HENRY KANE - Circle of Pain review

 

HENRY KANE - Circle of Pain

Selfmadegod Records

Jonny Pettersson is another extreme metal musician from Sweden who (in a long line) just wants to seperate from the whole band thing once in a while and go solo in order to create want he likes. I know him as being guitarist / multi-instrumentalist for WORMBATH and HEADS FOR THE DEAD. Both of those bands are amazing in my not so humble opinion. 

As far as this solo stuff under the name HENRY KANE goes I did like his second album Age of the Idiot from 2020. That one came out on another label and if you're into grind meets post 80's hardcore then you'll like it a lot. Unfortunately I never got any early stuff from em. As far as this one here goes well the WOW factor is in place. I mean as far as Swedish Death Metal goes, WORMBATH is Jonny Pettersson's signature home nation death metal act. But this album is better.

Circle of Pain just kicks off in your face. It explodes with a mix of diabolical riffs, ice cold solos and (shocker here) DARK FUNERAL keyboard style atmosphere back ups. Yeah I know holy shit I'm shocked. Welcome to 2024 and it 's 2006 sounding Black Fuckin Metal from a Swede. Blackmoon (aka: David Parland) must be rolling in his grave over this. 

Jonny Pettersson pulls off a great sounding Swedish Black Metal album in 2024. Frankly this was totally unexpected. The amazing powerful brutal vocals. Add to that the trudging riffs along with the icy tremolo picked riffs and cool soloing. Plus the keyboard background atmosphere which adds to the fury. Yes this is one of the best Black Metal albums of 2024. I know yeah I'm shocked!

https://selfmadegod.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://selfmadegod.bandcamp.com/album/circle-of-pain

ALKONOST - Dar Salamandry review

 

ALKONOST - Dar Salamandry

Self Release

So how does an old Metal Head from NC know about some long time Russian Pagan / Folk Metal band? Well let me take you back to the late 2000s. It was at that time when Pagan, Folk and Viking metal was a big thing. I mean hello Pagan Fest! Yeah there was a bandwagon of acts, some older and a bunch of newbies, all wanting to be known. I got into all of that music and looking back some bands were great plus I'm still a fan. 

Now the 2000s was when I was doing the early version of this blog. At that time I was getting some official stuff to review from a guy in Poland and another guy from the Ukraine. Now along with the official stuff, each of these guys would ask me if I was interested in other metal stuff. Of course I always said sure which led to me getting download links to a variety of stuff from their collections. Once the guy from Ukaine found out I liked Pagan / Folk metal then he started sending me stuff like that. That's how I learned about the Russian Folk Metal act ARKONA. I've got three of their releases. And another Russian band I got turned onto was ALKONOST.

I was sent a download link for Songs of the Eternal Oak which was ALKONOST's debut full length from 2000. Now that release was totally ahead of it's time as far as the sub genre goes. It was also a lot different for what was to come. So fast forward a few years and there was this website / blog dedicated to more obscure Pagan Folk Metal in the world. The site also had a distro and they had a review for ALKONOST's seventh full length On the Wings of the Call from 2010. Now this one was way different then what I'd heard before. In a way it sounded like a Pagan Folk version of Tarja Turunen era NIGHTWISH. And yeah that was a good thing. 

But now we fast forward to 2024 and as far as this latest one goes well there's been some changes to say the least. Gone is vocalist Alyona Pelevina and has been replaced by Ksenia Pobuzhanskaya in 2012. Guitarist Andrey Losev is the last remaining original 1990's member. You also have a newer rhythm section featuring Vadim Grozov on bass and Dmitry Bortsov on drums. So I'm listening to this one and I'm liking it a lot. I mean it's cool as well as accessible to anyone with sense. 

Ksenia has a wider range in vocal style then her predecessor. Sure she can hit those operatic tones. But she nails the melodic touches which makes this album rock and yeah it fuckin hits symphonic metal style. I wonder if this album was played on the front lines over there between the Ukraine and Russia that the firing would stop. Well we can wish right? Either way I think this new ALKONOST is cool. 

LISTEN TO & BUY IT HERE:

https://alkonostrussia.bandcamp.com/album/--17

BLACKEVIL - Praise the Communion Fire for the Unhallowed Sacrament review

 

BLACKEVIL - Praise the Communion Fire for the Unhallowed Sacrament

Dying Victims Productions

So this came in under the tag line of Blackened Thrash from Germany. Actually this three piece calls Bavaria home but be that as it may. Just look at these guys and yeah you know or at least can take a guess as to what type of music you're expecting. 

