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Cradle of Filth – Existence Is Futile

Posted in Review with tags , , on 22nd October 2021 by izaforestspirit

Cradle of Filth
Existence is Futile
Released 22nd October 2021
Symphonic Black Metal/ Extreme Gothic Metal
Released via Nuclear Blast

Cradle of Filth - Existence Is Futile

The leaves have fallen, the nights are getting colder and autumn is now truly upon us. As we approach the Halloween season it seems like the perfect time to check out the latest album from the world renowned British extreme metal band Cradle of Filth. This delightfully eerie-looking opus is entitled ‘Existence is Futile’ and it’s the first album to feature the band’s new keyboard player Anabelle Iranti (also of Devilment). I’ve been a fan of their music since my early teens, so I’ve been really looking forward to this.

Now let’s just take a moment to adore the marvelously nihilistic cover art and Dani Filth’s song titles of lyrical poetry. You can’t really get more Gothic horror than a title like ‘How Many Tears To Nurture A Rose’. Music-wise this album feels like a continuation of ‘Midian’ with dose of ‘Nymphetamine’ mixed in. Crawling King Chaos first caught my attention due to infectiously catchy chorus, impressive riffs and symphonic keyboards. That chorus has been stuck in my head ever since I saw the music video. The aforementioned How Many Tears To Nurture A Rose is packed with thrash metal -style guitar riffs, well placed ethereal backing vocals and Dani Filth’s screams sound as creepy as ever.

The global warming -themed Suffer Our Dominion really reminded me of ‘Midian’, partially due to Doug Bradley’s spoken word intro. In a way it feels like a continuation of where they left off with ‘Her Ghost In The Fog’. It has the same atmosphere with the eerie keyboards creeping in the background paired with Anabelle Iranti’s angelic vocals which provide the ideal contrast to Dani Filth’s abrasive shrieks. The Hellraiser actor then returns to lend his voice for one of the bonus tracks Sisters of the Mist which concludes the trilogy that began with ‘Her Ghost In The Fog’. The spooky keyboards are an absolute treat. I adored Dani Filth’s haunting whispers midway through the track. A true masterpiece of Gothic horror.

In summary, despite of the bleak concept behind it, ‘Existence Is Futile’ is a surprisingly entertaining album to tune into. As far as symphonic black metal goes it ticks all the right boxes. The songs get better with each listen. It’s impressive that even after this many years and several line-up changes Cradle of Filth are still able to create a strong record that’s worth going back to.

8/10

Iza Raittila

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Spirit of Rebellion – Time for Global Refusal

Posted in Review with tags on 14th October 2021 by izaforestspirit 
Spirit of Rebellion 
Time For Global Refusal
Released 28th July 2020
Death Metal
Released via PRC Music

‘Time For Global Refusal’ is the new album from the Quebec-based Canadian death metal outfit Spirit of Rebellion. They have been active since 2001.

As far as the genre goes, Spirit of Rebellion falls into the brutal and mid-paced variety with the occasional thrash metal riff thrown in. Most of the time it sounds like old school death metal and at times it reminded me of Cannibal Corpse. Having listened to the album a few times, I had some serious trouble telling the songs apart. A lot of them sound very similar. There are no real moments which would allow the listener to have a breather and relax for a while. It’s pretty much a full barrage of relentless drumming, ferocious guitar shredding and guttural growls from the moment that you hit the play button.

Collateral Damages caught my attention due to the thrash metal -style guitar work. The song itself is still very much in the old school death metal category with more brutal growls and more merciless drumming. Apart that none of the other songs really stood out.

Overall, ‘Time For Global Refusal’ is a decent old school death metal album. Sadly for me it doesn’t really offer anything dramatically new or exciting. If I wanted to listen to something similar I would probably listen to some Cannibal Corpse instead.

6/10

Iza Raittila

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Sabaton reveal new album details

Posted in Misc., News, Studio Report with tags , , on 8th October 2021 by izaforestspirit

The well renowned Swedish power metal band Sabaton have recently announced that their new album the follow up to ‘The Great War’, will be entitled ‘The War To End All Wars’. Like its predecessor this one will also be focusing on World War I.

