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#Moonspell
Alpha Noir
Versus

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LastFM:
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Lyrics:
https://genius.com/Moonspell-versus-lyrics

Listen on major platforms:
https://song.link/s/3dZKTzeEdWm72trXw5kovE

#Moonspell #CristianoLemos #PedroPaixao #JoaoTavares #GothicMetal #BlackMetal #DoomMetal #SymphonicMetal #Metal90s #PortugueseMetal

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Wolfheart
Wolfshade (a Werewolf Masquerade)

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#Moonspell #MarioBarreiros #PedroPaixao #MiguelMonteiro #JoaoPereira #JorgeLemos #GothicMetal #DoomMetal #Metal2000s #PortugueseMetal

Dolmen Gate – Echoes of Ancient Tales [Things You Might Have Missed 2025]

By Baguette of Bodom

You can never have too many swords. This has always been the truth, and Portugal’s Ravensire was well aware of it, following in the triumphant heavy metal footsteps of fellow countrymen Ironsword for three albums. Even when fate would strike down Ravensire in 2020, drummer Alex and guitarist Nuno1 remained undeterred. They formed a new lineup under the Dolmen Gate banner and got to work immediately. Debut EP Finis Imperii released in 2023, debut album Gateways of Eternity followed last year, and now they are already up to second album Echoes of Ancient Tales merely another year later. While this could seem like rushing things to some, it’s clear to me Dolmen Gate is striking while the iron is hot, and they’re just getting warmed up.

Echoes of Ancient Tales is a direct upgrade over an already strong debut. The core of their sound still channels the epic, riff-forward demeanor of Manilla Road and early Manowar. If you’re familiar with other swordy revival acts like Gatekeeper and the aforementioned Ironsword, you’ll have a good idea of what you’re in for. NWoBHM gallops (“The Maze,” “The Prophecy”) in the vein of Satan further refine the album, increasing its variety and olde cred. Alex furiously pounds the drums while Kiko and Artur duel out riffs for days, utilizing both speedy (“Carthage Eternal”) and stompy (“A Tale of Time’s End”) songwriting philosophies in Cirith Ungol fashion. Ana’s vocals deliver the same smoky, subdued tone that enhances the music and gives the band even more of a standout personality. Better yet, Echoes of Ancient Tales fixes the only real problem I had with the debut: buried vocals. Not only does Ana sing with more confidence and power, her role is also more central and upfront—justifiably so.

Dolmen Gate’s songwriting is growing in strength, and the band is only getting heavier. The early one-two punch of “Souls to Sea” transitioning into “The Maze” alone makes their direction loud and clear, and it shows the band isn’t satisfied just sitting in one corner musically. As always, authenticity is the key factor in revival-style music, and Dolmen Gate passes the test with flying colors. They sound like they have the same influences as their favorite bands but are also aware of their musical surroundings in less olde times. The almighty riff is the most important building block here, and the band knows this well. Guitar and drum patterns from many varieties of heavy metal—and some of its heavier offshoots too—help to craft both catchy anthems (“The Maze,” “Carthage Eternal”) and epic long-form tunes (“Souls to Sea,” “Afore the Storm” into “We Are the Storm”) without missing a beat.

Echoes of Ancient Tales is, without questio,n the best pure heavy metal record of the year. A lot of newer epic heavy metal bands have popped up during the past decade, and many of them have the right idea. But it feels like the change of bands and lineups was the kick the ex-Ravensire folk needed to take that next step. Dolmen Gate is one of the best and most authentic so far, both songwriting and production-wise, while also doing something that’s uniquely theirs. Raise your swords and enter the gate!

Tracks to Check Out: “The Maze,” “A Tale of Time’s End,” and “We Are the Storm.”

#2025 #CirithUngol #DolmenGate #EchoesOfAncientTales #EpicHeavyMetal #Gatekeeper #HeavyMetal #Ironsword #ManillaRoad #Manowar #NoRemorseRecords #PortugueseMetal #Ravensire #Satan #ThingsYouMightHaveMissed2025

Biolence – Violent Obliteration Review

By Spicie Forrest

Prior to my initiation ritual and early in my tenure as a volunteer whipping post, one of my jailers here at AMG saw fit to offer encouragement. “It gets better,” Dolphin Whisperer said. “Okay, but have you looked around recently?” I asked. He shrugged and replied, “not really. I’ve got a newborn. The Dolphlet takes up a lot of effort.” My cell door clanged shut as he left. Alone in the dark, I would wait nearly two months for the affirmation I sought in that moment. It would come in the form of Violent Obliteration, the third full-length from Biolence, a death/thrash four-piece from Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal. With no Dolphlets to mind, it seems Biolence has looked around recently, and they are none too stoked.

My cell door opens to admit a dark figure silhouetted by guttering torchlight. A new promo drops to my feet. The door closes again. I queue up my next assignment, and I’m greeted by ambient sirens, gunfire, and marching instrumentals (“Intro”). I’m not given much time to process as a wordless howl tears through me and the music begins in earnest (“Pit of Degradation”). Guitarist David1 and bassist Daniel Marage work in tandem, their execution effortlessly concentric and complementary (“Heavy Artillery,” “World’s Plague”). Marage delivers basslines heavy enough to intimidate Giles Corey, while David threatens to remove twitching appendages with riffs like chop saws (“Extermination through Mutation”). As I’m thus welded to the floor, vocalist/guitarist César screams, growls, and bellows the horrors of a species actively culling itself and destroying its own planet.

These deathrashers aren’t the first I’ve ever heard, but they are some of the most competent. Front to back, Violent Obliteration exudes confidence and prowess. Whether channeling Sanguisugabogg to slam the food industry’s casual biological warfare (“Extermination through Mutation”) or Dark Angel to pronounce humanity’s death sentence (“Humanity Executioner”), Biolence has the chops to succeed at everything they attempt. New drummer Miguel Sousa elevates the rest of the band like he’s a got a personal vendetta. A psychotic conductor, he bends tempo and vibe to his will (“F.U.B.A.R.”), and with surgical hooks and fills, underscores every curse César screams (“Pit of Degradation,” “50 Caliber Freedom”). When César’s rage eclipses language, the lead guitar takes over, lamenting war’s futility (“Heavy Artillery,” “Glory of Savagery”) and religious corruption (“World’s Plague”) with mournful, bluesy solos. Marage’s bass rattles my chest, and when his 90s twang punches through the murk, it embodies a human absurdity both violent and dystopian (“Pit of Degradation,” “Violent Obliteration”). Totally in sync, this is a band with vision, skill, and passion.

