UMUR "The Patchwork Gehinnom" is the third full-length studio album by Polish black metal act Iperyt. The album was released through Pagan Records in December 2017. It´s the successor to "No State Of Grace" from 2011 and features one lineup change since the predecessesor as bassist Abuser has been replaced by Vincent.

Iperyt play an industrial tinged extreme metal/black metal style featuring programmed drums. That description probably puts off at least half of the readers of this review, but please read on as Iperyt are an act who have something to offer. The tracks are dark, aggressive, and powerful black metal but the programmed drums provide a cold futuristic atmosphere, and this is one of the few cases where programmed drums actually have some merit. They are not here just as a replacement for a human drummer, but they actually contribute to the soundscape adding the right gloomy industrial atmosphere to the material. Compared to the earlier releases by Iperyt, "The Patchwork Gehinnom" is their least industrial tinged release though and it´s much closer to black metal than industrial metal. The vocals are snarling and aggressive and Iperyt shows mastery of both blasting fast-paced parts and heavy mid-paced parts. It´s the depressive atmospere and a feeling of hopelessness which are the defining elements of "The Patchwork Gehinnom". In other words this is a pretty bleak release with absolutely no light in sight.

"The Patchwork Gehinnom" is well produced and it manages to both pummel the listener with an abrasive and massive layering of guitars, bass, programmed drums, sound effects, raspy black metal vocals, and the occassional samples, but also challenge the listener´s intellect with some intriguing details. The songwriting is effective but slightly one-dimensional other than the atmospheric "Scars Are Still Sexy" and album closer "Checkmate, God!", which shows a slightly more melancholic version of Iperyt, stepping outside their usual black metal style and adding some semi-melodic raw vocals instead of the snarling vocals. "The Patchwork Gehinnom" is overall a strong release from Iperyt and probably their most accessible up until then. A 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.

UMUR "Department of Apocalyptic Affairs" is the second full-length studio album by Norwegian black/avant-garde metal act Fleurety. The album was released through Supernal Music in 2000. It´s the successor to "Min tid skal komme" from 1995, although the two full-length studio albums are bridged by the 1999 "Last-minute Lies" EP. Fleurety consists of the duo of Alexander Nordgaren (guitars), Svein Egil Hatlevik (drums, synths, vocals), but in addition to the core duo "Department of Apocalyptic Affairs" also features a host of prolific guest appearances from artists like Maniac (Mayhem, Gravetemple, Sinsaenum, Tormentor), Garm (Ulver, Borknagar, Arcturus), Einar Sjursø (Virus, Infernö), and Hellhammer (Mayhem, Shining, Arcturus, The Kovenant), among others.

"Department of Apocalyptic Affairs" opens with "Exterminators" and right off the bat it´s audible that Fleurety have completely changed since the black metal days of "Min tid skal komme". If you´re familiar with the musical direction of the "Last-minute Lies" EP, the avant-garde metal style of "Department of Apocalyptic Affairs" probably won´t come as a surprise, but if you come to "Department of Apocalyptic Affairs" directly from listening to "Min tid skal komme" and expect that "Department of Apocalyptic Affairs" will sound anything like the debut album you will as a minimum be very surprised and in some instances (depending on your tastes and open mindedness) very disappointed by the highly experimental and ever changing avant-garde metal style of "Department of Apocalyptic Affairs".

The vocals vary between semi-jazzy female clean vocals, male clean vocals (of many different types), and more aggressive snarling male vocals. In that respect Fleurety have brought back a few of the extreme metal elements they had otherwise left behind on "Last-minute Lies", but other than a few heavy riffs and punchy rhythms here and there and the aggressive raw vocals, there isn´t much here which reveals that only 5 years before Fleurety were a black metal playing unit. It´s fellow contemporary countrymen Ulver, Atrox, and to a lesser extent Manes that Fleurety have something in common with. The bass, guitars, drums, and vocals are complimented by programmed drums and effects, keyboards, and saxophone, making "Department of Apocalyptic Affairs" quite the interesting affair in terms of instrumentation.

"Department of Apocalyptic Affairs" features a decent quality production job, but the distorted guitars at times sound a bit powerless. I´m not sure they are meant to be massive and heavy, but it would have been nice with a bit more punch and power when the music occasionally features heavy riffs. Heavy riffs aren´t the dominant musical element of the album though. That´s instead dissonant lead- and (dis)harmony themes, odd jazzy interludes, and all sorts of other weirdness and abrupt musical shifts. To my ears most tracks have a musical red thread, but there are moments where the avant-garde nature of the compositions almost overpower the songwriting and become weird for the sake of it. Upon conclusion "Department of Apocalyptic Affairs" is a bold sophomore studio album from Fleurety. They certainly don´t cater to their original fanbase with this one, but I respect that this ws their musical statement at that point in their career. A 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.

UMUR "Extinction Level Event" is a one-track single release by US, California based thrash metal act Dark Angel. The single was released through Reversed Records in April 2025 and functions as a teaser release for Dark Angel´s forthcoming fifth full-length studio album bearing the same title. Dark Angel formed in 1981 under the Shellshock monicker but changed their name to the current one in 1983. They released four full-length studio albums between 1985 and 1991 before disbanding in 1992. Especially drummer Gene Hoglan went on to become one of the most prolific musicians on the scene subsequently playing with artists like Death, Strapping Young Lad, Dethklok, Testament, and Fear Factory (among others). Dark Angel reunited in 2013 (in the same quintet lineup who disbanded in 1992) initially playing sporadic shows, but after some years they started writing new music. Tragedy struck when founding member/guitarist Jim Durkin suddenly passed away in March 2023 at the age of 58, but the band soldiered on replacing Durkin with Hoglan´s wife Laura Christine.

Stylistically "Extinction Level Event" isn´t a continuation of the technical multi-riff/multi-section thrash metal style of "Time Does Not Heal" (1991), and if comparisons have to be made I´d place the musical direction to somewhere between the aggressive raw thrash metal of "Darkness Descends" (1986) and the slightly more sophisticated and technically leaning thrash metal style of "Leave Scars" (1989), probably leaning more toward the latter than the former. We can establish right away that Dark Angel haven´t included any contemporary influences and other than a more detailed and well defined contemporary production style (although still with an old school organic touch), "Extinction Level Event" could well have been released in the 1980s. So, Dark Angel aren´t here to revolutionize thrash metal, but rather just play the music style of their youths with the right amount of skill and aggression. After getting used to Ron Rinehart having a more worn and raw voice and vocal style than his 80s/90s self, "Extinction Level Event" grew on me after a couple of listens and Dark Angel arguably still have their place on the thrash metal scene. A 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.