Here’s the cover art and track-listing:

Sabaton - The War to End All Wars
  1. Sarajevo
  2. Stormtroopers
  3. Dreadnought
  4. The Unkillable Soldier
  5. Soldier of Heaven
  6. Hellfighters
  7. Race to the Sea
  8. Lady of the Dark
  9. The Valley of Death
  10. Christmas Truce
  11. Versailles

‘The War To End All Wars’ will be out in both physical and digital formats on March 4th 2022 via Nuclear Blast Records.

For more information visit: https://www.facebook.com/sabaton

Sabaton | Official Website

https://sabaton.bandcamp.com/

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New Hate album coming next month

Posted in Misc., News with tags , , , on 17th September 2021 by izaforestspirit

Polish blackened death metal band Hate have a new album coming next month called ‘Rugia’. This will be the band’s first album to feature their new drummer Daniel Rutkowski aka Nir-Sil (Neolith, Redemptor, Virgin Snatch) who replaced Pavulon after he was forced to leave to due to serious health problems.

The title refers to an old word for a German island on the Baltic sea currently known as Rügen. Here’s what their front-man Adam the First Sinner had to say about their latest opus:

“Generally, all the songs on the album are dedicated to the ancient Slavic world – great migrations, wars, battles, and the struggle for survival. But there is also a philosophical level to it, which is very important. Slavic mythology is a collection of universal stories touching upon fundamental issues that we all encounter in our lives. Therefore it is a frame that allows me to write about contemporary problems that I encounter myself from a different perspective. Along the way, I discovered my pagan soul and I encourage people to do the same. I think everybody has this deeper, more profound identity based on understanding our unity with nature, something that goes beyond all the civilizations we have built.”

Here’s the cover art and track-listing:

Hate - Rugia
  1. Rugia
  2. The Wolf Queen
  3. Exiles of Pantheon
  4. Saturnus
  5. Awakening the Gods Within
  6. Resurgence
  7. Velesian Guard
  8. Sun of Extinction
  9. Sacred Dnieper

‘Rugia’ will be available in both digital and physical formats on October 15th 2021 via Metal Blade Records. In the meantime you can check out their new video ‘Resurgence’.

For more information visit: https://www.facebook.com/HATEOFFICIAL

https://hate.bandcamp.com/

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Ex Deo – The Thirteen Years of Nero

Posted in Review with tags , on 4th September 2021 by izaforestspirit 





Ex Deo
The Thirteen Years of Nero
Released 27th August 2021
Symphonic Death Metal
Released via Napalm Records











‘The Thirteen Years of Nero’ is the new album from the Canadian symphonic metal band Ex Deo. This is the first release to feature their new drummer Jeramie Kling. For those new to the band, Ex Deo is the side project of Kataklysm’s Maurizio Iacono and their main themes are ancient Roman history.





I’ve been listening to Ex Deo ever since their first album so when it comes to their releases, I pretty much know what to expect. Each of their albums offers a symphonic death metal soundtrack to a lesson in ancient Roman history. The last one was about the Punic wars, this one is about the Emperor Nero.





Personally I think that the opening track The Fall of Claudius would have been better off without the movie sample at the start. The song itself is decent once it gets going but I was really tempted to fast forward the speech. Luckily the next track Imperator is much better. Iacono’s harsh growls and the abrasive guitar work offer a sharp contrast to the symphonic parts. Speaking of the orchestrations, as with the previous album, they were performed by Clemens Wijers, better known as Ardek from the Dutch symphonic metal band Carach Angren. I’m a fan of both bands so this is an absolute joy to hear.





Another track which got my attention was Boudicca- Queen of the Iceni feat. Brittney Slayes. The horns in the intro really sound like the start of a battle. The song is fairly melodic due to the guitar work and the orchestrations. Regarding the vocals, the duet between Maurizio Iacono and Brittney Slayes works surprisingly well, creating a balance between the harsh and melodic with some angry growls and shouts to contrast the symphonic orchestrations.





The Fiddle & The Fire deserves a mention. It’s the most melodic track on the album and the intro sounds like a start of a folk song. Yet despite the seemingly pleasant sounding intro, the song has a very eerie atmosphere and the orchestrations give it a certain melancholic feel. It’s easily one of the more memorable tracks on here.





