Inside The Darkness reviews

https://www.facebook.com/skycrypt

Sky Crypt - Incipit Anarchia - Eternity.

Continuing in the Incipit Anarchia dilogy, Sky Crypt returns with their second album Eternity. They are a trio melodic death metal band from Russia. Eternity is a concept album (I’m a sucker for concept albums) about a warrior, a prince, a king, a war, tyranny, betrayal and eventually, freedom. Sky Crypt is a new edition for myself in the world of melodic death metal and it’s off to a good start. The album starts off with “Inception”, an instrumental hymn that calls forth the coming storm. “The Dawn of Tyranny” pulls no punches with crunchy riffs and guitar hooks that would make Andy Gillion (formely of Mors Principium Est) so proud. Lead singer Alexander Mikhailov’s voice has that awesome growl in his voice that fits this style so well. “The Solemn Rite” kicks off with wicked guitar licks and thunderous drums, this one has some Amon Amarth & Desultory influences, but I say that with love. Things slow down a bit with “The Last Day”, a terrific number that has anthem written all over it, it will have you pumping your fists to the sky, something tells me this song would be excellent at a live show. “King or Curse” is my favorite, fast and relentless, packed with melodic guitar leads & solos. The album ends with “Eternity”, an acoustic instrumental that wraps up this musical journey. With everything I’ve mentioned with some well-placed keyboard moments, Incipit Anarchia:

Eternity doesn’t reinvent the wheel for this style, but if you like the genre and with the music in the hands of talented musicians, it’s worth your time & money.

Review by Luc St-Clair

Diabolizer - Khalkedonian Death.

Though they have been around for quite a long time, they haven’t exactly released much. Right from the first bars, the sound just kicks you in the face. The growls are good and deep. It gets a bit melodic once in a while, but mostly it’s just horrible. I’m tempted to call it Deicide with melodic parts. Diabolizer came out in 2012 but only really released a few singles (that I never heard for the record), but this year we get to hear their first full length album. So far I would say it’s been worth the wait. This seems to be a band who are very proud to be a bit horrible. I think some old school Death Metal heads would really like this one. The musicianship is very good here, all the band members really do their bit. It’s not super heavyweight, but it’s not boring at all. Even when the melodic parts kick in it still stays fairly horrible. It’s all in English, but I’m not too sure what it’s all about. This is pretty brutal Death Metal, but every so often some Black Metal screeches are

Review by Andrew Stanton

added to make it all even more horrible. Some of this IS super heavy actually. Some of the songs go on a bit for my liking, but I am enjoying it. If these songs were 2 and 3 minutes long, I probably would have wet myself to be fair. It’s a great debut, but they’ve been going since 2012, so they clearly have a lot of experience already.

https://www.facebook.com/chestcrushband Review by Andrew Stanton

Chestcrush - Vdelygmia

Blackened Death Metal from Scotland. Certainly not for the fainthearted. The songs are quite short on this one, so I know I’m gonna love it. The Death parts are a bit slow and the Black parts seem to be a bit mid-paced. Nothing particularly fast and crazy, or not yet at least. The more I listen, I am starting to think the Death parts are ruining these songs. The whole thing really is very (newer) Deicide meets (newer) Gehenna (Norway’s Gehenna). According to my notes, both vocals are done by the same person. A bit hard to believe if I’m honest, but I’ll take their word for it. I’m struggling a bit, because I really want to love this, as a bit of a Scottish phile. It’s Blackened Death Metal, but I hear a hint of Industrial in there. Fans of Industrial Black Metal might like this. And maybe some fans of brutal Death Metal. There’s a few different flavours on here. But the Death parts are way too slow for my liking. If this was faster, I would have wet myself by now. This could have been amazing. The Black Metal parts really seem to be all that keeps this interesting. Maybe you’re not like me, you might actually love the pace. That’s why I mostly hate giving bad reviews. Well I’ve just heard the album in full now, and my opinion hasn’t really changed. But by all means, if this review sounds good to you, then buy it. What do I know? But one thing I will say is, this band have the potential to be amazing and blow people away. And I will say one last thing, I will definitely listen to their next album.

