Century Media

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    Borknagar - Fall (2024)

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    After blowing everybody away with their 2019 release “True North”, Borknagar is back stronger and even catchier than ever. The band has always distinguished themselves as one of those Folk/Viking/Black Metal with signature Progressive and melodic elements, and with “Fall”, the band takes them even further. If you like any of the band’s previous releases, this one has a bit of everything from all their stylistic changes over the years.

    Opening with the epic “Summits”, this track has all the Borknagar staples: soaring clean and harsh vocals, crafty drumming, proggy guitars, and atmospheric magic. As the first single of this release, the band fires in all cylinders and creates a very powerful and dynamic atmosphere. As you can expect the deadly combination of clean vocals from both Lars and Vortex, makes this band the equivalent of having two of the best players, of any sport, on the same team.

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    Insomnium - Songs of the Dusk (2023)

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    Just a few months after unleashing the melancholic masterpiece “Anno 1696”, Insomnium returns with a three song EP titled “Songs of the Dusk”. Featuring over 20 minutes of music, the band exploits their moody and doomier side in the release. As expected, filled with melancholy and gloom, this Finnish band continues to surprise listeners with high quality music and brilliant execution.

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    Marduk - Memento Mori (2023)

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    Unleashing their first full-length release in nearly 5 years, today we have legendary Marduk and the piercing “Memento Mori”. Consistency has been one of the band’s greatest strengths as they pummel through ten tracks and over 40 minutes of punishing Black Metal music. With a straight-forward and yet quite violent approach to the genre, the band certainly delivers on all expectations as this release is filled with excellent tracks with the band’s signature DNA.

    The band obliterates the listener with their signature short burst of devastation from the opener, “Memento Mori”. This piercing track has the Marduk signature violent drumming and aggressive riffing complementing Mortuus’ pummeling bass guitar line and snarls. Focusing on crafting piercing riffs, Morgan delivers that magical mixture of old-school BM style with a mixture of more modern and incisive elements, as we can hear on songs like “Heart of the Funeral”, “Blood of the Funeral” and on the chilling “Shovel Beats Scepter”.

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    Omnium Gatherum - Slasher (2023)

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    Few Melodic Death Metal bands have had the consistency and tenacity of Omnium Gatherum. Slowly building up their reputation when they were on LifeForce Records until their switch to Century Media, the band has gradually gotten better and better. With “Slasher”, the band reminds us of their quality with four killer tracks, one cover, two outtakes from their 2021 “Origin” release, and a brand new song. Be prepared to headbang non-stop from start to finish of this sweet EP, so be warned and be ready.

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    Grave Pleasures - Plagueboys (2023)

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    Unleashing somber waves of catchiness and a very engaging vibe, today we have Grave Pleasures and their latest opus “Plagueboys”. Featuring a very unique mixture of Post-Punk with some darkness to it, and even some elements of Surf/Indie Rock, this band has been captivating audiences for nearly a decade now (with this name), and they just keep getting better and better. If you are looking for something ‘slow’, dark, mysterious, and non-Metal, this release will be to your liking.

    Starting strong with the memorable “Disintegration Girl”, we get that gloomy signature vibe from the band, particularly when Mat McNerney’s signature vocals come out. The playful interplay between Juho Vanhanen lead guitars and Valtteri Arino dominant bass guitar line is another strength from this band, making sounds like “Heart Like A Slaughterhouse”, “When The Shooting's Done”, and “High On Annihilation”, just extremely catchy and very diverse.

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    Tribulation - Hamartia (2023)

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    Just when you think a band can’t get any better, Tribulation drops on un “Hamartia”, a four song EP that further consolidates their sinister sound. Creating very unique and decadent sounding tracks, this EP keeps their catchiness and darkness untouched with delivering harrowing atmospheres. With a signature sound that has gracefully evolved over time, this release will satisfy fans of the band and plant some fertile seeds of what is to come in the future.

    Opening with the title track, the band immediately creates a splash with ravaging and superbly catchy guitars alongside Johannes Andersson’s characteristic snarl and thumping bass guitar lines. Quickly creating that heavy and yet melodic bombastic vibe, the band’s firing on all cylinders as things get catchier and darker with the playful “Axis Mundi”.