In summary, it took me a few listens to fully appreciate ‘The Thirteen Years of Nero’. Thankfully my patience was rewarded. I discovered that it’s an enjoyable symphonic death metal album with skillfully executed orchestrations. I would recommend it to fans of Septicflesh and Fleshgod Apocalypse.





7/10





Iza Raittila






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Sorceress of Sin – Constantine


Posted in Review with tags ,  on 21st August 2021 by izaforestspirit




Sorceress of Sin
Constantine
Released 6th August 2021
Melodic Power Metal
Self-Released





Sorceress of Sin - Constantine





It’s only been a year since Sorceress of Sin released their debut album. Now the British melodic power metal quintet are back with their second studio effort ‘Constantine’. I’m always a bit apprehensive when a band releases an album within a year of the previous one as there is a big risk that it might seem rushed.





One of the great things that you sometimes get with a good power metal album is that it has the ability to take the listen away on some fantasy adventure. And this is precisely what you get here with front-woman Lisa Skinner acting as the narrator to a series of tales about mystical lands and sorcerers. As a lover of fantasy stories I’m keen to tune in. And straight away the intro ‘Necropolis’ sweeps you away to a mystical city of the dead with what sounds a series of spells before the heavy metal enchantress Ms Skinner begins her tale.





The powerful vocals might be the main focus here but the guitar work is also impressive and uplifting. Another catchy track that caught my attention is ‘Realms of Elysium’ which really shows off the singer’s stunning vocal range. ‘Pathogenic Parasite’ is the first track that really made me pay more attention to drums which dominate the intro right before the soaring vocals take centre stage. It’s great to hear the other band members getting their chance to shine as the album progresses.





Overall I loved the fantasy themes and this has been an entertaining album. I am pleased to say that there were no tracks that I had to skip. So another win for Sorceress of Sin. Keep on rocking!





8/10





Iza Raittila






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More details about the new Cradle of Filth album


Posted in Misc., News, Studio Report with tags , , ,  on 11th August 2021 by izaforestspirit




British extreme Gothic metallers Cradle of Filth have recently announced  that their latest album will be entitled ‘Existence is Futile’. This is the band’s thirteenth studio effort following ‘Cryptoriana – Seductiveness of Decay. This will be the first album to feature their new keyboard player Anabelle Iratni.





Here’s the cover art and track-listing:





  1. The Fate of the World on Our Shoulders
  2. Existential Terror
  3. Necromantic Fantasies
  4. Crawling King Chaos
  5. Here Comes a Candle… (Infernal Lullaby)
  6. Black Smoke Curling from the Lips of War
  7. Discourse Between a Man and His Soul
  8. The Dying of the Embers
  9. Ashen Mortality
  10. How Many Tears to Nurture a Rose?
  11. Suffer Our Dominion
  12. Us, Dark, Invincible






Cradle of Filth - Existence Is Futile





‘Existance Is Futile’ will be out worldwide in both physical and digital format on 22nd October 2021 via Nuclear Blast Records. ‘





For more info go to:





https://www.cradleoffilth.com/





https://www.facebook.com/cradleoffilth
https://twitter.com/CradleofFilth






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Vader – De Profundis


Posted in Review with tags , , ,  on 30th July 2021 by izaforestspirit




Vader
De Profundis
Released 30th July 2021
Death Metal
Released via Nuclear Blast





Vader - De Profundis





As a long time Vader fan I’ve been really looking forward to this for some time. For those who are less familiar with the band, I would like to explain that this is not a new album but a newly remastered version of Vader’s second record which was originally released by Croon Records back in 1995. The record label is no longer active and the album has been out of print for decades. This year the remastered version was finally released by Nuclear Blast Records in limited edition CD, vinyl and digital versions.





This is the record that defined Vader’s signature death-thrash metal sound. It features some of the classic songs including Sothis, Silent Empire and Reborn In Flames, all of which are crowd favorites at Vader shows. There’s not a single moment on here where the listener gets a chance to relax and unwind with a slow ballad. Each track is packed with ferocious guitar riffs, Peter’s brutal guttural growls and Doc’s relentless drumming. Ready or not you better buckle up and prepare yourself for a rough ride as this is full steam ahead right until the end!