UMUR "Kinship" is the second full-length studio album by Danish metal act Iotunn. The album was released through Metal Blade Records in October 2024. It´s the successor to "Access All Worlds" from 2021. There have been no lineup changes since the predecessor. Iotunn formed in Copenhagen in 2015 and released the promising "The Wizard Falls" EP in 2016 and with the release of "Access All Worlds" they started making headlines.

Stylistically the material on "Kinship" is a natural successor to the material featured on "Access All Worlds". Progressive/power metal combined with both death, black, folk, and even doom metal elements, and all delivered in an epic and atmospheric package (it´s one of the better combinations of melodic tinged metal and extreme metal I´ve heard in a while). Lead vocalist Jón Aldará (Barren Earth, Hamferð) performs both epic clean semi-operatic vocals (both low end and high end cleans), death metal growling, and black metal snarling, and as a result the vocal part of the album is quite varied. The material on the 8 tracks, 68:23 minutes long album is both eclectic in style, epic in sound, but also powerful, heavy, and massive. It´s relatively polished, but still with enough rawness to pack a punch when that is needed. Other than the paatos filled and skilled vocal performance, one of the other great assets of "Kinship" is the harmony- and lead guitar work of the two Gräs brothers, Jens and Jesper. The album is loaded with soaring epic leads that´ll have you picture great mountains and beautiful valleys, fantasy castles and dark wizards. The scope of the music is almost cinematic in nature.

"Kinship" features a high quality production job courtesy of prolific Danish producer Jacob Hansen. This is a perfect sound production for this type of music. As mentioned above the sound is relatively polished and you can hear all details clearly in the mix, but there is still bite and rawness enough for this never to become a sterile listening experience. Combined with the intriguing, sophisticated, and powerful songwriting, and the high level musical performances, this results in a high quality sophomore studio album from Iotunn. A 4 - 4.5 star (85%) rating is deserved.

UMUR "Demo 1988" is the first demo recording by Finnish thrash metal act Oppression. The demo was independently released in (as the title suggests) 1988. Oppression formed in 1987 and disbanded in 1992 after releasing three demos and one EP. All recorded material by Oppression was reissued on the 2015 "Scars 1988-1990" compilation album released through Xtreem Music.

Stylistically the 3 tracks on the 14:19 minutes long demo are in an aggressive thrash metal style which at times is even slightly technical in execution. When most brutal, fast-paced, and aggressive Oppression touch proto death-thrash metal territories. They are an incredibly well playing band considering that this is their first demo, and they even manage to bring variation with the heavy mid-paced and quite cleverly composed "Parasites". Oppression are no one-trick pony, although they still have a consistent musical style. Lead vocalist Santtu Laakso has a sandpaper raw delivery which perfectly suits the music.

The late 1980s Finnish thrash metal scene have some real gems hidden here and there (Mengele, Phlegethon and Protected Illusion are three other worthwhile recommendations) and this demo is one of them. Oppression is one of those artists where it´s hard to understand why they didn´t get a recording contract. There are tons of quality here both in terms of high level musicianship, a very well sounding demo production, and above all some well written and effective thrash metal tunes. A 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

UMUR "Castle of Death" is the first demo recording by Norwegian death/black/thrash/doom metal act Valhall. The demo was independently released in May 1988. 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 four tracks on the 10:10 minutes long demo are in a pretty aggressive and brutal blackened thrash metal style (early Sodom and Kreator haven´t lived in vain neither have Hellhammer/Celtic Frost or Bathory). Sometimes bordering proto-black and death metal territories. It´s raw, murky, and relentlessly aggressive. The snarling blackened vocals provide the music with loads of caustic aggression.

The sound production is just above a rehearsal space recorded sound quality but not by much. This is pretty noisy and it´s not always easy to hear all details of the music. Upon conclusion Valhall don´t produce anything here you haven´t heard before and better from other early extreme metal bands. If you´re a Darkthrone fans this might be interesting just because Fenriz is involved and there are indeed a few nods toward the most primitive Darkthrone here and there, but that´s about it in terms of "Castle of Death" being a particularly interesting demo release from Valhall. A 2 - 2.5 star (45%) rating is warranted.

martindavey87 Released in 2000, ‘Chocolate Starfish and the Hotdog Flavored Water’ is the third studio album by American rap rockers Limp Bizkit, who, having gained mainstream recognition with their previous outing, really stepped up the ante on this one, and produced an album that totally defined an era. Not just in music, but in pop culture.

It’s crazy to think how big this band was back in 2000, but Limp Bizkit were literally one of, if not THE, biggest band on the planet. ‘Chocolate Starfish’ produced five chart-topping singles, a memorable soundtrack to a huge, Hollywood blockbuster, the music to one of the most highly revered Wrestlemania events of all time, and had mainstream appeal thanks to cameos by hip hop superstars DMX, Xzibit and Method Man.

And in all seriousness, it holds up well to this day. I know it’s cool to hate this band, and it’s cool to hate this album… but whatever, I love it! It’s just pure energy and attitude throughout, whilst never taking itself too seriously, nor coming across as a parody. The band have a sound and style that they stick to, and don’t care what anyone thinks. Fred Durst’s lyrics are often daft, but always memorable, and Wes Borland’s unique guitar playing is taken to a whole new level here. The production is fantastic too, and this sounds as fresh and exciting as it did way back at the turn of the century.

Need proof of how awesome this is? ‘Rollin’’, ‘Take a Look Around’, ‘Boiler’, ‘My Generation’ and ‘My Way’ are all the massive anthems that everyone knows, but in their shadows are some fantastic tracks such as ‘Hotdog’, ‘The One’, ‘Getcha Groove On’ and ‘I’ll Be Ok’. This is an incredibly well put-together album. If you’re looking for something deep and introspective, this isn’t for you. Neither too serious nor too daft, this album hits all the right spots if you just want to rock without a care in the world.

martindavey87 The 1983 debut album by industrial metal pioneers Ministry, ‘With Sympathy’, for whatever reason, was released in Europe under the name ‘Work For Love’. I don’t know why, nor do I know why the track list was rearranged, with one song even being given a new name. But what I do know, is that I’m too cheap to find a CD copy of ‘With Sympathy’, as they are very rare to find, and very expensive. While still fairly costly, ‘Work For Love’ was much more affordable.

Regardless of titles, the main thing is the music, and what a surprise I got with this one. Known for their relentless guitar riffs and jackhammer beats, this first album by Ministry is more in the vein of synth pop or new wave. It’s more of an 80’s dance album than the furiously aggressive metal I was expecting.

But you know what… it’s still pretty damn catchy!

