ALBUM REVIEW: Black Curse, "Endless Wound"

By: Josh McIntyre

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 24/04/2020

Label: Sepuchral Voice Records

“Endless Wound” CD//DD//LP track listing:

1). Charnel Rift

2). Crowned in (Floral) Vice

3). Enraptured by Decay

4). Seared Eyes

5). Lifeless Sanctum

6). Endless Wound

7). Finality I Behold

The Review:

As soon as the record begins the listener is immediately assaulted with thick guitars and hammer blasts. Shortly after we get deep bellows of a mad monster. It feels like being picked up by an enormous creature and tossed around all while being yelled at. Maybe this is what it feels like to be dragged into Hell.

Black Curse is yet another member of the ridiculously brilliant death metal scene in Denver (Blood Incantation, Spectral Voice). Of the three bands Black Curse is easily the most violent. While tempo shifts are aplenty and there are dynamic shifts, they never really relent on just kicking your ass the entire time. The difference is that sometimes it feels like a barade of fists and other times more like being picked up and slammed.

It might be true that I just finished watching Attack on Titan and that is undoubtedly influencing my thoughts on this but the idea of death metal sounding like the sonic equal to being tossed around like a tiny doll by giants should be intriguing enough. Beyond the violence though, Black Curse knows how to write a riff that demands physical action of anyone at a live show there to move and even those notorious arm crossers will be undoubtedly making the stank face (you know the one). In short, its death metal you can mosh to as the grooves push the adrenaline up in a way that most bands can only dream of.

Tonally, it is solid at how it accomplishes a thick atmosphere like a bursting fire and the smoke it emits. When the guitars and bass sync up it’s an unstoppable force, especially as the drums pound with an incredibly loud snare. They’ll come in waves, sometimes dropping down to just a bass or guitar line just to be ravaging again in a few seconds later. There are parts that could be called guitar solos but they end up sounding more like bursts of noise, a fact that I appreciate. As good as the riffs are though, it is the diversity in the vocal department that keeps songs from becoming stale as they range from high rasps to deep gutturals and are a high point in the band’s sound all around.

The only real flaw here is that the record is so violent that its near 40 minutes time feels a bit exhausting to endure by the end of it. It is sort of a natural thing for this kind of music, for me anyways. It’s why few of my favorite grindcore albums are longer than half an hour. That isn’t to say that Black Curse is grind at all, only that they share a similar sense of sheer aggression.

Still, I really enjoy Black Curse as they currently exist. The band being so punishing sets them apart from their more atmospheric, methodic, and moody peers in Colorado and they simply do it better than most aggressive death metal bands in general. The genre in 2020 is mostly made up of expressive bands, in the mind and/or the fretboards, and those who look back to the 90s (take your pick of Demilich, Incantation, or Entombed worship). In the middle of this stands “Endless Wound” as an album that just wants to punch you in the mouth.

“Endless Wound” is available HERE

Band info: bandcamp

ALBUM REVIEW: Entombed AD, "Bowels of Earth"

By: Richard Maw

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 30/08/2019

Label: Century Media Records

“Bowels of Earth” CD//DD//LP track listing:

1.Torment Remains
2.Elimination
3.Hell Is My Home
4.Bowels Of Earth
5.Bourbon Nightmare
6.Fit For A King
7.Worlds Apart
8.Through The Eyes Of The Gods
9.I'll Never Get Out Of This World Alive
10.To Eternal Night

The Review:

Three years on from “Dead Dawn” and Entombed AD have returned. As noted at the time, “Dead Dawn” was much better and heavier than “Back to the Front”, which in itself was OK- but little more. Pleasingly, “Bowels of Earth” is heavier and more ferocious again! Thankfully the band seem to perhaps be repeating the trajectory of the original Entombed in the late 90s into the 2000; from the feeble “Same Difference”, through the aggressive “Uprising” and on to the excellent “Morning Star”.

“Torment Remains” is aggressive and heavy, a great opener and “Elimination” is also aggressive and heavy. The production and mix is better this time around, too- the bass rumbles, the guitars grate like a chainsaw, the leads cut through and LG Petrov's trademark bark is firmly in place.

