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metal music reviews (new releases)

CRYPTORIUM Malignant Crucifixion

EP · 2025 · Death Metal

3.00 | 1 rating

UMUR

"Malignant Crucifixion" is an EP release by Swedish death metal act Cryptorium. The EP was independently released in February 2025. It follows the release of Cryptorium´s November 2024 debut full-length studio album "Descent into Lunacy". The EP consists of four tracks and features a 14:06 minutes long playing time.

"Schizophrenic" and "Black Despondency" were both recorded during the sessions for "Descent into Lunacy" but left off the debut album. "Schizophrenic" is an old demo track, which in it´s original version was included on the July 2023 "Cryptic Bloodlust" demo, but this version sounds vastly different to the version found on the demo. Stylistically the material on "Malignant Crucifixion" is in one of the more filthy and raw versions of old school Swedish death metal out there and that goes for both the studio tracks and the two live tracks which bookend the EP. Extremely raw, murky, and intense old school death metal.

The quality of the songwriting is decent, the sound production raw and organic, and the musicianship solid, but "Malignant Crucifixion" is not a release which adds much to what was presented on "Descent into Lunacy". A 2.5 - 3 star (55%) rating is warranted.

3 days ago
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Report #885033

MOONDARK The Abysmal Womb

Album · 2024 · Death Metal

3.50 | 1 rating

UMUR

"The Abysmal Womb" is the debut full-length studio album by Swedish death metal act Moondark. The album was released through Pulverised Records in December 2024. Moondark was a very shortlived group who formed, released a demo, and then disbanded all within the year of 1993. Several members of Moondark subsequently went on to form Dellamorte. Moondark reunited in 2011 and re-issued their 1993 demo as the 2015 "The Shadowpath" demo/album. "The Abysmal Womb" is however their first real studio album.

Lead vocalist/bassist Mats Berggren is not part of the new incarnation of Moondark and therefore new members Allan Lundholm (bass) and Alexander Högbom (lead vocals) have been added, making Moondark a quintet on "The Abysmal Womb".

Stylistically Moondark pretty much pick up where they left off, although Högbom adds a more varied vocal arsenal to the band´s music, which is a welcome change from the 1993 demo. The music is still ultra heavy and relatively primitive old school death metal. It´s not really death-doom metal (the riffs are typically a bit too fat and chuggy for that) but there are some parts of the music which could be labelled that. It´s just generally very heavy music with simple brutal riffs and rhythms, a brutal growling/screaming vocalist in front and the occasional morbid leads to add an eerie mood to the soundscape.

The sound production is powerful, detailed, and very well sounding. It´s great to hear Moondark´s music presented with a good quality sound production. It really boosts the music and makes it more interesting and impactful. Upon conclusion "The Abysmal Womb" is precisly what I had hoped it would be after listening to the 1993 demo. An improvement in all departments and an overall good quality death metal release in the heaviest end of the spectrum. A 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.

4 days ago
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Report #884915

COFFIN STORM Arcana Rising

Album · 2024 · Doom Metal

3.50 | 1 rating

UMUR

"Arcana Rising" is the debut full-length studio album by Norwegian doom/heavy metal act Coffin Storm. The album was released through Peaceville Records in March 2024. It was preceded by the February 2024 pre-album single "Over Frozen Moors". "Over Frozen Moors" appears as the album opener on "Arcana Rising" in the same version as on the single. Music videos were released for the tracks "Over Frozen Moors" and "Open the Gallows". Coffin Storm formed in 2020 and features the trio of Bestial Tormenter (bass, guitars), Apollyon (drums), and Fenriz (vocals). All three prolific personalities on the Norwegian extreme metal scene having played with/or still play with artists like Dødheimsgaard, Darkthrone, Nekromantheon, Internö, Immortal...etc.

