After a quick vacation break, we are back with reviews of albums released last week and this week, including Abigail Williams, Azure Emote, Ba’al, Blind Equation, Bloodletter, Clairvoyance, Cordyceps, Eternal Darkness, False Gods, GWAR, Incinerated, Jordfäst, Kontusion, Mawiza, Nefarious, Phantom Spell, Re-Buried, Red Brick, Scalp, Scardust, Scars On Broadway, Stomach and The Violent Hour.
The ratings are on a 5-star scale.
Abigail Williams – A Void Within Existence (Agonia)
Although having to shrug off nay-saying from detractors of their early, metalcore-influenced material, Abigail Williams recently surpassed two decades of blackened mayhem. A Void Within Existence is their first album in six years, and yields furious yet melodic fare. The band, led by frontman Ken Sorceron perhaps sound more assured than ever on these seven tracks of bleak, atmospheric black metal. The guitar solos are classy, while the riffs and melodies sink their claws in after a few listens.
And whether blasting with fury or showing restraint where necessary, drummer Mike Heller (Fear Factory) brings plenty to the table. As for standout cuts, the intense shrieks and stirring hooks of “Void Within” and ambient, string-laden “Talk To Your Sleep” both resonate. Brutal “Still Nights” flirts with the group’s metalcore beginnings, but in a manner that infuses variety rather than trying to shamelessly broaden their audience. And closer “No Less Than Death” infuses well-placed clean vocals and moody harmonies throughout its slow-burning, nine-minute duration. A Void Within Existence is a satisfying listen, and its themes of “loss, disintegration, and unreality” proof that misery sure loves company.
Rating: 4
(Brendan Crabb)
Azure Emote – Cryptic Aura (Testimony)
The members of the progressive death metal band Azure Emote have extensive resumes including bands like Fear Factory, Montrosity, Death and Sirenia. For their fourth album Cryptic Aura they have added vocalist Anna Murphy (Cellar Darling, ex-Eluveitie).
As on previous efforts, Azure Emote construct complex songs with numerous twists and turns that explore not only death metal, but also black, doom, prog, industrial and more. Another element that helps them stand out from the crowd is Pete Johansen’s violin, especially prominent on tracks like “Insomnia Nervosa” and the dynamic “Bleed With The Moon.” From crushing riffs to delicate atmospherics, Cryptic Aura displays a wide range of styles with something unexpected around every musical corner.
Rating: 3.5
(Chad Bowar)
Ba’al – The Fine Line Between Heaven And Here (Road To Masochist)
It’s refreshing to go into an album completely blind, and Ba’al’s The Fine Line Between Heaven And Here makes a strong first impression with its striking cover art. The music delivers too — a compelling fusion of Deafheaven’s atmosphere with melodic death metal’s intensity. Tracks are lengthy but never drag, seamlessly shifting between crushing aggression and moody introspection.
What really stands out is the emotional range; from guttural roars to soaring cleans, all backed by haunting strings. While demanding attention, the payoff is immense. The slower passages shine brightest, though the blistering black metal sections provide vital contrast. This is ambitious, cathartic stuff that sticks with you — post-blackened death metal at its most compelling.
Rating: 4
(Carlos Tirado)
Blind Equation – A Funeral In Purgatory (Prosthetic)
On their third album A Funeral In Purgatory, cybergrinders Blind Equation continue to evolve. This time around they expand their keyboard-driven sound to add more heaviness and explore some other styles as well.
That heaviness is evident on tracks like “Nothing,” showcasing both harsh and melodic vocals and a throwback nu-metal vibe. Electronics are front and center on songs such as “it feels like the end,” featuring experimental rap artist Johnnascus. The trancecore group Strawberry Hospital guest on the aptly named “Flashback.” Blind Equation have made a noticeable leap forward with A Funeral In Purgatory when it comes to songwriting chops and variety.
Rating: 3.5
(Chad Bowar)
Bloodletter – Leave The Light Behind (Wise Blood)
They hail from Chicago, but many of the thrash band Bloodletter‘s influences are from the Bay Area. Leave The Light Behind is their fourth full-length. Their style of thrash is played with a melodic bent without sacrificing any pace or intensity, adding some NWOBHM flavor.
Bloodletter pack a lot into songs that are mostly in the three-to-four-minute length. There are plenty of guitar solos, and tracks like “Eternal Winter” feature lengthy instrumental sections. Leave The Light Behind flies by with minimal filler, and although there’s not a ton of variety, the execution is spot on.
Rating: 3
(Chad Bowar)
Clairvoyance – Chasm Of Immurement (Carbonized)
Death by immurement, being forced into an enclosed space with no way out, is bad enough without being caught in a chasm of it. For Clairvoyance, their creative energy comes from within this hellish place on their debut album, Chasm Of Immurement.
