Album Of The Day:
SLAUGHTERDAY - 'Dread Emperor' by @slaughterdayofficial & @testimony_records

#linsedunemanninen
#slaughterday
#testimonyrecords
#deathmetal
#oldschooldeathmetal
https://www.instagram.com/p/DUvnEumDL6g/?igsh=MTlja2dzMmJtZDA3bA==

Longtime readers of AMG may remember the last time German OSDM stalwarts Slaughterday graced these digital pages. It was long enough ago that EPs were still getting the full-on review treatment, which enabled Slaughterday’s second release, Ravenous, to land a respectable 3.0/5.0 rating. What I was surprised to discover was the lack of any additional coverage, despite Slaughterday dropping three subsequent long players since then—Laws of the Occult (2016), Ancient Death Triumph (2020), and Tyrants of Doom (2022). Whether this fact boils down to a lack of promo or a lack of interest is irrelevant, considering I was able to wrestle Slaughterday’s newest offering of odorous offal, Dread Emperor, from the murkiest depths of the sump. For a band that’s been cranking out consistently quality death metal since forming in 2010, it’s strange to me that this power duo doesn’t get more attention. Let’s find out whether Slaughterday is truly worthy to ascend the death metal throne, or if this Dread Emperor stands before us in the buff.

Monikered after a track from Mental Funeral, it’s unsurprising that Slaughterday establishes its soundation on the works of Autopsy. Avoiding mere clone status, though, founders Jens Finger (guitars, bass) and Bernd Reiners (drums, vocals) also line their sonic quiver with arrows laced with toxic amounts of Massacre, early Death, and Grave. After a doomy, engaging intro, Dread Emperor gets down to thrashy business as “Obliteration Crusade” comes galloping through the gates at full velocity. Showcasing the gamut of talents that Slaughterday wields, the track weaves bouts of blistering speed, salaciously solid solo work, and passages of drunken, doomy Autopsy worship into a skin-sewn tapestry of death, replete with creepy melodicism and a subtle, yet ear-wormy chorus. Finger’s bass lines pop like blood bubbles as Reiners’ brutish bashings bolster the rhythm section, aptly accompanying the man’s beastly roars, a discernibly deathly emulsion of Peter Tägtgren and Kam Lee. This opening salvo encapsulates the Dread Emperor experience, which is one of gut-wrenching goodness, proving that Slaughterday has as many musical tricks up its sleeve as Art the Clown has weapons in his kill sack.

Dread Emperor by Slaughterday

At the heart of Dread Emperor’s success lies Slaughterday’s ability to craft truly great death metal songs. And with this talent, Finger and Reiners pay apt tribute to their deathly influences without slipping into derivative mimicry. Every time the groove settled into a swarming swing full of Autopsy swagger (“Subconscious Pandemonium,” “The Forsaken Ones”), my head was powerless to stop bobbing. While the majestic, Egyptian-tinged melodic leads and girthy, doom-laden death riffs of the title track “Dread Emperor” solidified themselves as the album highlight for yours truly. Dread Emperor also doubles down on a facet of Slaughterday’s previous efforts that, at times, was found lacking: the guitar solo. Fingers leaves no fret untouched, packing tons of excellent, melodic soloing (“Astral Carnage,” “Necrocide”) and loads of haunting lead work (“Rapture of Rot”) into Dread Emperor’s every nook and cranny. This here, boys and girls, is death metal created especially for death metallers, so if it isn’t bringing your raised fist and stank face to the yard, relinquish your fan card to AMG Headquarters.

From its near forty-minute runtime to Pär Olofsson’s ominously perfect cover art, I found little at fault with Dread Emperor. I suppose, if I had to pick at something, I’d say that many of the faster tremoloed sections tended to blend, sharing a marrow of similitude amidst Dread Emperor’s greater skeletal structure, but even that is a minor quibble. All due primarily to Slaughterday’s ability to construct compositions in such a way as to render the many inter-song shifts in style and tempo an organic strength as opposed to a stuttery distraction. Even Slaughterday’s version of Protector’s “Golem” sits comfortably at the end and fits the overall narrative of Dread Emperor well, escaping the fate of feeling tacked on, which is often the case with album-closing cover songs.

