Podcast where Brian and Gomthog engage in a lively debate of heavy metal music as well as interviewing artists and talking to fans. Occasional explicit language.
The Metal Debate podcast returns with another amazing album review... today looking at the new album from progressive death metal unit The Biscuit Merchant, “Tempora" (2025). QUOTES "If you are interested in a distinctive listening experience, Tempora by The Biscuit Merchant… (is) definitely worth the listen and the support." Check out The Biscuit Merchant's music at https://www.youtube.com/@thebiscuitmerchant8554 Purchase music and merchandise from The Biscuit Merchant at https://thebiscuitmerchant.bandcamp.com/ SOCIAL LINKS: Twitter: https://twitter.com/metaldebate/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thegreatmetaldebate/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/metaldebate/ The Great Metal Debate Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-great-metal-debate-podcast/id1037874814 https://soundcloud.com/thegreatmetaldebate Podcast intro music by CONTRA; intro voice by Greg Kyle (RIP). CONTACT Business email: TheGreatMetalDebate@gmail.com
The Metal Debate podcast returns with another amazing album review, looking at the new album from Italian folk metal crew Æxylium titled “Myth Of Mankind” (Rockshots Records, 2025). QUOTES "Truly a joy to experience… I don't do this often, but I'm giving “Myth Of Mankind” a 10 out of 10 rating. Many thanks to Æxylium for producing an album that I just can't stop listening to, and one that is definitely contender for my top record of 2025!" Check out Æxylium's music at https://www.youtube.com/@RockshotsRec Purchase music and merchandise from Æxylium at https://www.aexylium.it/ SOCIAL LINKS: Twitter: https://twitter.com/metaldebate/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thegreatmetaldebate/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/metaldebate/ The Great Metal Debate Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-great-metal-debate-podcast/id1037874814 https://soundcloud.com/thegreatmetaldebate Podcast intro music by CONTRA; intro voice by Greg Kyle (RIP). CONTACT Business email: TheGreatMetalDebate@gmail.com
The podcast is joined by guitarist Mat Davis of US metallers following their performance at Legions Of Metal Fest at Reggie's in Chicago! Excerpts from the Castle track "Nosferatu" (Evil Remains, 2024) used with permission from the artist. Check out Castle's music at https://www.youtube.com/@hammerheartrecords Purchase music and merchandise from Castle at https://www.heavycastle.com SOCIAL LINKS: Twitter: https://twitter.com/metaldebate/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thegreatmetaldebate/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/metaldebate/ The Great Metal Debate Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-great-metal-debate-podcast/id1037874814 https://soundcloud.com/thegreatmetaldebate CONTACT Business email: TheGreatMetalDebate@gmail.com
The Metal Debate podcast is bring featuring another amazing album review... Xander reviews the latest from Hate titled “Bellum Regiis” (Metal Blade Records, 2025). QUOTES "Even though I enjoy Hate, I gotta say that I have only recently become an even bigger fan... that one new track by Hate destroys everything Behemoth has made in the past five years!" Check out Hate's music at https://www.youtube.com/@metalbladerecords Find music and merchandise from Hate at https://linktr.ee/hateofficial SOCIAL LINKS: Twitter: https://twitter.com/metaldebate/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thegreatmetaldebate/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/metaldebate/ The Great Metal Debate Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-great-metal-debate-podcast/id1037874814 https://soundcloud.com/thegreatmetaldebate Podcast intro music by CONTRA; intro voice by Greg Kyle (RIP). CONTACT Business email: TheGreatMetalDebate@gmail.com
The Metal Debate podcast returns with another amazing album review... the latest release by folk metal titans Eluveitie titled “Ànv” (Nuclear Blast Records, 2025). QUOTES "Eluveitie are the gold standard for the genre… I'm giving a 9 ½ out of 10. It's my favorite metal album of 2025 so far!" Check out Eluveitie's music at https://www.youtube.com/@NuclearBlastRecords Purchase music and merchandise from Eluveitie at https://eluveitie.ch/ SOCIAL LINKS: Twitter: https://twitter.com/metaldebate/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thegreatmetaldebate/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/metaldebate/ The Great Metal Debate Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-great-metal-debate-podcast/id1037874814 https://soundcloud.com/thegreatmetaldebate Podcast intro music by CONTRA; intro voice by Greg Kyle (RIP). CONTACT Business email: TheGreatMetalDebate@gmail.com
The Metal Debate podcast is back with another amazing album review... this time looking at the new album from avante garde black metallers Imperial Triumphant, “Goldstar" (Century Media Records, 2025). QUOTES "I would describe the overall aesthetic of the record as postmodern in the sense it is purposely eclectic and incorrigibly interdisciplinary, which results in the music of Goldstar appearing both splendid and also at times disturbing… This is glorious black metal nihilism." Check out Imperial Triumphant's music at https://www.youtube.com/@centurymedia Purchase music and merchandise from Imperial Triumphant at https://www.imperial-triumphant.com/ SOCIAL LINKS: Twitter: https://twitter.com/metaldebate/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thegreatmetaldebate/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/metaldebate/ The Great Metal Debate Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-great-metal-debate-podcast/id1037874814 https://soundcloud.com/thegreatmetaldebate Podcast intro music by CONTRA; intro voice by Greg Kyle (RIP). CONTACT Business email: TheGreatMetalDebate@gmail.com
Xander checks in with black metal upstarts Voidrium prior to their performance in Tampa opening for Belphegor! Excerpts from the Voidrium track "Vulcanalia" (Vulcanalia, 2024) used with permission from the artist. Check out Voidrium's music at https://www.youtube.com/@Voidrium Purchase music and merchandise from Voidrium at https://voidrium.bandcamp.com/ SOCIAL LINKS: Twitter: https://twitter.com/metaldebate/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thegreatmetaldebate/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/metaldebate/ The Great Metal Debate Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-great-metal-debate-podcast/id1037874814 https://soundcloud.com/thegreatmetaldebate CONTACT Business email: TheGreatMetalDebate@gmail.com
Molly Kent from stoner metal upstarts Omenbringer joins the show prior to the band's headlining performance at Exit/In in Nashville! Excerpts from the Omenbringer track "Stir The Cauldron" (Thicc Darkness, 2024) used with permission from the artist. Check out Omenbringer's music at https://www.youtube.com/@omenbringerband Purchase music and merchandise from Omenbringer at https://omenbringer.bandcamp.com/ SOCIAL LINKS: Twitter: https://twitter.com/metaldebate/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thegreatmetaldebate/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/metaldebate/ The Great Metal Debate Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-great-metal-debate-podcast/id1037874814 https://soundcloud.com/thegreatmetaldebate CONTACT Business email: TheGreatMetalDebate@gmail.com
The Metal Debate podcast is back with another amazing album review... this time talking the latest from US power metallers Niviane titled "Queen Of Phantoms" (2025). QUOTES "Overall this is one I enjoyed… I'm keeping this one in my playlist rotation, and I'd go see them play live in a heartbeat if they were to have a gig within a day's drive." Check out Niviane's music at https://www.youtube.com/@NivianeMetal Purchase music and merchandise from Niviane at https://www.niviane.com SOCIAL LINKS: Twitter: https://twitter.com/metaldebate/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thegreatmetaldebate/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/metaldebate/ The Great Metal Debate Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-great-metal-debate-podcast/id1037874814 https://soundcloud.com/thegreatmetaldebate Podcast intro music by CONTRA; intro voice by Greg Kyle (RIP). CONTACT Business email: TheGreatMetalDebate@gmail.com
The podcast is back with another amazing Metal Debate album review... Xander checks out the new one from blackened heavy metal outfit Nite titled "Cult Of The Serpent Sun" (Season Of Mist, 2025). QUOTES "I'll give this one a high score, mainly because it's a perfect match to their two previous records. All together this makes a nearly flawless trilogy… Chances are high that I'll have this one on constant rotation over the next 10 months especially when it comes out." Check out Nite's music at https://www.youtube.com/@seasonofmist Purchase music and merchandise from Nite at https://nitemetal.com/ SOCIAL LINKS: Twitter: https://twitter.com/metaldebate/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thegreatmetaldebate/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/metaldebate/ The Great Metal Debate Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-great-metal-debate-podcast/id1037874814 https://soundcloud.com/thegreatmetaldebate Podcast intro music by CONTRA; intro voice by Greg Kyle (RIP). CONTACT Business email: TheGreatMetalDebate@gmail.com
In this interview Xander is joined by the guys in Malignancy before their show at The Brass Mug in Tampa! Excerpts from the Malignancy track "Existential Dread" (2024) used with permission from the artist. Check out Malignancy's music at https://www.youtube.com/@MalignancyNY Purchase music and merchandise from Malignancy at https://malignancy.bandcamp.com/music SOCIAL LINKS: Twitter: https://twitter.com/metaldebate/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thegreatmetaldebate/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/metaldebate/ The Great Metal Debate Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-great-metal-debate-podcast/id1037874814 https://soundcloud.com/thegreatmetaldebate CONTACT Business email: TheGreatMetalDebate@gmail.com
The Metal Debate podcast is back with another amazing album review... this time Xander talks the debut from Swiss melodeath unit Atlas Ashes "New World" (2025). QUOTES "I'm mostly impressed by this album… Nicholas and Nathan's guitar playing is absolutely gorgeous, Yann's drumming is skillful without a never-ending barrage of blast beats, Lorick's bass has an even flow in the mix. The overall studio quality is impeccable for being produced independently." Check out Atlas Ashes' music at https://www.youtube.com/@AtlasAshesBand Purchase music and merchandise from Atlas Ashes at https://atlasashes.bandcamp.com/ SOCIAL LINKS: Twitter: https://twitter.com/metaldebate/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thegreatmetaldebate/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/metaldebate/ The Great Metal Debate Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-great-metal-debate-podcast/id1037874814 https://soundcloud.com/thegreatmetaldebate Podcast intro music by CONTRA; intro voice by Greg Kyle (RIP). CONTACT Business email: TheGreatMetalDebate@gmail.com
The Metal Debate podcast is back with another amazing album review... in this one Xander breaks down the new one from doom/death collective Clouds titled "Desprins" (2025). QUOTES "If you're a fan of Decembre Noir, Frowning and Ahab you will absolutely adore this album along with everything else this band has ever done... I don't like just handing away perfect 10/10 ratings like its Halloween candy, especially this early in the year. But for Clouds, I'm going to make an exception. This Desprins album has completely blown me away." Check out Clouds' music at https://www.youtube.com/@UCEByuBmN2Vi7aXN4i8CJZCA Purchase music and merchandise from Clouds at https://cloudsofficial.bandcamp.com/album/desprins SOCIAL LINKS: Twitter: https://twitter.com/metaldebate/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thegreatmetaldebate/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/metaldebate/ The Great Metal Debate Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-great-metal-debate-podcast/id1037874814 https://soundcloud.com/thegreatmetaldebate Podcast intro music by CONTRA; intro voice by Greg Kyle (RIP). CONTACT Business email: TheGreatMetalDebate@gmail.com
The podcast returns with another amazing Metal Debate album review. This time Gomthog takes on the new one from The Halo Effect titled "March Of The Unheard" (Nuclear Blast, 2025). Intro music by CONTRA; intro voice by Greg Kyle (RIP).
Xander checks in with the guys in Oinkliteration prior to their show in December 2024. Excerpts from the Oinkliteration track "Hog Tied" used with permission from the artist.
Victor and Chris from Canadian metallers Lutharo join the show during their tour stop in Chicago to discuss their latest album and upcoming European tour! Excerpts from the Lutharo track "Reaper's Call" (Chasing Euphoria, 2024) used with permission from the artist.