But there are moments when I lose the plot. Violent Obliteration is indeed a dynamic and enthralling ride, but in their excitement, Biolence occasionally smashes incongruous elements together. “Extermination through Mutation” features a searing Sodom-infused lead with fantastic backing instrumentals, but sandwiched between slabs of slam death, it’s jarring and out of place. Sections of “Violent Obliteration” and “50 Caliber Freedom” suffer similarly. A few solos feel rudderless or drop the clutch (“Glory of Savagery,” “Violent Obliteration”), and the ambient interlude of “Heavy Artillery” languishes overlong. The album’s bookends—“Intro” and “Outro”—don’t warrant their collective runtime, with “Outro” feeling especially frustrating next to such a strongly concluded penultimate track (“F.U.B.A.R.”). Save for a few exceptions, Biolence excels in isolation; the components of individual tracks just don’t always fit together.

For 46 furious minutes, Biolence preaches the woes of the world outside. As the ambient sounds of “Outro” fade to a close, I collect my thoughts. Biolence is a band of talented and energetic musicians, both individually and together. Occasional jarring shifts and a few other missteps aside, Violent Obliteration is an impressive album. It’s an enjoyable platter of death/thrash metal from veterans of the scene. When Steel Druhm returns for my opinion later, I’ll tell him it’s good.

Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 9 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Labels: Doomed Records | Raging Planet | Selvajaria Records
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram
Releases Worldwide: September 1st, 2025

#2025 #30 #Biolence #DarkAngel #DeathMetal #DoomedRecords #PortugueseMetal #RagingPlanet #Review #Reviews #Sanguisugabogg #SelvajariaRecords #Sep25 #Sodom #ThrashMetal #ViolentObliteration

New episode! Listen: https://linktr.ee/pctd/

FURNACE [Melodic Death Metal; Sweden] - https://furnacesweden.bandcamp.com/album/eternally-enthroned
NECRÓLISIS [Speed/Thrash Metal; Costa Rica] - https://necrolisis.bandcamp.com/album/templo-de-fraude
PAULA TELES [Symphonic Metal; Portugal] - https://paulateles.bandcamp.com/album/entreparedes-2
NATTSJÄL [Folk Metal; Sweden] - https://open.spotify.com/track/13qBbVmJwFcQJ28k7S01Jk

#metalpodcast #metal #furnace #melodicdeathmetal #deathmetal #swedishmetal #necrolisis #costaricanmetal #speedmetal #thrashmetal
#paulateles #portuguesemetal #symphonicmetal #nattsjal #folkmetal

Stuck in the Filter: March 2025’s Angry Misses

By Kenstrosity

Spring is in the air, and with it comes… an insane number of cicadas! Yes, that’s right, Brood XIV spawned this year and is currently overwhelming my staff as they trudge through embuggened ducts to clear out the Filter of semi-precious metal. I bet it’s fucking loud in there…

…. eh I’m sure they are all fine. Just fine. Anyway, enjoy the spoils of our toils!

Kenstrosity’s Gloopy Grubber

Acid Age // Perilous Compulsion [February 28th, 2025 – Self Released]

Belfast’s wacky thrash conglomerate Acid Age came out of absolutely nowhere back in March, unleashing their fourth LP Perilous Compulsion and equipping it with one helluva van-worthy cover. This is some funky, bluesy, quasi-psychedelic thrash metal that pulls no punches. Riffs abound, bonkers songwriting pervades, immense groove agitates. From the onset, “Bikini Island” establishes Perilous Compulsion as a no-nonsense, balls-out affair which reminds me heavily of Voivod and a simplified Flummox informed by Atheist’s progressive proclivities, and expanded by a touch of Pink Floyd’s nebulous jams. Of course, thrash remains Acid Age’s hero flavor, as choice cuts “State Your Business,” “Revenge for Sale,” and closing one-two punch “Rotten Tooth” and “Hamster Wheel” clearly demonstrate. While their fearless exploration of style and structure maintains a sky-high level of interest, it also introduces a couple of challenges. Firstly, this material can feel a bit disjointed at first, but focused spins reward the listener greatly as all of Perilous Compulsion’s moving parts start to mesh and move in unison. Secondly, Acid Age throws a spotlight on a few brilliant inclusions that, over time, I wish were more often utilized—namely, the delightfully bluesy harmonica solos on “Rotten Tooth.” Regardless, Acid Age put themselves on my map with Perilous Compulsion. I recommend you put them on yours, too!

Owlswald’s Desiccated Discoveries

Verbian // Casarder [March 21st, 2025 – Lost Future Records]

It’s unjust that Portuguese rockers Verbian—who have been producing quality post-rock since 2019’s Jaez—haven’t received the attention they deserve. Fusing elements of post-rock with metal, psychedelic, and stoner, Casarder is Verbian’s third full-length and the first with new drummer Guilherme Gonçalves. Taking the sounds and inspirations of 2020’s Irrupção and enriching it with new permutations and modulations, Casarder’s largely instrumental character rides punchy riffs and roiling grooves—à la Russian Circles and Elder—to transmit its thought-provoking legitimacy. Dystopian and surreal séances, via echoing Korg synthscapes (“Pausa Entre Dias,” “Vozes da Ilha”) and celestial harmonies, permeate Casarder’s forty-three-minute runtime, translating Madalena Pinto’s striking Aeon Flux-esque cover art with precision. Ominous horn sections and crusty recurrent vocals (“Marcha do Vulto,” “Depois de Toda a Mudança”) by guitarist Vasco Reis and bassist Alexandre Silva underscore Verbian’s individuality in a crowded post-rock domain. Gonçalves’s drumming—with his intricate and enchanting hard rock and samba rhythms (“Nada Muda,” “Fruta Caída do Mar”)—adds a new dimension to Verbian’s sound, assuring my attention never falters. The group describes Casarder as communicating the “…insecurities of artistic expression and personal exposure when it comes to fearing being judged for something that is somewhat outside of what is done in each artist’s niche.” Indeed, Casarder reveals Verbian is unafraid to forge their own path, and the results are gripping.