The songs can get a bit samey, the lyrics a bit goofy, and band founder Al Jourgensen sings with a fake accent, but ultimately, they’re still pretty decent. ‘Work For Love’, ‘Do the Etawa’ (a re-titled ‘What He Say’), ‘Say You’re Sorry’, ‘Revenge’ and ‘I Wanted to Tell Her’ are all particular highlights, but in all fairness, the album is fairly short and flows quite nicely. Now… onto the heavier stuff…

UMUR "Remains" is the first demo recording by Norwegian death metal act Atrox. The demo was independently released in August 1994. "Remains" is the sole release from Atrox, which should not be confused with the more prolific Norwegian goth/doom/progressive metal band also called Atrox. The two bands are not related in any way.

Stylistically the material on the 5 tracks, 14:31 minutes long demo is a bit all over the place. From melodic death-doom, to spoken word gothic metal sections, to brutal death metal (even deathgrind blasting), and even the odd technical/progressive death metal moment. These guys obviously tried to put all their influences into their own songs, but it honestly makes for a confusing listen. The tracks are unpredictable and often include sections which don´t fit the rest of the music.

The band are relatively accomplished playing their instruments but the demo features a thin and not very well sounding demo quality sound production, which does nothing good for the music. If anything the production values further emphasize the feeling that these guys probably recorded this demo down at the local youth club or at their own rehearsal space. I usually have great respect for musicians toying with unconventional songwriting ideas and song structures, but here it hurts the quality of the product. Upon conclusion "Remains" is a pretty poor quality death metal demo and a 1.5 (30%) rating isn´t all wrong.

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.

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.

martindavey87 Having heard a number of random tracks over the years, Anubis Gate are a band I’ve always held in pretty high regard. Typical of most European progressive metal bands, they’re not very well known, but despite remaining mostly off the grid, they’ve put out an impressive array of high-quality albums. Keen to delve properly into their discography, 2004’s debut, ‘Purification’, seemed like the best place to start.

Except it probably wasn’t.

Sadly, to my surprise, I’ve found this a very hard album to get into. I’ve had it in my playlist for what feels like forever, and I just can’t seem to really remember anything from it. Every time I play it I zone out. The playing is fantastic and there are a few rather tasty guitar riffs, likewise, vocalist Torben Askholm has a great voice that really suits the music and its themes. But the overall writing is just so dull, all the songs seem to mesh together and just plod along at the same pace, all sounding similar to each other and thus, making it impossible to really distinguish most of them.

If I had to pick out any highlights, ‘In the Comfort of Darkness’, ‘Hypernosis’ and ‘Downward Spiral’ are all decent enough, but even then, I don’t think I could sit and listen to them all the way through without losing interest. And it’s a shame, because I know this band are capable of much better than this. But overall, ‘Purification’ just does nothing for me, and it’s fortunate that I’m already familiar with some of the bands later material, otherwise, had this been my first exposure to them, I probably wouldn’t bother coming back.

martindavey87 Following on from two fairly lacklustre efforts, 1994’s ‘Dreamspace’, the third studio album by Finnish power metal band Stratovarius, starts to show some early signs of the Stratovarius we’d all go on to know and love.

As before, the music is a fairly upbeat, energetic power metal, but the band are starting to incorporate some progressive elements in their song-writing, with keyboards in particular, becoming more prominent. Band leader Timo Tollki is a fantastic guitarist, and his neoclassical style of shredding is brilliant. However, while I give him credit for handling vocal duties whilst playing guitar, his singing can be a bit boring and uninspired at times.

Unlike the previous two releases, this one actually has a number of memorable songs, including ‘Abyss’, ‘Reign of Terror’, ‘Hold On to Your Dream’, ‘Chasing Shadows’, ‘Wings of Tomorrow’ and the title track itself.

Sure, some of the slower songs tend to drag, and particular mention must go to ‘Thin Ice’, which is absolutely awful, but the aforementioned tracks are all fantastic, and while ‘Dreamspace’ isn’t likely to be anyone’s favourite Stratovarius album, it’s a very confident release, and a sure-fire sign that the band are constantly improving.

UMUR "The Shadowpath" is a re-issue of Swedish death metal act Moondark´s 1993 first demo recording in album form. It should not be considered the band´s debut full-length studio album. "The Shadowpath" was released through Xtreem Music in May 2015. Moondark was a very shortlived group who formed, released a demo, and then disbanded all within the year of 1993. Several members of Moondark went on to form Dellamorte.

Stylistically the material on the 7 tracks, 35:12 minutes long demo/album is a murky, heavy, and slow- to mid-paced type of old school death metal with a goregrind type growling vocalist in front. This is dark, brick heavy, and relatively primitive death metal and although it has it´s moments the simplicity of it all and the rather one-dimensional nature of the material make this a decent but not great release. A 2 - 2.5 star (45%) rating is warranted.

UMUR "Demo #1" is the first demo recording by Swedish death metal act Moondark. The demo was independently released in September 1993. Moondark formed earlier the same year and this demo was the group´s only release during their original run. They disbanded shortly after the release of the demo. Several members of Moondark went on to form Dellamorte.

The demo features no less than 7 tracks and a total playing time of 35:2 minutes. The music is a murky and heavy type of old school death metal with a loud-in-the-mix unintelligible growling vocalist in front. There´s a goregrind atmosphere to the music as a result of the odd sounding vocals, but the pace is not fast. This is predominantly a slow- to mid-paced and quite heavy death metal release. There´s little variation between the tracks and the demo soon becomes a bit of a one-dimensional listen.

When that is said there is still something charming about the primitive rawness and slimy growling vocals which is somehow appealing. It´s not masterpiece by any stretch of the imagination, but it´s a decent quality old school death metal release. A 2 - 2.5 star (45%) rating is warranted.

UMUR "Scent of the Buried" is the second full-length studio album by Swedish death metal act Interment. The album was released through Pulverised Records in April 2016. It´s the successor to "Into the Crypts of Blasphemy" from 2010. There have been a couple of lineup changes and only drummer Kennet Englund and lead vocalist/guitarist Johan Jansson remain from the lineup who recorded the debut album. New in the lineup are Toob Brynedal (guitars) and Allan Lundholm (bass).

Stylistically the material on "Scent of the Buried" continues the Dismember influenced old school Swedish death metal style of the debut album. It´s pretty much more of the same but Interment deliver their music with great skill and conviction. The clone factor is pretty significant though and you have to be a huge fan of this type of music to swallow the minus originality obstacle. It´s of course performed by guys who were part of the original Swedish death metal scene and they have the authenticity/credibility to be allowed to play this type of music...and who knows, who came up with this sound first.

Upon conclusion "Scent of the Buried" is a good quality old school Swedish death metal release and while there´s zero points for sounding unique or trying out anything new, there are points for delivery, impact, and a raw and well sounding production job. A 3 - 3.5 star (65%) rating is warranted.