The Metal Debate podcast closes out the year with Xander and Gomthog counting down their top 20 metal albums of 2024. Intro music by CONTRA. The track "Clown King" by Odious (Clown King, 2024) used with permission from the artist; the track "Rankarumpu" (Rankarumpu, 2024) by Korpiklaani used courtesy Austin Griswold / Secret Service PR.
Welcome back to The Great Metal Debate podcast for another amazing metal album review. Today we're looking at the new one by UK symphonic power metal crew Fellowship with their second full-length album “The Skies Above Eternity” released by Scarlet Records. Fellowship is a band that appeared on the scene just a few years ago and immediately received a lot of positive perception by power metal fans, so much so that it makes me question if I missed something. I have heard their 2022 debut “The Sabrelight Chronicles” maybe once, and for whatever reason didn't find it worth revisiting. But Fellowship has definitely blown up and made a name for themselves in the genre, including appearing on the bills of Epic Fest in Denmark and Mad With Power Fest in the US. I'll go ahead and somewhat telegraph my conclusions out of the gate: based on this album at least, I think folks who are sky-high about Fellowship should tamp down the enthusiasm, but certainly any haters need to reevaluate their take because there's a lot to appreciate as well. First, singer Matthew Corry's voice is both powerful and pleasant, and he impresses with his ability to manage against the symphonic mix with the strength of his diaphragm. Other than one misplaced falsetto on track one, he hits all the notes and conveys genuine emotion in his tone. That said, one of the problems I have with Fellowship's approach overall is that there isn't enough contrast provided between his saccharine-sweet singing and the rest of the music. I really noticed this in the few places where the instrumentation dropping out entirely as on “World End Slowly” and there was at least the contrast with silence. If you are going to have a metal band with vocals that are so slick and sugary – basically a singing style that would be at home in adult contemporary rock – you really, really need something with a touch more rawness for contrast. Musically – and I've hinted at this earlier – the guitars don't crunch as much as I would like throughout. It's not so much that I need the distortion up front in the mix but that, again, the contrast with the vocals would be helpful. That said, the guitarwork is effective and I appreciated the subtle infusion of neoclassical playing in places. Bass guitar is present throughout the album and often noticeable, as are keys. There is a lot of keyboard and vocal layering happening, and Fellowship makes judicious use of effects like bells and various other symphonic instrument sounds. The orchestration generally is solid, although not so impressive as to merit the inclusion of the final track referenced previously. Callum Tuffin's drumming on the album is outstanding and a key element of the album's overall vitality. As far as the overall aesthetic, the mood created by Fellowship's is consistently uplifting, victorious, and frankly, happy. It evokes a fantasy atmosphere – almost Tolkien-esque, which I guess shouldn't be a surprise given the band's logo font – with gorgeous sound and adventurous, melodic structures. I wouldn't say that what Fellowship does here is innovative overall, but there is a freshness to the execution and some creative takes. While there are no overt references to Christianity, if one didn't know better they would be forgiven for thinking this was a white metal album along the lines of Lightmare or Theocracy. “The Skies Above Eternity” is too much sunshine and rainbows for my taste. If I have one suggestion for Fellowship going forward it would be to mix in just a couple of darker, moodier tracks on the next album. Not simply for their own sake, but because the comparison would make the band's lighter songs shine even brighter! Fellowship's “The Skies Above Eternity” is released by Scarlet Records on November 22nd. You can purchase the new album via ScarlettRecords.com, Bandcamp, and other places you find quality metal music.
Welcome metalheads to another episode of the great metal debate podcast. It's Xander with another back to back album review. Today, I'm probably going to be giggling a lot during this because we're talking about a parody band. Yes that's right, good old fashion spoof comedy. This band is called Dimmu Bongir which is making fun of the popular symphonic black metal band Dimmu Borgir. This is their brand new album titled Dark Medieval Hash which is making fun of Satyricon's debut album Dark Medieval Times. The black and white album cover even looks similar. Before I go any further, I have to point out that this band actually is from Norway. That is the one thing about this band that isn't a joke. Also, this band is basically the modern black metal equivalent of the band Cannabis Corpse. Those of you who don't know, Cannabis Corpse is a parody death metal band that makes their own original music but just takes small jabs at other classic old school death metal bands by changing around song and album titles to fit marijuana themes. The same is happening here, only its black metal and the music isn't exactly original. I just discovered this band the other day thanks to the YouTube algorithm bringing me to their music video for "A Witch is Stoned". "Bongens kammer del 1" is a two and a half minute instrumental intro track which is clearly a parody title for Dimmu Borgir's instrumental "Sorgens kammer del 1" even if I personally am more familiar with the song Sorgens kammer del 2". Ah, ok I'm looking at the track list. The final track on this album is "Bongens kammer del 2". Makes sense. I'm not really sure what "Du som røyker brunt" is supposed to be a spoof of but next we have the album title track followed by "Deathkush" which is a jab at Mayhem's "Deathcrush". "I troldskogen fyrer weed" is a parody of "Troldskog Faren Vild" by Ulver. I had to YouTube the first part of the song title to see what popped up because I'm honestly unfamiliar with Ulver. However I also have no idea what "Pipens Åpenbaring" and "Tåkeleggelse og røketrang" ... Look, I'm not fuckin Norwiegen here, I have no idea how to read or pronounce this shit. I don't know what they are supposed to be spoofs of. But the idea is still funny. I assume the word "Pipens" has to do with smoking because it sounds like the word pipe. Honestly, if I didn't know this was meant to be a comedy band, I would've never known. The music and vocals both sound great albeit nothing groundbreaking. I'm going to keep this review short since I know this band isn't meant to be taken seriously. As I already mentioned, it isn't bad but it's completely unoriginal. I'll give it a 6 out of 10. Their music is available on all streaming platforms but their physical media is completely sold out on their bandcamp page. I'm not sure if they have plans to do reprints of their "Hvis pipen tar oss" debut that has a colorized parody album cover of "For All Tid". But I don't currently see hard copies of Dark Medieval Hash or shirts available for sale. If you're really interested in showing your support for these Norwegian "Weird Al" Yankovics, feel free to contact them on Facebook and ask them about their merch.
Today, we have a death metal band straight from the bay area of Oakland, California. I'm talking about Wroht with their 2nd full-length album Dissolution. So without further ado, let's dive into this new album. Kicking things off we have the song "Blood Prison". One thing that I've already noticed about this new record is that it seems to be a compilation of all the singles that this band has been periodically releasing since February. While I had already heard all of these on the Cycle of Torment EP, it was worth listening again as there have been a few additions to make it a full-length. This means "Blood Prison" is new to me. One thing that I love about this band is how they sorta capture the same magic as the early days of Bloodbath. Ivan Peric's vocal style is very similar to a young Mikael Åkerfeldt. Yes, this is definitely a good thing. I think many old Bloodbath fans like myself and even some Opeth fans would heavily enjoy Wroht. Normally during one of these album reviews, I would discuss every single track but we're a little behind on the podcast and I have so many albums to get through before the end of the month. So I'm gonna have to cut it short again and only talk about the new songs released on the 18th. Another new song to me on this full-length is "The Sweet Taste of Venom". I've always liked song titles that are the first lyrics of the song. As I listen closer to the rhythm of the guitar riffs I find myself slightly reminded of Kataklysm. It's cool how Wroht has masterfully caught the vocal essence of Swedish death metal but have blended the groovy melodies of our Canadian neighbors up north. This mix feels like they have created something new. While we're still comparing this United States death metal with Swedish acts, I'm also kinda picking up some of the catchy vibes from a band like Entrails. I also enjoy how Paul Olsen's bass riffs stand out during the break points of this song. There were a few other songs where the studio mixing allowed listeners like myself to really hear the reverberating bass lines. As someone who has dabbled with the bass guitar myself, I truly appreciate that. Lastly we have the album title track "Dissolution". It begins with Christian's absolutely insane blast beats. I honestly think this band has saved the best for last because once again, Paul's bass playing is a standout. Just like with the rest of the album and the Worship Rot debut before it, Joey and Justin play their guitars wonderfully together. Ivan's vocals are just as ferocious as ever. The softer musical moments are soothing and it's the crushing harsh comebacks that are almost deathcore in nature with the chug riffs. I love how there's a "blegh" shortly before a nice shredding guitar solo. I'll also say that this song is very long, yet you'll enjoy every second of it. Coming from someone who enjoys funeral doom, I'm no stranger to tracks that exceed 12 minutes. This is definitely one of the better underground death metal albums I have heard all year and that's saying something because I have already listened to over 350 metal albums this year. Not even exaggerating. I'll have to go back and do a recount before Gomthog and I's end of the year podcast episode but it's definitely more than what I heard last year. If I were to give Dissolution a rating, I would give it a solid 9/10. It's truly fantastic! If you would like to show your support for Wroht, their music is available on most streaming platforms.
Welcome back metalheads to a brand new episode of The Great Metal Debate podcast. Its Xander back with a new album review. Today I will be talking about the Nashville based thrash metal band called Dead Alive and this is their sophomore record titled The Madness of Dr. Ludvig Von Brainmatter. The intro track sets the black and white monster movie vibe. That sort of retro feel is most likely what they were going for. That mad scientist and Frankenstein type of classic horror. This of course leads us into our first track "Exhumed" I love how the vocals for this song are a screeching whisper style. Halfway through the song we get a chug guitar riff that will definitely cause involuntary head banging. The next track "Re-Agent", its accompanied by a very well made music video so you should go give it a watch if you haven't already. The pacing of the music in this one has a slower tune but that does not subtract quality at all. If you want a fast thrash metal track, look no further than "Flip The Switch". The bass line played by Dedmen Walken is groovy and it perfectly eases you into this rager of a song. While I was listening to this album in my car the other day I was shouting along to the course. The words "Flip The Switch" will not only get stuck in your head but the non-course parts of the song will remind you a lot of old school Overkill. After that memorable track we have my personal favorite song on this album "Volt". I like this one a lot because it leans heavily into the death trash subgenre. It is without a doubt the fastest song on the record. Deadbeat did a fantastic job pounding away on drums for not just this song but nearly every song on this album. In fact, his abilities really shine on "No Signs of Life" as well. Once again I'm impressed by his drumming skills. "Hollow Man" ... Oh you know what? I actually almost bought that movie the other day from a used DVD store. I'm kicking myself for not but maybe I'll swing by later and dammit, I'm getting off the subject again. Yes, this next song has the same title of that old 2000 flick but I'm unsure if the lyrics have anything to do with the film. The lyrics aren't provided on metal-archives at this time. One song that I think would be awesome played live is "Fear ... Conditioned". The rhythm of it will get people's heads nodding for sure! The song "Gone Mad" surely doesn't disappoint either but after that one, we get the longest song on The Madness of Dr. Ludvig Von Brainmatter titled "From Beyond". The runtime clocks in at just over six and a half minutes. Definitely lengthy for a thrash metal track but as a Kreator fan, it doesn't bother me. Lastly we have "Live Wire" which serves as the perfect closer to this album. Remember how I said this album had a Frankenstein feel to it? Well this one begins with a mad scientist shouting "it's alive". As it should. Electrical shock is essential for reanimating corpses in a castle laboratory. The music itself has a mid-80s thrash metal that is reminiscent of Nuclear Assault. My final thoughts on this album is that it's very solid. Anyone who knows me personally knows that I'm usually quite picky when it comes to thrash metal. But when it comes to this independent release, I feel like their gimmick is useful in the way that it helps them stand out. Of course they are all very talented musicians too. I'll give my buddy and the rest of his band a 7.5 out of 10. The drawback for me is the studio production. Having listened to this album four times in a row, I can tell you that the sound doesn't seem to be as crystal clear as it should. I'm not sure if that was a creative choice to make the recording sound old and less polished. If they were going for the analog/listening to this through a cassette tape on an old boom box then cool. I personally like the sharper and cleaner sound of modernized digital. But I'm sure there are many thrash heads out there who will dig this great album even more than I did.
