SANDSTORM - Dungeon of Death Mini LP review

 

SANDSTORM - Dungeon of Death Mini LP

Dying Victims Productions

I've listened to this short LP release a few times. But in all honesty when I first heard the opening title cut I was in another world aka: my past. I was young again. I had long hair and banging my head. Yeah this release is nostalgic as white on rice. It's NWOBHN style but not the more popular bands from that 1980's era. No this is what we use to call Underground. You would be in the record store and see a cool looking album cover in the Import's section then buy it. I know, it was a innocent time back them. 

But anyways SANDSTORM, who started out in 2017, is a three piece act featuring two brothers from Sweden on guitar / vocals / bass and a drummer from Canada. Ah yeah I know it's kinda weird but hey it's 2026. The two Swedes are Stevie Whiteless on guitars / vocals and Reptile Anderson on bass / vocals. Their drummer from Canada is PJ “The Butcher” LaGriffe. 

Musically this is very melodic sounding stuff. In fact it does fall into PAGAN ALTAR territory a bit. In all I gotta say a Mini album is cool but not enough. Since starting out this band has released a handful of short form releases prior to this new one. I say put em all together on one CD. That's my suggestion but hey if you're really feeling nostalgic then check this release out. 

https://dying-victims.de/

LISTEN HERE:

https://dyingvictimsproductions.bandcamp.com/album/dungeon-of-death

MORTUARY - Great Black Earth EP review

 

MORTUARY - Great Black Earth EP

Horror Pain Gore Death Productions

Alright so there's a bunch to unpack here. First off there are a ton of bands world wide with the band name MORTUARY. This one here hails from Mexico. The original band (that's a key point which I'll explain later) started out in 1988. 

Now if you're one of those people, like me, who years ago decided to invest huge sums of money into buying reissued demos as well as obscure releases by Death Metal bands from way back when. Then you might have this band's debut full length release, Blackened Images, which came out in 1991 on some obscure label. I have the reissue from 2020 which came out on Iron Bonehead Productions. The cover art won me over better than the music.

Anyways here we are now with some new stuff by these Mexican Death Thrash vets. I mean prior to this they have released some stuff. They had a second full length, Shine of the End, from 1995 which I never heard. And they have some short form releases as well. But this is new stuff which basically says "Hey we're still around." "We're a nostalgia act and we head line shows for once. And we opened for SLAYER".

Be that as it may on this latest four song release modern day Mexican MORTUARY sounds pretty good. Basically it's an early version of SLAYER meets Death Metal soundwise. The only original member, like I pointed out earlier, is lead guitarist Alberto Martinez. He's still doing these dive bomb solos, like on the first album, like Kerry King on coke. 

With that said the new band Alberto Martinez has surrounded himself with are damm good. Musically it's still Death Metal SLAYER but props to bassist / vocalist Coke DeadMan. Whowever he is does a great job with the DM and Thrash style vocals. All in all it's a great release but more need to be done. 

Mexico's MORTUARY needs to put out a new full length. Secondly some label, maybe this one, needs to reissue the band's first demo from 1989 as well as all of the band's short form release material. Get your Metal Head credit card out there and buy, buy, buy! Nuff Said. 

https://www.horrorpaingoredeath.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://hpgd.bandcamp.com/album/great-black-earth

WHIRLWIND - 1640 review

 

WHIRLWIND - 1640

Dying Victims Productions

So the promo genre tagline on this is Heavy Metal. OK sure it's that but if I played this to some certain friends of mine, the types who buy HELLOWEEN tickets a year in advance. They would say it's Power Metal. After a few listens I kinda agree.

This is the second full length by WHIRLWIND who are a four piece act from the great nation of Spain. Musically it doesn't remind me of the classic 80's era of Heavy Metal. Instead it's a ringer for those early days when Power Metal was first coined. I mean it was thrashy, great guitar soloing and the vocals were powerful.

That's what WHIRLWIND is all about. Starting with Hector Llaurado who is an amazing vocalist. He's got what I always call that "real guy" sound and could reach some higher octaves but not to Halford levels. Secondly you've got guitarist and original creative mainman of this band Mark Wild. He is the mastermind / songwriter which is on point on all of these cool songs. 

Whether it's the 80's Metal style power classic cut "Through Fire and Blood", the full on early Power Metal sound of "Rage of the Conqueror" along with "Ready to Explode" or the thirteen minute epic "Marching to Victory" which ends this album. This release is a winner. Great looking album cover to boot.

https://dying-victims.de/

LISTEN HERE:

https://dyingvictimsproductions.bandcamp.com/album/1640

PIG'S BLOOD - Destroying the Spirit review

 

PIG'S BLOOD - Destroying the Spirit

Dark Descent Records

Of course I've known about PIG'S BLOOD. I've got their first two full lengths which came out on Godz ov War Productions. Normally Godz ov War Productions puts out stuff by Polish or Eastern European bands. So it was a shocker they released something from a Milwaukee, Wisconsin Death Metal act. I'm guessing someone in PIG'S BLOOD is Polish. 

PIG'S BLOOD started out in 2015 with a demo. Then came their first full length in 2017. Musically their sound was Midwest American Death Metal heritage of old. Their second full length, A Flock Slaughtered, came out in 2019 also on Godz ov War Productions. Still the band sounded the same with what I called a newer touch on the brutal side of the genre. Add to that you had some deathly doom blasting's. 