Does Slaughterday play meat-and-potatoes death metal? Sure, but this ain’t no watery soup from a can, this is stew like grandma used to make, filled with steamy hunks of fresh potato and chunks of beefy meat, swimming in an ichorous broth worth killing for. I didn’t anticipate how much fun I was going to have with Dread Emperor when I grabbed it, but it does exactly what it’s supposed to do: elicit a smile from my lips, a bang from my head, and Dio’s horns from my fist. Prime Tyme-certified death metal perfect for rotten valentines.

Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320kb/s mp3
Label: Testimony Records
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: February 13th, 2026

Stuck in the Filter: June 2025’s Angry Misses

By Kenstrosity

Sweat pours out of our pores. Heat blisters metal and scorches dirt. Power bills rise relentlessly, without mercy. These are the signs of summer in the brutal ductwork that is our hallowed Filter. But we continue onward in search of those metallic scraps that provide such unbridled joy to our masses. The only variable: who of my trusted team will survive this season, and who will perish in the service of this sacred duty?

We won’t know the answer until this article gets published. And when it is, the statistics will be fabricated and obfuscated accordingly. So ignore the death toll and instead peep the haul!

Kenstrosity’s Meanest Meanies

Shadow of Intent // Imperium Delirium [June 12th, 2025 – Self-Release]

For over a decade, Connecticut/Rhode Island melodic deathcore independents Shadow of Intent challenged the standards of the genre by offering album after album of ripping tracks filled with drama, clever songwriting, and demolishing vocal talent. In their catalog, Elegy was the one record of theirs that didn’t stick with me. However, Imperium Delirium rapidly righted the ship with 55 minutes of opulent, evil, and crushing melodic destruction. Raging through its first half without a single misstep, Imperium Delirium is a focused effort chock full of devastating heft, buttery smooth songwriting, and a favorable riffs-to-breakdowns ratio. The back half focuses on drama and orchestration just a touch more, but songs like “Feeding the Meatgrinder,” “Vehement Draconian Vengeance,” and “No Matter the Cost” still bring the violence required to annihilate entire planets. Championing this unending assault of killer tunes, Ben Duerr’s vocal performance is intimidating to say the least, easily reinforcing his rightful place as one of the very best extreme vocalists in the scene today. Of course, the record is still too long by about 10 minutes, and a fair amount of that bloat comes from the slightly overblown self-titled closer. Additionally, while I appreciate the reverent nod to the instrumental talent on “Apocalypse Canvas,” I don’t believe it adds enough to the story of this record. Nonetheless, Imperium Delirium might be one of my favorite Shadows of Intent, and I look forward to where it leads me next.

ClarkKent’s Literary Listen

Nightbearer // Defiance [June 13, 2025 – Testimony Records]

Anyone looking for a mashup of Phillip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy and Gothenburg melodeath, look no further than the latest album from Germany’s Nightbearer. Defiance marks album number three in the band’s repertoire, and a continuation of their worship of fantasy epics.1 Right off the bat, the catchy harmonic guitar lead of “His Dark Materials” summons Dark Tranquillity and At the Gates. The guitar work by Dominik Hellmuth and Tristan Schubert is fantastic throughout–their creative melodies bring to mind lively outfits like Brymir. Michael Torka’s beastly growls and Manuel Lüke’s thunderous drumming add some brutality and weight to the harmonious riffs. A few songs even go full brutal death metal (“One Church Over All”, “Dying Knows No Bounds”). Perhaps the standout track comes from the 9-minute epic, “Ascension.” It starts with an eerie synth intro before breaking out into some of the best riffs on Defiance. Then, just as things settle down, the song builds back up and explodes into something straight from Blackwater Park-era Opeth. Overall, this is an impressive collection of songs that’s sure to scratch that HM-2 itch.