Sothis and Reborn In Flames are my personal favorites. Both are great examples of classic Vader with their impeccable thrash-tinged death metal guitar work. It’s so good to finally be able to enjoy them on this record.





In summary, ‘De Profundis’ is an absolute joy to listen to. It’s classic Vader doing what they do best. It has taken decades to finally get a remastered version of this album out but for Vader fans like me it has been well worth the wait. If you’re a new listener, this album is a great introduction to the band. If fast-paced death metal with thrash metal guitar riffs is your thing, then don’t hesitate to grab a copy.





10/10





Iza Raittila






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Bloody News Online Fest: Insane Summer Gathering 2021 live stream next month


Posted in Festival, Misc., News with tags , , , , , , , , , ,  on 28th July 2021 by izaforestspirit




Bloody News Metal and Globmetal Promotions are happy to announce the third edition of their live stream festival will take place next month. Bloody News Online Fest: Insane Summer Gathering 2021 will be streamed from their website on 27-28th August 2021. You can watch the event for free. 





Check out the line-up here:





27th August





Soulbound
Anna KiaRa
Six Foot Six
PitchBlack
High $tatus
AquileA
Psycho Visions
Passengers in Panic





28th August 





Obsolete Theory
STORTREGN
Vessel
X-Method
Mysterizer
King Baal
EAGON
Everlust















For more information visit:





https://bloodynews.ro/en/
https://www.facebook.com/events/513687719867942/


























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Iron Maiden return with ‘Senjutsu’ this autumn


Posted in Misc., News, Studio Report with tags , , ,  on 22nd July 2021 by izaforestspirit




It’s been six years since their last album ‘The Book of Souls’, now the world renowned British heavy metal band Iron Maiden have returned with their last studio effort. Bruce Dickinson and co are happy to announce that their new album will be entitled ‘Senjutsu’. Here’s the track-listing and cover art:





  1. Senjutsu
  2. Stratego
  3. The Writing on the Wall
  4. Lost in a Lost World
  5. Days of Future Past
  6. The Time Machine
  7. Darkest Hour
  8. Death of the Celts
  9. The Parchment
  10. Hell on Earth






Iron Maiden - Senjutsu





‘Senjutsu’ will hit the shops worldwide in both digital and physical formats on 3rd September 2021 via Parlophone Records. The band have also released a video for the title track called ‘The Writing on the Wall’. 













 For more information go to:





https://www.facebook.com/ironmaiden





https://www.ironmaiden.com/





https://www.youtube.com/ironmaiden






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Darkthrone – Eternal Hails…..


Posted in Review with tags , ,  on 10th July 2021 by izaforestspirit




Darkthrone
Eternal Hails…..
Released 25th June 2021
Doom Metal/ Blackened Heavy Metal
Released via Peaceville Records










Darkthrone - Eternal Hails......





The Norwegian duo Gylve Fenris Nagell and Ted Arvid Skjellum, better known as Fenriz and Nocturno Culto, have been making heavy metal music as Darkthrone since 1987. I’m using the term heavy metal music deliberately as their style has changed a lot over the years. Though their first album was death metal, they are best known for the black metal albums released in the early 90s, some of which are regarded as the genre’s classics including ‘Under A Funeral Moon’. Since then they have experimented with a variety of genres including crust punk, thrash metal, hard rock and Motörhead-style heavy metal.





Personally I’m particularly fond of their black metal era. They are a band which I have continued to follow for many years. I can’t say that I enjoy all their works though, some of the more experimental albums are not to my liking. When it comes to Darkthrone, some things always remain the same. They have never followed any specific trends, they just play what they want and they never do live shows. So where do they stand in 2021 with ‘Eternal Hails…..”, let’s find out shall we?





The first two things that got my attention were the beautiful cover art and the song lengths. It is worth noting that there are only five tracks on here and the shortest one clocks in at just over seven minutes. The opener His Masters Voice has a varied structure starting off slow and atmospheric before the thrash metal style guitar riffs hit the spotlight later on. Then they mellow things down again at the end. It’s a decent start but nothing super memorable. Hate Cloak offers some old school Candlemass-esque doom metal with a bleak atmosphere and droning guitars. This might be great for those who love this style but I’ve never been a massive fan of the genre. While it may have the right atmosphere, over nine minutes of droning guitar riffs is a little too tedious for my liking.





