MANGLED CARPENTER – Between Blood and Silence EP

 

MANGLED CARPENTER – Between Blood and Silence EP

Broken Curfew Records

I believe I've found my Extremely Brutal Insane release of the year and even better it's an EP. Plus the cover artwork is damm good. MANGLED CARPENTER is a three piece Brutal Death Metal / Grindcore act who have been around since 2005. Fuck me running because this is my first time hearing them. 

Other then two full length releases, Under the Shadow in 2021 and Salvation Syndrome from 2023. This band is pretty much a short form release act. And they've got a ton of singles and EPs to back that up. As far as this latest one goes it's savage and brutal insanity which I like. 

The band is made up of Seth Metoyer on guitar and guttural fuckin vocals along with spoken word parts. Kris Olson is on bass and does the pig squeal backing vocals. Finally there's Mac Hine who does some drumming but also is more into the whole programmed drum thing. 

This is musically a cruel and calculated brutal performance. There's six cuts on here. "The Absence of Light" is definitely my favorite cut on here. The rest of the release is like a fuckin ritual of the bizarre with the exception of their MORTIFICATION "Terminate Damnation" cover which is straight up. In the end this release rules!

LISTEN TO & BUY IT HERE:

https://mangledcarpenter.bandcamp.com/album/between-blood-and-silence-ep

WATCHER - Mistress of Our Time review

 

WATCHER - Mistress of Our Time

Dying Victims Productions

A few years ago I was at a show wearing an IRON MAIDEN "Killers" shirt and this young person came up to me asking a question. He was, according to him, all into NWOBM stuff but wanted more. So I told him to check out the bands on the Dying Victims Productions label. Did he do it, I don't know? Then again ya don't see many people wearing a MAIDEN "Killers" shirt at local shows. A close friend of mine might wear his.

Anyways I guess it's obvious that this release here is NWOBHM influenced. This is the second full length by WATCHER who hail from Sweden. The band started out back in 2023. Actually it was a one man band featuring Viktor Gustafsson who sang and played everything. After a year he brought on guitarist Max Warnby and drummer Jakob Nilsson. After that bassist Oscar Nyberg joined and this year guitarist Timmy Lindgren has been added to complete the line-up.

Musically yeah it's MAIDEN-esque all the way. Personally I like the vocals by Viktor Gustafsson. He's a real guy vocalist who can hit a Heavy Metal scream once in a while. I like Max Warnby's lead guitar work on here. He's subtle in his leads which is cool. The rhythm section is strong in conveying solid song craft. 

In the end yeah this is a cool album with ten cuts all perfect. The promo info hints that this is classic Swedish Heavy Metal. Look I'm just an old Metal guy who owns two HEAVY LOAD CDs, yeah reissues, and maybe two other old Swedish Heavy Metal CDs, yeah reissues, and I don't care what a friend of mine says. EUROPE sucks! But WATCHER is great.    

https://dying-victims.de/

LISTEN HERE:

https://dyingvictimsproductions.bandcamp.com/album/mistress-of-our-time

MIDNIGHT PREY - Jenseitsritt review

 

MIDNIGHT PREY - Jenseitsritt

Dying Victims Productions

This month of August I've been musically getting nostalgic for 80's music which I still like a lot. Of course I share it on Facecrack with friends. They can handle it because they're younger. When I do the 70's or late 60's that's when they're going yeah I heard this in the 80's or 90's. It's always a good laugh for me. 

With that in mind it brings us to the question what if you hear a new release in 2026 and it actually sounds like something from 1978 to 1982 or more? That's what I got here with the second full length by Germany's MIDNIGHT PREY. The band originally started out back in 2012. Their debut full length, Uncertain Times, came out in 2019. And here we are today with their second full length. 

Musically this sounds like a late 70's Hard Rock release meets 80's NWOBHM along with, hold your breath, 1990's Post Punk elements. I chalk it up to the guitar work and vocal style of Winston Ziller. As a musician he's a Renaissance man creating an amazing sound that grasps everything cool from the past and reproducing it without a copyright held against him. 

