Metal music reviews, top albums and forums (2024)

4.08 | 2 ratings

siLLy puPPy

REPLICANT is just one of the many modern death metal bands that has arisen from the crypt only to tackle the dissonant world of atonal technical death metal in the vein of Gorguts. This New Jersey band has been active for a decade now and slowly rising up the ranks to become a veritable force all its own. The band’s first splash of din appeared with the 2016 EP “Worthless Desires” and since the band has steadily been upping its game with new albums and an incremental refinement of its gnarled nihilistic nastiness. INFINITE MORTALITY is the newest installation in the REPLICANT canon and finds the band of Mike Gonçalves (vocals, bass, guitars), Pete Lloyd (guitar, synthesizers) and James Applegate (drummer) welcoming newbie guitarist Itay Keren who has seasoned his chops in bands such as Ossein, Misanthropy Legion and his own one-man band Afar thus making REPLICANT officially a quartet.

Disso-death has become one of the up and coming pedigrees that has branched off the greater world of death metal into an ugly hideously noisy nook that shamelessly directs its death metal din into a salacious cesspool of atonal tunings, caustic tones and feedback, math rock inspired jittery time signature freakiness as well as meandering progressive compositions that provide the soundtrack for that proverbial road to hell we’ve all been sternly warned about. Delivering all the death metal goodies and then some, REPLICANT remains steadfastly in admiration of conjuring up the most nefarious of riff demons and allow them to frolic about in utter pandemonium. INFINITE MORTALITY features nine obnoxiously trenchant tracks that guarantee to haunt the 44 minutes of playing time you will invest in subjecting yourself to this forceful display of pensive death metal dynamism.

New to the band’s sound is the use of the synthesizer but fear not for this is no symphonic metal in the vein of Septicflesh but rather to summon subtle atmospheric effects as well as the occasional psychotropic freakery. REPLICANT retains all the vile brash bravado that it has brought to the world of modern death metal and suffused it with creepy and alienating atmospheric eeriness and horror which has definitely become an increasing trend for intrepid extreme metal innovators seeking their own little twig off the parent tree. Through the course of INFINITE MORTALITY the band ranges from chugging riff brutality and blastbeat freneticism to slower oozing sonic creepiness. The album explodes into action with “Acid Mirror” which invites you into the kill zone where brutal riffs incessantly pummel your senses and the distinct bass grooves and percussive wizardry adrenalize you into a frenzy. Notable are Mike Gonçalves’ distinct constipated guttural screams which allows the band to stand out in the rather burgeoning world of modern tech death.

Another cool factor of REPLICANT is it doesn’t steer its death metal too far into the avant-garde as it makes use of classic Morbid Angel type guitar squeals and the occasional sizzling solo thrown in for good measure. Synthesized interludes provide a fascinating interstitial contrast to the incessant rampage of the cavernous claustrophobic cataclysm that REPLICANT has mastered so well. The atmospheric embellishment really does add a much needed element to contextualize the mood setting of the overall pummeling procession that REPLICANT delivers with a devilish glee. While the deathcore elements have been eeemphazied in favor knottier progressive labyrinthine twists and turns, the band never fails to throw in a few moments of explosive breakdowns in the midst of the flow of things. While Gorguts still remains the band’s #1 inspiring tour de force, the band has more than drifted on to its own dark dramatic recess in the ever-expanding world of disso-death.

So here we are in 2024 while everyone seems to be going all gaga for the latest Ulcerate release but as that band seems to be taming its sound a bit, bands like REPLICANT seem to only get more intense and dedicated to crafting some of the most demanding death metal performances of the modern era. Personally i favor these no compromise releases that aren’t afraid to simply go for it. Death metal is a fickle beast and the slightest differences can make or break a connection which is why so many of us disagree on the so-called “best” of anything. Personally i find REPLICANT to be one of the most interesting of the modern milieu of molten mordant death metal bands that suits my need for the utmost extreme! INFINITE MORTALITY is an excellent continuation and improvement on what the band has already unleashed. To my ears REPLICANT is one of the most promising disso-death acts of the year.

• 19 hours ago
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• Report #880280

3.71 | 4 ratings

Kev Rowland

It is strange to realise that Deicide will soon be celebrating their 40th anniversary, being formed back in 1987, with bassist vocalist/Glen Benton and drummer Steve Asheim still around. There have been a few changes in guitarists over the years, but Kevin Quirion has been there on and off since 2007 although there is now a new boy in Taylor Nordberg for what is only their second album since 2013’s ‘In The Minds of Evil’. I am having troubles working out if Deicide have decidedly mellowed since I started listening to them in the early Nineties, or if I just appreciate death metal that much more than I did when I was younger, but this album feels far more mainstream and polished than what I expect from the band. Some of the material feels quite commercial, and if there was a different singer then I am sure the music would be viewed in a quite different light. Mind you, it is hard to think of anyone but Glen at the front of this band, tying his bass in with the pummelling Asheim while still producing the guttural growls we are all so used to.