The pace continues into “Hell Is My Home” and I was left thinking, on first listen, that this is everything that “Back to the Front” should have been, but never was: aggressive, fast, feral and hard rocking. The pace change down the back stretch feels great, the riff excellent. The band are firing on all cylinders. The title track rolls out of the speakers full of swagger and is another winner. At this point, the album is really shaping up to be a return to Petrov's glory days of two decades ago.

“Bourbon Nightmare” ratchets up the death and roll factor nicely- pure Motorhead worship and it works really well. AT the halfway point it can be finally said that Entombed AD have ARRIVED. This is leagues ahead of their debut and has built on the much improved “Dead Dawn” with vigour.

The second half of the record is just as good. “Fit For A King” opens things up with a breakneck thrashing pace and straight-ahead riffing. Entombed AD keep things tight and lean with song lengths not going too far beyond what is necessary. That breakneck pace is continued through “Worlds Apart” while one of the best tracks on the album is delivered in “Through The Eyes of The Gods”- which is a real throwback to Entombed's early work and “Wolverine Blues”. It's nasty and mean and would be a great track to pick out if you wanted to hear a snapshot of what the album has to offer.

The two minutes of “I'll Never Get Out Of This World Alive” is a rollicking rocker that acts as the last burst of speed before the band delivers a doom laden epic in the form of “To Eternal Night”. Over the course of the ten tracks it is an absolute pleasure to hear the band rev their engines and play like they mean it. This is light years ahead of Entombed AD's first album and much better than their sophomore effort as well. This is most likely the best Entombed related record since the aforementioned “Morning Star”. It is better than “Inferno” (which was good) and certainly better than “Serpent Saints” as well. Of course, Entombed AD are not Entombed- but this album is a cracker and one that would fit right into Entombed's discography with no issues whatsoever. Recommended.

“Bowels of Earth” is available HERE

Band info: facebook

REVIEW: Six of Swords, “Regime Decay” EP

By: Richard Maw


Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 19/10/2018

Label: Independent

This record is wedded to the corpse of early to mid 90's old school DM and is all the better for it

“Regime Decay” CD//DD track listing:

1). Eye for an Eye

2). No Amnesia

3). Malodorous

4). Hunted

5). Hells Messiah

6). Hedonistic Gluttony

The Review

Six of Swords, Canada's finest death metal troupe, return with this beastly collection of six prime cuts. “Polar Vortex” was an EP release that ran surprisingly hot, reviewed on the blog a few years ago. This record has taken all elements present there and ratcheted them up a notch. 

Once again, the production is clear and powerful and the opener “Eye for an Eye” demonstrates that there is more to the band than out and out speed. The main refrain is straight out of the classic Morbid Angel playbook and the band keep things reined in tight- the expected blast never comes and instead this track is a crawling wretched beast. “No Amnesia” changes gear but not style- very pleasingly, this record is wedded to the corpse of early to mid 90's old school DM and is all the better for it.

Once again, the vocals alternate a little with lows as the main course and highs as the extra. “Malodorous” is a fetid exhalation of doomy breath, but the band also switches up to much faster pacing here as well. Excellent lead work and unexpected dynamics come up for air here too- great track. “Hunted” continues the tar-thick vibes and brings with it an Entombed-esque rhythmic approach.

“Hells Messiah” and “Hedonistic Gluttony” continue with some Euro/Swe-Death flourishes and it is clear that SOS have built upon the great “Polar Vortex” to hone and expand their sound. There are some great riffs here, some great leads, an excellent production and nothing that goes too over the top- no endless blasting, no pointless tracks that go nowhere. This is a focused and lean release that I heartily recommend to fans of any band mentioned in this review.

“Regime Decay” is available HERE

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

ALBUM REVIEW: 71TONMAN - "Earthwreck"

By: Chris Bull

Album Type: Full length

Date Released: 08/09/2017

Label: Black Bow Records

 71TONMAN  absolutely bludgeon the listener with hammer blows of relentless doom

“Earthwreck” CD//DD track listing

1. Lifeless

2. Negative

3. Phobia

4). Zero

5). Torment

6). Spiral

The Review:

Subtlety isn't something usually associated with sludge/doom, realistically, why should it? Poland's 71TONMAN, the latest to signing for Jon Davis' Black Bow Records, show no sign of straying from the well trodden path with 'Earthwreck'.