Even when the pace picks up half way through the album, the only track that I actually enjoyed was Wake Of The Awakened. Not only does it feature slightly faster thrashing guitar work and less ponderous riffs but it is also the closest thing on here to their old black metal sound. Like most of the album, this one is very guitar-driven but it is more energetic than the others.





In summary, if you are a fan of doom metal then you will most likely enjoy ‘Eternal Hails…..’ In my case, I enjoyed ‘Wake of The Awakened’ and I like some of the thrash metal guitar parts in a few of the other tracks but on the whole the album is too cumbersome for me. I found the song structures difficult to grasp and it took some serious effort to stay focused.





6/10





Iza Raittila






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Silver Talon – Decadence And Decay


Posted in Review with tags ,  on 4th June 2021 by izaforestspirit




Silver Talon
Decadence and Decay
Released 28th May 2021
Power Metal
Released via M-Theory Audio






Silver Talon - Decadence and Decay





‘Decadence and Decay’ is the debut album from the American power metal band Silver Talon. The group was launched back in 2017. The line-up includes: vocalist Wyatt Howell (Sanctifyre,ex-Toxic Witch), two former Spellcaster guitarists Sebastian Silva and Bryce Adams Vanhoosen, bassist Walter Hartzell (Mordant Rapture), drummer Michael Thompson and guitarist Devon Miller (ex-Sabateur).





There’s nothing quite like some good old power metal on a hot summer’s day. The thing with this particular album is that it starts off rather slow. The first few tracks actually made me think that I was listening to some progressive groove metal. Then half way through the record something changed and they decided to speed things up a little. Divine Fury delivers the cheerful and bombastic guitar melodies that I was craving for. It’s about time. Next up is the ultra-catchy, riff- extravaganza Kill All Kings – easily the fastest song on here and my personal favorite. Now this is what I call power metal.





And no power metal album is complete without a ballad track, in this case that is the rather melancholic-sounding What Will Be. Whilst I cannot fault the guitar work or the melodic vocals on here; the majority of the song is a little too lullaby-esque for my liking.





In summary, ‘Decadence And Decay’ is a promising power metal debut. Sadly only handful of the tracks caught my attention so I doubt that I will listen to it again. If Silver Talon produce more songs like ‘Kill All Kings’ then I might consider giving them another go.





6/10





Iza Raittila






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Black Sigma – Lost


Posted in Review with tags , ,  on 17th May 2021 by izaforestspirit




Black Sigma
Lost
Released 1st April 2021
Atmospheric Black Metal
Self-Released





Black Sigma - Lost







‘Lost’ is the debut album from the Belgian atmospheric black metal artist Black Sigma. The project was launched last year by the musician known as Occulta, who used to be the vocalist of the symphonic black metal band Avatar back in the ‘90s.





After several listens I can state that the main two adjectives I would use to describe this album would be ‘atmospheric’ and ‘melancholic’. There is a fair bit of melody in the guitar work and it is paired with haunting black metal shrieks. Occasionally Occulta mellows things down like in the piano outro to Always Alone and the ambient-esque closing track Desolation. The style is fairly similar to the German ambient black metal duo Bann. A lot of the songs have long instrumental parts with the vocals being used sparingly.





The second half of the album includes some subtle doom undertones in the guitar patterns ,for example in the title track. That particular song also features a variety of vocal styles ranging from shrieks at the start, to My Dying Bride -style semi-growls and eerie whispers. I also enjoyed the ambient keyboard and guitar passages on Apocalypse 3.0.





In summary I can confirm that this is definitely my kind of black metal. Black Sigma is one of the most promising newcomers to the scene and I look forward to hearing more from him.





9/10





Iza Raittila






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New Impaled Nazarene album coming later this month


Posted in Misc., News, Studio Report with tags , ,  on 3rd May 2021 by izaforestspirit




Good news for black metal fans. Seven years since their last studio effort ‘Vigorous and Liberating Death’, now the Finnish group Impaled Nazarene are finally ready to unleash their latest opus on the world. Their long-awaited new album will be entitled ‘Eight Headed Serpent’. 