Winston is joined with great partners on bass with Daniel Friesen and drummer Hannes Ruhland. This rhythm section gives a solid foundation though out this release which either rocks your ass off or cools you down. The bottom line is that you have a cool listening experience with this release.  

https://dying-victims.de/

LISTEN HERE:

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

TERATUM - Ordnance of Spiritual Warfare review

 

TERATUM - Ordnance of Spiritual Warfare EP

Dying Victims Productions

This is the four song EP debut by Sweden's TERATUM. They're a four piece Black Metal act that started out in 2024. The band members are not new to the scene since they've been in bands like DIE HARD, DESULTOR, PUTRIFIED and GOATSODOMIZER. you should not be shocked that I know all of those bands as well as owning releases by em.

Musically for the record TERATUM are not reinventing the wheel here or destroying it. This is basically a fresh take on classic Swedish BM which in my not so humble opinion needs it. After listening to this a few times I think this band needs a full length. I mean the vocals are perfect aka: burning hot and aggressive. The rhythms are razor like melodic as well as punishing. The drum work is very impressive and yeah there's some bass sound. 

All in all TERATUM should be the next cool thing from Swedish Black Metal. 

https://dying-victims.de/

LISTEN HERE:

https://dyingvictimsproductions.bandcamp.com/album/ordnance-of-spiritual-warfare

RAW POWER - Live CBGB's NYC 1998 review

 

RAW POWER - Live CBGB's NYC 1998 

Time To Kill Records

Honestly I saw RAW POWER on this tour. They played the club I worked at here in North Carolina. It was a decent show but turnout could've been better. It was a 80's Hardcore band, and yeah legendary if you were into Hardcore, playing in the late 1990's. So it was tough to get kids who got into Hardcore in the 1990's to come out. Also those crusty political punks didn't wanna pay to see the show. They rather have bands play their "punk house" and get paid in Ramon noodles and Bean soup.

The band had a new album out at the time titled Reptile House. Personally I didn't think much of that album. As far as RAW POWER goes their debut LP Screams from the Gutter from 1984 is their best. Their second album, After Your Brain, from 1986 is good along with their Wop Hour EP also from 1986 which was the first release I owned by em. 

Now as far as this live album goes it is pretty much what I heard / saw when they played the club I worked at. The set list is a mix of their tunes off of Reptile House as well as old 80's cuts. The crowd sound seems the same as well. They probably had the old crowd in the back while the new metal-core baldies were up front doing the whole push and shove wanna-be slam pit. Sound-wise it's a decent enough recording.

https://timetokillrecords.com/en-us

LISTEN HERE:

https://rawpowercbgb.bandcamp.com/album/live-at-cbgb

LAIR OF THE MINOTAUR - I Hail I review

 

LAIR OF THE MINOTAUR - I Hail I

The Grind-House Records

So there's a lot to unpack here. As far as anticipated albums go this was an obvious pick for me as far as 2026 goes. This band's last album, Evil Power, from 2010 is definitely a classic in my book. It was their fourth album and definitely their best. Plus I was already a fan of them from two previous albums.

LAIR OF THE MINOTAUR hail from Chicago, Illinois. They started out in 2003 as a three piece Sludge Metal / Thrash act. Now for you ignorant types, Sludge Metal came about when late 1980's Hardcore musicians started listening to BLACK SABBATH. They started incorporating the fast meets slow ideal. There are way too many early examples but by the 1990's you had bands coming out in the Metal scene who were Sludge Metal. 

When LAIR OF THE MINOTAUR finally hit the scene it was easy to like em because they came from Chicago, Illinois which had a history of Extreme Metal acts who didn't color inside the lines when it came to certain genres of Metal. Hell I'm still a USURPER / BONES fan till this day and that's just two name drops. 

So that was then and this is now some sixteen years later. As far as the line-up goes it's still Steven Rathbone as vocalist, guitarist and he adds the keyboards. Drummer Chris Wozniak is still in the fold. But on bass they have a new recruit who is well known in the Chicago area not only as a musician but a producer. I'm talking about Sanford Parker. 