'Lifeless' sees 71TONMAN let you take a deep breath before absolutely bludgeoning with hammer blows of relentless doom. The death growl vocals make the songs reminiscent of Winter but have more in common with the likes of Dismember and Entombed with the way they echo into the psyche. 'Negative' has more to offer melodically than most doom bands do on entire albums, without losing the malicious, pummeling heaviness. 'Phobia' toys with the sensibilities of the traditional doom fan; this is extreme metal chump, save your talk of pentatonic scales for the millions of Kyuss/Church Of Misery rip offs! The sheer weight of the track makes you hyper aware of gravity and just when you think you can nod your head to the groove, they mangle the formula and have you gurning with glee.

'Zero' offers brief respite as the industrial noise is penetrated by clean guitars and syncopated drums before going whole hog with devastating riffs. 'Torment' makes great use of atmosphere to season the heaviness and 'Spiral' chops at your ear drums with its tremelo picking before smashing the weighty yet wonderfully catchy, riffs. Excellent stuff.

I don't like to write negative points about bands, and I'm not going to here, my only mild criticism would be that with 6 songs lasting 9 minutes each, the slog can be difficult to manage. Luckily there are plenty of intricacies throughout to keep your attention. I had the fortune of playing with these guys in Warsaw a few weeks back and I can confirm that they absolutely slay. A gem of a release.

“Earthwreck” is available here

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

FOR THOSE ABOOT TO ROCK: Riffs of Canada with Occvlt Hand (Winnipeg, Manitoba)

By: Mark Tremblay

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 13/09/2017

Label: Possessed Records

“Not Everyone Deserves a Happy Ending” is full of riffs; riffs that pummel, slow-to-a-crawl, and riffs that grind everything to dust. Occvlt Hand have really created an exercise in the variety of heavy riffs one can employ on a record without ever repeating themselves, or creating a similar experience.  

“Not Everyone Deserves A Happy Ending” CD//DD//LP track listing:

1). Intro

2). Smash My Bones, Inhale The Dust

3). Michael

4). Total fucking Absence of Light

5). He Who Walks Behind The Rows

6). Interlude

7). Long Live The New Flesh

8). Not Everyone Deserves A Happy Ending

The Review:

Occvlt Hand have unleashed their slab of Crowbar/Entombed worship sludge metal. This album has one goal, to be a crushingly heavy experience for the listener.  Although it is the bands first full length record, the pacing and sonic flow of the album is spot on. This is not merely a collection of heavy tracks, but a logical flow of ideas. Playing this record in a different order would almost cheapen the experience. Very few young bands appreciate the experience of an album, so it is impressive the way Occvlt Hand is able to write with this in mind.

“Not Everyone Deserves a Happy Ending” is full of riffs; riffs that pummel, slow-to-a-crawl, and riffs that grind everything to dust. Occvlt Hand have really created an exercise in the variety of heavy riffs one can employ on a record without ever repeating themselves, or creating a similar experience.  What is perhaps the most exciting thing about the record is to see where Occvlt Hand goes from here. It seems that the possibilities for this band going forward are endless.

“Not Everyone Deserves  A Happy Ending” is available here

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

TRACK PREMIERE: Sussex old school death metallers Subservience make you suffer with "In Depravity They Dwell"

On August 11 2017, Black Bow Records will release “Forest Of The Impaled” by UK death metal band SUBSERVIENCE.

Drawing influence from the classic death metal bands of yesteryear as well as the recent breed of modern greats, brutal Sussex quartet Subservience are gathering a good reputation across the country and beyond with their corrosive blend of groove laden extreme metal. You will find no self-indulgent displays here; Subservience put on a stage show that certainly pulls no punches

Their live show has earned them a reputation as one of the heaviest bands on the south coast, and has rewarded them with slots at Download Festival and Hammerfest, as well as support slots with underground heavyweights Blood Red Throne, Xerath, Bloodshot Dawn, Hour of Penance, Demonic Resurrection, Flayed Disciple and Eye of Solitude

Brimming over with concentrated fury and a taste for chaos, they have released several increasingly brutal EPs that had been met with a great reception among their ever growing fan base. Their debut album has been mixed and mastered by Paul “Win” Winstanley and is set for release on August 11 2017.  Today and only at THE SLUDGELORD you check out a brand new track below.  A must for fans of Old School Death Metal, Entombed, Deicide and Bolt Thrower.

