Opening with a track that evokes a sense of battle both in progress and done with, BATTLE DAGORATH make their album debut. Northern California’s scene attracted much notice with the rise of LEVIATHAN and SAPTHURAN in 2004, and though BATTLE DAGORATH would seem to be next in line, they are more than competent enough to […]
I gotta confess that I wasn’t familiar with this Belgian four-piece before I received their promo pack most recently… And even if I might have heard the name already, it wouldn’t necessarily mean that I exactly knew this particular outfit as there are / were at least eight (!!) other BATTALION’s around already… So, this, […]
I can’t really understand why there’s been so much criticism concerning “Nordland I” in the German press. I mean, of course is Quorthon not going to come up with something completely new or innovative anymore… You hardly find bands that are around as long as BATHORY are and who dare to experiment without failing in […]
I admit I was hoping for a BATHORY album like this one. Quorthon comes up with an hour of Viking sagas and mythology and consequently sees me down on my knees hailing the goat. Of course somebody has to complain that the Swede sold out as the epic side of BATHORY seems to sell best. […]
Please imagine the following: you’re a big BATHORY fan – I know it’s hard, just use all of your imagination ; -) and it’s about the end of the month and you’re almost broke, but after years of waiting you finally spot the new album in your favourite record store, so of course you spend […]
December 2008 learned with bands like KATALYSATOR, GRAVELESS, BOMBS OF HADES, ENVENOMED, MIASMAL, DEGIAL, TRIBULATION, EVISCERATED and MORBUS CHRON (all new to me at that time) that the dusty Swedeath from Stockholm was heading for a second coming. Actually, old school Death Metal in general was on a comeback, hell yeah! Among these bands was […]
The feeling of homecoming is surrounding this release from minute number one and even if my own expectations had been really high, the BARREN EARTH debut is nothing else than a breath-taking release. The great expectations are easily explained by the bunch of fantastic musicians which are earning their money in bands like SWALLOW THE […]
I really have no idea how many BARBATOS demos, albums, EPs and split-releases are out there by now, but it must be quite many already from what I constantly notice in various mailorder lists. So, it seems that mainman Yasuyuki has a lot of spartime to kill and / or is not fully streched with […]
BAPHOMETS HORNS offer no build up or bullshit. They go straight for the jugular vein, then proceed to the ear drum and kick it in with a steel toed boot. Drawing upon what sounds like a variety of influences ranging from the hard gristle of Grindcore, to the percussive madness of CRYPTOPSY, to the speed […]
Deep from the French underground comes this one man project and this offering is a rather pleasant surprise I must say. BALROG is about Black Metal for sure but avoiding to fall into the trap of being cliché and boring. First I would like to stress out the very good production of this disc, another […]