AVENGER OF BLOOD - Revenge Is My Name EP review

 

AVENGER OF BLOOD - Revenge Is My Name EP

M-Theory Audio

Well of course you hope the title really means what it says. More on that later. So for those of you who just don't know or remember here's some history for ya. AVENGER OF BLOOD were this four piece act outta California who were part of the late 2000's Thrash Revival. I still consider their second full length, 2008's Death Brigade, to be one of the better releases from all those Thrash revival acts. All in all they have four full lengths out. Their last release was Completely Re-Annihilated from 2023 which I never heard.

After I gave this EP a listen I pulled out the band's Death Brigade CD, yes I own it, to compare how the they sounded then compared to now. Oddly enough I now consider Death Brigade better than I remember. It's a fuckin Thrash classic from that era which makes me laugh at all the crap people who consider themselves genre enthusiasts push out as good. Fuck em!

Getting back to this EP, it's four cuts which is fine since there's no filler. Musically the band's sound is fierce and violent. The vocals are menacing with decent enough song structure riffs. Soloing is also decent. It reminds me of their material from Death Brigade but with better production and song writing. Of course a new full length would've been better to judge em properly. But hey they're back and this release proves that their position in the US Thrash world is highly under scored.

https://www.m-theoryaudio.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://avengerofblood.bandcamp.com/album/revenge-is-my-name

CIRITH UNGOL - Live at the Roxy 2XCD review

 

CIRITH UNGOL - Live at the Roxy 2XCD

Metal Blade Records

Alright lets get this obvious point out of the way or my close friends will call me various hate filled names. I never liked CIRITH UNGOL because of the vocals. I mean the music on those early 80's albums was great but Tim Baker's vocals were tough to get through. With that said when the band got back together, actually half original and the other half new, I took a better look at CIRITH UNGOL. 

No one can deny that this band's most resent releases are pretty damm good. I'm talking about 2020's Forever Black and Dark Parade from 2023. Now you would believe massive tours would coincide with that but not really. As far as concert appearances go the band just did Metal fest shows. At least from what I saw. 

With that said then here you have a great opportunity to check out CIRITH UNGOL live and new. This is a double dink's worth of the band's material which covers the past to the present. This band, half of which is original members, delivers the goods. 

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

LISTEN HERE:

https://cirithungol.bandcamp.com/album/live-at-the-roxy

ONSLAUGHT - Origins of Aggression 2x CD review

 

ONSLAUGHT - Origins of Aggression 2x CD

Reigning Phoenix Music

So what we have here is the latest lineup of ONSLAUGHT, which only consists of one original member, putting out a release which is one CD of old original songs re-recorded. The second CD is cover songs. Frankly I should use the term "For Fans Only" and walk the fuck away. Unfortunately I'm an old fan of this English Thrash Metal band.

Unlike some other people here in the states I originally got into ONSLAUGHT with their 1989 full length In Search of Sanity. Sure that was a decent Thrash album and at the time that was it for me. Some years later in the 1990's I was listening to a old Hardcore compilation cassette I had. A song on it which in the past I thought was cool but it stuck out to me at that time. It was an early ONSLAUGHT song so I went looking for that stuff, found it and became a real fan. 

As far as this new release goes it's pretty much the latest line-up going through the band's old song list. I'll give their latest singer, David Garnett who came on board in 2020, some props. He does the old songs some justice. but actually I wanted to hear the covers. Being with that is covering MOTORHEAD's "Iron Fist" seems to be an obvious choice for an encore song. 

After than you've got a weird mix of covers which nail it or fail. "Holiday in Cambodia" by the DEAD KENNEDYS is a complete failure. The three DISCHARGE covers are welcome except for the crappy trigger drum sound. The EXPLOITED cover "U.K. 82" was OK. But their PRIEST cover of "Freewill Burning" should have them hanging their heads in disgrace. 

As I said in the beginning this is For Fans Only and I mean diehard fans. Personally I'd rather listen to the handful of ONSLAUGHT full lengths I have then listen to basically a covers act. Nuff Said.

https://reigningphoenixmusic.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bO9GayOL6Ds

HATE - Bellum Regiis review

 

HATE - Bellum Regiis

Metal Blade Records

Just for record, again, I got into Poland's HATE with their Morphosis full length back in 2008. That was the band's sixth album. Since then I've picked up every new release and liked em. Now I've always said that when it comes to Polish Death Metal greatness VADER rules. I considered HATE to be the children of VADER. Then in 2019 HATE released their eleventh full length Auric Gates of Veles. That was when I said the children have surpassed their parents. 

