GRIM LEGION - Harbingers of Death review

 

GRIM LEGION - Harbingers of Death

Horror Pain Gore Death Productions

If you're gonna play Extreme Metal than the opening assault of your release must be devastating. If ya wanna slow it down later on that's fine. But I come from a military background and as an expert in ambushes you just want to start by an explosion to fuck their asses up. Then follow with sustained fire into the kill zone. After that run across the field and make sure no one is living.

I look at a Death Metal release the same way and what we have here is pretty cool. The cover art on this release is damm good. Musically it's Old School Death Metal / Death Doom. If I was gonna name drop hell it's Sweden's GRAVE meets USA's INCANTATION. But of course we have to look who is in this band to get a better picture. 

GRIM LEGION is a five piece act from the great state of New Jersey. I can say that because I was born and lived there till 1976. Both guitarists of this band are also in EVOKEN as in John Paradiso and Randy Cavanaugh. The other band members are drummer Ryan Donato, bassist Markus Misery and damm good Death Metal vocalist Devlin Bane (aka: Carmine Vincent Matteliano).

Originally GRIM LEGION started out in 1988 and called it a day by 1991. To their record they did produce three demos. In 2011 the band reformed and eventually released a debut full length, Unholy Resurrection, in 2014 and also on this label. Fast forward to now and yeah if you're into the whole old school formula of Death Metal and some Death Doom then you'll like this one a lot. It's a punishing MFer, Nuff Said!

https://www.horrorpaingoredeath.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://hpgd.bandcamp.com/album/harbingers-of-death

IRON KOBRA - Eternal Dagger review

 

IRON KOBRA - Eternal Dagger

Dying Victims Productions

The first time I heard IRON KOBRA was on a split 7" incher they did with a band called ATOM SMASHER in 2023. Back then I gave the win to ATOM SMASHER on that split. But here we are a few years later with the third full length by this German four piece Metal act. After a few listens I was easily a fan of this release because it reminds of the late 1980's. 

The tagline on this release as far as a genre description is Heavy Metal. OK sure but no it's not. This is early Power Metal. What you have here musically is early MAIDEN - esque galloping rhythms, a lot of Speed Metal style and a great Metal vocalist. Back in the day we fans just called it Metal. It was the late 1980's, we were bored with the big name bands and this sound came out which was cool. 

Years, well decades, later I was playing a CD at a party and a friend said "I didn't know you liked Power Metal." I was like no I hate Power Metal because at that time the genre was / is pathetic. But no because of some music scribes cool sounding post Heavy Metal was defined as Power Metal. Whatever, so what we have here is cool as fuck.

I mean what's not to like. Opener "Trembling Dungeons" starts off with a great Heavy Metal scream by vocalist / guitarist Sir Serpent. And from that point on you get furious riffs, a pounding rhythm section and dynamic soloing. You get nine cuts in all and in my not so humble opinion IRON KOBRA's Eternal Dagger is my favorite album of this genre style this year, so far of course.

https://dying-victims.de/

LISTEN HERE:

https://dyingvictimsproductions.bandcamp.com/album/eternal-dagger

REVOLTING - Supernatural Anthems review

 

REVOLTING -  Supernatural Anthems

Xtreem Music

If you read this blog (and frankly who doesn't?) then you know I've been a fan of Rogga Johansson who has been the most important artist in Swedish Death Metal for the past three decades. The guy is involved in various bands my favorites being PAGANIZER and REVOLTING. 

Just for the record PAGANIZER has a decent album out this year titled As Mankind Rots on Xtreem Music. So here we have REVOLTING's tenth album. Hey I gotta say their last full length, Night of the Horrid, from 2024 was damm good. Plus it had the album cover of the year in my not so humble opinion.

Be all of that as it may REVOLTING's tenth full length is pretty fucking savage which is what this band has all been about. Musically this is a pilgrimage into what we Extreme Metal fans love about Swedish Death Metal. Listening to this makes me forget to a point the originals who created the genre. 

Which is why I respect Rogga Johansson because the guy keeps the genre music exciting without playing games. I like that a lot and this tenth full length by REVOLTING is cool as fuck. The album cover is not as great as the last one. But musically this is ripping Swede Death at it's finest. 

You've got Revolting Rogga on vocals and rip roaring riffs with dynamic soloing. Grotesque Tobias delivers some pounding bass work. And of course drummer Mutated Martin is one of the best percussionists in the genre. I mean seriously the guys a maniac. 

I thought REVOLTING's last album was great. This one here just blows that opinion aside with a slap across the face. I like this album a lot. Rogga you're a great Swede Death MFer!

https://fullofmetal.com/en/

LISTEN HERE:

https://xtreemmusic.bandcamp.com/album/supernatural-anthems

ACOLYTHUS - Unearthly Kingdoms Neath Lifeless Stars review

 

ACOLYTHUS - Unearthly Kingdoms Neath Lifeless Stars

Inverse Records

So this came in on the PR info that it was Old School Finnish Black Metal. Ah really? I mean they don't sound like BEHERIT or IMPALED NAZARENE who were two of the most important Finnish BM bands of the early era. This band also does not sound like ARCHGOAT, HORNA, BEHEXEN, SARGEIST or SATANIC WARMASTER. All of whom are / were killer as fuck and literally defined the whole Finnish Black Metal scene for decades. 

Actually ACOLYTHUS come across as one or two Finnish BM bands from the 1990's who just copied what the Swedes and Norwegians were doing. Pardon me if I don't name drop because it's late and I'm too tired to search through two and half standing shelves of Black Metal releases to find a good sharp nail. Obviously after one listen it's clear that this Finnish three piece are influenced from a more melodic form of the genre. I like that to a point. 