Part of me thinks Deicide are somewhat going through the same old styles, knowing the fans will enjoy it so they do not have to put too much thought into it (like apparently using AI to generate the cover image which is way too clean), while the rest of me thinks Deicide have found their groove and are continuing to go down the path they helped create all those years ago. It may not be as raw and vital as it once was, but Benton and Asheim are in their fifties now, and most people do change somewhat as they get older, but even though this has a commercial angle and is far smoother than one might expect, it is still incredible heavy and wonderfully brutal. Hopefully the next album won’t take as long as this one, and they can bed Taylor in on the road so they come back even heavier.

• 2 days ago
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• Report #880265

4.07 | 3 ratings

siLLy puPPy

New Zealand’s ULCERATE was one of a few intrepid explorative death metal bands to follow in the footsteps of early pioneering disso-death acts such as Immolation and Gorguts and after forming in the year 2000 spawned its own ugly flavoring of unhinged technical death metal run amok replete with all the atonality and discordant excess a human aural system can absorb. The band has delivered a string of consistently high quality albums in its near quarter century existence and in recent years has risen to the top tiers of tech disso-death royalty. After abandoning the incessant brutal bombast of its 2007 debut “Of Fracture And Failure,” the band has taken a more nuanced approach by spicing up the death metal savagery with more expansive atmospheric elegance and also by dipping into other metal realms ranging from sludge metal to darkened elements borrowed from the black metal universe.

After a four year lull since the critically acclaimed “Stare Into Death And Be Still,” ULCERATE is back to inflict the most harrowing gastrointestinal damage with its latest release CUTTING THE THROAT OF GOD. While the title may be pandering to the black metal crowds, i ask myself if an omnipotent creator of the universe exists in a physical form and therefore would God have a throat? Existential quandaries aside, ULCERATE steadily but surely over its seven album run has incrementally refined its unique brand of aggressive disso-death into an art form all its own. This seventh album in the ULCERATE canon takes a deeper dip into the world of atmospheric sludge metal with a wider breadth of stylistic approaches that were hampered by the incessant brutality on previous works that hammered it all out with authoritative ease.

Existing as a stable power trio since the band’s 2009 release “Everything Is Fire,” ULCERATE has become a well-oiled machine where these three musicians have fused into one frightening force and on CUTTING THE THROAT OF GOD showcase the newly established attribute of restraint as heard on the opening nonchalant slow burner approach of “To Flow Through Ashen Hearts” which focuses less on speed and turns up the burner for atmospheric constructs from simmer to fully fueled. By delivering slowed down tempos, the band keeps things firmly planted in the ferocity of the death metal camp by offering exotic guitar riffs delivered by Michael Hoggard, the dissonant bass counterpoints of Paul Kelland and the bantering drumming gymnastics of Jamie Saint Merat. Kelland’s guttural growls have changed little and he ferociously enunciates every sacrilegious syllabic utterance with all the brash bravado that ULCERATE has infused into its technical cauldron of steaming hot disso-death from the beginning.

The album features seven brand spanking new tracks that discordantly reverberate with heavy distortion for nearly 58 minutes of suffocating darkness and despair. While the band’s trajectory has been incrementally slow-paced in its evolution, CUTTING THE THROAT OF GOD is noticeably different than its predecessor in that it feels less rampaging even from the 2020 release “Stare Into Death And Be Still.” The mix is distinguishable as well with more distinct tones and timbres oozing out of the delirious din that advances in tenacious tumult only with a more controlled impulse to leap into frenetic displays of brutal savagery. In fact this is probably the least barbaric sounding of the entire ULCERATE discography although despite the somewhat cooling off effect in terms of unbridled speed and incessant pummelation of the senses, CUTTING THE THROAT OF GOD by no means sounds like a wimpy rendition of a once great band. No way.

This latest discharge of dissonant din is merely shifting around the dynamics a bit and focusing a bit more on atmospheric diversions from the one-trick pony penchants of a larger swath of technical death metal bands out there. Speed freaks worry not for moments of letting the rabid pit bull off the leash do occur. While many are acclaiming this release as the best of the lot, personally i favor the heavier adrenalized speedfests of the past. With no disparaging criticism in the least against this new flavor of ULCERATE’s established sound, it would appear to me that the sudden interest in propelling ULCERATE to the top of the disso-death camp is more a result of the greater metal world finding a nice comfort zone in the more extreme expressions of death metal. To my insatiable ears though this one sounds a bit tame by weeding out the many of the progressive tendencies and ear-splitting bombast of the past in favor of a more streamlined post-metal continuity. While not my ultimate ULCERATE experience, there’s no denying that these guys have mastered the art of this gnarled nasty niche of extreme metal and even with these changes makes CUTTING THE THROAT OF GOD an excellent relevant smattering of modern disso-death.

