NIGHT SPECTRE - Self Titled LP review

 

NIGHT SPECTRE - Self Titled LP

Dying Victims Productions

So this is the debut full length by a Greek five piece act who are on a nostalgia trip back to the late 1980's. Well hell yeah I like it and I'll get into name dropping later which needs to be addressed. But first I must admit that the promo info given to me was kinda cool. "NIGHT SPECTRE was forged in 2024, when a group of stubborn metalheads united with one goal, to unleash pure old-school heavy metal, burning with passion and true devotion."

Yeah I'll give em that but in all honesty this sounds like early IRON MAIDEN meets JAG PANZER. That was also mentioned in the promo info. So in essence this is first wave Power Metal. You've got the galloping riffs by the Brits with the US power heavy assault and hollowed vocals. In the end it pretty much rules. 

NIGHT SPECTRE basically are traveling on familiar territory which has been forgotten as far as original intent. In other words it's one thing to see / hear a band from the past replay their old stuff live. It's better when you see / hear a new band play that same sound which cranked you up decades ago and does it again. 

So yeah this release rules! 

https://dying-victims.de/

LISTEN HERE:

https://dyingvictimsproductions.bandcamp.com/album/night-spectre

SANDSTORM - Dungeon of Death Mini LP review

 

SANDSTORM - Dungeon of Death Mini LP

Dying Victims Productions

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

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

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

https://dying-victims.de/

LISTEN HERE:

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

MORTUARY - Great Black Earth EP review

 

MORTUARY - Great Black Earth EP

Horror Pain Gore Death Productions

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

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

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

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

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

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

https://www.horrorpaingoredeath.com/

LISTEN HERE:

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

WHIRLWIND - 1640 review

 

WHIRLWIND - 1640

Dying Victims Productions

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

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

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

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

https://dying-victims.de/

LISTEN HERE:

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

PIG'S BLOOD - Destroying the Spirit review

 

PIG'S BLOOD - Destroying the Spirit

Dark Descent Records

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

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

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

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

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

LISTEN HERE:

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

VOMITORY - In Death Throes review

 

VOMITORY - In Death Throes

Metal Blade Records

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

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

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

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

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

LISTEN HERE:

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

CHARIOTS OVERDRIVE - The End of Antiquity review

 

CHARIOTS OVERDRIVE - The End of Antiquity

Gates of Hell Records

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

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

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

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

One dollar says they get deported as Chinese spies. 

http://www.gatesofhellrecords.com/

LISTEN HERE:

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

HELLRIPPER – Coronach review

 

HELLRIPPER – Coronach

Century Media Records

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

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

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

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

https://www.centurymedia.com/

LISTEN HERE:

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

TYRANN - Tyrann Forever review

 

TYRANN - Tyrann Forever

Dying Victims Productions

Electric Assault Records

OK so I know I'm old but I am not senile, yet. I know it's 2026 but listening to this release you would think it's 1986. The opening cut on here, "Born for Hell", could've easily appeared on one of those Metal Blade compilations from back then. So yeah we're talking about some fuckin nostalgia sound here. But there's a reason for that which will come about a few lines down. 

This is the third full length from TYRANN, a four piece act who hail from Stockholm, Sdewen. They've been around since 2018 and besides the full lengths they've released a bunch of short form releases as well. Musically it's 1980's Hard Rock / Heavy Metal. And for someone like myself was around back then this just sounds so fuckin cool. but hey the members of this band are not strange to nostalgia.

Something important to mention is that the band members of TYRANN are or where in some cool bands I liked before. For example you've got bassist / vocalist Tobias Lindqvist who use to be in ENFORCER. Drummer Jakob Ljungberg was also in ENFORCER as well as TRIBULATION. Just for the record I like TRIBULATION's first album when they were an Old School Death Metal band. What came out afterwards I'm not a fan of.

But next we've got on guitars Adam Zaars who is in TRIBULATION as well as being once in ENFORCER as well as REPUGNANT. And finally there's Joseph Tholl on guitar who was also in ENFORCER and is still in TRIBULATION.

