Snares Of Sixes - Yeast Mother: An Electroacoustic Mass Review

Full Review

Sxap - Cathedral Review

Read Full Review

Artificial Brain – Infrared Horizon Review

Full Review

ISENORDAL - Shores Of Mourning Review

Isenordal - Shores Of Mourning (Eternal Warfare Records / Pest Productions)

Release date : March 25th, 2017

Coming from the Cascadian region of the United States of America, Isenordal is labeled as a Black Funeral Doom/Neofolk project; what an amalgam. It is almost as if when ordering delivery food you don’t know what you’d like and tell the guy I’m taking a bit of every possible thing on the menu and wrap it in a burrito. The 

burger/pizza/sushi/poke/enchiladas/egg roll first bite you’ll have might be a bit suspicious and near total disaster of a meal. Let’s see if the buffet of Metal genres that is Shores Of Mourning is a total disaster or not.

SLOTH HERDER - No Pity, No Sunrise Review

 

Sloth Herder - No Pity, No Sunrise (Grimoire Records)

Release date : March 24th, 2017

Back in 1999-2000 I got into more ‘’extreme’’ and ‘’underground’’ Metal by the doors of Converge and Second Wave Black Metal essentially. Both are not related by scenes one might say, but I find Converge to be more Metal than Hardcore or Metalcore. Until this day, Jane Doe and Petitionning The Empty Sky are some of the most important albums that forged me as a metalhead. Grindcore with Pig Destroyer, Nasum, Spazz, ROT is also a chunk of my obsession for bastard music as my parents were calling it back then. They might be calling it that way if I was still living in their house and blasting this music all day long.

CONDEMNED - His Divine Shadow Review

 

Condemned - His Divine Shadow (Unique Leader Records)

Release date : March 10th, 2017

Unique Leader Records is synonymous with Death Metal and mostly Brutal Death Metal. They have rosters that represents many American states that produce the best and the worst of the genre. A genre that’s been a bit worn off in the latest years. Between Technical DM and Brutal DM is a plethora of talented musicians and brutalists.

ROZAMOV - This Mortal Road Review

Rozamov - This Mortal Road (Battleground Records, Dullest Records)

Release date : March 3rd, 2017

After a series of EPs and 7’’ releases, Rozamov formed in Boston in 2011, are throwing Doom Metal lines and Neurosis like monolith songs. In fact, the similarity with the legendary Oakland band even goes into the vocals that are a shared between Tom Corino (also bass) and Matt Iacovelli (also guitars and piano).

VASTUM - Carnal Law Review

Vastum - Carnal Law Remaster Reissue (20 Buck Spin)
Release date: March 10th 2017

8.0

WOE - Hope Attrition Review

WOE - Hope Attrition (Vendetta Records)
Release date : March 17, 2017

Woe was formed in 2007 as a black metal solo project of multi-instrumentalist Chris Grigg. After catching the underground’s attention with a strong demo of ugly, raw black metal, the first full-length, A Spell For The Death Of Man, was unleashed in 2008. The album presented the first glimpse of modern Woe: faithful to the traditions established by the black metal classics but a willingness to inject a very American perspective by way of punk and hardcore influences. It found critical acclaim both in the underground and beyond.

SUNLESS - Urraca Review

Sunless - Urraca (Self-released)

Release date : February 24th, 2017

As I am into a lot of things other than reviewing new releases lately, I am still listening to a bunch of the albums that are overcrowding our promo mailbox. February wasn’t the strongest month in new releases and there are few records that will eventually be in my permanent rotation. Sunless and their first full length Urraca might be one of the few acts to be piercing this so-called prestigious rotation of mine. Their use of Dissonant Metal à la Gorguts and Ulcerate is quite something.

THERA ROYA - Stone And Skin Mini-Review

Thera Roya - Stone And Skin (Self-released)

Release date: February 17th, 2017

6.0

XIBALBA - Diablo, Con Amor… Adios EP Review

Xibalba - Diablo, Con Amor… Adios EP (Closed Casket Activities)

Release date : February 17th, 2017

The release of their full length Tierra Y Libertad last year showcased their mastery at merging Hardcore and Metal together was well received. To some, they sounded a lot like Hatebreed. The comparison isn’t false but Xibalba has more Metal in their song structures than the aforementioned band and less cheesy moments. One year later, they are now releasing a three songs EP Diablo, Con Amor… Adios with the songs ‘’Diablo’’, ‘’Con Amor’’, and ‘’Adios’’.