Symbiotic Growth // Beyond the Sleepless Aether [March 28th, 2025 – Self Released]

Beyond the Sleepless Aether, the sophomore effort by Ontario, Canada’s Symbiotic Growth, immediately caught my attention with its dreamy-looking cover. Building upon their 2020 self-titled debut, the Canadian trio hones epic and long-form progressive death metal soundscapes, narrating a quest for meaning across alternate realities in mostly lengthy, yet rewarding, tracks that blend technicality, atmosphere, and melody. The group frequently employs dynamic shifts, moving between raging brutality and serene shoegaze beauty (“Arid Trials and Barren Sands,” “The Sleepless Void”). This is achieved through complex and vengeful passages alongside atmospheric synth lines and softer piano interludes (“Sires of Boundless Sunset,” “Of Painted Skies and Dancing Lights”), cultivating an air of wonder, mystery, and ethereality that permeates much of Symbiotic Growth’s material. “The Architect of Annihilation” echoes the style of Ne Obliviscaris with its blend of clean harmonies and harsh growls meshed with tremolo-picked arpeggiations and catchy hooks (the guitar solo even features a violin-like quality). “Lost in Fractured Reveries” evokes In Mourning with its parallel synth and guitar lines giving way to devastating grooves that make it impossible not to headbang. Although some fine-tuning remains—the clean vocals could use some more weight and tracks like “Of Painted Skies and Dancing Lights” and “The Architect of Annihilation” overstay their welcome at times—Beyond the Sleepless Aether shows Symbiotic Growth’s burgeoning talent and signals the group is one to watch in progressive death metal.

Dear Hollow’s Drudgery Sludgery Hoist

Spiritbox // Tsunami Sea [March 7th, 2025 – Pale Chord Records | Rise Records]

From humble beginnings in a more artsy-fartsy djent post-Iwrestledabearonce world to becoming the darlings of Octane Radio, Spiritbox has seen quite the ascent. While it’s easy to look at their work and scoff at its radio-friendliness, sophomore full-length Tsunami Sea shows Courtney LaPlante and company sticking to their guns. Simultaneously more obscure and more radio-friendly in its selection of tracks, expect its signature blend of colossal riffs and ethereal melodies guided by LaPlante’s siren-then-sea serpent dichotomy of furious roars and haunting cleans. Yes, Spiritbox helms its attack with the radio singles (“Perfect Soul,”1 “Crystal Roses”) in layered soaring choruses and touches of hip-hop undergirded by fierce grooves, but the meat of Tsunami Sea finds the flexibility and patience in the skull-crushing brutality (“Soft Spine,” “No Loss, No Love”) and its more exploratory songwriting that amps layers of the ethereal and the hellish with catchy riffs and vocals alike (“Fata Morgana,” “A Haven of Two Faces”). It’s far from perfect, and its tendency towards radio will be divisive, but it shows Spiritbox firing on all cylinders.

Unfleshing // Violent Reason [March 28th, 2025 – Self Released]

I am always tickled pink by blackened crust. It takes the crusty violence and propensity for filth and adds black metal’s signature sinister nature. Unfleshing is a young, unsigned blackened crust band from St. Louis, and with debut Violent Reason, you can expect a traditional punk-infused beatdown with a battered guitar tone and sinister vocals. However, more than many, the quartet offers a beatdown that feels as atmospheric as it is pummeling. Don’t get me wrong, you get your skull caved in like the poor guy on the cover with minute-long crust beatdowns (“Body Bag,” “From the Gutter”) and full-length smackdowns (“Knife in the Dark,” “Final Breath”), both styles complete with scathing grooves, squalid feedback, climactic solos and punishing blastbeats, atop a blackened roar dripping with hate. But amid the full-throttle assault, Unfleshing utilizes ominous black metal chord progressions and unsettling plucking to add a more dynamic feature to Violent Reason (“Cathedral Rust,” “One With the Mud”). The album never overstays, and while traditional, it’s a hell of a start for Unfleshing.

Ghostsmoker // Inertia Cult [March 21st, 2025 – Art as Catharsis Records]

Ghostsmoker seems like the perfect stoner metal band name, but aside from the swampy guitar tone, there’s something much sinister lurking. Proffering a caustic blackened doom/sludge not unlike Thou, Wormphlegm, and Sea Bastard, the Melbourne group quartet devotes a crisp forty-two minutes to sprawling doom weighted by a crushing guitar tone that rivals Morast‘s latest, and shrieked vocals straight from the latest church burning. Beyond what’s expected from this particular breed of devastation, Ghostsmoker infuses an evocative patience reminiscent of post-metal’s more sludgy offerings like Neurosis or Pelican, lending a certain atmosphere and mood of dread and wilderness depicted on its cover. From the outright chugging attacks of churning aggression (“Elogium,” “Haven”) to the more experimental and thoughtful pieces (“Bodies to Shore,” instrumental closer “The Death of Solitude”), Inertia Cult largely feels like a journey through uncharted forests, with voices whispering from the trees. Ghostsmoker is something special.

