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Welcome back to The Great Metal Debate podcast for another amazing metal album review. Today we’re looking at the new one by UK symphonic power metal crew Fellowship with their second full-length album “The Skies Above Eternity” released by Scarlet Records.
Fellowship is a band that appeared on the scene just a few years ago and immediately received a lot of positive perception by power metal fans, so much so that it makes me question if I missed something. I have heard their 2022 debut “The Sabrelight Chronicles” maybe once, and for whatever reason didn’t find it worth revisiting. But Fellowship has definitely blown up and made a name for themselves in the genre, including appearing on the bills of Epic Fest in Denmark and Mad With Power Fest in the US.
I’ll go ahead and somewhat telegraph my conclusions out of the gate: based on this album at least, I think folks who are sky-high about Fellowship should tamp down the enthusiasm, but certainly any haters need to reevaluate their take because there’s a lot to appreciate as well.
First, singer Matthew Corry’s voice is both powerful and pleasant, and he impresses with his ability to manage against the symphonic mix with the strength of his diaphragm. Other than one misplaced falsetto on track one, he hits all the notes and conveys genuine emotion in his tone. That said, one of the problems I have with Fellowship’s approach overall is that there isn’t enough contrast provided between his saccharine-sweet singing and the rest of the music. I really noticed this in the few places where the instrumentation dropping out entirely as on “World End Slowly” and there was at least the contrast with silence. If you are going to have a metal band with vocals that are so slick and sugary – basically a singing style that would be at home in adult contemporary rock – you really, really need something with a touch more rawness for contrast.
Musically – and I’ve hinted at this earlier – the guitars don't crunch as much as I would like throughout. It’s not so much that I need the distortion up front in the mix but that, again, the contrast with the vocals would be helpful. That said, the guitarwork is effective and I appreciated the subtle infusion of neoclassical playing in places. Bass guitar is present throughout the album and often noticeable, as are keys. There is a lot of keyboard and vocal layering happening, and Fellowship makes judicious use of effects like bells and various other symphonic instrument sounds. The orchestration generally is solid, although not so impressive as to merit the inclusion of the final track referenced previously. Callum Tuffin's drumming on the album is outstanding and a key element of the album’s overall vitality.
As far as the overall aesthetic, the mood created by Fellowship’s is consistently uplifting, victorious, and frankly, happy. It evokes a fantasy atmosphere – almost Tolkien-esque, which I guess shouldn’t be a surprise given the band’s logo font – with gorgeous sound and adventurous, melodic structures. I wouldn’t say that what Fellowship does here is innovative overall, but there is a freshness to the execution and some creative takes. While there are no overt references to Christianity, if one didn’t know better they would be forgiven for thinking this was a white metal album along the lines of Lightmare or Theocracy.
“The Skies Above Eternity” is too much sunshine and rainbows for my taste. If I have one suggestion for Fellowship going forward it would be to mix in just a couple of darker, moodier tracks on the next album. Not simply for their own sake, but because the comparison would make the band’s lighter songs shine even brighter!
Fellowship’s “The Skies Above Eternity” is released by Scarlet Records on November 22nd. You can purchase the new album via ScarlettRecords.com, Bandcamp, and other places you find quality metal music. -
Welcome metalheads to another episode of the great metal debate podcast. It's Xander with another back to back album review. Today, I'm probably going to be giggling a lot during this because we're talking about a parody band. Yes that's right, good old fashion spoof comedy. This band is called Dimmu Bongir which is making fun of the popular symphonic black metal band Dimmu Borgir. This is their brand new album titled Dark Medieval Hash which is making fun of Satyricon's debut album Dark Medieval Times. The black and white album cover even looks similar.
Before I go any further, I have to point out that this band actually is from Norway. That is the one thing about this band that isn't a joke. Also, this band is basically the modern black metal equivalent of the band Cannabis Corpse. Those of you who don't know, Cannabis Corpse is a parody death metal band that makes their own original music but just takes small jabs at other classic old school death metal bands by changing around song and album titles to fit marijuana themes.
The same is happening here, only its black metal and the music isn't exactly original. I just discovered this band the other day thanks to the YouTube algorithm bringing me to their music video for "A Witch is Stoned".
"Bongens kammer del 1" is a two and a half minute instrumental intro track which is clearly a parody title for Dimmu Borgir's instrumental "Sorgens kammer del 1" even if I personally am more familiar with the song Sorgens kammer del 2". Ah, ok I'm looking at the track list. The final track on this album is "Bongens kammer del 2". Makes sense.
I'm not really sure what "Du som røyker brunt" is supposed to be a spoof of but next we have the album title track followed by "Deathkush" which is a jab at Mayhem's "Deathcrush".
"I troldskogen fyrer weed" is a parody of "Troldskog Faren Vild" by Ulver. I had to YouTube the first part of the song title to see what popped up because I'm honestly unfamiliar with Ulver.
However I also have no idea what "Pipens Åpenbaring" and "Tåkeleggelse og røketrang" ... Look, I'm not fuckin Norwiegen here, I have no idea how to read or pronounce this shit. I don't know what they are supposed to be spoofs of. But the idea is still funny.
I assume the word "Pipens" has to do with smoking because it sounds like the word pipe.
Honestly, if I didn't know this was meant to be a comedy band, I would've never known. The music and vocals both sound great albeit nothing groundbreaking.
I'm going to keep this review short since I know this band isn't meant to be taken seriously. As I already mentioned, it isn't bad but it's completely unoriginal. I'll give it a 6 out of 10.
Their music is available on all streaming platforms but their physical media is completely sold out on their bandcamp page. I'm not sure if they have plans to do reprints of their "Hvis pipen tar oss" debut that has a colorized parody album cover of "For All Tid". But I don't currently see hard copies of Dark Medieval Hash or shirts available for sale.