So from then to now I've considered HATE to be the kings of Polish Death Metal. I sent my apologies to Piotr years ago. So here we are with HATE's thirteenth full length. And as a fan I have to say this one comes off more subtle, atmospheric and blackened then their previous outing Rugia from 2021. But after a bunch of listens I found myself more captivated. Normally HATE puts forth a sound that's punishing. This is different and I like it.

Now I'm probably a holdout as far as what genre this band is in. I've always considered HATE as pure Polish brutal & technical Death Metal. And sure over the past bunch of years the whole blackened elements have made their way into the band's playing. But on Bellum Regiis it's a decent marriage with the band still holding strong to the brutal DM and mastering the blackened elements easily. They actually do it, Blackened Death Metal, better than their more famous countrymen. 

The first time I listened to this my thoughts were more on the WTF side of things. But after that and a few more listens I came away thinking that HATE have written a great Blackened Death Metal album as only they could do. Their brutality in riffs and soloing is all over the place. Add to that when they break down to the atmospheric sequences it's more of an eerie touch. In those moments you're still left fearful of when the torture will continue. I like that and am glad with this one.

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

LISTEN HERE:

https://hate.bandcamp.com/album/bellum-regiis

BEHOLDER - In the Temple of the Tyrant review

 

BEHOLDER - In the Temple of the Tyrant

Black Lion Records

So here I am the Extreme Metal dude who's motto is "Hate is the Handshake I Give to the World". And yet, thanks to PR people, I discover a lot of cool sounding Power Metal or epic sounding Metal. In this band's case both terms apply. Also something else cool is that this release comes out on the Swedish label Black Lion Records. Years ago I'd get a lot of releases to check out from them. But in recent times it's been nothing so was it something I said? 

Anyways here we have the debut full length by BEHOLDER a five piece act from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Yeah I know they're not the only Epic Doom / Power Metal from Hostile City, USA but I digress. The first thing that stood out for me about BEHOLDER is their vocalist John Yelland. This guy's singing reminds me a lot of Robert Lowe of SOLITUDE AETURNUS and CANDLEMASS. Add to that these songs, eight of em, seem to fit the inbetween of those two bands with a few Power Metal cliche touches. 

Overall BEHOLDER has produced a winner of a debut album. Sure their songs are in the whole fantasy lyrical style. There's some chanted vocals as if we had a Gregorion singalong by monks. But the musicianship is cool and soundwise melodic most of the time. Then again there are times when the song structures get totally violent. 

All in all In the Temple of the Tyrant is a great debut by a band which should be checked out. I'm not just saying by Doom or Power Metal fans either. BEHOLDER are the great new Metal band of 2025. Now sure some people will say "there he goes again with his hyperbole announcements". OK sure but I'm only wrong if you refuse to check it for yourselves which when you do you'll see I'm right. BEHOLDER rules, Nuff Said.  

https://blacklion.nu/

LISTEN HERE:

https://beholderblacklion.bandcamp.com/album/in-the-temple-of-the-tyrant

BEHEMOTH - The Shit Ov God review

 

BEHEMOTH - The Shit Ov God 

Nuclear Blast

The last thing I really liked from BEHEMOTH was their live performance 2xCD and Blu-ray release, In Absentia Dei, from 2021. It was during the Covid bullshit so the band recorded / performed a live set in 2020 at a church in Pisarzowice, Poland. Musically the band did a great set and of course the video is an impressive performance albeit staged. But regardless they did it for the fans. 

With that said yeah I'm a BEHEMOTH fan from a while back. I got into em when they were in their Blackened Death Metal phase in the mid-2000's. And just like many of you I continued to buy their new releases while simultaneously going back to pick up their early stuff. 

So after giving this thirteenth full length by them a listen I went back to their early stuff for a reference. Now yeah I started with their early endeavors into Blackened Death because their Black Metal stuff is a Polish version of DARKTHRONE. Don't lie because it is and yet it's great. But I realized that I don't care for their early Blackened Death releases that much anymore. 