Assault - In Aevum Et Illustrata.

One of the perks of writing reviews for Inside the Darkness is that you get to review albums from bands from all over the world, i.e. Assault, a melodic death metal band from Singapore. They’re part of that modern melodeath metal genre similar to bands like Parasite Inc., Orbit Culture & Nothgard. The album absolutely pulls no punches, we get wicked guitar riffs, bone-crushing drums, break neck speed melodies & harsh vocals. The album delves in mythology and has themes of ancient conspiracies like the Illuminati and roman deities. I’m not going analyze every single song, but here are a few of my favorites. The album starts with a haunting instrumental number called Ingoldstatd. “Oration of Lies” blasts off like a rocket with its ripping guitars and speedy riffs, it’s a song about how politicians, tyrants or anyone with power feeds the public with its deceitful lies. Next is “Age of Enlightment” easily the catchiest song on the album and the one that will give you whiplash from all the headbanging you’ll be doing. “1788” is a heavy and politically motivated song peppered with ex-president George Bush’s speech of a new

Review by Luc St-Clair

world order. The last time I heard these words uttered in a metal context was with 1992’s New World Order by Ministry. Finally, “Orders of the Bavarian”, a thrashy & groovy number that kicks supreme ass. Lead singer Clarence (couldn’t find his last name online) has that pitch perfect growl that hits you like a freight train. In the end, this album is another fine addition to the melodic death metal genre that keeps on growing.

https://www.facebook.com/vassagosweden Review by Andrew Stanton

Vassago - Storm of Satan.

Even though they have been around since 1995, this is my first time hearing about this band. Apparently Blackened Death Metal, but I mostly just hear it as Black Metal personally. It’s not amazing, but it’s not crap either. A lot of it sounds the same. A bit of groove comes in every now and then (and I mean a bit). It’s mostly just very standard Black Metal. The guitar work gets quite interesting at times, sometimes whirling around your head or little jangly parts here and there. I think mostly, it’s the guitars that make this album. I can’t believe I’m hearing myself say this, but I think the best song is the longest song. When you sit there reading the tracks: Storm of Satan, Evil of Satan, Metal of Satan, Fire of Satan, it’s definitely not as quirky as it sounds. It’s an album that stays very simple. The energy is quite good on this album. It’s one of those albums with very fast music and fairly midpaced vocals. The album has now finished and I still say the best part was the music or the guitars. Sometimes it reminds me of Impaled Nazarene, but definitely not as good. Check it out if you want. You might love it.

Bohemyst - Čerň a smrt.

If my notes are anything to go by, this band have been around forever under the name Astaroth. Recently they changed their name for whatever reason. Even though it’s all in Czech language, I wouldn’t let it put you off, this is very good. As far as I’m aware, this is the first Czechia album I have ever heard, but I like it. The songs are a bit long, but not boring. This is Blackened Death Metal, but they’re not scared to do their own thing. The switch between the Black and Death parts are very cool and done very well. I’m loving the guitars and the energy on this album. I have to admit, I have never heard of Astaroth, but I think I need to check them out soon. The Black parts are very Emperor and the Death parts are very Incantation. I’m absolutely loving it. Sometimes the guitar parts get a bit nice and fancy. It’s not super heavy, it just

Review by Andrew Stanton

stays very enjoyable. You can say what you want about my review, but you really need to hear this. I’m not even able to find a fault. Every second of the album is just perfect. Europe has been dominating the Metal scene i n the last 20 years or so, and it’s because of bands like this. I think I have become an obsessed fan. It’s one of the best albums I’ve heard for ages. There probably won’t be a better album released all year. Buy it or miss out. Amazing.

Review by Andrew Stanton

Ravnkald - The Pagan Resistance.