Tyme’s Juxtaposed Jotting

Lipoma // No Cure for the Sick [June 13th, 2025 – Gurgling Gore]

Melodic gore-grind. Yeah, it’s a thing. And California-based Lipoma’s new album, No Cure for the Sick, proves it’s a pretty fucking cool thing at that—the brainchild of one Max Pierce (aka Dr. Lipoma).2 Since going live in 2021, Lipoma has been insanely active, releasing a slew of splits and EPs along with two full-length albums: 2022’s Horrors of Pathology and 2023’s Odes to Suffering. And while Lipoma has steadily worked to make comparisons with fellow purveyors like Carcass, Lymphatic Phlegm, and Pharmacist less relevant, No Cure for the Sick moves things to a different ballpark, one full of Gothenburgian melodicism (“Cult of the Firehealers,” “Glory to the Blade”), post-metallic pop-punk optimism (“Cardiac Scars Forever,” “Psalms of Psoriasis”), indecipherable gurgles, and organ, which is what sets Lipoma’s No Cure for the Sick apart not only from previous efforts, but the pack in general. From the circus-like atmosphere shrouding opener “The Sea Surgeon,” Pierce’s use of organ permeates much of No Cure for the Sick’s forty minutes, buoying the melodic heaviness and excellent solo work with jig-like danceability (“Remedies of Pagan Medicine,” “Last Anatomy of Johan Ziegler,” “No Cure for the Sick”). Pierce’s melodically charged instrumentation, when juxtaposed against his gore-ground gurglings—a combo that works in a way it has no right to—sees Lipoma doing something I find wholly unique, a rarity in today’s digital age. I have had a ton of fun with No Cure for the Sick, and if you’ve not checked it out yet, do so post haste.

Iceberg’s Frosty Forget-Me-Nots

Puppe Magnetik // Laudans Deum [June 6th, 2025 – The Circle Music]

Laudans Deum is not for the faint of heart, if that album cover didn’t quite convince you. The debut compilation of Puppe Magnetik, the record dives deep into the recesses of the human psyche. Aina Virtanen weaponizes industrial metal, ambient, and drone, wrapped up in the stylings of the Weimar Republic. An accomplished classically-trained musician, Virtanen uses her clean vocals sparingly (“Who Will Sing This Sorrow,” “Labyrinth”) but to great effect, reminiscent of Diablo Swing Orchestra. But the accessibility stops there; Laudans Deum’s thirteen tracks are comprised of ambient meditations (“Moritat”), ear-splitting electronic barrages (“Suspendium, Rosarium et Crucifixu”), and mood music fit for a throwback horror movie (“The Pregnant Nun,” “Patient AV”). But within the graveyard are scattered moments of respite; the gorgeously rendered classical guitar of “Timeless Serenade” and the haunting vocals of “Laments From The Desert.” While the album is unforgivingly through-composed, making for an exceptionally difficult first listen, there’s something darkly endearing about it. I’m reminded of Sergei Prokofiev, the Russian composer whose music was often described as both grotesque and starkly beautiful. Puppe Magnetik have produced a challenging record, but it’s worth a listen for those who enjoy avant-garde music and the stranger, more terrifying corners of the aural arts.

All Men Unto Me // Requiem [June 27th, 2025 – The Larvarium]

A little more metal, but a lot more challenging, All Men Unto Me’s Requiem brings to bear the full weight of spiritual suffering. Requiem is a direct interpretation of the Latin Mass for the Dead, it’s eight tracks playing all the hits. Fuzzed out, half-time doom takes a supporting role in a record that heavily features pipe organ, acoustic guitar, and string leads. Rylan Greaves takes a unique approach here, subverting the natural tension and release of the rite by injecting clanging noise into passages normally reverent. Their vocal performance is the unrepentant star of the show, at times crystalline (“Introit”) at others sobbing (“Kyrie”) straining (“Agnus Dei”) and howling (“Sequentia”). The album takes its time to sink its claws into you, with long track lengths and extended droning chords requiring patience. But pay close attention to Greaves’ lyrics and you can’t help but be pulled into the raw, emotional drama of Requiem. The rising, ethereal sunset of “In Paradisum,” the falsetto whisper speaking “God knows what I’d be without you” against an impossibly high, ever so slightly off-key bell-tone. One’s left wondering the true meaning of that line as the track ends, and the dead remain silent. A powerful statement indeed.