 

Now I'm not saying what these guys are doing makes TYRANN sound like equals to the big heavies of that era. But as far as the second tier bunch or what we called the Underground Metal scene back in the day. Yeah this four piece would've been huge. I mean you've got great vocals. The riffs are decent and the guitar solos are cool. In all honesty it's like a pre-ENFORCER. By the way this is a split release between ELECTRIC ASSAULT RECORDS who are doing the vinyl and DYING VICTIMS PRODUCTIONS who are releasing this on CD.

https://dying-victims.de/

http://electricassaultrecords.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://dyingvictimsproductions.bandcamp.com/album/tyrann-forever

BAPHOMET'S BLOOD - Satanic Metal Attack Reissue

 

BAPHOMET'S BLOOD - Satanic Metal Attack Reissue

Dying Victims Productions

So if you read this blog, and frankly who doesn't, then you know of the Italian Thrash band BULLDOZER. They came out in the mid-1980's with a sound that was Euro Thrash meets MOTORHEAD. Their first album, The Day of Wrath, is a must own full length release. Everything after that is up to you. I finally saw BULLDOZER a few years ago and it was a bucket list moment for me. 

Which brings us to BAPHOMET'S BLOOD, who I've said in a review of their last full length release, are the children of BULLDOZER. That release was 2016's In Satan We Trust. They're not influenced by Teutonic Thrash or VENOM like BULLDOZER was. But they have the Speed Metal attitude and the whole satanic aura. 

This debut album of their's from 2006 originally came out on Dies Irae Records. Iron Bonehead Productions reissued it in 2016. So here we are a decade later with Dying Victims Productions giving it another chance. And all I can say is hell fuckin yeah. I mean with songs like "Blood, Vomit and Satan", "Satanic Beerdrinkers", "Speed Metal Warriors" and onward. Yeah this is a cool sounding Extreme Metal release. And it's from a band I like in the modern era.

https://dying-victims.de/

LISTEN HERE:

https://dyingvictimsproductions.bandcamp.com/album/satanic-metal-attack

KARLOFF - Revered By Death review

 

KARLOFF - Revered By Death 

Dying Victims Productions

Well with a name like KARLOFF I was figuring Dying Victims Productions was going to branch off with some Doom acts for once. I mean KARLOFF, it's a reminder of the famous actor Boris Karloff. He's the guy who played Frankenstein's monster, the original Mummy and was in a huge amount of early horror movies from way back in the Universal studio picture days of the 1930's. He continued to make various other movies all the way to the 1960's. So yeah I was expecting some cool Gothic Doom.

But no, alas, because this is more like Blackened Speed Metal / Punk and noise, some of the faster cuts are in the vein of early MIDNIGHT. KARLOFF is a three piece act hailing from Germany. The band started out in 2018. This is the band's second full length overall. Just for the record, if you know your German Death Metal then the mainman in this band is Tom Horrified (aka: Tom Hoffmann) who sings and plays drums in GRAVEYARD GHOUL. In KARLOFF he's the singer and guitarist.  

I'll be generous and say there's some Doom on this release. I mean "When The Flames Devour You All" is pretty miserable. "On Weathered Altar" is a Doomish Psych instrumental. Other cuts have hints of CELTIC FROST with some dynamic riffage. Overall it's a dark hate filled release with eight cuts but only an EP's worth which I'd call decent. There's no cool guitar lead work since Tom Hoffmann is a drummer. 

As I mentioned earlier this is Tom Hoffmann's side project while his Death Metal real job sits on hold. So take that for what it's worth.

https://dying-victims.de/

LISTEN HERE:

https://dyingvictimsproductions.bandcamp.com/album/revered-by-death

PONTE DEL DIAVOLO - De Venom Natura review

 

PONTE DEL DIAVOLO - De Venom Natura

Self Released

PONTE DEL DIAVOLO is an Italian band I learned about in 2024 with their debut full length Fire Blades from the Tomb. That one came out on Season of Mist records. This new one is a self release which to me seems crazy because this band is killer. Musically PONTE DEL DIAVOLO answer the question as in what if Siouxsie Soux from the old English Post Punk band SIOUXSIE & THE BANSHEES fronted a Blackened Doom / Post Punk act. 

I liked their debut album a lot. They also have a compilation of their three early EPs which came out in late 2024 on Time to Kill Records. That's something I really wanna pick up but for now we have this seven song full length. You've got six originals and a cover of BAUHAUS's "In the Flat Field". Ah hell yeah on the BAUHAUS cover. 

For me this is better than their debut. The songs come across as more intricate whether they be Blackened Doom or the Gothic Post Punk stuff. They even throw in a trombone player on one song. There's also a duet on "Silence Walk With Me" featuring Gionata Potenti from the Italian Black Metal band NUBIVAGANT. Of course for me it's the amazing vocals by Erba del Diavolo which wins me over along with the overall sound and atmosphere the whole band produces. 

