Bluthammer--Iron Eagle Division CS {WolfKult Religion} done on 8-27-25

Vicious, intense, pounding war metal is what Bluthammer give us on this, their first release. It's cleanly produced which is unusual for this style. The drumming sets this apart also, being some of the more talented material I've ever heard in a band in this style, while still stiff and militant, with super-fast grinding blast beats. The guitars are largely repetitious with what I call "vacuum cleaner riffs," but with enough variation in each song that they'll imprint on your brain, especially since they do slow down once in a while. The singer employs a death growl, but it sounds almost pitch shifted, which is wild. Or at least a layer of it is pitch shifted. Whatever the case, it sounds evil as fuck. I enjoy listening to war metal sparingly since so much of it is the same, while giving the masters like Blasphemy, Black Witchery, Conqueror, or Revenge most of my attention, but occasionally something good comes a long like this that breaks the mold just a little bit while sticking to the genre conventions and catches my attention. Highly recommended for all the black/death maniacs out there.

https://www.wolfkultreligion.com

https://wolfkultreligion.bandcamp.com

https://www.facebook.com/WolfKultReligion777

https://www.instagram.com/wolfkultreligion/

TombWorm--WormWar III CD{CDN Rec.} done on8-24-25

 

TombWorm is a trio that comes out of Canada's brutal old school death metal scene.WormWar III is the debut EP.featuring six songs of  brutal and raw death metal that is catchy and delievers great sounding death metal.The music presented here on the debut is a mix of heavy,mid paced guitars and drum passages.The guitars and drums to speed to a more fast pace range throughout the songs to give each song a nice balance.The vocals are brutal death metal growls and some deep death growls are also used,If you are a fan of early Cannibal Corpse,Autopsy etc defintly give TombWorm a chance and check them out today.                                                                                                                                     TombWorm                                                                                                                                                    https://www.facebook.com/people/TombWorm/61576335715633/                                                            CDN Records                                                                                                                                                 https://cdnrecords.com/shop/                                                                                                                        https://cdnrecords.bandcamp.com/music                                                                                                     https://www.facebook.com/cdnrecords                                                                                                         https://www.instagram.com/cdn_records/                                                                                                     

Violator--Unholy Retribution cd{Kill Again Rec.} done on 8-23-25

 

Brazil's Violator return with a new release of relentless  and aggressive thrash metal.Unholy Retribution is the newest full length with eight anthems of violent and intense authentic thrash metal.The guitars are played with skillful writing that is fast and furious guitar passages.The guitarists does perform some well played solo's and memorable guitar patterns.The drums are a mix of heavy mid paced drums and some chaotic fast drum passages.Both styles are done with power and experience.The vocals are raw screams that are powerful in the delievery.Their are also some hollering style vocals used in a few tracks.If you are a fan of  well executed and delievered thrash metal do yourself a favor and pick up a copy of Unholy Retribution today.                                                                                                                 Violator                                                                                                                                                        https://violatorthrash.bandcamp.com/music                                                                                              https://www.facebook.com/Violatorthrash                                                                                              https://www.instagram.com/violatorthrash/                                                                                                   Kill Again Rec.                                                                                                                                              https://www.killagainrec.com/                                                                                                                     https://www.facebook.com/KillAgainRecords                                                                                             https://www.instagram.com/killagainrec/                                                                                                     

Pestilential Shadows--Wretch cd{Northern Silence} done on 8-16-25

 

Australia's Black Metal masters Pestilential Shadows return with their latest full length.Wretch contains eight tracks of well played traditonal black metal.The guitars are played with a mix of extreme fast paced guitars that are chaotic at the same time well performed.The guitars do slow to a more controlled mid paced with some memorable passages even adding in a few guitar solo's.The drumming is top notch with some mid paced heavy.pounding drums that are powerful in their delievery.The drummer does speed to a much faster drum style with chaotic,fast drum patterns.The vocals are grim,raw black metal screams and some  gruff growls and screams are also used in a few tracks.I have been a fan of this Australian band for many years and this is a great release to add to your collection if you are a fan of this band or just well delievered black metal.                                                                                                Pestilential Shadows                                                                                                                                      https://pestilentialshadows.bandcamp.com/merch                                                                                        https://www.facebook.com/PestilentialShadowsOfficial                                                                        https://www.instagram.com/pestilentialshadows/                                                                                      Northern Silence Prod.                                                                                                                                  https://northern-silence.de/en/                                                                                                                        https://northernsilenceproductions.bandcamp.com/                                                                                      https://www.facebook.com/NorthernSilenceProductions                                                                              https://www.instagram.com/northernsilenceproductions/                                                                                                                                                                                                         

Empalamento-- Album: Ep "Ordem da Estaca" cd{Haloran Records} review done by Cátia Godinho "Caos" done on 8-16-25

 

In recent years, for the first time, I had the immense satisfaction of knowing a Portuguese band that was recreating the art of a musical cult which existed for a brief period in the 1990s in France, a cult represented by a select few artists, who were called Les Légions Noires.