Stylistically the material on "Arcana Rising" is a mid-paced, raw, and energetic heavy metal/doom metal style. Fenriz has an epic singing style but at the same time he also sounds a bit demented. It´s like listening to Carl-Michael Eide (Virus, Aura Noir, Ved Buens Ende, Infernö) meeting a less accomplished Messiah Marcolin (Candlemass, Memento Mori). Fenriz vocals are pretty surely an aquired taste, but to my ears they provide the music with some charming oddball personality and they work really well within the context of Coffin Storm´s music. The riffs are sharp and heavy, the drumming is organic and powerful, and the leads and harmonies are well executed.

The tracks are well composed and feature enough creative details to keep the album entertaining throughout the 6 tracks, 44:54 minutes playing time. Coffin Storm are not afraid to write long tracks, because they know that they are able to deliver a powerful and intriguing attack throughout the songs. Best examplified by the 10:26 minutes long "Open the Gallows". The album features an organic, raw, and detailed sound production too, and "Arcana Rising" is an every way possible a high quality release. If a comparison is to be made it would be to Candlemass but Coffin Storm are slightly more raw, dark, and unpredictable. A 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.

4 days ago
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Report #884857

COFFIN STORM Over Frozen Moors

Single · 2024 · Doom Metal

3.50 | 1 rating

UMUR

"Over Frozen Moors" is a single release by Norwegian doom/heavy metal act Coffin Storm. The single was released through Peaceville Records in February 2024. At the time of release it functioned as a teaser release to Coffin Storm´s fortcoming debut full-length studio album "Arcana Rising" which was released in March 2024. An animated music video was made for the song. The exact same version of the track appears as the opening track on "Arcana Rising". Coffin Storm formed in 2020 and features the trio of Bestial Tormenter (bass, guitars), Apollyon (drums), and Fenriz (vocals). All three prolific personalities on the Norwegian extreme metal scene having played with/or still play with artists like Dødheimsgaard, Darkthrone, Nekromantheon, Internö, Immortal...etc.

Stylistically "Over Frozen Moors" is a mid-paced and energetic heavy metal/doom metal track. Fenriz has an epic singing style but at the same time he also sounds a bit demented. It´s like listening to Carl-Michael Eide (Virus, Aura Noir, Ved Buens Ende, Infernö) meeting a less accomplished Messiah Marcolin (Candlemass, Memento Mori). Fenriz vocals are pretty surely an aquired taste, but to my ears they provide the music with some oddball personality and they work really well within the context of Coffin Storm´s music.

The single features a well sounding production job, with the right organic sound and powerful rawness. Upon conclusion it´s a good quality teaser single from Coffin Storm and this is definitely an interesting new project with some real muscle and musical skills behind it. A 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.

7 days ago
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Report #884839

TRIBULATION Sub Rosa in Aeternum

Album · 2024 · Gothic Metal

3.62 | 4 ratings

UMUR

"Sub Rosa in Æternum" is the sixth full-length studio album by Swedish gothic metal act Tribulation. The album was released through Century Media Records in November 2024. It´s the successor to "Where The Gloom Becomes Sound" from 2021. There has been one lineup change since the predecessor as guitarist Jonathan Hultén (a longtime member of the band) has been replaced by Joseph Tholl.

While Tribulation started out playing death/thrash metal oriented music on their first couple of releases, they started to incorporate gothic metal elements to their music on "The Children of the Night" (2015). Over the course of the next couple of albums ("Down Below" from 2018 and the above mentioned "Where The Gloom Becomes Sound" from 2021), the extreme metal elements of the band´s sound have descreased and the gothic metal/rock elements have increased. On "Sub Rosa in Æternum" we´ve now reached a point where this can be fully labelled a gothic metal release. The only extreme metal element left on the album is the sporadic and very rare use of raw snarling vocals (for example heard on "Tainted Skies"). The vocal style is otherwise now deep register clean vocals in typical gothic metal/rock style. It´s artists like Tiamat, Type O Negative, and Paradise Lost who Tribulation are now similar to (or at least share similar musical element with). The less known New Zealand based The House of Capricorn and the equally less known Finns in Babylon Whores are valid references too. Dark, melancholic, and ominous sounding gothic/heavy metal.