• 3 days ago
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• Report #880255

3.67 | 2 ratings

UMUR

"From Hell I Rise" is the debut full-length studio album by US thrash metal artist Kerry King. The album was released through Reigning Phoenix Music in May 2024. King is of course known for his many years playing with Slayer. His wish was to continue with Slayer until they couldn´t do it anymore, but when Tom Araya wanted to retire from touring and recording, Slayer effectively disbanded in 2019. King however immediately vowed that he wasn´t done playing music and that he would return with a new band. It took a few years and a COVID-19 epidemic, but he slowly found the musicians he wanted to perform on his first solo album. He naturally asked his former Slayer bandmate Paul Bostaph to play the drums, and soon got guitarist Phil Demmel (Vio-Lence, Machine Head, live-Slayer) on board too. Bassist Kyle Sanders (Hellyeah, Skrew) then joined, and after trying out different vocalists King ultimately went with Mark Osegueda (Death Angel).

King never made it a secret that he wanted to continue producing music which sounded like Slayer where they went off with "Repentless" (2015). An album which was almost entirely composed by King. In many ways that´s exactly how "From Hell I Rise" sounds like, but of course Osegueda is a completely different sounding vocalist to Araya and that after all makes "From Hell I Rise" a different listen to Slayer. When Demmel is given the opportunity to play a guitar solo, his solo style also provides "From Hell I Rise" with some non-Slayer qualities. Personally I think King made a lot of good choices picking the lineup for "From Hell I Rise" as all members of the band bring something to the table. Osegueda is a skilled and unique sounding vocalist. Of course we already knew that from his work with Death Angel, but here he sounds really raw and pissed, which suits him and the music on the album well.

Other than the features mentioned above the actual music won´t surprise you. It´s got the mark of King all over it. Let´s just say that King didn´t take the chance to experiment with his sound or overall playing/composing style. I´m not sure doing that would have ended well, but I´m still a bit curious to know if King has something else in him. I guess I´ll have to continue guessing. So this is basically more of what you heard on the last couple of Slayer albums just with a different lead vocalist and a couple of different sounding solos. Fans of latter day Slayer and fans of old school Bay Area style thrash metal in general should be able to appreciate this album greatly. A 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.

• 7 days ago
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• Report #880233

3.75 | 2 ratings

siLLy puPPy

Germany’s VANDEN PLAS was one of the pioneering progressive metal bands forming as far back as 1984 and joining the ranks of Dream Theater, Psychotic Waltz, Mekong Delta and a bunch of others in the 1990s by delivering some of the most cutting edge metal meets prog the decade had to offer. The band has weathered the storms for well over four decades now and even produced four rock operas. VANDEN PLAS’ prog metal creds are undeniable and yet somehow this band has remained just outside of my grasp. Although i’ve heard of them for years and even checked out an album or two, there was just something about them i found off-putting. Well, sometimes it’s unwise to sample the proper nectar before one is ready to glean the benefits and i figured it’s time to once again dip into the musical world of VANDEN PLAS since the band is obviously in no hurry to set up a retirement plan.

Although the band debuted in 1994 with its first release “Colour Temple,” the band has never been in a rush to pump out as much product as possible. The latest album THE EMPYREAN EQUATION OF THE LONG LOST THINGS is the band’s 12th album and it’s absolutely amazing that this band has pretty much kept the same lineup since its 1994 debut. The exception to this long lasting stability was broken when keyboardist Günter Werno departed in 2023 and for the first time VANDEN PLAS had to scout out some new talent to fill his shoes. The band found a suitable replacement with Italian born Alessandro Del Vecchio who has been well seasoned in a number of bands including Alex Beyrodt’s Voodoo Circle, Sunstorm and Silent Force. Given his prog rock / power metal / hard rock creds, a perfect candidate for VANDEN PLAS’ classic prog metal sound that seems to remain firmly planted in the 1990s.

While the world of progressive metal has evolved exponentially since the 90s and branched out into every possible direction conceivable, VANDEN PLAS has retained its ties to the early heavy metal and power metal roots that spawned the more progressive metal variations that emerged in the 1990s. The band features the same style of guitar riffing and accompanying solos, melancholic atmospheres, frenetic keyboard runs, high pitched vocals and the typical melodic and rhythmic drive that made the earliest variations of prog metal so endearing. Not much has changed in the VANDEN PLAS camp as the same formulaic approach as always has been implemented. THE EMPYREAN EQUATION OF THE LONG LOST THINGS features six tracks and adds up to the 55 minute plus mark. The tracks are mostly on the longer side with every track clocking in at over six minutes and the lengthiest grand finale “March Of The Saints” approaching the 16-minute mark.