A truly international band with members hailing from everywhere. And quite a prolific band, releasing albums in 2015, 2016 and 2017. Black Folk is always good, or at least decent and Ravnkald are no exception. The lyrics get a bit cringy at times, but the songs are good. It should be fairly obvious what to expect. There are some quite long narrated parts on here, talking about fires and swords and arrows and gods. Fans o f Enslaved, Ensiferum and Mjod will love this. It seems a bit charming at times, or maybe it’s just me. The Black Metal parts are all very good, but the Folk parts do go on a bit at times. The vocals are good throughout. A lot of different kinds of vocals on here. The deep growls are awesome, but not used often enough. Am I enjoying this, but this is my thing. It lacks the big anthems of Ensiferum, but maybe that’s intentional. Ravnkald seem more moody I would say. By no means DSBM, but they’re not a fun band like Ensiferum. By the way, this is Pagan and folklore stuff. It’s not Viking Metal. This is the other style. If you’re looking for Viking Metal, this isn’t for you. It’s 100% worth a few minutes to check out. It’s very good. If you’re a fan of Black Folk it’s probably impossible not to love.

Sisters Memon - Sisters Memon.

New onto the scene is a British/Polish Black Metal two-piece. One thing I noticed early here is that the album just begins. An often rare start. I won’t bother lying, it’s not an easy listen ( and clearly very intentionally so ). It’s very raw and sounds very underground. All the Raw Black Metal trademarks are here for you to enjoy. So far I would say it’s similar to Ieschure. If you hate Black Metal, I doubt this will do much to change your mind. But one thing I personally love about Black Metal is the band’s passion to keep Metal alive by any means possible. They are clearly not trying to win Grammy’s or get on MTV. All they care about is Black Metal… Simple. This is super rough and raw, but the songs are cool. Ieschure fans will love this. The energy has stayed good through up to now. I’m not entirely sure what these songs are about, but none of it sounds very nice. I would say it’s very much a Raw/atmospheric Black Metal album, but a bit of DSBM is noticeable. As I keep saying, it’s very Ieschure. It’s an album for those people who take Black Metal very seriously.

Review by Andrew Stanton

A lot of the songs seem to end with little ambient pieces. Not really sure why, but I like them. There was two or three songs on here, back to back, that I would have put straight in the DSBM folder. Some of the music on this is very good. It’s a Black Metal album for people who really love Black Metal. It’s not for anyone else. But it’s a good album.

Review by Luc St-Clair

Vaelmyst - Secrypts of the Egochasm.

From Los Angeles, California comes Vaelmyst, a blackened death metal band with thrash influences & folk metal vibes. “Secrypts of the Egochasm” is their first full-length album. Lyrically & musically, the band has themes of cosmic horror, folklore and creepy soundscapes. Lead singer Jonathan V has that hollow harsh roar a la Martin van Drunen from Asphyx that sounds like it was recorded in some deep & dank cave, but it totally works. “Espirit De Corps” reminds me a little bit of Kalmah, it’s dirty & fast with wonderful guitar hooks, eerie-sounding instruments and thrash elements, one of my favorites on the album. “Dawnless” has a very folk feeling more than any other song on the album with awesome guitar riffs. “Ghoulish Delight” opens up with a spoken passage from a vampire movie I think, I just can’t quite put my finger on it, but I know I’ve heard it before. Probably the catchiest song on the album, it’s got terrific shredding and a wicked solo by special guest Tyler Sturgill of Xoth. “Into the Egochasm” is track #7, but feels out of place, it has acoustic guitar, followed by electric guitars and creepy noises, it would’ve been better at the very beginning. The album ends with “The Coin of This Realm”, at 7 minutes and 23 seconds, it’s definitely the longest track on the album. This one is a gem, heavy A.F, occasional thunderous double bass moments, the song changes tempos at one point, has wonderful guitar solos and hauntingly beautiful piano bits. In the end, this is a very enjoyable album, my one complaint is that the production could’ve been better, the songs rock, the musicians are terrific, sign these guys to a major label like Napalm Records and watch them fly!

Review by Andrew Stanton

Consumption - Recursive Definitions of Suppuration.