It could even be said that the band Empalamento is the mirror image of "Vlad Tepes", 90's French musical project, as a Portuguese version, in the best sense of the terem. 

The duo "Lord Drahkul" and "NekroTeppes" , completely inspired by the history and legend “Count Vlad Dracul,” a mesmerizing obsession deeply rooted in Eastern European legends. 

If that weren’t enough, the album is intensely dark, freezing, a true delight for fans of pure raw black metal.Each track succumbs to a 90s production, without clean sounds, a total atmosphere of sucking blood and petrifying us, allowing us to go back to the golden age of raw black metal, with blast beats from another dimension.

The production is terrifying and full of minimalist old school creation, with a very dark and gloomy atmosphere, creepy vocals, and riffs so rare and old school, guitar solos that we can easily say we are really back to the cult of 30 years ago.

Tracks such as “O Sangue Escorre” and “Ascensão Obscura” will echo and repeat themselves in the minds of fans and followers of the genre.

The debut EP “Ordem da Estaca” brings us a new band with the potential to become eternal with their serious and professional Pure Minimalist Raw Black Metal.

9/10

Cátia Godinho "Caos"

Cruentation--Damned Fallen Angels cd&LP{IronBonehead Rec.} done on 8-12-25

Cruentation is a trio  coming out of Massachusetts and this is a review of the bands debut full length.Damned Fallen Angels is ten tracks of brutal violent and uncomprimising black and death metal.The drums are a barrage of relentless blast beats that will pummel the listener.The vocals are a mix of brutal growls and insane screams and shrieks.If you are a fan of extreme and relentless,blasting black death metal then do not miss out on Damned Fallen Angels when it is released.                            Cruentation                                                                                                                                                    
 https://cruentation1.bandcamp.com/                                                                                                             https://www.facebook.com/people/Cruentation/100083550304988/                                                            https://www.instagram.com/mastersperversity/                                                                                           Iron  Bonehead  Prod.                                                                                                                                    https://ironbonehead.de/                                                                                                                               https://ironboneheadproductions.bandcamp.com/                                                                                         https://www.facebook.com/IronBoneheadProductions                                                                                 https://www.instagram.com/ironboneheadproductions/?hl=en                                                                     

Deathhammer--Crimson Dawn CD/LP/CS {Hells Headbangers} done on 8-10-25

Deathhammer is a name that should be known to you if you've followed either black metal or thrash at any point in the last 20 years. Their records for Hells Headbangers always strike quick and hard, and this one is no exception, which is a feat for a sixth studio album and a band with a defined sound. See, some of us in the underground (yes, there is still an underground, more of a spirit now than an actual network) like when a band doesn't change drastically. Sure they can throw new sorts of riffs at us, new little tricks, but if the core remains the same we are generally happy with it as long as the quality remains high. Deathhammer is a band like that. They don't change, they don't "progress," they don't do anything other than what they've promised us, and that is deliver fast blackthrash in the best way possible. Echoes of Norwegian black metal's sound can be heard under the corpsepile of Germanic thrash and speed metal, as can some Celtic Frost influence in some certain songs. This is about the old ways of metal, not the trends that exist today. They came to prominence at a point when blackened thrash was on the rise, and now that it's cemented itself as a subgenre, this band has taken a kingly position among the rest. Songwriting is their key to success, as well as an underrated ability to play some truly tricky and skilled stuff that's hiding in all the madness. They do have a sense of melody behind the crashing drums and aggressive riffs. Every song here is memorable in the same way as the records you bought when you first found metal and were blown away by Destruction, Kreator, or Sodom, whether it was in the majestic 1980s or the early 1990s as those bands were stripping the blackness out of their sound for something more polished but still violent. I hesitate to compare them too closely to those progenitors since their sounds have strayed so far from what Deathhammer is doing. This is honest music, not an attempt at nostalgia, and should be regarded as such. Just because they are playing a style made famous in the 1980s does not mean the style lived and died in that decade and didn't attract a new set of followers and purveyors. Go to Hells, get this album when it's out, and be thrashed into pulp. You will not be disappointed. Note: the cover is also awesome, I love when bands use photos of themselves.

