Horned Almighty – Necro Spirituals (Candlelight 2011)

I’ve been a fan of these Danish shits since I picked up their split with Sargeist some time ago and have to say that a lot has changed since that vile and raw little Moribund split was released. For one the production on this one is amped up, but not enough to ruin the vulgar and treble tones of the metallic guitar buzzing, and they are out of the cave and fully unloading rounds into everything they can get a bullet into. The Celtic Frost/raw crusty black metal is still present, only instead of a militia it’s a full -blown cavalry!!!!!

http://www.myspace.com/hornedlamighty

Grave Desecrator – Insult (Hells Headbangers 2011)

These days it’s hard to buy an album based on label alone, but as with every circumstance there’s an exception and that exception for me in terms of black/death/extreme metal is HHR. This Brazillian oldschool heretical blackened death beast lays in the desecrated blood soaked ground between early Sepultura, Incantation and Sarcofago. There’s a great crusty old school flare (Celtic Frost/Hellhammer) in the rhythms that kicks up the sacrificial tone of this virgin mutilating blood bath of an album that is sure to make heads turn, bang…and roll. This is absolutely essential for the old school horde, in fact I wholly recommend Gravehill alongside this one for a belligerent and bestial headbang. The riffs swirl around you like a tornado!!!!!! You can even hear and feel classic Morbid Angel in tracks like “Stained by Blood” complete with severing leads and brutal shreds!!!!!

Sample this rip fest@ http://www.hellsheadbangers.com/gravedesecrator/

Eastern Front - Blood on Snow (Candlelight Records 2011)

This English black metal onslaught is as brutal and intense as their cover art is. There’s something unique about this band in the sound that is haunting and elusive, it’s just a simple synth behind the crusty and in-your-face aggression these guys bring forth, and some of the guitar work, but it really does something to this whole album to make it a bit creepy without being raw and grim. With all of the talent coming out right now it really takes something to stand out and even the subtleties on albums like this one make all the fucking difference. There’s some sad atmospheres of post war death and loss, cold snow covered barren trenches, and troops moving in the near distance. There’s even some death metal gutteral growls here and there to add the sense of a battalion approaching, this release really shows a lot of diversity but still remaining a classic and raw black metal band paying as much homage to Gorgoroth, Marduk. Immortal, Bathory then anything avant-garde. Definitely check into this band, in fact the album is produced by Andy La Rocques…

Band info:
www.wartornblackmetal.com
www.myspace.com/easternfrontuk

Drug Honkey - Death Dub (Diabolical Conquest Records)

I’ve been craving my old Ministry/Pailhead/1000 Homo DJs stuff starting two nights ago and after cranking The Mind is a Terrible Thing to Taste and the many EP’s form the great side projects of Al Jourgenson, I remembered that this one had crossed my path and perfectly fits Ministry or old Wax Trax bands doing raw early death metal sludge. It’s raw death industrial breeding with Eyehategod (?) or something in that ballpark, and really cool. Absolutely for fans of ultra low end sludge tremors like early Earth(non-drone), Rakhim, Fleshpress, with some Abscess zombie/horror vocals run through deep effects and a rumbling swamp rhythm raw and black like a 3rd degree burn still oozing and steaming. Fuck…I don’t even know what the hell this is but it grooves and bludgeons with the weight of its leaden riffs until your skull bursts, so definitely check the link below for this one!!!!!

http://www.myspace.com/drughonkey

Impiety – Worshippers of the Seventh Tyranny (Agonia Records 2011)

This 7th release from doom black death metal barbarians is a 40 minute epic war track that storms over you like a galloping horde of 10 million iron horses!!!!! Seriously, this one has EVERYTHING!!!!!!!! Bestial, unforgiving, relentless, debauched and violent…what more could you ask for, or want for that matter? The vocals are also spoken word crust/nuclear fallout doom themed, in fact it reminds me of the awesome Dead Neon cassette that I just reviewed, cool shit!!!!!