Nervosa frontperson Prika Amaral joins the show in this interview recorded in Nashville prior to the band's performance at The End! Excerpts from the Nervosa track "Behind The Wall" (Jailbreak, 2023) used with permission from the artist.
Welcome back to The Great Metal Debate podcast. Today we will be focusing on a black metal band called Kanonenfieber with their second full-length studio album Die Urkatasthophe. Admittedly I didn't jump on Kanonenfieber for their Menschenmühle debut, and when I did I was blown away. I loved how this band had melodic riffs but still managed to keep the semi-raw sound yet still be catchy. I have grown tired of the obligatory intro tracks for every fucking metal band in existence but I actually kinda like "Grossmachtfantasie" because it just kinda fits. The first single they released for this new record was titled "Panzerhenker" and it completely flew under my radar. But then I listened to it and was thoroughly impressed. I loved the repeating word "Deutschland" in the lyrics, especially since it has triple vocal layering between the lead vocalist and the backing vocals from both guitar players. Another nice touch was the reverse breakdown towards the conclusion of this track where all the instruments temporarily cease from blasting away so the vocal lead can have a whispering segment. "Sturmtrupp" begins with guitar chugging with marching drum beat but you hear an actual war whistle in the background before the song picks up its speed. The entire song is groovy and is undoubtedly a real head bobber. "Der Maulwurf" was the 2nd music video. There's undeniably a rhythm to the melodic sounding chorus that seems like it's being yelled in your face. I love how the song ends with a gun cocking sound followed by a gunshot. The next track "Lviv zu Lemberg" opens with another radio transmission before throwing you head first into the bullet storm that is this band's music. There's a slow break in here but it swings back with a vengeance to roar your ears off. Moving on we have "Waffenbrüder" which was released a while back with a lyrical video that I never got around to seeing. Nothing really stands out much about this one aside from the wonderful guitar melody towards the middle. Nevertheless, it's bad ass much like the rest of this band's work. The next track which is titled "Gott mit der Kavallerie". I love how you hear not just gunfire but war horses too. One complaint that I have about this one is that it seemed longer due to its somewhat repetitious structure. "Panzerhenker" was another one of the earliest singles released for this new album and for good reason. This one fucking rocks! It sounds aggressive and there's even a funeral doomy section halfway through this song where the guitars have a soft whine to them while the vocalist preforms these slow deep growls. Definitely my favorite part. Its cool how "Ritter der Lüfte" opens with the sound of an old bomber airplane engine. I love how you also hear the planes flying overhead periodically during this song. "Verdun" is a short intermission track where you hear a German soldier speaking in his native tongue loud and clear with the faint sounds of bombs being dropped in the distance. All the while there's a somber guitar tone being plucked to help add to the background noise. I won't even try to pronounce the name of this song but its the long A word. "Ausblutungsschlacht" Nothing too outstanding about this one. Its a little lengthy with a five and a half minute runtime. I like the piano at the end of this track. Too bad it's short lived. The final track on this incredible album titled "Als die Waffen kamen" is presented to us in the form of acoustic guitar and clean singing. It may not be considered metal but its certainly a nice little pallet cleanser. This album is definitely an improvement from the debut. I wish they would have done a callback to the machine fire drum beat that was used in the song "Grabenlieder". It would've been so cool if they did that again but for a bit longer. I'm going to give this one a 8.5/10 rating. Support Kanonenfieber by purchasing merch from their Bandcamp page. You can also listen to their music on all streaming platforms.
Welcome to another episode of The Great Metal Debate podcast, talking about the Dutch blackened death metal band God Dethroned with their 12th studio album The Judas Paradox. While this band certainly has its slight black metal vibes, I've always seen them as more of a melodic death metal band. Their guitar riffs have always been calm and groovy. Two years ago, God Dethroned announced they had switched record labels to sign with Rising Phoenix Music for their next full-length. Fast forward to about two months ago when they released another new song titled "Rat Kingdom". This time around I became very excited because the new song seemed to be leagues superior to the previous single they dropped two years ago. The 2nd single released happens to be both the album title track and the first song on the album. I gotta mention the use of choir in the mix. It's a fantastic addition and sounds completely new. "The Hanged Man" is a song that kicks some serious ass with its Deicide vibes. The layered vocals make it sound extra demonic and it even reminds me of the song "Conquered By Sodom". There's also an old school sounding guitar solo on this one. It's one of the shorter songs but it's definitely a standout. Moving on we have an interlude track labeled as "Black Heart" which is only 51 seconds long. It's a dissonant choir practicing their vowels with church bells ringing. But it leads straight into that song that I mentioned earlier called "Asmodeus". This time I really paid attention to this song so I could absorb every note being played. I wanted to really study this one to see if my opinion of this song would change. The results? When I compared this album version of the track to the music video, there weren't any changes made in the sound mixing. It still sounded like the one and only stale track this band has ever made. It felt soulless compared to every banger this band has produced in the past 27 years. I guess a dud was bound to happen sooner or later, although it did sound better than I remembered. Maybe because this time I had a clear head. "Kashmir Princess" is another song where I remember the riff. As monotonous as it was, I was slightly reminded of one of their earlier works. Not saying that Dave Meester had recycled any riffs but I did get the "Rusty Nails" feeling, albeit, not as heavy. The next track really picks up the pace again to the God Dethroned we all wanted. "Hubris Anorexia" begins with three long screams that are layered in succession. It's here where I have to give both Henri and Dave credit for their winding guitar efforts. Dave also continues to show off his skills as a shredder in "The Eye of Providence". "Hailing Death" is another banger that will make you shout "Hailing Death" every time they say it throughout the song's first minute. This one has another gorgeous guitar riff at the halfway point of the track. Too bad it doesn't last long. It does make a very brief return towards the end of the song which fits as a neat little outro. "Broken Bloodlines" wastes absolutely no time going hard and fast from the first fucking second! The speed of the guitar chugs are aggressively heavy and will make any Taylor Swift fan's head explode. And finally we come to the last song on the album "War Machine". When I saw this song title, I automatically assumed it was a Black Sabbath cover but then I thought, wait a minute, Six Feet Under already did a cover of that. As I listened to this song, I figured out right away that this is an original song by God Dethroned that simply has a name that has been used before. The song is okay, but not their best work. I feel like "Hailing Death" should've been the last track because it had the audio fade out at the end. I feel like it would've worked a lot better. So what's the verdict? God Dethroned has never had a bad album and The Judas Paradox isn't their first. It is not a disappointment by any means. I'm going to rate The Judas Paradox a 7.5/10.
The podcast is joined by frontman Shaughnessy McDaniel of power metal upstarts Siege Perilous to talk the band's new EP "Creation's Call" the evening before their performance at the inaugural Mile High Power Fest! Credits: excerpts from the Siege Perilous track "Brothers Of The Five" (Creation's Call, 2024) used with permission from the artist.
Welcome back metal heads to another album review here on The Great Metal Debate podcast. Today we will be talking about a German black metal band called Eisregen with their ... Holy dog shit! This is the band's 16th full-length studio album? What the fuck? How come I'm just now finding out about these guys. Ohhhh, that's why. Its because its their first album to be released through Napalm Records. Gotcha. But damn, these guys have been busier than a one armed machinist. According to Metal-Archives, they have consistently released new music roughly once or per year or once every two years since 1995. In 1998 they released both their debut AND their second album. I have heard from Gomthog that these guys are controversial in their home country. I'm not sure what for but their band bio says that they have been banned in their own country and aren't allowed to play certain songs live. People under the age of 16 aren't allowed to buy their physical media from entertainment stores. For now, lets focus on their newest full-length titled Abart. Not to do a completely half-assed job on this review but I've decided that I'm not going to try to pronounce any of the song titles or names of the band members. Sure, it might be lazy but I received the press release for this album a full week in advance and here we are a few days past the release date of August 16th, so I kinda need to hurry the fuck up. My cause for the delay? I was busy with another review. A review that will never see the light of day. I was gonna do one for the new Mushroomhead album before I realized that it was just me rambling on about my personal nostalgia for the old material only to give Call The Devil a 5/10. There, you got two reviews in one! Looks like y'all got more than you bargained for. Back to Eisregen, the only reason I got the promo from something on Napalm Records is because the distribution for the American copies were being released through Massacre Records. Lucky me. I have another extremely hot take so you might want to get your oven mitts on. Many people would call me a poser for being a Rammstein fanboy but ... I love the industrial metal phase that the black metal band Samael went through during the mid-2000s. I think it's Samael's best work. I know, I know, gather your torches and pitchforks to run me out of the metal community. I don't give a shit. What does that have to do with Eisregen? Eisregen sounds like Samael's 2004 masterpiece Reign of Light album raw dogged it with Rammstein's 2003 masterpiece Sehnsucht. Eisregen has that harsh flavor of German dialect. The band's native language spoils the listener with the continuous rolling tongue accent. Okay, I lied. I'll pronounce this one for you. The opening track "Am Abgrund" had a music video that was dropped a few weeks ago and its how I discovered this band in the first place. I thoroughly enjoyed the combination of the sandpaper voice over the calming piano keys. The entire album mixes the traditional black metal style with softer moments. The fusion of polar opposites give off the perfect blend of a musical Yen and Yang. That's what the overall structure provides, a balance that is easy listening. At least in my personal opinion, I find this 1 hour and 2 minute composition to be flawless. I have zero critiques which means only one thing. Eisregen - Abart is the only album I have reviewed all year that I award a 10/10 rating. It's fucking fantastic! What this band lacks in melodic guitar riffs, it more than compensates with plenty of symphonies. Eisregen's music is not on bandcamp and I have no clue where to obtain physical merch but their music is on all other streaming platforms. If you liked this review, be sure to like and subscribe to our platforms and share our links everywhere.
Xander checks in with extreme metal aficionados Dead Reckoning at their performance in Tampa FL as they tour the US in support of their newest album "Red". Excerpts from the Dead Reckoning track "Break Me" (Red, 2024) used with permission from the artist.