If you're really interested in showing your support for these Norwegian "Weird Al" Yankovics, feel free to contact them on Facebook and ask them about their merch. -
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Today, we have a death metal band straight from the bay area of Oakland, California. I'm talking about Wroht with their 2nd full-length album Dissolution.
So without further ado, let's dive into this new album. Kicking things off we have the song "Blood Prison". One thing that I've already noticed about this new record is that it seems to be a compilation of all the singles that this band has been periodically releasing since February.
While I had already heard all of these on the Cycle of Torment EP, it was worth listening again as there have been a few additions to make it a full-length. This means "Blood Prison" is new to me. One thing that I love about this band is how they sorta capture the same magic as the early days of Bloodbath.
Ivan Peric's vocal style is very similar to a young Mikael Åkerfeldt. Yes, this is definitely a good thing. I think many old Bloodbath fans like myself and even some Opeth fans would heavily enjoy Wroht. Normally during one of these album reviews, I would discuss every single track but we're a little behind on the podcast and I have so many albums to get through before the end of the month. So I'm gonna have to cut it short again and only talk about the new songs released on the 18th.
Another new song to me on this full-length is "The Sweet Taste of Venom". I've always liked song titles that are the first lyrics of the song. As I listen closer to the rhythm of the guitar riffs I find myself slightly reminded of Kataklysm. It's cool how Wroht has masterfully caught the vocal essence of Swedish death metal but have blended the groovy melodies of our Canadian neighbors up north. This mix feels like they have created something new.
While we're still comparing this United States death metal with Swedish acts, I'm also kinda picking up some of the catchy vibes from a band like Entrails. I also enjoy how Paul Olsen's bass riffs stand out during the break points of this song. There were a few other songs where the studio mixing allowed listeners like myself to really hear the reverberating bass lines. As someone who has dabbled with the bass guitar myself, I truly appreciate that.
Lastly we have the album title track "Dissolution". It begins with Christian's absolutely insane blast beats. I honestly think this band has saved the best for last because once again, Paul's bass playing is a standout.
Just like with the rest of the album and the Worship Rot debut before it, Joey and Justin play their guitars wonderfully together. Ivan's vocals are just as ferocious as ever. The softer musical moments are soothing and it's the crushing harsh comebacks that are almost deathcore in nature with the chug riffs. I love how there's a "blegh" shortly before a nice shredding guitar solo.
I'll also say that this song is very long, yet you'll enjoy every second of it. Coming from someone who enjoys funeral doom, I'm no stranger to tracks that exceed 12 minutes.
This is definitely one of the better underground death metal albums I have heard all year and that's saying something because I have already listened to over 350 metal albums this year. Not even exaggerating. I'll have to go back and do a recount before Gomthog and I's end of the year podcast episode but it's definitely more than what I heard last year.
If I were to give Dissolution a rating, I would give it a solid 9/10. It's truly fantastic! If you would like to show your support for Wroht, their music is available on most streaming platforms. -
Welcome back metalheads to a brand new episode of The Great Metal Debate podcast. Its Xander back with a new album review. Today I will be talking about the Nashville based thrash metal band called Dead Alive and this is their sophomore record titled The Madness of Dr. Ludvig Von Brainmatter.
The intro track sets the black and white monster movie vibe. That sort of retro feel is most likely what they were going for. That mad scientist and Frankenstein type of classic horror. This of course leads us into our first track "Exhumed"
I love how the vocals for this song are a screeching whisper style. Halfway through the song we get a chug guitar riff that will definitely cause involuntary head banging. The next track "Re-Agent", its accompanied by a very well made music video so you should go give it a watch if you haven't already. The pacing of the music in this one has a slower tune but that does not subtract quality at all.
If you want a fast thrash metal track, look no further than "Flip The Switch". The bass line played by Dedmen Walken is groovy and it perfectly eases you into this rager of a song. While I was listening to this album in my car the other day I was shouting along to the course. The words "Flip The Switch" will not only get stuck in your head but the non-course parts of the song will remind you a lot of old school Overkill.
After that memorable track we have my personal favorite song on this album "Volt". I like this one a lot because it leans heavily into the death trash subgenre. It is without a doubt the fastest song on the record. Deadbeat did a fantastic job pounding away on drums for not just this song but nearly every song on this album.
In fact, his abilities really shine on "No Signs of Life" as well. Once again I'm impressed by his drumming skills.
"Hollow Man" ... Oh you know what? I actually almost bought that movie the other day from a used DVD store. I'm kicking myself for not but maybe I'll swing by later and dammit, I'm getting off the subject again. Yes, this next song has the same title of that old 2000 flick but I'm unsure if the lyrics have anything to do with the film. The lyrics aren't provided on metal-archives at this time.
One song that I think would be awesome played live is "Fear ... Conditioned". The rhythm of it will get people's heads nodding for sure!
The song "Gone Mad" surely doesn't disappoint either but after that one, we get the longest song on The Madness of Dr. Ludvig Von Brainmatter titled "From Beyond". The runtime clocks in at just over six and a half minutes. Definitely lengthy for a thrash metal track but as a Kreator fan, it doesn't bother me.
Lastly we have "Live Wire" which serves as the perfect closer to this album. Remember how I said this album had a Frankenstein feel to it? Well this one begins with a mad scientist shouting "it's alive". As it should. Electrical shock is essential for reanimating corpses in a castle laboratory. The music itself has a mid-80s thrash metal that is reminiscent of Nuclear Assault.
My final thoughts on this album is that it's very solid. Anyone who knows me personally knows that I'm usually quite picky when it comes to thrash metal. But when it comes to this independent release, I feel like their gimmick is useful in the way that it helps them stand out. Of course they are all very talented musicians too.