The material is effective and well composed, although a few more surprises wouldn´t have hurt. There is a predictability to the song structures which isn´t always a positive feature. Tribulation are a well playing band and lead vocalist/bassist Johannes Andersson has a powerful, emotional, and convincing delivery. The sound production is organic, detailed, and well sounding too, so upon conclusion "Sub Rosa in Æternum" is a high quality release from Tribulation. I personally think they´ve lost some of their uniqueness by cutting the extreme metal elements from their sound, but it´s obviously a conscious choice and there´s probably a better chance to reach a wider audience with a sound like this one compared to the sound of the last couple of releases (and definitely a better chance compared to their early releases). A 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.

8 days ago
2 comments
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Report #884831

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metal music reviews (older releases)

DIRTY DAMAGE ...It's Amazing, How Stupid Some People Can Sometimes Be

Album · 1988 · Crossover Thrash

3.50 | 1 rating

UMUR

"...It's Amazing, How Stupid Some People Can Sometimes Be" is the debut full-length studio album by Finnish crossover thrash metal act Dirty Damage. The album was released through Euros Records in 1988. Dirty Damage formed in 1984 in Helsinki, Finland and their only output was this debut album and a subsequent 1988 single release featuring two tracks from the album.

Stylistically Dirty Damage play a relatively standard crossover thrash metal style influenced by the likes of Suicidal Tendencies and D.R.I. In that respect "...It's Amazing, How Stupid Some People Can Sometimes Be" isn´t anything out of the ordinary although they sometimes cross into more regular thrash metal territories too (I even hear nods towards rock´n´roll and traditional heavy metal/speed metal), making the album a bit more varied than many ofter crossover thrash metal releases from that time. The tracks are all 1-3 minutes long (short) bursts of aggressive energy though, so no long epics on this one.

Dirty Damage are a well playing unit and lead vocalist Marko Rytkönen (who would soon depart and join Protected Illusion) has the right attitude filled snarling raw delivery. "...It's Amazing, How Stupid Some People Can Sometimes Be" features a raw, unpolished, and almost live sounding production job, but the rawness of the production suits the material well. A 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.

13 hours ago
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Report #885159

VALHALL Red Planet

Album · 2009 · Stoner Metal

3.00 | 1 rating

UMUR

"Red Planet" is the third full-length studio album by Norwegian stoner doom metal act Valhall. The album was released through Housecore Records in June 2009. It´s the successor to "Heading for Mars" from 1997. I´m not sure the band were split-up in the years between the two albums but they at least had a longer hiatus. Valhall formed in 1987 and originally featured Gylve Nagell (aka Fenriz from Darkthrone) on drums on their first two demos (and on some tracks on their third demo). Nagell left in 1990 and didn´t perform on Valhall´s two 90s studio albums, but he has returned to the fold and plays drums and performs vocals on "Red Planet". Lead vocals are still handled by Ronny Sorkness though.

While Valhall played a hybrid traditional doom metal and stoner doom metal style on their first two releases, they have completely shed the traditional doom metal elements from "Red Planet" which is a pure stoner doom metal release equally influenced by Black Sabbath and later contemporary psychedelic tinged stoner metal bands. With "Red Planet" I finally got what I was screaming for on the first two releases, which is a bottom heavy sound production, and although the drums feature a slightly powerless and dry tone, the heavy fuzzy guitar tone and organic bass make up for a lot of that. Even Sorkness who I have previously critisized for his non-distinct and sub par vocal performances has stepped up on "Red Planet". Don´t get me wrong the vocals are still the weak link of "Red Planet", like they were on the two preceding album releases, but here they are decent and tolerable.

The songwriting is solid but nothing out of the ordinary for the genre, and I can think of quite a few contemporary releases in the same genre which I would put on before this one. So, upon conclusion "Red Planet" is a decent quality comeback release from Valhall, but it´s probably more a hobby project for the members than a serious band as we haven´t heard from them since. I don´t know if that´s what keeps me a litte unconvinved of the overall quality of this release, but to my ears it´s simply a bit redundant. A 2.5 - 3 star (55%) rating is warranted.