Welcome back to The Great Metal Debate podcast. Today we have another Metal Debate album review, looking at the new one from epic metallers All For Metal titled “Gods Of Metal.” Before we dive into specific tracks, I will highlight the aspect which really differentiates All For Metal, which is their use of two male vocalists who provide two different singing approaches. Antonio Calanna who gives traditional a power metal to hard rock vocal output along the lines of a David Bassin or Sozos Michael. Tim Schmidt gives us a baritone clean voice with false chord technique along the lines of what we've come to expect form Joakim from Sabaton. The album begins with an intro piece titled “Cry For Help” which has some building instrumentation and epic-sounding spoken words. The band ramps up the metal bluster to 1,000% on the second track and first full song, “Gods Of Metal.” The guitars are up front in the mix and provide some nice flourishes, although occasionally the keys push above them in the sonic spectrum. Track two is “Year Of The Dragon” and I freaking love this song! Maybe because I wasn't expecting to hear this approach, it really resonated with me. As with the previous track the synths are a touch heavy throughout, but this helps dampen the effects that otherwise might have been too jarring It's just a fun, upbeat track with verses that build and a singable chorus. “The Way Of The Samurai” didn't work quite as well for me. Despite this Calanna's voice is exceptional, and here he carries most of the vocal load with Schmidt coming in at points for emphasis. I especially liked Calanna's brief falsetto accents in place. The guitars throughout are strong and display some good riffs, or perhaps they aren't as diminished by keys as in the previous track. Everything builds to the chorus on “Temple Of Silence,” another strong guitar track. Schmidt's voice is dominant for this song with Calanna giving brilliant accents. In contrast, on “When Monsters Roar” Calanna takes the first verse and Schmidt the second, with the two splitting duties including some fantastic harmonizing on the chorus. “Path Of The Brave” gives a classic power metal-ish ballad. Calanna's singing is superb, but I wasn't a fan of the orchestral melody. Just a touch too sugary for me. This was followed by “Like Thor And Loki,” which on first listen it struck that I hadn't even notice we'd transitioned from an east Asian to a Norse aesthetic somewhere in the past few songs. The next one up is the synth-heavy “Valkyries In The Sky” featuring a strong vocal contribution from Laura Guldemond from Burning Witches. Guldemond is an insane singer and hell of a frontperson, and this song is constructed perfectly to highlight her voice. “Welcome To The Wasteland” returns to more standard All For Metal style with more trade-offs throughout by Schmidt and Calanna. But the chorus on this one is stellar – just a great melody and then with the double-bass kicking in a just the right time for extra emphasis and energy. Track 11 is “Who Wants To Live Forever” which features some great effort by both singers, outstanding orchestrations, and the twin guitars making it all work without overstepping their bounds. The album ends with “The Journey Will Not End” that matches the feel of the intro track. I really like how the band utilized Schmidt and Calanna's voices in a variety of ways, mixing and matching them as was appropriate for each track. The songs were extremely well-written and every element of each track seemed to have some purpose to it. I have one critique: this album is way too overproduced and slick, at least for my taste. There's no feel of rawness to the guitars, and even the sound of the orchestration is fat and soft. “Gods Of Metal” surprised me in a pleasant way, and the overproduction can be excused given the competent and engaging writing and performances. I'm giving “Gods Of Metal” an 8 out of 10 rating.
Welcome to another Great Metal Debate podcast review. Today we got a special one. Maybe you don't know this band but you've definitely seen the horrific album cover for their 2007 debut Uterovaginal Insertion of Extirpated Anomalies. This band is Cephalotripsy and this is their sophomore album titled Epigenetic Neurogenesis. Gee, if only we could get Vital Remains to finally release their first album in 17 years that has been allegedly completed for 8 years ... Here's a not so fun fact for you listeners. A cephalotripsy is a procedure that involves crushing the head of a stillborn fetus in the womb to facilitate delivery. Obviously this album cover is a lot more family friendly than the former. But let's get into the music. The first single that was released two months ago was the album title track which has Matti Way from Abominable Putridity/ex-Pathology as a guest feature. Speaking of Pathology, the first few seconds of this song reminded me of the same guitar chugs in the beginning of the song "Tyrannical Decay". But that album had Johnathan Huber from I Declare War on vocals. Matti on the other hand, usually has a very distinct vocal tone but I honestly could not tell when he was on the mic. Both Angel and Matti gurgle and pig squeal their way through this whole track and I can't tell you whose who. Despite this song being accompanied by a lyrical video, it does not sound like they're saying any of those words. But hey, who the fuck listens to brutal death metal and expects to hear words? I listen for the brutality and the more disgusting it sounds, the better. "Alpha Terrestrial Polymorph" and "Induced Primordial Regression" were the next two songs I heard and ... Geez, what's the deal with every band I've been reviewing lately having the word Primordial in their song titles? That's just a little phenomenon I've noticed over the past few months. But then I heard the song "Excision of Self" which has another guest feature, this time with Ivan Tyulkin from the Russian death metal bands Insect Inside and Nauseating. "Entrenched In Fluids Of Enigmatic Predation" was yet another heavy hitter along with "Ulcerated Mass Of Pestilent Engorgement" which features Clayton Meade from Condemned. I have been a long time fan of Condemned but I also couldn't tell when Clayton was on the mic either. All I know is that it sounded every bit as brutal as the rest of the record. There are no duds on this album and "Lo Tech Non Entity" continues to prove my point. Each track is guaranteed to stomp a mudhole in your eardrum's ass. Don't believe me? Then check out the track titled "Arcane Rites Of The Transdimensional Progeny". What do I think of this entire album as a whole? It's definitely sick as fuck! Was this album really worth the 17 year long wait. No it wasn't, and I'll tell you why. See, this album suffers from the same issue as the newest Torsofuck album that came out last year. The reason why Uterovaginal was so good was because it was some of the heaviest shit that money could buy back in 2007. There wasn't any over saturation in the genre at the time. Bands like this back then were hard to find. Sure, Guttural Engoregment existed but there wasn't 100 zillion Cephalotripsy copycats yet. if I'm being real, this album just sounds like everything else out there. Aside from it just being balls to the wall, there's nothing overly special about it now in the year 2024. The niche for this type of brutality seems to only be original if its old. I know, it sounds like a weird critique but I'm sure someone out there understands what I'm trying to say. Its still really good for what it is though. But, I can't really rate it higher than a 7/10. As I mentioned at the start of this review, you should be able buy Cephalotripsy's merch from the website Reality Fade. But they of course have some things on Brutal-Mind and their Bandcamp page.
The podcast is joined by Lucas, Brad, and Sarah from US symphonic power metal clan AfterTime prior to their performance at The Cobra in Nashville TN. Excerpts from the AfterTime track "Sons Of Fenrir" (Arcane Horizons, 2024) used with permission from the artist.
Welcome metal heads from around the world to another episode of The Great Metal Debate podcast. Its Xander with another back to back album review. Today we will be checking out the debut full-length album by Crown of Anguish from Preston, UK. The album is titled Stalker At The Midian Gate which was released July 9th through Brutal Cave Records. I first heard of this band about 3 weeks ago when I heard the single "Radiant Moon of Aphos". I instantly looked up the album name printed on the cover and found nothing anywhere. I looked up Metal-Archives, nothing. Bandcamp, nothing. Their Facebook, nothing. All I knew from the video description was that it was set to release in July but with no official date. So I had to keep periodically checking to see if it was out and I didn't know about it being dropped on the 9th until the 10th. Fuck me right? Anyway, I knew I wanted to talk about it. But first, its worth noting that they had released an untitled EP last year and that there's no repeats, remixes or remasters of old songs on the LP. The first track on the record "Gathering Stormfires of the Perilous Want" might sound like an ordinary death metal song, but give it time. After a minute there will be one of my favorite uniqides about the genre. The inclusion of acoustic guitar. This one however has an ancient oriental sound as if its meant to sound old. After this break in the song, another tempo change happens where both the music and vocals have a groove. "Radiant Moon of Aphos" as I mentioned earlier has a great sounding main riff which perfectly fits the rest of the overall instrumentation. The guitarist, Matt Gornall has provided us with mostly chugs although his brief melodic moments shine very bright. "Limbless In Rapture" continues the heaviness and its time to bring up the vocals. While he might sound like any other front man, what separates Ali Lauder from everyone else is that he has a lot more power in his delivery than most. Next we have a calming interlude track titled "Tribute To The Ashen King". It's a peacefully way to bridge the gap that leads to "From The Embers to the Catacombs". Straight away the drums blast your eardrums further into your skull. "Sidereal Rites" starts off with another quick ancient sounding instrument before exploding back into the same hard hitting death metal we've been getting pummeled with from the get-go. And then there's a track like "He Who Bears The Key". Now with this one, its obvious that the band intends on keeping us listening with the interesting middle eastern sounding beginnings. This one also has it infused towards the middle of the song. If you want some straight forward death metal without all the extra jazz to spice it up, "Graven Challengers to the Rift" is your song. Nothing but unyielding death metal. "Vengeful Eye of the Magi" obviously has to have a desert tune. If the word Magi is in the title, the first thing that will come to most minds of millennials like myself who grew up watching The Mummy. The final track is "Gates to Eternity" but it only serves as a conclusionary instrumental consisting of an ancient sounding drum beat as if an army is marching to war. Now is this a perfect death metal release? No. Is it entertaining and worth your time? Absolutely. Is it enough to keep listeners engaged? I'd sure say so. I feel like this band is for fans of Hour of Penance or Hate Eternal, minus the constant Erick Rutan shreds. I'm going to give this debut a 7/10 rating. I'm definitely going to keep my eye on this band over the next few years to see what they do next. I'm sure they'll find new ways to improve upon music that is already good. Show your support by buying their digital album and EP on bandcamp because this full-length debut is not currently on amazon music. I'm not sure if they're on Spotify yet but you can check for me.
The podcast joins up with Paul and Chelsea from US death metal predators Voraath following their performance at The End in Nashville TN as they tour North America with Gorgatron and Casket Robbery. Excerpts from the Voraath track "Sirenhead" (Volume 1: The Hymn Of The Hunters", 2024) used with permission from the artist.
Welcome metal freaks, to a new episode of the great metal debate podcast. Today, we will be talking about the new album from Cemetery Rapist - From My Puddle Phillic Drip. This calls for celebration as Clay, the one man menace has dropped his first new record in 10 years! Many of us underground metal fans have at least stumbled upon Clay's work through side-links on YouTube. I know that's how I personally discovered Cemetery Rapist way back in 2009. One minute your metalhead friend will tell you about a band like Devourment. Then a related video in the algorithm will pop up for a band like Putrid Pile. Then that video will lead you to Torsofuck, then that video will lead you to Sperm Swamp, then that video will lead you even further down the rabbit hole until you get to something like Cemetery Rapist. Its crazy how Clay has been making these tree frog noises for over 20 years. Its even crazier that we live in the United States of America where we have an essential freedom of speech, and yet ... in the 2020s, online censorship has been a major obstacle for Clay over the past few years. He has vented many times on Facebook about how frustrating it is that: bandcamp, soundcloud, amazon, spotify and other media platforms have given him too much trouble. In fact, the only reason its on bandcamp now is because it was released under the name of his own label Awful Goodness Records. Clay has also had many recent shows canceled over his band name alone. I truly feel bad for the guy. He's just trying to share his musical art with his cult following of fans who are deep into the underground scene. We praise him for his cricket sound abilities that were almost hindered about 5 years ago. I remember when he posted this scary picture of himself with a huge bulge in his neck. He said that he may never be able to do vocals again and many of us felt bad for him. Luckily he made a full recovery from whatever that was but I have definitely noticed the change in vocal pitch. His signature amphibious mating call now sounds like it has more bass to it and he honestly sounds better than ever! Also, the programmed poppy snare drums that remind us all of the band Echymosis hasn't changed a bit so that's good. I'll always love his classics such as: "Herpes Injection", "Death By RuRu", "Bent Over And Butt Dozered", "Wake Up to Bake Up", "Retarded Rectum Ripper" and "Midwest Cop Killer" to name a few. I even enjoyed the Putrid Pile cover he did for the song "Food For The Maggots". But this new record is my favorite. The tracks I enjoyed the most were: "Craving Cunt That Needs No Shaving", **laughing** sorry, it's hard to read these song titles without laughing. "Addicted To Poverty Pussy", "Pregnancy Taste Test" and "Face Raped On The First Date". That's not politically correct at all! Most bands in the pornogrind genre are only good in moderation but Cemetery Rapist is one of the few exceptions. I could listen to him any time. I can't wait to get lucky enough to see him live one day. Who knows, maybe Tampa Bay can host him at The Brass Mug. Too bad I didn't see him on the line-up for Florida Extreme Metal Fest. Anyway, if you're into this explicit type of music with riskay audio clip intros and you aren't easily offended by gruesome album cover art, then by all means check this out. I won't give this one a rating due to the lack of variety for the entire sub-genre. If you like pornogrind, you pretty much already know what you're getting yourself into. This type of music is definitely not for everyone but it might be an acquired taste for some. Anyway, check it out if you're interested. Just as a reminder, you can hear thia new album on bandcamp but just make sure you search for Awful Goodness Records to find it. The only places you can hear his old material is through YouTube but he also has his website onemanmenace.com which is where you can listen to full albums including his other projects and its where you can buy his merch.
