Album Reviews

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    Kratornas – Devoured by Damnation (2016)

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    Punishing the listener with 35 minutes of devastating Death/Black/Grindcore music, Kratornas unleashes “Devoured by Damnation” upon the masses. Originally from the Philippines, this band has that certain signature sound of Grindcore outfits like Deiphago. Keeping things always brutal and quite hectic, this is one of those albums that you won’t want to turn off.

    Opening with the pummeling “Spit on God” and followed by “Dead Burning Christ” and “Archangels of Destruction”, this release cranks up the intensity to 11 while perfectly mixing Black Metal shrieks, crushing riffs and demoralizing drums. This two-piece outfit produces some of the fiercest music you can find, but also keeps things interesting by crafting unique riffs and heavy duty tempos.

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    Somnium Nox – Terra Inanis (2017)

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    Arriving from Australia via India’s Transcending Obscurity records, today we have Somnium Nox and their crushing debut release “Terra Inanis”. Unleashing a powerful mixture of devastating Black Metal with tons of atmospheric elements, the band delivers nearly 30 minutes of powerful music that should not be ignored.

    Perfectly setting the mood with the first few minutes of the opener “Soliloquy of Lament” being atmospheric, the band fully unleashes their fury with some killer ravaging Black Metal onslaughts. Sounding like a mixture of Wolves in the Throne Room and Wiegedood, the band’s level of brutality is unquestionable.

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    Medico Peste – Herzogian Darkness (2017)

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    Hailing from Poland, today we have Medico Peste and their gut-wrenching EP “Herzogian Darkness”. Taking advantage of the spotlight on Polish Black Metal bands like Behemoth, Mgla, Blaze of Perdition, this four person outfit delivers some savage music that will turn heads in the scene. Featuring over 25 minutes of music split in four tracks, the band creates very powerful atmospheric songs that are quite imposing and sickening.

    The album leads with the incisive title track, which features over 9 minutes of agonizing vocals and a creepy tempo that sets a very decadent mood for this release. Pummeling drums and blistering riffs paired with some catchy melodic passages make “Hallucinating Warmth and Bliss” a very unique musical experience from this band. This is by far one of the catchiest and most engaging songs we have heard in a while.

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    Ande – Het Gebeente (2017)

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    Hailing from Belgium, today we have one-man band Ande and his sophomore release “Het Gebeente”. Swiftly continuing where the debut release, “Licht”, left off, this album delivers over 37 minutes of Burzum-esque Black Metal that should not be missed.

    Setting the mood with the traditional intro track, Ande gets down to business with the raw riffing of “Argwaan”, a song that instantly reminds us of late 90’s Black Metal. Handling all the instruments, Jim does a pretty solid job in crafting intricate songs that capture both rawness and playful melodies that keep things fresh, like on “Gebukt” and “Oud en Vet”. This last song also has some kick-ass Black’n’Roll influences that will make you think of Vreid and similar outfits.

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    Entartung – Baptised into the Faith of Lust (2017)

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    Delivering one of the most devastating Black Metal assaults in the last few years, today we have Entartung and their demoralizing third full-length release “Baptised into the Faith of Lust”. Featuring seven tracks and over 40 minutes of music, this release is an exercise in brutality and aural dissonance. The band sets a very high bar with their pummeling style filled with brilliant tempo changes and savage intensity.

    Opening with the blistering “Resurrectio Mortuorum”, the riffing intensity is the first thing to be noticed. Perfectly paired with tight drumming and a throbbing bass guitar line, Lykormas guitar work is reminiscent of genre greats Horna and Sargeist. Combining rawness with melody, “Vices of Prophet” is definitely one of the best BM tracks we have heard in quite a while, as it instantly induces a head-banging trance.

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    Last Leaf Down – Bright Wide Colder (2017)

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    Delivering one of the dreamiest releases of 2017, today we have Last Leaf Down and their latest release “Bright Wide Colder”. Brilliantly combining Shoegaze with Depresive/Atmospheric/Post Rock elements, the band manages to produce 13 mesmerizing tracks that will hypnotize you for the duration of this release. If you like bands like Katatonia, Slowdive, Alcest and Les Discrets, this is definitely an album you don’t want to miss.

