DEFILEDHorror Beyond Horror Season Of Mist (2024)Rating: 6.5/10 Somewhat overlooked in their chosen field of deathly metal, Tokyo, Japan-based combo Defiled continues its consistent weaving between the graves with full-length studio album number eight. Horror Beyond Horror is unleashed just a year after the solid The Highest Level which was a vast improvement on 2020 […]
HEMATOIDLiminal Atrophy Iron Fortress (2024)Rating: 7/10 With enough Carcass inspired medical monstrosities than you can shake a bloody scalpel at, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania-based trio Hematoid returns from the morgue with their debut full-length platter of splatter. This is some wholesome gore noise right from the off as ‘Shrieking Affliction’ pulsates and throbs as the tin can […]
OUTER GRAVESTerminal Limit Transylvanian Recordings (2024)Rating: 6.5/10 After forming out of Milwaukee, Wisconsin two years ago, death metal combo Outer Graves looks towards the stars for its lyrical themes. Cosmic horror death metal is the order of the day here as Kate Coysh (vocals), Zachary Muffett (guitar), Ryan Shaw (bass) and Jeffrey Kramer (drums) serves […]
DUNGEON CRAWLMaze Controller Carbonized (2024)Rating: 8/10 Returning with far more striking artwork than 2021 debut album Roll For Your Life, San Jose, California-based thrashers Dungeon Crawl dish out more busy speed dollops with their latest full-length Maze Controller. Vocalist and now also bassist Code Jones has recruited three new members in the form of guitarists […]
CUTLASSWalk The Plank Self-released (2024)Rating: 7/10 If ever there was a band that needed to change their name it was Pirates Of Metal. This UK metal act began life in 2003 then dissolved in 2008 before returning just a couple of years ago. I guess the back story is somewhat irrelevant as recorded output didn’t […]
SPLATTERVISIONSplattervision EP Iron Fortress (2024)Rating: 5/10 Clearly inspired by horror movies, Splattervision is an Ohio-based duo who I expected more from. Lacking any sort of atmosphere and charging away like a generic basement project, this six-track debut EP is somewhat flimsy in design. The drums are awful so I’m assuming they are a machine – […]
INVOCATIONThe Archaic Sanctuary (Ritual Body Postures) Iron Bonehead Productions (2024)Rating: 8/10 Although one of several extreme metal acts to share the moniker Invocation, this particular trio demands your attention with a riveting debut album. Hailing from Valparaíso in Chile, the peculiarly named Sense Of Premonition (vocals and guitar), Sense Of Clairvoyance (bass), Sense Of Clairaudience […]
WARPRIESTGloombreaker Self-released (2024)Rating: 3/10 Featuring the husband and wife team of Robert and Elis Wilson, Warpriest – driven by a drum machine – is an unimpressive result of someone doodling around on a software application to create “music”. Firstly, the production is tepid, but above all the whole thing is so amateurishly constructed, especially with […]
FLOTSAM AND JETSAMI Am The Weapon AFM (2024)Rating: 7/10 I should be angry with myself for not being loyal to these veteran Phoenix, Arizona-based metallers who have just issued another solid record, the 15th full-length studio offering in their long career. However, the truth is that my relationship with Flotsam And Jetsam is very much […]
SATANSongs In Crimson Metal Blade (2024)Rating: 8/10 As if he isn’t busy enough with one seminal New Wave Of British Heavy Metal band in Blitzkrieg, vocalist Brian Ross leads another, Satan, onto the battlefield. Songs In Crimson is the seventh full-length studio outing from the band which originally formed back in 1979. Ross appeared on […]