Killjoy’s Fabulous Find

Fabula Rasa // Tome II: The Beyond [June 13th, 2025 – Self-Release]

The words “fabulous” and “fable” are interconnected, both derived from the Latin word “fabulosus.” And since folk music and power metal draw heavily from fables and myths, the portmanteau Fabula Rasa is a fitting name for a group that blends both genres. Following the lead of forebears Elvenking and early Mägo de Oz, this spirited crew from Düsseldorf, Germany, infuses what would otherwise be standard—but good!—heavy/power metal with lots of violin. The violin and guitar trade off playing the lead melodies, though the former tends to have greater emphasis. But fret not, shred-heads, for the guitar solos are also exemplary in the more power metal-leaning songs, like “Dragon Rising” and “Vengeance Is Mine.” The violin often carves its own folksy space, the cheery, zippy fiddling akin to Dalriada (“At Full Moon,” “Anthem of the North”). Most songs are energetic, but “Burning Innocence” is a pleasant surprise midway through the record, with hand drums and the other band members’ vocal contributions creating an intimate group setting. Don’t miss this charismatic performance from these fabulous musicians.

Maddog’s Sludgy Selection

Dimscûa // Dust Eater [June 3rd, 2025 – Self-Release]

While sludge is a dime a dozen, few bands scratch the same itch as Amenra’s best work. The UK’s Dimscûa aims to correct this oversight. Dust Eater opens with “Elder Bairn,” whose rhythmic riffs evoke the meditative power of LLNN. After this appetizer, the album’s interplay between brawn and heart rivals Amenra. While Dimscûa’s muscular riffs drive the album forward (“Existence/Futility”), Dust Eater stands out through its hypnotic melodies. The heartache in these melodies is palpable, magnified by tortured vocals that recall Julie Christmas. Because of this ebb and flow, the album never feels bloated despite its eight-minute average track length. For instance, “Existence/Futility” abandons and then suddenly resurrects its driving main riff, adding unexpected variety and lodging into my memory. Dust Eater’s climaxes sometimes fall short, like the fizzle-out ending of “The Dusteater.” But despite its imperfections, Dimscûa’s debut is a powerful outing in a neglected style.3

Dear Hollaback’s Ain’t No B-A-N-A-N-A-S

Various Artists // KPop Demon Hunters [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack] [June 20th, 2025 – Republic Records]4

Okay, look. Look. K-Pop is not metal, I get that. But the gang over at Sony concocted what just recently earned the title of Netflix’s most watched movie of all time, and holy shit, what a soundtrack.. I’d like to use the classic “my daughter made me do it” schtick but she only likes “Takedown.”5 KPop Demon Hunters creates insanely catchy pop music that’s also focused and intentional, a commentary on the rigid and flagellant nature of K-Pop alongside feel-good messages of self-acceptance and healing (“Golden,” “What It Sounds Like”). The focal girl group HUNTR/X does most of the heavy lifting, also tossing in enough pop culture-inclined battle hymns to make the republic jealous (“How It’s Done,” “Takedown”). Their on-screen rivals Saja Boys offer entendre-layered sugary pop (the infamous “Soda Pop”) and sinister Gregorian-influenced choruses (“Your Idol”). Beyond the novelty is intentionality: clever chord progressions that feel continually transcendent rather than stagnantly by-the-numbers (“What It Sounds Like”), diminuendos of authenticity among bombasts of a glossy sheen (“Golden”), touches of dissonance paired with unsettling slant rhymes (“Your Idol”), and rhythmic complexity building to ethereal climaxes of soaring belts (“Free”). While yes, I’m telling you to give it a spin, I am also giving excuses for why my review count dropped to critical this summer. Fuck off, I’m gonna be, gonna be golden.

