CD Reviews
Awaiting Sacrifice – Uprise
October’s definitely the month tailor-made for masks and letting the inner demons and monsters out to scream. Though Indianapolis’ Awaiting Sacrifice, look more adapt walking out of a toxic waste facility or active asylum, than a recording studio. The five-piece finger shredding mix, release their new radioactive creation Uprise October 26. More than a few years in the making, the five songs encom...[Read More]
Krakow-Minus
Creating your best work takes time and practice. Polishing and repeating each step as much as necessary till the grinding wheel shines. Minus is a culmination of merging the best parts of two records together. Redoing and refining the material until six songs remain that are the best of both efforts. In an EP where no filler can exist, sometimes less is more with six songs that trim the fat, chopp...[Read More]
Gruesome – Twisted Prayers
Exhumed, Possessed and Malevolent Creation each plays parts in the formation of Florida based Gruesome. When former and active members of said bands formed Gruesome modeling the sound after death metal forefathers Death, expectations were reasonably high. Less than half a decade in they’ve released one full length with the upcoming June 1 Relapse release of Twisted Prayers. A slamming sophomore s...[Read More]
Dustin Behm-The Beyond
Dustin Behm has translated an unlimited amount of musical ideas through fingers to guitar with new release The Beyond. There’s no telling where his fretboard thoughts and fantasies will go, note to note, riff to riff, but he’s recorded 13 songs with insanely complex sound tapestries built to show what he’s capable of on the neck. With solos and note clusters that sound perfectly laser cut w...[Read More]
Leaves’ Eyes – Sign of the Dragonhead
Leaves‘ Eyes are the loud, proud, symphonic, growling scribes of Nordic history and the tellers of ancient sagas. Whether swinging swords on the shore, pillaging a village or playing in the forest they bring the middle ages to modern life, seamlessly intertwining music and narrative. They’ve sung about mermaids, the Vinland’s, strong and passionate women, and the first king of Norway as they’ve mo...[Read More]
Wait Hell In Pain – Wrong Desire
Rome, Italy’s Wait Hell In Pain tackles the series issue of physical abuse against women on their debut Wrong Desire. The record’s fictional main character May endures physical and psychological abuse, eventually reaching her boiling point. Knowing the past can’t be changed and the ramifications of her emerging dark thought patterns, she contemplates escape by any means necessary. Turning h...[Read More]
SERENADE – ONIRICA
Formed in 2009 with debut record Wandering Through Sorrow under their belts, Italian symphonic new blood Serenade changed direction, sound and band members straying from an early gothic sound to a heavier, progressive thrash feel. Sophomore release Onirica has the hallmarks of the symphonic greats, bombastic sounds, grandiose guitars and the searing, stirring soprano delivery of vocalist Claudia L...[Read More]
Black Mare – Death Magick Mother
Imagine the scene in The Shawshank Redemption when Andy plays the record over the PA system as the ladies sing about something so beautiful it couldn’t be put in words. Sera Timms has put words to the music though it’s almost a distant background accompaniment. Like a distant alluring voice in the mist or a hypnotic, subliminal call in a dream. Black Mare is Los Angeles based Timms’ solo endeavor ...[Read More]
Insatia – Phoenix Aflame
High-spirited, high-flying female fronted symphonic metal from Tuscan by way of Montreal, QC comes from the four members of Insatia. Like the flowing astral angel in the cosmos on the cover, Zoë Federoff, ascends listeners up with heavenly operatic vocals, melding a sound intertwining Siobhán Fahey (Shakepeares Sister) and Anette Olzon (Nightwish). The music plays with a ballerinas grace as her v...[Read More]
Kabbalah – Spectral Ascent
Kabbalah comes from Pamplona, Spain, comprised of drummer Carmen, bassist Marga formerly of local band Las Culebras and guitarist Alba. The curiosity of the esoteric mystery’s that loom in the darker realms of witchcraft and closed door arts intrigued the ladies to create new music in 2013. They began a unique, impressive cycle of music that’s progressed to this year’s Spectral Ascent. Primitive S...[Read More]
Nervecell – Past, Present …Torture
Nervecell answers the territorial question of what would happen if Dubai invaded ancient Egypt with musically-heavy atrocities. Breathing life and voice into their own god’s with thrashing loud, heavy, technical guitars, blistering drums and a voice from the abyss itself with bludgeoning death metal bowing to Nile, Morbid Angel, Deicide, Behemoth and Origin in the Middle East. Formed in 2000, thei...[Read More]
Death Koolaid bring more Poison on Vol. 2
The seven songs on the new release from Death Koolaid could be compared to the thought process of a straight jacketed inmate running into walls playing cranium bumper car. Death Koolaid’s music is loud, erratic, abrasive, screaming in your face with rude intent. Vol. 2 is a fast paced pit serenade to the speed of punk and the feminine screaming likes of Butcher Babies, along with Otep, Wendy O. Wi...[Read More]