Here’s the cover art and track-listing:





  1. Goat of Mendes
  2. Eight Headed Serpent
  3. The Nonconformists
  4. Octagon Order
  5. Metastasizing and Changing Threat
  6. Debauchery and Decay
  7. Human Cesspool
  8. Apocalypse Pervertor
  9. Triumphant Return of the Antichrist
  10. Mutilation of the Nazarene Whore
  11. Foucault Pendulum






Impaled Nazarene - Eight Headed Serpent





‘Eight Headed Serpent’ will be out in all formats on 28th May 2021 via Osmose Productions. 










For more information visit: https://www.facebook.com/ImpaledNazareneOfficial
https://twitter.com/campnazarene






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Vengeant release second single


Posted in Misc., News, Studio Report with tags , ,  on 24th April 2021 by izaforestspirit




Here’s something for fans of symphonic metal. Swedish symphonic metal group Vengeant have just released their latest single called ‘The Unreal’. This is the second single following ‘Angel’s Battle Cry’ which came out back in February 2021.





The band was formed at the start of this year and their line-up includes: Danae Komodromou (vocals), Alfred Fridhagen (drums) and Dennis Eriksson (rhythm guitar). Despite the limited number of new music releases, they have already gained a massive following on a variety of social media.










May be an image of text





‘The Unreal’ is available for streaming on all major digital platforms. You can listen to it on Spotify here: 



















For more info visit: 





Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vengeantofficial
Instagram: https://bit.ly/38qguw0












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Bodom After Midnight – Paint The Sky With Blood


Posted in Review with tags , ,  on 23rd April 2021 by izaforestspirit




Bodom After Midnight
Released 23rd April 2021
Melodic Death Metal/Power Metal
Released via Nuclear Blast





Bodom After Midnight, Paint the Sky with Blood, 10" Vinyl - Backstage Rock  Shop





The tragic death of Alexi Laiho late last year meant that his new band’s album was never finished. He did however manage to record a few tracks with Bodom After Midnight. His bandmates decided to release these as an EP dedicated to his memory. So here we have Alexi Laiho’s swan song – ‘Paint The Sky With Blood’.





The title track is by far the highlight on here. Laiho’s vocals sounds as sharp as ever and the guitar work is simply flawless. The keyboards work well in the background. Next up is Payback’s a Bitch, another solid melodic death metal track which reminded me of Children of Bodom’s mid-career work. Once again the guitar work is the prime focus. Last but not least is a cover of ‘Dissection’s Where Dead Angels Lie. This is not the easiest of songs to cover but they did a pretty good job of it. They successfully managed to capture the original atmosphere of the track.





In summary, as a long time Children of Bodom fan I am very happy that Mr. Laiho left his fans with one final parting gift. RIP Alexi Laiho. One wild child gone far too soon…





9/10





Iza Raittila






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Sadistic Demise – Your Chosen Way of Sadistic


Posted in Review with tags ,  on 17th April 2021 by izaforestspirit




Sadistic Demise
Your Chosen Way of Sadistic
Released 21st February 2021
Death Metal
Self-Released





Sadistic Demise - Your Chosen Way of Sadistic





‘ Your Chosen Way of Sadistic’ is the first EP from the Russian death metal band Sadistic Demise. The group was formed last year. Three of the band members are also in the thrash metal crossover band Impress.





After a couple of listens I can safely say that this sounds pretty much exactly like I expected it to. Brutal, mid-paced death metal packed with gore themes. The growling style is fairly typical of the genre as is the guitar style. The main issue I have with this is that with the notable exception of the intro, all the songs sound very similar to each other. There is some decent riff work on songs such as Violent Autopsy but other than that, unless you have the track-listing in front of you, it’s difficult to tell when one song ends and another begins.





Overall, there is not much else that I can say about this EP. It is very much your standard brutal death metal. While this in itself is not a bad thing, if you like the genre, that doesn’t change the fact that bands like this are a dime in a dozen. In all honesty if I want death metal, I would rather listen to Cannibal Corpse or old Morbid Angel.