Old school Death Metal from Sweden. This is a new band featuring members of Wombbath, Crossbow Suicide and Ghoulhouse. It’s very short and old school, but I don’t like it much, even though this is definitely my thing. I don’t like the songs much. But if nothing else, they’re a band I respect. It’s definitely proper Metal. We have two different sorts of growls - deep and screeched. The screeched vocals are very much the lead. The guitars seem to stay slow and melodic, the vocals seem a bit slow most of the time, hardly any blast beats. It’s like the slower version of Deicide’s Legion. I so wish this band added some good speed to their songs. This would have been amazing, but saying that, you might really love it. Maybe fans of slower Death Metal should check it out. Certainly not as good as their fellow Witchery. Even though it’s certainly my sort of thing, I just find it a bit dull. It’s all in English and apparently they’re a gore band. Not exactly understood a word of it so far though. The whole album is just way too laid back, but to be honest, there were some stand out parts (not songs, just parts of the songs). I don’t like it. I’m just being honest. Sorry guys.

https://www.facebook.com/annihilus.sounds Review by Andrew Stanton

Annihilus - Follow a Song from the Sky.

More Black Metal from America, this time a solo guy from Chicago. I would call it atmospheric Black Metal, but I think there’s a bit of Industrial in there also. Not an easy listen. So far it’s been a bit slow. It almost has a sludge feel to it. Apparently, he writes songs about comics. Not really getting any of it personally. The energy is okay in parts. But the vocals are slow. But definitely a very hard listen. It’s almost like a very slow version of Anaal Nathrakh at times. With faster vocals, I think I would have loved this. It all sort of sounds the same to me. I have just come to track 6 called ‘AMA’, this has been the fastest song so far, with a decent beat. The 5 songs before were very dull, and not really much going on with them. However, there’s only 2 more songs after this, so let’s see. Okay, it’s basically just gone back to the way the first 2 songs sounded. I have been reading online that some people actually like this. But it’s very dreary. You know, we’ve all heard Anthrax, we’ve all heard Napalm Death, we’ve all heard Deicide, we’ve all heard Slayer. We have all heard the greatness of fast vocals, so why do it this way?

Winter Nights - Sky Burial.

Winter Nights are a melodic death metal quartet from New York with extreme metal influences. Sky Burial is their new EP. I stumbled upon this band through a friend’s recommendation and when it comes to this genre of metal, I’m always up for new discoveries. Usually when I review fulllength albums, I pick a handful of my favorite songs and elaborate on them as part of my reviews. Because this is an EP with only 4 songs, I’ll cover all of them. The group have a powerful sound with an agnostic theme, impending doom, tragedy, atmospheric & ominous sounds. Some parts are furiously fast and others slow down with doom metal-like elements. Lead singer Efrain Farfan has that specific growl that’s full of sorrow and remorse, but not a voice that is impossible to comprehend the lyrics thanks in part to a good production. First track is “Time to Say Goodbye” and no, it’s not an Andrea Bocelli remake, although that would’ve been interesting. It starts with an eerie bell chime like Black Sabbath, the song is about mourning the death of a loved one and the hopelessness that follows. This one gives me shivers and has this killer guitar solo in the middle. After that we have “Neither Faith nor Fear”, it’s about not giving in to fear, to have the guts to live your own life without society’s pressure of religion. The song starts and finishes with hauntingly beautiful piano pieces, the middle is like a storm of guitars, thunderous drums with a symphonic flare. The third track is “I Pray to I”, lyrically similar to “Neither Faith nor Fear”, it speaks about blind faith and how some people are just sheep. This song starts with a bang, it’s hard & heavy, it reminds me of Septicflesh & Fleshgod Apocalypse with that crazy guitar chugging and blast beats, but easing up a bit on the symphonic & orchestral

Review by Luc St-Clair

moments those groups are known for. The final track is “Sky Burial”, the song asks the question What happens after we die? Does our faith have the answer? Are we alone? This is another hard-hitting song full of bombastic moments with the lead singer screaming his lyrics with heavy emotion like his life depended on it. The EP has a great replayability, not just because it’s under 20 minutes, but because it’s very good with songs with soul-searching lyrics that will rattle you to your core. I can’t recommend this enough.

https://www.facebook.com/wolvesinthethroneroom Review by Andrew Stanton

Wolves in the Throne Room - Primordial Arcana.

