Slave Keeper is a five-piece metal band from Poland. It consists of Marta Biernacka (vocals), Piotr Jakubowicz (guitar), Piotr Miećko (guitar), Jakub Orłowski (bass) and Piotr Szalak (drums). On their 2022 debut album entitled Ślad (The Trace) the quintet blends hard rock with heavy metal. Ślad contains twelve original compositions, never released before. From the very first tone of the opening short intro named “Świt” (Dawn) one gets an immediate sense that they’re not afraid to mix different styles in their music, and that they have a huge love for melody and harmony. Thus, their sound is ri ..read more

Just a week ago I had a pleasure to listen to a 2011 EP from a Chicago-based band Deadnight. EP was entitled Riders of the Black Wind and it came three years after their official 2008 debut Messenger of Death got released. After an extended hiatus and revamped line-up, the band returned in 2022 with another EP called Canon of Irreverence, and it is this particular EP that I have a pleasure to listen to a few times today. The line-up of Deadnight that was responsible for the release of this latest EP consists of Mike Grossman (Vocals & Guitars), Vernon Samons (Percussion) and Max M. (Bass ..read more

TerraSound is a heavy metal formation based in both Greece and Russia. The band is relatively young as it’s been founded in 2020. Currently the band consists of Antonis Kapsalis (Guitars), Thanasis Kakafikas (Guitars) and Vasilis Kakafikas (Vocals, Bass, Keyboards & Drum programming). Since the very formation of the band, their mission was ambitious yet very clear – to create the best metal music ever, and furthermore to spread heavy metal across the world. Abstract Portrait is this trio’s debut full-length, containing eight pretty lengthy tracks. Prior to the release of Abstract Portrait ..read more

Godz Ov War Productions has done it again, released an outstanding debut album from an area of the world that we rarely connect to metal, or even less to the black metal. This time it is a debut full-length by Culto Negro (translating to a ‘Black Cult’), a blackened thrash/speed quintet from Costa Rica. The band is formed back in 2015 and the current line-up consists of; D.N (Vocals), Esteban Sancho (Guitars), Isak Arroyo (Guitars), AntiChristopher (Bass) and Vörago (Drums). Prior to the release of this full-length 11-tracker, the quintet released their first EP entitled Abismal Speed Metal (2 ..read more

Deadnight was forged in the Chicago (Illinois) underground in 2003. In 2008 the band released their official debut entitled Messenger of Death. In 2011 the band unleashed their follow-up, an EP called Riders of the Black Wind. It is this particular EP that I received just recently for a review (?!). Anyway, all materials received for review purpose will get a guaranteed review in this webzine, and Deadnight is no exception! Thus, Riders of the Black Wind EP was mastered by Andy LaRocque (King Diamond) at ‘Sonic Train Studios’, so you know you’ll deal with top-notch sound here. Riders of the Bl ..read more

SubOrbital is a German Technical Death Metal quartet, one that seemingly aims to make music in the vein of late-era Dutch Pestilence – As such the music is (unsurprisingly) very technically demanding, with a heavy focus on the individual instruments throughout each track as opposed to the overall ‘wall of sound’ effect sometimes found among other fans. Their overall experience from other bands do shine through however, since the listener never gets the impression that the different solos and breakdowns fights eachother for attention nor their place in the spotlight; It is very well put togethe ..read more

T.O.M.B. (Total Occultic Mechanical Blasphemers) is a black metal outfit from USA. They’ve been around for over two decades now, continuously challenging and crossing the boundaries of extreme music by crafting together the elements of dark, ambient, doom, death, industrial and power electronics into their own unique style, something we call ‘a terrifying black metal noise’. Terror Winds is their seventh full-length containing only six rather lengthy tracks. It comes as a follow-up to their 2020 record entitled The Thin Veil. Terror Winds is probably their most blasphemous album yet, as all of ..read more

Bafomet is a traditional black/speed/NWOBHM & punk trio from Saitama, Japan. Originally formed under the Sigil of Baphomet moniker, but one year later renamed to Bafomet. Currently the band consists of Japanese, American and Chilean members; Vladphemer the Sodomizer (Bass & Vocals), Noctisadistum (Drums) and Branded Rebel (Guitars). They’ve existed for almost eight years now, releasing bits and pieces from time to time. It’s first in 2022 that they’ve released a CD version of their first full-length by Iron Fist Productions, a cassette by Black Konflik Recs and latest a LP by Nuclear W ..read more

Sulfuric is a hard-hitting trio founded in Halmstad, Sweden in 2021. The trio consists of members of black/death metal band Förnimmelse and a punk/speed metal band Burning Noize Machine. Into the Darkness is their debut nine-tracker album, released at the end of 2021 via their fellow Swedish underground label, Iron Fist Productions. The guys from Iron Fist Productions have specialized in releasing old-school and unpolished underground metal since 1997, and Sulfuric are no exception. On Into the Darkness this Swedish trio plays an unpolished, dirty, raw, ugly and uncompromising blend of mainly ..read more

Ivory Gates are a Brazilian band founded in Piracicaba, São Paulo in the year 2000. Their latest album is entitled Behind The Wall and it contains eight direct and aggressive songs in what I would call ‘a nice mix of 70’s rock, 80’s progressive rock and good old heavy metal into their very own unique blend’. It comes seven years after their last release, ‘Un’ Known Trails (2015). Prior to the release of this new masterpiece opus, they have four full-length albums under their belt. In other words, we are dealing here with highly experienced unit who definitely know how to create good and catchy ..read more