Album Reviews

Four years ago, the German-Basque trio Sijjin delivered a savage onslaught on the debut full-length 'Sumerian Promises' and they are now to fulfill a hellish war anthem to fans of extreme metal with the second one “Helljjin Combat” which is a more thrash metal-inspired album compared to the previous work. Featuring the former members of the German death-doom band Necros Christos, Sijjin’s musical evolution is witnessed as an extreme sonic testimony that is non-typical to the modern thrash or death metal style.
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The Duke of Spook, Wednesday 13 is back with a bang, unleashing his 10th record 'Mid Death Crisis' via Napalm Records going back to where it all started for him. Like the Duke of Spook himself describes it as a fun, campy, “leave-your-brain-at-the-door” release and a true return to his horror punk roots and we as fans love it!
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In between two studio albums, Finnish-Hellenic funereal gothic doom ensemble Aeonian Sorrow has birthed a new four track EP 'From the Shadows'.
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Over the past few years, the sub-genre of cosmic death metal has presented a different aspect to what other death metal bands offered, and this particular category explored extra-terrestrial themes of outer space and demonic beings invading the Earth. The music on the other hand focused on an ominous atmosphere, weaving spacey elements into the layers of riffs emphasizing an array of guitar arrangements often leaning to symphonic or progressive touches. Ancient Death is one of these bands that established a unique style in this sub-genre, however, this bold mix of cosmic guitar patterns of the rhythm stands out in my opinion. The U.S. quartet crafts a traditional sound of technical death metal to create a matrix of complexity.
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Lithuanian death metal formation Crypts of Despair showed fierce direction and dexterity demonstrated on their debut full-length album 'The Stench of the Earth'. However, the band quickly moved into a violent macabre death metal style on the 2021 follow-up 'All Light Swallowed'. The third studio album 'We Belong in the Grave', out via Transcending Obscurity Records, sees the Lithuanians crafting a soundtrack to the world’s apocalypse.
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Finland’s Morbific must have been inspired by the early wave of 90s death metal, which I have already said in my review for their 2022 sophomore 'Squirm beyond the Mortal Realm'. The trio’s aesthetic style draws the listener into a mix of murky riffs and cavernous atmosphere offered by the rhythm guitars and the fuzz of the growling. This is the highlight of Morbific's third full-length album 'Blood of the Abnormal Flesh' out via Memento Mori and Me Saco un Ojo Records on April 21st, 2025.
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German Teutonic thrash metal trio WARFIELD have released their latest long player 'With The Old Breed' on 28 March 2025 on NAPALM RECORDS. In a long line with other German thrash metal giants like KREATOR, DESTRUCTION or SODOM they share their roots in the Ruhrpott, Germany's former industrial area. And they do not fall behind in any way. After several, repeated rounds of listening to this album, you might need an appointment with a chiropractic of your choice.
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Finnish black metal duo Moonfall was formed in 2008, but soon vanished to spawn again in 2019. The lineup consists of Goatprayer and Black Moon Necromancer, a member of the current iteration of legendary black metal act Beherit. Moonfall’s debut full-length album “Odes to the Ritual Hills” presents two long tracks and clocks in twenty-seven minutes to provide a perfect ritual for summoning the demons.
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Swedish death metal purveyors LIK has spearheaded the Stockholm underground scene for over a decade, the fourth studio album “Necro”, to be released via Metal Blade Records, roars absolute aggression. LIK pursues high-stakes games to deliver another outstanding record. The quartet continues to sound brutal and raw as they provide a rotten counterpoint to the likes of Entombed and Dismember with the ten tracks packing propelling force of HM-2 distortion, all seemed to be setting an old-school Swedish sound for uncompromising brutality.
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The British Columbia ensemble Tribunal brought a sort of semblance to the 90s gothic doom, although there aren’t many bands that play this kind of music today, Tribunal perfectly fit to the comparison of bands like Estatic Fear, My Dying Bride and Dismal Euphony. The quintet returns with the follow-up album “In Penitence and Ruin” to the debut full-length “The Weight of Remembrance”. The second outing is a fine theatre of ethereal melodies and solemn doom requiem to thy severed heart, that defines this majestic and sorrowful opus.
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