Posts By: Apoch

Review - Carnifex: Slow Death

Posted by & filed under Metal, Reviews.

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Since reuniting in 2013 after briefly disbanding a year prior, California deathcore act Carnifex have found themselves taking on a far bleaker sound with their output. A blackened one, if you will. It was a sensation one could always feel on earlier works, but it wasn’t until 2014’s Die Without Hope that this jump became far more obvious. Comparisons to influences from bands like Deceased to Emperor were thrown about from long time fans and even some nay-sayers alike. Many wondered if this was just a stylistic choice for this album, or if they would continue to nurture their sound for future recordings. Enter 2016’s Slow Death, the next chapter of progression and second to be told through Nuclear Blast Records. But does this effort stand out like last time, or has the band reverted back to their old ways?

Review - In Cauda Venenum / Heir / Spectrale: Split

Posted by & filed under Metal, Reviews.

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Emanations Records is a subdivision of the french underground experimental black metal label Les Acteurs de l’Ombre Productions. This is where we find the brand new split release between relatively fresh acts In Cauda Venenum, Heir, and Spectrale, all hailing from Emanations’ home country. The release brings together the atmospheric to the sludgy across seven tracks, three a piece save for In Cauda Venenum who only gets one due to the track’s length. But will this digisleeve turn newcomers into fans, or will it only turn them off given the placement of the performances themselves?

Review - Carnage Inc.: Fury Incarnate

Posted by & filed under Metal, Reviews.

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Transcending Obscurity Distribution always has a knack for finding some of the best Indian and middle eastern talents, and doing what they can to pull them right to the forefront of the metal world. This is no exception for the recent signing of old-school thrashers Carnage Inc.. The four-piece act is issuing their debut five song EP Fury Incarnate today [August 1st, 2016] to the unsuspecting masses, riding off a steady storm of praise for their old-school ways. But does this particular act bring anything substantial to the table, or is it nothing but worship with a middle eastern accent?

First - Opeth: Sorceress

Posted by & filed under Features, First Impression.

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A few minutes ago a friend of mine pointed me in the direction of a new Opeth track streaming on Youtube, which happens to be the title track from the group’s forthcoming album Sorceress, or so it claims to be. Assuming this was from Nuclear Blast Records or a member of the group itself, I opted to check it out and write a piece up on it so the metal could be spread around properly. However, it turns out this was just a leak from a random user (or so it would appear given said user has only uploaded this video to that channel and it surprisingly has yet to be taken down) with a link to download said song. Due to that, I won’t be including the video and you guys can go find it for yourselves if it still exists. That said, this song was not quite what I was expecting.

Review - Bulletsize: Pansar

Posted by & filed under Metal, Reviews.

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Bulletsize had originally formed in 2004 as Metal Wings, releasing two full-lengths and an EP in the little time that entity existed. Come 2006, the name was dropped to what we have today due to a change in musical direction. Gone were the days of heavy metal performances, replaced by a mixture of death metal and thrash that saw the band’s popularity grow even more. After a demo in 2008, their self-title dropped later that year through Talien Sin Records. Over the years there were two more full-lengths, an EP, as well as a line-up change that introduced guitarist Kjell Berg in 2009 and Tzaraath bassist David “Abaddon” NexĂ©us in 2013 to the mix alongside remaining founding drummer Niklas Gidlund (Harassed) and vocalist/guitarist Andreas Persson (Stormgoat, ex-Hellavator). Now the four-piece presents their latest album, Pansar, which was initially released by the band independently in May of 2016, but since has been picked up by Iron, Blood & Death Corporation for an August release of that same year. But is this really the metal assault one would hope for, or was it best left in the digital depths?