    Opening with “Purple Skies”, the band sets a very atmospheric mood with dreamy guitars and emotional clean vocals. This mellow mood is nicely continued by excellent tracks like “Ghost Trails”, “Blind Mind”, and the cathartic “Deaf Heart”. The band does a brilliant job in crafting unique songs filled with melancholy and superbly catchy moments.

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    Lelahell – Al Insane​.​.​. The (Re​)​Birth of Abderrahmane  (2014)

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    Unleashing one of the most brutal releases to ever come out of Algeria, today we have Lelahell and their debut full-length release “Al Insane... The (Re)Birth of Abderrahmane”. Clocking in at around 40 minutes of music, this album is both savage and demoralizing. Elevating Death Metal to its most brutal shape, anybody will surely be blow away and rendered unconscious with such a vicious onslaught of senseless brutality.

    Wasting no time after the intro track, “Al Intissar” comes at you like a bag of bricks to the face. The riffing is pummeling and energetic, while the drumming is just out of this world with a its blistering double kick sections. The band continues their onslaught with the sheer brutality of “Voices Revealed” and “Kalimet Essir”, both tracks feature a perfect balance of punishing drumming and very prominent harsh vocals. The band at times reminds us of outfits like Nile and Melechesh with some Cannibal Corpse and Six Feet under sprinkled on top.

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    Manetheren – The End (2017)

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    Delivering a truly unique aural experience, today we have Manetheren and their latest opus “The End”. Formed by USA based Azlum and members of Blut aus Nord on drums among others, this band unleashes a very unique mixture of Atmospheric Black Metal with influences of DSBM and Post-Black Metal. Featuring over 60 minutes of music, this album takes the listener through the journey of a human traveling across a dying world.

    The album opens with the gut-wrenching “The Sun that Bled”, an 11-minute piece that sets a bleak mood with some mid-paced Black Metal. The band reminded us a bit of Ancient on their “The Cainian Chronicle” days, as the music is quite melodic and yet harsh and punishing. Things pick up a bit with the more intense passages of “An then Came the Pestilence”, which are perfectly outlined with very atmospheric sections that allow for dramatic contrast.

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    Epoch – Sacrosanct (2017)

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    Hailing from Belgium today we have the punishing release “Sacrosanct”. This debut release is filled with soul crushing Death/Black Metal tracks that put many other band’s to shame and showcase Epoch’s powerful talents. Clocking in at 36 minutes, this album will certainly keep you entertained and make your neck hurt from all the headbanging and moshing it incites.

    The album starts with the brutal “To Datechon, ho Katechon”, a track that instantly delivers the ‘in your face’ attitude of the band’s music. The riffing perfectly mixes distinctive 90’s Death Metal influences with some more recent Death/Black Metal elements of bands like Arkhon Infaustus. Epoch’s pummeling attitude continues as they unleash the sheer brutality of songs like “Vision Absolute”, “Altered States” and “Nine”.

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    Anomalie – Visions (2017)

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    Continuing with their mission of pushing musical boundaries to deliver some of the most disarming songs ever written, today we have Anomalie’s third full-length release titled “Visions”. Slowly refining the band’s music over the years, the band’s mastermind, Marrok, manages to deliver seven visionary tracks that ooze of melancholy and brutality. If you are a fan of modern Post-Black Metal, this is definitely one of the albums you don’t want to miss in 2017.

    Instantly setting a very somber and melancholic mood with “Vision I: Towards the Sun”, the band warms up with acoustic guitars and eerie vocal arrangements, slowly building up to crushing riffs and mournful vocals. Wasting to time, the band delivers one of their best songs ever with the brilliant “Vision II: The Wanderer”. Perfectly combining aggressive drumming and weeping guitar leads, this track has a very interesting Doomy vibe that perfectly blends with the super catchy riffs and tempo changes.

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