UMUR "Among the Dead" is a compilation release by Swedish death metal act Interment. The compilation was released through Bifrost Records in December 2015. It bridges the gap between Interment´s first two full-length studio albums "Into the Crypts of Blasphemy" (August 2010) and "Scent of the Buried" (April 2016). The compilation features five tracks, which were all recorded during the same 2013 recording session. This is the first time the tracks are released as a collective package, as they initially were spread out on the three 2013-2014 split releases with Brutally Deceased, Tormented, and Anatomia.

Stylistically there are few surprises if you´re familiar with Interment´s debut full-length studio album "Into the Crypts of Blasphemy". Interment continue to play a strongly Dismember influenced old school Swedish death metal style. There are small variations within that style, but it´s details and you pretty much know exactly what you´re going to get when putting on "Among the Dead". Interment were always a well playing band, and the raw and brutal sounding production job is also of a good quality, so if you´re interested in old school Swedish death metal this will probably be right down your alley. A 3 - 3.5 star (65%) rating is warranted.

UMUR "Pain for the Masses" is the second full-length studio album by German death metal act Legacy. The album was independently released in February 2001. Legacy formed in 1994 and released two full-length studio albums, one EP, and a demo before changing their name to Dead Eyed Sleeper in 2007.

The material on "Pain for the Masses" is in a thrash infused death metal style. Legacy are a well playing band and the music is delivered with great energy, and it´s both aggressive and brutal. It´s quite catchy and relatively easily accessible death metal. If it weren´t for the rather amaturish sound production, which definitely doesn´t sound like something recorded at a professional recording studio, "Pain for the Masses" would have been a pretty great release. The musicianship is on a high level, the growling vocals are brutal and delivered with the right amount of conviction, and the songwriting is decent and even great at times. The sound production unfortunately drags my rating down, so therefore a 3 star (60%) rating is warranted.

UMUR "Into the Crypts of Blasphemy" is the debut full-length studio album by Swedish death metal act Interment. The album was released through Pulverised Records in August 2010. Interment formed under the Beyond monicker in 1988, but after releasing the "Birth of the Dead" demo in June 1990 the band opted to change their name to Interment. Interment subsequently released three demos before disbanding in 1994. They reunited in 2002 and the first new release from the band was the 2007 "Conjuration of the Sepulchral" split with Funebrarum. In 2010 (a few months prior to the release of "Into the Crypts of Blasphemy") Interment released the "Where Death Will Increase 1991-1994" compilation featuring the material from their three demos.

"Into the Crypts of Blasphemy" features two re-recorded tracks ("Where Death Will Increase" and "Morbid Death") from their demo days, but other than that the remaining seven tracks are new original compositions. Stylistically this is classic old school Swedish death metal and it´s especially Dismember that I´m reminded of. The riffing style, the drumming, and the growling vocal style all point in that direction, and it would be a lie saying that Interment bring much unique to the table. But that´s fully in line with their early 1990s output which never stood out from the crowd either. When it´s as well performed, well written, and well produced as the case is on "Into the Crypts of Blasphemy" I´m still convinced though and fans of old school Swedish death metal should find a lot to appreciate here. A 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.

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.

UMUR "Where Death Will Increase 1991-1994" is a compilation album release by Swedish death metal act Interment. The compilation was released through Morbid Wrath Records/Necroharmonic Productions in January 2010. It was released just prior to the release of Interment´s debut full-length studio album "Into the Crypts of Blasphemy" (August 2010). Interment formed under the Beyond monicker in 1988, but after releasing the "Birth of the Dead" demo in June 1990 the band opted to change their name to Interment. "Where Death Will Increase 1991-1994" features the material from the three Interment demos released in the years 1991-1994 (plus a video for "Infestering Flesh"). Interment folded in 1994 but reunited in 2002, and as described above released their debut full-length studio album just a few months after the release of "Where Death Will Increase 1991-1994".

The material from all three demos is worthwhile, although pretty different in musical style and sound production values. The material from the February 1991 "Where Death Will Increase" demo is very much in the Entombed/Dismember style of Swedish old school death metal and it´s even recorded at Sunlight Studio and produced by Tomas Skogsberg. It´s a great example of the classic Swedish death metal style from the early 1990s. The material from the June 1992 "Forward to the Unknown" demo features a more one-dimensional punishing death metal style and although it´s a good quality demo, it´s not quite as interesting as "Where Death Will Increase". The 1994 "The Final Chapter" demo was the last demo Interment recorded and released before their 1994 split-up and it features a heavy groove laden old school Swedish death metal style which isn´t far removed from the sound Grave had on their 1994 "Soulless" album.

The "Infestering Flesh" video is a nice little bonus which shows video footage of the band playing at a closed down factory and it´s got the perfect early 1990s morbid death metal atmosphere. Upon conclusion "Where Death Will Increase 1991-1994" is a worthwhile release to those who enjoy everything old school Swedish death metal sounding, and although I wouldn´t call it an essential release from the scene, it´s still a good quality compilation filled with sounds you will instantly recognise and enjoy if you appreciate old school Swedish death metal. A 3 - 3.5 star (65%) rating is warranted.

UMUR "The Final Chapter" is the third demo recording by Swedish death metal act Interment. The demo was independently released in 1994. It´s the successor to the June 1992 "Forward to the Unknown" demo. There has been one lineup change since the last demo as guitarist John Forsberg has left. He hasn´t been replaced and Johan Jansson therefore handles all guitars on "The Final Chapter". Jansson has stepped down as lead vocalist and only performs backing vocals on this demo, and instead the lead vocals were recorded by session musician Jens Törnroos from Uncanny, where drummer Kennet Englund also played during the same period.

Stylistically Interment now incorporate a heavy dose of brutal grooves to their old school death metal sound, and "The Final Chapter" isn´t that different from what Grave were doing on "Soulless" (1994). So this is a heavy, often mid-paced and brutal groove laden death metal demo. The quality of the material, the performances, and the sound production are generally high, but it´s up for debate if Interment bring anything unique to the contemporary Swedish death metal scene, and therein probably lies the answer to why they were never able to put out a full-length studio album during their original run. They disbanded shortly after the release of "The Final Chapter". A 3 star (60%) rating is warranted.

UMUR "Forward to the Unknown" is the second demo recording by Swedish death metal act Interment. The demo was independently released in June 1992. It´s the successor to the "Where Death Will Increase" demo from February 1991. There´s been one lineup change as drummer Sonny Svedlund has been replaced by Kennet Englund.