The album starts off with the title track and showcases beautiful piano rolls and the classic build of tension that merges into the prog metal thunder the band is famous for. Andy Kuntz still delivers clean and confident vocal workouts and the band is by all means a well-oiled machine at this point in their career and newbie Del Vecchio seems to fit in like he’s been a member of the band since the beginning. The tracks are all well-crafted and deliver veritable slices of that old school prog metal stylistic approach that will remind you of classic Dream Theater, Fates Warning, Symphony X, Threshold, Pagan’s Mind, Shadow Gallery and a gazillion others. In that regard little has changed in the VANDEN PLAS sound and the band carries on as if the modern world doesn’t exist. For some that may be a nice comfort zone and for others it conveys a band that remains staunchly committed to a certain stylistic approach that refuses to branch out into new turf. Whatever the case, VANDEN PLAS’ latest offering delivers a veritable slice of classic prog metal but doesn’t really do much more. Even the 16-minute closing “March Of The Saints” doesn’t deviate from the overall established sound of the band in any way.

Upon listening to THE EMPYREAN EQUATION OF THE LONG LOST THINGS i’m reminded why VANDEN PLAS never really clicked with me. Sure they are a more than a competent band that delivers all the prog metal goods in fine form but the band lacks imagination and a creative spirit that animates the music to a higher level. This album is very anachronistic and may serve as a form of comfort food for those who have been alienated by the world of prog metal seeping into the caustic arenas of dissonant death metal, black metal and extremist hybrids and for that it is perfectly suitable however i just find this band to be a bit too generic for my liking. There is not a single bad track on this album and the performances are impeccable with every keyboard run, every guitar riff and every drum roll teased out to perfection but there is a very clinical feel to the album as if VANDEN PLAS engineers its music through a microscope rather than allowing an organic process to inspire and evolve its style. It’s sure to be a fan pleaser for those who expect a band to remain consistent but after three decades i would expect the band to have at least evolved a smidge. Decent album but comes off as prog metal by the numbers.

• 10 days ago
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• Report #880034

3.70 | 6 ratings

UMUR

"Artemisia" is the second full-length studio album by Dutch progressive metal act Sun Caged. The album was released through Lion Music in March 2007. It´s the successor to the eponymously titled debut album from 2003. Sun Caged formed in 1999 after the demise of Dutch progressive metal act Lemur Voice, and the music style of Lemur Voice was pretty much carried over to Sun Caged.

So it´s still Dream Theater and Enchant, who are the greatest influences on Sun Caged. It´s all well composed, well performed and highly professional, but compared to the debut album there´s something off about the sound production on "Artemisia". The sound lacks warmth and bottom end heaviness, and it sometimes sounds like you´re listening to the album through a door or a closed window. It´s not a murky sounding production, but it sounds distant (if that makes sense). It´s a real shame that the production values end up having so much impact on the listening experience because as mentioned there´s nothing wrong with the music or the performances, which are high quality through and through. Sharp and heavy riffs, blistering melodic lead guitar playing, intricate rhythms, well played keyboards, and a strong lead vocalist in front, who can sing both regular and high pitched registers and sound convincing performing both.

So while "Artemisia" is a slight disappointment because of the sound production, which could arguably have been better sounding, it´s still a good quality progressive metal release in most other departments, and fans of artists like Dream Theater and Enchant (actually fans of something in between those two artists) should be able to find lots to appreciate here. A 3 star (60%) rating is warranted.

• 5 hours ago
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• Report #880283

4.46 | 136 ratings

siLLy puPPy

Few albums can claim to have rewritten history but that's exactly what IN ROCK, the fourth album by the British progressive symphonic rock turned hard rock band DEEP PURPLE achieved with this landmark release from 1970. While the controversy preservers regarding the origins of heavy metal music, there's little doubt that IN ROCK played a pivotal role in ushering in the 1970s with a hefty infusion of energetic drive and virtuosic dexterity that took the harder arenas of rock to a completely new level. The leading up to the classic Mark II lineup of vocalist Ian Gillan, guitarist Ritchie Blackmore, organist / keyboardist Jon Lord, bassist Roger Glover and drummer Ian Paice reads like a soap opera with new members snatched away from another band and the back stabbing act of forming a new lineup behind the backs of current members. Although deplorable in many ways, the tactics paid off and with the release of IN ROCK, the new lineup propelled DEEP PURPLE onto the world's stage and gave permission for bands to get hard and heavy in the 1970s with faster tempos, heavier distortion and an energetic drive that would morph into the world of heavy metal in the latter half of the decade.

