Pre-Hispanic instruments & Aztec lore bombastically melded with brutal death metal! The ehecachichtli, more commonly known as the Aztec death whistle, is utterly creepy. Shaped like skulls, they were apparently used during sacrificial rituals and emitted atmospheric wind-like sounds. Larger modern reproductions make a higher pitched shrieking sound (which may not be true to the […]
Kalaveraztekah / Nikan Axkan – Album Review Read More »
Symphonic classic mastery collides beautifully with brutal death metal! I was a band kid for half of my school life, an accomplished clarinet player who sadly didn’t do much beyond high school. During this time, my appreciation for classical and baroque music grew. There isn’t anything quite like it, with the complex arrangements, various movements,
Aephanemer / Utopie – Album Review Read More »
Technical, melodic, & atmospheric sci-fi influenced progressive death metal! I love science fiction, having read many novels by greats such as Asimov, Bradbury, and Herbert, and though I don’t read as much as I used to, I always enjoy diving into modern sci-fi as well as revisiting the classics. Sci-fi and metal go so well
Fallujah / Xenotaph – Album Review Read More »
Demon Hunter’s best since “The Triptych,” maybe their best period! American metal band Demon Hunter released their twelfth album last month, “There Was a Light Here.” I have been a Demon Hunter fan since the beginning, having seen their first tour well over 20 years ago and many many shows since, including their 20 year
Demon Hunter / There Was a Light Here – Album Review Read More »
Progressive & technical science fiction themed death metal! British Columbia, Canada, sci-fi tech deathers Exterminatus, released their latest, “Echoes from a Distant Star: Part I,” in April of this year. This album is an absolute onslaught of brutal and highly technical death metal, with lots of variety that rarely strays from warp speed. Their name
Exterminatus / Echoes from a Distant Star: Part I – Album Review Read More »
Haunting gothic death doom with blackened edges! My love for the recent Tribunal album has IG recommending more doom to me, helping discover Aeonian Sorrow, a collaboration between Greek and Finnish musicians (including members from Red Moon Architect). The band recently released a 4-song EP, “From the Shadows,” but at 31 minutes and only one
Aeonian Sorrow / From the Shadows – EP Review Read More »
Cool symphonic metal debut with a progressive twist! UK symphonic metal newcomers, Tales of Time, just released their debut EP, “The Journey.” This is symphonic metal at its core, with operatic cleans and gutteral growls, great orchestration, and crushing guitars and drums. The keyboards are fantastic and complement the guitars well, and the bass guitar
Tales of Time / The Journey – EP Review Read More »
Epic orchestral gothic death doom! Finding new bands can sometimes feel like a large coincidence. It was the week of Hyperspace Metal Festival in early April. Amidst various related posts, IG surfaces an album release show in mid-May for a band I was unfamiliar with, but I thought they sounded cool. Then, while waiting in
Tribunal / In Penitence and Ruin – Album Review Read More »
Atmospheric Gothic Death Doom that takes time to build! Finnish gothic death doom metal band Swallow the Sun released their latest album, “Shining,” in October 2024. The death and doom elements are less prevalent than “Moonflowers”, though still show up at opportune times. There is tons of atmosphere and dynamic contrast as with previous releases,
Swallow the Sun / Shining – Album Review Read More »
