Ohio Speed Metal wrecking crew Midnight are back in London hot on the heels of their fifth record “Hellish Expectations” (read my review here). It’s my fourth time seeing these maniacs, so I know it’ll rule! Let’s rock! First up, London Death Metallers Vacuous take the stage with their claustrophobically intense soundscapes. As a band who are visceral and yet packed with this lurking, ominous atmosphere; I find them easily one of the strongest UK underground acts. Having seen them quite a lot, I’m still not bored of Max’s drum acrobatics or the feast of diabolical riffing that we are consisten ..read more

Witches Hammer are an obscure band of Canadian origin formed in 1984. Playing a type of Speed Metal that often crosses over into Black, Death and Thrash territories too, they are the epitome of extremity. Below I talk to frontman Rayy Crude about the band’s history, present and future for you sick maniacs to read! Hey Rayy, how’s things over there? Can you give us bangers a brief introduction and history of Witches Hammer? Hey Jørgen, all is well here! Spring is here and soon the sun will scorch us dry. Witches Hammer started out as Oblivion originally but I joined when Marco Banco (the ..read more

War Metal masters ANTICHRIST SIEGE MACHINE return with their 3rd album of vitriolic hellfire. Out via Profound Lore Records on April 19th. Bursting into life with a bestial vengeance, the raw savagery of the guitars and bludgeoning drums meet a thunderous roar of vocal malevolence. Grinding and grooving, the hostile soundscape will instantly either grip you, or scare you away. There is a truly tangible malice from the onset, which as a lover of their entire body of work is a most welcome return to form. Gut-wrenching hooks and a sense of dread creep into the record while momentum never dips, a ..read more

German Speed Metal titans VULTURE return with their fourth album of high speed metal! Out via Metal Blade Records on April 12th. Eerie howls and maniacal fills deliver their signature Vulture sound with razor-like guitars firing on all cylinders alongside the rhythmic battery. Everything feels carefully selected across the sonic spectrum to deliver bestial devastation and high speed metal with no mercy. The melodious and upbeat instrumentals are met by the bands unique shrill vocals which harken back to Bay Area legends while their powerful sense of traditionalism is equally present, perhaps m ..read more

Norwegian Doom Metal extremists COFFIN STORM promise a cult banger in the form of their debut album. Out via Peaceville Records on March 29th. Hitting hard from the onset with meaty riffing and primitive drums, Coffin Storm introduce their morbid cacophony violently. The estranged vocals and classically Fenriz-esque delivery atop the mountainous guitars feels sort of like later Darkthrone, but with some of the more enchanting elements from Candlemass heightened. There is also a thrashiness coming through, which feels natural from members of Aura Noir and Infernö being involved. Overall, the cu ..read more

Chilean Heavy Metal has always ruled in the underground and Acero Letal are further proof of this. Their new EP is out via Witches Brew Records, Headsplit Records and Black Legion Records. Let’s heed the call of steel! Crisp riffing and melodies atop tight percussion give the immediately epic feeling that these South American maniacs always deliver so flawlessly. Their gritty street-wise charm is always fun and yet ferocious, with songs that pack one hell of a punch. There is a simplistic but evocative and tasteful way the vocals flow atop the bass-driven assault where the entire band can be h ..read more

Ohio one man Speed Metal wrecking crew MIDNIGHT is back with a sixth studio album. This devilish opus will be released by Metal Blade Records on March 8th Punching right in with venomous riffing and bestial vocals, Midnight ride straight into the night ablaze with metallic lust. Their catchy, seductive and salivating ferocity is razor sharp and vicious as ever. Every record by this band feels like a record by them, and “Hellish Expectations” is no different in that regard, setting the scene for a tormenting and merciless vision of raging music to come. The sounds here remind me of a strange, u ..read more

The third edition of Subterranean Manifestation festival takes over London for a day of Extreme Metal barbarity. Below are some of my highlights from this savage gathering. Decrepid was a grand example of old school Death Metal played with strength. The technicality proficient but straight up crushing delivery was a great set to give some 90s Death Metal madness to the more bestial-oriented day without taking away from the aggression of things. Taking brutality and twisting it with their musical competence into a new blend of old school inspiration, I found their set to be very tastefully exec ..read more

German Heavy Metal occultists ATTIC are finally back! After two majestic albums, the third in this unholy discography is now due to be released by long-term label Van Records on March 21st. “The Covenant” begins our journey with haunting orchestral atmospherics. Rather than giving a dull overused beginning, this sets the tone for the ominous but grandiose experience that lies in wait for us. I must admit that I have listened to the lead single “Darkest Rites” quite a few times since the music video was unleashed. The way this cuts right in from that introduction sets the massive feeling of the ..read more

Stress Angel blistered religious buildings on their debut offering… Now these unusual Death-Thrash beasts are back with a second album, set for release via Dying Victims Productions and Stygian Black Hand on March 15th. A rather unsettling introduction begins this record with unhinged grandiosity. Soon subsiding for churning guitars which revel in the revulsion of true early Death Metal pioneers. Clunky bass lines and dry snappy drums fixate the furore of the low end on their target as macabre vocals malicious spew across the instrumental artillery. Convulsive rhythmic torment couples with thr ..read more