Although DEEP PURPLE had formed all the way back in February of 1968, the band led by Ritchie Blackmore and Jon Lord was a bit aloof and missing some key ingredients in cementing a sound that made them stand out. While going through the proto-prog motions of crafting symphonic rock albums that followed in the footsteps of The Moody Blues, the Mark I era of DEEP PURPLE suffered from inconsistent songwriting, an over-reliance on cover songs and a noticeable lack of vitality that propelled them to the next level. As Blackmore and Glover conspired behind the backs of original members: singer Rod Evans and bassist Nick Simper to secretly replace them, after discovering a band called Episode Six commenced to seduce their singer and bassist over to the PURPLE side of the fence going as far as recording material with the new band members before telling the old ones they have been ousted. Long smitten with the organ infused psychedelic rock created by the US act Vanilla Fudge along with hearing Led Zepplein's debut that delivered bantering tracks like "Communication Breakdown," the band developed its own distinct brand of hard rock and proto-metal. Blackmore and Glover's plot to steer the band in a new direction ultimately proved to be a winning strategy.

After the drama played out and all was said and done, the new DEEP PURPLE emerged and found one of their missing ingredients, a competent songwriter in the form of Roger Glover. The newfound chemistry proved to be one of those magic moments and the band set out to start anew. IN ROCK was the perfect album to welcome the freewheeling 1970s in June of the first year after the 60s faded away. Following the recent groundbreaking albums from Led Zeppelin and early heavy metal pioneers Black Sabbath, DEEP PURPLE delivered a complementary proto-metal style that rather than delving into the occult and demonic focused on fast tempo rhythms, tight-knit instrumental interplay, catchy guitar-driven grooves and a focuss on feisty soloing trade-offs courtesy of Ritchie Blackmore's electrifying guitar playing and Jon Lord's classical trained finger gymnastics turned up a few notches. The band forged seven distinct tracks that delivered an electrifying mix of heavy driving rock, gritty yet soulful vocal performances and a delivery system that offered instantly ear wormy hooks fortified with moments of progressive complexities. The recipe proved to be a major hit in the UK and remained high on the album charts for the next year. Ironically the band found success in the USA with their earlier albums but failed to make a dent with IN ROCK.

The new material was as much about improvisation as it was about crafting enduring compositions. "Speed King" for example was an attempt to emulate Jimi Hendrix's "Fire" but took on a life of its own. "Flight Of The Rat" likewise was based on the classic tune "Flight Of The Bumblebee" before morphing into a DEEP PURPLE original through endless rehearsals. The highlight of the album "Child In Time" began by borrowing the simple opening riff from It's A Beautiful Day's track "Bombay Calling" from its 1969 debut and likewise evolved into a completely different beast that would build upon the opening keyboard melody and turn it into a sizzling shredding jam session in the middle before resolving itself as it began. With new lyrics that took an anti-war stand in the time of the Vietnam conflict, the song evolved into a monstrosity that eventually became a de facto anthem for the anti-Communists in Eastern Europe. The track is really the highlight with dramatic crescendos that alternate between slow suspenseful vocal motifs and contrasted by thunderous displays of frenetic heaviness.

IN ROCK in effect played a part in a major evolution in the history of rock music that included inventive intros to songs such as the guitar and keyboard bombast that start the album off before the crushing assault of "Speed King" delivers a bouncy guitar riffing baseline that ushers in the band's unique rhythmic drive and accompanying keyboard counterpoints. The mix was irresistible and DEEP PURPLE had hit the big time and soon would become one of the biggest bands of the entire 70s and influential to a whole new breed of heavier rockers. Newbie Ian Gillan's vocal abilities proved to be the perfect match for the band's unique sound with a wide expressive range all the while providing that hard rock gruff that would develop into the more extreme expression of heavy metal down the road. Each track featured a distinct personality with varying riffs, organ fills, drumming techniques, unexpected elements and diverse dynamics however what tied the album together cohesively was the infectious stylistic approach that was delivered in a high-powered perfection. Jon Lord's extravagant keyboard wizardry added a completely new element to the standard rock paradigm that allowed the classical wankery of the past to integrate brilliant moments of contrast to the more boogie rock guitar riffing.

With an impressive repertoire of tracks that offered varying guitar riffing styles, instantly catchy melodic twists and feisty lively performances, IN ROCK really delivered the goods in giving the world of rock music the upgrade it needed to take the popular musical form into the 1970s and along with Led Zeppelin, Uriah Heep and Black Sabbath, dominated the hard rock sector in the year 1970 and pointed the way to the next level of artistic integrity thus giving the world of rock and roll a much needed bridge from the giddy flower power hippie years to the more cynical years ahead. Not only DEEP PURPLE's finest moment but really one of the best albums ever made and although the band would become superstars and dominated the early 70s hard rock scene, these five musicians never quite rekindled the magic that was displayed on this album. It's true that some of the tracks take a little longer to warm up to. The first side of the album offers a more instant likability but repeated listening sessions have revealed that even what i once perceived as the "lesser" tracks such as "Living Wreck" and "Hard Lovin' Man" offer the same magic in a delayed fashion. In short, IN ROCK is one of the true rock masterpieces of the ages!