This quintet from Poland are fascinated by the immoral noise of death metal, where the idea of a guitar solo is a series of howling notes tied together by how fast they can be played. Clairvoyance are not flustered by songs that can go upwards of seven minutes, using the time to try out different tempos. Add in grunting vocals that can barely be ascertained besides invoking unpleasantness, and Chasm Of Immurement is the kind of barbaric death metal with a perverse satisfaction to it.
Rating: 3.5
(Dan Marsicano)
Cordyceps – Hell Inside (Unique Leader)
Hell Inside wraps Cordyceps’ intimidating brutal death metal in a morose atmospheric blanket, where ambience is masked by a deceptive tone. For their second album, the band adds periods of uneasy calm to their music, as faint noise rings out in the distance before being dropped into a sea of despair.
“Filth” and “Suffocating” begin the record in this manner, a clear deviation from the unapologetic pace of their Betrayal debut. The slow plucks of a bass guitar in the intro to “I Am The Plague” is a new take for Cordyceps, though the song going six minutes is excessive. There are a couple of situations like this on Hell Inside, as the band does a delicate dance of wanting to retain their cruelty while testing out different angles to approach their songs.
Rating: 3
(Dan Marsicano)
Eternal Darkness – Eternal Darkness (Pulverised)
Swedish death metalers Eternal Darkness have been through a lot in the thirty-five years they’ve been together: several band member changes, fading in and out of obscurity, and recording only a couple demo tapes in the early ’90s. After all of that they have managed to release their first and last album before officially splitting for good this year.
One would think after the time it took to record this self-titled album the quality would reflect it. That isn’t the case, unfortunately. The album feels like a generic doom/death metal album with little to make it stand out. “Into Crematory” is the only track that stands out with the use of organs toward the end, but outside of that nothing else stands out. It is a real shame Eternal Darkness couldn’t have released at least one more album or an EP to see how they would evolve from this.
Rating: 3
(Dalton Husher)
False Gods – Lost In Darkness And Distance (Self)
Personal tragedies fuel the anguish behind False Gods’ Lost In Darkness And Distance. Vocalist Mike Stack screams as if it’s his only means of catharsis from trauma, furthering their downbeat sludge metal. The band is down to a foursome on this album, the biggest effect of this being the trimming down of lead guitars. There are no expressive solos this go-around, but with how much pain is in this music, they would’ve been an abrupt shake-up out of this depressive mood.
“Worldless” tries out some death metal-inspired riffs for the first minute or so before setting back into stoic tempos. Though the first few songs have a snappiness on par with hardcore, the back half of Lost In Darkness And Distance relies on a measured form of sludge/doom without any pleasantries.
Rating: 3.5
(Dan Marsicano)
GWAR – The Return Of Gor Gor (The Pit)
Everyone’s favorite intergalactic shock rockers GWAR have returned to us just two short years after The New Dark Ages to give us another album of epic proportions, The Return Of Gor Gor. This album marks the first album without guitarist Pustulus Maximus and only their second album to be released through their own record label Slave Pit Inc.
This album marks the thematic return of Gor Gor from their 1992 track “Gor Gor.” Only three out of the seven tracks are new. “The Great Circus Train Disaster” stands out due to the fact it best showcases that even 41 years in the scene, GWAR still strike the balance between brutal and goofy. The remaining four songs are live versions of songs recorded on a previous tour. GWAR’s brutal antics may not be for everyone, but for the people that get it this album is for them.
Rating: 3.5
(Dalton Husher)
Incinerated – The Epitome Of Transgression (BlackSeed)
The Epitome Of Transgression, the second full-length from the Indonesian band Incinerated is a reasonably solid attempt at black metal. It is adequately performed and conceived black metal that has the right amount of solid songwriting to make an impact upon the listener. There is an aura of negativity surrounding the release and it gives it more power and impact.
The musicianship on the album is adequate, with solid guitars and powerful vocals, but nothing overly phenomenal. This leads the album to be fairly generic sounding and nothing particularly overwhelming in itself. There is a feeling of bands like Burzum and more dark black metal bands on The Epitome Of Transgression, and fans of that style will find something to like here.
Rating: 3
(Adam McAuley)
Jordfäst – Blodsdåd och hor (Black Lion)
Like Jordfäst’s previous albums, Blodsdåd och hor is comprised of two long-form black metal songs. They cover the gamut of the genre, from bitter, creaky riffs to symphonic keyboards, while being able to make 15 minutes seem like half that time. It plays into the superb songwriting of this trio, who are able to use transitions like folksy singing and bass guitar breaks as a way to keep either tune from being stagnant.
Though their Bandcamp page, as well as the singles they’ve released so far, have had each side of Blodsdåd och hor split into parts, that’s not the preferred way to listen to the album. There are no natural breaks in these songs, so chopping them up is a determent. Jordfäst are a group where sharp listening skills are an advantage.
