black metal
The second Devian album isn’t so much of an improvement over the first as it is a mere continuation. Granted, at least the songs are structured better and more fluid on this album. The reality of the situation is that Devian never was a special, or good band to
Aantar Lee Coates
On its third album Diabolic was seemingly on autopilot. Unable to retain the productional gloss of the preceding record “Vengeance Ascending” is a callback to the debut “Supreme Evil” in a number of ways, while losing much of the songwriting lustre of the previous record. Hampered by a subpar Diet
Chief Spires
It is a difficult task to talk about a major band like Nile, and detail their shortcomings without rubbing long-time (or obedient? sycophantic?) fans the wrong way. These people tend to think in binaries and absolutes only, and every bit of criticism is met with hostility and anger. “Black Seeds
death metal
In a lot of ways “Chainsaw Dismemberment” is the ultimate Mortician album. It is the culmination of the “Hacked Up For Barbecue” sound. For the duration of one sole album Mortician embraced its (however few) strengths and excised its weaknesses. With all subtleties now safely abandoned in favor of being
Belgium
Enthroned was never a real black metal band in the traditional sense. Yes, they all wear corpse paint, spikes and the typical leather outfits – but superficialities aside, the band was only black metal as far as imagery and lyrical content was concerned. Musically, they tap various genre wells outside of
Dan Seagrave
This album is the second of three albums by Tampa, Florida death metal titans Morbid Angel to feature Steve Tucker on vocals and bass guitar. It is the second album to feature Erik Rutan (Hate Eternal) on second guitars, who made his recording and writing debut on “Domination” from 1995.
American Line Productions
Of the two Disgorge branded units active at the end of the ‘90s, the Mexican variant would ultimately prove to be the most resilient in the face of line-up alterations, label changes and life’s general difficulties. Although the American offshoot was arguably more popular instantly with a large audience
black metal
Somewhere in the early 2000s the mid period Marduk line-up splintered with vocalist Erik Hagstedt and drummer Emil Dragutinovic exiting the fold. It was perhaps not surprising that both men eventually ended up forming a new band that sounded anything like their previous engagement. Thus was born Devian. Devian was
Allen West
In the two years of touring and writing that Six Feet Under busied themselves with after the release of “Haunted”, you’d imagine that somewhere down the road they would assess their strengths and weaknesses. The second album, like a third recording, is the time when a band needs to
Aantar Lee Coates
For Tampa, Florida genre purists Diabolic things finally seem to fall in place with their second record “Subterraneal Magnitude”. The line-up had solidified with vocalist Paul Ouellette returning to bass guitar, his primary instrument, and Bryan Hipp filling the vacated guitarist slot. By all accounts “Subterraneal Magnitude” is the best
black metal
With its second album “Pure Holocaust” Norwegian band Immortal comfortably transitioned into its known style. Whereas “Diabolical Fullmoon Mysticism” was slower, drenched in death metal stylings and generally on the atmospheric side, this new album is anything but. It is here that Immortal adopt its barbaric, minimalistic style of black
black metal
One of the few good things that could be said about “Enthrone Darkness Triumphant”, outside of how catchy it was, is that it had a modicum of restraint and the good taste to rein in the band’s pompousness. The follow-up to that ill-fated record fares less well, as what