• 19 hours ago
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• Report #880281

3.50 | 1 rating

siLLy puPPy

TRATORS GATE was one of countless acts to pick up the playing style of the NWOBHM sound of the late 70s and early 80s. This underground band formed in Pontypool, Wales only as Cyron in 1979, first changing its name to Quest and then settling on TRAITORS GATE. To demonstrate how prolific the early years of the NWOBHM were, there were actually two other bands with the same name in England alone. One from Fleetwood and the other from Weston-super-Mare.

While never achieving any level of success, TRAITORS GATE which consisted of Andy D'Urso (guitar), Steve Colley (bass), Paul House (drums) and Sy Davies (vocals) released one demo in 1984 and then an EP titled DEVIL TAKES THE HIGH ROAD in 1985. Originally only consisting of three tracks at barely over 11 minutes, the rediscovered “lost gem” was remastered and rereleased with three bonus tracks from those same early years thus essentially doubling the EP’s length.

This is one of those long lost artifacts that seems to have been reevaluated and deemed worthy of finding a second life. It features the typical NWOBM format of heavy guitar riffs, a pummeling bass and percussive rhythmic drive and those classic high pitched vocals all forged into melodically driven hard driving upgraded versions of the 70s style of hard rock. Guitar solos of course are very much part of the formula. Every once in a while especially on “Love After Midnight” there are a few keyboard sounds that creep in.

Admittedly this is catchy stuff that fits well into the overall era but honestly these sorts of bands were a dime a dozen and TRAITORS GATE never evolved beyond a second tier band at best. This EP sounds more like the style of NWOBM that was brewing around the 1980 / 81 timeline. By 1985 bands like Saxon, Iron Maiden Raven and Satan had already developed the heavy metal style quite well. No doubt this was a competent band and DEVIL TAKES THE HIGH ROAD is definitely a worthy dip into the obscurity bins however the emphasis of calling this some sort of lost classic is a bit over-exaggerated.

The band reformed sometime in the 2010s, released another EP and finally a full album “Fallen” in 2018 before two of the members sadly passed away in 2020. It’s likely TRAITORS GATE ended right there but of course bands can carry on with only one founding member. A nice dated throwback to the 80s with a unique style that does stand out to a certain degree but ultimately not one i’d find worthy of rising to the to ranks of NWOBHM royalty. The bonus tracks are just as good as the three originals so i personally consider this a six song EP rather than the original three song EP that has been out of print and impossible to find anyway.

• 1 day ago
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• Report #880278

3.17 | 2 ratings

UMUR

"The Eindhoven Insanity" is a live album by Dutch death metal act Gorefest. The album was released through Nuclear Blast Records in August 1993. It´s a live recording of Gorefest´s May 30th, 1993 performance at the Dynamo Open Air festival. At this point Gorefest had two full-length studio albums under their belt, and naturally the nine tracks featured on "The Eindhoven Insanity" are live renditions of tracks from "Mindloss" (1991) and "False" (1992). Six out the nine tracks are from the latter, two are from the former, and the closing track is just an audience appreciation track with no music.

The sound production is decent considering that this is a 1993 live death metal recording. It´s just seldom that death metal live albums are greater than a band´s studio recordings, and they often end up just being lesser and more flawed versions of tracks you already know and remember with much better production values and without performance errors. It has much to do with the nature of death metal shows, which are simply best experienced live in person. The energy and atmosphere of a show like this one isn´t really felt through the speakers when experienced in this format.

When that is said Gorefest deliver a solid performance and tracks like "Confessions of a Serial Killer" and "Reality - When You Die" are always crowd pleasers. The audience certainly sound like they enjoy the show on the outro audience appreciation track "Eindhoven Roar". There are several amatuer video recordings of this show available, and it´s obvious from the video material, that the audience enjoyed the show with massive moshpits, headbanging, and a lot of people being carried over the safety fence during the show. Evaluated only on the audio from the show a 3 star (60%) rating is warranted. Watching the video material and listening to the audio is the best way to experience this show.

• 1 day ago
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• Report #880277

3.67 | 7 ratings

UMUR

"Sun Caged" is the eponymously titled debut full-length studio album by Dutch progressive metal act Sun Caged. The album was released through Lion Music in October 2003. Sun Caged formed in 1999 after the demise of Dutch progressive metal act Lemur Voice, where a couple of the members came from, and released the "Scar Winter" demo in 1999. The independently released "Dominion" EP followed in 2001, but since Sun Caged still needed a recording contract they released the "Promo 2002" demo in 2002, which finally secured them the recording contract with the Lion Music label.