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    Ov Sulfur - The Burden Ov Faith (2023)

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    It is quite interesting how over the years Deathcore bands have managed to evolve and blend elements of Black/Death and even Symphonic Metal into their music, while keeping their signature breakdowns and overall intensity. Hailing from the USA, Ov Sulfur is the incarnation of one of those evolved bands featuring a crushing sound that also leaves room for atmosphere and melody. Comparable to bands like Lorna Shore, Carnifex, White Chappel, etc. this up and coming band is ready to destroy you with their well crafted music.

    Opening with the intense “Stained In Rot” the band fully unleashes their sheer brutality on this one, while incorporating those atmospheric elements alongside punishing breakdowns. With the following two tracks, “Befouler” and “Unraveling”, the band adds a few guests on vocals to show range and showcase some of their additional creativity, keeping things interesting and fresh. We particularly loved the crafty “Death Ov Circumstance” and its engaging atmospherics intertwined with powerful guitar riffs and awesome drumming.

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    Insomnium - Anno 1696 (2023)

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    Mostly stable line-ups and consistency have been the fundamental pillars behind Insomnium and their music. For “Anno 1696” the band continues to deliver their highly melancholic Melodic Death Metal but with a few additional elements that nicely revamp their signature style and keeps it fresh. The majority of die-hard fans for the band will find what they want here, but it also provides that little extra that for some of us that were looking for something a bit different.

    Opening with “1696” we get mood setting clean guitars and atmospherics that quickly transform into Melodic Death Metal bliss with the signature Insomnium riffing. However, the band chooses to go faster rather than safe and typical, creating a bit of a different pace before settling into their traditional superbly melodic leads and headbanging passages. Having a couple of guests like Sakis Tolis (Rotting Christ) and Johanna Kurkela on “White Christ” and “Godforsaken” respectively, gives the band a different edge while still oozing melancholy.

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    Lorna Shore - Pain Remains (2022)

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    Unleashing one of the most punishing releases of 2022, today we have Lorna Shore and their highly anticipated release “Pain Remains”. Further refining and sharpening their razor-sharp sound, this release blasts away with over 60 minutes of brutal, and yet melodic Deathcore music unlike anything you have ever heard before. Yes, there are elements of bands like Black Dahlia Murder, Fallujah, etc., but this American outfit takes them to a whole new level with the perfect blend of blasting aggression, crafty tech proficiency, and dramatic atmosphere.

    Our first introduction to the band was this summer during their European festival run at Brutal Assault. With an unusually high amount of security guards in the photo pit, we were not prepared for how as the band hit the stage, waves of people started crowd surfing and moshing to the band’s relentless music (see some of our pics here). The album wastes no time in establishing its dominance with the piercing opener “Welcome Back, O' Sleeping Dreamer”, which nicely builds up with atmospheric arrangements until it blasts open with crushing drumming and Will Ramos insane vocals. This track, and most of the album, has a very unique vibe as it feels like a mixture of Cradle of Filth/Dimmu Borgir and The Black Dahlia Murder, but on its own level of intensity.

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    Arch Enemy - Deceivers (2022)

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    Since the addition of Alissa White-Gluz on vocals, and Jess Loomis on guitars back in 2014, Arch Enemy has massively improved the dynamics of their sound and now function like a precise Swiss watch when making catchy and technically brilliant music. On “Deceivers”, the band channels their creativity on 11 tracks and nearly 45 minutes of their signature sound… but better.

    Opening with the scorcher of “Handshake with Hell”, we get killer guitar leads, superbly catchy melodies, and a very crafty mixture of harsh and clean vocals, making this one hell of an opener and a small taste of what is to come. It is quite impressive how the band’s Melodic Death Metal sound is like no one else, as their Heavy Metal (e.g. “The Watcher” and “In the Eye of the Storm”) and even Thrash Metal (e.g. “Deceiver, Deceiver”, “Spreading Black Wings”) nicely complement the barrage of melodic riffs and wild guitar leads.

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