Welcome to another episode of The Great Metal Debate podcast. Today we will be talking about the fourth full-length studio album from the German melodic death metal band Nyktophobia titled To The Stars. Lets dive into this album track by track. We're gonna do this slightly back asswards though because the first two singles they released for this new record happen to be the last two songs on the album. That's sort of a bold choice if you ask me. The first of which was "Millenium". I figured the song would eventually grow on me but after about 4 more listens, I still couldn't tell you what the song even sounded like. Nothing seemed to really stand out about it. It's not a bad song, it just wasn't memorable. I felt underwhelmed. But then I thought okay, not their best work but its alright. Let's hear that new song titled "Voyager 1". When I opened the file for the opening track, I had mixed feelings over the fact that I had to sit through a minute of obligatory intro track "The Gateway" but on the other hand, it was at least a peaceful sounding intro with the piano keys. I can forgive an intro track as long as its a good intro track. In fact, it fits seamlessly into the first real song which happens to be the album titled track "To The Stars". Now this song, got me nodding my head in approval! I love the soaring guitar winding up over the blast beats which continued throughout the rest of the track. Not a whole lot of variety but it still sounds okay. At least it had a short lived but calming break. Next we have "Farewell". Here instead of the Greek mythology that this band is known for, it appears that they've gone into the topic or interstellar travel. Which is cool, sometimes change is good and I'm a huge science fiction fan. This song in particular definitely has a good enough guitar riff to stick the landing. I would go as far to say that the song "Charon Gate" compliments the former as a great precursor. Not that these two tracks go hand in hand but I do get the feeling of a build-up to a superior musical composition. I quite enjoy this one, it really reminds me of their earlier work. Tomasz' layered vocals go great with that soothing main riff played by guitarists Michael and Phillip. I also like how this one brings back a chorus. "The Fall of Eden" lifts off with a slower tempo but kicks into high gear once Michiel's galloping drumming style picks up a speedy rythmn. The guitars once again wind up with the sharp long notes. The problem with this is that when you hear the first 30 seconds of the song, that's you begin to realize that this is how the rest of the song will play out. The same unchanging simplistic riff. "Progenitor" has the most relaxing intro to any song on the record by having us hear birds chirping over piano and cellos for 1:27. That time stamp of course brings us back to the world of good old fashioned melodic death metal and its probably my favorite track thus far. But then we come to "Behind The Stars Exists No Light" which honestly sounds pretty good. I like that moment when Tomasz says ... There is no light, behind the stars And I already talked about these last two songs but I need to revisit them. After listening to the whole album I can now provide a much better analysis. Starting with "Millenium", I'll say that it still doesn't fully grab my attention but its okay. In conclusion "Voyager 1" is a perfect closer to the album as the first half of the track is instrumental. A somber piano has keys being pressed down hard in a dramatic way but later on we get a very weird, almost alien-like sound. It's hard to describe so you'll just have to check it out for yourself. My final thoughts on this record is that I love this band but my go-to albums will always be Fallen Empire and Fate of Atlantis. So I'll give Nyktophobia - To The Stars a 8.5/10 rating. Show your support for Nyktophobia by streaming their music on all platforms and their merch is on their Bandcamp page.
Welcome back to The Great Metal Debate podcast. Today we're reviewing the latest release from Indian heavy thrash veterans Kryptos titled Decimator, which is released on July 5th through AFM Records. Founded back in 1998, Decimator is their 7th full-length album. Let's check out this new album Decimator and see how it stacks up. The tracklist begins with “Sirens Of Steel” which debuts in epic fashion before transitioning into galloping riffs. There's a touch of thrashy-ness here, but is more like thrash-influenced true metal than a thrash band that wears its trad metal roots on its sleeve. The guitars are very forward in this one, with lots of lead accents throw in throughout, sometimes more and sometimes less successfully. The vocals are thrash-ish, with the lyrics rasped out in lightly goblinesque fashion by singer and guitarist Nolan Lewis. “Fall To The Spector's Gave” sets a rollicking sonic core with strong riffing and a sing-songy verse. There's some good stuff – I really enjoyed the guitar lead break as well as the vigorour climax. I just could've used a bit more variability in the vocal melody, which is extremely repetitive in its presentation. A small change up there could have improved the song immeasurably. A cheesy 80s metal intro transitioning into a generic 80s metal riff is what greets us for “Turn Up The Heat,” the next track in the listing. That comes across as harsher than I mean – in some ways I've giving a compliment. This is every bit as engaging and dynamic a track as one might routinely find on an Accept or Metal Church album back in the day when those bands were fresh and relevant. Similarly constructed albeit a bit different in the details of its execution is “Electricity.” This is perhaps a cautionary tale to artists that when you give a song such an energetic title you'd better be certain the music delivers in like manner. It is a fine song – a mid-paced rocker that has the nostalgic feel of some metal anthems of oldGood riffs, but an underwhelming chorus structure. Track 5 “Solaris” is a soft guitar piece that is only slightly past a minute and a half in length, segueing into the title track “Decimator.” I get some definite Painkiller-era Judas Priest vibes on “Decimator,” with the pulsating double bass and plunging sonic guitar dives. Unfortunately, the riffing is somewhat stale and repetitive. There's no progression or twists here – a minute in and you basically can predict how the remainder of the song will sound. With “In The Shadow Of The Blade” we find one of the album's most compelling melodies and some nice interplay between the rhythm and lead guitar lines. It's somewhat paint-by-numbers in the song construction, but the simple approach works well here. Yet again I yearn for a bit more variability in the vocal presentation. If the singer could have gone up even half an octave on the final verse it would have truly made the track explode. Next up is “Pathfinder” which has a pleasant if predictable primary riff and some nice, timely tempo changes. However, I thought the composition missed opportunities in the transitions between verses, choruses, and breaks, with those changeovers seeming to happen somewhat ham-handedly. Another track that was fine for what it is, but could have been better. The album concludes with “We Are The Night,” a mid-paced track that almost has a 70s rock mood to it, or at least NWOBHM feel. The lead break is really tasty, and the riffing throughout is enjoyable. This might be my favorite track on the album, leading me to wish the band had given me more of this approach and, by inference, gone with less of what I'd heard earlier. Ultimately I'll say that Decimator is worth checking out. You won't hate what you hear, but I don't know if many will love it either. I'm giving Decimator a 5 out of 10 rating. You can purchase Decimator from AFM Records. Follow them on social media and be sure to watch for the band going out on tour soon to support the release.
Welcome back to The Great Metal Debate podcast. Today we are talking about the fourth full-length studio album by the New York brutal tech death band Malignancy titled ...Discontinued, which was dropped on June 14th through Willowtip Records. This is the band's first album in 12 years so this certainly calls for celebration. For a band that has been around since 1992, you would think that they would have much more albums in their discography but, I guess some bands like to really take the time with their craft. Before diving into this new record track by track, I'm going point out a major similarity that I've always noticed about this band. Particularly with the vocalist Danny Nelson having a nearly identical sounding voice to Ross Dolan from Immolation. I had often wondered if Malignancy was a side project band, which would make a lot of sense seeing as how both bands are from Yonkers! The answer is no, Danny and Ross are two different people. However, Danny had done vocals for Mortal Decay's 2013 album The Blueprint For Blood Spatter. When I looked up the names of the band members, I had to do a double take when I saw the bass player. At first I thought it said Alex Webster from Cannibal Corpse, but nope, the new bass player is Alex Weber. Haha, not Webster. Coincidentally enough, guess where Cannibal Corpse originally started. You guessed it, New York. Except they formed in Buffalo. According to Metal-Archives, Alex Weber has played live for Defeated Sanity and Obscura. Guitarist Ron Kachnic has also been in Pyrexia, Demolition Hammer and Mortician! Mike Heller has been the drummer for multiple bands including System Divide which is Sven from Aborted's side project band. Despite not advertising as such, Malignancy IS a super group. Kicking things off we have the first track titled "Existential Dread". As you listen to this album, you can feel Danny's lips press against the microphone as he delivers his powerful vocals. You can tell he definitely uses his diaphragm to produce such a monstrous tone. Watch a few live videos of them and you can witness for yourself Danny's commanding stage presence too. "Purity of Purpose" was the first single released for this album about 2 months beforehand. I remembered as soon as I heard it, I immediately looked up the full-length release date and album title just to add it to my list. Judging from that track alone, I knew I had to review it. The second single "Biological Absurdity" was uploaded a month later and it of course blew me away. Both of these songs were aired on YouTube as official tracks but we haven't been treated to a music video yet. I have found myself jamming this album front to back since its release a little over a week ago and I gotta say, I'm impressed! I mean, Malignancy never disappoints. This album is absolutely killer and one of the finest examples of your standard death metal. Bad ass death metal albums without an overly unique pizazz quality about them are still more than capable of getting a good rating out of me. This is definitely one of the better straight forward death metal albums I've heard in 2024 so far. With that being said, I'm feeling a nice 8/10 rating. Malignancy has been kickin around in the underground scene since I was a 1-year-old. They've gone through a few line-up changes here and there but have held strong as a band for the past three decades. Their popularity may not be up on the same level as many other bands but they deserve a lot of credit, respect and most of all support. You can buy their merch ... at pretty much any online metal merch outlet. The most obvious choice would be bandcamp, but they also have merch at primitiverecordings.com, hellsheadbangers.com and indiemerch.com. Of course, if you get lucky enough to see them live; they definitely have a merch table and I hear that they are usually at their stand before and after a show. So don't be shy, go say hi and if nothing else, throw them a few bucks in their tip jar.
Review of "D'Muata" by Perchta (Prophecy Productions, 2024). Intro music by CONTRA; intro voice by Greg Kyle (RIP).
Xander checks in with Nashville black metal unit Lenax during a recent video shoot to get the low-down on the band's past and future! Excerpts from the Lenax track "Beneath The Chapel (Symphonic Version)" (2024) used with permission from the artist.
