Album Reviews

Virginia’s based-death metal band Left Cross finally returns with vengeance to plague us in the horrible themes of death and destruction. The sophomore “Upon Desecrated Altars” was released on November 10th, 2023, via Profound Lore Records. The dark murky quality of the nine songs plus intro is emphasized by the macabre themes of war, whereas the cavernous quality is textured in the heavy guitar reverb and guttural growls. Left Cross was formed in 2014 and has released a number of EPs before the band released its 2017 full length album "Chaos Ascension".
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U.K.’s blackened death/doom metal act Strigoi released its brand-new EP “Bathed in A Black Sun” on November 3rd, 2023, through Season of Mist. The new outing contains four unreleased songs from the recording session of the band’s full-length album “Viscera” and one released track which was released on the album. There is a certain monolithic heaviness in the guitar tone and bleak darkness surrounding the music overall. Strigoi’s lineup includes Greg Mackintosh (guitars, vocals), Chris Casket (bass guitar), and Guido Zima (drums) and, Ben Ash (guitar) both made their appearance on the sophomore release.
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Sweden’s blackened death metal super group Night Crowned unveils their third studio album “Tales” out via Noble Demon Records on November 10th, 2023. The band comprises of former and current members from prominent acts such as Dark Funeral, and Cipher System, and while pushing the craft to the apex of melodic black metal, Night Crowned manages to captivate us with their blazing melodies and guitar hooks on their newest craft.
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After a four-year hiatus, California’s death metal super group Vastum brings back its vile cavernous filth style of death metal, “Inward to Gethsemane” which is the band’s fifth album is slated for a release date on November 10th 2023. Featuring members from Acephalix, Mortuous, Necrot, and Ulthar, the new album contains seven tracks that follow the monolithic template of Vastum’s vicious sound.
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International melodic death metal horde Berzerker Legion is back with the second full-length album “Chaos Will Reign” out now via Listenable Records on October 27th, 2023. The band’s lineup features prominent musicians such as vocalist Jonny Pettersson (Wombbath, Massacre, Heads for The Dead), guitarists Tomas Elofsson and Alwin Zuur (Asphyx, Gods Forsaken, and Grand Supreme Blood Court), bassist Fredrik Isaksson (Dark Funeral) and drummer James Stewart (Decapitated, Bloodshot Dawn).
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German death metal quartet Carnal Tomb launched its third studio album “Embalmed In Decay” on November 3rd, 2023, via Testimony Records. Oozing from the subterranean crypts, Carnal Tomb is musically influenced by the old school Dutch death/doom metal bands like Asphyx. Carnal Tomb’s newest endeavor shows great ability to cement its obscure sound even though their sophomore release “Abhorrent Veneration” was the band strongest effort, every song on that album brought a mixture of doomy sections.
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New York brutal technical death metal titans Suffocation returns after six years of waiting, the ninth album “Hymns From The Apocrypha” is a step up from the previous outing “…of the Dark Light”. Fronted by vocalist Ricky Meyers (Disgorge, and Sacrolytic) guitarists Charlie Errigo and Terrance Hobbs as the remaining member of the band, Eric Morotti (drums) and Derek Boyer (bass guitar).
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Long-running death metal act Autopsy unleashed its ninth studio album “Ashes, Organs, Blood and Crypts” out now via Peaceville Records on October 27th, 2023. Standing as a staple in the death metal genre since 1987, the band’s quality remained unchanged despite the new album holding back onto the cold sadistic and uglier sound of the past albums like “Macabre Eternal”, “Tourniquets Hacksaw and Graves” and “The Headless Ritual”. Autopsy claws deep into the flesh and picking up after the 2022 album “Morbidity Triumphant”.
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Stockholm’s heavy metal stalwarts Sorcerer established a reputation as a world-class pioneer in doom metal, after releasing their ultra-modern doom epic album “The Crowing of the Fire King” which was a sheer example of top-tier work talent. Sorcerer showed its strong influences from legendary bands like Dio, Candlemass, Solitude Aeternus and many more, their name has become apparent to the Swedish metal scene. With three albums under their belt, Sorcerer presents its traditional take on the fourth studio album “Reign of the Reaper” out via Metal Blade Records on October 27th, 2023.
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‘American Gothic‘ is the name of a renowned painting from 1930, aside from being a literary substyle within the gothic genre, essentially the overseas version of the more British styled classic gothic novel, sometimes also referred to as southern Gothic. It is also the fifth installment of Wayfarer, a group of desperadoes from Colorado that infuses their melodic black metal anthems with the dust from the Far West instead of the usual Northern mythology or devil worship.
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