Album Reviews

Three years since the release of their fifth album 'At One with None' Swedish heavy metal stalwarts Portrait return for a follow-up album: 'The Host' is out via Metal Blade Records since June 21st, 2024. For a long time now the Swedes have been wearing influences on theor sleeve of Iron Maiden and Mercyful Fate. Unlike on its predecessor Portrait upped the pace on the newest record as the quintet of Per Lengstedt (vocals), Christian Lindell (guitars), Karl Gustafsson (guitars), Fredrik Petersson (bassist) and Anders Persson (drummer) embarked on a journey of a typical old school heavy/power metal and took steps to achieve a vintage sound.
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The fourth opus 'House of the Black Geminus' by the Colorado-based black metal formation Akhlys embodies the ultimate work of Naas Alcameth (guitars, vocals, keyboards and songwriting). The blazing inferno erupts in a rather frenzy fashion, bringing the fascination of a soul-stirring experience and verging to spectral surrealism with six ominous cuts. The dark abrasive sound of Akhlys has always been raw, still it leaves the industrial/electronic atmosphere sweeping through the constant barrage of riffs, hence interlocking the bizarre horror tone of the album.
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Kings of Hungarian black metal Sear Bliss has returns with the ninth studio album “Heavenly Down” out via Hammerheart Records on June 28, 2024. Formed in 1993 by the founding member András Nagy (guitars, vocals, percussion, and synthesizer). Sear Bliss extinguished itself as one of the first bands to use the trombone instrument in their music. The unique trademark of the band put the country on the map with their early albums such as “Phantoms”, “The Haunting” and “Forsaken Symphony” which remains my favorite work from this band.
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Your average bare-footed hobbit or dwarf might have a jolly ol’ time listening to hippie folk tunes or polka metal with songs about digging holes and drinking ale, but that won’t get you very far in the land of Mordor. In that dark realm, they play real metal.

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Apart from having very finely honed material, the international black metal super group Parfaxitas has brought their brand of dark esoteric music on the debut album 'Weaver of the Black Moon'. The band is formed by members of Merihem, Almyrkvi, Sinmara, Slidhr, Whoredom Rife and Manetheren. Their distinct style of incorporating elements from the second and third wave of black metal can easily create any atmosphere they like.
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Tampa, Florida-based technical death metal formation Nocturnus AD is back with the sophomore offering 'Unicursal' out via Profound Lore Records on May 17th, 2024. Five years after debuting their full-length album 'Paradox', the quintet bends time and space in the next gritty symphonic sci-fi installment. While the cosmic blend of synth and technical riffing somehow defines the composition, Mike Browning (vocals, drums), Damien Heftel (guitars), Belial Koblak (guitars, backing vocals), John Holdren (keyboards) and Kyle Sokol (bass) elaborate on a complex and a unique style of death metal.
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‘Citylight Sessions’ is a recording of a live concert, but not just any run-of-the-mill tour gig this Finnish ensemble did. Quite the contrary, these masters of melancholy have taken 5 tracks from their latest album ‘The Garden’ and essentially reinvented themselves.
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In 2021, Holding Absence released their previous album The Greatest Mistake of My Life. Their second album, for me the first one that I got to hear. I remember that it felt so pure, so raw and so real. The album was about loss, and you felt that. Their first album was about love, their new album The Noble Art of Self Destruction is about the person that has left after all you've been though together, and the lessons that they have learned from their trauma. I'm ready for this one, are you?
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Having made a name for themselves in the past years, the Philadelphia doom metal act Crypt Sermon took the epic elements of bands such as Solitude Aeturnus and Candlemass and molded them into an exceptional sound. Heavy, well-paced and crushing, there is something strongly reminiscent of classic doom metal bands here. The latest full-length album 'Stygian Rose' is out via Dark Descent Records since 14th June 2024. Crypt Sermon is all about the quality and the musical talents of drummer Enrique Sagarnaga, guitarists Steve Jannson and Frank Chin, bassist Matt Knox and keyboardist Tanner Anderson are all at their peak.
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New Zealand-based dissonant death metal act Ulcerate follows its modern agglomeration principle in the band’s seventh album 'Cutting the Throat of God', out via Debemur Morti Productions on July 14th, 2024. The conception of fusing atmosphere and technicality has been enhanced with each studio release. It is the way of this New Zealander trio to bring their works of wonder and to push further the thresholds in the realms of death metal.
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