Welcome back to another metal album review. Today, we have an atmospheric/melodic black metal band from Murfreesboro, Tennessee called Oubliette and this is their third full-length studio album titled Eternity Whispers released through The Artisan Era. The album begins with the first single which had a music video two months ago. It is of course the song "Primordial Echo". It starts with some softly played guitar, calmly bringing you the short and sweet intro for 48 seconds before the rest of the band fires on all cylinders immediately kicking things into high gear. The whole song is a groovy cacophony of shred riffs, pinch harmonics, yelling and blast beats. At the 3:40 mark, there's a soothing middle riff that I quite enjoyed which mixes in a brief shred. All three guitarists: Mike Low, Andrew Wampler and Chris Austin have perfected the art of working together and sharing similar ideas when it comes to the overall tone of the genre. "With Death's Shadow" was the second single released for Eternity Whispers and it also happens to be the next track. How convenient. It's what I would consider to be that classic Oubliette style. Many things about the speed and pacing of this track remind me of the Apparitions debut. I'm proud of this band for not straying too far from what made me like them so much in the first place. On the other hand there's this ambient clean singing which can be heard after the halfway point during the track which is definitely a nice touch. It brought me back to the song "Elegy" from the previous album The Passage. Drummer Spencer Moore is a fucking machine gun on the kit. Especially throughout the song "Consumed By The Void". The entire track is an unrelenting orgy of blast beats. It all makes perfect sense because he's also the drummer for Inferi. Also, whoever mixed and mastered this album did some fantastic job by keeping the drums loud but not so much that it overpowers the other instrumentation. Oddly enough, there's this quiet little tune played at the end of the track which ties in with the beginning of the following track titled "Desolate Path". Now I'm not entirely sure which of the three guitarists is behind the acoustic sounding guitar but great work. Or maybe it could've simply been an electric just without the foot pedal. I'm not sure. Either way, I love that shit. That sweep picking moment at the 5:22 stamp really caught my attention but didn't last too long. A bonus credit for Spencer is that every beat of each drum has a resounding thud to it. Every whack of the snare packs a punch. This is proven once more in the next track "Dreams of Nevermore". But let's shift our focus for a moment to the vocalist Emily Low. She has so much power in her lungs to keep going on for long periods of time on the microphone. It truly sounds as though she's given all she's got into the recording of this record. But then the album slows down for a bit, we get a real treat for the ears. A lovely instrumental track called "Ember's Embrace". It's a beautiful track with keyboards, audible bass and drum cymbals. Of course the guitarists are a stand out and ... wait a minute, was that a violin I just heard or was that just a part of the synth work? Whatever that sound was, I want more. It is definitely my favorite track on the album due to the wonderful musicianship. "Vanish" serves as the perfect conclusionary track for the record. Everything you have heard throughout this album comes together in one masterfully crafted track with an impeccable structure. But what do I rate this? If I'm being real with my audience, I'd obviously recommend this album to anyone who is into this particular subgenre of metal. I will be as fair as I can by giving them a solid 8/10. So definitely don't sleep on this upcoming release. I can more than assure you it will be worth your while. All of their music and merch is available exclusively on Bandcamp.
Welcome The Great Metal Debate podcast, bringing you another release straight from the underground. Today, we will he talking about the debut album Ex Umbra In Lucem from the symphonic blackened death metal band Lamentari. This Denmark based band has released 3 EPs and 2 singles before dropping their first full-length record and I'm going to say straight from the get-go, this is exactly the type of metal I crave. It was a little over a month ago when I discovered this band on YouTube. The music video for the song "Dolorum Memoria". The album opens with an angelic choir in the intro track "Spiritus Noctus" before pummeling you with the song "Tenebrae". It's a bombastic track that will give you a small taste of what's to come. The choir continues throughout this track and returns during many moments throughout this whole album. "Tragoedia In Domo Dei" has thunderous opening double bass blastbeats which goes straight into the symphonic sound. The element of brass instrumentation, strings and choir make it a near perfect listening experience. Once it passes the 2:50 mark in the song, we get an acoustic guitar moment with a bass riff that sounds just like something straight out of technical death metal. It reminded me so much of Obscura and Beyond Creation that I checked to see if Jamie de la Sencerie had an 8 string fretless. But no, he is making that sound with a regular 4 string. The tempo picks back up again at around 4:30 stamp. The harmonizing choir is hypnotic and easily rivals what Septicflesh has been doing all these years but with a more melodic black metal style. At the same time, none of Lamentari's music sounds derivative. Instead it all feels fresh and original. I love how Thomas' drums sound both loud in the mix but at the same time it doesn't over power the rest of the music. "Intra Muros Mentis" immediately begins with some electric guitar sweeps for the first 30 seconds before exploding into that somewhat traditional black metal sound. Except the rhythm guitar remains audible without the obnoxious buzzsaw riff, all thanks to the shredding by guitarist Michael Møller. The lead guitarist Emil is also another standout member of this impressive band. Onto a very upbeat track we have "Appugno" which continues on that path to greatness. To me, Lamentari is a real treasure of band who knows how to be simultaneously fast but melodic in the most symphonic way possible. It's truly rare to get real talented musicians like this who are new to their craft but seem to be master composers. Then we get to the song "Dolorum Memoria" which is the music video I mentioned at the start of this review. This whole album is a very strong contender for Album of the Year but if for some reason it doesn't end up being #1, this song is definitely song of the year. I absolutely adore these acoustic guitars and whisper vocals. This 8 minute long masterpiece will make you close your eyes and really listen and relax. The calmness continues into this album's 2nd instrumental which serves as a soothing prelude to the final track. "Spiritus Diurnus" has the church-like choir once more but has the perfect classical music violin strings which turn into what can be best described as a Hans Zimmer score for a Christopher Nolan film. Too bad its only 1:27. the closer to this breathtaking album is a 7 in a half minute long track titled "Arcanum Ignis Animae". I will say as a very minor critique, I feel like Daniel Lønberg's vocals could use just a little bit of work. If he could maintain the deeper style more often like he did in the song "Dolorum Memoria", I could enjoy this record even more than I already am. I'm going to score Lamentari - Ex Umbra In Lucem with a glorious 9/10 rating. Be sure to follow Lamentari on Facebook. All of their music is on bandcamp but their t-shirt and vinyl record is available at merchcity.com
Welcome metal fans to The Great Metal Debate, its Xander bringing you all a new album review. Today, we will be discussing the brand new album from Canadian power metallers Unleash The Archers and their 6th full-length studio album Phantoma. I made a prediction that the next record would be their worst. Turns out that nearly 4 years later in 2024, I was correct. This new Phantoma album ... Sucks! Let's talk about the guitar work. Andrew Kingsley and Grant Truesdell are usually guitar gods! To me, they have had some of the best riffs, melodies, harmonics and solos. But this album in particular makes it sound like they weren't even trying. Every song has a generic sounding main riff that is bland and falls flat. Its almost like they were just trying to make mediocre background music just so Brittany had something to sing to. The only song on this album that actually had a solo that stood out to me was in their first single "Green & Glass". Everything else is boring. Compare the best solo on Phantoma with literally any other solo from any other album and the former will blow it out of the water. Want an incredible guitar solo from Unleash The Archers? Check out the album title track on Apex. While were on the subject of "Green & Glass", lets address the controversy. Remember last year when Cattle Decapitation put out an AI generated music video for "Scourge of the Offspring" and nobody cared? But now that Unleash The Archers decides to get permission from an actual artist that they paid to draw the band members but then only use AI for movement animations, they're the ones who get shit on. I will defend Unleash The Archers for this because they're taking all the heat for using AI correctly. The internet is attacking the wrong people here. Another thing to poke fun at is the album cover. When Unleash The Archers shared a close up picture of the new album art before showing the whole picture, we got an image that looked promising. Two people next to a tree which gave off the Adam & Eve vibes. But when you zoom way out, it's small compared to the futuristic city behind it. The city scape depiction is atrocious. Yeah, yeah, don't judge a book by its cover but damn. This could've been so much better. Moving onto the singing. Brittany is an amazing singer who can really belt out those high notes. But it truly feels like she's not even trying on this album at all. One day before the album dropped, the band released another single for a song called "Blood Empress" and I only made it a minute and 30 seconds before I turned it off. Like seriously Brittany? You have so much natural vocal range but you felt like you need electronic enhancers? It sounded almost as if she was using auto-tune. I forced myself to listen to the rest of the album and nothing truly stood out about it. Maybe in 10 years from now after they release 2 more lame albums they'll finally want to do that thing that a lot of other bands try to do. They'll try to re-catch lightening in a bottle by "returning to their roots" and old fans like me will get excited for a song that sounds ... Almost as good as their early days as a band. Will this album later grow on me too? I don't know. But what I do know, is that it hurts my heart to give this such a scathing review. As it currently stands, I'm only going to rate this album a 4/10. Its not the worst thing out there in the world of metal. I'd still rather listen to this than the new Six Feet Under album that was released on the same day. Maybe with the continued support of the band, they could potentially redeem themselves within the next few years. As usual, their music is available on all streaming platforms and the majority of their merchandise can be purchased either through indiemerch.com or at their live shows. They will be on tour opening for Powerwolf this September but get your tickets now. The Atlanta show has already sold out.
Welcome back to The Great Metal Debate podcast. Today we're reviewing the new release from US symphonic/cinematic metal act AfterTime titled “Arcane Horizons.” To somewhat give my summary thoughts first, I truly love the original feel and overall aesthetic of this album and the band generally. AfterTime are somewhat unique in their clean and airy vibe, with great if not exceptionally catchy melodies, highlighted by the outstanding vocals of frontwoman Sarah Wolf. The presentation is actually somewhat minimalistic for a symphonic band, where one might expect every bit of the sonic spectrum to be filled with noise. But with AfterTime, less is often more, and I broadly applaud that philosophy. I'll touch on a few of the songs to give some insight. “Lament D'Morgan” is a 6 ½ minute epic track that leans heavily on the strength of Wolf's singing. “By The Tavern's Light” brings a bouncy, folkish quality to the table with, in my opinion, the strongest melding of choruses with Wolf's sweet vocals. I did think, though, that this one also showed some weakness in the guitar mix, with the trade-off lead break between folk-instrument and guitar evincing much dynamism and color in the former and a too muted sound in the later. “Under A Midnight Sun” is a brief instrumental/choral – choral-mental? – arrangement, which would be at home on a Nightwish album. One of my favorite songs on the album is “Armored Heart”, as I think this one best melds the power of Wolf's voice and majesty of the orchestrations. Those symphonics aren't cookie-cutter as with so many melodic metal bands; there seems to have been real thought put into their application within the context of each song. And this is good, because they are integral to every song on the album. The guitar lead breaks are often very understated in their execution – you won't find yourself bombarded with a riptide of notes but rather a considered light mist elicited from the fredboard. And this approach works well on tracks like “Armored Heart” and “Amongst The Trees.” Other songs such as “Sons Of Fenrir” and the Epica-esque “Goddess Of Dark Horizons” in my opinion could have used a little more punch in this area. The track “Of Lust And Rust” has a beautiful vocal melody, and I really enjoy the structures as contrived within each verse. But the whole effect becomes a bit repetitive. Just a little additional change-up would have gone a long way here, including making the abrupt ending seem less so. In my estimation, the vocals are the highlight of the album, and I'd especially recommend this to fans of high-range clean singing. Wolf's voice is crisp and fresh throughout. She is an incredible talent, and I'm frankly excited for what future years hold for this young artist who surely has not come close to the apex of her abilities. The compositions on Arcane Horizons allow her to shine – the production giving plenty of space for her vocals to be heard. You'll never hear other instruments come close to overlapping her voice's position in the mix. Did I mention the backing choirs? They are perfectly added in all the right places and alongside the orchestrations provide a foundation of melody that truly enhances the music on Arcane Horizons. Kudos to the composer for integrating these so well. Looking now at two full albums of material, to my mind AfterTime do a lot of things well. They have a beautiful, distinct sound overall that includes some amazing melodies, and that has translated into some excellent songs… even if they don't always quite reach the heights they're reaching for, it's still worth the journey. I'm giving Arcane Horizons an 8 out of 10 rating. You can purchase Arcane Horizons as well as other music and merchandise from the band's website Aftertimeofficial.com. And be sure to check them out live touring the US this July alongside Helion Prime.