As far as I Hail I goes it's not a great come back album as one would hope for. The first half of the album is reminiscent of their past aggressive work. I like that to a point other than being more causal than extreme. "Fucked Inside Out" and "Prowler Twin Sister" are memorable tracks. Everything else is kinda lackluster. It's kinda like drinking a six pack and by the fourth beer you're like I think I'm done. 

The last two cuts on this album sealed my overall opinion. "Vulture Worship" was a throwaway track but "Tartarus Apocalypse" is a seven minute plus Sludgey Doom boring opus of banality. Hey you were hot years ago but now your dead. Trust me, it comes with age. Except it or look pathetic.

https://www.thegrind-houserecords.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://lairoftheminotaur.bandcamp.com/album/i-hail-i-2

SQUELCHING - Squelching Compilation review

 

SQUELCHING - Squelching Compilation

Horror Pain Gore Death Productions

So while listening to this release I had a bunch of thoughts. The first one is years ago when I was at a show watching a Brutal Death Metal act on stage. Why didn't I bust a beer bottle across the bar, cut myself across the forehead with the sharp end and then run into the crowd like a bloodied brutalizing maniac to start a savage pit?

Looking back and being a knowledgeable person of pro wrestling (especially Japanese wrestling) I knew where to cut. But in all I wasn't that out of control. Of course that's my not so humble opinion. Close friends might differ on my perspective of history. 

Which brings us up to this release here which is a compilation of some output by a one man band, Once again years ago when I was a collector, I hated these things but now I'm not. So what we have here is a compilation of SQUELCHING material. SQUELCHING is a one man Brutal Death Metal act hailing from Indiana. The one man is David Sueoka who's musically responsible for everything. 

Even though David Sueoka started SQUELCHING back a few years ago. He has been fairly prolific in short form releases starting out in 2020. What we have here is a compilation of material from his 2020 A Fatal Procession EP from, the Backbreaker EP from 2025 and a few latter tracks from 2025. Musically this is not the sick twisted stuff nor your basic sound from the mid-1990's. 

Instead David Sueoka actually turns this sub genre into a gruff and yet brutal sound with an atmospheric touch. Even better is that he's not relying on that hiptard Prog style shit. He focuses on creating a developed sound instead of just a handful of songs. To me that's cool as well as interesting. David Sueoka does come from the MORTICIAN school of Brutal DM so that makes him a winner in my book.

I like this compilation a lot and if you're interested yeah you will to. It's what I like to call late night after work music. It's hate for those other people you have to deal with. Now with that said I really wanna hear what David Sueoka comes out with next and hopefully it's a full length. Nuff Said!

https://www.horrorpaingoredeath.com/

LISTEN HERE:

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

IMPURE DECLARATION - Of Veins, Tendons and Bones review

 

IMPURE DECLARATION - Of Veins, Tendons and Bones

Old Temple

A couple of weeks ago I was leaving work. I said goodnight to the front of house staff. The one woman bartender asked what I was gonna do later because it was only 10:30 on a Saturday night. So I said I'm gonna go home, drink some beer and listen to some Satanic Metal. While I was walking down the stairs I heard the gay guy bartender say "is he serious"? The woman answered "of course he's serious. Have you looked at those band shirts he wears"?

And so here I am after work listening to some Satanic Metal. This is the debut full length by Poland's IMPURE DECLARATION. The band, who are a five piece act, started out in 2017. Prior to this the band released two EPs and a split release with a German band called NEKUS. 

Musically what we have here is modern day Blackened Death Doom. All of the standards are touched upon as in it's bestial vocals like a bear woken up during hibernation. A filth ridden riff atmosphere that conveys a blackened storm. The drum work is dynamic as hell like thunder. All in all it has this enjoyable atmosphere of hate as well as a standard of style which has gone on now for at least twenty years. 

If you are a regular reader of this blog (and frankly who isn't ?) then you know over the past few years I've called out the generic bullshit which are bands just repeating Blackened Death Doom acts from the past bunch of years. At least Poland's IMPURE DECLARATION sound like it's new and fresh to a point. In other words this release sounds like something I bought twenty years ago as opposed to something I heard a few years ago. 