13 hours ago
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Report #885158

VALHALL Heading for Mars

Album · 1997 · Stoner Metal

2.50 | 1 rating

UMUR

"Heading for Mars" is the second full-length studio album by Norwegian stoner doom metal act Valhall. The album was released through Head Not Found in 1997. It´s the successor to "Moonstoned" from 1995. Formed in 1987 it took no less than five demos and a stylistic journey from a hybrid death, thrash, black, doom metal style too a more pure doom metal style on "Moonstoned" before Valhall landed on the music style heard on "Heading for Mars"...

...which is a Black Sabbath influenced stoner doom metal style combined with more epic traditional doom metal moments and even some 70s hard rock touches. Lead vocalist Ronny Sorkness gets the job done, but he doesn´t have a distinct voice or vocal style and the vocals are arguably the weakest link of "Heading for Mars" (just as they were on "Moonstoned"). Another issue from "Moonstoned" contineus on "Heading for Mars" too and that´s the below par sound production values. Doom metal and stoner doom metal releases need a heavy organic bottom end but this sound production is thin and lacking the heavy bass bottom which is so important for an album in this genre.

Repeating the same mistakes isn´t a plus in my book and Valhall seem content playing a similar doom metal/stoner metal style to the one found on the debut album (although leaning more towards stoner doom this time around), which in itself isn´t an issue, because the compositions are actually relatively well written and effective. But continuing with a lead vocalist which sounds out of his league and a thin sound production lacking bottom end are unforgivable. A 2.5 - 3 star (55%) rating is warranted.

13 hours ago
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Report #885157

AXEL RUDI PELL Black Moon Pyramid

Album · 1996 · Heavy Metal

3.90 | 7 ratings

martindavey87

Released in 1996, ‘Black Moon Pyramid’ is the fifth studio album by German hard rock guitarist/band Axel Rudi Pell. It follows on from the incredibly strong ‘Between the Walls’, which marked a creative shift in the band, as the quality of writing, production and overall performances took a huge step up.

However, in all honesty, perhaps they took a slight step back with this one. It’s a solid album, don’t get me wrong, and continues in exactly the same vein as its predecessor, but there’s just nothing overly remarkable I can think of to comment on.

‘Fool Fool’, ‘Getting’ Dangerous’, ‘Hole in the Sky’, ‘Touch the Rainbow’, ‘Aquarius Dance’ and the title track itself are all good songs, displaying furious guitar virtuosity and Jeff Scott Soto’s powerful vocals that demand attention. But that’s about all I can think of worth mentioning. ‘Black Moon Pyramid’ has been on my playlist for quite a white now, and I just couldn’t figure out what to say about it. It’s a solid, hard rock record, simple as that.

1 day ago
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Report #885149

VALHALL Moonstoned

Album · 1995 · Doom Metal

3.00 | 1 rating

UMUR

"Moonstoned" is the debut full-length studio album by Norwegian doom metal act Valhall. The album was released through Head Not Found in February 1995. Valhall formed in 1987 and originally featured Gylve Nagell (aka Fenriz from Darkthrone) on drums on their first two demos (and on some tracks on their third demo). Nagell is however not part of the lineup on "Moonstoned" and actually hadn´t been involved with Valhall since 1990. Valhall started out playing a hybrid death, black, thrash, doom metal style but when they released their third demo "Trauma" in April 1990, they played a more pure death-doom metal style.

On "Moonstoned" none of the band´s extreme metal past is heard though, and the listener is instead treated to a more traditional doom metal style with a clean vocalist in front. It´s actually still Ronny Sorkness singing, who has been Valhall´s lead vocalist since day one, so he has just left the extreme metal snarling vocals behind and opted for a more "normal" vocal style. Stylistically the music on "Moonstoned" is similar to what an artist like Trouble did in the late 80s/early 90s, so there´s the occasional stoner doom metal touch to the band´s heavy doom metal style (Black Sabbath is of course also an influence).

Valhall are a well playing band but while Sorkness is a decent vocalist who gets the job done, he doesn´t have a particularliy distinct sounding voice and the vocals are a weak link of the album. The sound production is another...it simply sounds thin and lacks the heavy organic bottom end which this type of music is so dependent on. The songwriting is actually pretty decent and fairly memorable, but with the other issues "Moonstoned" isn´t a perfect release by any means. A 3 star (60%) rating is still warranted though.