Apparently this band became a bit controversial a few years ago, but I couldn’t find out why. This is some atmospheric Black Metal from America. They’re one of those nature/mythology bands. Already I can tell it’s a bit epic which usually puts me off a bit. The first three songs were over 15 minutes. If you’re a fan of epic Black Metal, this is probably right up your street. I’m reading other peoples reviews and reading about how amazing this is to some people. I’m not sure if I’m listening to the same album, but I’m falling asleep here. The studio vibe is way too laid back. long, slow songs. The blast beats seem to stay ever present, but do nothing to add any energy. It’s a very dull listen. I just haven’t got the patients for it, or at least so far. If you’re one of those people who thinks this is amazing, contact me and tell me why please. Because I’m not hearing what you’re hearing. Now, maybe I don’t know good music when I hear it, but I doubt it. It’s one of those albums where I actually dread the next song starting up. The album almost has a very dream-like sound if you know what I mean. It’s very slow and doomy but never depressing. Apparently, this is beyond amazing. I have even read a review calling it the best Black

Metal album of the year. Well,

I hate it, but you can make your own mind up.

Avtotheism - The Sleeper Awakens.

Even though they have been active since 2016, this is their first album. They call themselves Brutal Death Metal, but Doom fans will love this. There is a definite Doom influence here. It’s a bit slow, but it has parts where it really picks up. I think the slowness is ruining this for me. It’s nothing I haven’t heard a million times before, but I don’t think being fresh is their intention. A lot of the time on this album, the blast beats really take off with good fast music and energy, but the vocals still stay slow. For me personally, the parts with the fast growls are the only great parts. This band definitely have the talent to be a great band, they just need a lot more fast vocals. I think Death Metal fans who hate Doom Metal should avoid this one. With more fast singing, this would be great. As it stands, I’m not a fan (or at least not of their debut), but I truly believe

Review by Andrew Stanton

these guys can do great stuff. Too many times on here, the energy of the music doesn’t match the energy of the growls. But the growls are good and deep. I hope Avtotheism read my review and take my advice, because this band can do great stuff when they want.

https://www.facebook.com/TheMaledict

The Maledict - Remembrance.

Some quite interesting Doom Metal from Australia. Sometimes it has a bit of a Folk element to it. The songs go on a bit ( obviously ). Despite its length, it has some quite beautiful parts on it. I’ve been a Metalhead since around 1986 and I think this is only the 3rd or 4th Australian Metal band I have heard. I’m not sure if that’s my fault or the Metal media’s fault. This is Doom Metal, but there seems to be a lot going on with this recording. Obviously Folk Metal, Death Metal, Melodic Metal, even Black

Review by Andrew Stanton

Metal. A lot of clean vocals on this one. For me personally, the length is a bit much, but Doom fans seem to like it a bit epic. And even though it goes on a bit, it’s not crap. I have enjoyed listening to this. Every now and then w e get some fancy female singing which is quite nice. Of course, this is Doom Metal, but saying that, they don’t really remind me of anyone else. They clearly do it their way. If you’re like me and the epic stuff puts you off a bit, I wouldn’t let it bother you with this album. The quality speaks for itself. The only band they remind me of is In The Woods…, but even then it’s very fresh. The album plays for over an hour, but in that time you get so many different sounds and styles, it’s hard not to appreciate it. Just buy, it’s worth a minute to check it out.

Maysaloon - A Lip to Earth, A Lip to Heaven and a Tongue to the Stars.