The Arjen Anthony Lucassen (Ayreon, Star One) mixed affair features a powerful and well sounding production job, which makes this debut album a real treat in terms of production values. Stylistically this is Dream Theater influenced progressive metal with a touch of Enchant. The album is loaded with heavy riffs, time-signature changes, blistering lead guitar and keyboard work, clever and sophisticated drumming and bass performances, and a powerful and skilled vocalist in front. Lead vocalist Andre Vuurboom has a voice which isn´t far from the voice of James LaBrie (Dream Theater) but also with a touch of Ted Leonard (Enchant, Thought Chamber, Spock's Beard). The latter is arguably also an influence when it comes to the melody lines.

So while Sun Caged won´t win many uniqueness competitions, they are still a highly professional and skilled act, who compose intriguing, memorable, and powerful progressive metal and fans of this type of progressive metal should definitely investigate this album further. The high level musicianship from both the instrumentalists and from Vuurboom is inpeccable and a great asset. You´ll find new interesting songwriting ideas all the time, but the band also rock pretty hard, so this never becomes boring or too artsy. In other words there is a good balance between sophisticated technical playing, melodic elements, and heavy and hard rocking sections. A 3.5 star (70%) rating is fully deserved.

• 1 day ago
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• Report #880276

2.67 | 11 ratings

SalamiDickDeath

The Unspoken King is EASILY Cryptopsy's best album.

I came into the Cryptopsy fold with "Once Was Not" and was absolutely blown away. It's a maddening display of Cryptopsy's idiosyncratic Death Metal ways. I adore each and every Cryptopsy album. "The Unspoken King" simply has the most to offer. Other than Jon Levasseur's solos it has everything and more that the other albums have. Clean vocals, more groove and like 37 seconds of keyboards.

I am firm believer that when a band moves in one direction or another this is how you grow and keep things interesting. Making the same album 5 times is incredibly boring. To me this is a pretty decent jump in the forward moving progression of their sound though not wildly so (its not like they are rapping or playing ballads). For the life of me I cannot figure out who in gods name could consider this Deathcore. One of the very few genres I really can't get into at very least for the steroidal vocals and the simpleton breakdowns accompanied by a computer assisted bass drop in practically every goddamn song. Absolutely none of which is found on this pulverizing album.

Its more raging Death Metal at insane speeds with the best vocalist yet. Inhuman alternate picking, palm muting, tremolo picking, blastbeating, insane shred solos with sweeps and all the other Death Metal hallmarks. Plus the wickedly audible bass Cryptopsy has always lead the way with.

"Worship Your Demons" opens the album with a wildly aggressive blast beat that leads to a classic Cryptopsy style riff where guitar and bass are equally heard. The whole song screams Cryptopsy with the lead guitar shining by way of sweeps and tapping. Then "The Headsmen" comes in swinging hard with straight Cryptopsian attitude and simply tortured vocals. Ending with one of the shortest but coolest solo's since "None So Vile". After some cool Punk style riffing in "Anoint The Dead" it also lays waste to the fretboard with a solo of the highest order. "Leach" too opens with a Punk style riff followed by some classic speedy ass tremolo riffing.

Yes there is a sorta spoken word deal going on in "The Headsmen" and in the background of "Bemoan The Martyr", not at all far removed from "Pestilence That Walketh In Darkness" from the previous album. Which Lord Worm uses over a catchy chorus riff later in the song. The difference is that Matt can actually sing and does a badass but brief job of doing so on this ("Bemoan") and a few other tracks.

"The Plauged" and "Bound Dead" also have actual singing. Matt's vocal range is stunningly impressive and is tragically shorted to just this album thanks to the meat-headed blowback from neckbeards and hipsters screaming "sellouts". When the reality is Cryptopsy has enormous balls for taking such an artistic leap that is far and away the most memorable album.

"Contemplate Regicide" opens up with a very heavy yet groovy riff hauling balls and then goes into some tremolo picking and back to the groove before a mid-paced & highly catchy riff opens up with some gritty, clean vocals. This is followed by a brief piano interlude which adds a delightfully dark atmosphere. Ending on another killer solo. "Silence The Tyrants" also makes use of these atmospheric keys to great effect. The album ends on a pretty cool Faith No more style instrumental.

They have always had a Punk attitude tied into their Death Metal riffing style as well as finding a way to squeeze groove into insanely speedy riffing. The whole 5 minutes of singing on an album that's just under an hour. Plus the 2 songs with VERY brief keyboards does not make this album Deathcore. It's a Cryptopsy album in everyway considering the fact that they have always progressed in some way from one album to the next.