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

ALBUM REVIEW: Entrails - “World Inferno”

By: Richard Maw

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 16/06/2017

Label: Metal Blade Records

I can't find any fault with this album from intense opener to epic closer of “The Blood Breed”, the band don't put a foot wrong. This is raging death metal, plain and simple

“World Inferno” CD//DD//LP track listing:

1. World Inferno
2. Condemned to the Grave
3. Serial Murder (Death Squad)
4. The Soul Collector
5. Dead and Buried
6. Insane Slaughter
7. Into Eternal Fire
8. Suffer
9. The Hour of the Casket
10. The Blood Breed

The Review:

Hot on the heels of the latest Paganizer album comes this absolute treat of Swe-death from the 100% reliable Entrails. This is raging death metal, plain and simple. If last outing “Obliteration” was finely crafted and even a little (just a little) restrained in places, this is feral and completely unfettered by any kind of restraint.

That's not to say that there aren't songs here, there most certainly are. The title track opener is catchy and perfectly honed in terms of riffs and hooks. That Boss HM-2 sound is firmly present and correct. Sound wise, this perhaps harks back to “Raging Death” more than “Obliteration” as it features bludgeoning drums, chainsaw guitars and distorted bass of monumentally gnarly proportions. Once again, there are no weak tracks here; “Condemned to the Grave” is a chugging beast that offers a slight change of pace, while elsewhere there are genuinely catchy moments in “Serial Murder (Death Squad)” with its echoes of ATG in the riffage, neck snapping rhythms on “Dead and Buried” and outright carnage on “Insane Slaughter” after the atmospheric intro.

There are slower stomping moments here and there and the band can swing when it wants to; “The Soul Collector” and “Into Internal Fire” are both fine examples. All tracks are focused and none stray below three and a half minutes or beyond six. Always exponents of thrash pacing and mid tempos rather than insane blasts, Entrails can concentrate nicely on the songs and vibe instead of out and out speed- refreshingly old school to my ears.

Of course, the shadows of Entombed and Dismember are ever present, but so what? If you are going to operate in a sub-genre, only the best references are relevant. The likes of “Suffer” would slot perfectly onto anything great recorded by the aforementioned bands. Honestly, I can't find any fault with this album from intense opener to epic closer of “The Blood Breed”, the band don't put a foot wrong. Between Paganizer and Entrails, we are being spoilt by the quality of Swedish death metal right now. Buy both records and head bang non-stop.

“World Inferno” is available now

Band info: facebook

FFO: Entombed, Grave, Dismember, Paganizer

ALBUM REVIEW: Vallenfyre - "Fear Those Who Fear Him"

By: Andre Almaraz

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 02/06/2017

Label: Century Media Records

All in all it’s another good album that sees the band dishing out shorter and faster songs than we’re used to getting from them, while not losing the razor sharp edge of that classic Vallenfyre musical mastery and might.

“Fear Those Who Fear Him” CD//DD//LP track listing:

01. Born To Decay
02. Messiah
03. Degeneration
04. An Apathetic Grave
05. Nihilist
06. Amongst The Filth
07. The Merciless Tide
08. Dead World Breathes
09. Soldier Of Christ
10. Cursed From The Womb
11. Kill All Your Masters
12. Temple Of Rats

The Review:

Vallenfyre is a band that should need no introduction. The group has been kicking all kinds of ass since their 2011 debut and continue to release quality albums approximately every three years, up to and including this year’s new release, “Fear Those Who Fear Him,” which just dropped on June 2, 2017. 