Then you give this, their third full length, a listen and go whoa! I mean a year ago someone I know in a FB Metal group told me there is Blackened Power Metal. So I was like OK name some. He named a couple of bands and I was no their not Power Metal at all. But here I have a band who would meet his needs. 

BLACKEVIL combine a lot on this seven song release. Yeah this band pushes the epic touches. All of the typical characteristics are hear. There's plenty of thrash meets NWOBHM style which just makes it an exciting listen. The black metal influence is of the late 90's melodic era. Yeah this is like a blackened version of HELLOWEEN's second album. 

That last sentence is fuckin blasphemy to Power Metal fans but so what. It took a few listens to this in order to Get It. And I'm so glad I did. There needs to be some diabolical influences into Power Metal. I believe BLACKEVIL has a niche for the genre stalwarts to recognize. Plus the production on here is damm good. I had the house speakers blasting this one. Unfortunately I forgot that the outdoor speakers were on as well. So my neighbors got a two song dose of BLACKEVIL before I turned em off. Thankfully they didn't call the cops on me again.

Epic Blackened Power Metal and I've gotta send this to that guy who came up with stupid suggestions. With that said it's on this release's final track, "Towards the Carpathian Winter Battle" that BLACKEVIL show their roots to say the least. In the end it's fucking unique and an interesting listen.

https://dying-victims.de/

LISTEN HERE:

https://dyingvictimsproductions.bandcamp.com/album/praise-the-communion-fire-for-the-unhallowed-sacrament

NILE - The Underworld Awaits Us All review

 

NILE - The Underworld Awaits Us All

Napalm Records

Obviously I don't mind repeating myself in reviews so there's no exception here. Yeah I'm a NILE fan so bias alert. I saw NILE on their first tour with INCANTATION at a small club I worked at years ago. That was in 1998 I believe so ever since then I've been a fan. Now even though I've got all of their full lengths as well as other short form releases. I have not been into everything they've put out. 

Honestly Those Whom the Gods Detest, which came out in 2009, is their last one which I think kicks fuckin ass. Since then they've come out with three decent full lengths. But this new one surpasses them by a mile. Then again the band has changed a bit in talent. You've still got mainman Karl Sanders on vocals, guitars, bass and keyboards. Then there's the human octopus on drums George Kollias. Plus you've got Brian Kingsland on guitars and vocals who joined in 2017. Now add to that you've got new guys Dan Vadim Von on bass and adding vocals plus Zach Jeter on guitars and vocals.

So with this line-up comes an album which has been five years since their last one. And it's on a label which I once said years ago where good bands go to die. But NILE is not getting the mummy treatment on here. The Underworld Awaits Us All is their most brilliant piece of work ever. If you're waiting to be knocked over by the band's brutal tech death style then you're in the back seats. I mean sure there's that but this release is like brutal tech death opera. 

This is a sit down release or better yet let it blast throughout your house on speakers while you do stuff. The song structures are intense as well as wild. The guitar soloing is over the top. The vocals are a crazed variety of the standard brutal style but the other add ons are cool as fuck. So yeah this is the best thing they've done in a while.  

https://shop.napalmrecords.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://nile.bandcamp.com/album/the-underworld-awaits-us-all

ENCOFFINATION / SHAMBLES split release

 

ENCOFFINATION / SHAMBLES split release

Selfmadegod Records

I've used a lot of metaphors when it comes to split releases. But I've got a new one and it's 'Buy for One and Get the Second One Free'. And that perfectly explains this release because on here you've got one US band that I'm a huge fan of and another band from Thailand who I've only read about.

So let's start with the new one SHAMBLES who are a four piece blackened death doom act. They contribute two long pieces of hate filled blasphemic brutality. In a way they remind me of IMPIETY from Singapore. SHAMBLES has been around since the late 1990's and have changed their extreme style over the decades. On here they're decent as in something that crawled out from the pits of hell and want to devour you. 

Next up are ENCOFFINATION who I've been a fan of since their Ritual Ascension Beyond Flesh full length came out in 2010. By the way that was also released on CD by Selfmadegod Records. Bias Alert? Sure why not because years ago I learned that ENCOFFINATION were not only slow and pure death doom but listening to one of their full lengths and a day would be over with. 