#2025 #AllMenUntoMe #Ambient #AmericanMetal #AtTheGates #AvantGarde #Brymir #Carcass #Dalriada #DarkTranquility #Deathcore #Defiance #DiabloSwingOrchestra #Dimscûa #Drone #DustEater #Elvenking #FabulaRasa #FinnishMetal #FolkMetal #GermanMetal #GurglingGore #HeavyMetal #HUNTRX #ImperiumDelirium #IndustrialMetal #Jun25 #KPop #KPopDemonHunters #LaudansDeum #Lipoma #LymphaticPhlegm #MägoDeOz #MelodicDeathMetal #MelodicDeathcore #Nightbearer #NoCureForTheSick #Opeth #Pharmacist #PowerMetal #PuppeMagnetik #RepublicRecords #Requiem #Review #Reviews #SajaBoys #SelfRelease #SelfReleased #ShadowOfIntent #StuckInTheFilter #TestimonyRecords #TheCircleMusic #TheLarvarium #TomeIITheBeyond #UKMetal #VariousArtists

KHNVM – Cosmocrator Review

By ClarkKent

While it looks like a jumble of consonants, KHNVM actually has an easy pronunciation: Kha-noom. Their sinister new album, Cosmocrator, derives its title from a Greek word that roughly translates to “ruler of the world” and can also refer to Satan. However, these guys aren’t Greek. Rather, KHNVM is based out of Germany, and frontman Obliterator was born in Bangladesh. Though there are three members pictured in the band photo below, Obliterator does the Billy Corgan thing and records everything but the drums.1 KHNVM released their first album, Foretold Monuments of Flesh, in 2019, and now six years later, Cosmocrator marks their fourth record. In that short span of time, KHNVM has gradually shifted from putrid death metal to a more nuanced death-doom sound. It’s time to find out if KHNVM goes kaboom!

Cosmocrator alternates between speedy death tremolos and slow, sludgy guitar riffs. The result comes off somewhat like Mother of Graves or Tomb of Finland minus the melodicism. “Fetid Eden” best illustrates this death-doom dance. Its bookends contain up-tempo drumming and tremolos amidst Obliterator’s low, whispery growls, but the middle of the song slows to a near funeral doom pace. This makes for a varied, interesting listening experience, and one that’s particularly rewarding when KHNVM ramps up the energy following a bout of doom. Opener “Purgatorial Pyre” similarly straddles this line to great success. Once you get past the lengthy instrumental passage,2 the song gets the heart pumping with some energetic riffs and a Kvaen-like chorus in “Pyre! Purgatorial pyre!”

KHNVM also toys with progressive song structures, which is wise considering four of the seven tracks are over five minutes long. While the progressive structure prevents them from growing stale to repetition, not all movements within each song are equally compelling. This leads to some inconsistent songwriting. For example, “Cosmocrator” has a rough start but ends well. The early dissonant counter-harmonics play out awkwardly, yet the latter half shifts to blast beats and tremolos that create a smoother, more enjoyable listen. On the other end of the spectrum is the longer “Venom Spawn.” The first five minutes are easily my favorite on Cosmocrator. It opens with riffs of an Eastern tinge and plays at a slow but enjoyable plod. Unfortunately, the final two minutes lose the hook and become a tedious plod. I admire the desire to change it up, but when you have a good thing going, it’s best not to mess with it.