GardensTale’s Paralyzed Spine

Spiine // Tetraptych [March 27th, 2025 – Self Released]

Is it still a supergroup release when half the lineup are session musicians? Spiine is made up of Sesca Scaarba (Virgin Black) and Xen (ex-Ne Obliviscaris), but on debut Tetraptych they are joined by guests Waltteri Väyrynen (Opeth) and Lena Abé (My Dying Bride). Usually, so much talent put into the same room does not yield great results. Tetraptych is one hell of an exception. A monstrous slab of crawling heaviness, Spiine lurches with abject despair through the mires of deathly funeral doom. Though I usually eschew this genre, my attention remains rapt through a variety of variations. The songwriting keeps the 4 tracks progressing, slow and steady builds, and the promise of momentary tempo changes working a two-pronged structural plan to buoy the majestic yet miserable riffs. “Oubliiette” is the best example here, going from galloping death-doom to Georgian choirs to a fantastic bridge where all the instrumentation hits only on the roared syllables. Xen’s unholy bellows flatten any objections I may have had, managing both thunder and deepest woe in the same notes. The subtle orchestration and occasional choir arrangements finish the package with regal grandeur, and the lush and warm production is the cherry on top. If you feel like drowning your sorrows with an hour of colossal doom, this is the album for you.

Saunders’ Stenched Staples

Ade // Supplicium [March 14th, 2025 – Time to Kill Records]

Sometimes unjustly pigeonholed as the Roman-inspired version of Nile, the hugely underrated Ade have punched out a solid career of quality death metal releases since emerging roughly fifteen years ago, charting their own path. Albums like 2013’s ripping Spartacus and 2019’s solid Rise of the Empire represent a tidy snapshot of the band’s career. Fifth album Supplicium, their first LP in six years, marks a low-key, welcome return. Exotic instrumentation and attention to history and storytelling are alive and well in the Ade camp, as is their penchant for punishing, unrelenting death, featuring a deftly curated mix of bombast, brutality, technical spark, and epic atmospheres. Edoardo Di Santo (Hideous Divinity) joins a largely refreshed line-up, including a new bassist and second guitarist since their last album. Line-up changes aside, familiar Ade tools of harrowing ancient Roman tales and modern death destruction remain as consistently solid as always. Top-notch riffs, intricate arrangements, fluid tempo shifts, and explosive drumming highlight songs that frequently flex their flair for drama-fueled atmospheres, hellfire blasts, and burly grooves. The immense, multi-faceted “Burnt Before Gods,” exotic melodies and raw savagery of “Ad Beastias!,” spitfire intensity of “Vinum,” and epically charged throes of “From Fault to Disfigurement” highlight more solid returns from Ade.

Masters of Reality // The Archer [March 28th, 2025 – Artone Label Group/Mascot Records]

Underappreciated desert rock pioneers and quirky stalwarts Masters of Reality returned from recording oblivion some fifteen-plus years since they last unleashed an LP. Led by the legendary Chris Goss and his collaborative counterparts across a career that first kicked off in the late ’80s, Masters of Reality return sounding inspired, wisened, and a little more chilled. Re-tinkering their familiar but ever-shifting sound, Masters of Reality incorporate woozy, bluesy laidback vibes featuring their oddball songwriting traits through a sedate, intriguing collection of new songs. The Archer showcases Masters of Reality’s longevity as seasoned, skilled songwriters, regardless of the shifting rock modes they explore. While perhaps lacking some of the energetic spark and earworm hooks of albums like Sunrise on the Sufferbus and Deep in the Hole, The Archer still marks a fine return outing. Goss’ signature voice is in fine form, and the bluesy, psych-drenched guitars, cushy basslines, ’60s and ’70s influences, and spacey vibes create a comforting haze. The delightfully dreamy, trippy “Chicken Little,” laidback hooks and old school charms of “I Had a Dream,” lively, quirky grooves of “Mr Tap n’ Go,” and moody, melancholic balladry of “Powder Man” highlight another diverse, strange brew from the veteran act.

Tyme’s Unheard Annunciations

Doomsday // Never Known Peace [March 28th, 2025 – Creator-Destructor Records]

March’s filter means spring is here, mostly, which is when I start searching for bands to populate my annual edition of Tyme’s Mowing Metal. There’s nothing I enjoy more than cracking a cold beer, sliding my headphones over my ears, and hopping on the mower to complete one of summer’s—at least for me—most enjoyable chores. A band that will feature prominently this summer is Oakland, California’s crossover thrash quintet Doomsday, and their Creator-Destructor Records debut album, Never Known Peace. Doomsday lays down a ton of mindless fun in the vein of other crossover greats like Enforced and Power Trip. There are riffs aplenty on this deliciously executed hardcore-tinged thrashtastic platter full of snarly, spiteful, Jamey Jasta-esque vocals, trademark gang shouts, and, oh, did I mention the riffs? Yeah, cuz there’s a butt-ton of ’em. Leads and solos are melodic (“Death is Here,” “Eternal Tombs”). Within its beefily warm mix, the chug-a-lug breakdowns run rampant across Never Known Peace‘s thirty-one minutes (seriously, there’s one in every track), leaving nary a tune that won’t have you at least bobbing your head and, at most, causing your neck a very nasty case of whipthrash. I’m going to be listening to Never Known Peace ALOT this summer, on and off my mower, and while I don’t care that the lawn lines in my yard will be a little wavier this year than others, I’ll chalk it up to the beer and the head banging Doomsday‘s Never Known Peace instills.

Rancid Cadaver // Mortality Denied [March 21st, 2025 – Self Released]

Another filter, another fetid fragment of foulness; this month, it’s up-and-coming deathstarts Rancid Cadaver and their independently released debut album Mortality Denied. Adam Burke’s excellent cover art caught my eye during a quick dip into the Bandcamp pool and had me pushing play. A thick slab of murderous meat ripe with fatty veins of Coffin Mulch and Morbific running through it, Mortality Denied overflows with tons of bestial vocals, crushing drums, barbaric bass, and squealing solos, all ensorcelled within the majesty of Rancid Cadaver‘s miasmic riff-gurgitations (“Slurping the Cerebral Slime,” “Mass of Gore,” and “Drained of Brains”). Fists will pump, and faces will stank during the Fulci-friendly “Zombified,” a pulverizing slow-death chug fest with an intro that landed me right back on the shores of Dr. Menard’s island of the undead.2 This quartet of Glaswegians has plopped down a death metal debut that ages like wine, getting better and better with consecutive spins. Surprisingly, Rancid Cadaver is unsigned, but I’m confident that status should change before we see a sophomore effort, and you can bet I’ll be there when that happens.

