PALANTYR - The Ascent & the Hunger EP review

 

PALANTYR - The Ascent & the Hunger EP

Dying Victims Productions

Every so often you get a year in Extreme Metal where there's a certain type of sound really making a stand as opposed to trendy bullshit. In my not so humble opinion 2025 is the year of female fronted bands ruling the roost. and here is just another cool one. 

PALANTYR is a five piece Traditional Metal act hailing from France. Technically this is their debut release but there's some baggage to it. This is a six song release. The first three tracks come from a release they did earlier this year and put out on Jawbreaker Records. the next three cuts are new. That's why it's called The Ascent and The Hunger. 

Now before I get into the vocal part let's start with the overall music sound. Much of this musically is in the MAIDEN-esque realm of sound. Some tracks like "Shan E Sorkh" and "Ravenous" stray away from the whole galloping riffs and dive bombing melodic soloing. But hey I'd rather listen to new bands doing it then modern day IRON MAIDEN. 

As far as vocalist Athenais Kordian goes, she has a powerful voice that's not over the top or gimmicky. She comes across as a gutsy Metal woman with a cool vocal range. On the song "Nosferatu" she let's her vocal talent shine throughout. On "Graveyard" she really stands out.

In the end I think this band needs a full length. Yeah I like what I'm hearing on this release. But they need to prove themselves further which I'll be the first SOB to say hell yeah! For now yeah this is a must have release.  

https://dying-victims.de/

LISTEN HERE:

https://dyingvictimsproductions.bandcamp.com/album/the-ascent-the-hunger

NAEVUS - Back Home review

 

NAEVUS - Back Home

Dying Victims Productions

Doom Metal from Germany yeah you don't hear that often if at all. Which is why this release peaked my interest immediately. Just for the record NAEVUS originally started out back in early 1990's. They came out with their debut full length, Sun Meditation, in 1998. That one came out on Rise Above Records and shocker I never heard it. Fuck Me Running!

So as far as the PR info goes the band broke up but then reformed in 2012. In 2016 they released their second full length Heavy Burden. And here we are now with their third full length. Once again reading the PR info on this four piece act. They're influenced by early US Doom aka: TROUBLE, PENTAGRAM, SAINT VITUS & THE OBSESSED.

So after a lackluster one and a half minute intro I'm hearing something decent. NAEVUS's title cut is pure TROUBLE / THE SKULL worship but in a good way. Uwe Groebel (vocalist / guitarist) has those cool clean vocal chops that remind ya of Eric Wagner (RIP). As the album progresses you hear song structures that rip from memories you had of the past. 

Trust me on this one, NAEVUS are not a copycat band. On the contrary they have been handed a gift of influences and proceed to follow that because the original is gone. That TROUBLE with another singer sucks. And that new SKULL / Eric Wagner tribute act is OK. They had a good album last year. But what you have here is cool as fuck. 

I mean blast "The Dead Don't Sleep", "Under a Different Sky" or "Angels Never Come" and tell me that the fingers of TROUBLE era Doom don't touch you on the forehead. Yeah this album is a winner in my not so humble opinion. I'm sure Eric Wagner, where ever he is, approves of NAEVUS. I know I do. As far as the cover artwork goes I'm not a fan.

https://dying-victims.de/

LISTEN HERE:

https://dyingvictimsproductions.bandcamp.com/album/back-home

FIRMAMENT - For Centuries Alive review

 

FIRMAMENT - For Centuries Alive

Dying Victims Productions

Power Metal from Germany I'm shocked? I'm also joking around. When I saw this band's photo I was like please be influenced by the SCORPIONS. And no they're not. In fact they open this nine song full length with an instrumental. People who read this blog, and frankly who doesn't, know I hate opening instrumentals. 

Be that as it may and despite the opening cut, this German band is good sounding Power Metal. I mean they've got all the typical tropes. We're talking about MAIDEN-esque rhythms, great clean guitar soloing, a damm good rhythm section. And of course a dynamic vocalist in Marco Herrmann. 

I'm not a huge Power Metal fan but when I listen to this, their second full length since starting out in 2021, I'm like yeah this sounds exciting and it's not generic sounding bullshit. A lot of this release rocks in an old school hard rock way. Hey I'm old so I find these certain styles familiar from when I was young. 

FIRMAMENT do a great job at mixing em up for a Metal music fan, regardless of age, to enjoy. 

https://dying-victims.de/

LISTEN HERE:

https://dyingvictimsproductions.bandcamp.com/album/for-centuries-alive

RIBSPREADER - As Gods Devour review

 

RIBSPREADER - As Gods Devour

Xtreem Music

Well it wouldn't be a good year in Extreme Metal without a release by a Rogga Johansson affiliated band. The guy is the most hardest working Swedish Death Metal musician of all time. You know him from bands like PAGANIZER and REVOLTING plus a ton of other bands and side projects. Of course RIBSPREADER is a long time Death Metal act he's been in since the early 2000's. 

What we have here is RIBSPREADER's 11th album. I'm surprised that Rogga came out with this release with RIBSPREADER so fast since they had an album last year. 2024's Reap Humanity, which also came out on this label, was a damm good release in my not so humble opinion. Albeit I'm bias because I like the guy. But I thought the REVOLTING album was better. 

Anyways this time around the big change is Jon Rudin (who's played with Rogga in another project) replaces Jeramie Kling on drums. Rogga is still creating the guitar riffs, playing bass and delivering those beast like vocals. Also Hakan Stuvemark, from WOMBBATH fame is still laying done lightning strike lead guitar work. 