The vocals are of that blackened screech as well as baritone style. You've got the icy tremolo picked riffs. The drum work is good but for me this is introduction Black Metal for people with nose rings and gender confusion issues. Nuff Said!  

https://www.inverse.fi/

LISTEN HERE:

https://acolythus.bandcamp.com/album/unearthly-kingdoms-neath-lifeless-stars

GORENCEPHALIC - Gore of the Forgotten EP Re-Release review

GORENCEPHALIC - Gore of the Forgotten EP re-release

Nihilistic Holocaust

So when this came in for review I checked out the band's line-up and saw that their drummer use to play in MYSTIFIER. That was a guarantee to check this out. Let me be clear on this point. If it wasn't for Greyhaze Records reissues of great Extreme Metal bands from South America then Metal fans here in the states wouldn't know shit about the greatness of bands from South America. 

With that said there's a bunch of things to say but the main thing I like about GORENCEPHALIC is their rhythm section. It's a standout which makes them non generic. Sound-wise this four piece band from Brazil is all Brutal Fuckin Death Metal with a progressive bent. But not too much since the rhythm section delivers in such a bad ass fashion. Usually it's the vocals and riffs matched with the drum work which defines Brutal Fuckin DM. 

Just for the record since I didn't mention it earlier, GORENCEPHALIC is a four piece Brutal DM act from Brazil who started out in 2023. Since then they've put out a handful of short form releases. Basically it's been a handful of singles and two EPs. This particular release originally came out in late 2024 as a five song EP. Now it's all five songs plus the song "Body Snatcher" which was an early single. Add to that you've got two live cuts. 

Now in all honesty when it comes to Extreme Metal from Brazil the first band name I'd always say is KRISIUN. Sure I like / have releases by the legacy bands from the great nation of Brazil as well as other nations from South America. But for me KRISIUN is it. GORENCEPHALIC just charged up behind em. I hope they release something really cool in the near future. 

https://nihilistic-webzine-distro.fr/

LISTEN HERE:

https://gorencephalic.bandcamp.com/album/gore-of-the-forgotten-2

 

FLESHCRAWL - Epitome of Carnage review

 

FLESHCRAWL - Epitome of Carnage

Reigning Phoenix Music

Well there's a lot to unpack here so let's hit it. FLESHCRAWL is the best German version of Old School Swedish Death Metal there is from that great nation. The band started out back in 1991 under this name and has since release a bunch of material as in short form and full length releases. This release here is the band's tenth.

I first got into FLESHCRAWL with their seventh full length, Made of Flesh, from 2004. That one came out on Metal Blade Records so yeah duh? Anyways back then Melo-Deth was still the rage with losers and here was a band cranking out ENTOMBED style Death Metal. Stranger still is that it would be four more years until the whole Old School Death Metal revival in Sweden and the US would come about big time. 

Since then I did pick up their 2007 full length, Structures of Death, which also came out on Metal blade Records. According to J-Dawg from Hells Headbangers Records the band's first EP, Lost in a Grave, is the best thing they've ever done. Unfortunately I never got that or any of their early material. Sorry I guess I'm just one of those people who likes their Old School Swedish Death Metal to come from Sweden. 

So with all of that said here we are with FLESHCRAWL's tenth full length. And to no surprise yeah it's Swede Death to the fuckin hilt. But what is surprising is that the line-up has changed so much but their sound hasn't. Drummer Bastian Herzog is the only original member but I'll give em props for keeping the legacy going. Bassist Manu Markowski has been with the band since 2011. After that everyone is new. 

On vocals there's Borisz Sarafutgyinov who joined in 2021 and sounds exactley like their last two vocalists. The guitar duo here is Christian Kalbrecht and Apu Justin Reisch who both joined in 2020. These guys have been totally schooled on the classic Swede Death sound of old. When I listen to this I'm thinking yeah ENTOMBED should've followed this left hand path instead of going where they did. In all honesty I'd rather listen to NIHILIST demo instead of Left Hand Path. 

With all of that said this new one from Germany's FLESHCRAWL rules. But let's remember that there's a guy in Sweden named Rogga Johansson who's been the king of Swedish DM for close to thirty years now with a ton of bands. So pick your Swede Death wisely.  

https://reigningphoenixmusic.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPiF73Z_NYI

AGELESS GATEWAY - Corruptor of Stars review

AGELESS GATEWAY - Corruptor of Stars

Godz ov War Productions

This is the debut full length by Poland's AGELESS GATEWAY which is a one man Atmospheric Black Metal act. The one man is Apparition who obviously performs everything. Honestly it took me three listens to this release in order to appreciate and respect the quality which this artist put into it. I mean it's 2026 and this style of BM has to be inviting without being generic in order to be liked. 

On this release I'll say it's a hell yeah. Apparition creates soundscapes which are in part brutal (hello he's Polish) with plenty of bestial attitude along with classic riffs which can be icy at times. But in the long run invokes horror. Listening to this is like walking into an old house. The hallway is freaky enough but then you enter a room. The door behind you shuts and then you are overwhelmed by a ghostly / ghastly haunt.

This might be Apparition's first release but damm! The illusions his compositions create are amazing as well as memorable and need to be listened to forever. It's 2026 and you want something which will last? 

http://godzovwar.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://godzovwarproductions.bandcamp.com/album/corruptor-of-stars