Dolphin Whisperer’s Unsophisticated Slappers

Crossed // Realismo Ausente [March 21st, 2025 – Zegema Beach Records]

Timing means everything in groove. I know that some people say that they have a hard time finding that kind of bob and sway in extreme music. But with an act like Spain’s Crossed, whose every carved word and every skronked guitar noise follows an insatiable punky stride, groove lies in every moment of third full-length Realismo Ausente. Whether it’s on the classic beat of D (“Vaciar Un Corazón,” “Cuerpo Distorsionado”), the twanging drone of a screaming bend (“Monotonía de la lluvia en la Ventana”), or the Celtic Frost-ed hammer of a chord crush (“Catedral”), a calculated, urgent, and intoxicating cadence colors the grayscale attitude throughout. But just because Crossed can find a groove in any twisted mathy rhythm—early Converge and Dillinger Escape Plan come to mind on quick cuts like “Cerrojo” and “Sentirse Solo”—doesn’t mean that their panic chord-loaded crescendos and close-outs can’t rip your head clean off in banging ecstasy. Easy listening and blackened hardcore can’t go hand-in-hand, but Crossed does their very best to make unintelligible, scathing screeches and ceiling-scraping feedback hissing palatable against crunchy punk builds and throbbing, warm bass grumbles. Likewise, Realismo Ausente stabs into a dejected body tales of loathing, fear, self-rejection, and defeated existence—nothing smiles in its urgent and apathetic crevices. But despite the lack of light at the end of the tunnel of Crossed’s horror-touched vision of impassioned hardcore, an analog warmth and human spirit trapped inside a writhing and pleading throat reveal a presence that’s still fighting. It’s the fight that counts. If you didn’t join the fight last time, now’s as good a time as any.

Nothing // The Self Repair Manifesto [March 26th, 2025 – Self Released]

If you noticed a tree zombie heading steaming through its trepanned opening, then you too found the same initial draw I had to The Self Repair Manifesto. Nothing complex often can draw us to the things we desire, yet in Nothing’s particular attack of relentless, groove-based death metal, many nooks of additional interest exist. The Self Repair Manifesto’s tribal rhythm-stirred “Initiation,” in its bouncy play, does little to set up the double-kick pummel and snarling refrains that lurk in this brutal, Australian soundscape. The simple chiming cymbal-fluttering bass call-and-response of “Subterfuge,” the throat singing summoning of “The Shroud,” the immediate onslaught of “Abrogation”—all in under 30 minutes, an infectious and progressive experience unfolds. And never fear, living by the motto “no clean singing,”3 Nothing has no intention of traveling the wandering and crooning path of an Opeth or In Vain. Rather, Nothing finds a hypnotic rhythmic presence both in fanciful kit play that stirs a foot shuffle and high-tempo stick abuse that urges bodies on bodies in the pit (“Subterfuge,” “The Shroud”), much in the same way you might hear in early Decapitated or Hate Eternal works. With flair of their own, though, and a mic near the mouth vessel of each member (yes, even the drummer!) to maintain a layered harsh intensity, Nothing serves a potent blend of death metal that is as jam-able as it is gym-able. Whether you seek gains or progressive enrichment, Nothing is the answer.

Steel Druhm’s Massive Aggressive

Impurity // The Eternal Sleep [ March 7th, 2025 – Hammerheart Records]

Impurity’s lust for all things Left Hand Path is not the least bit Clandestine, and on their full-length debut, The Eternal Sleep, they attempt to craft their own ode to the rabid HM-2 worship of the early 90s Swedeath sound. No new elements are shoehorned in aside from vaguely blackened ones, and there’s not the slightest effort to push the boundaries of the admittedly limited Swedeath sound. The Eternal Sleep sounds like the album that could have come between Entombed’s timeless debut and the Clandestine follow-up, and that’s not a bad place to be. It’s heavy, brutish, buzzing death metal with an OSDM edge, and it hits like a runaway 18-wheeler full of concrete and titanium rebar. One only needs to weather the shitstorm of opener “Denial of Clarity” to realize this is the deep water of the niche genre. It’s extremely heavy, face-melting death with more fuzz and buzz than your brain can process. Other cuts feel like a direct lift from Left Hand Path and/or Clandestine (“Tribute to Creation,”) and fetid Dismember tidbits creep in during “Pilgrimage to Utumno,” and these feel like olde friends showing up unexpectedly at the hometown watering hole. Swedeath is all about those ragged, jagged riffs, and they’re delivered in abundance over The Eternal Sleep, and despite the intrinsic lack of originality, Impurity pump enough steroids and Cialis into the genre archetypes to make the material endearing and engaging. Yes, you’ve heard this shit before. Now hear it again, chumbo!

#AcidAge #Ade #AmericanMetal #ArtAsCatharsisRecords #ArtoneLabelGroup #Atheist #AustralianMetal #BeyondTheSleeplessAether #BlackMetal #BlackenedCrust #BlackenedHardcore #CanadianMetal #Casarder #CelticFrost #CoffinMulch #Converge #CreatorDestructorRecords #Crossed #Crust #DeathMetal #Decapitated #DesertRock #DillingerEscapePlan #DoomMetal #Doomsday #Elder #Enforced #Flummox #Fulci #Ghostsmoker #Hardcore #HateEternal #HideousDivinity #Impurity #InMourning #InVain #InertialCult #InternationalMetal #ItalianMetal #iwrestledabearonce #LostFutureRecords #MascotRecords #MastersOfReality #Mathcore #MelodicMetal #Metalcore #Morast #Morbific #MortalityDenied #MyDyingBride #NeObliviscaris #Neurosis #NeverKnownPeace #Nile #Nothing #Opeth #PaleChordRecords #Pelican #PerilousCompulsion #PinkFloyd #PortugueseMetal #PostRock #PostMetal #PowerTrip #ProgressiveDeathMetal #ProgressiveMetal #ProgressiveThrashMetal #PyschedelicRock #RancidCadaver #RealismoAusente #Review #Reviews #RiseRecords #RussianCircles #ScottishMetal #SeaBastard #SelfReleased #SixpenceNoneTheRicher #SludgeMetal #SpanishMetal #Spiine #Spiritbox #StonerMetal #Supplicium #SymbioticGrowth #TechnicalDeathMetal #Tetraptych #TheArcher #TheEternalSleep #TheSelfRepairManifesto #Thou #ThrashMetal #TimeToKillRecords #TsunamiSea #UKMetal #Unfleshing #Verbian #ViolentReason #VirginBlack #Voivod #Wormphlegm #ZegemaBeachRecords