In the end yeah this is a winner. Of course I'm shocked this release is not on a label whether small or large. I mean what the fuck is going on here?  

LISTEN AND BUY IT HERE:

https://pontedeldiavolo666.bandcamp.com/album/de-venom-natura

WITCH PISS - The Devil Doesn't Burn review

 

WITCH PISS - The Devil Doesn't Burn

Ardua Music

Well with a name like WITCH PISS how could I not check em out. Now in all of my years I've never tasted Witch Piss. But I've certanly had my face into some Witch cunt. Be that personal acknowlegdement out of the way here we have the second full length by Belguim's WITCH PISS. They are a five piece Stoner Rock / Doom act.

 

Musically it all comes across as popular bluesy sounding Metal. If Belguim has a Grammy thing then this band would win. I'm joking on that point seriously with a name like WITCH PISS? But musically this band comes across like mainstream rock and it's very US oriented in sound. If I could pick an influence I'd say they like CORROSION OF CONFORMITY. 

If that floats your boat then here ya go. Great album cover which would be cool on a t-shirt. 

https://www.arduamusic.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://witchpiss1.bandcamp.com/album/the-devil-doesnt-burn

MONSTROSITY - Screams from Beneath the Surface review

 

MONSTROSITY - Screams from Beneath the Surface

Metal Blade Records

So if you're into Death Metal then you know that MONSTROSITY was the band George "Corpsegrinder" Fisher was in before he joined CANNIBAL CORPSE. Now in my not so humble opinion I'll say that the band's full length debut, Imperial Doom, which came out in 1992 on Nuclear Blast Records and it's follow up, Millennium, which came out in 1996 on some obscure label got more sales after George "Corpsegrinder" Fisher left to join CANNIBAL CORPSE. 

There are people out there who think MONSTROSITY's debut is better than George "Corpsegrinder" Fisher's debut CANNIBAL CORPSE album, Vile, from 1996. I tend to have a different opinion on that idea. Be that as it may as far as post "Corpsegrinder" era MONSTROSITY releases go there's five in total. Of that I own only 2003's Rise to Power and my copy is a reissue. I thought album was OK and vocalist Jason Avery did a decent job. 

Fast forward to now and of course MONSTROSITY has gone through more changes. Of course original drummer Lee Harrison is keeping this band alive. Original bassist Mark van Erp returned in 2022. On guitar you've the great Matt Barnes who joined in 2010. Finally there's new vocalist Ed Webb who joined the fold in 2021. So even with all of that I still had my preconceived opinion on what this album was gonna sound like. 

Now if you listen to the opening track, "Banished to the Skies" then yeah you'll think this album is gonna suck. I mean that's what I thought. But then when the second cut "The Colossal Rage" kicks in things really change. Be that two people in this band use to play in MALEVOLENT CREATION I was not shocked to where the sound structure developed into. 

Musically this reminds me a lot of the Bret Hoffman (RIP) era of MALEVOLENT CREATION. At least as a strong influence of course because they still wanna be Florida 1990. To me the combination works well. And as I partially mentioned before Matt Barnes is not just good. I mean the riffage is damm good on these songs. But as far as soloing goes he is a fucking amazing guitarist. 

Finally I have to say Ed Webb is a great vocalist. He comes across almost as if he was from Poland doing Brutal Fuckin Death Metal. But hey he can scream like a motherfucker. Which is why in the end this album is damm good. 

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

LISTEN HERE:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73wELS7JayY

MERCULISTARYA - Arado fajdalom a tunodes medreben review

 

MERCULISTARYA - Arado fajdalom a tunodes medreben

Pest Records

I was gonna call this late night Black Metal but as this release progressed I was like no this fucker will see the sun rise. Here we have the debut full length by MERCULISTARYA who hail from the great nation of Hungary. MERCULISTARYA is also a one man act. The one man being multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Arpad Szenti.

Arpad Szenti is also not some lone wolf. He's been a major player on drums with a few other known Hungarian acts such as the Black Metal bands AHRIMAN and ATHAME. He's also in the Death Metal act DAMMNATION and the Gothic Doom Metal act EVIL TEARS. In other words Arpad Szenti is the Hungarian version of Norway's premier drummer Hellhammer. The guy has got his fishing lines out everywhere to get a bite. 