I'll give my buddy and the rest of his band a 7.5 out of 10. The drawback for me is the studio production. Having listened to this album four times in a row, I can tell you that the sound doesn't seem to be as crystal clear as it should. I'm not sure if that was a creative choice to make the recording sound old and less polished. If they were going for the analog/listening to this through a cassette tape on an old boom box then cool. I personally like the sharper and cleaner sound of modernized digital. But I'm sure there are many thrash heads out there who will dig this great album even more than I did. -
Nervosa frontperson Prika Amaral joins the show in this interview recorded in Nashville prior to the band's performance at The End!
Excerpts from the Nervosa track "Behind The Wall" (Jailbreak, 2023) used with permission from the artist. -
Welcome back to The Great Metal Debate podcast. Today we will be focusing on a black metal band called Kanonenfieber with their second full-length studio album Die Urkatasthophe.
Admittedly I didn't jump on Kanonenfieber for their Menschenmühle debut, and when I did I was blown away. I loved how this band had melodic riffs but still managed to keep the semi-raw sound yet still be catchy.
I have grown tired of the obligatory intro tracks for every fucking metal band in existence but I actually kinda like "Grossmachtfantasie" because it just kinda fits. The first single they released for this new record was titled "Panzerhenker" and it completely flew under my radar. But then I listened to it and was thoroughly impressed. I loved the repeating word "Deutschland" in the lyrics, especially since it has triple vocal layering between the lead vocalist and the backing vocals from both guitar players. Another nice touch was the reverse breakdown towards the conclusion of this track where all the instruments temporarily cease from blasting away so the vocal lead can have a whispering segment.
"Sturmtrupp" begins with guitar chugging with marching drum beat but you hear an actual war whistle in the background before the song picks up its speed. The entire song is groovy and is undoubtedly a real head bobber. "Der Maulwurf" was the 2nd music video. There's undeniably a rhythm to the melodic sounding chorus that seems like it's being yelled in your face. I love how the song ends with a gun cocking sound followed by a gunshot.
The next track "Lviv zu Lemberg" opens with another radio transmission before throwing you head first into the bullet storm that is this band's music. There's a slow break in here but it swings back with a vengeance to roar your ears off. Moving on we have "Waffenbrüder" which was released a while back with a lyrical video that I never got around to seeing. Nothing really stands out much about this one aside from the wonderful guitar melody towards the middle. Nevertheless, it's bad ass much like the rest of this band's work. The next track which is titled "Gott mit der Kavallerie". I love how you hear not just gunfire but war horses too. One complaint that I have about this one is that it seemed longer due to its somewhat repetitious structure.
"Panzerhenker" was another one of the earliest singles released for this new album and for good reason. This one fucking rocks! It sounds aggressive and there's even a funeral doomy section halfway through this song where the guitars have a soft whine to them while the vocalist preforms these slow deep growls. Definitely my favorite part. Its cool how "Ritter der Lüfte" opens with the sound of an old bomber airplane engine. I love how you also hear the planes flying overhead periodically during this song. "Verdun" is a short intermission track where you hear a German soldier speaking in his native tongue loud and clear with the faint sounds of bombs being dropped in the distance. All the while there's a somber guitar tone being plucked to help add to the background noise.
I won't even try to pronounce the name of this song but its the long A word. "Ausblutungsschlacht" Nothing too outstanding about this one. Its a little lengthy with a five and a half minute runtime. I like the piano at the end of this track. Too bad it’s short lived. The final track on this incredible album titled "Als die Waffen kamen" is presented to us in the form of acoustic guitar and clean singing. It may not be considered metal but its certainly a nice little pallet cleanser.
This album is definitely an improvement from the debut. I wish they would have done a callback to the machine fire drum beat that was used in the song "Grabenlieder". It would've been so cool if they did that again but for a bit longer. I'm going to give this one a 8.5/10 rating. Support Kanonenfieber by purchasing merch from their Bandcamp page. You can also listen to their music on all streaming platforms. -
Welcome to another episode of The Great Metal Debate podcast, talking about the Dutch blackened death metal band God Dethroned with their 12th studio album The Judas Paradox. While this band certainly has its slight black metal vibes, I've always seen them as more of a melodic death metal band. Their guitar riffs have always been calm and groovy.
Two years ago, God Dethroned announced they had switched record labels to sign with Rising Phoenix Music for their next full-length. Fast forward to about two months ago when they released another new song titled "Rat Kingdom". This time around I became very excited because the new song seemed to be leagues superior to the previous single they dropped two years ago. The 2nd single released happens to be both the album title track and the first song on the album. I gotta mention the use of choir in the mix. It's a fantastic addition and sounds completely new.
"The Hanged Man" is a song that kicks some serious ass with its Deicide vibes. The layered vocals make it sound extra demonic and it even reminds me of the song "Conquered By Sodom". There's also an old school sounding guitar solo on this one. It's one of the shorter songs but it's definitely a standout.
Moving on we have an interlude track labeled as "Black Heart" which is only 51 seconds long. It's a dissonant choir practicing their vowels with church bells ringing. But it leads straight into that song that I mentioned earlier called "Asmodeus".
This time I really paid attention to this song so I could absorb every note being played. I wanted to really study this one to see if my opinion of this song would change. The results? When I compared this album version of the track to the music video, there weren't any changes made in the sound mixing. It still sounded like the one and only stale track this band has ever made. It felt soulless compared to every banger this band has produced in the past 27 years. I guess a dud was bound to happen sooner or later, although it did sound better than I remembered. Maybe because this time I had a clear head.
"Kashmir Princess" is another song where I remember the riff. As monotonous as it was, I was slightly reminded of one of their earlier works. Not saying that Dave Meester had recycled any riffs but I did get the "Rusty Nails" feeling, albeit, not as heavy.