Filii Nigrantium Infernalium – Pérfida Contracção do Aço Review

By GardensTale

I’ve been doing this opinion-spewing thing long enough that I’m starting to forget some of my reviews, where even reading the prose I wrote myself is like reading someone else’s. However, this fate will not befall Filii Nigrantium Infernalium. Over 6 years since I wrote up Hóstia, two things still stand out in my mind like burning neon signs: the ludicrously, hilariously offensive cover art, and the unhinged vocals screaming the album title over infectious blackened heavy/thrash. Finally, the Portuguese have risen from their slumber once more, and one look at the album art suggests they haven’t given up on their quest to sweep the ‘offensive cover art’ awards.

Pérfida Contracção do Aço largely continues where Hóstia left off. A wild wail kicks off the blistering “Beata Fornicanda,” where the first wave black metal holds the most sway. Filii Nigrantium Infernalium’s mission statement is written in raging blastbeats and trilling melodic leads; fucking shit up in very short order. Yet it’s quickly clear that some screws have been tightened and rattling bolts fastened compared to Hóstia. The hoarse howling vocals remain every bit as insane, but the musicianship is more precise and more diverse, leaning less on sheer speed and madness to carry the music over any speedbumps. The pacing doesn’t get much higher than “Beata,” though barn-burner “Cristo.Rei.Animal.” certainly tries. But the other uptempo compositions like “Negros Hábitos” and ” Holocausto Molto Vivace Ma Non Troppo” thrive on the strength of the catchy thrash riffs. The title track even employs a diverse, almost progressive composition full of tempo changes both fast and slow, but never getting boring or tedious.

And that’s not the only curveball on Pérfida. “Comes Carne” announces itself with ominous horns and strings like an orchestra from Hell before it begins flipping between Black Sabbath doom and Hellripper destruction. Belathauzer’s vocals don’t lose any of their weird, twisted allure when the bpm plummets, taking on a more haunting quality like an insane priest. But this is taken to the next level with “Vaticanale,” the 10-minute penultimate epic. Repeating stanzas of simple mid-paced riffs gradually incorporate choirs, clarions, and chants until it is spun into a resplendent storm of blasphemy that would make Behemoth blush. Frankly, I would not have expected the same band that made the ramshackle Hóstia to be capable of a buildup so subtle yet effective, and it shows Filii Nigrantium Infernalium is not done growing as artists.

With growth come growing pains though, though the pangs are gentle. I love the buildup of “Vaticanale,” but it does take a long time to start properly building, and cutting down on waiting time at the start would have conserved more momentum. Furthermore, whilst I enjoy the more experimental material in the back half, its simpler tracks are a step down from their catchier and more engaging cousins from the front. A bit of a shuffle in the tracklist to improve the flow and consistency would be a welcome improvement. But these all seem barely worth mentioning, especially when all the small yet significant steps made include a really rather delicious production that balances rawness with fidelity and gives a lot of room to the sweet punky bass.

Filii Nigrantium Infernalium plays by its own rules. Once again the cover art is a study in ugliness, the album name has become even more complicated than the band name, and the vocals will put half the prospective listeners off on the first spin. But there is a ton of musical talent underneath this veneer of insanity, and though the improvements are incremental, Pérfida Contracção do Aço successfully refines and adjusts an already energetic and addictive formula. At this rate, it’s gonna turn real lethal, real damn soon.

Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Osmose Productions
Websites: filiinigrantiuminfernalium.bandcamp.com/album/p-rfida-contrac-o-do-a-o | facebook.com/FiliiNigrantiumInfernalium
Releases Worldwide: November 29th, 2024

#2024 #35 #Behemoth #BlackMetal #BlackSabbath #FiliiNigrantiumInfernalium #HeavyMetal #Hellripper #Nov24 #OsmoseProductions #PérfidaContracçãoDoAço #PortugueseMetal #Review #Reviews #ThrashMetal

Gaerea – Coma Review

By Thus Spoke

Gaerea is a case in point for why you ought never to dismiss a subgenre of metal.1 People rage—in varying degrees of jest—against what gets dubbed “atmo-butt black metal,” as though all black metal that incorporates atmosphere into a non-raw melodic template is for overeager, moist-eyed poseurs. While I happen to disagree with the sentiment in general, Gaerea is certainly in the upper echelons of this maligned group. The way that they have continued to develop their sound has taken them outside the confines of what can straightforwardly be called “atmospheric black,” but one thing has remained consistent: their emphasis on emotional expression. With Unsettling Whispers and Limbo representing anguished, hopeless groping in the existential darkness, 2022’s Mirage—my album of that year—saw that pain sharpened as it was channeled through a series of individual human struggles. Now Coma sees Gaerea again use separate stories of sorrow to evolve a little more, presenting a new and more vulnerable side to their distinctive intensity.

As a conduit for ardent emotionality, Coma is just as (melo)dramatic and steeped in affect as anything Gaerea has created, but it is not the same. Expanding their range, their music is now (more) hopeful, uplifting, and poignant. The jangling, sinister tremolo refrains, the swoops and surges of blastbeats, the roaring, they’re all still there, but they’re no longer simply parts of an exercise in catharsis. There is now a great deal more balance to compositions, as Gaerea leans the furthest yet into the introspection that’s haunted their atmospheric tendencies since their inception, reaching a gentleness that brilliantly complements the contrasting heaviness. If there’s one thing I was never expecting to hear on a Gaerea record, it was cleans. But on Coma, cleans are not only used relatively extensively—and they’re lovely—they are the first vocals to appear, warm and chiming above the resonant chords that open “The Poet’s Ballet.” Soft, harmonizing melodies that belie the blackness surrounding them. I said that Mirage felt like “the culmination of everything Gaerea has been so far,” and with Coma, Gaerea has redoubled their uniqueness, progressing in a natural, but unexpected, direction.

