Album Reviews

“Obiasot Dwybat Ptnotun” is the fifth album by the São Paulo trio Anarkhon that features members from the Brazilian black/thrash metal Power From Hell. Although the new album is the most accomplished work by the trio since the predecessor “Phantasmagorical Personification of the Death Temple” the songs on the album are imbued with thematic sepulchral mood, eerie melody, and brutal tempos.
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Costa Rica death metal four-piece Astriferous is among the rising talents in the Central American continent. To those who are not familiar with the band, Astriferous debuted its EP “The Lower Levels of Sentience” in the year 2020. After signing a worldwide deal with Me Saco un Ojo and Pulverised Records, the first full-length album “Pulsations From the Black Orb” was released on March 10th, 2023 and captures the cacophonous sound of old-school death metal. The band’s lineup consists of José María Arrea (drums), Federico Gutiérrez (guitars, vocals), Felipe Tencio (guitar, vocals), and José Pablo Phillips (bass, vocals).
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The U.S. trio Majesties hits the jackpot in their debut full-length album “Vast Reaches Unclaimed” released via 20 Buck Spin on March 3rd, 2023. Consisting of members from Inexorum and Obsequiae the lineup includes Mathew Kirkwold (bass guitar), Carl Skildum (guitars), and Tanner Anderson (vocals, guitars, and drums). In this beautiful piece of nostalgia, we are rather confronted with superb guitar hooks transporting you to the mid-nineties era of what was known as the glorious years of Gothenburg melodeath metal.
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Japan’s FesterDecay is a four-piece band that seems to be inspired by the goregrind era of the late eighties. The band was formed in 2016 and has released two demos and a single compilation. Even though it's their first full-length album, “Reality Rotten to the Core” has turned into a damn filthy record, build on the classic core of bands like Carcass. A quite impressive feat by the Japanese quartet, released via Everlasting Spew Records on February 24th 2023.
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Featuring former members of Deströyer 666, Cemetery Urn and Deluge, Lumen Ad Mortem is a newer band that recently caught my attention. Their style demonstrates how black metal can sound relative to a more 90s approach. The debut 'Upon the Edge of Darkness' was released on January 27th, 2023 via Bitter Loss Records has its own unique identity. Lumen Ad Mortem was established in 2019 and released a single demo containing three tracks which are also featured on the debut.
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When Plagues Collide is a symphonic deathcore band from Belgium formed in 2016. They already released an EP in 2017 called 'Shrine Of Hatred' and one year later their first full album 'Tutor Of The Dying'. An album which was a strong piece of work. Especially, for their first big release. We had to wait 5 years for their second release but hey these guys survived the covid pandemic and proudly present 'An Unbiblical Paradigm'.
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German black metal outfit Mystic Circle continues to push its classic melodic sound to newer standards, ever since the band released its self-titled comeback album “Mystic Circle” the founding members Beelzebub and Blackwar wandered through creative muse. The 9th album “Erzdämon” out on March 17th, 2023 via Fireflash Records delivers a powerful haunting piece of the ’90s inspiration. Although the 9th album marks the pinnacle of success in the band’s musical career the songs combine rich orchestral elements with fierce vocals and catchy rhythms.
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Are you longing for more grungy times when music was supposed to be dark and depressing? Should all songs be about teenage angst or the pending apocalypse? Please skip to the next review then, we have some nice suicidal black funeral doom postings for you. If that’s not the case, please stick around just a bit longer.

Whatever state the world is truly in right now, at least in the metal realm it’s ok to have fun again. A lot of fun. Bands like Alestorm, Electric Callboy and Nanowar of Steel tear up every festival ground with their all-nonsense, super infectious parodies.

Nanowar of Steel. Just the name alone should give you a smile 666 parsecs wide, without even hearing a single note. So with not too stoic grin on our face let’s get to it then.
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Belgian melodic death metal band Hexa Mera is coming with their new album 'Methuselarity' on March 18, 2023. Before we start getting into the album, let’s talk about the name of the album first. The band states that:

‘’the album's name is a combination of the name of King Methuselah from the Old Testament and the word “singularity’’. Methuselarity is the point at which we can surpass the biological limits of human lifespan and extend human life to eternity. This means that we no longer have an expiration date and do not have to die of old age or illness, and can therefore become immortal through scientific, technological, and medical innovations.’’

Knowing this before listening, the album already gets a deeper meaning to it. Let’s see what it has to offer us musically.
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It took almost twelve years for the Hellenic black metal cult Deviser to return to the international pantheon. Alongside bands such as Rotting Christ, Varathron and Kawir. Deviser had a great career in the early years of the Hellenic black metal movement and released two classic albums 'Unspeakable Cults' and 'Transmission to Chaos' in 1996 and 1998 which have set a melodic penchant to the band’s trademark. The band returns with a new lineup fronted by the original bassist and vocalist Matt Hnaras, guitarist/keyboardist Nick Christogiannis and new guitarist Vag Kastanas.
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