Album Reviews

Baltimore, Maryland-based brutal/grindcore death metal act Dying Fetus finally returns after a six-year hiatus with a brand-new album “Make Them Beg for Death” out on Relapse Records on September 8th, 2023. Led by the founder guitarist/vocalist John Callagher, bassist/vocalist Sean Beasley, and drummer Trey Williams, the ninth album cements the extreme brutality and technical prowess of the band.
Read More >

Sao Paulo-based death/doom act Fossilization returns with its first full-length album 'Leprous Daylight' on September 8th, 2023, via Everlasting Spew Records. Founded in the year 2020 by the members of the Brazilian sludge death/doom band Jupiterian, the duo continues to mold their own niche into a morbid death metal style. These Brazilians demonstrate a hefty, colossal structure of atonal tremolos by creating a sinister and oppressive theme of cavernous riffs.
Read More >

International black doom metal collective The Rite is back with sophomore album “The Astral Gloom” released on August 11th, 2023 through Iron Bonehead Records. In the last couple of years, the German underground label has introduced some interesting releases from various bands such as Abhor, Furis Ignis, Musmahhu, and The Rite is another great example of the expanding roster. Founded in 2017 by guitarist/bassist and keyboardist A.Th (Black Oath) and vocalist Ustumallagam (Denial of God). While the other members are based in Italy, the lineup includes guitarist Gabriel (Black Oath, Morbus Grave etc.…) drummer War. D (Morbus Grave) and, guitarist M. Desecrator (Black Ejaculation).
Read More >

German heavy metal group U.D.O. has set the charts ablaze with its newest album “Touchdown” released on August 25th, 2023, via Atomic Fire Records. With their seventeenth album under their belt, Udo Dirkschneider proves to be one of the greatest vocalists in the heavy metal genre. After his departure as the vocalist for the German heavy/speed metal band Accept the man remains a legend with his charisma and powerful vocals. U.D.O. has had a great run since 1987 with impressive discography including classic albums like “Animal House”, “Mean Machine”, “Time Bomb” and more.
Read More >

Hailing from Northern New Jersey, Dead And Dripping is a solo project formed in 2016 by Evan Daniele (Sentient Horror, Anal Exorcism, and Vulnificus). Named after Cryptopsy’s song, the third album “Blackened Cerebral Riffs” incorporates the gore and brutal influence from classic death metal acts like Suffocation, Gorguts, Demilich, and Suffocation, and is the first synergy between the multi-instrumentalist and the Asian label Transcending Obscurity Records.
Read More >

A Life Divided have been described as the German Linkin Park and while that isn't wrong it reminds me even more on the early songs of The Rasmus. On their newest album, 'Down The Spiral Of A Soul', they go into a bit darker and harder territory. This album is strongly influenced by the current events, so it's certainly not a fun and sunshine kinda album. Let's get right into it.
Read More >

Returning for another successful outing Denmark’s death metal four-piece Undergang launches its brand-new EP 'De Syv Stadier Af Fordærv' out on Me Saco Un Ojo and Dark Descent Records on September 1st, 2023. Since its formation in 2008 Undergang managed to gain a respectable reputation for being top top-notch caliber in the underground scene. 'De Syv Stadier Af Fordærv' delivers a pulverizing set of organic and brutal songs. The recording is probably one of the best in the band’s discography.
Read More >

Swedish black metal war machine Marduk is ready to set the world ablaze with their most anticipated album titled “Memento Mori” out on September 1st, 2023, via Century Media Records. Among the many Scandinavian bands in the underground scene, Marduk manifests its formidable strength in creating a legacy as one of the longest-running bands in the history of black metal. Fronted by guitarist and founder Morgan Håkansson in 1990, the band’s fifteenth album grasps all the characteristics of sounding fast and furious. With vocalist/bassist Daniel Rostén (Funeral Mist and, Triumphator), and a new drummer Simon Schilling who makes his first appearance on the album.
Read More >

Through the past fourteen years, Philadelphia’s death metal outfit Horrendous etched an innovative style in the modern death metal scene. Each of their studio albums were crafted hand in hand with progression from old-school death metal to technical melodic sound. The fifth album “Ontological Mysterium” which was released on August 18th, 2023, via Season of Mist exposes the efficiency of the quartet in combining their progressive elements. Horrendous’ has always had a penchant for sounding technical, and probably their albums like “Anareta” and “Idol” showed the creative ability of songwriting.
Read More >

For years now Texan metal outfit Spirit Adrift has been known under the guise of doom metal, fronted by the multi-instrumentalist Nate Garrett who returns with the band’s fifth album “Ghost At The Gallows” released on August 18th, 2023 via Century Media Records. Spirit Adrift started as a solo doom metal project in 2015 on the first full-length album “Chained to Oblivion” taking a slow detour towards traditional heavy metal style music. While evolving into the domains of 80s classic hard rock, it seems that Spirit Adrift once again has topped its sound, with the new lineup featuring bassist Sonny DeCarlo, drummer Mike Arellano and, guitarist Tom Draper.
Read More >