It’s Gaerea’s growth, which broadens and deepens the feelings the music evokes, that makes Coma so effective. It’s not only the outright force of the pathos in the blackened rushes of both despair (“The Poet’s Ballet,” “Wilted Flower,” “Kingdom of Thorns”) and triumph (“World Ablaze,” “Coma,” “Reborn”). It’s also the fact that I could have swapped those track examples and the point would still stand because each song is a standalone journey. I am reminded of Kardashev’s Liminal Rite in the way that Gaerea conjures dark storms of battering percussion and heart-rending screams, only for the clouds to part for an impossibly delicate—in comparison—passage of thrillingly reverberant notes (“Coma,” “Unknown”), singing (“Suspended”), or whispers (“Wilted Flower”) that lead that torn-up heart to stop. This is the kind of melodrama that rubs off on you. But it isn’t just a pure emotional ride; because Gaerea writes compelling songs. Coma is loaded with rhythms that create space and anticipation (“Coma,” “Wilted Flower”), irresistibly developing crescendos (“The Poet’s Ballet,” “Kingdom of Thorns”), and immensely satisfying, infectious grooves (“World Ablaze,” “Wilted Flower”). Refrains bleed melancholia in quivering notes whose rises and falls accentuate each song’s drive. Like water rushing into a waterfall, the drive of the music pulls you on relentlessly.

Despite Coma’s compositional brilliance, Gaerea has not addressed the main thing that held Mirage back: production. With a compositional palette that reaches further again into the atmospheric, and a musical raison d’être dependent on immersion, the compressed master hamstrings the music’s effectiveness. Coma still is immersive, and powerful, but it is beyond frustrating that the band chose to produce it as they did because it causes one to pine for what could have been. Beautiful passages of fragility (as in “The Poet’s Ballet,” and “Wilted Flower”), and layered climaxes (“Coma,” “Unknown”) would be jaw-dropping with more space to breathe—and the dynamic power of volume differences between the album’s peaks and valleys. As it is, they are simply very good.

Nothing stops me from loving Coma, though. Gaerea’s writers are perfecting their craft, writing songs that cannot fail to send you deep into your feelings, and which pack a serious punch besides. Coma finds Gaerea at the top of its game, delivering a black metal utterly unique and compelling. Naysayers be damned.

Rating: Great2
DR: 4 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Season of Mist
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: October 25th, 2024

#2024 #40 #AtmosphericBlackMetal #BlackMetal #Coma #Gaerea #Kardashev #MelodicBlackMetal #Oct24 #PortugueseMetal #Review #Reviews #SeasonOfMist

Phenocryst – Cremation Pyre Review

By Steel Druhm

Written by: Nameless_N00b_89

From the land that birthed such metal heavies as Gaerea and Analepsy, death/doom newcomers Phenocryst erupted across the burgeoning Portuguese metal scene with 2021’s Explosions EP. And now they prepare to unleash their debut full-length Cremation Pyre on mankind. Sporting a sufficiently oozy band logo, a now revamped line-up, and a unique concept mainly dealing with themes of volcanology, Phenocryst further distance themselves from the maddening meat ‘n’ taters crowd by incorporating psychedelic elements into their sound. My cursory research revealed that phenocryst is a volcanological term representing a large crystal formation often found in magmatic rocks. The more I researched, the more I bought into the concept, agreeing that volcanoes rock. The question I have about Phenocryst is, do they? Erupticus, Deathicus, Doomicus.

Let me clarify: this is not melodic death metal. This is death metal with psychedelic, nay, I say melodic elements sprinkled throughout like so much Lawry’s® Seasoned Salt. If it’s warp speeds, blast beats, and tech guitar virtuosity you’re looking for, look elsewhere. Trading tank treads and battle swords for ‘a‘ā1 lava flows and pyroclastic snows, Phenocryst channels 90’s era Bolt Thrower (“Pinnacle of Death” and “Pyres of the Altar”) with devastating effect. Guitarists D.S. and Santana (no, not that one) converge to riff a path over igneous environs with cudgel-like brutality (“Astonishing Devastation”) and doomy, sludge-filled slides (“Embers of an Ancient Fire”) that wouldn’t sound out of place on a Crowbar platter. Phenocryst had me banging my head and breaking out my best stank face. They aren’t here to make friends. They’re here to liquefy humanity under a sulfurous, rock-filled river of molten death metal lava.

The skeletal frame to which all this guitar muscle clings is the fundamental backbone and source of Phenocryst’s power. Drummer Artur, who joined Santana in 2022, and bassist V.M. expertly anchor all the performances on Cremation Pyre with ferocity and brute strength. V.M.’s bass work, distinctly audible throughout, plucks and plops (“Pinnacle of Death”) and gurgles and glops (“Astonishing Devastation” and “Pyres of the Altar”) like magma pooling under the earth’s surface. I imagine Jo Bench sitting in some English pub right now, smiling. Artur’s massive yet workmanlike performance behind the kit never once risks letting things get out of control, balancing perfectly between power and restraint. D.S., who handles all vocals, must have graduated magna cum laude from Death Vox University, with a major in Karl Willets growls (“Pinnacle of Death” and “Volcanic Winter”), and a minor in Martin Van Drunen’s rasps (“Astonishing Devastation”). His ferocity, though unvaried, ties the entire package together, placing Phenocryst firmly on Portugal’s metal map.

With Cremation Pyre, Phenocryst has improved in almost every category from Explosions. Even the album cover, a beautifully rendered oil painting by James Campbell is more engaging than the monochrome cover of the EP. Fernando Matias’ work from the booth propels the band to achieve its gargantuan sound. Where Explosions was claustrophobic, muddy, and cavernous sounding, Cremation Pyre’s dynamic master allows each instrument to occupy its own space while simultaneously combining to form a vibrant, warm-sounding whole. Small as it may be, the album is not without faults. At 39 minutes, Cremation Pyre suffers not from bloat but misplaced interludes. The awkward addition of the outro on “Astonishing Devastation” confuses and confirms the bit would have been better excised. More egregiously, the album might have ended spectacularly with the rumbling, eruptive outro of “Fogo Nas Entranhas.”2 But, the two-minute atmospheric “Burial Swamps” fades in and then out again, negating what could have been Cremation Pyre’s triumphant conclusion.