Case in point what SHAMBLES does in ten to eleven minutes on this split release. ENCOFFINATION takes under six minutes and it feels like a half hour has past by. If you listened to the whole ENCOFFINATION discography in a row you would think two years had passed you by. Yeah I'm talking about riffs with cobwebs and dust upon em. I'm talking about cavernous bestial vocals that sound like the snores from a hibernating grizzly bear.

As always there's got to be a winner in a split release, much like a wrestling match. On here ENCOFFINATION just fuckin rule. 

https://selfmadegod.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://selfmadegod.bandcamp.com/album/split-cd-smg-368

LEGIONS OF DOOM - The Skull 3 review

LEGIONS OF DOOM - The Skull 3

Tee Pee Records

Well they could've called themselves Super Group of Doom because essentially that's what we have here. I mean check out this fuckin line-up. You've got Ron Holzner former bassist for TROUBLE and THE SKULL. Guitarist Lothar Keller also from THE SKULL plus guitarist Scott Little from LEADFOOT. Add to that you've got Henry Vasquez from SAINT VITUS on drums. But the crowning point is that you've got two vocalists sharing duties on different songs. There's Scott Reagers from SAINT VITUS and Karl Agell formerly of LEADFOOT and Blind era CORROSION OF CONFORMITY.

Yeah with a line-up like that it's like a Doom contact high. Now in all honesty I've never been a huge fan of super groups especially when it comes to Metal. Also months ago I got an email stating that this band was touring Europe under the guise of a tribute to Eric Wagner. OK fine ya need the money but you're still a tribute band playing TROUBLE / THE SKULL covers. That's not my thing I wouldn't go see em. To me the legacy of Eric Wagner ends with his last official work aka his solo album 2022's In the Lonely Light of Mourning.

So at first after giving this a few listens I thought it was decent but I had so many reservations being against it. Then twenty-four hours passed by and a couple of more listens went by. After that I think there is some greatness to this album and it was a surprise to me. As much as I like the tracks where Scott Reagers sings on. I actually like the songs with Karl Agell singing better. 

I mean Ron Holzner and Lothar Keller could've just continued THE SKULL with Karl Agell on vocals and it would be cool. The Scott Reagers songs on here are down-tuned to a SAINT VITUS level. Sure I like em but Scott go back to SAINT VITUS. Karl Agell rules on this one. A special note is that on this release the band included a Eric Wagner song from his first solo album in 2015. The song is called "Heaven". I don't care what you think but that's a fitting tribute to a great man. Great job guys this is great doom.

https://teepeerecords.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izlAVA9xtxw

HATCHEND - Summer of 69 review

 

HATCHEND - Summer of 69

Selfmadegod Records

So I'll get the obvious out of the way. Let's give the artist who came up the cover of this release some due. Re-imagining Andy Warhol's famous pop art Marilyn Monroe painting and supplementing Charles Manson's face on to it is interesting. Although if I saw this in a store I'd think it was a punk band release. Also a punk band who thought they were being cute. Then again I might think they're some indie / hiptard band trying to be ironic with the cover and the title. Thankfully there's music involved ahead of it. 

So what we have here is HATCHEND a four piece act from Sweden who are, in their words, a Thrash and Hardcore band. Hey guys ya got plenty of grindcore influence to which is why I gave this a second and third listen. That last listen sealed the deal for me. If anything HATCHEND's goal on this their debut full length is to rip off your head and shit down your neck. That is evident with their violent guitar riff attack and their vocalist who has a sheet metal roar that'll leave scars. 

This eight song album from start to finish is a full on assault to your senses. And not just mine I mean the neighbors dogs started barking and their motion lights went on. Whatafuck? By the way Sweden what happened to Death Metal? Be that as it may yeah this pounds, grinds and also rocks like a 'sumbitch' (that's a Southern US term). HATCHEND also include in their sound some Death n Roll influence which is wild. They're like the sixth band this year I've heard pushing that style and I like it. 