5/10





Iza Raittila






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New Helloween album coming this summer


Posted in Misc., News, Studio Report with tags , ,  on 29th March 2021 by izaforestspirit




Good news for Helloween fans. The band have been hinting at a new album featuring all three Helloween singers for quite some time. Now they finally issued a release date for the new opus. The long anticipated. self-titled album will be out this spring on 18th June 2021 via Nuclear Blast Records in both physical and digital formats. 





Here’s the covert art and track-listing: 





Helloween - Helloween








  1. Out for the Glory
  2. Fear of the Fallen
  3. Best Time
  4. Mass Pollution
  5. Angels
  6. Rise Without Chains
  7. Indestructible
  8. Robot King
  9. Cyanide
  10. Down in the Dumps
  11. Orbit
  12. Skyfall










There will also be a new single called ‘Skyfall’ out this week on Friday 2nd April 2021.






For more details go to: https://www.helloween.org/





https://www.facebook.com/helloweenofficial






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Rob Zombie – The Lunar Infection Kool Aid Conspiracy


Posted in Review with tags , , ,  on 17th March 2021 by izaforestspirit




Rob Zombie
The Lunar Infection Kool Aid Eclipse Conspiracy
Released 12th March 2021
Hard Rock /Heavy Metal
Released via Nuclear Blast










You got to hand it to Rob Zombie when it comes to coming up with bizarre-sounding album titles. Five years ago the hard rock musician released an album with the one of the longest titles ever ‘The Electric Warlock Acid Witch Satanic Orgy Celebration Dispenser’. Luckily this new one has a slightly shorter title but it is no less crazy – ‘The Lunar Injection Kool Aid Eclipse Conspiracy’.





Sadly this is one of those cases where even after several listens I cannot get my head around this album. I really tried to like it and I hope that it would grow on me after a while. There are a few good heavy metal songs such as The Triumph Of King Freak (A Crypt Of Preservation & Superstition) and The Eternal Struggles Of The Howling Man and Shadow of The Cemetery Man. Then there’s the ultimate evil hellbilly circus track called 18th Century Cannibals, Excitable Morlocks & A One-Way Ticket On The Ghost Train delivering a highly amusing mishmash of country music and heavy metal.





So that was the good part. Now for the bad parts. There are way too many filler tracks. The instrumentals such as ‘The Much Talked of Metamorphosis’ seem a little out of place on here. I fail to see the point of having several interlude tracks lasting less than a minute. The style is a total mishmash of genres too. Oh and don’t even get me started on the lyrics. Seriously, I know that Rob Zombie is hardly a lyrical genius but even he can come up with better than “smoke your grass and shake your ass” and “the witch is sliding up the broom.”





In all honesty I expected better after a five year wait. There are a handful of good tracks on here but not enough to make this album worthwhile. If you were expecting another solid Rob Zombie album like ‘Sinister Urge’ or ‘Hellbilly Deluxe’ then prepare to be disappointed.





5/10
Iza Raittila






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Leprosys – Obnoxious Futuristic Vision


Posted in Review with tags , , ,  on 11th March 2021 by izaforestspirit




Leprosys
Obnoxious Futuristic Vision
Released 1st February 2021
Death Metal with thrash metal influences
Self-Released





Leprosys - Obnoxious Futuristic Vision





‘Obnoxious Futuristic Vision’ is the debut album from the Canadian death metal band Leprosys. The band has been active since 2015 and they cite bands such as Obituary, Death and Pestilence as influences. All their releases are available for purchase via their Bandcamp page.

So, after a couple of listens I can safely state that this pretty much what I expected it to be. Leprosys play guitar-driven old-school death metal with a thrash metal tinge. So if ferocious guitar riffs are your thing, then you are in for a treat here. The tracks are fast-paced and fairly simple in structure.

Virtual Life caught my attention due to the cello part at the end. Similar things can be said about Transplanting The Brain which features a mouth harp noise towards the end. Other than that this is fairly standard death metal similar to the likes of Obituary and Death as could be expected.

Overall, as far death metal goes Leprosys have done a good job. It was difficult to come up with something unique to say about this album though that doesn’t mean it’s in any way bad. So if you are a fan of Obituary and Death then you should give Leprosys a go.

6/10

Iza Raittila






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