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TOMBTOKER / HAZE MAGE – Split – REVIEW

 

My first impression of this album based on the psychedelic looking Dungeons and Dragons inspired artwork, is that it looks like a cross between Eddie from Iron Maiden and Rita Repulsa from The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. That may sound like an offbeat and strange comparison but it somehow works. Tombtoker and Haze Mage are a strange combination that also somehow just works. Both bands come from a very Doom and Sludge background and can lay out some heavy and thick grooves.

Tombtoker is the heavier of the 2 with guttural vocals and sludgy guitars tones. Braise the Dead is a catchy opener with some great riffing and killer grooves. Botched Bastard (which is a great song title) slows things down but keeps the heaviness.

Haze Mage is on the other side of the spectrum here with their Sabbath meets Sleep style of hazy guitars and Doom and Groove sound. Sleepers takes you on a trip back in time of thick smoke covered venues and 70’s stoner jam bands. Pit Fighter is more upbeat with some great tempo changes and crawling solos.

Splits are a great way to introduce yourself to a band you may have never heard or heard of before. This split does an incredible job of taking 2 different types of bands with the same sound that go great together.

Find this EP in this month’s Coffee Subscriptions!

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AKURION – Come Forth to Me – Album Review

 

From Montreal, Canada comes Akurion and they are here to kick your ass with some brtual Death Metal. No matter how you like your Death Metal; technical, melodic, blackened, etc, this debut album is worth a listen for any fan of exteme music. It come as no surprise here as Akurion features members of Cattle Decapitation and Cryptopsy, you know you are in for a treat of killer riffs and brutal melodies.

From the opening track, Leave them Scars, Akurion, comes off with a vengeance with growling vocals courtsy of Mike DiSalvo and the pounding bass of Oli Pinard. Pedals from a Rose… slows things down a bit but does not skimp on the brutality. Souvenir Gardens is an epic piece clocking in at a little over 11 minutes. It begings with an incredible atmospheric piece that has classical feel to it that is rounded out quite well with some acoustic guitar work. Year of the Long Pig is an unapologetic crushing piece that comes off as raw and chaotic and one of the best tracks featured here.

Come Forth to Me is an enjoyable debut from a Death Metal, “super group” that does not feel it was just piece together as a side project as most of these types of collaborations can often feel. This album was made for multiple listens with it’s raw, gritty, melodic and atmospheric riffs ,pouding and grooving bass lines and crushing vocals. This is a well crafted album that will perfectly fit in your library.

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ULVKULT – Lupus Occultus – Album Review

Lupus Occultus, like the title suggests is centered around Werewolves. Luckily, this EP is really something you can sink your hungry fangs into. This release is the band’s debut demo which is hard to believe as it feels like anything but. The tracks here feel and sound like they have been laid down by a well seasoned band that has already released a few albums. They guys in UlvKult are clearly well established musicians. The production value on this recording is tight and professional and sounds like they clearly know what they are doing in the studio. Don’t worry, it’s not over produced, this is some killer sounding Trve Black Metal. 

Carpathian War Bells is a great track to start off with it’s crushing guitars, killer bass-lines and intense vocals. The song is relentless and full of classic Black Metal intensity and fury. This three piece stay true to their word of “no trends, no gimmicks, just trve Black Metal.” Full Moon Necrmancy is a killer song with plenty of shattering riffs, blast beats and incredible vocals that will have you screaming along. Wyrd of the Wolves is a great choice for a closing track. It starts of crushing only to slow down into heavy groove with some impressive guitar solos that fade into another fury of intense old school Black Metal. 

If this is their first effort, UlvKult are definitely a band to watch.

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HECATE ENTHRONED

HECATE ENTHRONED Unveils New Song From Upcoming Album ‘Embrace Of The Godless Aeon’

UK Black/Death Metal Act HECATE ENTHRONED Unveils New Song ‘Temples That Breathe’Long-awaited new album ‘Embrace Of The Godless Aeon’ coming January 25, 2019, their first album in five years.

Says bassist Dylan Hughes, “The track is a critique of the Catholic Church for centuries of abuse. It paints the church as a kind of virulent entity that spreads pain and horror, almost as if the church itself is alive – hence, temples that breathe. The stark, menacing stills and imagery within the video create this unnerving miasma, an uneasy feeling like cold, stale secular breath on the back of your neck. The song features epic and sweeping orchestrations, heavy aggressive riffing, breakneck speeds and harmonies with a brutal vocal delivery – all the elements you’d expect from HECATE ENTHRONED, which are contained in abundance on this album, making this track the perfect first release to give you a flavor of what’s to come.”

“Embrace Of The Godless Aeon” – which features cover artwork by Nestor Avalos (Bloodbath, Rotting Christ, The Black Dahlia Murder) can be pre-ordered now on CD and red splatter vinyl at www.m-theoryaudio.com/store. A limited-edition deluxe box set that includes exclusive purple vinyl and cassette editions of the album, a signed photo card and other collectibles is also available. Digital pre-orders on Bandcamp and other platforms include “Temples That Breathe” as an instant download.

One of the UK underground’s longest-running and most respected acts, HECATE ENTHRONED has been praised by the likes of Terrorizer for their “mixture of death metal aggression with black metal atmosphere.” “Embrace Of The Godless Aeon” – their first recording with vocalist Joe Stamps, who joined the band in 2015 – sees the group continue to deftly mix black with death, modern with classic and extreme with symphonic. The album, which features guest vocals on three songs by Sarah Jezebel Deva (Cradle of Filth, Therion, Mortiis), was co-produced by Dan Abela (Voices, The Antichrist Imperium).