At a DR 8, the sound quality is admirable, yet the mix produces some questionable choices. The guitar plays loudly and drowns out some of the other elements. This is most noticeable on “Haunting Blight,” where the bass features prominently in the early goings and combos nicely with the drums. Yet when the lead guitar starts up, the bass disappears. Sometimes, the guitar even muffles Obliterator’s own voice—I strained to pick up his growls on “Fetid Eden.” The loudness also amplifies the awkwardness of the dissonant notes. I found these notes jarring, but not in a way that enhanced the songs. The use of dissonance seems to be a new skill set added to Obliterator’s repertoire, and I felt those were the parts that worked the least. Outside of that, the instruments sound good, and Obliterator and drummer Autokrator handle them with skill. They deftly weave between death and doom, and when the bass is able to shine through the haze of the guitars, everything sounds that much better.

KHNVM has plenty of good things going for them, and they keep the album nice and short at 36 minutes. Unfortunate inconsistencies hold Cosmocrator back, but I admire Obliterator’s ambition. Stripped of the dissonance and some pointless instrumental portions, Cosmocrator could have been a good or very good record. A jarring dissonance risks snapping listeners from their reverie if not done correctly. Amidst the varied tricks Obliterator employed, it was the one that stuck out like a sore thumb. At times, it felt like KHNVM was trying too hard to create a menacing sound when they already had all the elements needed to create a solid record. KHNVM has room to bring more boom, and I believe they can.

Rating: 2.5/5.0
DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Testimony Records
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: August 29th, 2025

#25 #2025 #Aug25 #Cosmocrator #DeathDoom #DeathMetal #DoomMetal #GermanMetal #KHNVM #Kvaen #MotherOfGraves #Review #Reviews #TestimonyRecords #TombOfFinland

Azure Emote – Cryptic Aura Review

By Owlswald

Azure Emote is the project of two very busy musicians, vocalist Mike Hrubovcak (ex-Monstrosity, ex-Vile) and guitarist Ryan Moll (Hypoxia, Total Fucking Destruction). In between their work with many acclaimed death metal acts, the duo reconvenes every five years or so to craft a new Azure Emote record.1 What began in 2010 with Chronicles of an Aging Mammal as an experimental think tank for their genre-defying ideas has steadily evolved into their own eclectic brand of avant-garde death metal. Cryptic Aura marks the group’s fourth full-length and their third featuring the same all-star lineup: drumming powerhouse Mike Heller (Abigail Williams, ex-Fear Factory), legendary bassist Kelly Conlon (ex-Death), and violinist extraordinaire Pete Johansen (ex-Sirenia). Anna Murphy (ex-Eluveitie) also joins this renowned lineup, contributing her enchanting clean vocals.2 While long gaps between releases and an overabundance of ideas have historically hindered Azure Emote, Cryptic Aura strives to defy this pattern, arriving with a clear ambition to be both darker and heavier than anything they’ve released before.

Imagine a collision of Dimmu Borgir, Ne Obliviscaris, and Mithras and you’ll be in the ballpark of describing Azure Emote’s sound. Hrubovcak’s symphonic keyboards and Shagrath-esque blackened growls top Moll’s driving riffs, Conlon’s dexterous bass and Heller’s remarkable drumming to create occult-infused songs rich with dark atmosphere and dramatic flair. Heller’s performance on Cryptic Aura is mind-blowing. His blazing tom rolls (“Aeons Adrift”), tight rhythms (“Disease of the Soul”), and creative backbeats (“Return to the Unknown”) are consistently jaw-dropping, at times even overpowering the album’s bright DR 9 master. Johansen’s violin steps into a main role, often assuming a folky, crestfallen tone across the album’s ten tracks.3 Enhancing Johansen’s violin are Murphy’s backing vocals, her majestic croons (“Bleed with the Moon”) and ethereal melodies (“Feast of Leeches,” “Aeons Adrift”) driving haunting transitions. She is a welcome addition, offering bouts of serenity and a fresh touch to Azure Emote’s relentless instrumental virtuosity.