I have to admit, I don’t know much about the Syrian Metal scene. Nothing at all if I’m honest. They call themselves Melodic Death Metal, I think I disagree personally. Or at least not overly melodic. They write songs about Middle Eastern mythology, something else I’m not too up on. From what I can tell so far, Mayasaloon are very very cool. The vocals are great on this album, a sort of cross between deep and screechy. As soon as he started singing, I knew this was gonna be great. The songs are all in English, but I’m not really any better off. The more I listen, the more I’m getting interested in the Syrian scene. I have heard a few bands from Egypt, this is like them. This album has good songs with a decent energy. If

you’re a fan of any kind of Death Metal, I think I would recommend this. It’s all been pretty perfect really. This is

Review by Andrew Stanton

definitely a high quality album. Perfect production with great musicianship. Hardly any faults. Those people who actually follow the Middle Eastern scene will be standing very proud with this release. And for the people who don’t follow it, maybe you should start.

https://www.facebook.com/NUNSLAUGHTER Review by Andrew Stanton

Nunslaughter - Red is the Color of Ripping Death.

Some old school Death Metal from America. It’s short and played with good energy. I will say right away, I have heard many better old school bands, but it’s not crap. Sometimes it sounds like Death’s Leprosy era. The songs are okay on this. The vocals seem to stay between mid-paced and fast-ish. It’s some quite easy Death Metal to quickly get into. Nunslaughter have been around forever. Believe it or not, around the same time as Death and Morbid Angel.

Not a part of the Florida scene though. And with that in mind, I have to admit, I have never heard of them before. According to my resources, they have absolutely millions of releases. How they have avoided me for so long is very confusing to me. It’s not a boring album, it’s just an old sound. Some of these songs are really good. I would say it’s mostly okay. It’s not quite amazing, but it’s very good. I imagine their other albums are more or less like this,

I might be wrong. It’s a great album, it just hasn’t blown me away.

Review by Andrew Stanton

Obscurity - Skogarmaors.

Some quite good Viking Metal from Germany. In fact, I have heard many great Viking Metal bands from this country. So far I’m not really finding any faults. It’s all been very good up to now. Very Amon Amarth. Obscurity have actually been around for a while, but I can’t comment on their albums before Skogarmaors. It’s all in German (I think). I have to admit, at the start, I did actually think he was singing in English, but I am a bit of a retard to be fair. The guitars on this get a bit melodic at times, but it’s all good. They really have taken the effort to write some good songs on this album. Not a bad song so far, it’s all been pretty great. Good energy and some good double growling parts. Fans of this genre will love this. It’s definitely more Amon Amarth than Enslaved, but it clearly has some Black Folk parts on here. Some of the vocals remind me of Deicide. Fans of this genre who hate this album are just very weird to me. The songs are shortish, but the album is on for nearly an hour, but don’t let it put you off. I love the songs on this. Take it from me, Obscurity have earned a minute of your time.

https://www.facebook.com/thyrfingofficial Review by Andrew Stanton

Thyrfing - Vanagandr.

Viking Metal from Sweden. First of all, you know it’s gonna be decent. How many bad Viking Metal bands have you heard? None of this appears to be in English from what I can tell. So far, they don’t really remind me of Enslaved or Ensiferum. But I know I have heard this sound many times before. I have to add, this already has one of my favourite album covers. The songwriting

and arrangement is very good on this album. Some quite toe tapping stuff throughout. Though it’s hardly original, it’s a quality release. People who follow this scene will love this album. One thing that makes Viking Metal great, is that no matter what language they sing

in, you know they’re singing about swinging swords and cutting heads off and probably very little else. Quite a few times so far, the album has gone into full melodic mode. It gets very pretty very often. It’s quality Viking Metal from Sweden. You should pretty much know the score already. Definitely more Black Metal than Amon Amarth, but not exactly full on Black like Enslaved. Well I like it, but you can judge it for yourselves.

Aborted - Maniacult.

First of all, I hated the first song, but now I’m getting into this album. Very similar to Dying Fetus and also came out roughly around the same time. Certain parts keep reminding me of Deicide’s ‘Scars of the Crucifix’ era. It’s a very lively album. Very much Blackened Death Metal, but they are labeled as Brutal Death Metal. I will let you make your own minds up. I’m not very educated with the Belgian scene, but I should be, because it’s all been great from what I’ve heard. Aborted have been around for a very long time and I’m almost embarrassed to admit that I have never heard of them before. So far, it’s all been very horrible and I imagine quite proudly. Some of the guitars get a bit melodic and pretty, but it still stays horrible. A few different

vocals

Review by Andrew Stanton

on here from deep growled to a more high pitched screech. There is also another vocal which is more like a Hardcore shout, which to me doesn’t really fit in.