Stylistically the material on the 4 tracks, 17:53 minutes long demo is old school death metal, but not as Swedish sounding as the material on the "Where Death Will Increase" demo, which sounded strongly influenced by the Entombed/Dismember school of Swedish death metal. "Forward to the Unknown" is still audibly an old school Swedish death metal release, but doesn´t feature the fat buzzsaw HM2 Sunlight Studio sound production (which "Where Death Will Increase" did), as it was recorded at Gorysound Studio and produced by Dan Swanö. In that respect Interment have moved away from the most typical old school Swedish death metal traditions, but they have unfortunately also moved towards a more one-dimensional and less dynamic sound. "Forward to the Unknown" more or less feels like listening to one 17:53 minutes long song. The pace seldom changes and it´s pedal to the metal all the way through the demo. A little more variation wouldn´t have hurt.

When that is said "Forward to the Unknown" is still a good quality Swedish death metal demo and Interment are a well playing band who understand how to get their message across. A 3 star (60%) rating is warranted.

UMUR "Where Death Will Increase" is the first demo recording by Swedish death metal act Interment. The demo was independently released in February 1991. Interment formed under the Beyond monicker in 1988, but after releasing the "Birth of the Dead" demo in June 1990 the band opted to change their name to Interment. "Where Death Will Increase" features a short intro followed by three regular length tracks and it closes with a short outro.

While the "Birth of the Dead" demo features a raw, brutal, and demonic sounding death metal style with blackened touches, something else than a name change has happened between "Birth of the Dead" and "Where Death Will Increase", because Interment now sounds inherently like a Swedish death metal band. "Where Death Will Increase" was recorded at Sunlight Studio with producer Tomas Skogsberg, so that probably explains some of the changes toward a more regular old school Swedish death metal sound, but the material itself is now also strongly influenced by the artists like Entombed and Dismember...(Afflicted and more sporadically Unleashed should be mentioned too).

...and there´s nothing wrong with that, especially considering the date of release. In 1991 everyone was craving more of the same fat buzzsaw guitar tone, morbid leads (and in this case the occasional eerie keyboard notes), commanding brutal yet intelligible growling vocals, and hardcore punk influenced drumming, and that´s exactly what you get here. "Where Death Will Increase" features a powerful and well sounding production job, and the musical performances are also on a high level, so all in all it´s a high quality old school Swedish death metal release and a 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved. It´s definitely one of the better quality Swedish death metal demos from that time and it´s a bit of a mystery why Interment didn´t manage to get a recording contract during their initial run based on this release.

martindavey87 ‘Cleaning Out the Closet’ is a compilation album by progressive metal legends Dream Theater, released in 1999, exclusively to fan club members. It features a variety of unreleased songs and singles b-sides, most of which were recorded and intended for 1997’s ‘Falling Into Infinity’, but ended up not making the cut.

And that’s probably a good thing, too, because some of these songs can be pretty average at times. That’s not to say that they’re bad, but they were clearly left unreleased for a reason! However, a number of these have gone on to garner almost classic status. ‘To Live Forever’ has been floating around the bands live set for years, and ‘Raise the Knife’ appeared on their 2006 live album ‘Score: 20th Anniversary World Tour’.

Other notable highlights include ‘The Way It Used to Be’, ‘Cover My Eyes’ and ‘Speak to Me’. Although, in all honesty, while this compilation is decent enough, I don’t think I’d ever choose to listen to any of these songs over any of the bands official studio output. Still, if you can find it, this is worth owning if you’re a die-hard Dream Theater fan.

martindavey87 After three releases playing psychedelic rock, and one playing classical with an orchestra, it was time for Deep Purple to truly establish their identity and give us a taste of who they are. With a major line-up change and at the insistence of guitarist Ritchie Blackmore, the band would go down the route of a heavier, more hard rock style, and it would pay off in dividends.

Released in 1970, ‘In Rock’ would go on to become one of those classic, genre-defining albums. Along with Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple were laying down the foundations of heavy metal with a bigger guitar sound and a high standard of musicianship by everyone involved.

‘In Rock’ would also see the debut of vocalist Ian Gillan, who’s banshee-like wailing set the bar for metal vocalists a decade before Bruce Dickinson and Rob Halford were screaming their hearts out. Giving the band a much broader and more versatile range to work with, the chemistry between Blackmore, Gillan and keyboard player Jon Lord (and everyone else, for that matter) really starts to shine through here. For the first time since their debut album, the band sound genuinely inspired and confident.

With that out of the way, I do think that perhaps you had to be there in 1970 to truly appreciate this album the most, because listening to it today, there are a number of songs I tend to skip. But the ones I don’t skip, such as ‘Black Night’, ‘Speed King’, ‘Child in Time’ and ‘Bloodsucker’, are without a doubt, Deep Purple classics. And packaged with its iconic and instantly recognisable artwork, this album is a pivotal moment in rock and metal history, and thus, belongs in everyone’s collection.

UMUR "Birth of the Dead" is the first demo recording by Swedish death metal act Beyond. The demo was independently released in June 1990. "Birth of the Dead" would be the only output under the Beyond monicker as the band changed their name to Interment in 1991. Beyond formed in 1988 and were a part of the early Swedish death metal scene, although neither Beyond nor Interment made many international waves.

The demo features two tracks and a total playing time of 7:57 minutes. Stylistically it´s fast-paced, aggressive, and brutal old school death metal with an almost demonic blackened touch. It´s quite effective and it makes a lot of impact with an intense playing style and a convincing delivery. The sound production is very rough around the edges, and some would probably say that "Birth of the Dead" is a noisy and murky sounding release, but to my ears the raw production values suits the equally raw sounding material pretty well. It would maybe have been a bit much on the ears if the demo lasted any longer than it does, but the rawness of the sound production suits the purpose of this demo well.

So, upon conclusion "Birth of the Dead" is a good quality Swedish death metal demo, which doesn´t sound particularly "Swedish". This has a more grim, brutal, and maybe more US influenced sound. A 2.5 - 3 star (55%) rating is warranted.

UMUR "Celestial Death" is the second full-length studio album by Dutch thrash metal act Cryptosis. The album was released through Century Media Records in March 2025. It´s the successor to "Bionic Swarm" from March 2021, although the two full-length studio albums are bridged by the December 2023 "The Silent Call" EP.

While the material on "Celestial Death" is in some ways a continuation of the technical/progressive thrash metal style of "Bionic Swarm", Cryptosis have increased the progressive songwriting and mindset on "Celestial Death". It´s overall a much more polished, sophisticated, and above all keyboard driven release, almost to the point of being a symphonic oriented technical/progressive thrash metal release. The album features an epic atmosphere and the music is often multi-layered with guitars and keyboards filling every space of the soundscape. The keyboards are quite dominant on this one along with the raw shouting/semi-growling vocals. The guitars are often in the back of the mix and the same can be said about the drums and the bass. In that respect the mix is a bit uneven, and to my ears louder guitars and less keyboards would have made "Celestial Death" a more well balanced release. The sound production unfortuately ends up making the material sound less powerful and raw than it could have been.