Azure Emote’s technical elements frequently coalesce to create powerful, well-structured material, despite their inherent complexity. Still incorporating a wide array of musical styles and ideas into a progressive death metal mélange, Cryptic Aura feels more calculated than past efforts. “Disease of the Soul” is a prime example, standing out as one of the album’s strongest tracks. It demonstrates the group’s unified musical vision, maintaining control amidst torrents of virtuosic chaos. Likewise, “Feast of Leeches” showcases this synergy—Murphy’s soothing pitches, Johansen’s violin, and Hrubovcak’s synth arrangements artfully balancing its thrashy riffs, relentless blast beats and Moll and Conlon’s adventurous soloing. Johansen’s violin plays a crucial role in grounding Cryptic Aura’s songs and providing a consistent thematic thread. Far from being buried in the mix, Johansen often takes the lead, offering melodic death-folk elements and a variety of engaging leads and solos that share the spotlight with Moll. From trilling melodies (“Aeons Adrift,” “Insomnia Nervosa”) to chilling atmospheric passages with delay (“Defiance Infernus”) to a somber homestead feel (“Bleed with the Moon”), Johansen’s versatility adds a distinctive layer to Azure Emote’s multifaceted soundscape.

While Cryptic Aura features impressive technicality and several strong tracks, its prevailing density occasionally hampers it, thereby leading to listener fatigue. Heller’s performance, while spectacular, is overwhelming at times—particularly on “Defiance Infernus,” “Into Abysmal Oblivion,” and “Aeons Adrift”—due to his blistering speed and the drum-forward mix. Furthermore, the powerful beginnings of “Provoking the Obscene” and “Aeons Adrift” ultimately dissolve into exhausting complexity during their chaotic conclusions. “Bleed with the Moon,” meanwhile, offers a repetitive, cascading instrumental barrage that offers little reprieve from its intensity. Murphy’s performance serves Cryptic Aura well, however, helping to counterbalance the overwhelming instrumentation. Her choral passages shine—notably the Gladiator-like ambient transition in “Bleed the Moon”—and her dramatic and warm tone commands attention on “Return to the Unknown” and “Provoking the Obscene.” Unfortunately, she is largely confined to backup duties—a disappointing and missed opportunity.

Though not without its flaws, Cryptic Aura remains a good album. A consistent lineup has allowed Azure Emote to streamline their creativity, presenting their impressive virtuosity with a newfound focus. With Cryptic Aura, the group has found solid footing, marking a positive evolution and resulting in my favorite record from them to date. Such progress ignites my excitement for the future. My only hope is that their next iteration arrives much sooner.

Rating: Good
DR: 9 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Testimony Records
Websites: azureemote.bandcamp.com/music | facebook.com/azureemote
Releases Worldwide: July 25th, 2025

#2025 #30 #AbagailWilliams #AmericanMetal #AvantGarde #AzureEmote #CrypticAura #Death #DeathMetal #DimmuBorgir #Eluveitie #FearFactory #Hypoxia #Jul25 #Mithras #Monstrosity #NeObliviscaris #ProgressiveDeath #Review #Reviews #Sirenia #TestimonyRecords #TotalFuckingDestruction #Vile

DESERTED FEAR – Veins Of Fire
https://eternal-terror.com/?p=69054

RELEASE YEAR: 2025

BAND URL: https://www.desertedfear.de/

The German melodic death metal trio really impressed me with their 5th long play (remember that ancient euphemism?) Doomsday²⁰²² album (on Century Media Records) so my review reflected that seemingly out-of-the-blue fantastic record but the quality of the recording fit the mold well. What I mean is that not only is the name […]

#CenturyMediaRecords #deathMetal #DESERTEDFEAR #FDARecords #Finland #germany #melodicDeathMetal #TESTIMONYRECORDS #VEINSOFFIRE

Leper Colony – Those of the Morbid Review

By Tyme

Have you ever played Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon? When you try to connect another actor to Kevin Bacon via the films they’ve been in, winners make that connection in the fewest “degrees” possible? A quick reference of the Archives convinced me Rogga Johansson may be the Kevin Bacon of the Swedish metal scene, perhaps the entire metal scene. You’d be hard-pressed to argue that but not to connect many other musicians to him in six degrees or less, as Rogga contributes to forty-eight active bands and has seventeen past outfits on his resume. Rogga’s longstanding relationship with German vocalist and friend Marc Grewe (Morgoth) culminated in the 2020 formation of Leper Colony, which hit the ground running with its self-titled debut in 2023, garnering a 3.5/5.0 rating from Crispy Hooligan. With Leper Colony‘s sophomore effort and first for Testimony Records, Those of the Morbid, I’m primed to find out what kind of Swede-anigans Rogga’s up to now.