The next track really picks up the pace again to the God Dethroned we all wanted. "Hubris Anorexia" begins with three long screams that are layered in succession. It's here where I have to give both Henri and Dave credit for their winding guitar efforts. Dave also continues to show off his skills as a shredder in "The Eye of Providence".
"Hailing Death" is another banger that will make you shout "Hailing Death" every time they say it throughout the song's first minute. This one has another gorgeous guitar riff at the halfway point of the track. Too bad it doesn't last long. It does make a very brief return towards the end of the song which fits as a neat little outro.
"Broken Bloodlines" wastes absolutely no time going hard and fast from the first fucking second! The speed of the guitar chugs are aggressively heavy and will make any Taylor Swift fan's head explode.
And finally we come to the last song on the album "War Machine". When I saw this song title, I automatically assumed it was a Black Sabbath cover but then I thought, wait a minute, Six Feet Under already did a cover of that. As I listened to this song, I figured out right away that this is an original song by God Dethroned that simply has a name that has been used before. The song is okay, but not their best work. I feel like "Hailing Death" should've been the last track because it had the audio fade out at the end. I feel like it would've worked a lot better.
So what's the verdict? God Dethroned has never had a bad album and The Judas Paradox isn't their first. It is not a disappointment by any means. I'm going to rate The Judas Paradox a 7.5/10. -
The podcast is joined by frontman Shaughnessy McDaniel of power metal upstarts Siege Perilous to talk the band's new EP "Creation's Call" the evening before their performance at the inaugural Mile High Power Fest!
Credits: excerpts from the Siege Perilous track "Brothers Of The Five" (Creation's Call, 2024) used with permission from the artist. -
Welcome back metal heads to another album review here on The Great Metal Debate podcast. Today we will be talking about a German black metal band called Eisregen with their ... Holy dog shit! This is the band's 16th full-length studio album? What the fuck? How come I'm just now finding out about these guys. Ohhhh, that's why. Its because its their first album to be released through Napalm Records. Gotcha.
But damn, these guys have been busier than a one armed machinist. According to Metal-Archives, they have consistently released new music roughly once or per year or once every two years since 1995. In 1998 they released both their debut AND their second album.
I have heard from Gomthog that these guys are controversial in their home country. I'm not sure what for but their band bio says that they have been banned in their own country and aren't allowed to play certain songs live. People under the age of 16 aren't allowed to buy their physical media from entertainment stores.
For now, lets focus on their newest full-length titled Abart. Not to do a completely half-assed job on this review but I've decided that I'm not going to try to pronounce any of the song titles or names of the band members. Sure, it might be lazy but I received the press release for this album a full week in advance and here we are a few days past the release date of August 16th, so I kinda need to hurry the fuck up.
My cause for the delay? I was busy with another review. A review that will never see the light of day. I was gonna do one for the new Mushroomhead album before I realized that it was just me rambling on about my personal nostalgia for the old material only to give Call The Devil a 5/10. There, you got two reviews in one! Looks like y'all got more than you bargained for.
Back to Eisregen, the only reason I got the promo from something on Napalm Records is because the distribution for the American copies were being released through Massacre Records. Lucky me.
I have another extremely hot take so you might want to get your oven mitts on. Many people would call me a poser for being a Rammstein fanboy but ... I love the industrial metal phase that the black metal band Samael went through during the mid-2000s. I think it's Samael's best work. I know, I know, gather your torches and pitchforks to run me out of the metal community. I don't give a shit.
What does that have to do with Eisregen? Eisregen sounds like Samael's 2004 masterpiece Reign of Light album raw dogged it with Rammstein's 2003 masterpiece Sehnsucht. Eisregen has that harsh flavor of German dialect. The band's native language spoils the listener with the continuous rolling tongue accent.
Okay, I lied. I'll pronounce this one for you. The opening track "Am Abgrund" had a music video that was dropped a few weeks ago and its how I discovered this band in the first place. I thoroughly enjoyed the combination of the sandpaper voice over the calming piano keys.
The entire album mixes the traditional black metal style with softer moments. The fusion of polar opposites give off the perfect blend of a musical Yen and Yang. That's what the overall structure provides, a balance that is easy listening. At least in my personal opinion, I find this 1 hour and 2 minute composition to be flawless. I have zero critiques which means only one thing.
Eisregen - Abart is the only album I have reviewed all year that I award a 10/10 rating. It's fucking fantastic! What this band lacks in melodic guitar riffs, it more than compensates with plenty of symphonies.
Eisregen's music is not on bandcamp and I have no clue where to obtain physical merch but their music is on all other streaming platforms. If you liked this review, be sure to like and subscribe to our platforms and share our links everywhere. -
Xander checks in with extreme metal aficionados Dead Reckoning at their performance in Tampa FL as they tour the US in support of their newest album "Red".
Excerpts from the Dead Reckoning track "Break Me" (Red, 2024) used with permission from the artist. -
Welcome back to The Great Metal Debate podcast. Today we have another Metal Debate album review, looking at the new one from epic metallers All For Metal titled “Gods Of Metal.”
Before we dive into specific tracks, I will highlight the aspect which really differentiates All For Metal, which is their use of two male vocalists who provide two different singing approaches. Antonio Calanna who gives traditional a power metal to hard rock vocal output along the lines of a David Bassin or Sozos Michael. Tim Schmidt gives us a baritone clean voice with false chord technique along the lines of what we’ve come to expect form Joakim from Sabaton.