My n00b crown weighs heavy as I wrestle with scoring Cremation Pyre. Preparing this first foray into the fray, I realized at one point I’d stopped listening to form a critique and started listening from enjoyment.3 I’d hoped my first assignment would be something I could comfortably pan, but Cremation Pyre is not that, and it’s hard for me to attach too many demerits to its few missteps. It’s a powerfully heavy debut that demands serious attention, and I urge you to check it out. One day, if I somehow survive the gauntlet and ascend to the rank of staff, I’ll reflect on this review and decide if I am right.

Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Blood Harvest Records | Bandcamp
Websites: phenocryst.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/phenocryst
Releases Worldwide: August 30th, 2024

#2024 #35 #Analepsy #Aug24 #BloodHarvestRecords #BoltThrower #CremationPyre #Crowbar #DeathMetal #Gaera #Phenocryst #PortugueseMetal #Review #Reviews

Vltimas – EPIC Review

By Kenstrosity

International supergroup Vltimas crashed upon the Earth early in 2015, dropping their well-received debut roughly four years later. Comprised of Morbid Angel‘s very own David Vincent at the mic, Cryptopsy‘s Flo Mounier manning the kit, and Aura Noir‘s Rune “Blasphemer” Eriksen slinging axe, the project deals in grooving, swaggering blackened death metal singing Satan’s praises and glorifying the destruction of all the world. You know, the usual. And while their debut impressed me—bridging the gaps between legacies and heritages held by its constituent members without coming across as a total ripoff of any—follow-up EPIC doesn’t.

Where Something Wicked Marches In took full advantage of the talent on tap, and maximized the impact of several building blocks of Morbid Angel’s, Cryptopsy’s, and even Mayhem’s classic sounds and styles, EPIC finds itself at the mercy of clashing egos and unfitting songwriting choices. Gone are Vincent’s rabid barks and delightful rolled r’s, reduced are Flo’s blistering blasts and addicting double bass runs, and neutered are Rune’s usually venomous riffs and tremolo shimmers. Additional bassist Ype TVS (ex-Dodecahedron) and guitarist João Duarte (Corpus Christii) don’t stand out through their performances when surrounded by the band’s main cast, either. Worse than that, the evolution between Something Wicked Marches In and EPIC recalls, to a less extreme degree, the unprecedented deviations in style the public maligned when Morbid Angel progressed from Heretic to Illud Divinum Insanus. Granted, nothing here is as ill-conceived as the worst of Illud. Nevertheless, when I’m suddenly detecting similarities to Metallica‘s “Enter Sandman” and the half-growl, half-singing style of groove metal writ large, something’s up.

Discarding the unnecessary intro track, EPIC’s self-titled opener proper exposes right away some of the album’s weaknesses. Vincent’s vocals seems weakened and fried here, and the rough-hewn cleans possess a forced vibrato that is initially amusing, but grates as time wears on. Riffs in general sound recycled from both Morbid Angel’s catalog and even Vltimas’ previous work (notably, bits and pieces of “Something Wicked Marches In,” “Monolith,” and “Last Ones Alive Win Nothing”). More filler arises in tracks like “Miserere,” “Scorcher,” and “Nature’s Fangs” which fall more closely in line with the faster-paced, riff-focused blackened death of the debut, but lack distinct songwriting characteristics or memorable passages across the board. However, the worst offender is “Mephisto Manifesto.” Uncanny in its ability to lodge itself in my brain despite my best resistance, this track makes me cringe with it’s melodramatic, goofy delivery in the chorus. The lyrics are pretty standard Satan worship-core, but somehow when Vincent bellows “MANIFESTOOOOOWHOAAAH” a dozen times in five minutes, I can’t help but feel a twinge of secondhand embarrassment.

Concerning as those criticisms may be, at least a third of the material here rips just as hard as expected from the group’s collective pedigree. “Exercitus Irae” blisters and bulldozes everything in its path with a riffset and killer kit performance that lights a fire under my ass. It’s especially impactful to feel this rush of adrenaline after such a lackluster trio of songs before it. Late album highlight “Invictus” similarly matches the energy established by “Exercitus Irae,” while taking on tones and textures differentiated just enough by infectious grooves to give it a unique voice among this set. Additionally, there are nice little details that pop up here and there which momentarily make me question the harshness of my assessment. For example, even during some of the album’s worst moments, like the aforementioned chorus of “Mephisto Manifesto,” Rune and João manage to shoehorn a clever embellishment into what would otherwise be a dreadfully boring main riff that helps elevate it and give it some memorability. At under forty minutes, EPIC is also quite tight and lean, which helps to minimize the impact of its myriad songwriting issues.

When the dust settles, it’s hard to stifle my disappointment with EPIC. Without a shadow of a doubt, it should have been much better than this. Lackluster songwriting, ill-conceived choices in vocal delivery, and recycled material unchecked conspire to dismantle Vltimas’ seamless marriage of skillsets and influences exhibited on their debut. Consequently, I no longer understand the purpose of this project, or what the ultimate goal looks like. Of only one thing I’m certain: they should steer clear of another EPIC.

Rating: Disappointing
DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: PCM
Label: Season of Mist
Websites: facebook.com/VLTIMAS | vltimas.bandcamp.com
Releases worldwide: March 15th, 2024

#20 #2024 #AmericanMetal #BlackMetal #BlackenedDeathMetal #CanadianMetal #CorpusChristii #Cryptopsy #DeathMetal #Dodecahedron #DutchMetal #Epic #GrooveMetal #InternationalMetal #Mar24 #Mayhem #Metallica #MorbidAngel #PortugueseMetal #Review #Reviews #SeasonOfMist #Vltimas