Brock’s 2 Cents – December 2019 PART 2

“Brock’s 2 cents” – quick metal reviews!

As always a few bands release albums in December which irritates me because you usually don’t find out until January or the great ones get left off your top albums of the year list, anyways, so here is all the last minute review of recently released albums that I think you should know about. Forget about these in depth reviews, I’m bringing you quick reviews on multiple releases to help you guide your way through the METAL world today!
BASICALLY THIS IS JUST MY OPINION, LIKE IT OR NOT…
Ratings: [0 (sucks) to 5 (awesome)]
{Format: Band – album title = rating |label |style of metal. review}

 

CATTLE DECAPITATIONDeath Atlas = 3/5 |Metal Blade |Death Metal
Cattle Decapitation is at the top of their game! This new release is damn good but doesn’t beat their last two albums. Monolith of Inhumanity is my favorite, The Anthropocene Extinction was a killer follow up but this new one is a bit more focus on a concept point then topping past albums! I can also see this being a grows on you album the more you listen to it. There’s a bit more melody & doomy aspects along with more of his creepy clean singing vocals on this release. 14 tracks, 3 instrumentals/intros, 4 are killer and 5 are good!
ffo: Misery Index, Aborted, Cryptopsy, Cephalic Carnage

FLESHCRAWLInto The Catacombs of Flesh = 3/5 |Apostasy |Old School Death Metal
12 years after their last album and 3 years after their split with new material, we finally get a new album! Fleshcrawl has always been one of the favorites of the HM2 DM bands. Their last split Tales of Flesh and Skin was incredible! This new album is damn good; a lot better than the last few albums. Fans of OSDM definitely will enjoy this album! 12 tracks, 5 are killer and 5 are good!
ffo: Entombed, Dismember, Grave, Obscenity, God Dethroned

IMPIETYVersus All Gods – 4.5/5 |Shivadarshana |Black/Death Metal
6 years later finally a new album! Impiety are one of my all time favs in the Black/Death Metal genre! Their last few releases were very good and this album just destroys them all! This is their best album yet! It’s aggressive, fast paced, in your face and keeps you head-banging throughout! This is definitely in my top albums for 2019! A must listen to! 10 tracks, 6 are killer and 2 are good!
ffo: Angelcorpse, Impaled Nazarene, Belphegor, Blasphemy, Vital Remains

STRIGOIAbandon All Faith = 3.5/5 |Nuclear Blast |Death Metal/Grind/Crust
A new band from Gregor Mackintosh (Paradise Lost/Vallenfyre) is a great mix of DM, Grind and Crust with a few haunting riffs throughout but yet still keeps that head-banging groove. This album is nothing ground breaking but just the perfect mix; image early Paradise Lost meets early Grindcore meets a little touch of melodic haunting riffs. This album just comes in and punches you in the face! I recommend everyone should check this out! 12 tracks, 5 are killer and 4 are good!
ffo: Vallenfyre, [early] Paradise Lost, Blood, [early] Carcass

RAGNAROKNon Debellicata = 4/5 |Agonia |Black Metal
25 years in and RAGNAROK has released their best album yet! It’s everything they’ve done combined with well written chaotic BM! This album is non-stop blasting BM with great head-banging riffs! Their 9th album is just great BM from start to finish. Their past few albums were OK, but this new album demolishes them all. BM fans need to check this out pronto! 10 tracks, 5 are killer and 3 are good!
ffo: Marduk, Taake, 1349, Gorgoroth, Setherial

REMETEInto Endless Night = 4/5 |Cold Ways |Atmospheric Black Metal
A new band from the main guy behind Woods of Desolation, comes a great atmospheric BM band with fantastic melodies woven into the chaos. The album is only 4 songs but runs about 37 minutes long. I’m just amazed the emotions that you can hear from these melodic riffs but keeps you headbanging through out. This guy just produces top notch atmospheric DM! 4 tracks, 3 are killer and 1 is good.
ffo: Woods of Desolation, Saor, Skyforest, Drudkh

UNFATHOMABLE RUINATIONEnraged & Unbound = 3/5 |Willowtip |Brutal Tech-Death Metal
Their third album comes out a little different compared to their earlier albums. This new one has a few riffs that are simpler, maybe deathcore-ish/hardcore-ish, but don’t let that deter you, this is still a damn good album! There’s a touch of experimenting on this but fans will enjoy it! It’s a solid album, but probably not better than the first 2 albums. 9 tracks, 4 are killer and 3 are good. Also, that cover… does anyone else see CANNIBAL CORPSE The Bleeding? “Hey, can I copy your homework, Sure, just change it a little!”
ffo: Defeated Sanity, Abnormality, Cattle Decapitation, Beneath the Massacre

REINCARNAGEReap = 3/5 |Apostasy |DeathGrind
This new band delivers some top notch deathgrind with grooves and a bit of European melodic riffing that you’d expect from a band from Sweden. There’s definitely bit of familiarity with some of these riffs but this is a very strong debut release! Fans of European DM should check this out! 9 tracks, 4 are killer and 3 are good!
ffo: Misery Index, Vomitory, Entrails, Paganizer, Fleshcrawl