The album begins with an intro piece titled “Cry For Help” which has some building instrumentation and epic-sounding spoken words. The band ramps up the metal bluster to 1,000% on the second track and first full song, “Gods Of Metal.” The guitars are up front in the mix and provide some nice flourishes, although occasionally the keys push above them in the sonic spectrum. Track two is “Year Of The Dragon” and I freaking love this song! Maybe because I wasn’t expecting to hear this approach, it really resonated with me. As with the previous track the synths are a touch heavy throughout, but this helps dampen the effects that otherwise might have been too jarring It’s just a fun, upbeat track with verses that build and a singable chorus.
“The Way Of The Samurai” didn’t work quite as well for me. Despite this Calanna’s voice is exceptional, and here he carries most of the vocal load with Schmidt coming in at points for emphasis. I especially liked Calanna’s brief falsetto accents in place. The guitars throughout are strong and display some good riffs, or perhaps they aren’t as diminished by keys as in the previous track.
Everything builds to the chorus on “Temple Of Silence,” another strong guitar track. Schmidt’s voice is dominant for this song with Calanna giving brilliant accents. In contrast, on “When Monsters Roar” Calanna takes the first verse and Schmidt the second, with the two splitting duties including some fantastic harmonizing on the chorus.
“Path Of The Brave” gives a classic power metal-ish ballad. Calanna’s singing is superb, but I wasn’t a fan of the orchestral melody. Just a touch too sugary for me. This was followed by “Like Thor And Loki,” which on first listen it struck that I hadn’t even notice we’d transitioned from an east Asian to a Norse aesthetic somewhere in the past few songs.
The next one up is the synth-heavy “Valkyries In The Sky” featuring a strong vocal contribution from Laura Guldemond from Burning Witches. Guldemond is an insane singer and hell of a frontperson, and this song is constructed perfectly to highlight her voice. “Welcome To The Wasteland” returns to more standard All For Metal style with more trade-offs throughout by Schmidt and Calanna. But the chorus on this one is stellar – just a great melody and then with the double-bass kicking in a just the right time for extra emphasis and energy.
Track 11 is “Who Wants To Live Forever” which features some great effort by both singers, outstanding orchestrations, and the twin guitars making it all work without overstepping their bounds. The album ends with “The Journey Will Not End” that matches the feel of the intro track.
I really like how the band utilized Schmidt and Calanna’s voices in a variety of ways, mixing and matching them as was appropriate for each track. The songs were extremely well-written and every element of each track seemed to have some purpose to it. I have one critique: this album is way too overproduced and slick, at least for my taste. There’s no feel of rawness to the guitars, and even the sound of the orchestration is fat and soft.
“Gods Of Metal” surprised me in a pleasant way, and the overproduction can be excused given the competent and engaging writing and performances. I’m giving “Gods Of Metal” an 8 out of 10 rating. -
Welcome to another Great Metal Debate podcast review. Today we got a special one. Maybe you don't know this band but you've definitely seen the horrific album cover for their 2007 debut Uterovaginal Insertion of Extirpated Anomalies. This band is Cephalotripsy and this is their sophomore album titled Epigenetic Neurogenesis.
Gee, if only we could get Vital Remains to finally release their first album in 17 years that has been allegedly completed for 8 years ...
Here's a not so fun fact for you listeners. A cephalotripsy is a procedure that involves crushing the head of a stillborn fetus in the womb to facilitate delivery.
Obviously this album cover is a lot more family friendly than the former. But let's get into the music. The first single that was released two months ago was the album title track which has Matti Way from Abominable Putridity/ex-Pathology as a guest feature. Speaking of Pathology, the first few seconds of this song reminded me of the same guitar chugs in the beginning of the song "Tyrannical Decay". But that album had Johnathan Huber from I Declare War on vocals.
Matti on the other hand, usually has a very distinct vocal tone but I honestly could not tell when he was on the mic. Both Angel and Matti gurgle and pig squeal their way through this whole track and I can't tell you whose who. Despite this song being accompanied by a lyrical video, it does not sound like they're saying any of those words. But hey, who the fuck listens to brutal death metal and expects to hear words? I listen for the brutality and the more disgusting it sounds, the better.
"Alpha Terrestrial Polymorph" and "Induced Primordial Regression" were the next two songs I heard and ... Geez, what's the deal with every band I've been reviewing lately having the word Primordial in their song titles? That's just a little phenomenon I've noticed over the past few months. But then I heard the song "Excision of Self" which has another guest feature, this time with Ivan Tyulkin from the Russian death metal bands Insect Inside and Nauseating.
"Entrenched In Fluids Of Enigmatic Predation" was yet another heavy hitter along with "Ulcerated Mass Of Pestilent Engorgement" which features Clayton Meade from Condemned. I have been a long time fan of Condemned but I also couldn't tell when Clayton was on the mic either. All I know is that it sounded every bit as brutal as the rest of the record.
There are no duds on this album and "Lo Tech Non Entity" continues to prove my point. Each track is guaranteed to stomp a mudhole in your eardrum's ass. Don't believe me? Then check out the track titled "Arcane Rites Of The Transdimensional Progeny".
What do I think of this entire album as a whole? It's definitely sick as fuck! Was this album really worth the 17 year long wait. No it wasn't, and I'll tell you why. See, this album suffers from the same issue as the newest Torsofuck album that came out last year. The reason why Uterovaginal was so good was because it was some of the heaviest shit that money could buy back in 2007. There wasn't any over saturation in the genre at the time. Bands like this back then were hard to find. Sure, Guttural Engoregment existed but there wasn't 100 zillion Cephalotripsy copycats yet.
if I'm being real, this album just sounds like everything else out there. Aside from it just being balls to the wall, there's nothing overly special about it now in the year 2024. The niche for this type of brutality seems to only be original if its old. I know, it sounds like a weird critique but I'm sure someone out there understands what I'm trying to say.
Its still really good for what it is though. But, I can't really rate it higher than a 7/10.