Rating: 3.5
(Dan Marsicano)
Kontusion – Insatiable Lust For Death (Profound Lore)
Featuring members of Repulsion, Coffin Dust and Iron Reagan, Kontusion understandably don’t pull any punches on debut album Insatiable Lust For Death. “Endless Horror” and “Countless Atrocities” open the album to the consistently vile death metal being spewed from the deepest depths and Kontusion are unrelenting in its pursuit or purulence.
Officially a two piece, Chris Moore’s drums sound deliberately primitive while vocalist/guitarist Mark Bronzino’s battery acid bellows intend to wake the dead; a truly powerful connection. This album can move at warp speed, lacking polish and replacing it with a grimy sense of satisfaction since this is death metal played in its purest form. The album’s 10 tracks barely make it over the 25 minute mark, allowing for this spoiling slab to envelope you in its entrails. Insatiable Lust For Death is muddy death metal for those who seek slaughter.
Rating: 4
(Tom Campagna)
Mawiza – Ül (Season Of Mist)
The Chilean band Mawiza describe their music as indigenous groove metal. The title of their latest album Ül translates to “chant” in Mapuzugun. Their music combines metal with native instruments, shamanic chanting and tribal rhythms.
The strongest songs on the album are the ones that are most unique, such as “Wenu Weychan,” which adds Chilean flavor to the groove along with an extended instrumental section. “Kalli Lhayay” has some of the record’s best riffs, with chanting mid-song and a heavy, ominous ending. Gojira’s Joe Duplantier guests on the closing number “Ti Inan Paw-Pawkan,” which also features chants. With Ül, Mawiza bring a fresh and distinctive approach to groove metal.
Rating: 3.5
(Chad Bowar)
Nefarious – Addicted To Power (Relentless Metal)
Bay Area thrash metal veterans unite together for a new project, Nefarious. Addicted To Power is precisely what would come from a group featuring former and current members of Death Angel, Hirax, Heathen and Exodus. There are parts of this record that are reminiscent of the heights set by albums like Victims Of Deception and Fabulous Disaster, such as the guitar harmonies on “Mirror Death” and the outrage seeping through “One Nation Enslaved.”
Throughout it all is the distinct voice of Katon W. De Pena, who has lost little power in his range over the last four decades. It’s one thing for musicians well-versed in thrash to jam a bit, but it’s quite a feat to combine talent for a debut album that captures the genre in its best form.
Rating: 4
(Dan Marsicano)
Phantom Spell – Heather & Hearth (Cruz Del Sur)
The gallop of traditional heavy metal meets the majesty of progressive rock on Phantom Spell’s second album, Heather & Hearth. Every instrument is performed by Kyle McNeill, a musician whose love resides in 70s-era Camel and Deep Purple. The layers of guitar, the bouncy organs and a duo of 11-minute tunes revel in the excess, though there is purpose behind all the pomp.
“The Autumn Citadel” and the title track are the aforementioned double-digit mammoths, pushing Phantom Spell further into prog than their debut full-length, Immortal’s Requiem. The former opens the record with a frenetic swing, while the latter spends a large chunk of its running time in a state of melodic reservation. Along with a few songs that could be hit singles, like the magnetic “Evil Hand,” Heather & Hearth elevates its fantasy themes with joyful revelry.
Rating: 4
(Dan Marsicano)
Re-Buried – Flesh Mourning (Translation Loss)
Much like 2023’s Repulsive Nature, Re-Buried keep their new album Flesh Mourning tidy at under 30 minutes. That’s really where the comparisons end, as Flesh Mourning is laced with mournful death/doom instead of the punctual grind of their previous release. “Obitual Illusion” and “Putridity In Existence” crawls on bloody fingers, failing to escape a contemptuous fate.
Even when a song hits a torturous tempo, like “Chainsaw Ritual,” there’s an unapologetic rotted groove somewhere in there to dig up. There’s no rest from dread, as proven by the somber closing instrumental “Cold Blood.” As the guitars rumble out in agony, everything has led to this finality. Flesh Mourning is a bleak half-hour from a group that thrives in this mood.
Rating: 3.5
(Dan Marsicano)
Red Brick – Thrown (HPGD)
Red Brick only need 23 minutes on Thrown to generate enough noise to power through an album twice as long. This duo from Philadelphia takes up the anger of hardcore, the fuzzy discharge of sludge metal and the unrepentant whirl of grindcore. There are parts on “Lies” and “Incompetence” where the band comes to the brink of making it sound like a live Jucifer show with buzzing cacophony.
The group can make something as unassuming as the guitar noodling in the outro to “No Amends” ominous, especially as it goes for almost a minute. They don’t get fancy in the studio with extra polish, keeping the raw essence of Thrown untouched.