With the negatives out of the way, "Celestial Death" is still a high quality release from Cryptosis, featuring high level musicianship, solid songwriting, and despite my issues with the production, a professional sound production. It´s definitely the sound of a band who have evolved and who aren´t afraid to try new things, and the adventurous mindset is admirable. I do hope they ease on the use of keyboards on the next album though, but it´s just my subjective opinion. A 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.

UMUR "Master Stroke" is the debut full-length studio album by Canadian speed/thrash metal act Outbreak. The album was released through Pro Canada Side in 1986. Outbreak formed in 1984 and released the "Metal Reïch" demo in 1985. They flirted with nazi symbolism and lyrics, but I´m not so sure they meant it that seriously. Just take a look at their band photos from that time and their ridiculous stage names like Morgen Panzer and Kaizer Fist.

So their image may have been a bit out there and ridiculous and some of their lyrics a bit offensive, but when that is said these guys can play and sing, and there´s nothing ridiculous about the actual music. Outbreak are a very well playing band and lead vocalist/keyboard player Kaizer Fist has a strong voice, and a rusty screamy delivery. "Master Stroke" is not a particularly professionally produced release, and this at times sound more like a demo recording than a studio album recording, but the band still manage to get their point across and produce some powerful, intriguing, and memorable songs.

The album features eight tracks and a total playing time of 48:14 minutes, so there´s plenty of quantity, and most tracks are also pretty long. The shortest being 4:41 minutes long and the longest being 7:29 minutes long. So the tracks aren´t just your regular vers/chorus structured speed/thrash metal tracks. Sometimes I hear nods towards more epic heavy metal like Judas Priest and Iron Maiden. I even hear a bit of Mercyful Fate here and there, so this is actually a pretty diverse release, and in addition to the powerful playing rhythm section, and the skilled vocal performance from Mr. Fist, you´ll find loads of sharp heavy metal/speed/thrash metal riffs and very well thought out and well performed lead guitar work.

I would have loved to give "Master Stroke" a higher rating, but it honestly sounds like it was recorded in the next room and the volumes are set completely wrong, with only the vocals standing out in the mix. It´s one murky, strange sounding album, and therefore I can´t give more than a 3 star (60%) rating. But if you can live with the sub par sound quality, I promise you that the material featured on the album is of a high quality.

martindavey87 Back in 1999, drummer Tommy Lee quit world-famous glam rockers Mötley Crüe, to embark upon a new endeavour delving into the (then) increasingly popular world of rap metal. The result was a smorgasbord of genres and guest appearances known as Methods of Mayhem.

Personally, I love rap metal. I think the worlds of metal and hip hop blend together perfectly. Both in musical terms, in attitude, and in image, the two were made for each other. And this album is a fine representation of that. With an excellent production and very polished writing, this album is nonstop adrenaline and energy.

Besides Tommy Lee, this album features the likes of Fred Durst, Kid Rock, Snoop Dogg, Lil’ Kim, Phil X, Chris Chaney, The Crystal Method, and Mix Master Mike. There’s a true mix-up of rockers and rappers, but somehow the album flows coherently, as though everyone is all operating under the umbrella of this being one very legit band, rather than a whole bunch of guest appearances for the sake of it.

Sadly, there are a couple of songs that are kind of passable, but for the most part, this is a solid album, and when the band get it right, damn, they really smash it out of the park! ‘Hypocritical’, ‘Who the Hell Cares’, ‘Get Naked’, ‘Proposition Fuck You’, ‘Anger Management’, ‘Narcotic’ and ‘Crash’ are all absolute bangers that make this album a more than worthy addition to any rock, metal, or hip hop collection. The only real shame is that it would be ten years until the next album.

UMUR "Morbidity Triumphant" is the eigth full-length studio album by US death metal act Autopsy. The album was released through Peaceville Records in September 2022. It´s the successor to "Tourniquets, Hacksaws and Graves" from April 2014. There´s been one lineup change since the predecessor as longtime bassist Joe Allen has been replaced by Greg Wilkinson. The usual suspects are Chris Reifert on drums and vocals and Eric Cutler and Danny Coralles on guitars. 8 years is a long time between album releases, but Autopsy have released quite a few other types of releases in those years, including the 2015 mini-album "Skull Grinder" and the 2020 live album "Live in Chicago", and of course Autopsy have also been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic like every other band in the world.

If you´re familiar with Autopsy´s signature death/doom and occasionally hardcore punk tinged death metal style which features gory lyrical subjects, you´ll find very few suprises on "Morbidity Triumphant", this is basically more of the same, which in the case of Autopsy isn´t a huge issue, because they are masters at what they do. Reifert sounds as depraved and sick as usual with his asylum bound growling vocal style and vile lyrics, and the organic playing rhythm section also deliver the heavy brutal grooves as you´d expect. The guitar riffs are brutal and organic, and Cutler and Coralles also whip up a few morbid sounding leads and harmony sections. So all in all nothing has changed in the world of Autopsy.

"Morbidity Triumphant" features an organic and raw sounding production, which suits the old school death metal material well. While this may be a slightly more professional and detailed sound production to the ones found on the early releases by Autopsy, this could on all other parameters well have been an album released in the late 80s/early 90s. There´s nothing fancy, technical, or flashy about "Morbidity Triumphant", it´s just a good quality death metal release. When that is said, I think the tracks overall could have featured a few more hooks. I´m not really able to recognise the tracks or growl along to them, even after relatively many spins, and that seems to be a quality Autopsy have lost over the years, because the early releases featuerd quite a few hooks. Still a 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.

UMUR "Ne Plus Ultra" is the debut full-length studio album by Norwegian progressive metal Terra Odium. The album was released through Frontiers Music in June 2021. Terra Odium formed in 2014 and features two former members of Norwegian technical/progressive metal Spiral Architect (drummer Asgeir Mickelson and lead vocalist/guitarist Øyvind Hægeland) as well as former Manitou guitarist Bollie Fredriksen (where he played with Hægeland). Already with those guys on board you just know that you´ll get high quality musical performances, but that´s not even it, because bassist extraordinaire Steve DiGiorgio (Sadus, Death, Testament, Megadeth, Soen...etc.) has also found time to lay down the bass tracks on "Ne Plus Ultra". Keyboard player Jon Phipps (also a member of DiAmorte) completes the quintet lineup.