As I mentioned at the start of this review, you should be able buy Cephalotripsy's merch from the website Reality Fade. But they of course have some things on Brutal-Mind and their Bandcamp page. -
The podcast is joined by Lucas, Brad, and Sarah from US symphonic power metal clan AfterTime prior to their performance at The Cobra in Nashville TN.
Excerpts from the AfterTime track "Sons Of Fenrir" (Arcane Horizons, 2024) used with permission from the artist. -
Welcome metal heads from around the world to another episode of The Great Metal Debate podcast. Its Xander with another back to back album review. Today we will be checking out the debut full-length album by Crown of Anguish from Preston, UK. The album is titled Stalker At The Midian Gate which was released July 9th through Brutal Cave Records.
I first heard of this band about 3 weeks ago when I heard the single "Radiant Moon of Aphos". I instantly looked up the album name printed on the cover and found nothing anywhere. I looked up Metal-Archives, nothing. Bandcamp, nothing. Their Facebook, nothing. All I knew from the video description was that it was set to release in July but with no official date. So I had to keep periodically checking to see if it was out and I didn't know about it being dropped on the 9th until the 10th. Fuck me right?
Anyway, I knew I wanted to talk about it. But first, its worth noting that they had released an untitled EP last year and that there's no repeats, remixes or remasters of old songs on the LP.
The first track on the record "Gathering Stormfires of the Perilous Want" might sound like an ordinary death metal song, but give it time. After a minute there will be one of my favorite uniqides about the genre. The inclusion of acoustic guitar. This one however has an ancient oriental sound as if its meant to sound old. After this break in the song, another tempo change happens where both the music and vocals have a groove.
"Radiant Moon of Aphos" as I mentioned earlier has a great sounding main riff which perfectly fits the rest of the overall instrumentation. The guitarist, Matt Gornall has provided us with mostly chugs although his brief melodic moments shine very bright.
"Limbless In Rapture" continues the heaviness and its time to bring up the vocals. While he might sound like any other front man, what separates Ali Lauder from everyone else is that he has a lot more power in his delivery than most.
Next we have a calming interlude track titled "Tribute To The Ashen King". It's a peacefully way to bridge the gap that leads to "From The Embers to the Catacombs". Straight away the drums blast your eardrums further into your skull.
"Sidereal Rites" starts off with another quick ancient sounding instrument before exploding back into the same hard hitting death metal we've been getting pummeled with from the get-go.
And then there's a track like "He Who Bears The Key". Now with this one, its obvious that the band intends on keeping us listening with the interesting middle eastern sounding beginnings. This one also has it infused towards the middle of the song.
If you want some straight forward death metal without all the extra jazz to spice it up, "Graven Challengers to the Rift" is your song. Nothing but unyielding death metal.
"Vengeful Eye of the Magi" obviously has to have a desert tune. If the word Magi is in the title, the first thing that will come to most minds of millennials like myself who grew up watching The Mummy.
The final track is "Gates to Eternity" but it only serves as a conclusionary instrumental consisting of an ancient sounding drum beat as if an army is marching to war.
Now is this a perfect death metal release? No. Is it entertaining and worth your time? Absolutely. Is it enough to keep listeners engaged? I'd sure say so. I feel like this band is for fans of Hour of Penance or Hate Eternal, minus the constant Erick Rutan shreds.
I'm going to give this debut a 7/10 rating. I'm definitely going to keep my eye on this band over the next few years to see what they do next. I'm sure they'll find new ways to improve upon music that is already good. Show your support by buying their digital album and EP on bandcamp because this full-length debut is not currently on amazon music. I'm not sure if they're on Spotify yet but you can check for me. -
The podcast joins up with Paul and Chelsea from US death metal predators Voraath following their performance at The End in Nashville TN as they tour North America with Gorgatron and Casket Robbery.
Excerpts from the Voraath track "Sirenhead" (Volume 1: The Hymn Of The Hunters", 2024) used with permission from the artist. -
Welcome metal freaks, to a new episode of the great metal debate podcast. Today, we will be talking about the new album from Cemetery Rapist - From My Puddle Phillic Drip. This calls for celebration as Clay, the one man menace has dropped his first new record in 10 years!
Many of us underground metal fans have at least stumbled upon Clay's work through side-links on YouTube. I know that's how I personally discovered Cemetery Rapist way back in 2009.
One minute your metalhead friend will tell you about a band like Devourment. Then a related video in the algorithm will pop up for a band like Putrid Pile. Then that video will lead you to Torsofuck, then that video will lead you to Sperm Swamp, then that video will lead you even further down the rabbit hole until you get to something like Cemetery Rapist.
Its crazy how Clay has been making these tree frog noises for over 20 years. Its even crazier that we live in the United States of America where we have an essential freedom of speech, and yet ... in the 2020s, online censorship has been a major obstacle for Clay over the past few years. He has vented many times on Facebook about how frustrating it is that: bandcamp, soundcloud, amazon, spotify and other media platforms have given him too much trouble.
In fact, the only reason its on bandcamp now is because it was released under the name of his own label Awful Goodness Records.
Clay has also had many recent shows canceled over his band name alone. I truly feel bad for the guy. He's just trying to share his musical art with his cult following of fans who are deep into the underground scene. We praise him for his cricket sound abilities that were almost hindered about 5 years ago.
I remember when he posted this scary picture of himself with a huge bulge in his neck. He said that he may never be able to do vocals again and many of us felt bad for him. Luckily he made a full recovery from whatever that was but I have definitely noticed the change in vocal pitch. His signature amphibious mating call now sounds like it has more bass to it and he honestly sounds better than ever! Also, the programmed poppy snare drums that remind us all of the band Echymosis hasn't changed a bit so that's good.