James and Andrew from Canadian power metallers Lycanthro join the show from Madison WI following their first US performance the previous evening at Legions Of Metal Fest in Chicago IL! Excerpts from the Lycanthro track "Enchantress" (Mark Of The Wolf, 2021) used with permission from the artist.
Welcome back metalheads to The Great Metal Debate podcast. It's Xander back with another album review. Today we will be looking at the latest release from the French death metal band Scolopendra with their third album Citadel of Torment. This is the French death metal band and is not to be confused with the Italian death metal band of the same name. Some of you might go to Metal-Archives and point out that Citadel of Torment is actually an EP rather than a full-length album. Here is a quote from the Bandcamp page: "Citadel of Torment is about psychic suffering and a futuristic dystopian universe in which there is no hope. The frontman Thomas made this entire album after the band split in early 2023. The band starts with a new lineup in 2024." Citadel of Torment opens with the song "Panic Epidemic" which is a solid death metal song but has a little something extra that initially caught my attention. The use of sound effects. Within the first 30 seconds we hear industrial-like noises that sound like a rapid clicking as if someone is turning cogs in a machine. There's also the dissonant sound of a hammer hitting an anvil as if we are in some sort of steel fabricating foundry. These sounds continue throughout the remainder of this guitar chug fest and the next song "Neuro Dissection". "Neuro Dissection" has an almost djent style rhythm to both the guitars and drums while the bass and vocals work nicely to fit right into the groovy beat. A lot of bands have had songs in the past titled "Event Horizon" which is named after the 1997 science fiction horror flick. Scolopendra have taken their musical prowess to new heights by sticking to the simplistic head bobbing riffs provided by Maxime and Yves Pens. A skilled drummer like Leo Godart has impressed me with using every drum on his kit instead of being another one trick pony like most other death metal drummers who only do blast beats. Leo knows how to be both fast but precise with his patterns. An ominous choir-like backtrack haunts the intro for the following track "Foreign Soul". It definitely gives off those eerie vibes before going into electronic infused winding guitar sounds. Leo of course pounding away at the drums and abusing the multitude of cymbals with short machine gun-esq bursts of occasional gravy blasts. The cymbals are of course the perfect way to ease into "Mental Torture pt. 2" which is a sequel song to "Mental Torture" from the 2016 debut Cycles. I love the way this song concludes during its last minute with those whaaa sounds. I don't know what word to use to describe it so I'm sorry you had to hear me make irritating mouth noises. Finally we come to the album closer "Black Fortress" which almost kinda has a death-n-roll sound to the main riff. It'll make the listeners go into a slow nodding before the instruments collectively pick up speed for that thrash metal type of fast guitar chugging. This 7 minute long song fluctuates its pace from slow to fast so it'll keep you on your toes and it's like the band saved the best for last because this is one of my favorite songs of 2024 so far. It's a bone crushing tank of a death metal track. Over the past 2 weeks that I have been cranking this album up in my car, I have come to thoroughly enjoy this short album front to back. It's highly enjoyable, although I will say that the riffs are simple. It's not what I would consider a masterpiece but it's still great nonetheless. I'm going to give it a 7.5/10 rating. You can support these guys by purchasing their music and merch through their Bandcamp page and you can stream their music on all music streaming platforms.
Welcome back to The Great Metal Debate podcast. It's Xander, and today I'm bringing you a review for the international brutal death metal band Maimed with their crushing debut titled Propagate Onslaught released on April 19th through Sewer Rot Records. Much like the newest Aborted record, nearly every song has either a special guest providing either additional vocals or a guitar solo. Speaking of the vocals, Kyle Messick is a ferocious monster on the microphone. His wet tunnel throat capabilities are absolutely disgusting sounding and I mean that in the best possible way. If you're into brutal death metal you'd love these type of low gutturals. The harsh growls are accompanied by the main guitarist Tom Hughes and bassist Ian Dygulski. But we also gotta mention the staple in very high octane adrenaline pumping type of music. What would brutal death metal even be with out a drummer who can provide machine gun fire esq gravity blast beats. Justin Wallisch does an incredible job behind the kit pounding the skins into oblivion. Apparently this record was mixed by Clinton Appelhanz who is also the bass player of Origin and Unmerciful. Before diving into this album track by track, I feel like its also worth mentioning the Torrential Gore (EP) is a great place to start when getting into the full-length. It serves as a brutal appetizer for the chaos that this album brings. Kicking things off, we have "Herald of the Maelstrom" which features the guitarist of Gridlink, Takafumi Matsubara who provides a solo. It's an all out in your face rager of a song much like the following track "The Slaughter of Lambs". This one features yet another guest who provides another solo. This time, it's Dan Ozcanli from the band Nucleus. Sometimes it takes a few listens before I can tell the difference in brutal death songs but I've heard the next track "Death that Obviates the Appellation of Graves" enough times to be able to tell when Eston Browne from Vulnificus steps in to lay down vocals. During my first couple of listens I didn't notice the slight shift vocal pitch. But after tuning my ears just right, I finally knew when Eston was on the mic. "Sewage Madness Folly" and "Armament & Brigandine" are the two back to back tracks that don't have guest features but "Arbalestier" has Andrew Lee, the guitarist of Ripped To Shreds shredding out two solos on this track. "Oppugnation" is the next track which features not just one but three guests vocalists. The first of them is Mike DiSalvo from Akurion and former Cryptopsy. The next vocalist is Batu Çetin of Cenotaph, particularly Cenotaph from Turkey. Not to be confused with the the other Cenotaph death metal band from Mexico. Batu was also formerly in the band Molested Divinity. Last but not least, we have Jake Shuker from Maysaloon. The album title track "Propagate Onslaught" has two guest guitar solos from Cody Knarr from Ascended Master. It also features guest vocalist Mallika from Emasculator. Most of you probably remember her being the vocalist for the band Abnormality. "Forging Providence (The Futility of the Cosmos)" is the last track on the album but does not feature any guests. What are my thoughts about this record as a whole? It has all the right ingredients to make a great brutal death metal album. Plenty of down tuned guitar chugs, bass drops, blast beats and gutturals. What more could you possibly add when it comes to this genre. The reason I don't typically rate brutal death metal records so high is because of the bare bones structure to this type of music. It's a simple recipe to get the mosh pits going and people's heads banging. The highest rating I ever give brutal death metal albums is 7/10. So if I give it that high of a rating, then it is what I would call high quality for that particular style. I love this Maimed record and I'm sure most extreme metalheads will. You can support these guys by following their social media and purchasing their music on their Bandcamp page.
In this interview recorded April 17, 2024, Vicious Rumors guitarist Geoff Thorpe talks about the band's current tour with Raven, duct tape and tour frustration, and future plans! Excerpts from the Vicious Rumors track "Soldiers Of The Night" (Shrapnel Records, 1985) used with permission from the artist.
Welcome back to The Great Metal Debate podcast, today looking at the new release from Italian symphonic metal act Nocturna, back with their sophomore album Of Sorcery And Darkness. Nocturna is fronted by the insanely talented vocal duo of Grace Darkling and Ren Stillnight. You can listen to my Metal Debate review of Nocturna's 2022 debut to hear my explication for how these brilliant singers work so well together. The other band go by pseudonyms, but for our purposes we can dispense with the legerdemain - Nocturna is another in a line of projects associated with Italian guitar mastermind Federico Mondelli. Overall my take on this album is largely positive with a few criticisms. To see what I mean, let's dig into the tracks individually… The band start in a blaze with the first song "Burn The Witch.” It's a very nice offering including a solid guitar solo; one that has grown on my ear with successive listens. Track two is “Sapphire,” demonstrating all the things they do best – the choral vocal melody is amazing, and the riffing is smart and efficient. Darkling's voice is like a fine red wine – with just the right mix of dark aroma and deliciously bitterness. The choral harmony is exquisite and at the end where the instrumentation drops out and you hear just to the two melded voices we find perfection. “Noctis Avern” brings a barrage of guitar and percussion, and a smart structure that keeps you guessing where the song is going next. I really like the bridge portion with its soft approach that sets up the cacophonous chorus. “Creatures Of Darkness” is similarly fast paced with Darkling coming in first on vocals followed by Stillnight, and then the two harmonizing on the chorus. I didn't think the chorus quite lived up to the rest of the song – not bad at all but just failing to kick things up a notch as one might want. “Midnight Sun” begins with a beautifully harmony. I like the tasteful, harmonic-heavy solo by Mondelli, followed by some impassioned singing by Darkling, and then concluding with he same harmonizing of the singers from the beginning. Midway through finds an eerie if brief piece “First Disobedience.” We have the sound of crows in the background, whispered male vocals, and orchestral atmosphere. This is basically just an intro into the next track “Seven Sins,” and it works fairly well in that capacity. “Seven Sins” has a bouncy cadence to it overtop the pounding double bass drums. Mondelli's solo incorporates a nice bit of the track's melody. “Through The Maze” features gorgeous operatic highs by Stillnight. There's a lot going on here with good variation in tempo and contrasting undistorted guitar followed by more aggressive ax-work. The melody throughout is one of the best on the album. Next up is “Strangers” which is up tempo and features an octave-change from our singers mid-chorus. The final track “Last Day On Earth” ends the album on a high note, with a good mix of softness and aggression, and another great through-melody. I'm often critical of abrupt song endings, but this one is done to perfection leaving a feeling of completion yet still wanting more. As a whole I'm impressed with the captivating melodies, uplifting symphonic scoring, strong guitarwork, and mostly the stellar singing of Stillnight and Darkling. I can't sing the praises of these two enough. Overall, Of Sorcery And Darkness has an elegant, sometimes mysterious vibe which shows off the brilliance and charisma of the band. If I have an overarching criticism of this album, it is that Mondelli doesn't fully unleash the potential he has at his hands with Darkling and Stillnight. Perhaps I'm just greedy, but I'm not sure the potential of their coupling has been reached yet. Of Sorcery And Darkness is a great amalgam of symphonic/gothic metal songs which features two of the strongest singers in the current metal scene. I'm giving it a rating of 9 out of 10. Of Sorcery And Darkness is released April 19th from Scarlet Records.