Rating: 3.5
(Dan Marsicano)
Scalp – Not Worthy Of Human Compassion (Closed Casket Activities)
Scalp’s third album Not Worthy Of Human Compassion starts with violently plucked riffs adjacent to a sample about society before giving way to “Egodeath.” You get to hear Scalp’s bludgeoning barrage of death metal and grindcore that erupts instantly. The songs come and go quickly in a blink and you’ll miss it type of delivery, especially on quick hits like “Pit” and “Surrogatevictim.”
The riffs are buzzsaw worthy and the drums fire like a railgun in the midst of a powerful onslaught; subtlety has more than been lost on Scalp. “Crowsfoot” is a slower affair, but there are sections of it that feel cut from Entombed’s Left Hand Path both stylistically and in its tone. This terrifying mix of death metal and grind has the potential to climb to dizzying heights over time, like some recent Full of Hell LPs. Not Worthy Of Human Compassion is the grind album you have been searching for. Scalp are on another level.
Rating: 4.5
(Tom Campagna)
Scardust – Souls (Frontiers)
The Israeli symphonic progressive metal band Scardust have had a few lineup changes since 2020’s Strangers, with vocalist Noa Gruman and drummer Yoav Weinberg the remaining original members. Souls is a dramatic album with choirs, orchestras and a lot of atmosphere, but Scardust doesn’t forget the hooks and melodies.
Gruman’s vocal performance is first-rate, showing emotion, power and a variety of approaches ranging from operatic singing to harsh vocals. Their songwriting is actually pretty streamlined, adding plenty of proggy moments in songs mostly under four minutes. There are a couple of more expansive tracks, like “Searing Echoes” which features Subway To Sally violinist Ally Storch. The album wraps up with the three-part “Touch Of Life,” two of which feature Haken’s Ross Jennings. Souls continues Scardust’s ascent to becoming one of symphonic prog’s elite bands.
Rating: 4
(Chad Bowar)
Scars On Broadway – Addicted To The Violence (Scarred For Life)
Whether there will ever be another System Of A Down album is an open question, but Daron Malakian and Scars On Broadway have been filling that void. Six years after Dictator, the band unveils its third full-length Addicted To The Violence.
The album starts strong, with hard rockers “Killing Spree and “Satan Hussein” bringing heaviness and melody. What Malakian describes as “Armenian dance keyboards” add a distinctive vibe to “Done Me Wrong,” while “Your Lives Burn” is one of the record’s heaviest numbers. That’s contrasted by the alt-rock and psychedelic “You Destroy You.” Addicted To The Violence explores a plethora of styles and genres in an interesting way, with Daron Malakian and Scars On Broadway keeping it a cohesive record.
Rating: 3.5
(Chad Bowar)
Stomach – Low Demon (Hibernation Release)
Stomach’s sophomore album Low Demon is a sludge record that creates a slow, droning atmosphere that acts as a stark contrast for those that know band member John Hoffman’s other, speed-emphasized project, Weekend Nachos. The five tracks move intentionally at a snail’s pace allowing for the plodding poison to take full effect. “Bastard Scum” is full of violent shouts that come out from behind a wickedly fat bass and minimalist drumming, creating an uneasy space, one that is equal parts dread as it is claustrophobia.
Stomach show that they can still pick up speed towards the beginning of “Oscillate” by bringing in parts of Weekend Nachos then immediately contradict that with Eyehategod-level feedback. The album’s final track, the 17-minute monster “Shivers-Drafts,” is a wickedly repetitive track whose minimalism ultimately becomes its strength, giving the listener the feeling of no escape, while also feeling lost and afraid. If drone doom is your thing and you pine for something like SunnO))) while having a bit more variety, Low Demon is for you.
Rating: 3.5
(Tom Campagna)
The Violent Hour – The Violent Hour (Megaforce)
The Violent Hour is a new project featuring vocalist Carla Harvey (ex-Butcher Babies, Lords Of Acid) and Charlie Benante (Anthrax). On their self-titled EP, Benante wrote the music, plays all the instruments, produced and even created the cover art while Harvey wrote the lyrics.
The five tracks cover everything from metal to hard rock to alt rock and even a little twang on “Hell Or Hollywood.” That song also features a searing solo from Zakk Wylde. He’s not the only high-profile axeman to guest on the EP, as John 5 appears on the raucous opener “Sick Ones.” Crobot vocalist Brandon Yeagley lends his talent to the groovy “Portland Oregon.” Harvey utilizes a variety of styles as well from mellow crooning to aggressive singing, with the closing title track a highlight. With the background of its two principals, it’s no surprise The Violent Hour is a fun and eclectic debut.
Rating: 3.5
(Chad Bowar)