All in all, a very good album. It’s done properly, it never gets boring or pretentious. Just a great album. Good energy. Very, very cool. Enjoy guys

https://www.facebook.com/gravelandofficial Review by Andrew Stanton

Graveland - Hour of Ragnarok.

I’m almost embarrassed to say I’ve never heard of these guys before, because they have been around forever. According to my notes, they used to be a Raw Black Metal band but now create Viking Metal. They came out around the same time as Enslaved. This is their twentieth album (yes, twentieth). I’m getting more embarrassed by the minute. It’s not an easy listen. The songs don’t seem enjoyable. So far I would say it’s like Enslaved without the beautiful parts. It all appears to be in English, but who knows? All the songs sort of sound the same. It’s not amazing, but some might love it. The keyboards seem to play that medieval Greensleeves sort of stuff (like constantly).

Every now and then we get some Gregorian chanting (the best parts of it in my opinion). With more of this stuff, I actually think this would have been pretty amazing. It’s easy to see why some fans of Black Folk would love this, but I just wished they concentrated on the song writing more. This band CAN do amazing stuff,

I can tell just by listening to this, they just don’t do it here. The songs need more variety and more energy. This could have been a masterpiece.

Asarmoth / Living Decomposition - Alliance in Chaos split.

Starting off with Italy’s Asarmoth. It’s very much a Death Doom solo project. It’s slow, but with a bit of melody and groove. I like it. Asarmoth plays the first 4 songs on here. It never really gets beautiful like Doom Metal often does. He seems to concentrate more on the other side of Doom Metal. Solo

artists in Metal rarely fail to impress me. It can’t be easy. And now on to Living Decomposition for the next 5 tracks. Well first of all, it couldn’t be much different. Brutal Death Metal from Venezuela. The music seems very strange with this band, or is it just me? The drums sound like Woody Woodpecker. The growls are deep and in English, but not easy to make out. Sometimes it sounds robotic. It’s not great, but it will appeal to the right sort of Metalhead. And now for the split. Living Decomposition aren’t really much faster than Asarmoth ( or not on this at least ). Asarmoth really steals the

Review by Andrew Stanton

show here, with some great songs. Some of these songs have appeared on previous releases of both the bands featured. It’s a nice little split for your CD collection. And as for you Asarmoth fan’s, it’s a must buy. A nice one all ready for Halloween. Enjoy.

https://triggerband.bandcamp.com/album/back-to-the-roots Review by Andrew Stanton

Trigger - Back to the Roots.

Some pretty high energy Death Metal from Russia. I’m on about song 4 and I’m loving it. It’s very much old school Death Metal from a band I’ve never actually heard of before. It’s all in English and you’re gonna love it. The growls are deep on this one. Sometimes the growls remind me of Opeth. The songs range from 3 to 5 minutes. Fans of Infiltration would love

this. This band sometimes have a bit of a Doomy sound every now and then. But it’s all very good and never boring. If you’re like me and you really hate a lot of modern Death

Metal, make sure you check these guys out. They came out in 2012 and I hope their previous albums are as good as this. The songs seem to stay a bit simple. It’s very much in the vein of Cannibal Corpse and Six Feet Under. I probably could go on a bit more, but how many bad old school

Death Metal albums have you ever heard? It’s basically just a winning formula. It’s perfect and basically just a lot of fun. Not much more to really say. Enjoy.

Insomnium - Argent Moon.

