With only 2 months left in this year, I’ve gotta lot to review. Here’s my 2 Cents and it’s a hefty list!!!
Every month seems like there’s a 100 new albums and this is my 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}
INSOMNIUM – Heart Like a Grave = 2.5/5 |Century Media |melodic death metal
I’ve been a fan since the 1st album when I hosted a college metal radio and now 17 year later their 8th album still delivers. A lot of melodic DM bands start off killer then start to fade into a version of the band that’s nowhere near their earlier material, yet Insomnium have evolved a bit with some clean singing and lighter melodies but they still bring some top notch melodic DM on this album. This album is better than the last and probably stands middle of the pack of their discography. 10 tracks, 3 are good and 4 are ok.
ffo: Dark Tranquillity, Mors Pricipium Est, Wolfheart, Amon Amarth
NO ONE KNOWS WHAT THE DEAD THINK – Self Titled = 4/5 |Willowtip |grind
A new grind band containing Discordance Axis members Jon Chang on vocals and Rob Marton on guitar; I’m all in on this release! Overall, the band is kinda D.A. 2.0, just a little bit more straight forward not as experimental as D.A. releases. I’m always looking for new grind bands that pushes the envelope on the technical writing front and this band scratches that itch. This is top notch grind, a must listen to! 10 tracks, 5 are killer and 3 are good! This will be in my top albums of 2019!
ffo: Discordance Axis, Gridlink, Human Remains, Insect Warfare
FLESHMEADOW – Daymares = 3.5/5 |Unsigned |technical blackened death metal
This is an undiscovered gem in the metal world! Taking technical DM and mixing with BM! Their debut album Umbra was killer and this EP follows the same! If there’s one band that I want you to check out right now, its Fleshmeadow! This newer band from Norway brings top notch sophisticated brutality which sounds like it came from veterans! 4 tracks, 3 are killer and 1 is good! This is in my top albums of 2019!
ffo: Obscura, Old Man’s Child, Spawn of Possession, Keep of Kalessin
EXHUMED – Horror = 4/5 |Relapse |death/gore-grind
Exhumed has returned to grind! The last album Death Revenge was their Carcass Heartwork tribute-album, where they displayed their talents and wrote a semi-technical melodic DM album; it was ok album at best. Exhumed is back to what they do best: GRIND and this album redeems! Right up there with their best! Exhumed fans will be pleased and this might be in my top albums for 2019! 15 tracks, 8 are killer and 4 are good!
ffo: Carcass, General Surgery, Haemorrhage, Impaled, Lock Up
1349 – The Infernal Pathway = 2.5/5 |Season of Mist |black metal
With their 7th album, 1349 unleash another solid album but not as blazingly fast as their earlier works. There also some weird interlude tracks on here that just don’t need to be on the album, they don’t add anything, more like kill the flow and they’re way too loud. I hear a thrash vibe on a few tracks. This kinda reminds me of the Demonoir album which was ok. I really liked the last album Massive Cauldron of Chaos and I was expecting more of this album. 11 tracks, 3 are killer and 4 are good.
ffo: Dark Funeral, Satyricon, Marduk, Immortal
ENTRAILS – Rise of the Reaper = 2.5/5 |Metal Blade |old school death metal
When the old school DM revival happened about a decade ago, one of the newer bands I liked was Entrails, they bring that perfect balance of old school-‘you’ve heard it before’ while mixing in touches of something new/DM from nowadays! Their 6th album is a descent release, the first half is kinda boring but the 2nd half picks up and delivers! This album fits right in the middle of their discography: 13 tracks, 4 are killer and 4 are ok with 2 intro/outros.
ffo: Entombed, Dismember, Grave, Evocation, Revel In Flesh, Sorcery
BODYFARM – Dreadlord = 3.5/5 |Metal Blade |old school death metal
With their 4th album Bodyfarm discharges that greatness! Their first few albums were ok, kinda average sounding but they’ve fine tuned their style bringing some grooves to keep you headbanging and moshing! There’s a touch of melodic to the grooving riffs which a lot of European OSDM bands have to keep the songs interesting. This band isn’t recreating the wheel, just bringing some damn good DM! 11 tracks, 5 are killer and 3 are ok! Definitely a must for Euro OSDM fans!