Deathhammer

https://deathhammer.bandcamp.com/

http://www.facebook.com/deathhammerofficial

https://instagram.com/deathhammerofficial

https://www.metal-archives.com/bands/Deathhammer/57061

Hells Headbangers

https://shop-hellsheadbangers.com/

https://www.facebook.com/hellsheadbangers

https://www.instagram.com/hellsheadbangers

Desaster--Kill All Idols cd&LP{Metal Blade Rec.} done on 8-9-25

 

Germany's long running black thrashers return with their tenth full length.Kill All Idols.Featuring ten tracks of thrashing anthems that are played with extremity and quality musicianship.The guitars are played with a mix of fast thrashing guitars and some memorable patterns.The drums are done with some hyperspeed blast beats that are chaotic yet well performmed.The drummer does slow to a heavier mid paced drum style in a few of the songs.The vocals are raw gruff screams and gruff growls that fit the music nicely.Kill All Idols is a really good release of true blackend thrash metal that should please all fans of this genre and band itself.                                                                                                                   Desaster                                                                                                                                                         https://desaster.bandcamp.com/album/kill-all-idols                                                                                      https://www.facebook.com/666Desaster666                                                                                                https://www.instagram.com/desaster_official/                                                                                             Metal Blade Rec.                                                                                                                                           https://www.metalblade.com/us/                                                                                                                   https://www.facebook.com/metalbladerecords                                                                                             https://www.instagram.com/metalbladerecords/                                                                                           

Black Ancestry--Possessed In Chains cd&digital {Blasphemous Art production} done on 8-4-25

 

Italy's  Black Ancestry  have unleashed their debut Possessed In Chains which is old school black thrash at it's finest.The guitars are played with fast and furious guitar patterns that are extremely well played and delievered.The guitarist executes some well performed solo's and guitar passages.The drums are played with extremly fast paced drum passages that are played with high intentisity.The drummer does perform some memorable drum parts throughout the songs.The vocals are raw black metal screams that fit the music perfectly.Their are also some well done raw and gruff death metal  vocals  used in a few of the tracks.Possessed In Chains is a great release of aggressive raw black thrashing metal so if you are a fan do yourself a favor and check it out today.                                                                                          Black Ancestry                                                                                                                                               https://blackancestry.bandcamp.com/album/possessed-in-chains                                                                 https://www.facebook.com/people/Black-Ancestry/100064157284559/#                                                   https://www.instagram.com/black_ancestry_666/                                                                                      Blasphemous Art production                                                                                                                      https://www.instagram.com/blasphemous_art_productions/

Ethereal Wound--DefilelDemise digital release{Lowered Head Rec.} done on 8-3-25

 

Ethereal Wound is a duo who comes  out of Portugal's black death metal scene and this is a review of the debut full Defile1Demise featuring six tracks of heavy, blackend death metal.Musically the duo blends moody desolate mid paced and more aggressive and brutal passages to create a grim release.The guitars are a mix of mid paced guitars that are heavy and crushing.The guitars do speed to a faster more aggressive style throughout the songs.The drums are equally well delievered with a mix of slow to mid paced drums that are devestating.And some faster upbeat drums.The vocals are heavy,death metal growls that are done with power.This  is my first  encounter with Ethereal Wound but if you are a fan of dark death metal that is played with intense and devestating musicial passages be sure to check these guys out today.                                                                                                                                              Ethereal Wound                                                                                                                                            https://etherealwound.bandcamp.com/album/defile-demise                                                                      https://www.facebook.com/people/Ethereal-Wound/61557928844930/                                                  Lowered Head Rec                                                                                                                                         https://loweredheadrecords.bandcamp.com/                                                                                                 https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61578267781477                                                                      

Medieval Demon--All Powers of Darkness CD/LP {Hells Headbangers} reviewed by Andrew done on 8-1-25

Medieval Demon plays excellent black metal with killer riffs and a strong sense of cold melody on this, their fifth full length. Greece has turned out some great black metal over the years, but this really shines. It's not often a record that's this atmospheric with keyboards in every track scratches my itch, but this is done exceptionally well. It's a wall of sound that's talented, genuine, well-produced, and authentic. There are layers of horrific and (of course) medieval-style melodies on the keys. The drums thunder at times (and I think, unless it's sampled, there are tympani drums involved), bringing that old black metal feel to the record. The guys truly stand apart from the pack - the talent for songwriting alone manages this, but their sound, while hearkening back to the Norwegian sound, is all their own. They don't sound like any other band out there right now, at least that I've heard. 

Medieval Demon

https://medievaldemon.bandcamp.com/merch

https://www.facebook.com/MedievalDemonOfficial

https://www.instagram.com/lordapollyon/

Hells Headbangers

https://shop-hellsheadbangers.com/

https://www.facebook.com/hellsheadbangers

https://www.instagram.com/hellsheadbangers

http://hellsheadbangers.bandcamp.com/

https://www.youtube.com/user/hellsheadbangers666