Honestly BEHEMOTH's best era is from their 2004 full length Demigod to 2007's The Apostasy to 2009's Evangelion and ending with 2014's The Satanist. That's in my not so humble opinion and you can kiss my ass if you disagree. Everything from then to now, except for that live album, has not been so good to say the least. Which brings us to this latest release. 

BEHEMOTH's The Shit Ov God is this Polish Extreme Metal band's shift away from that lackluster full length 2022's Opvs Contra Natvram. Musically yeah this is the band's traditional take on brutal sounding Polish Blackened Death. But the pioneering spirit of the past is not here in their overall presentation. Also some of the anger and brutality seems still toned down. 

The first half of this album is heavy on melody and atmosphere as if they're trying to appease a more mainstream metal audience. The second half of this release is better since it contains more of their old style of heaviness. Add to that it doesn't contain any cheesy concert crowd repeating chorus bits. Musicianship is better as well. 

The bottom line for this latest by BEHEMOTH is that it's good if you're an old time fan. I mean for a band that's been around this long. And has a core set of releases in their history which fans consider perfect. It's gonna be a tough chore to create perfection on a continuous schedule. Now of course if you're part of the lames-tream mainstream then you'll love this. 

https://www.nuclearblast.com/de/

LISTEN HERE:

https://behemoth.bandcamp.com/album/the-shit-ov-god

VOID KING - The Hidden Hymnal: Chapter 2 review

 

VOID KING - The Hidden Hymnal: Chapter 2

Argonauta Records

When this release came in for review I recognized the band name. So I went back into the blog archives and yep I reviewed this band's debut full length back in 2017. In all honesty I gave it a 4 out of 5 rating back when I still did that stuff. But that was all about the quality of the music and not whether I liked it or not. 

But in reality I didn't care for it since sound-wise it was like a mix of Alt-Metal meets NOLA Sludge Metal. Be that as it was then the new tag line on here is Stoner Doom Metal. OK but after one listen I can honestly tell ya that VOID KING sound like a band where they're actually from. 

The music on this release is in part classic good Midwest American Doom Metal. I mean these guys are from fucking Indianapolis, Indiana. Can you say GATES OF SLUMBER or APOSTLE OF SOLITUTUDE? Now in no way are they clones. On this release you can hear plenty of Stoner Rock, Sludge Metal and epic fuckin American Doom. 

I will say that Jason Kindred's vocals still rub me the wrong way. Look the guy is an amazing singer but I'm not into that bluesy Eddie Vedder style of singing. With that said the musicianship on this release is pretty cool. I love the drum work on here. It's just so precise and powerful. Also the bass playing is prominent throughout. And of course the guitar playing is rough, powerful and at psych times hypnotic. 

This release is obviously the second part of the band's The Hidden Hymnal from 2023. Now I have to get that one because I've got the addiction. If you're into good US Doom then this latest one by VOID KING is something you should check out. 

https://www.argonautarecords.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://voidking.bandcamp.com/album/the-hidden-hymnal-chapter-2

SMOKE MOUNTAIN - The Rider review

 

SMOKE MOUNTAIN - The Rider

Argonauta Records

It's always cool to follow a band's career from early start to later greatness. To me that's what we have here with SMOKE MOUNTAIN. I was a fan of their self titled EP from 2017. I also liked their Queen of Sin full length from 2020. But the thing was that this Florida band was pretty much copying what was cliche in the female fronted Doom world.

2025's The Rider screams not any more. First off vocalist Sarah Pitt has found her sultry and dynamic sounding voice on these eight cuts. This ain't wannabe WINDHAND anymore. Secondly the cuts are far better, still Doom on most. The title cut is a rocker. "Demon" is a Doom Metal  blaster as well.

While you're all (losers) figuring out how much you suck as far as not liking new Doom Metal goes. Maybe this new one by SMOKE MOUNTAIN should change your mind. This is an outstanding release with yes great vocals but also cool sounding guitar work. I like the soloing and the drum work is fantastic. With all of that combined yeah this band is damm great on their latest release. SMOKE MOUNTAIN rise to the top.

