Metal Blade

  • Revocation - The Outer Ones (2018)

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    Perfectly blending style and brutality, today we have Revocation and their most refined opus to date: “The Outer Ones”. Featuring a sound that is reminiscent of bands like Death, Exmortus and Sylosis, this outfit delivers over 48 minutes of superbly crafted music that will keep you at the edge of your seat. While many bands focus on technicality just for the sake of it, Revocation actually crafts catchy and engaging songs that are highly technically proficient and headbangable from start to end.

    Opening with the ravaging “Of Unworldly Origin”, we get crunchy Death Metal riffs paired with intense drumming and hellish vocals. With some killer guitar leads thrown into the mix, this track sets a very lively and engaging mood that feels old-school, but will all the advantages of a modern production. The band continues to show their melodic elements in well paced songs like “That Which Consumes All Things” and the brilliant “Blood Atonement”. This last track delivers intense twin guitars and crafty tempo changes alongside some funky trippy bass guitar elements.

  • Anaal Nathrakh - A New Kind of Horror (2018)

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    Continuously working on punishing their listeners eardrums, today we have Anaal Nathrakh and their latest opus of madness “A New Kind of Horror”. As one of the most brutal bands in the world, this British twosome deliver ten ravaging tracks that blend elements from Industrial/Death/Black Metal with Grindcore aggression in a way they will have you asking for mercy after 5 minutes. If you are a fan of their destructive ways, this release should perfectly please your need for some extreme music.

    The aural assault starts with the bone-crushing “Obscene as Cancer” with massive drums and harrowing vocal arrangements that will haunt you for life. We particularly love how the band adds the clean vocals as a contrast to their demoralizing music, giving them a certain Borknagar-esque vibe but in a completely different, and more brutal, context. If you are not punished enough, “The Reek of Fear” features some creepy atmospherics that we equate to the trumpets of the rapture.

  • Behemoth – Messe Noire: Live Satanist (2018)

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    Unleashing one of the most brutal live releases of 2018, today we have Poland’s Behemoth and the “Live Satanist” audio CD part from their massive “Messe Noire” live release. Delivering the nine songs from their crushing 2014 release “Satanist”, the band showcases their tight live set and raw power they deliver to crowds. If you haven’t been able to see the band live, this release certainly brings that experience to your ears from the comfort of your own home (or car).

    The mood is brilliantly set by the mysterious opening of “Blow Your Trumpets Gabriel”, as the band levels the audience with incisive riffs and sheer heaviness. The album perfectly captures the band’s top-notch live production, allowing every single instrument to shine, with the layering just right. Showcasing their extremely tight live sound, the band pummels through the albums majestic tracks while leaving the crowd clamoring for more.

  • Primordial – Exile Amongst the Ruins (2018)

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    Perfectly aging with time, today we have Primordial and their latest opus “Exile Amongst the Ruins”. Unleashing over 65 minutes of superbly crafted music, the band builds up on their legacy with eight incisive tracks that are both catchy and undeniably effective. Featuring the band’s signature style, this release will captivate the attention of timeless fans of the band, and shall get them hordes of new fans.

    Opening with the mysterious “Nail their Tongues”, there is a certain folky and yet mystical atmosphere crafted since the first note. Led by the charismatic Alan Nemtheanga, the band’s sound is instantly recognizable with his mixture of clean leads and harsh passages, creating a very dark and yet haunting contrast. With songs like “Where Lie the Gods” and the album title track, the band slowly warms up with incisive riffs and determined drumming.

  • Ensiferum – Two Paths (2017)

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    Returning after two years since their last release, today we have one of Finland’s finest Folk Metal exports: Ensirefum, and their seventh full-length release “Two Paths”. Delivering over 53 minutes of epic Folk Metal, the band showcases both their maturity and their excellence in this killer release. Filled with epic passages and a cheerful vibe, this album is exactly what fans of the band have been waiting for.

    Setting the stage with a grandiose intro track, the album really kicks off with the extreme catchiness of “For those About to Fight for Metal”. In this anthem, the band quickly delivers their signature vocal arrangements paired with intricate guitar work and the perfect tempo to get the listener fired up. This upbeat mood continues as the band ravages through catchy tracks like “Way of the Warrior” and the album titled track.

