OF SPIRE & THRONEToll Of The Wound EP Broken Limbs (2014)Rating: 5/10 Toll Of The Wound is the third EP from Scottish doomsters Of Spire & Throne. Formed in 2009, the band consists of vocalist / guitarist Ali Lauder, bassist Matt Davies and drum doctor Graham Stewart, plus a solid lump of gluey sludge to […]
SHADOWDREAMUm WormHoleDeath (2014)Rating: 8/10 Anyone who goes by the name Magister Nocturnal is clearly going to be a musician who likes to dabble in the weird, haunting and sinister. Magister Nocturnal is the lone force behind Shadowdream, a rather quizzical act hailing from Serbia who since 2004 has dwelt in musical voids that many would […]
NECRODEATHThe 7 Deadly Sins Scarlet (2014)Rating: 7.5/10 Very much veterans of the extreme metal genre, Italy’s Necrodeath introduced themselves to me by way of their second studio album Fragments Of Insanity which was released a world away back in 1989. Since then these guys have been extremely consistent with their releases, churning out an album […]
VALLENFYRESplinters Century Media (2014)Rating: 7.5/10 There are times when nothing beats a stormy slab of British metal. Vallenfyre is a reasonably new doom-laden death metal act born from West Yorkshire back in 2010, and responsible for the 2011 A Fragile King debut. The quartet features musicians who should know a thing or two about doom-crusted […]
HYPERBOREANMythos Of The Great Pestilence Self-released (2014)Rating: 8/10 When I was first introduced to this Swedish extreme metal band via their 2011 debut The Spirit Of Warfare, I had a feeling of trepidation. The reason for this was because I was concerned that I’d be discarding this opus as just another Swedish death metal album […]
VALLENFYRE Release Second Studio Album ‘Splinters’ May 12th, 2014 United Kingdom-based death metal group Vallenfyre issued second studio full-length album Splinters on May 12th, 2014 in Europe through Century Media Records. North American issue was scheduled for one day later via the same label. The outing was cut at GodCity Studio in Salem, Massachusetts, with […]
THE LAST VEGASSweet Salvation Culvert Music (2014)Rating: 9/10 If I was pushed to choose my favourite couple of albums from the last few years, then Chicago’s The Last Vegas would probably win hands down with their brace of releases, Whatever Gets You Off (2009) and Bad Decisions (2012). Although the sound and style was nothing […]
TAATSIAmidst The Trees Forever Plagued (2014)Rating: 7.5/10 I’m quite the fan when it comes to atmospheric black metal that has its roots firmly in local folklore. Finnish duo Taatsi are named after a sacrificial stone situated in their home country, and the music they play is as intriguing as their lyrical content suggests. Taatsi was […]
DIAMOND LANE Terrorizer Self-released (2014) Rating: 4.5/10 I’ve heard a few good things about this Los Angeles, California-based metal act that have been on the circuit now for a few years, with Terrorizer being the second full-length studio release from the band. Of course, any band that is attempting to bring bog standard rock ’n’ […]
DESERT LORDTo The Unknown Under A Serpent Sun (2014)Rating: 7/10 I’ve always wondered what it would sound like if Black Sabbath and Motörhead gave birth to a son, but in Desert Lord I think we have the answer… to some extent. This Finnish quartet plays catchy doom metal with an oily, aggressive edge, especially in […]