ffo: Bolt Thrower, Unleashed, Fleshcrawl, Edge of Sanity, Jungle Rot
BLUT AUS NORD – Hallucinogen = 3.5/5 |Debemur Morti Productions |black metal
Blut Aus Nord is probably the weirdest band out there, every release is completely different than the next. Their last album Deus Salutis Meae was boring as hell but this release turns things around! This is their 13th album and they bring a BM experience with a psychedelic atmosphere. Some people out there are calling this ‘psychedelic black metal’; maybe you can call it that but a B.A.N. album is always different! So just enjoy what they have brought on this one because it’s f’n good! I have a feeling if I jam to this a lot it will grow on me more and more but for right now- 7 tracks, 2 are killer and 4 are good!
ffo: Abigor, Deathspell Omega, Portal, Godflesh, Emperor, Krallice
KONKHRA – Alpha and The Omega = 2/5 |Hammerheart |death metal
I got into death metal in the fall of 1994 and one of the major reference tools was the compilations that Nuclear Blast put out called Death…is just the beginning. 2 bands that had a big impact on me were Meshuggah and Konkhra! Early Konkhra has always been a favorite of mine and I was looking forward to this to see if they would fully return to their earlier DM ways. Its been a decade since they released an album and it’s a return but not fully. This sounds like a mix of Weed out the Weak & Spit or Swallow; they brought the DM back but there’s still a strong groove metal vibe. 12 tracks, 2 are good and 5 are ok.
ffo: Gorefest, Obituary, [early] Illdisposed, Dawn of Demise
DISASTROUS MURMUR – Santo Subito = 3/5 |Metal Bastard Enterprises |death/goregrind
13 years later and finally a new album! Disastrous Murmur come out delivering the same ole goodness they’ve always brought! A very strong release; it’s like a mix of everything they’ve done come to fruition. Old fans and new will be pleased with this album! 13 tracks, 4 are killer and 5 are ok.
ffo: Pungent Stench, Disharmonic Orchestra, Demolition Hammer, Morgoth
DOLD VORDER ENS NAVN – Gjengangere I Hjertets Morke = 2.5/5 |Soulseller |black metal
A new BM band featuring members from Dodheimsgard, Nidingr, Ulver and Ved Buens Ende, I heard a song online and was interested; now the EP is out and its very good! The first track opens up with a strong thrash vibe and its not what I was expecting. Starting with track 2 is when the sound morphs back into that older BM sound with a progressive touch. Overall this EP is a nod to the old Norwegian BM bands but has a bit of the creepy atmosphere ala Dodheimsgard! If you like BM, give this a listen! 4 tracks, 2 are killer and 2 ok.
ffo: [early] Dodheimsgard, Ulver, Manes, Ved Buens Ende
LURID PANACEA – The Insidious Poisons = 3/5 |Unsigned |grind/brutal death metal
A friend turned me on to this band one night drinking and Thanks!
This band is crazy; 47 songs in 24 minutes! It’s like Malignancy/Regurgitate/Terminally Your Aborted Ghost thrown into a blender to make some grind! Only bad thing is that each song is about a minute or less so, by the time you start to enjoy it, its over. With all these short songs they start to blend in together and seem repetitious. Now don’t let that deter you, this is a great grind release. I just hope for the sophomore release they cut back on number of songs and make the songs a little longer to 2 minutes each! If these songs would’ve been longer, I’d give a better rating! 47 tracks, 10 are killer and 19 are good.
ffo: Malignancy, Terminally Your Aborted Ghost, Regurgitate
ENDSEEKER – The Harvest = 1.5/5 |Metal Blade |old school death metal
A major improvement over their debut but this is still just average Euro old school DM ala Dismember/Entombed with a mix of groove metal. They are a newer band to the OSDM trend but yet another band that makes me go “what are you gonna bring new to this?”. Whenever there’s a “revival’ of a genre and new bands come out the woodworks – I always ask “what are you gonna bring new to this, that I haven’t heard before?” and Endseeker didn’t. If you worship the Euro OSDM, check it out. 10 tracks, 2 are good, 3 are ok and a cover.