Spiral Architect and the related Twisted Into Form are two of the most technically focused progressive Norwegian metal acts on the scene, but as little has been heard from either since the mid-2000s, a new technically focused progressive metal act from Norway is a welcome surprise. Terra Odium is definitely that but also a bit more as the almost cinematic synths and orchestration provide Terra Odium´s sound with something neither of the two aforementioned artists had. So while there are some similarities because of Hægeland´s voice, the technical drumming of Mickelson, and the busy fretless bass playing of DiGiorgio, Terra Odium is very much their own band with their own sound. Hægeland is a skilled singer with a versatile voice and a commanding delivery. Imagine a singer who sounds like one part John Arch (Fates Warning, John Arch, Arch/Matheos) and one part Buddy Lackey/Devon Graves (Psychotic Waltz, Deadsoul Tribe, The Shadow Theory) and you´re halfway there to understanding how Hægeland sounds. In other words at worldclass vocalist.

The music is generally pretty heavy, but also melodic and as mentioned above features an almost dramatic cinematic quality. The synths aren´t omnipresent but they are a pretty dominant part of the soundscape and provides an occasional symphonic edge to the band´s brand of progressive metal. It´s not only Hægeland who is a premier league musicians. The rest of the band are incredibly well playing too and the musicianship is generally through the roof. The songwriting is also intriguing and varied, and although all tracks are at least 6-7 minutes long and "The Thorn" is almost 12 minutes long, "Ne Plus Ultra" is an entertaining listen all the way through the 52:24 minutes long playing time. The album features a massive, layered, and detailed sound production, which suits the material well and upon conclusion "Ne Plus Ultra" is a high quality progressive metal release. A 4 star (80%) rating is deserved.

UMUR "Paradogma" is the fourth full-length studio album by Italian death metal act Hour of Penance. The album was released through Unique Leader Records in March 2010. It´s the successor to "The Vile Conception" from 2008 and the quartet lineup who recorded the predecessor is intact here.

Stylistically the material on "Paradogma" also continue the brutal and technnically well played death metal style of "The Vile Conception". Hour of Penance are an incredibly well playing band delivering their music with great skill, a furious pace, and with conviction. The tracks are a bit hard to tell apart, which really isn´t unusual for the style, but Hour of Penance do manage to incorporate a few elements to spice things up like a guitar solo here and there or the occasional heavier part. But this is basically like getting a 9 track, 37:36 minutes long beating...

...it´s such an intense listening experience that I can safely say it´s not for the faint at heart. It´s like listening to the fast-paced material by Nile, but presented in a more brutal and direct fashion (and without the middle eastern/north african musical influences). There are very few breather seconds on the album...so brace yourself. The only track which stands out as a little different is closing track "Apothosis", as it offers a slightly more atmospheric sound.

"Paradogma" features a loud, brutal, and powerful sounding production job, which suits the material well. So if you´re looking for a furiously fast-paced, ultra brutal, and technically well played death metal release, "Paradogma" could well be your poison. A 4 star (80%) rating is deserved.

UMUR "The Sick, the Dying... and the Dead!" is the sixteenth full-length studio album by US thrash/heavy metal act Megadeth. The album was released through Universal Music Group in September 2022. It´s the successor to "Dystopia" from January 2016 and there´s been a couple of lineup changes since the predecessor as drummer Chris Adler (who was never a permanent member of Megadeth) has been replaced by Dirk Verbeuren. Bassist David Ellefson who was dismissed from the band due to the much publicised case involving a young woman and some internet sex has not been replaced here. Ellefson had actually already finished recording his bass tracks for "The Sick, the Dying... and the Dead!", but band leader/lead vocalist/guitarist Dave Mustaine opted to delete Ellefson´s recordings and hire session bassist Steve DiGiorgio instead. DiGiorgio recorded new bass tracks and Megadeth were ready to release "The Sick, the Dying... and the Dead!". Another contributing factor to the 6 years between "Dystopia" and "The Sick, the Dying... and the Dead!" is the fact that Mustaine was diagnosed with throat cancer in may 2019 and had to spend the better part of a half year being treated and recovering from the treatments. The COVID-19 pandemic lockdown is another reason for the long time between album releases.

Difficult births sometimes produce excellent results, and while "The Sick, the Dying... and the Dead!" not always falls into that catagory, it´s overall a good quality release. Stylistically it´s not an album featuring many surprises, and in many ways it´s a natural successor to "Dystopia" as "The Sick, the Dying... and the Dead!" features both fast-paced thrash/speed metal tracks, mid-paced heavy thrash/heavy metal tracks, and some more melodic inclined heavy metal tracks too. Just as the case was on the predecessor Mustaine sounds like he has lost some of his ealier snarling power and grit, and sometimes it sounds like he is talking the vocal lines instead of singing them. Again that was also the case on "Dystopia", so it´s no surprise, but just a fact which needs to be mentioned when describing the album. I´m not hugely bothered by it, but it´s a slight issue. Mustaine never had a pretty singing voice and was already an aquired taste to many ears, so the loss of vocal power is of course not a positive. Then it´s of course great that all instrumental performances are brilliant. Sharp thrash/heavy metal riffing, blistering solo work, and powerful precision drumming from Verbeuren. DiGiorgio is more subdued than usual and stay true to Megadeth´s style. I´m sure that was a good idea, although we all know what the man is capable of when let loose.

The regular version of the album features 12 tracks and a total playing time of 55:06 minutes. The deluxe version features two bonus tracks which are covers of "Police Truck" by Dead Kennedys and "This Planet's On Fire (Burn In Hell)" by Sammy Hagar. The album opens with the title track which is one of the more remarkable tracks on the album, and then "Life in Hell", which is also a great quality track. "Night Stalkers" features one of the fastest thrash metal riffs we´ve heard from Megadeth in a long time, and it´s also a standout track (also featuring a guest vocal performance from Ice-T). But after the first three tracks it becomes a little more so and so with the quality and the memorability of the tracks. Nothing is awful or of a bad quality (although the lyrics to "Mission to Mars" are a little cringe worthy), but quite a few tracks feel like filler material.

"The Sick, the Dying... and the Dead!" is well produced, featuring a powerful, detailed, and clear sounding production. The drums have a dry artificial quality to them, and they could have prospered from a more organic tone, but other than that this album is well produced. So "The Sick, the Dying... and the Dead!" is another Megadeth album where you get everything you´d expect from a post-2000 Megadeth album. Some days I´m content with what I´m hearing, because it´s what I expected from them, but sometimes when I put my critical cap on, I´m questioning how great this really is. Is this one of the best Megadeth albums in their discography...hell no. Is this one of the worst albums in their discography...nope not that either, so in my opinion it lands in the upper half of the good yet relatively standard quality releases from the band. Therefore a 3.5 - 4 star (75%) rating is deserved.