Musically this time around it's still a homage to Swedish OSDM but not so old. When I listen to this release I'm reminded of latter day GRAVE albums. I'm talking about GRAVE circa the late 2000's when they were like hey remember us type of stuff. That's what this album reminds me of. 

Still songs like "The Pig in You", "Rotten Soil Serenade" and "As Corpses Cry" are cool. The rest of this album is pretty much their last album lite. Sadly this is the first time I'm giving a negative review for a Rogga Johansson affiliated band release. Yeah this album is decent only which bums me out because I am a fan. 

https://shop.xtreemmusic.com/english.main.index.php

LISTEN HERE:

https://xtreemmusic.bandcamp.com/album/as-gods-devour

DEATHGOAT - Dragged into Realms Below review

 

DEATHGOAT - Dragged into Realms Below

Xtreem Music

OSDM is on display here by this Finnish five piece act. I'll just say they love Sweden's DISMEMBER and frankly who doesn't? This is the band's second full length. I was looking forward to this because years ago I heard their debut Regurgitated into Existence from 2021. That came out on the Finnish label Black Soul Productions as a download. 

Granted the early Finnish DM scene copied the Sweden DM style / sound with a few exceptions. I listen to this now in 2025 and think well DISMEMBER don't sound this good anymore. So yeah this rules in so many ways. The opener "Alkulima" is boring but don't let that dissuade you. "Pestilent Retribution", "Congregation of Disease" and "Dying to Be Dead" will kick your fuckin ass!

And that goes forth to the rest of this album. DEATHGOAT nail all of the cool points. You've got the crunchy Boss pedal guitar sound. Great riffs throughout backed by a rhythm section on speed. Out from the sky dive bomb soloing and the vocals are by a brutal sounding Neanderthal. This is a nine song head fuck with the opener being the only low point. Yeah this album fucking rules!

https://shop.xtreemmusic.com/english.main.index.php

LISTEN HERE:

https://xtreemmusic.bandcamp.com/album/dragged-into-realms-below

ORGAN DEALER - Visceral Infection Reissue review

 

ORGAN DEALER - Visceral Infection Reissue

Horror Pain Gore Death Productions

When it comes to Extreme Metal I not only believe in second chances and sometimes thirds. I also believe they're extremely necessary. I say that because of the fact that bands can release all of the stuff they want. But if there's no real promotion behind what they do, no good reviews or no scene trend that garners interest. Then some bands get lost in the whole scheme of things.

With all of that said here we have a Grindcore band from New Jersey, the place I was born in and raised up to my teens. That was a long time ago. But ORGAN DEALER is a band who came out at a time, in 2013, which was post all of the hipster bullshit into Grindcore. I mean as a fan of Grind this their debut album, Visceral Infection, from 2015 was a refresher course into real fuckin Grind. 

I know some purists will say "well I hear some Death Metal influence". Well OK fine but don't be an A-Hole about it. I mean you've got the savage vocals by a guy who sounds like he's being tortured by the Spanish Inquisition at some point. At other times it's a complete revolt against everything. The drum work is absolutely amazing. The song structures are chaotic. The guitar work is fucking amazing as well as chaotic. It's not mind blowing Grind but it's damm good.

I mean this came out in 2015 and here's your chance to get it again. I took the deep dive and looked up Best Grindcore albums of 2015. This wasn't even listed and the ones that were? Well I did own one from a famous UK Grindcore band and I sold it because it was boring. So there you go. If you're a Grind-head then this fucking reissue by ORGAN DEALER is mandatory.

https://www.horrorpaingoredeath.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://hpgd.bandcamp.com/album/visceral-infection-lp

PERCUSSOR - Remnants Of Horror The Final Cut Reissue

 

PERCUSSOR - Remnants Of Horror The Final Cut Reissue

Horror Pain Gore Death Productions

PERCUSSOR have been the premier Death Metal band out of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for a decade now. Their first two full lengths; Proclamation of Hate from 2015 and Disturbing Reality from 2016 both came out on Horror Pain Gore Death Productions. Their sound is pure hate filled Old School sounding Death Metal. It's the stuff you love if you're into the old ways.

In 2017 the band released their third full length, Remnants of Horror, on another label. Why, I don't know but in 2019 they would reissue it. Then in 2022 the band returned to Horror Pain Gore Death Productions and released Ravenous Despondency which is a damm good album to say the least. 

Which brings us to 2025 and PERCUSSOR's third full length is reissued on Horror Pain Gore Death Productions. Where it should've been in the first place if you ask me. Be that as it may Remnants Of Horror is a damm good piece of work if you crave the old ways of the genre. What was always cool about PERCUSSOR's sound was that it came across more as pre-1990's DM but not Thrash oriented too much. 

When I listen to this album I can't help but think of em playing this stuff live to a packed club in South Philly. And of course I can envision the slam pit mayhem. As always Jack Carmichael's vocals are way up front in the mix. Which of course reminds ya of Don of the Dead from NUNSLAUGHTER. The riffs are low-fi and diabolical. The rhythm section works it all out perfectly. 

In the end this is an essential release if you're a fan of this Hostile City Death Metal band. Nuff Said.

https://www.horrorpaingoredeath.com/

LISTEN HERE: 

https://hpgd.bandcamp.com/album/remnants-of-horror-the-final-cut