ffo: Dismember, Fleshcrawl, [old] Entombed, Unleashed
HORRIFIC DEMISE – Excruciating Extermination = 3.5/5 |Comatose |brutal death metal
Sorta a mid-west brutal DM supergroup featuring members of Gorgasm, Lividity, Necrotic Disgorgement, Regurgitation and Lust of Decay! I definitely had to check this out and it’s a killer debut album! Everything about this is what you’d expect from the mid-west, killer death metal with a few headbanging grooves through-out! A must listen to for Brutal DM fans: 9 tracks, 3 killer and 4 are good!
ffo: [early] Gorgasm, Regurgitation, Fleshgrind, Putrid Pile
VOMIT FORTH – Northeastern Deprivation = 3.5/5 |Maggot Stomp |death metal
This is a compilation album of 2 new tracks and the Vomit Forth & Inherit Laceration demos from 2018. Vomit Forth is f’n awesome that’s why I’m including it in my review! Straight up and to the point mid to late 90’s upper east coast death metal! Total nostalgia of blast beats and grooves to pummel your ear drums in that reminds you of those demos/debut releases from bands that came outta NY or MASS or CT area!!! This is a very promising up and coming band, looking forward to new material! 9 tracks, 5 are killer and 4 are good!
ffo: Scattered Remnants, [old] Skinless, [old] Dying Fetus, Torture Krypt
IN MOURNING – Garden of Storms = 2/5 |Agonia |progressive melodic death metal
This is a band I jam to every now and then; like 2 or 3 times a year. Their albums have been kinda middle of the road in the melodic DM world, but every album seems to have one killer song. This 5th album is better than the last but kinda the same ole same ole from them. There is a strong early Opeth vibe on some of this. 7 tracks, 2 are killer and 3 are ok.
ffo: Opeth, Katatonia, Insomnium, October Tide
ETERNAL STORM – Come The Tide = 3.5/5 |Transcending Obscurity |melodic death metal
A new band outta Spain signed to a label that mostly OSDM, Doom and BM; here’s a melodic DM band that brings an incredible album! This band is not recreating the wheel, they just created a well written album! This debut is solid and belts out that technical melodic vibe with some catchy grooves to make you head-bang. If you dig Melodic DM, check this band out now!!! 8 tracks, 4 are killer and 3 are ok!
ffo: Insomnium, Dark Tranquillity, Wolfheart, [newer] Woods of Desolation
BAEST – Venenum = 1.5/5 |Century Media |old school death metal
Another new comer from Denmark to the old school DM craze! Their debut album was last year and now a year later here’s there sophomore release. A very strong Bloodbath vibe to this along with mostly being mid-paced songs. You can hear some influence from Morbid Angel, Death and Nile. Overall, another average OSDM release. Yet another band that makes me go “what are you gonna bring new to this?” Nothing really here to make me listen to this band. 10 tracks, 2 are good and 4 are ok, plus a Bolt Thrower cover.
ffo: Bloodbath, Dismember, Grave
GAAHL’S WYRD – Gastir-Ghost Invited = 1/5 |Season of Mist |black metal
Gaahl is a pivotal person to the black metal genre. No matter what you think about his beliefs or sexual orientation; Gaahl’s impact on the genre is big! Mostly recognized while being in Gorgoroth, Gaahl was/is in other bands worth note! Wyrd being his new band is a weird introduction into his black metal. The first half is weird and boring in my opinion! Its very calm and laid back sounding while he’s singing to boring music. Finally at track 5 things pick up and start sounding like a black metal album! Basically this album is very weird and experimental (& I’m just not feeling it), 8 tracks, 1 is killer and 3 are ok.
ffo: Gorgoroth, Ulver, Portal, Trelldom, Gaahlskagg