Get this one, blast it at a party and watch as a slam pit erupts in your living room. Who cares if your expensive flat screen TV goes flying out the front window. That'll happen by the third song of course. I can only smile in a sadistic way when I listen to this release. Yeah this one rocks your ass off. 

https://selfmadegod.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://selfmadegod.bandcamp.com/album/summer-of-69

CRUSHUMAN - Self Titled review

CRUSHUMAN - Self Titled

Horror Pain Gore Death Productions

A few years back there was a Death Metal act hailing from Washington, DC called SNIPERS OF BABEL. Despite having a bunch of short form releases to their credit. The band's only claim to fame their 2022 full length Gabriel which also came out on Horror Pain Gore Death Productions. 

This band, CRUSHUMAN, has two former members from that band. You've got Mike Bossier on guitar and bass plus drummer Mike Lumer. Their vocalist is Danny Boiko. So on this their debut full length the band's a three piece. But on a handful of songs they do have some invited guests adding vocals. 

Musically CRUSHUMAN create an extreme sided mix of Death Metal, Grindcore and post 90's Hardcore. Now given all of that, out of these seventeen songs I'm gonna go out on a non extreme metal limb and say I like their Hardcore sounding stuff. Thankfully I don't have a comments section or I'd be pillared for that. 

But hey when you hear songs like "Champions of Ruin", "Syko", "Slock", "Assassin's Special" and "Lose Face", just to name a few from the first half of this album. You can just feel that slam pit worthy energy. Now trust me, this is not Metalcore or Deathcore like the stuff we remember and cringe at. This is metal or maybe Death & Roll to a point. 

Now of course the band lays out a lot of other punishment via the crushing and atmospheric death doom of "There Was Blood Everywhere". Add to that they do the whole aggro-grind stuff. I mean yeah CRUSHMAN has created a real apocalyptic genre defying sound which would probably be a hit with anyone under thirty. 

Since I'm beyond that age group I'll just keep an eye on a neighbor who has a teenager into Metal and a basement. Ya never know, when he and his wife are out of town I'll probably see a bunch of cars parked outside, hear a fuckin racket and will know you've got a house show going on. But hey I might be that cool guy ya see down the street and wave to when I'm out front ranking leaves wearing a NAPALM DEATH shirt. But I ain't buying ya beer. 

https://www.horrorpaingoredeath.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://hpgd.bandcamp.com/album/crushuman

 

CARNOPHAGE - Matter of a Darker Nature review

 

CARNOPHAGE - Matter of a Darker Nature

Transcending Obscurity Records

Over the years I've kinda accepted the fact that I'm not a real tech death metal fan especially when the tag line is Brutal Tech Death or BROOTAL. Personally I like the repulsive style of BDM. Hey it makes me laugh. But when this came in the emails I recognized the band name because I have one of their CDs. 

Now if you're a fan of the whole brutal sounding tech death style and don't know about CARNOPHAGE well you're lacking something truly cool. I learned about em back in 2016 with their Monument full length which came out on Unique Leader Records. I was buying stuff from them at the time which was also cool. That was their second full length and I never got their debut. 

So here we have their third full length from this Turkish five piece act. They started out back in 2008 so yeah they take their time between releases. But hey give em props because they're playing this extreme style of metal in a country that has some religious things going on which might be difficult. 

Moving on from there CARNOPHAGE sound-wise still have one foot cemented in with classic BDM. Oral Akyol still does that patented bestial BDM vocal style. Guitarist Serhat Kaya who came in with their last album creates this heavy handed static style riffs. Of course Mert Kaya is still in charge of the guitar tech wizardry of accented riffs and schizo leads. 

Also cool is that the original rhythm section of bassist Bengi Oztürk and a human octopus of a drummer Onur Ozçelik keep that area of sound so insane. I mean from the opening cut "In My Bones" to the final song "From Possibility to Actuality" this duo kicks fuckin ass. It's one thing to get hit by one person with a bat. Imagine five people beating you down with bats. 

Which brings me to my final point and that's if you're really into the BROOTAL Tech Death stuff then CARNOPHAGE is the band you should be checking out as opposed to whatever the lame-stream is handing you. Now as I've said it's not my favorite thing. Actually I'm waiting for this label to put out the new PAGANIZER album. Be that as it may this new one by CARNOPHAGE fuckin rules.   

https://tometal.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://carnophage.bandcamp.com/album/matter-of-a-darker-nature

OFFICIUM TRISTE - Hortus Venenum review

 

OFFICIUM TRISTE - Hortus Venenum

Transcending Obscurity Records

So if you're into Euro style Death Doom with a heavy slant towards the inbetween of a melodic / gothic sound then maybe you've heard of this Dutch band. Then again if you haven't well you're forgiven and I'll explain why. First off since the Dutch Death Doom scene already has some high profile acts. You can see why OFFICIUM TRISTE might get pushed to the back of the line for a listener to check out (more on that later). 