IMPURE DECLARATION come across as dedicated followers of hate. This debut release is eight cuts but since there's an intro and outro you're really getting six for Satan. Be that as it may they're from Poland the most Extreme Metal nation on the planet. 

https://www.oldtemple.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://oldtemple.bandcamp.com/album/impure-declaration-of-veins-tendons-and-bones

CUTTHROAT - Invoking Terror EP review

 

CUTTHROAT - Invoking Terror EP

Dying Victims Productions

Well I can't wait till next St. Paddy's Day when someone at the place I work at asks me for some Irish music suggestions. So what we have here is the first official release by Ireland's CUTTHROAT. They are a three piece Blackened Thrash act who first started out in 2023. 

Sound-wise CUTTHROAT are a raw aggressive sounding act who are dedicated fans to this genre. I've said it many times but it bares repeting, my favorite Thrash is Blackened Thrash. But I hate the generic copycats. CUTTHROAT is not that at all. Now sure if ya wanna name drop influences they excibet, sure go for it and be a dick. 

This release is five diabolical deeds of the dammed. An impressive debut and keep an eye out for this band in the future. 

https://dying-victims.de/

LISTEN HERE:

https://dyingvictimsproductions.bandcamp.com/album/invoking-terror

LOWCARD DE LA MORTE / KILLSEDUCTION Split EP review

 

LOWCARD DE LA MORTE / KILLSEDUCTION Split EP

Horror Pain Gore Death Productions

OK bias alert because this split release reminds me of the 1980's Underground Hardcore / Speed Metal era when you only heard good music via tape trading. What we have here are two bands from Japan who not only nail the sound and fury. But the production is time honoring perfect. The fucking attitude is a slam pit smack to the face. 

First of there's LOWCARD DE LA MORTE who deliver six cuts that are pure old school sounding Hardcore / Speed Metal. I mean short songs, meaty riffs, aggro vocals with plenty of tongue in cheek lyrics. It's serious music for the not so serious but want to get crazy to. 

The second band here is KILLSEDUCTION who deliver five cuts in a different way. Yeah it's Hardcore, Speed Metal as well as Thrash and Grind. That latter touch is obvious since guitarist Takafumi Matsubara of GRIDLINK is in the band. Musically their songs are a psychotic speed trip which would be more enjoyable if I was still a coke head. But for right now their short sharp and diverse extreme shock is pretty cool. 

Like all split releases I judge em as wrestling matches. I mean real wrestling and not like that BS on TV today. This is Japan style Wrestling from decades ago in a exploding barred wire match with tacks on the mat. Although KILLSEDUCTION seem to walk into this ring as the predominant winner and heals. I'm choosing the baby-face LOWCARD DE LA MORTE who do a better job jumping off the ropes and pinning. 

NUFF SAID!

https://www.horrorpaingoredeath.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://hpgd.bandcamp.com/album/kill-de-la-morte

NINTH REALM - Damnation's Veil review

 

NINTH REALM - Damnation's Veil

Transcending Obscurity Records

I've said it before but I'll repeat myself. Thrash Metal in these modern times is boring as shit. Some bands sound cool only because they remind ya of a past favorite. Then you've got these other acts who just go off the rail and end up boring. That's why I like Blackened Thrash because I know what to expect. It either sounds damm good or it's generic garbage. 

Which brings us to this latest full length from Maryland's NINTH REALM. The band started back in 2018 and has been putting out plenty of short form releases. Their first full length, A Fate Unbroken, came out in 2022. So here's their second full length. The genre tagline on here is Crossover / Thrash Metal. Personally I don't get the Crossover part because I don't hear 80's Hardcore. But everything else is cool.

With the exception of the intro cut, which is boring. This is a damm good album. NINTH REALM just excel in aggressive, violent, pummeling sounds. It's the equivalent of a dozen bullet belt, jean jacket cut-off wearing hessians kicking into your house and beating the crap out of you. That's if you're a hipster. If it was my house, I'm armed so the first nine of ya would be shot and I'd have a second magazine in the chamber fast enough to finish the next three. 

