RELEASE YEAR: 2024 BAND URL: https://www.facebook.com/BloodRedThroneOfficial https://bloodredthrone.bandcamp.com/music I’m going to go on the record and say something this review will prove beyond reasonable doubt: if you don’t like Blood Red Throne you don’t like death metal. Blood Red Throne (BRT) is a band whose music I know intimately thanks to their main founder and one ..read more

RELEASE YEAR: 2024 BAND URL: https://www.flamingwrekage.com/ Melodic death metal was the eagle of choice for the hardcore bands of the late 90s and early 2000s who had decided to save heavy metal from its successful grunge, alternative and nü metal triple attack, bands like Shadows Fall, Killswitch Engage, Unearth, Darkest Hour and, later, Trivium, who married melodeath and hardcore so seamlessly they deserved an award they have yet to receive. At the same time, some other acts, having started as hardcore metal, decided to largely abandon it for groove metal a’la Pantera, acts such as Lamb Of ..read more

RELEASE YEAR: 2024 BAND URL: https://www.facebook.com/untimeband I will be the first to admit that I have never previously crossed paths with the Tønsberg-based outfit known as Untime, but this catchy and easily digestible little 4-track EP of theirs is an enjoyable offering that serves up plenty of earth-shattering riffs, big and juicy grooves, and a punchy rhythm section. In some ways, it reminds me slightly of the legendary Prong and that fierce vibe of their material, but the aura and feel of Fall recall a lot of late 90s metal releases in general. If I had to be more specific, I would pro ..read more

RELEASE YEAR: 2023 BAND URL: https://www.ironaltarband.com/ One of the albums I’ve been meaning to get to reviewing in 2023 but something always got in the way was the 2nd (after the independently released Pillars Of Blood²⁰¹⁸) full length by the Scottish progressive metalcorers Iron Altar, Promethean²⁰²³ released on September 29th via Trepanation Recordings. Despite it’s relatively short length for a progressive album, (43:27 at 9 tracks) Promethean²⁰²³ is an achievement comparable to the best of Misery Signals (arguably the best metalcore band ever) and but, interestingly, it’s riddled with ..read more

RELEASE YEAR: 2023 BAND URL: https://www.facebook.com/becomingthearchetypemusic The Georgian Christian progressive metallers Becoming the Archetype (BtA) may be very well known to Christians who love metal but I suspect they are virtually unknown in the greater heavy metal community, possibly due to Christian lyrics most people who aren’t Christians have no interest in reading much less singing along to (which is how I feel about expressly Satanic lyrics and bands, so I feel you). But if I’m right, I feel people are missing out because the first three albums: Terminate Damnation²⁰⁰⁵, The Physi ..read more

RELEASE YEAR: 2023 BAND URL: https://www.sylosis-band.com/ Sylosis is a British metalcore act with some thrash and groove metal influences of which you could not tell that they were British just by listening to their vocalist who sounds so like the New American Heavy Metal screamer I was actually shocked to learn he was not an American. I mean, as an American myself I can usually tell when I’m dealing with a British person because of the different pronunciation of words like “can”, “say” or phrases such as “going to” or “want to”, but here, Josh Middleton pronounces it all the American way and ..read more

RELEASE YEAR: 2023 BAND URL: https://www.brujeria.com/ The Californian grindcore death metal groove act Brujeria (Spanish: witchcraft), which performs their vocals exclusively in Spanish, was formed by John David “Juan Brujo” Lepe, Patrick “Adam Bomb” “Fantasma” Hoed, William David Gould “Güero Sin Fe” Junior (Faith No More) Eric Reed “Jello Biafra” “Hozicón Jr.” Boucher and (until 2005) Dean Albert Maury “Dino” “Asesino” Cazares (Fear Factory). Over the 35 year history, Shane Thomas “Hongo” Embury (Napalm Death), Ciriaco “Pinche Peach” Quezada, Raymond “Greñudo” Herrera (ex-Fear Factory), Gab ..read more

RELEASE YEAR: 2023 BAND URL: https://facebook.com/GoAheadAndDieBand It seems ages since the legendary Massimiliano Antonio “Max” Cavalera, the (in)famous ex-Sepultura and current Soulfly frontman, aided by his younger son, Igor Amadeus Cavalera (vocals, guitar, bass) as well as Khemmis’ drummer Zach Coleman, released the explosive bombshell of Go Ahead And Die’s eponymous²⁰²¹ probably because so much happened in the country both I and Max call ours. The political turmoil, fueled by a rise of openly antidemocratic aspirations of a former TV show celebrity who had accidentally become the 45th U ..read more

RELEASE YEAR: 2023 BAND URL: https://facebook.com/angelusapatrida Angelus Apatrida’s eponymous²⁰²¹, which I reviewed here (5.5/6) was a fantastic slab of modern thrash metal with hints of groove and metalcore so, when I saw the Century Media Records alert for the brand new video “Cold” I could hardly wait to sink my ears into it. Indeed, “Cold” is a perfect thrash metal anthem that would fit right in between the late 80’s and early 90s, as it honors Testament, Kreator and Pantera (with elements of death metal as was the case on Pantera’s Far Beyond Driven¹⁹⁹⁴) but also Divine Intervention ..read more

RELEASE YEAR: 2023 BAND URL: https://carthus.bandcamp.com/ It’s raining independent debuts here at ER so, after the British death thrash groovers Lokust now comes the Australian progressive melodic death metal folk quintet Carthus with Images Of Tyranny²⁰²³ released on July 21st just 3 years after formation. What stands out the most are the band’s extraordinary skills as Abhi Jain (vocals), Marko Žegarac (guitars), Jimmy Johnstone (guitars), Sam Marino (bass) and Jack Karavas (drums) seem to be hell bent on proving themselves worthy of the highest accolades on the metal meat market, something ..read more