Set for release on February 15, 2011 and ready to scorch the heavens and the Earth, you won’t want to miss this one and judging from the noise and awesome cover art, you CAN’T miss it!!!!!

http://www.myspace.com/impietyofficial

Wooden Stake/Druid Lord - Split 7"

Wooden Stake is a classic horror occult doom fiend’s greatest holiday gift that is sure to please everyone with the sultry and esoteric female vocals that sort of remind me of the less martial Dead Can Dance vocals over some stomping raw doom thunder ( DCD is on my playlist these last few nights so it struck the righ chord with me). The atmosphere is haunting and easily could be mistaken by the novice as a field recording of a modern day black mass. Just in time for the winter Solstice, grab one of these QUICKLY and rejoice in your doomy pagan spirits. This band is one of my top new finds and will become yet another of my doom obsessions. This duo has several awesome releases coming soon including a split with the amazing Blizaro on Razorback so don’t pass up on this one!!!!

Wooden Stake: http://www.myspace.com/woodenstakedeath



Druid Lord is Florida based death doom act similar to the brilliant Acid Witch, but just as brilliant in their own unique way. Having just reviewed this monster bands debut, Hymns For the Wicked (HPGD), this split couldn’t have come at a better time. For fans of Coffins, Acid Witch, Autopsy, Ramesses, Winter, doom metal, and classic horror films!!!! I can’t get enough of this stuff, but then again…what am I not obsessing over in terms of heavy essentials? DO NOT PASS ON THIS ONE, their debut, or any ACID WITCH…they are limited and once they are gone you’ll regret not picking it up as I have with the first AW!!!!!


Druid Lord: http://www.myspace.com/druidlordz

Veneficum – In tranquil Absurd (Self-Release 2010)

I’ve been a fan of this Chicago based symphonic Black metal band since there brilliant “Dysphoria” album and when they came to me with this one I was totally humbled and excited. After about 6 years in the making this recent release is not only as intense and majestic as their debut, but even more. In fact, I’d go as far as to say that this release is the exact reason why I loved this stuff beginning with “In the Nightside Eclipse”, “De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas”, “Dark Medieval Times”, “Diabolical Fullmoon Mysticism”, and “In Abhorrence Dementia”. The amount of atmosphere and brute force, not to mention evil, that can be captured in black metal is undeniable as these bands and newer acts like Veneficum continue to drop the bomb on the listener with their storm of metallic fury that we have come to expect from this style.

The album opens up with “The Return” featuring some haunting female vocals and chugging riffs that conjure up sensations of intense and chaotic bouts of struggle. Bands like Veneficum continue in the post Emperor era to prove that symphonic black metal can still be belligerent and annihilating to the senses through a battering ram arsenal of percussion, scathing fury, and dense atmospheres of black holes and parallel universe philosophies that’ll make your head spin as your mind tries to wrap around each piece of this audio puzzle. In Tranquil Absurd, to me is the sound of the cosmos and the dark universe that surrounds us as each tiny piece leads us further mentally and literally into unknown realms both mysterious and possibly treacherous. The entire album is a cinematic, lucid journey that is chaotic and at times celestial (?), you have to experience to understand it.

You definitely don’t want to miss this one:
http://www.myspace.com/veneficum

Fester – Winter of Sin re-issue (Abyss Records 2010)

Fester is a wet dream for a doomy death fanatic like myself and this classic release from back in 1992 is being necromanced to unleash its raw venomous curse yet again. There’s the rawness of Autopsy and Winter and a bit of Darkthrone and Celtic Frost to freeze the blood in your veins, but overall Fester is its own beast with its own sound and feel and comes highly recommended for those who like their metal raw and filthy as much as I do. There’s a good balance between doom death and frosty classic Nordic old school black metal to savor here so definitely pick this thing up.

Band Contact and Audio Samples:
http://www.myspace.com/festernorway

Purchasing:
http://www.officialabyssrecords.com/

New Stuff Coming In!!!!

New releases from Malignant Records, some really amazing electronic/kraut/psyche/prog finds and much more in the next few days. Thanks to those who stood by this site, it's been a rough last few months with many labels not following through and my time being absorbed in other things.