NOVEMBERS DOOMNephilim Grove = 3.5/5 |Prophecy Productions |Death/Doom Metal
Novembers Doom is one of those bands, that I have their albums but probably only jam out to them once or twice a year. They’ve been getting better with recent albums and this album is right up there with being one of their best. There’s also a vibe of the more I jam to this the more it grows on me. Its definitely a mix of everything they’ve done into an album. Fans will love this album! 9 tracks, 4 are killer and 3 are good!
ffo: Katatonia, Paradise Lost, Swallow the Sun, Woods of Ypres, My Dying Bride

HIDEOUS DIVINITYSimulacrum = 3.75/5 |Century Media |Death Metal
I’ve said it before many times, any death metal band coming out of the Netherlands or Italy, you need to take a moment and check it out, because 75% of time, its gonna be killer! Their 4th album in and Hideous Divinity brings their best album since their first! This album is firing on all cylinders and it’s top notch brutal tech-death! Recently being signed by Century Media, once you hear this you’ll understand why a major label immediately inked this band to contract! Plus they’re two good DM version cover songs of Machine Head and Mayhem. 12 tracks, 4 are killer and 4 are good!
ffo: Hour of Penance, Nile, Decrepit Birth, [older] Behemoth

MISþYRMINGAlgleymi = 3.5/5 |Norma Evangelium Diaboli |Black Metal
WOW! What a turnaround! Their first album was not good, but this Icelandic bands’ sophomore release is great! It seems this band is finding their sound with being more focused, tighter and mixing some melodic riffs to their BM style. Any fans looking for melodic BM or maybe atmospheric BM, check this band out!
ffo: Svartidauoi, Swallow the Sun, Ascension, UADA, Mgla

REVEL IN FLESHThe Hour of the Avenger = 2.5/5 |War Anthem |Death Metal
The last album Emissary of All Plagues was their best album and this album shifted a bit in sound. This new album has a strong Bolt Thrower vibe and a bit more melodic which is not a bad thing but kinda took away from what I expected. Also the overall intensity of this album seem a bit more laid back compared to early albums. This album started off great but then hit blah quickly; I was expecting more from this new album, 11 tracks, 1 cover, 3 are killer and 4 are OK.
ffo: Dismember, Bolt Thrower, Fleshcrawl, Grave, Hail of Bullets

BLOOD EAGLETo Ride In Blood & Bathe In Greed III = 2/5 |Nuclear Blast |Death/Groove metal
The 3rd EP released in the trilogy of this year, this Denmark band features members from Hatesphere, Illdisposed, Volbeat and Artillery, continues their brand of Groove meets OSDM. All three EPs overall were good, not sure why they went this route of instead of releasing a debut album. If your a fan of European OSDM then check it out! 3 tracks, 1 is good and 1 is ok.
ffo: Illdisposed, Konkhra, Bolt Thrower, Impious

AVSLUT Tyranni = 2/5 |Osmose Productions |Black Metal
With their sophomore album, Avslut continues with their blasting BM but some tracks have slower almost doomy-ish riffs. It seems the band is experimenting a touch which is not a band thing but this release doesn’t match up to earlier works. It’s definitely worth checking out and fans of the band will still enjoy it. 9 tracks, 3 are killer and 4 are good.
ffo: Nordjevel, Dissection, Dark Funeral

DICTATEDPhobos = 1.25/5 |Metal Blade |Death Metal
WOW… this sounds nothing like the first 2 albums! This band has evolved their sound with this new album. The albums Summary of Retribution & The Deceived are mid-paced DM with some grooves and this new one is a lot faster and some of the grooves are similar to Deathcore! Some of these riffs seem to simple for the talent in this band. I’m shocked on this change and not sure why they did it. 11 tracks, 2 are killer and 5 are OK.
ffo: God Dethroned, Aborted, Cattle Decapitation, Misery Index

PRONGAge of Defiance = 2/5 |Steamhammer |Groove Metal
I’m not the biggest fan of Prong but I do check out every release, because there’s usually 2 or 3 kick ass songs and the rest of the release is blah. This new EP has 2 new songs and 3 live songs. This is standard , of the new songs 1 is good and the other is OK but these live songs sound incredible, it says they were recorded live on tour but damn, sounds like it was in studio!
ffo: Helmet, Ministry, White Zombie, Anthrax, Faith No More

MYRONATHInto The Qliphoth = 2/5 |Non Serviam |Black Metal
A new band from Sweden, Myronath delivers that fast paced BM with a touch of melodic and grooves to the head-banging chaos they create! There’s definitely is a strong Dissection vibe to some of these songs. Not a bad debut, can stand tall in the genre with this album but I think they need a little bit more originality. 8 tracks, 3 are killer and 3 are OK.
ffo: Dissection, Marduk, Naglfar, Blood of Serpents

AvslutBlood EagleBrock's 2 CentsCattle DecapitationDictatedFleshcrawlHideous DivinityImpietyMyronathNovembers DoomProngRagnarokReincarnageRemeteRevel In FleshStriogoi
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