Now as far as this release is concerned Arpad Szenti is an amazing songwriter who on here has come up with some damm good cuts. If you're knowledgeable about Hungarian Black Metal then listen as this guy nails it. I mean there's beauty, horror and out right destruction. As a vocalist Arpad Szenti brings forth a huge array of vocal styles which are subtle spoken word, harsh as fuck screaming and bellows from a beast. 

Musically it's tranquil at times then intense Black Metal surfaces to a point where it's symphonic, brutal or operatic. Yes listening to this album is a worthwhile endeavor, an experience to say the least. Arado fajdalom a tunodes medreben is a concept album which I have no idea what it's about. All the lyrics are in Hungarian. But worth checking out. 

https://pestrecords.ucoz.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://pestrecords.bandcamp.com/album/merculistarya-rad-f-jdalom-a-t-n-d-s-medr-ben

CORPSEMANGLE - Eating the Damned review

 CORPSEMANGLE - Eating the Damned

Self Released

I know it's only March but when I saw the cover artwork for this release I was like, I don't care what this band sounds like because this is definitely a contender if not an all out winner for Album Cover of the Year. I mean look at it! Seriously it could've been a CANNIBAL CORPSE album cover back in the day. Dammit I need it on a T-shirt, double X please. And a poster wouldn't hurt either because Extreme Metal artwork rules. 

So with all of that said this is the debut full length by CORPSEMANGLE (cool band name by the way) who are a  two piece Brutal Death Metal act from the great nation of Bulgaria. This two piece consists of Antoan Bozhkov, who started the band in 2015 on guitars and lead vocals. Along with him is Martin Aleksandrov who plays bass and adds backing vocals. The drum work is obviously programmed. Note to band, get a human drummer. 

With that said CORPSEMANGLE's full length debut comes across as a lot of early CANNIBAL CORPSE and DEICIDE worship which to me ain't a bad thing. Overall it's a brutal maniacle sound being produced. The production here is raw as fuck. Someone could call this a long lost demo from 1991, package it as a reissue on double vinyl, sell it for a hundred bucks and Extreme Metal collectors would buy it in a heartbeat.

As for me I like this a lot but I wanna hear their next album which I feel will be cool as fuck. I mean Antoan Bozhkov is good on the riffs and his solos are decent in that dive bomb style or in a melodic vein. He's got the damm good vocals as well. So yeah Brutal Fuckin Death Metal from Bulgaria rules! Now let's hear your next album.

LISTEN TO AND BUY IT HERE:

https://corpsemangle.bandcamp.com/album/eating-the-damned

TEMPLE OF DECAY - Profanus review

 

TEMPLE OF DECAY - Profanus

Old Temple

A few years ago when I heard Poland's TEMPLE OF DECAY's full length debut Rigor Mortis. I thought it was a damm good album. Musically it was what I'd call a traditional Polish Black Metal sound. You had the Thrash portions mixed in with the melody. The stand out point for me was the vocals which were pure hate filled vile attacks. 

Here we are a few years later with the third album by TEMPLE OF DECAY. Before I get into this I must admit that I missed out on their second album, Anti Deus, which came out in 2024 on Black Death Production. Also TEMPLE OF DECAY is a one man Black Metal band. That one man is Mortt who is responsible for everything. Also Mortt lives in Poland but also in Ireland. Must be a work thing. 

Anyways this new TEMPLE OF DECAY is fuckin amazing. Mortt's opening screams on this release could easily be "hell yeahs". Marching boots, sirens wailing and a ferocious guitar attack with savage sounding vocals and spoken worded insults. Everything is sung in Polish but you get the antagonized attitude. 

This new release is six cuts in just over thirty-four minutes in length. Within all of that you've got this tremolo picked wall of riffs that act as an atmospheric axe of destruction on some cuts. Other times it's a slower cold harshness that envelopes your mind. Mortt's vocals driving along either at screamed aggressive tempos or just bleak fucking demented doom. 

