Death Metal

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
    • Comments: 0

    Wall of Water - Promo (2015)

    cover

    Delivering a furious 2-track promo, today we have newcomers Wall of Water from the USA. As the brainchild of Cullen Toner (ex-Abazagorath) and Shawn Eldridge (Disma), this band aims to merge the good old Black/Death Metal style with more modern and crafty Post-Metal/Rock influences. Not for the faint of heart, this is a release that brilliantly achieves their goals and delivers 13 minutes of very solid music.

    Opening with the mysterious “Exposure”, the band starts very mellow, setting a very atmospheric mood in the first few seconds. The first outburst of brutality is similar to a more Post-Metal version of Anaal Nathrakh filled with multiple vocal styles and crushing riffs. Perfectly blending old-school elements with more edgier and modern influences, this track sounds familiar, but yet fresh and different.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
    • Comments: 0

    Tine - The Forest Dreams of Black (2015)

    cover

    Hailing from the USA, today we have the very unique and promising debut release from Tine. Titled “The Forest Dreams of Black”, this debut album delivers over nine tracks of a very solid blend of Symphonic Black/Death Metal. As a two-person outfit, this band mixes elements from old-school greats like Bal-Sagoth, Limbonic Art and Canada’s Necronomicon. As a very atypical North American release, this album is definitely worth your time.

    Opening with the pyscho sexy riffs of “Enter the Black Forest”, the band sets a very intoxicating mood. With Count Murmur handling all the guitars, bass guitar, vocals, and programmed drums, the band still manages to sound like a real band and not some dude in his parents basement. In “Horrors at Antioch”, the solid integration of the musical base-layer and Vanth’s keyboards creates a very eerie atmosphere and reminds us of Limbonic Art and some of the early days of Charmand Grimloch’s Tartaros.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
    • Comments: 0

    A.C.O.D – II The Maelstrom (2015)

    cover

    Hailing from France, today we have A.C.O.D and their Melodic-ish Death Metal release “II The Maelstrom”. Delivering thirteen tracks of a very health mix of traditional Death Metal with some more modern and Melodic elements, this band sounds like a bastard child of Grave and Kalmah. We are constantly amazed at the quality of bands that are coming out of France, and this is another one of the good ones.

    The band opens with the groovy “Another Path” before settling for a more Thrash-infused Death Metal sound in “Way of Death”, and then jumping into Melo-Death land with “Abuse Me”. This is the narrative in this release as the band slowly weaves back and forth from Melodic, to Thrashy, to old-school Death Metal, actually pulling it off gracefully and very cohesively.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
    • Comments: 0

    Nile – What Should Not Be Unearthed (2015)

    cover

    Making 2015 even more brutal than it already is, today we have the legendary Nile returning with yet another punishing release via “What Should Not Be Unearthed”. Karl Sanders and company return with their signature Technical/Brutal Death Metal with Egyptian influences and deliver around 50 minutes of uncompromising brutality that will ravage your eardrums from start to finish.

    Opening with the monumental “Call to Destruction”, the band quickly delivers the first blow of furious riffs and crushing drumming. The band is set on a path of destruction with this release being considerably more brutal than their previous one. The sound of tracks like “Negating the Abominable Coils of Apep” and the ravaging “Liber Stellae – Rubaeae”, is quite heavier and more in the Brutal Death Metal side of things when comparing it to the band’s previous release “At the Gate of Sethu”.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
    • Comments: 0

    Cattle Decapitation – The Anthropocene Extinction (2015)

    cover

    Delivering the most brutal release of 2015, today we have Cattle Decapitation and their seventh opus “The Anthropocene Extinction”. Nearly putting Anaal Nathrakh to shame in terms of sheer brutality, this release features twelve tracks of in your face riffs, crushing vocals and inhuman drums. With over 45 minutes of devastating music, this album will leave you sore just by listening to it.

    Slowly warming up with the melodic opening of “Manufactured Extinct”, the band suddenly busts out the Death Metal riffs and before you even know it, Grindcore and Brutal Death Metal elements have arrived. This level of intensity is perfectly continued by the neck snapping “The Prophets of Loss”, which features Phil Anselmo as guest vocalist. Using Author and Punisher’s intro in “Plagueborne”, the band has managed to deliver a huge opening trio of tracks that only scratch the surface in terms of brutality.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
    • Comments: 0

    Howls of Ebb – The Marrow Veil (2015)

    cover

    Hailing from San Francisco, CA, today we have the miscreants of Howls of Ebb and their crushing “The Marrow Veil” EP. Being on the longer side of what people call EP’s (over 34 minutes); this is one dense release that wills truly challenge your musical preconceptions. Crafting a sickening mixture of Death/Black Metal with a thick atmospheric component this music is superbly raw and punishing.