Welcome back to the Metal Debate podcast, breaking down the new release from British metallers Ingested titled The Tide Of Death And Fractured Dreams. The album begins with “Paragon Of Purity.” This song is exceptionally tight and focused, with the band unleashing a healthy helping of slam riffs, but also an outstanding reoccurring melodic guitar lead which, two-thirds of the way through, morphs into an intense solo. The song closes in violent fashion with a rolling breakdown and vocalist Evans exploding in a cascade of demonic spit-growling. Track two, “Endless Machine,” is a mid-tempo number in the classic slam vein, although it wanders toward tech death territory as it progresses. “Where No Light Shines” has an eerie synth overlay that creates a simple but effective basis for the song's melody, with the guitar later replicating the synth. It's a great example of how to seamlessly integrate the death and slam approach. I absolutely love the atmosphere that's created - just smart, considered songwriting. Probably my fav track on the album. Next up we hear the brutal harmonization of “Starve The Fire.” Evans pulls out nearly every vocal tool in his arsenal, with growls, screams, vocal fry, pig squeals, and rock singing. Guitarist Sean Hynes stays in a support role on this one laying a heavy foundation on guitar with mostly slam riffs and eschewing any lead break. Unfortunately, and despite some memorable lyrics and melody, “Starve The Fire” didn't seem to be building to anything as an overall composition, and then it just kind of ended awkwardly. On “Expect To Fail” we have plenty of brutality but also the addition of clean vocals performed by Josh Middleton of Sylosis. It's another mid-paced track, with Jeffs occasionally revving the engine, but mostly the band taking a moderate, meandering approach throughout. Mid-way through this ten-track album comes a twist with an instrumental number called “Numinous.” This one is splendid with gorgeous melodic lead and outstanding backing orchestration. When I first heard this, I thought I had inadvertently started playing some Insomnium, because you get a lot of the same ambience here. In truth, there are hints of that melodic death vibe – albeit with different riffing style – throughout The Tide Of Death And Fractured Dreams. Track seven is “In Nothingness,” a fairly straight-ahead composition, mid-paced, with another guest vocal appearance, this time from Mark Hunter of northern Ohio groove-core act Chimaira. The pairing is an interesting one – not what I would have anticipated – and while there is some appeal to the versing structure, the differential created between singers didn't quite work for me. The energy gets kicked up a notch on “Pantheon” with more slam riffs and pig squeals if you are in the mood for ‘em, as well as classic breakdowns toward the end. Yet still, if you listen carefully, there's some melodic elements below the surface, and even a bit of catchiness in the versing. Nothing commercial in any sense, but definitely catchy. Equal in brutality to any other track on the album, but also with a quasi-epic metal feel to it - is “Kingdoms Of Sand.” Somewhat tech-deathy in its precision, at this point you'll have to have come to appreciate the sophistication of Hynes as a guitarist and composer. The album's closer “A Path Once Lost” spends its first few stanzas with undistorted guitar and emotive, melancholic singing from Evans. Further in we get some overlapping cleans and growls. The contrast in sound was great, but the lyrical pacing seemed off. A decent track overall, but not among the strongest in my opinion. This album is excellent, although admittedly there were a few tracks that didn't quite resonate for me. I'm giving The Tide Of Death And Fractured Dreams a strong 8 out of ten rating. You can purchase the album digitally and in a variety of physical formats through metalblade.com or wherever you buy music.
Welcome back metal heads to a new episode of The Great Metal Debate podcast. Today will be looking at the third full-length studio release from the Tuscan, Arizona based thrash metal band known as Atrophy. The album Asylum has been long awaited by fans. Thanks to a side link on YouTube, the first song I heard was titled "High Anxiety" and it honestly blew me away with the same type of grooviness as Mezzrow. Not quite what you would call melodic thrash metal, but definitely had its standout riffs which ultimately made me want to review this. After finding out that it's another three decade long hiatus type of band, I thought, there's no way in hell I'm not reviewing this. Allow me to state that there are absolutely no skipable tracks on this album and "Punishment For All" is a punishing opening track to the album. I mean that in the way that it's every bit as badass as the album cover. When you see the giant skeleton like jester towering over the old abandoned asylum a with a graveyard out front, you know you can expect the headbang inducing thrash riffs. When you begin head banging, you'll suddenly want to shotgun a tall beer and dive straight into a mosh pit. Lets jump on over to the song "Seeds of Sorrow". The drums on this record sound amazing but the band didn't have a drummer who is in the band during the recording last year. Instead they had a personal friend of theirs by the name of Jonas Schultz who was hired for the recording gig. Either way, Jonas did an incredible job. On March 22nd, Atrophy announced the winner of their drumming auditions. So congratulations to Mr. Alex Bosson for winning your rightful place in the band. Mark Coglan and Nathan Montalvo continue to deliver those tasty guitar riffs which can be further analyzed in the entire runtime but for now we'll focus on them being the reason "Distortion" is among one of my favorites. Thrash metal has never been one of my go-to genres but I have a huge respect for it. As I've mentioned before in a previous review, I have my favorites, but I can always appreciate them taking traditional heavy metal and then making it 100x heavier. Most thrash metal doesn't even rely on as many blast beats as other bands because the main focus comes from the riffs. The song "American Dream" features Kragen Lum who is the guitarist of Heathen. "Close My Eyes" is a track that begins with a bit of a rock ballad that doesn't overstay its welcome. In fact, it reminds me of something you would've heard on the Allison Hell album by Annihilator but with a slight mimic of Milli's voice from Kreator. Despite its slow start, it quickly kicks into gear for yet another thrash metal banger. When I looked up the bass player for this record, I was happy to learn that it was none other than Josh Gibbs. He has previously worked with notable bands like Solstice and Malevolent Creation as well as many others. He showcases his talent on every song but in particular he's one of the reasons why a song like "The Apostle" is such a ripper. "Five Minutes 'Til Suicide" is an epic closing track which is the longest song on the album, surpassing the length of "Close My Eyes" by only 4 seconds. So how do I feel about a thrash metal record that is just under 2 weeks shy of 34 years apart from their previous record? I'd say its a whole hell of a lot better than a lot of bands who wait over a decade to finally drop new music.This is an outstanding thrash metal release for 2024 and I'm going to rate Asylum by Atrophy a solid 7.5/10.
Welcome back to The Great Metal Debate podcast. Today I'll be exploring the twelfth full-length release from of Finland's folk metal powerhouse Korpiklaani, titled Ramkarumpu. Despite not having a massed a whole assemblage of performers Eluveitie-style, Korpiklanni manage to split the metalwork evenly among the instrumentalists such that you're never sure what sound will be leading the break. We'll start with the accordion-work of Sammi Perttula. He's classically trained and definitely knows what to do to derive the most out of his instrument. On “Tapa sen kun kerkeet” the accordion provides a heavy backing atmosphere in parts, and a smooth transition break between choruses, playing an effective foil between the guitar and violin. Similarly on “Nouse” Pertulla expertly sets the tempo and foundation for what the other instruments do. “Mettään” is a song where the guitar is in the driver's seat, but the accordion is the glue that makes everything come together, and especially in the outro break briefly dueling with both violin and guitar. Working alongside Perttula as partner-in-crime is new violinist Olli Vänskä who also performs with bombastic symphonic Finnish metallers Turisas. Vänskä is amazingly adept with his instrument, able to create heavy passages that'll have you banging your head as well as instigating blissful melodies that'll leave your heart in your throat. The violin takes the lead on track number 11, “Oraakkelit,” splattering seething, writhing folky-flavored notes overtop as the accordion and guitar chug beneath in lock-step. I love the atmosphere the band builds with this song; that said, I didn't think the chorus quite lived up to the rest of the composition, and the ending was a bit too abrupt for my liking. With “Viikatelintu” Perttula lays a brilliant foundation providing a beautiful intro melody and, later in the song giving a signature break counterbalancing Jonne's singing to create a crescendious ending. Another highlight – and one of my favs from this recording – is “Kalmisto.” This is heavy violin – as aggressive as any metal guitar you'll encounter. As expert as they are individually Vänskä and Perttula are at their best when they are working together. On “Saunaan” and “Mettään” the two split the main lead break, with accordion following the violin on each. The order is reversed on the break for “No perkele,” which has a primary melody that's absolute fire. In a competition of which instrument is most dominant, Perttula and Vänskä are lock in a game that has gone into multiple overtimes. I have yet to discuss the title track, “Rankarumpu.” This is a brilliant composition and my favorite song on the album, sadly tucked right in the middle of the track listing which, in my opinion, is a mistake not to have featured it at the beginning or end. You've got a great building guitar riff, and killer swinging violin melody. I don't know whether I like the versing or chorus better – both are equally awesome. High energy and some of the best vocal-work by singer Jonne Järvelä on the record, with the backing vocals kicking in a just the perfect time. Speaking of the vocals, Jonne's unique vocal style is superbly consistent throughout. For the most part he does a great job of mixing up his approach, and it is very emotive. That said, on a few songs is his singing approach could sound a touch repetitive, although admittedly my total unfamiliarity with Finnish doesn't allow me to do any lyrical analysis to truly understand the context. If you have enjoyed some number of Korpiklaani's previous albums from their discography you likely won't be disappointed with Rankarumpu. I'm giving Rankarumpu an 8 ½ out of ten rating. Rankarumpu is released on April 5th from Nuclear Blast records. You can pre-order the album via the band's website, and be sure to check out plenty of opportunities to catch the band live in 2024 both in North America and Europe.
Welcome back to the Metal Debate podcast. Today we're reviewing the new album Myths Of Fate from powerhouse Leaves' Eyes. I'll touch briefly on each track in the listing, and then on some individual performances and notable elements of the sound. “Forged By Fire” is Myths Of Fate's opening song, and the album's first single. This one is dark and dramatic, with a dynamic vocal performance from Siirala and contrasting growled lyrics from Krull. A track like “Realm Of Dark Waves” is more straightforward while still giving heroic vibes with a very singable chorus. “Who Wants To Live Forever” has a slower tempo with well-crafted riffs and colorful keys, while “Hammer Of The Gods,” is a classic Leaves' Eyes anthem along the lines of ”King Of Kings” or “Fires In The North” in terms pacing, energy, and execution. One of the more intriguing songs on the album is “Into Eternity,” an incredibly emotive track - a potent mix of grit and gloss. “Fear The Serpent” feels massive and epic without losing any personality its the delivery. The second half of Myths Of Fate doesn't lose any momentum. “Goddess Of The Night” gives a folksy mood before moving to more vainglorious territory. “Sons of Triglav” brings power metal melodies and gothic metal atmosphere with brilliant juxtaposition of harsh and clean vocals. “Elder Spirit” is raucous and groovy, driven by potent riffs, and “Einherjar” (En-har-yar) has a pleasant, plucky sound along with some moments of intense metallic heaviness. The closer “Sail With The Dead” brings even more aggressive yet theatrical flavor, building to a dramatic peak in a superb finale. On Myths Of Fate each track seems painstakingly arranged with plenty of thought put in to creating dynamism and variety. Instrumentally, Myths Of Fate displays a lot of the hallmarks of past Leaves' Eyes albums. I'd describe Guitarists Mikki Richter and Luc Gebhardt as restrained in their approach, but always competent when featured. I particularly like the way the guitars come out of hiding toward the end of “Goddess Of The Night” with an evocative lead break beneath the final chorus and then bringing the track to an epic close with crunching riffs. On “Hammer Of The Gods” the guitars nimbly jump between melody and crunch, making a song work that otherwise might have fallen apart under the care of less skilled instrumentalists. Composer Jonah Weingarten – who some might know from Pyramaze – has provided a killer score. He is great here in splicing ambient melodies and atmospheric tendrils together into a tight sonic expressions. The orchestrations don't batter you over the head Nightwish-style, but are organic and fit seamlessly with the other musical elements. Elina Siirala has truly stepped up her game vocally on this one. Not that she didn't hold her own before, but this is on another level from her previous efforts. The first time I heard the intro track “Forged By Fire” I wasn't even sure it was Siirala singing. She evinces some real Tarja Turunen vibes on the verse here before moving back into her more accustomed timbre on the chorus. Another example of this change is “Into Eternity.” While I wouldn't say the song itself is overtly commercial, she does give almost a pop sensibility with the texture of the delivery, crooning and oohing her way through the track. And all along the way Krull gives the perfect growling counterpoint… exactly as much as needed, when its needed, and never overstaying his welcome. While I have enjoyed Leaves' Eyes last few albums, I have felt at times the band had bogged down with certain stylistic elements that deviated from the core of what they do best musically. Hats off to producer and mastermind Alexander Krull for delivering one of his best efforts. I'm giving Myths Of Fate a rating of 9/10. Myths Of Fate is released on March 22nd by AFM Records. You can purchase the new album plus other music and merchandise from the band via their official website and many other online outlets.
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