In the realm of Melodic Death Thrash, few can compare to the ferocious All That Remains. While Shadows Fall gets the biggest acclaim from the genre, All That Remains has a sharper sound. Their 2004 masterpiece, “This Darkened Heart” [Prosthetic Records], perfectly fuses melodic darkness and sheer power. Intensity, melody, and caliginosity into the eclipse …
One of the greatest Brutal Death Metal bands ever, Occult, has returned with a burning fury. Their 2004 opus of blunt force brilliance, the aptly titled “Elegy For The Weak” [Candlelight Records], is a superb example of the beauty of brutality. It’s harsh and enthralling-no wonder their legends. Crushing grooves blast through dense barrages of …
From the Kings of Deathrock Metal, a new vitality has been found in their latest effort. Their 2004 opus, “Inferno” [Candlelight/Threeman Records], is their best work in several years. With more jagged ferocity and a little Blues meandering, “Inferno” burns with a gloriously raw edginess. Shattering mundane trends, Entombed does it their way. With catchy, …
From the stark digital waste that is the information badlands comes Hypnosis. Their unique, enthralling brand of Techno/Industrial Death Metal is arrives as a timely divergence from the current Metalcore tsunami. Their 2004 release, “Cyber Death” [Crash Music, Inc.], is a solid and electrifying opus. Hypnosis uses keyboards, hammering samples through the bloody flesh of …
One of the most stunning releases of 2004 is the epic debut by Lilitu. (Historic note: Lilitu is from Hebrew folklore, she was the first vampire. She was also called Lillith.) Their opus, “The Delores Lesion” [The End Records], is Extreme Dark Metal with immensely melodic aggression. Interlocking Avant-Garde Death, Swedish Death, Gothic, and Neo-Classical …
Brutal and amazing, Premonitions Of War leaves a trail of beautiful destruction in their wake. Their 2004 epic, “Left In Kowloon” [Victory Records], is an epic of Metalcore brutality purified in the forge of Hell’s flames. Premonitions Of War is harsh, dynamic, and extremely amazing. The fact is, Premonitions Of War is as brutal as …
On The Rise is Hardcore at its best…powerful, aggressive, and catchy as the plague. Their 2004 opus of detuned glory, titled “Burning Inside” [Bridge Nine Records], is a wonder of primal dynamics. On The Rise breaks-up the AOR Punk mediocrity with their pure, pristine hostility. This is the real thing…. The On The Rise assault …
With the recent death of Quorthon (Bathory), Black Metal seems heavily in need of some new heroes. One band worthy of consideration is the biting Khold. Their 2004 opus of macerating darkness, “Morke Gravers Kammer” [Candlelight Records], is fiercely dynamic in its fiery onslaught. This is Old School Black Metal at its finest. Khold is …
Eccentric and edgy, the band Melechesh takes Death Metal to new places of extremity. Their 2004 opus, “Sphinx” [The End Records], is this Israeli act’s most adventurous and avant-garde work yet. Dripping in Middle Eastern influences, it bleeds a serene darkness. Odd-timing, Middle Eastern and Near Eastern instrumentations build multiple layers of atmospheric aggression. The …
In the depths of a shining abyss, twisted and beautiful, was forged the resplendent darkness…. Conspiracy A.D. burns with just such a darkness. Their 2004 opus of abysmal brilliance, “Humanity = Destruction” [Crash Music, Inc.], pristinely fuses together elements of Melodic Death Metal, Swedish Death, Industrial, and Grindcore. The result is simply amazing. Integrating blasting …