#DimmuBorgir
#WorldTour20182019
15/04/2025

https://www.purgatoire.fr/merch/merch-713_dimmu-borgir

Cabal – Everything Rots Review

By Dear Hollow

The struggle between viciousness and velocity is a storied one in the realm of deathcore, and Cabal is no exception in its battle between tone-abusing slogs and blazing blastbeats. Enacting a blackened deathcore attack that neglects orchestral atmospheres and paper-thin symphonics in favor of thick filth that covers every surface lead and fills every chugging crevice, it flaunts an arsenal of blackened chord progressions that lend a horror appropriate to its occult theme. The band has nevertheless toiled between the trenches of stagnation and devastation. Four albums in, expect filthy chugging aplenty, dark electronic flourishes abound, and a tasteful array of guest vocalists, all in service of a darker power. Business as usual.

In spite of its unmistakable filth that separates it from the likes of Lorna Shore, Worm Shepherd, or any of the other Deathcore Borgirs of the world, Denmark’s Cabal has a bit of a rollercoaster of a discography since 2018. Debut Mark of Rot was a simultaneously too-clean and too-dirty blend of down-tempo deathcore with blackened flourishes and a sterile djent guitar tone. 2020’s Drag Me Down amped the tempo with an unfuckwithable cutthroat quality that kept things fresh and brutal with spotlights of guests from Polaris, Møl, and Trivium. 2022’s Magno Interitus amped the tone with a lightless and mammoth foray into dark electronics that kept things interesting, although its more experimental pieces damaged its consistency. In this way, Everything Rots more seamlessly incorporates it into an over-the-top and absolutely relentless deathcore romp caked with Cabal’s suffocating trademark filth.

Like “Tongues” or “Demagogue” from Drag Me Down, Cabal manages to balance its absolutely crushing weight with a tasteful novelty in Everything Rots. While you’re guaranteed to be bludgeoned by breakdowns infused with the weight of Magno Interitus and pulverized by Andreas Bjulver’s husky roars, a heavier usage of blastbeats adds to the frenzy and the guest vocals add a dosage of well-placed freshness, not unlike Aborted’s latest. Injecting a hardcore call-out badassery (Viscera’s Jamie Graham in “No Peace;” Nasty’s Matthi Odysseus in “Unveiled”), rapid-fire groove (ten56.’s Aaron Matts in “Still Cursed”), and thick brutality (Aviana’s Joel Holmqvist in “Stuck;” Distant’s Alan Grnja in “Beneath Blackened Skies”). “Sort Sommer” (featuring hip-hop/punk duo Fabräk) has the same feel as “Blod af Mit” from Magno Interitus in its sudden embarrassment of nu-metal riches, but has been safely relegated to bonus track this time around. Cabal utilizes novelty as a reprieve to the relentless density that comprises its more straightforward pieces.

What’s consistently refreshing about Cabal is that their deathcore novelty is bolstered by a smart songwriting style that balances the meatheaded and the menacing. The best songs are those that are securely Cabal’s – in spite of the army of guests elsewhere – from the sweet placements of icy blackened chord progressions to mammoth breakdowns (“Everything Rots,” “Hell Hounds”). Compared to its predecessor, Everything Rots returns to what the band does best: being completely unhinged. It’s all about adrenaline-pumping intensity, pure gym-core, unshakeable groove populating its digestible tracks with a cold and intense melodic template (“Redemption Denied,” “End Times”). The electronic influence is far less jarring, adding a surreal pulse in addition to (instead of in replacement of) the deathcore intensity (“Forever Marked,” “Snake Tongues”).

Everything Rots will not sway your opinion on deathcore. It’s a meatheaded foray with enough chuggy breakdowns, brickwalled production, and vomitous vocals to kill an adult horse:1 A faster Black Tongue perhaps or a more blackened Humanity’s Last Breath. But armed with a blackened filth and a vocalist who could pass as his own arsenal of guest vocalists, Cabal’s got a trademark sound and a great interpretation of it. It’s a return to form for a band known for its balance, thanks to a cutthroat intensity that recalls the grandiosity of Drag Me Down. Dwelling in hell-scraping tone worship and tempo ignorance only when it benefits its occult aims, Everything Rots is a suffocating listen, smartly designed with necessary reprieves, with a must more tasteful electronic presence. It’s a brutal blackened deathcore album without all the symphonic bullshit. Deathcore fans rejoice!

Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 4 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Nuclear Blast Records
Websites: cabalcph.bandcamp.com | cabalcult.com | facebook.com/@cabalcph
Releases Worldwide: April 11th, 2025

#2025 #35 #Aborted #Apr25 #Aviana #BlackTongue #BlackenedDeathcore #CABAL #DanishMetal #Deathcore #DimmuBorgir #Distant #Electronic #EverythingRots #Fabräk #Hardcore #HumanitySLastBreath #LornaShore #Møl #Nasty #NuclearBlastRecords #Polaris #Review #Reviews #ten56_ #Trivium #Viscera #WormShepherd

#DimmuBorgir
#SpiritualBlackDimensions
#Europe2024
#30thAnniversary
31/03/2025

https://www.purgatoire.fr/merch/merch-684_dimmu-borgir

Dimmu Borgir - Stormblast
https://song.link/i/286118833

#TuneTuesday #StormyNights #DimmuBorgir

Cradle of Filth – The Screaming of the Valkyries Review

By Dr. A.N. Grier

It’s funny that I’ve finally come around to reviewing a Cradle of Filth record, considering I’ve probably been listening to Dani Filth and company longer than anyone on staff. But that’s because I’m olde and have been spinning this shit since the days when the only two bands anyone seemed to talk about were Cradle of Filth and Dimmu Borgir. Also, no one else would review them. So, there’s that. What’s interesting about the band, especially considering that so many people bash them, is that they aren’t bad. While most people reminisce about classics like Dusk and Her Embrace and Cruelty and the Beast, the latter half of the band’s career includes stellar albums like Godspeed on the Devil’s Thunder and Hammer of the Witches. So, for all the shit talking, CoF hasn’t slowed down since their naughty birth in 1991. With a new guitarist and female siren on the roster, The Screaming of the Valkyries is here to keep the sexy alive.

One of the reasons why I think CoF has continued to deliver solid records over the years is because of Dani’s gothic outlet, Devilment. There was a time in the early 2000s when CoF’s style started to get far too gothy for my taste (looking at you, Nymphetamine). However, since the inception of Devilment, CoF has refocused on the heavier aspects used for the last thirty years. Sure, the goth is still there (and always will be), but the heaviness of their output continues to surprise me. The Screaming of the Valkyries is no different as it combines chunky riffs with gorgeous leads, haunting orchestrations with punchy choruses, and Dani’s unmistakable shrieks. But, being their 14th full-length release, where does The Screaming of the Valkyries stand with the rest of their catalog?

The Screaming of the Valkyries kicks off nicely with the tasty opener, “To Live Deliciously.” After setting the scene with some orchestration and church chants, it explodes into a punishing riff and a catchy vocal arrangement. Mixing aggression with melody, this song is one of the album highlights, delivering gothy hooks and headbangable action from beginning to end. The other album’s bookend is also intriguing but in a different way. While the opener sports CoF’s classic, mid-career, sing-along songwriting style, “When Misery Was a Stranger” is a blast-in-the-past piece that conjures up memories of Dusk and Her Embrace. It’s got that symphonic sound when the genre was in its prime while incorporating their newer, thrashier side. It also includes gorgeous female vocals that add incredible depth to the melodic chorus and drum work that rattles its foundation.

Other tracks of interest include “White Hellebore” and “Malignant Perfection.” The first acts as the album’s beauty-and-the-beast number, while “Malignant Perfection” incorporates everything CoF stands for, including being home to one of the best choruses on the album. For how much beauty there is in “White Hellebore,” it can still get the ole noggin’ moving with its classic, heavy metal gallop and ever-shifting riff changes. As with most CoF albums, this track exposes ballady vibes as the male and female vox take turns contributing to the melodic chorus. “Malignant Perfection” is a creeping, haunting piece that uses heavy doses of keys, bass, and drums to set the mood. It’s a building piece whose sole purpose is making its way to the massive chorus and its powerful female support. It also provides the lyrical line “mass erection,” which I strongly support.

Some issues surrounding this new release are the lengthy “You Are My Nautilus” and “Ex Sanguine Draculae.” This is odd because CoF are not novices to long songs that fall and rise like the Carpathian mountains. Hell, Cryptoriana (The Seductiveness of Decay) is nothing but lengthy, winding tracks. But, “You Are My Nautilus,” in particular, shapeshifts so much that I’m lost halfway through it. It’s a meandering number with no real direction that is easily dismissed in favor of “Malignant Perfection.” Minus these songs, the production is clean and clear, letting the typically forgotten bass guitar shine at times. The drums kick some major ass and the dueling guitar work brings some old-school character to the record. Zoe Marie Federoff is also a great addition to the band, balancing nicely with Dani without being awkwardly operatic. I can’t put The Screaming of the Valkyries on top of any of the albums mentioned earlier, but it’s a solid outing that fans will enjoy.

Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: Stream | Format Reviewed: Stream
Label: Napalm Records
Websites: cradleoffilth.bandcamp.com | cradleoffilth.com | facebook.com/cradleoffillth
Releases Worldwide: March 21st, 2025

#2025 #30 #BlackMetal #CradleOfFilth #DimmuBorgir #EnglishMetal #GothicMetal #Mar25 #NapalmRecords #Review #Reviews #SymphonicMetal #TheScreamingOfTheValkyries

Gönnt euch diesen #FanArtFriday einen schlechten Wortwitz und einen #DimmuBurger.

#KätToon #DimmuBorgir #BadPuns #schlechteWortwitze #Metal #Metalhead #MetalMusic #MetalMusik

Der Drummer mit dem lustigen Pseudonym hat ein kurioses Zeitdokument hochgeladen. Möglicher Untertitel: „Als Black Metal im Mainstream ankam“. Bemerkenswert: Dimmu performen live 💪

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-euvIzq3WiY

#DimmuBorgir #Covenant #SpiritualBlackDimensions #NorwegianGrammy #Spellemannprisen