1 day ago
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Report #885053

VALHALL Pagan Token

Demo · 1991 · Death-Doom Metal

2.00 | 1 rating

UMUR

"Pagan Token" is the fifth demo release by Norwegian death/black/thrash/doom metal act Valhall. The demo was independently released in March 1991. It succeeds the "Live Demo 91" which was released earlier the same year. Opening track "Melting Picture" had already been released on "Live Demo 91" and the same with "Painful Solitute", although they of course appear here in studio versions. The latter was also on the tracklist of the April 1990 "Trauma" demo. Other than those two tracks "Pagan Token" features "Versatility" and "Moribund Penisual".

Compared to "Trauma", this demo has a more homemade feel to it and it´s not nearly as well produced. "Pagan Token" features more of a rehearsal space recording quality. Stylistically Valhall had reached a point where they played a death-doom metal style which isn´t terribly different from the sound of the first Paradise Lost album. It´s slow (although occasionally faster-paced), sorrowfilled, and doomy death metal with a raw shouting/growling vocalist in front.

Coming from a good quality demo like "Trauma" to this is a bit of a disappointment. It´s not a bad quality death-doom metal release, but it´s not a particularly great one either. It sometimes sounds almost too stripped and it feels like there are empty spaces in the music where little is happening. It´s too bad because I felt Valhall was on to something with the "Trauma" demo but it appears to have been a one-of. A 2 - 2.5 star (45%) rating is warranted.

1 day ago
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Report #885052

JOURNEY Departure

Album · 1980 · Non-Metal

3.21 | 6 ratings

vmagistr

I've been enjoying Journey´s music for years, I even gave them one of my first review attempts fifteen years ago. When it comes to american music, I generally like stuff that has something in common with blues, jazz or metal, and I've never fallen for the sleeker form of their radio rock, but Journey won me over. It might have something to do with the fact that two of the mainstays of the band's early lineups (guitarist Neal Schon and keyboardist Greg Rollie) had some history with Santana, or maybe it's also that Steve Perry's late seventies/early eighties voice amuses me like only few others in the business.

The common denominator of most of the songs on their sixth studio album, Departure, is Perry's vocals in particular, which soar effortlessly to over-the-top heights and build arching arcs, and Schon's smoky guitar, which, as needed, took care of a wild guitar solo here, a Gary Moore-style flourish there, and an energetic backing track a little further out. Keyboardist Greg Rollie quite often takes hammond organ in action, whose bubbling sound can hardly be matched by any synthesizer in the right arrangement, and in a few cases he also shines with a harmonica - which, by the way, is the third reason why I'm into this album. Also fine are the rich backing vocals, which (except for drummer Smith) were capable all the band members.

Any songs I enjoy? Of the wilder rockers, definitely the hits Any Way You Want It, Line of Fire or Precious Time, the quieter - and all the more composed - stuff like Someday Soon or People and Places is also great. I'm also quite happy with the "drifting" dance-floor stuff in the style of Stay Awhile, on the other hand I could easily do without the sweet melodies in Good Morning Girl. In the riff one-off Where Were You Schon tries to vary the figures that the more commercial of the young British metal bands of the time liked to build on, and in the hit Walks Like a Lady the band goes probably the furthest towards what makes Journey a distinctly American affair.

I've been sort-of friends with Journey's music for most of their career. I enjoy their jazz-rock-smeared beginnings, the turn to more likable rock and the pompous synth period, from the post-union era I was pleased at the time with the Revelation record featuring new voice Arnel Pineda. Then I let them out of my sight for a long time (judging by the wild personnel changes of recent years, the "dictator" role usurped by the last of the founding members, Neal Schon, doesn't exactly suit well to the band), but I love returning to their classic period. I rank the Departure album among the better of the records they made at that time

2 days ago
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Report #885047

VALHALL Live Demo 91

Demo · 1991 · Doom Metal

2.50 | 1 rating

UMUR

"Live Demo 91" is the fourth demo recording by death/black/thrash/doom metal act Valhall. The demo was independently released in early 1991. It was recorded live at the Bootleg venue in November 1990. The demo features three tracks. "Melting Picture" would appear on the forthcoming fifth demo recording by Valhall the March 1991 "Pagan Token" demo. "The Mission" is exclusive to this live demo and "Painful Solitude" had already appeared on the April 1990 "Trauma" demo, but would also appear on the "Pagan Token" demo.