Sadly, Those of the Morbid highlights one of the most significant problems with leprosy, and that is shit starts to fall off.1 Which, in Leper Colony‘s case, means way more than a sophomore slump. Every limb left on the diseased body of the debut has fallen off Those of the Morbid‘s frame. Sure, it’s still death metal, but generic in a way that defies legitimate sonic comparison. There are faint Slayer vibes in the harmonized guitar intro of “Facing the Faceless,” I guess, and far-flung hints of Bolt Thrower in the again harmonized leads of “Realm of Madness,” but even these are ‘meh’ connections. Things of the Morbid is full of tepid Rogga riffs, the HM2 more butter knife than buzzsaw, assembled into mostly punk-infused death metal compositions. Jon Rudin (Monstrous) lays down loads of 4/4 straight beats and double kicks with tempo shifts and a few flourished fills thrown in for variation (“Those of the Morbid Inclination”). At the same time, Wombath‘s Håkan Stuvemark handles lead guitar duties, his solos adequate but uninspiring (“Master’s Voice”). And you have Grewe helming the mic again, his unhinged screams, shouts, and shrieks possibly the only thing keeping Those of the Morbid from falling further apart.

Void of engaging songwriting fans expect from a Rogga project, Those of the Morbid has a cut-and-paste feel—photo-shopped band image included—that cling to rigid death-punk tropes and rarely color outside the lines (“Flesh to Rot to Ashes”). Lyrics are horror-themed and amateurish, with the especially juvenile, ‘Suck at the teet, of the Apocalypse Whore!’ one of the more egregious examples. Things of the Morbid is an album a younger, stuck-in-the-midwest me might have come across at Wal-Mart, snatching it up like some uber-extreme gem, but no. There is no questioning Leper Colony‘s pedigree, as each member has had a hand in some of death metal’s more influential offerings, which makes the mediocrity of Those of the Morbid even more baffling.

I’m a person who strives to find the good in everything, which has made covering Leper Colony‘s Those of the Morbid tough, as the tone of this review has been primarily negative. Are there no redeeming qualities within Those of the Morbid? Well, yes, actually, there are a couple. First, I dig the Felipe Mora cover art. It’s what drew my eye to Leper Colony in the first place. Second is the album closer, “A Story in Red.” It’s a decently executed slow-burner with melodic guitar riffs that finds Grewe channeling Lemmy Kilmister and Crowbar‘s Kirk Windstein. Taking up four minutes and fourteen seconds of Morbid‘s very short twenty-nine-minute runtime, though even this track suffers a bit from an anticlimactic fade-out instead of ending on a more confident note.

We’ve reached the end of this review together, dear reader, and I’ve said all I can say about Leper Colony and what I think of Those of the Morbid.2 While I wasn’t expecting the masterpiece nearly a dozen AMG writers believe is somewhere inside Rogga Johansson, I certainly wasn’t expecting this. The bright side is that Rogga’s forty-eight other bands have more to choose from, so I’m not that put out. Playing a rousing game of Six Degrees of Rogga will be more fun than listening to Those of the Morbid, so here’s some low-hanging fruit to get you all started: Glen Benton.

Rating: 1.5/5.0
DR: 10 | Format Reviewed: 320kbps mp3
Label: Testimony Records
Website: Bandcamp
Releases Worldwide: May 2nd, 2025

#15 #2025 #BoltThrower #DeathMetal #GermanMetal #LeperColony #May25 #Review #Reviews #RoggaJohansson #Slayer #TestimonyRecords #ThoseOfTheMorbid