    Opening with the 19-minute dissonant piece “Standing on Bedlam, Burning in Bliss”, this trio projects a very dense and raw sound that is quite hard to find. While some times they sound like old Sepultura and even Deiphago, the band also reminds us a bit of early The Ruins Of Beverast. There basic structure behind this track is quite catchy and enjoyable, making it a very unique and disturbing experience at the same time.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
    • Comments: 0

    Hands of Despair – Hereafter (2015)

    cover

    Hailing from Canada, today we have Hands of Despair 2011 debut release “Hereafter” finally pressed on CD by Deathbound Records. Featuring a very unique mixture of Death/Doom/Black Metal, this release is truly a gem as it has tons of replay value just to discover all little elements thrown into the mix by the band. Featuring Egan O'Rourke of Daylight Days handling clean vocals in two of the six songs, this album has something for everybody and will appeal a wide variety of listeners.

    Opening in a doomy and atmospheric manner, “The Departure” nicely sets a very melancholic mood that is quickly unsettled by the harsh growls of David-Alexandre Brousseau but perfectly offset by Egan’s clean vocals. Clocking in around 10 minutes, this is one hell of an opener. Nearly with a 180 degree twist, “Shattered Memories” blasts off with some furious Black Metal-esque riffs and very dramatic atmospheric elements. While having plenty of atmospheric passages, this track is also quite heavy and rooted with Death/Black Metal elements.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
    • Comments: 0

    Kataklysm – Of Ghosts and Gods (2015)

    cover

    Continuing with their crafty melodic but brutal brand of Death Metal, today we have Kataklysm and their twelfth studio release “Of Ghosts and Gods”. In this ten-song album, the band dwells between mesmerizing melodic passages and punishing onslaughts keeping this release very fresh and well balanced. Releasing one music video per track, this is Kataklysm’s most ambitious album to date.

    Opening with the album with the pummeling drumming of “Breaching the Asylum” sets a very high note for the rest of this release. As “The Black Sheep” and “Marching through Graveyards” roll in we notice a certain melodic tempo that reins the first three songs, which greatly enhances the band’s unique and punishing sound. This last track sounds like a very interesting mixture of Cannibal Corpse with some Swedish Death Metal.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
    • Comments: 0

    Kronos – Arisen New Era (2015)

    cover

    Hitting the listener like a bag of bricks to the face, today we have Kronos and their demolishing release “Arisen New Era”. Delivering over 36 minutes of sturdy Brutal Death Metal, this is by far the heaviest band we have heard come out of France. With a heavy focus on making traditional Death Metal elements heavier and more violent, this release will ravage your speaker system and will have you begging for more.

    Opening with the Cannibal Corpse-esque “Infernal Abyss Sovereignty”, the band sets a very intense mood with crushing riffs and inhuman drumming courtesy of Anthony Reyboz. The meaty hooks of “Zeus Dethroned” and “Soul-Voracious Vultures” brings back memories of the good old days of Kataklysm and Suffocation… but faster and more brutal. As the band delivers neck-snapping anthems like “Rapture in Misery” and “Aeons Titan Crown” we are constantly impressed by the crystal clear production behind this ambitious release.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
    • Comments: 0

    Immortal Bird – Empress/Abscess (2015)

    cover

    Brilliantly pivoting between Death and Black Metal, today we have Immortal Bird and their crushing debut release “Empress/Abscess”. Pummeling through five tracks and over 30 minutes of material, this band’s sound is very unique and powerful, making them one of the freshest sounding artists of 2015. If you are a fan of music that is challenging, brutal, and melodic, this is one of those rare releases that will satisfy your cravings.

    Opening with the dissonance of “Neoplastic”, the band sets the mood with piercing riffs and massive drums. With a certain melodic flair to a mixture of Death/Black Metal riffs that weaves back and forth between old-school Entombed-like Death Metal to Watain-caliber riffage, the band instantly grabs your attention. With Rae Amitay delivering a punishing vocal performance, it allows the band to deliver brutal tracks like “Sarophyte”.

Pages

Recent Image Galleries