death metal

This recent quote from Frank Urbancic, coordinator of counterterrorism for the US State Department, got me thinking. “This is not the kind of war where you can measure success with conventional numbers. We cannot aspire to a single decisive battle that will break the enemy’s back, nor can we hope for a signed peace accord […]

Gdy Imperium Upada…Kolejny Obrót Koła Pagan2006 I must admit, this album took a while to grow on me. At first, it went by, feeling dreary and colorless. But after further listening, I realized that’s not the case. Darkness has many hues, and what I mistook for dreariness turned out to be subtle, varied, and, yes, […]

Anti-Human, Anti-GodDevil’s Stigmata Pagan2006 It’s tough not to laugh at song titles like “Baptized in Sperm of the Antichrist” or “Intoxicated by Goat Vomit,” or an album title that essentially parses to “Evil Evil Evil.” But Azarath brings the fucking hammer, which isn’t a surprise given that Inferno from Behemoth is on drums and Trufel, […]

Anal NarcoticDamaged Relapse2000 Admittedly, Yattering didn’t impress me much when I first heard them on 2000’s Polish Assault (they were hit-or-miss, but the Assault compilations for various countries were brilliant ideas, and I wish Relapse kept doing them). Not long ago, though, I heard some clips that made me go apeshit so much that I […]

Causal ReasonsReversal Self-Released2001 “Sounds like ____” is tricky business. Really, it’s best (though perhaps not for commercial purposes) to sound unique. But since that’s basically impossible, given today’s cultural forces (perhaps someone in some media-deprived locale could hit upon playing heavy metal, but I highly, highly doubt it), most musicians hope to remind listeners of […]

Strangled by Intestines Unmatched Brutality2006 In his EMP Pop Conference presentation, “Of Wolves & Vibrancy – A Brief Exploration of the Marriage Made In Hell Between Folk Music, Dead Cultures, Myth, and Highly Technical Modern Extreme Metal” (which is nowhere near as academic as its title suggests, and which I can’t wait to see in […]

Devious Up at Stylus I have reviews of new albums by The Stooges and Titan. At Metal Injection, I’ve reviewed Dutch death metallers Devious, Finnish melodeath dealers Omnium Gatherum, hair farmers Dokken (who seem to be getting “they weren’t that bad” reevaluation these days), and straightedge hardcore punkers Liferuiner. Devious – Room 302Omnium Gatherum – […]

Under Black Moons Metalbolic2006 From the frosty reaches of, uh, Durham, NC, comes the one-man wrecking crew that is Archaic Winter. Gregory Maupin handles all instruments and drum programming, while Peter Hasselbrack of Bloodsoaked notoriety turns in guest vocals. Expect basic, midpaced death metal with touches of black metal and doom. Occasional acoustic guitars and […]

Twisted Broadcast Self-Released2004 This demo CD has two original songs, but it also includes a video, photos, and two “pre-production” MP3’s. The band also sent a paper bio with full-color photos along with another CD containing two MP3’s, a cover of Anthrax’s “Indians” and another “pre-production” track. I don’t know why the band calls these […]

The Oppressed Will RiseThe Animal Within Listenable2007 As I get older and scruffier, the music I like also gets older and scruffier. Part of me, though, will always appreciate Century Media-style metal: strong, precise, overproduced to the hilt. It has a fist-pumping appeal lacking in, say, black metal or the NeurIsis sound. A recent black […]