It’s not uncommon to hear about how much someone’s favorite band means to them. For as long as there has been music, people have been drawing strength and comfort from their favorite performers. Finding a band that speaks to you and that you can relate to can be an immense sense of relief when you…
Metal stands in opposition. The mainstream, the church, politicians, pop culture…all tend to thumb their noses at metal and metalheads. Who gives a shit though? What’s popular is very rarely what’s good, and what makes the big bucks is usually, at the least, compromised and at worst, completely manufactured. If the music we loved was…
Spain’s Undead knows damn well how to make a killer death metal record that won’t die. Since bursting onto the scene in 2015 with their debut EP, Blood Enemy, Undead has steadily built a following and a name for themselves as purveyors of true, classic death metal. The promise of their early EPs was fulfilled on…
Blaze of Sorrow, which formed in 2007, damn well knows what it takes to make a black metal album stick. Since their debut, L’Ultimo Respiro, in 2008, the band has put out seven albums of killer, atmospheric black metal. The Blaze of Sorrow sound takes traditional elements from classic black metal bands and blends them…
There’s an inherent sadness in the human condition. Life can be great and all but, like Bruce Dickinson once sang, “as soon as you’re born, you’re dying.” Take comfort and refuge in whatever works for you but, when it’s all said and done, we’re really all just decaying sacks of meat in a pot that’s…
Within the world of extreme metal, Sweden has been bringing death to all for quite some time. Be it Dismember, Entombed, At the Gates, or Bloodbath, Sweden’s contributions to the timeless art of death metal needs no question. Between the HM-2 drenched buzzy style of death to the melodic Gothenburg sound, Swedish bands haven’t just…
It’s been a long road out of Hell but, if you’re a fan of speed metal, you’re probably damn sure that Hellcrash made the journey. After forming in 2013 and dropping their Ready to Burn in Hell demo, audiences were left with scant offerings from Hellcrash over the next set of years. Outside of a split and…
The world is full of chaos. That’s not a new idea or a statement that’s particularly profound but it’s true. Although this has always been the case, it certainly feels like the chaotic nature of everything has been ramping up over the past stretch of years. Sometimes it feels like the world is sitting on a…
Checking in on the human condition isn’t exactly a chipper task these days. Granted, things haven’t been going smoothly in the world for quite some time, but lately it feels like everything has been kicked into overdrive and the fire is getting out of control. We could dive into examples galore but that’s a little…
Having fun is sometimes an overlooked part of metal. Beneath all the buckets of blood, corpsepaint scowls, and arguments over who is or is not trve kvlt, the music is there to be enjoyed. Sure, some bands might not come out and say they want you to have “fun” with their ultra-serious endeavor and that…