YITH - Dread Review

Yith - Dread (Hellthrasher Productions / Vendetta Records)
Release date: February 10th, 2017

The first full-length from Yith, is a cold slab of hopeless black/doom that continues the project’s exploration of darkness, fear and grief. With haunting melodies and lyrical inspiration coming from the pages of M.R. James and H.P. Lovecraft, „Dread” tries to pull the listener into a bleak abyss of endless horror. 

5.0

CZAR - Life Is No Way To Treat An Animal Review

Czar - Life Is No Way To Treat An Animal (Self-released)

Release date : January 20th, 2017

Of all the things that I love in my life being critical is one of those things I don’t get bored with easily. Sometimes, in album reviews, you already know how the music is going to sound and how you are going to write those few lines trying to point its better and weaker elements. Other times you get a real challenge and even genre description won’t even help you trying to make out of what you have listened. The case of Czar and their full length album Life Is No Way To Treat An Animal is of the later kind.

UNDRASK - Battle Through Time Review

Undrask - Battle Through Time (2017, Self-released)

Release date : January 27th, 2017

Melodic Death Metal isn’t our cup of tea around here on LMDM and the last two records we reviewed earned each a 7.0 rating. Which is not bad at all if you look at the rating system on your right. However, it takes a lot for the genre to wow us especially since the golden age of Melo Death back with the early albums of In Flames, Dark Tranquility, At The Gates, and Darkest Hour. In fact, Melodic metal isn’t our forte but we know when an album will make history or not. Let’s see if North Carolina’s Undrask’s first LP Battle Through Time is a winner.

ECFERUS - Shamaniacal Essence EP Review

Ecferus - Shamaniacal Essence EP (2017, Hellthrasher Productions)

This four songs EP, not to be confused with the previous three songs EP released this past November, Ecferus’ kind of infectious Black Metal is far from the usual American Black Metal trending right now. Out of Indiana, Ecferus is another one man band of dissonant Black Metal and claustrophobic barrier of noise.

KETCH - The Anthems Of Dread Review

Ketch - The Anthems Of Dread (2016, Aesthetic Death)

Named after the infamous King Charles II’s executioner, John or Jack Ketch, Ketch the band is a Doom/Sludge Metal outfit from Colorado. Their sound is as aggressive as Indian and navigates in many waters like Funeral Doom pace, Black Metal tremolo, and heavy Doomish drumming. Self-released in April 2016 but recently released by Aesthetic Death with four songs from a previous EP, The Anthems Of Dread is one of the latest surprises of late 2016. We decided that the album was enough important to be on the early 2017 review schedule.

INTER ARMA - Paradise Gallows

Inter Arma - Paradise Gallows (2016, Relapse Records)

Looking back at the year that was 2016 in music, we mainly focused on albums that we received promos except for the exceptional albums that came out and that we felt were too important to be left out of our review database. The case of Inter Arma’s Paradise Gallows is interesting because we didn’t received it and I was not sure about it either. How wrong was I?

WORM OUROBOROS - What Graceless Dawn

Worm Ouroboros - What Graceless Dawn (2016, Profound Lore Records)

Formed of guitarist/vocalist Jessica Way (Barren Harvest), bassist/vocalist Lorraine Rath (ex-The Gault, Amber Asylum) and drummer Aesop Dekker (ex-Agalloch, Vhöl, Ludicra), Worm Ouroboros is a unique outfit that makes music near the many genres that are Doom, Jazz, chamber music, dark ambient, and death rock. Reminded me of Chelsea Wolfe and ethereal funeral doom metal at times. Released on the prestigious Canadian label Profound Lore, this Oakland based trio is making slow music that may not please every Metal head out there but it is what makes them worth your time.

DYSRHYTHMIA- The Veil Of Control

Dysrhythmia - The Veil Of Control (2016, Profound Lore Records)

Beforehand, there is something I have to admit while reviewing this album, I am a fan of everything Colin Marston (Krallice, Gorguts, Behold… The Arctopus, Byla) ever touches. Pair that to Kevin Hufnagel who also is a member of Gorguts, Vaura, and Sabbath Assembly and you have a fanboy that almost cried when receiving his promo of The Veil Of Control.