests lie primarily in different modes of death and black metal, I try to be an equal opportunity reviewer. As such, I welcome to occasional sound that may not quite fit in my wheelhouse. So is the case for Headcasey's latest set of tracks. And while I may not be the best person to d...

New Recruits Welcome July 22, 2015

Vast, Loathsome
by Drouth

Atmospheric death metal and blackened sludge have been gaining dominance in my library over the past year, and Drouth's latest EP fits nicely into the latter. New recruits are always welcome in my army of dismal debauchery. But like most music that earns my permanent hard drive space, especially i...

The Haves and Have Nots July 21, 2015

The Ache of Want
by Anopheli

From the first moments of “Awoken,” I could hear that this was something a bit different. Primarily, the vocals are deeper and bit more hardcore and black metal compared to the previous demo's preference towards post-hardcore shouting. The shrieks and growls help to differentiate, but also only fu...

Gave me the DT's...Dark Tranquillities that is. July 20, 2015

Future: The Return
by Silence Lies Fear

When MetalSucks posted Silence Lies Fear on their list of underlooked albums, they had me at "Dark Tranquillity." The comparison is more than fair, with this album's somber take on melodic death metal that feels more about scope than aggression. Insomnium seems like another strong parallel and ope...

Dagobah System? July 19, 2015

Enter the Dagobah Core
by Umbah

Umbah is a...um...we'll just simplify for now and say progressive industrial act from the UK. Arranged and performed entirely by Cal Scott, this is extreme music with a penchant for the avant garde. Ministry riffs crash into electronics, often bizarre vocal outbursts, and sporadic pace changes. T...
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