I'll always love his classics such as: "Herpes Injection", "Death By RuRu", "Bent Over And Butt Dozered", "Wake Up to Bake Up", "Retarded Rectum Ripper" and "Midwest Cop Killer" to name a few. I even enjoyed the Putrid Pile cover he did for the song "Food For The Maggots". But this new record is my favorite.
The tracks I enjoyed the most were: "Craving Cunt That Needs No Shaving", **laughing** sorry, it's hard to read these song titles without laughing. "Addicted To Poverty Pussy", "Pregnancy Taste Test" and "Face Raped On The First Date". That's not politically correct at all!
Most bands in the pornogrind genre are only good in moderation but Cemetery Rapist is one of the few exceptions. I could listen to him any time. I can't wait to get lucky enough to see him live one day. Who knows, maybe Tampa Bay can host him at The Brass Mug. Too bad I didn't see him on the line-up for Florida Extreme Metal Fest.
Anyway, if you're into this explicit type of music with riskay audio clip intros and you aren't easily offended by gruesome album cover art, then by all means check this out.
I won't give this one a rating due to the lack of variety for the entire sub-genre. If you like pornogrind, you pretty much already know what you're getting yourself into. This type of music is definitely not for everyone but it might be an acquired taste for some. Anyway, check it out if you're interested.
Just as a reminder, you can hear thia new album on bandcamp but just make sure you search for Awful Goodness Records to find it. The only places you can hear his old material is through YouTube but he also has his website onemanmenace.com which is where you can listen to full albums including his other projects and its where you can buy his merch. -
Welcome to another episode of The Great Metal Debate podcast. Today we will be talking about the fourth full-length studio album from the German melodic death metal band Nyktophobia titled To The Stars. Lets dive into this album track by track.
We're gonna do this slightly back asswards though because the first two singles they released for this new record happen to be the last two songs on the album. That's sort of a bold choice if you ask me. The first of which was "Millenium". I figured the song would eventually grow on me but after about 4 more listens, I still couldn't tell you what the song even sounded like. Nothing seemed to really stand out about it. It's not a bad song, it just wasn't memorable. I felt underwhelmed. But then I thought okay, not their best work but its alright. Let's hear that new song titled "Voyager 1".
When I opened the file for the opening track, I had mixed feelings over the fact that I had to sit through a minute of obligatory intro track "The Gateway" but on the other hand, it was at least a peaceful sounding intro with the piano keys. I can forgive an intro track as long as its a good intro track.
In fact, it fits seamlessly into the first real song which happens to be the album titled track "To The Stars". Now this song, got me nodding my head in approval! I love the soaring guitar winding up over the blast beats which continued throughout the rest of the track. Not a whole lot of variety but it still sounds okay. At least it had a short lived but calming break.
Next we have "Farewell". Here instead of the Greek mythology that this band is known for, it appears that they've gone into the topic or interstellar travel. Which is cool, sometimes change is good and I'm a huge science fiction fan. This song in particular definitely has a good enough guitar riff to stick the landing.
I would go as far to say that the song "Charon Gate" compliments the former as a great precursor. Not that these two tracks go hand in hand but I do get the feeling of a build-up to a superior musical composition. I quite enjoy this one, it really reminds me of their earlier work. Tomasz' layered vocals go great with that soothing main riff played by guitarists Michael and Phillip. I also like how this one brings back a chorus.
"The Fall of Eden" lifts off with a slower tempo but kicks into high gear once Michiel's galloping drumming style picks up a speedy rythmn. The guitars once again wind up with the sharp long notes. The problem with this is that when you hear the first 30 seconds of the song, that's you begin to realize that this is how the rest of the song will play out. The same unchanging simplistic riff.
"Progenitor" has the most relaxing intro to any song on the record by having us hear birds chirping over piano and cellos for 1:27. That time stamp of course brings us back to the world of good old fashioned melodic death metal and its probably my favorite track thus far.
But then we come to "Behind The Stars Exists No Light" which honestly sounds pretty good. I like that moment when Tomasz says ... There is no light, behind the stars
And I already talked about these last two songs but I need to revisit them. After listening to the whole album I can now provide a much better analysis. Starting with "Millenium", I'll say that it still doesn't fully grab my attention but its okay. In conclusion "Voyager 1" is a perfect closer to the album as the first half of the track is instrumental. A somber piano has keys being pressed down hard in a dramatic way but later on we get a very weird, almost alien-like sound. It's hard to describe so you'll just have to check it out for yourself.
My final thoughts on this record is that I love this band but my go-to albums will always be Fallen Empire and Fate of Atlantis. So I'll give Nyktophobia - To The Stars a 8.5/10 rating. Show your support for Nyktophobia by streaming their music on all platforms and their merch is on their Bandcamp page. -
Welcome back to The Great Metal Debate podcast. Today we’re reviewing the latest release from Indian heavy thrash veterans Kryptos titled Decimator, which is released on July 5th through AFM Records. Founded back in 1998, Decimator is their 7th full-length album. Let’s check out this new album Decimator and see how it stacks up.
The tracklist begins with “Sirens Of Steel” which debuts in epic fashion before transitioning into galloping riffs. There’s a touch of thrashy-ness here, but is more like thrash-influenced true metal than a thrash band that wears its trad metal roots on its sleeve. The guitars are very forward in this one, with lots of lead accents throw in throughout, sometimes more and sometimes less successfully. The vocals are thrash-ish, with the lyrics rasped out in lightly goblinesque fashion by singer and guitarist Nolan Lewis.
“Fall To The Spector’s Gave” sets a rollicking sonic core with strong riffing and a sing-songy verse. There’s some good stuff – I really enjoyed the guitar lead break as well as the vigorour climax. I just could’ve used a bit more variability in the vocal melody, which is extremely repetitive in its presentation. A small change up there could have improved the song immeasurably.