Insomnium are a melodic death metal quartet from Finland. Argent Moon is their new 2021 EP. With this new EP, the group has put aside faster songs with shredding guitars and focused more on slower numbers with acoustics & strings. Songs like “The Antagonist” & “The Wanderer” have moments where the beats accelerate gradually, but that is the extent of the speed you will hear. It’s a softer, very passionate and even romantic EP with themes of lost love, despair, folklore & soulsearching. The sense of balance between the acoustical parts and the slightly heavier ones reminds you that this band can still sound powerful even when their softer side is revealed. Another thing that fascinates me with this group is the back and forth of both singers Niilo Sevanen & Ville Friman, the harsh and clean vocals they display, no other melodeath

band strikes that perfect vocal balance quite like they

Review by Luc St-Clair

do. During the past pandemic, a lot of metal bands produced very aggressive albums which reflects what we all felt inside, fear, anxiety and anger and that’s fine. With Argent Moon, I was absolutely captivated and felt an overwhelming sense of peace.

http://www.facebook.com/shadecrownband Review by Luc St-Clair

Shadecrown - Solitarian.

Shadecrown are a melodic death metal band with folk influences from Finland. “Solitarian” is their 3rd fulllength album. To say that an abundance of talented metal bands come from Finland is the understatement of the year. Bands like Amorphis, Insomnium, Mors Principium Est & Wolfheart are just a few of the fine Finnish groups that are proudly displayed in my best playlists. Although a new discovery for me, I can say that right off the bat that Shadecrown has made a nice addition to said playlist. The album is off to a fantastic start with the awesome beats and riffs of “The Awakening”, the song has a sound of fairytale-like keyboards, groovy guitar hooks and lead singer

Jari Hokka’s harsh vocals, which remind me a little bit of Stefanos Kintzoglou of On Thorns I Lay. On “Slivers” we get a thunderous drumming beginning with a little Amon Amarth feel to it with it’s thrash vibe and catchy chorus.

“The Loss” gets downright emotional and sorrowful with its violin beginnings and the lead singer’s growls, you can feel the sadness and pain behind every word. Based on the lyrics, the song feels very personal to the singer or at least the band. And finally, and clocking at a whopping 15 minutes and 17 seconds, the title album “Solitarian” does its magic. Another emotional song with piano, keyboards, tempo changes, acoustic moments, beautiful guitar solos and lead singer Jari Hokka’s longwinded growls brings this album to a very satisfying conclusion. Check out this band, you will not be disappointed.

Orbit Culture - Shaman.

Orbit Culture are a Swedish melodic death metal group with groove elements. “Shaman” is their 3rd EP. With brutal guitar riffs and ground-shaking drums, Orbit Culture are back and as savage as ever, but with it comes a few new surprises. With their previous effort, “Nija”, that album had a science-fiction and futuristic theme to it, where as “Shaman” has a nautical & spiritual feel. In my opinion, this band are part of a subgenre of melodic death metal with other bands like Assault, Parasite Inc. and some elements of Anaal Nathrak. Heavy and low guitar riffs, a strong bass presence, crushing drums & harsh and clean vocals that compliment each other. “Mast of the World” starts off this EP with gusto and kick-ass guitars, bombastic drums and eventually string instruments. The title is a metaphor for we all have a mast of the world as in different ways to communicate with society, whether we use love, hate or indifference is up to the beholder. I’m always impressed with lead singer Niklas Karlsson’s vocal ability to go from harsh to clean vocals, he does it so flawlessly. Another thing I noticed is with the clean voice, it sounds a bit like James Hetfield (if I have to tell you who that is, you’re not a real metalhead). Next up is “Flight of the Fireflies”, a very straight forward, but heavy song with a nu metal influenced chorus. “Carvings” & “Strangler” are balls to the walls heavy with incredible catchy choruses, specifically “Strangler’s” Get Out! Get out! Get out!

Review by Luc St-Clair

chant. The last song is the most different and the best on the EP. “A Sailor’s Tale” starts off with orchestral & folk elements, but this ain’t no sea chanty ye scoundrels! Suddenly, it morphs into this heavy monster full of crunchy riffs and thunderous drums. The lyrics and chorus feel like they should belong to bands like Alestorm & Ensiferum, but feels right at home here. After some crazy solos, the song calms down momentarily with more string instruments and boils over into this epic marching finale. “Shaman” is a fantastic addition to the Orbit Culture catalogue.