This third full length instalment consists of twelve songs, half of which are under three minutes in length, which is somewhat of a departure from their usual repertoire. The album opens with slow-burner, “Born To Decay,” which gradually warms up and lasts for only about a minute before all cylinders are firing and “Messiah” rips in full force with a classic grindcore blast of spinning buzzsaws that make you feel like you’re trapped in the middle of a drug induced late night knife fight. Then “Degeneration” comes in like a lion and pounds your meat into a tenderized patty with repeated blows of led boots to the head. These first three songs blend together for me, even after repeated listens, seeming as if the three parts make up one mass movement amounting to a seven minute long frenzy. This is most likely due partially to very brief gaps between songs with the best possible outcome. I actually found myself going back several times to figure out exactly where one song ended and the other began. I don’t know if this was the intended effect the band was looking to portray when they laid out the songs of the album but I thought it was a pretty cool experience which left me a bit bewildered in a good way.

When “An Apathetic Grave” kicks in as song number four, this is when the album noticeably shifts gears for the first time and gets down to that sweet and sour Swedeath molasses that Vallenfyre is always able to lay down so masterfully. This one song is just about as long as the flurry of the first three combined. It puts the album right where it needs to be and not a moment too soon as it leaves you with an uneasy feeling in your stomach and radiation poisoning in your mind. Shortly thereafter, “Nihilist” chimes in for a two minute blast like Napalm Death high on a fistful of Swedish crack. “Amongst The Filth” is a dastardly mid-paced head bobber that gallops and grooves over trampled, broken bodies, and gives us a few minutes to reflect on the previous hail storm before the madness returns with the dying world anthem, “Kill All Your Masters.” 

“The Merciless Tide” comes in with more grimoire and groove-laden layers of lightning bolt guitars and “Dead World Breathes” unapologetically jams your face into the bench grinder with no mercy shown. Drums and bass crack the whip and sink your ship as they shove you down further with powerful rage for the most punishing forty seconds of your life. “Soldier Of Christ” has some really interesting shuffled grooves with galloping hooves. The new drummer really shines with an abundance of creative beats and fills on this one. 

“Cursed From The Womb” brings us back to that menacing Swedoom and gloom for what is only the second instalment of slowness on the album. This is the longest song; the epic proportionately speaking, the lyrics of which are where the album title comes from. This is one cruel slab of menacing death doom with an abrupt ending that leaves you empty and questioning your own shallow existence. Album closer, “Temple Of Rats” just feels like the perfect album closer. It’s a belligerent blast of eloquently expressed brutality. It feels like the band put down some serious thought when it came to laying out the order of the songs.

Vallenfyre are masters of combining elements of death, doom, crust, grind, sludge, and all other things we hold dear. They put it all in a blender and then regurgitate the slurry into a delightful elixir that many metal heads regard as divine ambrosia. I would say that in general, this album comes off as being faster and punchier than previous efforts, and that the overall tone of the mix is a bit more on the thin crust side with considerably less bottom end than the previous two full lengths. All in all it’s another good album that sees the band dishing out shorter and faster songs than we’re used to getting from them, while not losing the razor sharp edge of that classic Vallenfyre musical mastery and might.

“Fear Those Who Fear Him” is available now



Band info: facebook

FFO: Entombed, Bloodbath, Bolt Thrower, Paradise Lost

ALBUM REVIEW: Deserted Fear - "Dead Shores Rising"

By: Richard Maw

Album Type: Full  Length

Date Released: 27/01/2017

Label: Century Media Records

This is finely honed death metal, referencing all the greats of the genre from this side of the pond and managing to create an identity all of its own. Deserted Fear are ones to watch for sure: feral stuff, crushing all in their path. This album puts 2017 off to a great start for death metal!

“Dead Shores Rising” CD//DD//LP track listing:

1). Intro

2). The Fall of Leaden Skies

3). The Edge of Insanity

4). Open the Gates

5). Corrosion of Souls

6). Interlude

7). Towards Humanity

8). The Carnage

9). Face Our Destiny

10). Till the Last Drop

11). Carry On

12). A Morbid Vision

13). The Path of Sorrow

The Review:

Deserted Fear specialise in the kind of death metal so beloved of Scandinavian and European bands. Don't think Nile or Immolation. Think Asphyx and Entombed. This is the band's third full length and they bring their Teutonic terror to the masses in fine style here. The tanks roll, the sound is pleasingly clear and bright, but with the right amount of grit to make this sound... real.

