Album Reviews

Korpiklaani is always a party! Be it live or on a CD. This time, we get 'Rankarumpu' meaning Ragged Drum, Korpiklaani's 12th studio album already. Let's check it out!
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The brutal death metal elite Nile has remained among the top-notched bands in the U.S. since the nineties onwards. The foray into the brutal aesthetics defined by Karl Sanders (guitars and vocalist) took the band to a constant expansion. With albums like 'Amongst the Catacombs of Nephren-Ka' and 'Black Seeds of Vengeance' being the foundations for the legacy of Nile, 'The Underworld Awaits Us All' is the tenth album in their career.
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Two years after debuting the first EP 'The Ageless' California’s trio Vile Rites displays impressive musicianship on their new full-length album 'Senescence' out via Carbonized Records since August 16th, 2024. The songwriting is provided by a trio, comprising bassist and synthesizer Stephen Coon, guitarist and vocalist Alex Miletich and drummer Aerin Johnson, suiting the uncanny nature of the six tracks.
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Canadian black metal is very relevant to Europe and mostly to Norwegian and Finnish raw black metal. It is something that is closely adhered to the nineties era. Quebec black metal act Spectral Wound stands prominently at the center of the newer bands in Canada, and now the quintet has returned with the fourth album 'Songs of Blood and Mire' out via Profound Lore Records on 23rd August, 2024.
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By now the Italian symphonic/technical death metal outfit Fleshgod Apocalypse has firmly established itself in the extreme metal arena. With each studio album they have become known for their grand orchestral elements. The word epic may not be right to describe their latest studio album 'Opera' out via Nuclear Blast on August 23rd, 2024, however. After undergoing a major revamp, the new lineup is led by the long-time and original member guitarist, bassist and vocalist Francesco Paoli with Francesco Ferrini composing graceful and ominous orchestrations, Eugene Ryabchenko behind the drum-kit, lead guitarist Fabio Bartoletti and finally the soprano Veronica Bordacchini.
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It's a horrific chemistry that goes creepy and well between horror movies and brutal death metal. One can cite many examples of bands using horror film samples like Mortician and Necrophagia. Still, the Italian brutal death metal act Fulci have a bizarre tradition that would appeal to many fans of the genre. Just like the Canadian American horror film producer George A. Romero who directed a series of films about a zombie apocalypse, Italy’s Fulci seemingly takes its inspiration from the conception of Lucio Fulci.
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In Aphelion is the brainchild of guitarist and vocalist Sebastian Ramstedt (Necrophobic) who formed the band in 2020 and released a single EP 'Luciferian Age' and one full-length album 'Moribund'. Their lineup includes guitarist Johan Bergebäck (Necrophobic), bassist Tobias Cristiansson (Necrophobic) and drummer Marco Prij (Cryptosis, ex-Distilator). With individual skills and sonic vision, In Aphelion's new sophomore release 'Reaperdawn' out via Century Media Records on August 9th, 2024, delivers its venomous music in the same vein as bands like Naglfar, Dissection and Dark Funeral.
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Sweden’s powerhouse Dark Tranquillity has dominated through a series of innovations with the Gothenburg sound centering on them. The new era for the band began with bestselling albums like 'The Gallery', 'Haven', 'Damage Done' and 'Character' offering some of the most fan favorite melodic death metal albums in our modern times. As a result of their re-invention of sound and direction, which used keyboards and aggressive riffs, Dark Tranquillity has had a massive start: their extensive catalog fully linked to their musical evolution.
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The Omega Swarm is a German death/black metal band founded in 2022 by guitarist, bassist and synthesizer wiz T. (Sulphur Aeon) aka Torsten Horstmann. The band’s lineup also includes drummer Max Scheefeldt and vocalist Christian Schettler. Their debut full-length album 'Crimson Demise' was released on May 31st, 2024, via Ván Records. T. presents some well-written riffs and a dark atmosphere that is overwhelmingly melodic and technical.
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20 Buck Spin released the sophomore 'I Erode' from the U.S. death metal four-piece Laceration on July 26th, 2024. The new album is a step forward from the 2021 album 'Demise' which was released through Rotted Life Records, Laceration had all the features to sound aggressive and brutal. It is the remark that was shown clearly from Bay Area death thrashers. On the musical aspects 'I Erode' has the right amount of reverb. Each song is pummeling heavy with Eli Small on bass guitar, Donnie Small on lead guitar, Luke Cazares handling both the guitar and vocals and Aerin Johnson on drums.
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