 

https://www.argonautarecords.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://smokemountaindoom.bandcamp.com/album/the-rider

GRAVE SPEAKER - Rays of the Emerald Sun review

 

GRAVE SPEAKER - Rays of the Emerald Sun

Electric Valley Records

Irony is my door step in life. Case in point I was talking with a worker (bartender / waiter) at my restaurant the other day about music. This young guy is getting into non modern music. According to him his parents were turning him onto a lot of 70's Hard Rock, Prog Rock and Psych. I mentioned the term Stoner Rock and he said yeah I'm into that. So I named a few bands aka: SLEEP & ELECTRIC WIZARD and he didn't know about em. But he said he'll check em out. 

So with that said welcome to the second full length by GRAVE SPEAKER. This is a one man Stoner Doom project by John Steele who hails from Massachusetts. John Steele is / was the guitarist of the band HIGH N' HEAVY who are also on this label. Musically speaking here's where the above mentioned irony comes in. GRAVE SPEAKER weighs heavy on influences by SLEEP and ELECTRIC WIZARD worship. But not the whole way through.

Now be that as it may I'm not gonna shit on this for two reasons. The first reason is that ELECTRIC WIZARD hasn't released a good album in twenty years. Also is SLEEP really a band anymore? I mean if you just get together to play festivals without releasing new music then you're not in a band anymore. 

The second reason I'll give this release it's fair due is because it just sounds cool as fuck. At least John Steele can write some off beat songs that are not of the cliche above mentioned style like "Sword of Life". To me that's the outlier track on here. Add to that the Psych mania of "Tower" which combines great classic 70's Hammond organ with thunderous bass, decent drum work and bluesy guitar lead work. 

In the end if you're a connisuer of Stoner Doom then here ya go. This is right up your alley with six cuts worth passing the bong around to friends under the light of a lava lamp. I guess that's a Spencer's Gifts reference. Damm I'm old, you people don't even know what a bong is. Oh well get this release you're like it a lot. 

https://www.electricvalleyrecords.com/\

LISTEN HERE:

https://evrecords.bandcamp.com/album/grave-speaker-rays-of-the-emerald-sun

HEXEKRATION RITES - Misanthropic Path of Carnal Deliverance review

 

HEXEKRATION RITES - Misanthropic Path of Carnal Deliverance

Godz ov War Productions

I've gotta hand it to the new Extreme Metal scene people of France. You started out late but cool with the Black Metal scene back in the day. Then you ruled the world in the late 2000's plus. But then the hipster bullshit plus shoe-gazing crap entered your fold. But you've recovered fairly well especially with music like this in my not so humble opinion. 

HEXEKRATION RITES is a French Blackened Death Metal act which not only should you own this their debut album. But also keep tabs on this band in the future. I'm saying this now so you won't forget. But for starters HEXEKRATION RITES is a three piece act who started out in 2018. Since then the band has released a demo and two EPs prior to this. 

Musically what they do will not impress some jaded piece of shit stick in the mud. But for me they take that Brutal Euro DM sound, give it a new coat of paint and then add in some diabolical guitar tones. Vocalist / Bassist HR has that cool bear like maul of singing style on some tracks. I like that a lot but then he'll move on into a more aggro vocal style as well. Also the drum work is a driving force to a brutal zone. 

Am I the only person out here in the wilderness who wonders why France is not great exporters in hate filled Death Metal? Seriously ask any Joe Blow about French DM and maybe they'll say GOJIRA. Be that as it may I hope they'll start saying HEXEKRATION RITES from now on. 

http://godzovwar.com/  

LISTEN HERE:

https://godzovwarproductions.bandcamp.com/album/misanthropic-path-of-carnal-deliverance

CORRUPTER - Gloria in Profundis review

 

CORRUPTER - Gloria in Profundis

Godz ov War Productions

Before I get into this release it must be mentioned that the two guys in CORRUPTER are also in the band MORGUE who had a great release in 2024 titled Close to Complete Darkness. That full length also came out on Godz ov War Productions. With that said CORRUPTER are a two piece Death Metal act from France consisting of Jerome Blandino on bass and Max Lobier who takes care of the guitars, vocals and drums. 