In the end it's releases like this that keep me a Black Metal fan even though they're few and far between. The five tracks on here are perfect. The last cut is spoken word and background sounds which is a loss in my book. Still it's far better then a lot. 

https://www.oldtemple.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://oldtemple.bandcamp.com/album/temple-of-decay-profanus

MAYHEM - Liturgy Of Death review

 

MAYHEM - Liturgy Of Death 

Century Media

So let me get some things out here which you'll understand. I am a MAYHEM fan in that I own 99.9% of all of their releases whether they're official or bootleg. Crazy enough my bootlegs have gone on to be official releases later on. Not only is MAYHEM one of my all time favorite Black Metal bands. But I still say their De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas full length from 1994 is the greatest Black Metal album of all time. But before someone screams "Bias"! Let me be honest by saying not all of their releases are that great in my not so humble opinion. And two of em are stinkers. 

Now with that said back in 2019 when the band released the Daemon full length I called it the real follow up of De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas. Along with Necrobutcher on bass, Attila Csihar on vocals and Hellhammer on drums. You had two cool guitarists Teloch (aka: Morten Bergeton Iversen) and Ghul (aka: Charles Edward Alexander Hedger). These guitarists recreated the sound which Euronymous and Snorre Westvold Ruch did back in 1993. I mean the sound on Daemon was perfect. 

And here we are seven years later with the follow-up / seventh studio full length. The term "follow-up" fits this one perfectly because it's in the same vein as Daemon. The opener here, "Ephemeral Eternity", is definitely a great horrific way to start things off. From there onward it's either great or decent tracks. "Despair" and "Weep for Nothing" are damm good and worthy of being included in their new live set.

One thing I have to mention is that Attila Csihar has become iconic with his vocal style. There's no one like him and he proves it once again on Liturgy Of Death. Also huge props to Teloch and Ghul for their guitar work which is basically icy dark melodies and a barrage of cruel riffs. A perfect example is "Aeon's End". I like the twisted atmosphere of "Funeral of Existence". The rest of the tracks are good as well. 

MAYHEM are on a roll here especially being the last Norwegian Black Metal band from the early days that actually puts out great albums of late of course. Liturgy Of Death is a quality follow-up from Daemon. If I had the band's ear I'd say your next live set should just include songs from those two albums plus a few cuts from De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas. Because they all fall together. Hey I can hope but the bottom line is that Liturgy Of Death is great.  

https://www.centurymedia.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oAidgwVV3VI&t=921s

BELITH - Hounds of Hell EP review

 

BELITH - Hounds of Hell EP

Godz ov War Productions

So here we have a cool debut EP from a Polish four piece act who are musically a bit of a few things. There's four cuts on this release. Some come over as Thrash while others are in the vein of Black Metal. The weird part is that the two never meet as in true Blackened Thrash.

Obviously this band is searching for an identity. I really like their first song "Shepherd of Wolves" and the fourth cut "War Dogs". Both songs are evil sounding Thrash. Plus the bass is so prominent. The riffs are dark plus the guitar soloing is cool fluid sounds with sparking tones. The two other cuts fall in with a Melodic Black Metal style. But it's damm fuckin Polish all the way. 

What's wild is that BELITH is made up of one guy and three women. That's kind've a twist since it's usually three guys and a woman who's either the vocalist or bassist. But times have changed and a Polish band leads the way.

 

Specifically you've got Andrzej Plaszczyk producing the caustic vocals. The damm cool guitar sounds are provided by Maria Kopciuch. The bass work which I like so much on this release is performed by Kalina Krzemianowska. Finally Milena Dmochowska provides a robust drum sound throughout. 

It's a decent release as I said earlier. Personally I'd like to see what they'd do on a full length with more song writing activity placed at their disposal. 

http://godzovwar.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://godzovwarproductions.bandcamp.com/album/hounds-of-hell

HELLFUCK - 9 Nails Hammered into the Flesh of God review

 

HELLFUCK - 9 Nails Hammered into the Flesh of God 

Godz ov War Productions

The genre tagline on this is Speed Metal / Thrash and they're from Poland. Before I go into that let's explore the line-up. HELLFUCK is a four piece act who started out in 2021. The band is made up of veteran Metal musicians from a few known Polish Extreme Metal acts and some not so. For me a long time fan of Polish Extreme Metal this is like a super group. 

You've got Skullripper (aka: Marcin Sienkiel) on guitar and vocals. He's in one of the greatest Polish Death Metal bands of all time, AZARATH. Next you got guitarist Nelek (aka: Daniel Wojtowicz) who was in the Death Metal band BANISHER. On bass there's Armagog (aka: Michal Samol) who's been in a ton of bands but also was the live bass player for AZARATH. Finally there's Inferno (aka: Zbigniew Robert Promiński) on drums who is also in AZARATH and BEHEMOTH. 