Be that it is I think violence is a quality motive when listening to this release. NINTH REALM are all into that with rapid galloping riffs, a pounding / savage rhythm section and a damm violent sounding vocalist. This is my kind of Thrash in 2026. 

https://tometal.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://ninthrealm-label.bandcamp.com/album/damnations-veil

VERDUN - Abyssal Womb review

 

VERDUN - Abyssal Womb

Transcending Obscurity Records

The first time I heard this French Blackened Sludge band was on a Transcending Obscurity Records compilation in 2006. At the time I thought they were interesting and wanted to hear more. Unfortunately the band chose to put out their future releases on other labels. Now they're back with Transcending Obscurity Records after releasing an EP in 2011, two full lengths (a debut in 2016 and their sophomore album in 2019). They also released a split EP with a US Sludge / Doom band OLD IRON in 2021. 

So here we are now and despite all of the inbetween stuff I was still excited to hear VERDUN's latest full length on one of my favorite labels. Now just for the record this genre, Blackened Sludge / Doom, has lost it's excitement (in my not so humble opinion) because too many bands performing it literally suck. I mean there are too many acts who can not write good songs. They depend too much on dissonant ambient trope sound effect. 

VERDUN on this new album are not like that. The seven cuts on here invoke hate, violence and greatness to be alive and do it. The music on here is not for some hipster pothead. This is music for people who wanna beat the shit out of hipster potheads. A few of these cuts are head-banging, fist raising anthems which should invoke a real maniacal slam pit. 

Let's give props to guitarist Jay Pinelli who comes up with decent riffs which keep you excited and yet border on the dissonant boredom. The rhythm section of drummer Geraud Jonquet and bassist Florian Celdran needs to be congratulated for exercising great power as well as intricate touches throughout. Finally there's vocalist David Sadok, who probably needs a throat lozenge after this recording. He's got a Blackened screech vocal from hell.

All in all if I haven't made in plain earlier. VERDUN have made Blackened Sludge cool again. This album is perfect from start to finish. 

https://tometal.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://verdun-label.bandcamp.com/album/abyssal-womb

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

 

NECROMORBID - Ceremonial Demonslaught review

 

NECROMORBID - Ceremonial Demonslaught

Godz ov War Productions

So to all of you who read this blog (and frankly who doesn't). You know of late I've been pissing on modern day Blackened Death Metal because it's become generic. Certain labels just put out a new band's release which just sounds like an album I bought a year before. Now without trashing the whole sub-genre it's made me look for bands who forgo the generic sound and maybe push the intensity to another better level. 

So far this year I've found one Blackened Death Metal act who has risen to my expectations. This new one by NECROMORBID joins the ranks as well. Now forget the opening intro cut because it sucks. The second cut "Perverted Abhorrence Domain" really introduces what this band is all about. I mean let's check the fuckin boxes. 

You've got cavern style bestial vocals which grow on a hot take on later cuts. Amazing dive bomb guitar solos abound throughout. The drum work is a diabolical punishing style which I just love. The song structure riffs are in the backdrop and are like the belly of the beast. 

In the end who would've thought that Italy's NECROMORBID, with their third full length since starting out in 2015, would be monsters of Blackened Death Metal in 2026. Let this be a lesson which will put a sadistic smile on your face.   

http://godzovwar.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://godzovwarproductions.bandcamp.com/album/ceremonial-demonslaught

SZNUR - Cwel review

 

SZNUR - Cwel

Godz ov War Productions

I first got into this Polish band back in 2021 with their third full length Dom człowieka. Back then I called em misanthropic Black Metal with talent. Yeah I know that some misanthropic BM fans probably took it the wrong way but come on be honest. Be that as it may SZNUR already have a bad reputation to say the least. Here's their logo which some weak people will find offensive but not me.

Then there's this band photo of three members which looks like a Polish Black Metal version of The MENTORS. Once again it's no problem with me.