Now while MORGUE has been around since the late 1990's. These French Death Metal merchants started CORRUPTER in 2021 as an offshoot act. Gloria in Profundis is their second full length and also on Godz ov War Productions. Musically the duo are repeating what Finland's HOODED MENACE and Australia's PORTAL had done in the past. We're talking about that deep cavernous DM sound. The type of DM act that would headline a Bowels of Hell Fest. 

The slight difference between what this French duo does in CORRUPTER versus MORGUE is that their sound here is more sonically charged. There's some melody in between the filth and hatred being brutally butchered of course on this release. This is the type of music which begs the question what would H.P. Lovecraft listen to if he was a metal fan today. Well he'd be into this, cocaine and writing even more wild stories with worse old gods. 

Yes of course I like this new release by CORRUPTER. With eight cuts and a run time of a little over thirty two minutes. It's a mixed bag of hellish rhythms, bestial vocals and attack to destroy drum work. Yes these guys are doing something which has been done before multiple times. But this French duo have updated it to 2025. And that's really what counts the most.  

http://godzovwar.com/  

LISTEN HERE:

https://godzovwarproductions.bandcamp.com/album/gloria-in-profundis

FRIGHTFUL - What Lies Ahead review

 

FRIGHTFUL - What Lies Ahead

Godz ov War Productions

As far as Extreme Metal goes the great nation of Poland is well known for amazing bands producing Death Metal, Black Metal, Grindcore and yeah some cool Doom. But Thrash has been their minor point. Now in the past few years I've heard a few cool Polish Thrash bands who put out decent releases. But they sounded like wanna-be California 80's stuff or Teutonic Thrash from Germany.  

So this four piece act FRIGHTFUL are something different. Now no their sound is not completely original. But they're different as in combining great Death Thrash with some Swedish melodic DM sounds (not mello deth) and their fuckin Polish. To me that's a wild recipe in Extreme Metal and I think it all sounds cool.

The first two cuts, "Cloaked by Nothingness" and "Disincarnate Sower" are worth your slam dance interest to the fullest. The title track screams SLAYER!!! And there's nothing wrong with that. The following cut "No Fear" also hints SLAYER influences. So have I peaked your interest yet? I mean Death Thrash, SLAYER, Poland and that's just the first half of the release. 

The second half of What Lies Ahead is just as cool. This is eight tracks of part maniacal and aggression backed melody that for 2025 is pretty damm good. FRIGHTFUL is the real deal with diabolical sounding vocals, great riffs, a perfect rhythm section to say the least. I mean the drum work on here is killer. Now what soloing there is just doesn't do anything wrong nor is it cliche. Maybe that's why this is a cool sounding Thrash album.

Actually as of this writing this is the best Thrash album of 2025. Am I guilty of hyperbole? Of course I am but hey give this release a few listens and then come back to kiss my fuckin ass because I am right. Nuff Said!  

http://godzovwar.com/  

LISTEN HERE:

https://godzovwarproductions.bandcamp.com/album/what-lies-ahead

VARNHEIM - Void review

 

VARNHEIM - Void

Godz ov War Productions 

Here is another cool atmospheric Black Metal band from Poland with their third full length. As far as band history goes VARNHEIM started out in 2012. Their first release was a self titled full length in 2019. Their second full length, Aura, came out in 2022. Also three of the four band members are also in the Blackened Death band BAALBERITH who put out a full length, Manhunt, in 2021 which also was released by Godz ov War Productions. 

Now as far as Void goes this is a four track album and the songs are long. Two of em are nine minute plus in time. The other two push it to ten and thirteen plus minutes. What's cool is that there's no repetitive bullshit in the sound structure of the songs. In truth these are not really four cuts. They're four epic compositions which take the listener on a journey to hypnotic dreams and harsh nightmares.

Once again this is a Polish BM band that sticks with their nation's brutal sound and then takes it to other levels which add plenty of melody, industrial tones and this punishing dark feeling which overwhelms. The tremolo riffs are still icy as fuck. The drum work is full blown diabolic. And the vocals are barbaric and pissed off. 