Secondly OFFICIUM TRISTE are not the type of band who'll pump out releases on a regular basis. For most of their career (and they did have a short break up in the late 90's) they've taken their sweet time. Now if you're a fan then that's a plus because you want the best musical offering from the artists. So here we have their seventh full length release in a thirty year career.  

Now in all honesty I didn't get into OFFICIUM TRISTE until I'd say 2012. That's about a close proximity. But anyways I have three heritages aka: Dutch, Irish and German (yeah the tough ones) and of course if I see some Dutch extreme metal I'm gonna check it out. But hey I'm one of those people, mentioned earlier, who checked out other acts first. 

So yeah over a decade ago I got three of their releases which came out on Displeased Records all because they were highly recommended. Two of which were the full lengths Reason from 2004 and Giving Yourself Away from 2007. The third release I got was a compilation from 2009. Now as much as I liked those releases I never invested into their early stuff nor did I bother to check out what came afterwards. In fact I didn't check out their last release The Death of Gaia which came out on this label. But hey life allows for second chances. 

Now I alluded to OFFICIUM TRISTE's musical style within the genre earlier but let me give you a better analogy. If you're familiar with Death Doom from England and Finland then OFFICIUM TRISTE's sound is right inbetween. In fact it's always been like that which might've been why they've never been a house hold name. 

I just wanna say after my first listen to Hortus Venenum I went back to the stuff I have by em and compared. Now sure I like the releases I have but this new one in this year is really fuckin good. I mean Pim Blankenstein's bear/beast vocals (he also does spoken word stuff) is classic as far as the style goes. But when you blast this inside a room (actually my office) it comes across at times as if he's there talking / singing to ya. Which can be a little freaky. 

Add to that musically the riffs are not a main crushing focus. The keyboards helmed by former drummer Martin Kwakernaak are one part of the atmospheric sound structure. The other part is the melodic guitar soloing which runs throughout this six cut album. Listening to this is like waking up in the morning with the sun shining through the window onto your face. 

In other words it's a melodically uplifting sounding release. I mean sure some people consider Euro Death Doom to be like sitting in a dark room, dressed in black and staring at a bottle of vodka and a loaded hand gun. That would be Finnish Death Doom. As far as the English version then that would be thinking vampires are real and you haven't been laid. 

So in my not so humble opinion right now yeah this is my favorite OFFICIUM TRISTE album. I think it's one of the most amazing albums of 2024 (says the guy who loves old school DM). I'll also say if you're looking for something accessible to your adventurous musical tastes then this is a great starting point. The beast and beauty meet perfectly when it comes to Death Doom.

https://tometal.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://officiumtristedoom.bandcamp.com/album/hortus-venenum

CASTLE - Evil Remains review

 

CASTLE - Evil Remains

Hammerheart Records

Here we have the sixth full length by CASTLE and it's been a six year wait. Bias alert, I'm a huge fan of CASTLE. I got into em with their debut full length, In Witch Order, from 2011. And from that point on I was hooked. Their debut and their next two albums are amazing. We're talking cool ass Doom that rocks. Their last two albums I thought were decent.

So after a long wait they're back and this album is better than the last two. First off guitarist Mat Davis is probably one of the best Doom guitarists around. If Tony Iomni is the king of riffs Then Mat Davis is in line for knighthood because he creates his own SABBATH-IAN style riffs and rarely copies. 

Next up is one of the best vocalists and bassists in Doom or just Metal aka: Elizabeth Blackwell. She just has that perfect vocal range as in not over the top, not subtle or airy. Elizabeth Blackwell is a rocker and her vocal performance is exceptional especially on this new one. 

CASTLE are technically a two piece act but they do enlist drum work from people. This time around they've enlisted Mike Cotton a Canadian who balances out the sound with some great work. 

With that all said I think Evil Remains is the threshold where their past two albums were pushing towards. CASTLE on here kick out a damm good sounding album that rocks in their own way. They've reached the summit and this is the CASTLE sound period, not a band influenced by. Then again I always thought they were pushing for their own voice.  

https://www.hammerheart.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://hammerheart.bandcamp.com/album/evil-remains