As far as this new album goes SZNUR have taken their early brutal BM style and added a huge touch of progressive atmospheric BM. But it's a rip roaring balance of the two. The song structures deliver a great amount of brutality via Polish anger with added melodic touches which I find cool as fuck.The diabolic lead guitar soloing is killer as fuck. 

In the end SZNUR's latest full length is beyond a winner in my not so humble opinion. This is Polish Black Metal in 2026 to get your hands onto. It's an amazing release.  

http://godzovwar.com/

LISTEN HERE:

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

GRAVEIR - The Festering Triad review

 

GRAVEIR - The Festering Triad

Apocalyptic Witchcraft Recordings

A few years back I had written a review in which I described the band as great modern day Black Metal. I sent it off to the label rep. He responded with the question "What's modern day Black Metal?" So I sent an email back explaining to him that modern day Black Metal in my opinion is not old school sounding and it's not hipster shit which is non metal but uses certain BM elements to fake it.

Modern Black Metal keeps the essential genre elements while also incorporating a variety of other extreme or prog Metal influences. The end result is a sound that not only is interesting but compelling to hear as if your life depended on it. His reply to that was "I like that!" Speaking of which here's a release by a band that falls into everything I've just said. 

GRAVEIR is a five piece Black Metal act hailing from Brisbane, Australia. In all honesty 99.9% of Black Metal from Australia is gonna be a winner with me as far as my history goes. This band started out in 2014 and this release here is their third full length so far. I've blasted this one for a week straight and found it to be a unique piece of work. Just thinking of it musically you're gonna hear violent attacks, morose atmosphere, prog like melodies and down right pain. 

Vocalist Gloom sings as if he's being lowered into a boiling cauldron of oil at certain times. Other instances he's screaming as if wanting to kill you and dance on your corpse. The guitar work by Snjor (aka: Dane Perry) and VVoid (aka: Chris Jackson) is over the top exciting, I mean whether it's the intense riffs, the few diabolic solos, the headbanging riffage or the almost symphonic song structures. These two guys combine to make an awesome sound.

If there's one thing I don't care for on this release is a few times where the drum work has that beating on a box snare sound. Overall the drum work on here is killer as fuck because XI (aka: Kris Wolf) is punishing as well as filling in at precise moments which are key to certain cuts. Sorry to bassist Pandora (aka: Alahna Bassett) but you're not heard in the overall mix. 

Be that as it may this release is the epitome of Black Metal in 2026. It is why I mocked hipster scribes in the past who thought their ilk would define the genre's future. Ah no because it was always going to be people into Metal who would be Black Metal's future. So hey pick up this release and enjoy the hate. It's one of the best hates this year.

https://apocalypticwitchcraft.co.uk/

LISTEN HERE:

https://graveircult.bandcamp.com/album/the-festering-triad-2

RISE OF KRONOS - Slaves Of Time review

 

RISE OF KRONOS - Slaves Of Time

Self-Released

When I saw this was Death Thrash from Germany it peaked my interest. Before I get into this release let me explain a few things. There are two types of Death Thrash. First off you've got the US version which is the cornerstone of the genre because of the early DM bands. Later on you had other acts, my favorite being RIGOR MORTIS, who turned it into a cool Extreme Metal genre. 

Then you've got the European version of Death Thrash which came later and if I'm gonna name drop I would say the very early era of Poland's VADER kicked it off. So here we have the fourth full length by Germany's RISE OF KRONOS. Prior to this the band was on MDD Records in Germany. But this one is a self release. 

Musically there's some cool things to say about this release as well as some bad shit. As far as that goes bassist / vocalist Tom Robinson has a damm good growl vocal style which is in modern tradition. He even squeaks in some venom tipped vocals to boot. The drum work is questionable since there's little organic work being done. Plus Robinson's bass lines are hardly heard. 

The guitar work as far as powerful riffage is decent but the soloing (dive bomb style) is generic. Be that as it may I'm shocked, shocked I say that RISE OF KRONOS are an unsigned band. Where's Metal Blade or Nuclear Blast at? But hey great album cover.

LISTEN TO AND BUY IT HERE:

https://riseofkronos.bandcamp.com/album/slaves-of-time