A cheesy 80s metal intro transitioning into a generic 80s metal riff is what greets us for “Turn Up The Heat,” the next track in the listing. That comes across as harsher than I mean – in some ways I’ve giving a compliment. This is every bit as engaging and dynamic a track as one might routinely find on an Accept or Metal Church album back in the day when those bands were fresh and relevant.
Similarly constructed albeit a bit different in the details of its execution is “Electricity.” This is perhaps a cautionary tale to artists that when you give a song such an energetic title you’d better be certain the music delivers in like manner. It is a fine song – a mid-paced rocker that has the nostalgic feel of some metal anthems of oldGood riffs, but an underwhelming chorus structure.
Track 5 “Solaris” is a soft guitar piece that is only slightly past a minute and a half in length, segueing into the title track “Decimator.” I get some definite Painkiller-era Judas Priest vibes on “Decimator,” with the pulsating double bass and plunging sonic guitar dives. Unfortunately, the riffing is somewhat stale and repetitive. There’s no progression or twists here – a minute in and you basically can predict how the remainder of the song will sound.
With “In The Shadow Of The Blade” we find one of the album’s most compelling melodies and some nice interplay between the rhythm and lead guitar lines. It’s somewhat paint-by-numbers in the song construction, but the simple approach works well here. Yet again I yearn for a bit more variability in the vocal presentation. If the singer could have gone up even half an octave on the final verse it would have truly made the track explode.
Next up is “Pathfinder” which has a pleasant if predictable primary riff and some nice, timely tempo changes. However, I thought the composition missed opportunities in the transitions between verses, choruses, and breaks, with those changeovers seeming to happen somewhat ham-handedly. Another track that was fine for what it is, but could have been better.
The album concludes with “We Are The Night,” a mid-paced track that almost has a 70s rock mood to it, or at least NWOBHM feel. The lead break is really tasty, and the riffing throughout is enjoyable. This might be my favorite track on the album, leading me to wish the band had given me more of this approach and, by inference, gone with less of what I’d heard earlier.
Ultimately I’ll say that Decimator is worth checking out. You won’t hate what you hear, but I don’t know if many will love it either. I’m giving Decimator a 5 out of 10 rating. You can purchase Decimator from AFM Records. Follow them on social media and be sure to watch for the band going out on tour soon to support the release. -
Welcome back to The Great Metal Debate podcast. Today we are talking about the fourth full-length studio album by the New York brutal tech death band Malignancy titled ...Discontinued, which was dropped on June 14th through Willowtip Records.
This is the band's first album in 12 years so this certainly calls for celebration. For a band that has been around since 1992, you would think that they would have much more albums in their discography but, I guess some bands like to really take the time with their craft.
Before diving into this new record track by track, I'm going point out a major similarity that I've always noticed about this band. Particularly with the vocalist Danny Nelson having a nearly identical sounding voice to Ross Dolan from Immolation. I had often wondered if Malignancy was a side project band, which would make a lot of sense seeing as how both bands are from Yonkers! The answer is no, Danny and Ross are two different people. However, Danny had done vocals for Mortal Decay's 2013 album The Blueprint For Blood Spatter.
When I looked up the names of the band members, I had to do a double take when I saw the bass player. At first I thought it said Alex Webster from Cannibal Corpse, but nope, the new bass player is Alex Weber. Haha, not Webster.
Coincidentally enough, guess where Cannibal Corpse originally started. You guessed it, New York. Except they formed in Buffalo. According to Metal-Archives, Alex Weber has played live for Defeated Sanity and Obscura. Guitarist Ron Kachnic has also been in Pyrexia, Demolition Hammer and Mortician! Mike Heller has been the drummer for multiple bands including System Divide which is Sven from Aborted's side project band. Despite not advertising as such, Malignancy IS a super group.
Kicking things off we have the first track titled "Existential Dread". As you listen to this album, you can feel Danny's lips press against the microphone as he delivers his powerful vocals. You can tell he definitely uses his diaphragm to produce such a monstrous tone. Watch a few live videos of them and you can witness for yourself Danny's commanding stage presence too.
"Purity of Purpose" was the first single released for this album about 2 months beforehand. I remembered as soon as I heard it, I immediately looked up the full-length release date and album title just to add it to my list. Judging from that track alone, I knew I had to review it.
The second single "Biological Absurdity" was uploaded a month later and it of course blew me away. Both of these songs were aired on YouTube as official tracks but we haven't been treated to a music video yet.
I have found myself jamming this album front to back since its release a little over a week ago and I gotta say, I'm impressed! I mean, Malignancy never disappoints. This album is absolutely killer and one of the finest examples of your standard death metal.
Bad ass death metal albums without an overly unique pizazz quality about them are still more than capable of getting a good rating out of me. This is definitely one of the better straight forward death metal albums I've heard in 2024 so far. With that being said, I'm feeling a nice 8/10 rating.
Malignancy has been kickin around in the underground scene since I was a 1-year-old. They've gone through a few line-up changes here and there but have held strong as a band for the past three decades. Their popularity may not be up on the same level as many other bands but they deserve a lot of credit, respect and most of all support.
You can buy their merch ... at pretty much any online metal merch outlet. The most obvious choice would be bandcamp, but they also have merch at primitiverecordings.com, hellsheadbangers.com and indiemerch.com. Of course, if you get lucky enough to see them live; they definitely have a merch table and I hear that they are usually at their stand before and after a show. So don't be shy, go say hi and if nothing else, throw them a few bucks in their tip jar. -
Review of "D'Muata" by Perchta (Prophecy Productions, 2024).
Intro music by CONTRA; intro voice by Greg Kyle (RIP). - Mostra di più