I still await the day they open the gates for Matts full vocal range to be unleashed upon the Feral Death Metal (the true genre they should be filed under) songs they craft. Until then 3 Mile Scream will fulfill some of my desires.

• 2 days ago
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3.00 | 1 rating

UMUR

"Prolong the Agony" is the second demo recording by US, Wisconsin based death metal act Morta Skuld. The demo was released through Taste Your Own Blood Music in August 1990, so it´s the band´s second 1990 demo after releasing their first demo ("Gory Departure") in april 1990. Just like the first demo "Prolong the Agony" was also recorded at a professional recording studio and it features a powerful, detailed, and brutal sounding production job, which suits the material perfectly.

Stylistically Morta Skuld play a predominantly mid-paced (and sometimes faster-paced) and heavy death metal style, which is pretty standard for the genre. The growling vocals are there and get the job done, but they don´t add anything particularly interesting or unique to the music, so Morta Skuld already established their run-of-the-mill US death metal style this early on. There´s nothing bad here and "Prolong the Agony" is an enjoyable release while it plays, but Morta Skuld just don´t produce anything you haven´t heard before. A 3 star (60%) rating is warranted.

• 2 days ago
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• Report #880268

3.00 | 1 rating

UMUR

"Gory Departure" is the first demo recording by US, Wisconsin based death metal act Morta Skuld. The demo was independently released in April 1990. Morta Skuld formed in early 1990 and after only a few months they were ready to record and release this demo. None of the four tracks from this demo would be re-recorded and included on Morta Skuld´s 1993 debut full-length studio album "Dying Remains", so they are exclusive to this release.

It´s safe to say that Morta Skuld hit the early death metal demo scene with a high quality demo. "Gory Departure" was obviously recorded at a professional recording studio, although it´s still a raw, brutal, and authentic sounding release, and already this early on Morta Skuld were a very well playing band. Their later problems with writing music which stood out from the crowd aren´t as big an issue here and the songwriting on "Gory Departure" is generally pretty strong. A 3 - 3.5 star (65%) rating is warranted.

• 2 days ago
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• Report #880267

3.00 | 1 rating

UMUR

"Decadence - Prophecies of Cosmic Chaos" is the seventh full-length studio album by Swedish death metal act Centinex. The album was released through Candlelight Records USA in February 2004. It´s the successor to "Diabolical Desolation" from March 2002. There´s been one lineup change since the predecessor as lead guitarist Kenneth Wiklund, who joined Centinex in 1993 and had performed on all releases before this one, has left and has been replaced by Johan Ahlberg.

Centinex continue to play a melodic and blackened death metal style, but "Decadence - Prophecies of Cosmic Chaos" was their most professionally produced release up until then and the production values provide the album with something extra. Centinex are as well playing as ever and if Wiklund´s exit has meant anything for the band´s sound it´s maybe that the music is slightly more brutal and aggressive and less melodic, but then again this is still a pretty melodic death metal album. The vocals are a combination of blackened snarling and deeper growling. Often layered.

The quality of the songwriting hasn´t changed much since the last album, and this is as solid as most Centinex releases before it. Solid...but seldom anything out of the ordinary for the style. So it´s an album which is enjoyable while it plays, but forgotten just as soon after it has ended. Still a 3 star (60%) rating is warranted.

• 3 days ago
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• Report #880261

3.50 | 1 rating

UMUR

"Coprophagist" is the eponymously titled first demo recording by German death metal/grindcore act Coprophagist. The demo was independently released in 1990. Coprophagist formed in 1987 and only released this demo before disbanding.

So this is a pretty obscure band and an equally obscure demo recording, but evaluated on the quality of this demo, it´s a real shame that we didn´t get to hear more from Coprophagist. Stylistically they play a hybrid death metal and grindcore style, which quite often sounds like it´s greatly influenced by the death metal/goregrind style found on "Symphonies of Sickness" (1989) by Carcass. When I first heard the "Coprophagist" demo I thought the band were from Finland, because they have a lot if similarities to the Carcass influenced early demo death metal scene in Finland and artists like Xysma, Disgrace, and Lubricant. Which means the Carcass influence runs deep, but there´s also a filthy doomy death metal element found in the band´s music (Autopsy have not lived in vain).

The gory/sexually depraved lyrical content and imagery is also in place (how about songtitles like "The Degredation of a Necrophilia Indulgment" or "Addiction to Self Dismemberment") and it´s hard to call Coprophagist unique (maybe on the German scene but definitely not internationally), but in this case it doesn´t matter than much, because fans of the genre should be delighted to listen to this as Coprophagist are a high quality act on the scene and this demo is an absolute blast. It´s well produced and well performed too featuring some sick and brutal growling vocals (quite varied too), so all in all a high quality death metal/goregrind release and a 3.5 star (70%) rating is fully deserved.

• 3 days ago
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• Report #880260