At this point Valhall played a death-doom metal style which isn´t far removed from the first Paradise Lost album. It´s slow, brutal, and sorrowfilled death metal with a brutal shouting/growling vocalist in front. Although the drums are barely audible in the mix, it´s still a relatively decent quality live production and the songs are easy to decipher and listen to. It´s by no means a masterpiece live demo but it´s overall a decent quality release and a 2.5 star (50%) rating is warranted.

2 days ago
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Report #885046

VALHALL Trauma

Demo · 1990 · Death-Doom Metal

3.00 | 1 rating

UMUR

"Trauma" is the third demo recording by Norwegian death/black/thrash/doom metal act Valhall. The demo was independently released in April 1990. It´s the successor to the August 1989 "Amalgamation" demo. Valhall formed in 1987 and featured Gylve Nagell (aka Fenriz from Darkthrone) on drums on their first two demos (and on some tracks on this demo). "Trauma" is an odd demo release as it features four Valhall tracks and was released under the Valhall monicker, but it also features one track from Isengard and one track from Reitgjerde Pasientband, and the Heavy Ripping Fyrstikk. Both contemporary Fenriz related artists.

Stylistically the Valhall material featured on "Trauma" is a giant step forward for Valhall in terms of quality and consitency of style. The music is still a hybrid doom, death, black, and at times even thrash metal style, which isn´t easily described, but Valhall are much closer to nailing a version of their sound here than they were on the first two demos, which weren´t exactly high quality releases. "Trauma" is both well produced (considering that it´s a demo), well performed (I enjoy that the blackened snarling vocals have returned), and well composed and Valhall are now a force to be reckoned with.

The "Kingdom Fire" track by Isengard is pure oddness with a mousy child like spoken word vocal featured on some of the track. The instrumental part of the music sounds a lot like the four Valhall songs which preceded it on the tracklist. The Reitgjerde Pasientband, and the Heavy Ripping Fyrstikk track is a "fun" track and sounds like Beastie Boys got really drunk and couldn´t control themselves. Pretty awful rap/funk song that one.

Disregarding the Isengard and the Reitgjerde Pasientband, and the Heavy Ripping Fyrstikk tracks, "Trauma" was by far the best quality demo release from Valhall up until then and there´s some real promise here. Therefore a 3 star (60%) rating isn´t all wrong.

2 days ago
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Report #885042

VALHALL Amalgamation

Demo · 1989 · Thrash Metal

1.00 | 1 rating

UMUR

"Amalgamation" is the second demo recording by Norwegian death/black/thrash/doom metal act Valhall. The demo was independently released in August 1989. It´s the successor to the May 1988 "Castle of Death" demo. Valhall formed in 1987 and featured Gylve Nagell (aka Fenriz from Darkthrone) on drums on their first two demos (and on some tracks on their third demo).

Stylistically the material on "Amalgamation" is a continuation of the hybrid thrash, black, and death metal style of the first demo but with more odd songwriting ideas and experiments thrown in. The vocals are raw shouting. The demo sounds like it was recorded live at the band´s rehearsal space but that turns out not to be true as it was actually recorded during July-August 1989 at the Valhall Studio in Oslo, Norway (which may actually very well be the band´s rehearsal space). The same studio where Fenriz would record the "Spectres over Gorgoroth" demo by Isengard the same year.

"Amalgamation" is on one hand a pretty extreme release but on the other hand it´s both odd and inconsistent in style and quality which diminishes its effect. It´s too sloppy and noisy and the songs feel disjointed and half finished. A 1 star (20%) rating is warranted.