No super fast blasting here, no so-low-you-can-barely-hear-them vocals. This is honest to goodness (not much goodness) death metal from Germania. “The Fall of Leaden Skies” is the first track after a scene setting intro and it really sums up the record: if you like this one then “The Edge of Sanity” will get your neck snapping in similar fashion.

The band offer up their own sound, but the aforementioned bands, Revel in Flesh, At The Gates, Dismember and so on are all valid reference points. “Corrosion of Souls”, “Towards Humanity” and “The Carnage” offer up concise and rocking workouts; the song writing is lean and effective: riffs, changes, good vocals. Some tracks are pacier than others, but this is all head nodding stuff. Death metal, as I live and breathe!

“Face Our Destiny”, “Till the Last Drop” and “Carry On” cap off the album in grandstanding style; so consistent are the band in their sound that the record just flies by. The album also comes with two bonus tracks, both of admirably high quality and a nice touch from Century Media to include them.  “A Morbid Vision” was my favourite of the two, with its' Bolt Thrower esque pacing. There is absolutely nothing to complain about here. This is finely honed death metal, referencing all the greats of the genre from this side of the pond and managing to create an identity all of its own. Deserted Fear are ones to watch for sure: feral stuff, crushing all in their path. This album puts 2017 off to a great start for death metal!

“Dead Shores Rising” is available now

Band info: facebook

FFO: Grave, Bolt Thrower, Asphyx, Bodyfarm

AL BUM REVIEW: Revel in Flesh - "Emissary of all Plagues"

By: Richard Maw

Album Review: Full Length

Date Released: 02/12/2016

Label: Cyclone Empire

This record is a simple proposition: death metal, of the old school Euro/Scandy variety- done well with vicious conviction and one that demands attention from even casual fans of the genre.

“Emissary of all Plagues” CD//DD track listing:

1). Emissary of all Plague

2). Casket Ride

3). Fortress of Gloom

4). Servants of the Deathkult

5). Torture Throne

6). The Dead Lives On

7). Lord of Flesh

8). Sepulchral Passage

9). Dead to this World

10). Doctor, Doctor (UFO cover)

The Review:

Revel in Flesh may sound like a throwback to the early 90's with the Dismember and Entombed (you could tell from the name, right?) buzz saw sound and aggression- but their melodic riffing hints at later genre examples and if you know that they have actually only been around for half a decade, well, it makes even more sense.

Revel in Flesh have quite the work rate and this full length beast follows up their last album from 2014 and several splits since then. This record is a simple proposition: death metal, of the old school Euro/Scandy variety- done well with vicious conviction. There are hooks here; the song and phrase “Fortress of Gloom” will enter your consciousness after only one listen and there is no mindless blasting. This is a dark record, but not without catchy elements. The opening title track sets the tone perfectly and there are nods to prior work on “Servants of the Deathkult”.

The band even throw in a cover of “Doctor Doctor” (yes, by UFO!) to close out the album- this is a lot better than you may think it would be, but still with a  little too much novelty factor for my liking. The heads down thrashing and blasting of “The Torture Throne” is where the band's strengths really lie and when Revel in Flesh really lay things down, they do so with aplomb. “The Dead Lives” on is another prime example of the band's furious sound.

The band keep things tight and focused, even on (relatively) longer songs such as “Lord of Flesh”- which is a doom laden delight worthy of Asphyx. Through faster material such as “Sepulchral Passage” through the latter stages of the record, the band don't ease off the gas. This isn't a front loaded record- it remains strong throughout. For my money, these guys along with Entrails are the best out there at this kind of death metal these days. Cyclone Empire have an ear and nose for this type of thing- the label has delivered quality albums again and again (when is the next Icons of Brutality album coming out?!) and this is another addition to their sterling back catalogue.

The album's closing original material is “Dead to This World” which utilises a longer playing time to good effect and allows the band to run through the gears while creating a deathly atmosphere. This is a very fine death metal record, quite simply, and one that demands attention from even casual fans of the genre. All hail Revel in Flesh- long may they reign.

“Emissary of all Plagues” is available here

Band info: facebook

FFO: Entrails, Dismember, Entombed, Puteraeon