So here we are now and this third full length by PIG'S BLOOD is their best as well as more into what their new label, Dark Descent Records, produces on a yearly basis. Now is that an insult to Dark Descent Records? Yeah it is because four years ago I started having a problem with that label's releases sounding generic. The past two years I'm satisfied to say yeah I'm right and I'm bored with their stuff. 

Be that as it may PIG'S BLOOD pretty much rule on this release. The opening cut, "Standing in Depravity" sets the stage with blackened death vocals, a punishing sound which later rips into the next cut "Destroying the Spirit". There's plenty of tremolo picked riffs, trigger drum assaults, bestial / beast vocals. Actually this is the type of DM release you need to turn down late at night or the cops will show up. 

https://www.darkdescentrecords.com/shop/

LISTEN HERE:

https://darkdescentrecords.bandcamp.com/album/destroying-the-spirit

VOMITORY - In Death Throes review

 

VOMITORY - In Death Throes

Metal Blade Records

They're back...! Yes it's VOMITORY's tenth full length and if you could just see the sick sadistic grin I'm sporting while blasting this new full length release. Now for those of you who read this blog (and frankly who doesn't) then you know I love my Old School Swedish Death Metal to the hilt. Also if the so called Big Four of Old School Swede DM are DISMEMBER, ENTOMBED, GRAVE and UNLEASHED. Then VOMITORY is number five hands down. 

Now aside from rehashing the past, well fuck it. Terrorize Brutalize Sodomize from 2007 is still my favorite release by em. Raped in Their Own Blood from 1996 is number two. There was that period of loss after 2011's Opus Mortis VIII came out. VOMITORY were gone until their comeback in 2023 with All Heads Are Gonna Roll. That album showed that the band were still worthy of kicking your fucking ass. In Death Throes not only has you assholes on the ground but this band is stepping on your face.

Yes VOMITORY (aka: bassist / vocalist Erik Rundqvist, drummer Tobias Gustafsson, guitar riff maniac Urban Gustafsson and new lead guitarist Christian Fredriksson) have released an ultimate follow up as well as proving once again they refuse to change to wimp melodic times or asshole progressive, hipster bullshit. You've got ten cuts of ferocious, uncompromising Old School Death Metal. Yes VOMITORY is far more brutal sounding then their predecessors. 

Hey every track on here is killer but my favorites are "For Gore and Country", “Wrath Unbound" (the head banging slam pit starts here). The same can be said about "Two and a Half Men" and damm I do miss slam dancing, The real shit not that push and shove crap or that moronic dance assholeness. Yeah VOMITORY is back and just as bad ass as before. I'll be blasting this one for the rest of 2026 and beyond. 

https://www.metalblade.com/us/

LISTEN HERE:

https://vomitory.bandcamp.com/album/in-death-throes

CHARIOTS OVERDRIVE - The End of Antiquity review

 

CHARIOTS OVERDRIVE - The End of Antiquity

Gates of Hell Records

I am shocked, shocked I say because this band reminds me of CIRITH UNGOL in that the music is great but the vocals are horrible. OK horrible is not the right description. I'll just say they're out of sync with the style of music being produced on this release.

This is the debut release by CHARIOTS OVERDRIVE a four piece act from Georgia. By the way all four members of this band are from China. They started out in 2023 and prior to this they released a demo and a single. 

Musically this a mix of 80's Underground Metal, some Thrash and Power Metal. All in all I like their sound throughout this nine song release. The opening acoustic guitar instrumental opening sucks. Then it rocks with "Parasite" which is cool. Every song on here, except for the other instrumental "Sunken Throb" is cool. 

So here's the problem in not so humble opinion. CIRITH UNGOL had Tim Baker's over the top octave vocals. This band has a punk rock singer who can't push an octave above a real guy vocal to save his life. When he tries to push it higher then you feel screwed. The guy's name is Hong Zhao who plays rhythm guitar, some leads and sings. 

One dollar says they get deported as Chinese spies. 

http://www.gatesofhellrecords.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://chariotsoverdrive.bandcamp.com/album/the-end-of-antiquity

HELLRIPPER – Coronach review

 

HELLRIPPER – Coronach

Century Media Records

OK so for starters I'm a HELLRIPPER fan but in all honesty I don't go back re-listening to their releases as much as I do with early MIDNIGHT or TOXIC HOLOCAUST. Those two bands need to be mentioned because HELLRIPPER is basically the Scottish version of them. All are one man bands doing Blackened Thrash / Speed Metal. The one man in this case is James McBain who performs everything in the studio.  

I got into HELLRIPPER way back with their The Manifestation of Evil EP from 2015. So sure when James McBain started out the sound was raw aka: low production, etc. Then the full lengths came out and hell yeah this guy was a new leading force from Scotland doing what Americans were doing already (aka: early MIDNIGHT and TOXIC HOLOCAUST). 

I'll say that this release sound wise is a well produced Blackened Thrash album. It's the best thing HELLRIPPER has ever done. When it comes to the riffs as well as guitar soloing this one shines. Of course the added keyboards gives it a cool Symphonic BM feel on a couple of cuts. McBain is mostly in a Blackened screech vocal mode throughout this release.

But all in all after five listens in two days I'm not into returning to it for a while. Still it's a great release. 

https://www.centurymedia.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://hellripper.bandcamp.com/album/coronach-24-bit-hd-audio