So yeah I said "super group" and yeah in all honesty those type of bands are 50/50 when producing something within their supposed potential. I'll say HELLFUCK is on the high side of supposed greatness. This is the second full length by HELLFUCK. Their debut, Diabolic Slaughter, came out in 2022 and also on Godz ov War Productions. Screw me for missing out on that one. 

As far as 9 Nails Hammered into the Flesh of God goes yeah it's part Speed Metal but there's definitely some early SLAYER influence going on here. Skullripper is doing his best to come across as Tom Araya at times. But his riffs are killer as fuck. I like Nelek's solos a lot and of course you've got a rhythm section from hell.

All in all this is a great Thrash album, obviously better than the big names putting out stuff this year. But this is obviously a side project for the band members of AZARATH to explore more fun and extreme insanity. The last AZARATH album, Saint Desecration, came out in 2020. A year later HELLFUCK started. In my not so humble opinion AZARATH's Blasphemers Maledictions from 2011 is one of the greatest Death Metal albums of all time. If you don't believe me then go listen to it or go fuck yourself. Hey Polish Power rules again!

http://godzovwar.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://godzovwarproductions.bandcamp.com/album/9-nails-hammered-into-the-flesh-of-god

HIGHGATE - Prophecies Of Eternal Horror review

 

HIGHGATE - Prophecies Of Eternal Horror

Horror Pain Gore Death Productions

Here we have the fourth full length by this three piece act who hail from the great state of Kentucky. It's my first time hearing em. Prior to this release on Horror Pain Gore Death Productions the band's early stuff came out on Totalrust Music which is a label outta Israel. Their last release was a split in 2014. So do the math because it's been a long fuckin time since this band hit the studio. 

Be that as it may the tagline about HIGHGATE is that they're Sludge Metal / Doom. OK I'll give em that but they're not NOLA Sludge. They're definitely not Eastern North Carolina Stoner Sludge. I will say there's an influence of Northeast Sludge since I saw GRIEF five fuckin times. But in the end HIGHGATE might be something of their own twisted accord. 

Listening to this is like being in a hospice room for a week with a dying delusional cancer patient. The vocals are wails of fuckin pain educed insanity. The melodies are slow but not too much crushing. There's a killer solo or two. The drum work on a few cuts comes off as a cadence for a funeral procession. 

There are five cuts on this release. I think the first three are amazing. The last two are OK in my mind. It's 2026 and if ya wanna hear something insane then here ya go. This band is from Kentucky a state that has Bigfoot, Dogman and UFO sightings. Whatafuck? Of course ya gonna like it if you're tired of generic bullshit. Yeah this band rules!

https://www.horrorpaingoredeath.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://hpgd.bandcamp.com/album/prophecies-of-eternal-horror

WINTER ETERNAL - Unveiled Nightsky review

 

WINTER ETERNAL - Unveiled Nightsky

Hells Headbangers Records

So there's a lot to unpack here. WINTER ETERNAL, cool name by the way, is a one man Black Metal band. The one man is Soulreaper (aka: Stelios Makris) who is responsible for the vocals, guitars and bass. The drum work is performed by session player V. Nuctemeron. Just for the record WINTER ETERNAL started out back in 2011. Originally this band was from Athens, Greece but relocated to Glasgow, Scotland. 

This is WINTER ETERNAL's fifth full length and third released on Hells Headbangers Records. Now for someone who does buy stuff from HHR over many years. This band has escaped my notice and I don't have an answer to why. Be that as it may musically this is not anywhere close to what you know sound-wise by any Greek or Scotish BM acts. 

If anything this release comes across as something similar to the more obscure Swedish Melodic BM acts of the past. But with a definite revamp to the style which it's fuckin needed for a while. And look it took a fuckin Greek to do it. So hey Scotland some immigrants to your nation are cool as opposed to those other ones who are assholes. Which lead to young girls having to carry knives and hatchets to defend themselves. 

But anyways if ya like Black Metal (ah duh?) then get this release, turn the sound up to a comfortable listening level, then kick back and relax. Let the waves of cold tremolo picked riffs cascade over you. The vocals will stagger you to be awake. Yeah I like this a lot. The cover artwork is cool as well.

https://shop-hellsheadbangers.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://winter-eternal.bandcamp.com/album/unveiled-nightsky