Yes this album is great! This is why I listen to Polish Black Metal!

http://godzovwar.com/  

LISTEN HERE:

https://godzovwarproductions.bandcamp.com/album/void                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

ZMARLYM - Wielkie zanikanie review

 

ZMARLYM - Wielkie zanikanie

Godz ov War Productions

So not too long ago a young person I work with learned about my appreciation, for lack of a better term, of Extreme Metal. With that said he asked me about Black Metal and what bands he should check out. Now as always I tell people to start with the early stuff and if you like that then work your way forward. So I told him to check out BATHORY. He looked em up on his phone, yeah they do that nowadays. Then he is like surprised that they started out in the 1980's, when his dad was a kid. Which makes me look like a fuckin grandfather to which I am. 

But after that it got me thinking. Black Metal as a Metal genre is around forty years old now. Around thirty years ago bands of the BM genre started to branch off and experiment with the sound. Which is why today we have all of these BM sub-genres. One major sub-genre is Atmospheric Black Metal. Now over the past decades that BM style has crossed many roads from being traditional to going beyond the BM template (aka: hipster BS.) and then actual creative artists who love the music and are willing to project it foreword on their own BM terms. 

That last part is what I thought when I heard ZMARLYM 's debut full length Druga fala from 2021. Here is a BM band from Poland that has achieved taking the genre ahead in a cool way. Now with this their second full length they've pretty much pushed things further. Wielkie zanikanie is full on Polish BM brutality with added progressive touches, some fuckin industrial metal punishment, clean vocal passages, electronica stuff and yet it's still icy, cold and cruel sounding BM. 

As I say pretty much of times in describing mood clock alignments. Yeah this is late night Black Metal that'll make your mind go great. Kick back with a drink and let this one overwhelm your senses. All of the lyrics are in Polish which makes it even better. ZMARLYM with their new full length Wielkie zanikanie is the future and I like every second of it. Nuff Said!

http://godzovwar.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://godzovwarproductions.bandcamp.com/album/wielkie-zanikanie

PAGAN ALTAR - Never Quite Dead review

 

PAGAN ALTAR - Never Quite Dead

Dying Victims Productions

The promo info for this starts off with "PAGAN ALTAR are the very definition of a CULT band". Ah yeah ya think so? I'd also say that PAGAN ALTAR have a unique legacy. This English band originally released a demo in 1982 at the height of the whole NWOBHM movement. Now because it really wasn't NWOBHM style (it sounded like Doom) it was over looked and became something for tape trader history. 

Fast forward to 1998 when the band, whoever was in it at the time, decided to give the demo an official release on CD titled Volume One on their own label Oracle Records. It would be a few more years till the word got out about PAGAN ALTAR. In all honesty I'd say by the mid-2000s knowledge of the band made it into the Metal masses.

Now with that all said yeah personally I thought the band's first album is decent. But everything that's come out after it is hit or miss for me. Years ago while writing about their The Room of Shadows full length, which came out in 2017. I said that I could make a compilation of their best songs from the EP The Time Lord from 2004 to the present day. I eventually did and it's a great sounding PAGAN ALTAR compilation. Since the band's singer Terry Jones passed away in 2015 I thought it was an honor.  

But here we have the new "keep it going" PAGAN ALTAR with Terry Jones' son Alan Jones on guitar and backing vocals. The singer now is Brendan Radigan who is no Terry Jones. Along with that nobody in the band is a member of the original PAGAN ALTAR. When I first heard this album I was not thrilled. But a few more listens made me appreciate it. 

Opener "Saints and Sinners" is in the mode of a cool late 70's Hard Rock track. When the fourth track, "Madame M'Rachael's Grave" comes in then yeah this is the PAGAN ALTAR sound which is doomy and rocking. I mean there's a couple of cuts on here like "Liston Church" for example that reminds ya of the band's past folksy rock endeavors. "Well of Despair" is a great Doom Metal cut. The final cut "Kismet" is a nine plus minute epic past PAGAN ALTAR type number. 

In the end yeah there's some decent cuts I really enjoy but the rest are OK. That's pretty much the same way I felt about their last album The Room of Shadows from 2017. I think the album title and the cover art is perfect for em these days. But to me this is PAGAN ALTAR 2.0 and hopefully I'm thinking that if they continue on they'll make something better. 

https://dying-victims.de/

LISTEN HERE:

https://dyingvictimsproductions.bandcamp.com/album/never-quite-dead