  • DragonForce – Reaching into Infinity (2017)

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    As one of the most anticipated releases of 2017, today we have DragonForce and their brilliant return with “Reaching into Infinity”. Delivering over 60 minutes of their signature Power Metal, the band returns with a highly palatable and diverse release that will please old and new fans alike. Never resting on their laurels, the band continues to shape their sound by crafting ten brilliant tracks that are versatile, fast-paced, and highly memorable.

    The band perfectly anticipates this release with the grand opening of the album’s title track intro. This leads to the epicness of “Ashes of the Dawn”, a brilliantly paced tune that perfectly combines an upbeat tempo and emotional vocal arrangements. The band’s signature playful videogame-styled music appears on the intense “Judgment Day” and “Astral Empire”, where you have Herman Li, Sam Totman and Vadim Pruzhanov furiously playing off each other’s skills.

  • Downfall of Gaia – Atrophy (2016)

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    Wasting no time and keeping up their momentum going, today we have Downfall of Gaia and their latest full-length opus “Atrophy”. Delivering over 40 minutes of brutally crafted Post-Black Metal with some Sludge and Crust influences, the band continues their musical journey with one of the most intelligent and yet extremely brutal releases of 2016.

    Opening with the brutal “Brood”, the band quickly builds up a massive wall of sound with distorted guitars, a ponding bass guitar, and blistering drums. The vocals are as punishing as you can possibly imagine, adding to the overall demoralizing atmosphere of the track. In a bit more melodic tone, the opening riffing of “Woe” starts quite brutal and it slowly progresses into more Sludgy territories.

  • Anaal Nathrakh – The Whole of the Law (2016)

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    Pushing the limits of what is defined as extreme; today we have Anaal Nathrakh and their latest crushing release: “The Whole of the Law”. Ever since the band moved to Metal Blade Records, they have been on a warpath of destruction and insanity. Delivering over 42 minutes of brutal aural devastation, the band cranks up eleven of the most chaotic and abusive songs we have ever heard.

    After the slow atmospheric intro, the band opens their portal to hell with the crushing “Depravity Favours the Bold”. This track is filled with atmospheric arrangements paired with Dave Hunt’s multi-faceted range of vocals. The release continues to punish the listener with the brutal Grindcore onslaughts of “Hold Your Children Close and Pray for Oblivion”, the eerie Industrial elements of “We Will Fucking Kill You”, and the totally deranged vocals and Death Metal vibe of “So We Can Die Happy”.

  • Allegaeon – Proponent for Sentience (2016)

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    Hailing from the mountains of Colorado, today we have American Melodic Death Metal battalion Allegaeon and their latest opus “Proponent for Sentience”. Perfectly blending influences from the modern Technical Melodeath scene with old-school Melodic Death Metal and regular Death Metal elements, this band delivers seventy two brilliant minutes of hyper catchy and very crafty music. For fans of bands ranging from Death to The Black Dahlia Murder, this release will leave you exhausted from too much headbanging.

    Wasting no time, the band completely blows the lid of this release with a trippy atmospheric intro that bleeds into a no holds barred riffing barrage on “Proponent for Scentience I – The Conception”. The band pummels through “All Hail Science” and “From Nothing” delivering waves of acrobatic technical passages that put many bands to shave. One of our personal favorites is the mixture of acoustic guitars and different percussions used on “Gray Matter Mechanics – Apassonata Ex Machinea”.

  • Amon Amarth – Jomsviking (2016)

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    After constantly releasing brilliant albums over the years, Amon Amarath returns today with their most mature and melodic work to date: “Jomsviking”. Taking you through an eleven track journey, the band delivers a more refined and developed version of their signature style. Focusing on melody and epicness, the songs in this album are both memorable and intoxicating, allowing the listeners to fully be immersed into the band’s world.

    Opening with the first single, “First Kill”, the band lets the listener settle in with a very traditional Amon Amarth-esque piece filled with excellent guitar work and a hefty pace. Smoothly transitioning into “Wanderer”, the music gets more serious and a bit slower, allowing the powerful riffs to lead the way. The band’s session drummer Tobben Gustafsson of Vomitory fame, does a great job in delivering intricate drum patterns and keeping things tight.

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