UMUR "It Never Ends..." is the second full-length studio album by Danish death metal act Maceration. The album was released through Emanzipation Productions in November 2022. Maceration was formed in the early 1990s as a death metal project by Dan Swanö (working under his Day Disyraah pseudonym), then Invocator members Jakob Schultz and Jacob Hansen, and Lars Bangsholt (Iconoclasm). One Swede and three Danes. They released the "A Serenade of Agony" debut full-length studio album in 1992 through the Progress Red Label, but it was a one-off project and nothing was heard from Maceration (although the members continued to work on other projects) again until the release of this sophomore studio album many years down the line. Schultz and Bangsholt (both guitars) remain from the original lineup and Swanö also guests on vocals (and handles the production of the album), but Jacob Hansen does not participate on this release. New in the lineup are Robert Tengs (bass) and Rasmus Schmidt (drums).

Stylistically this is pretty standard quality old school death metal. To begin with I couldn´t even tell that it was Swanö growling, but after a while I began to recognise some of his trademark phrasing and overall vocal style. His delivery here is generally a little one-dimensional though, and a little more aggression and emotion would have been nice. The instrumental part of the music is well performed, but there´s little here which will surprise or excite a seasoned old school death metal fan beyond what you can expect from a project like this. The sound production is professional, powerful, and detailed, and as such it suits the material well. When that is said a more gritty and raw sounding production job would have made the material more intense. It all sounds a bit too safe here.

So upon conclusion "It Never Ends..." continues the standard quality death metal of the debut. The music doesn´t sound much like the material featured on the debut album though, and Maceration isn´t a band with a musical identity that you are able to recognise immediately. It´s not a bad quality release by any means, but it struggles to stand out on the scene. A 3 star (60%) rating is warranted.

vmagistr It's not so usual that the lead singer of a rock band, who literally wrote the history of the genre, surpasses his mother band on his solo career. In relation to Black Sabbath, Ozzy Osbourne has managed to do this, at least on the key American market, probably thanks to the fact that he bet on the commercially rewarding form of the quickly emerging heavy metal and, at least in the early years, managed to find best quality bandmates who put their skills and personalities into the recordings.

More than forty years later, there is no less controversy associated with good old Ozzy than there was in 1980. He no longer commits all sorts of mischief at concerts and beyond, and clean of most substances he doesn't act like a loose cannon, but most attention is drawn to his health by many fans. It also raises the question of how much influence Osbourne really has on the music that came out on his records in the last two decades, and whether his name is just marketing a job that someone else in the studio had the lion's share of. The album Patient Number 9, which Ozzy released in 2022, offers quite positive answers in my opinion.

The album's main highlight is the title track, Patient Number 9 - the role of the psychologically scarred wretch being "liquidated" by the surrounding system has always suited Ozzy very well. Melodically we have a clear hit here, which is good supported by a very generous seven-minute duration, and the electronic backing lines do a good job as well. Everything here is geared towards perfectly pitched choruses with enlivening backing vocals, and when one of them brings out an arpeggio with an unmistakable tone, chills go down my spine. Jeff Beck didn't do that much work in this track (he basically added a few solo outings), but he left a bit of soul in the little he did. He got a more prominent role in the post-apocalyptic ballad A Thousand Shades, where his soothingly "clucking" solo over a forest of strings forms a counterpoint to the resigned sadness of the rest of the track.

From the second half of the approximately hour-long collection, I really like the piece Nothing Feels Right, from which the inspirational thread winds back to the nineties albums Ozzmosis and Down to Earth, or the dense affair Degradation Rules with perfect harmonica. Ozzy is joined there by former Black Sabbath partner Tony Iommi, and in my opinion, they were more successful here than in the slow piece No Escape from Now, from which the Sabbath "pattern" stares a little too flashy. The choruses of Dead and Gone and Evil Shuffle or the wilderness of Parasite with Zakk Wylde's fuzz-soaked guitar are also good, if you ask.

On his own, Ozzy Osbourne wouldn't be able to make a good record anymore - he doesn't just happen to have that production team and a bunch of reliable sidemen around him. On the other hand, his vocals and lyrics are such an important part of the whole, for which I have quite complimentary words, so it wouldn't have been possible without him. Records that attract star guests and a variable line-up around a refreshed core started to be released after the covid in vast numbers, but in Ozzy's case I think he managed to come up with a very solid record.

martindavey87 Originally released in 2006 for fan club members, ‘Unplugged in Boston’ is a live acoustic album by thrash metal legends Megadeth, recorded in 2001 whilst touring for their album, ‘The World Needs a Hero’. While there’s nothing overly wrong with this, in all honesty, there’s nothing right with it, either. Who actually wanted to hear acoustic versions of Megadeth songs? Anyone? Didn’t think so.

Not that there’s anything bad about them, the performances are good and the sound is fine for what it is, but this is Megadeth. Some bands’ songs lend themselves well to more intimate, acoustic settings. Megadeth isn’t one of them!

At 40 minutes in duration, it’s a harmless listen, and is an acceptable addition to any Megadeth fans’ collection, but really, wouldn’t you rather listen to this songs with distorted guitars, pounding drums, and just a little bit of that Dave Mustaine attitude? I know I would.

UMUR "Muuntautuja" is the sixth full-length studio album by Finnish experimental/psychedelic black metal act Oranssi Pazuzu. The album was released through Nuclear Blast in October 2024. It´s the successor to "Mestarin kynsi" from 2020 and there have been no lineup changes since the last album. Oranssi Pazuzu have since their inception in 2007 (and their debut album "Muukalainen puhuu" from 2009) been one of the more darkly exotic and interesting bands from the Finnish metal scene. Although not mainstream succssful, they are a well known artist on the experimental/psychedelic black metal scene.

...and listening to "Muuntautuja" it´s understandandable why that is. Oranssi Pazuzu create a blackened psychedelic music journey with heavy nods toward early 70s Krautrock and space rock. Artists like Hawkwind and Can haven´t lived in vain. There´s a lot of slow building repetition on the tracks, which provides an abstract hypnotic effect and the many layers of sounds, instruments, and vocals, give the music depth and longivity. The snarling blackened vocals provide aggression to the music, but there is generally a nice punchy forward drive to the music, although the pace overall isn´t high. The songriting is of a high quality and Oranssi Pazuzu are generally a very creative and adventure seaking band. Although they certainly have a core style, they add little twists here and there, which means a lot to a listener.

"Muuntautuja" features an organic, powerful, raw, and detailed sounding production, which suits the material well. It´s an album for those Oranssi Pazuzu who felt that the band had maybe wandered a bit too far in the more abstract noisy psychedelic rock/space rock direction on the last couple of releases, because "Muuntautuja" is arguably one of the band´s most accessible releases. It´s a bit more advanced than their debut album, but I get some of the same raw drive emotions from this release that I also got from the debut. Upon conclusion "Muuntautuja" is another high quality release from Oranssi Pazuzu, who once again prove that they are one of the most intereresting Finnish artists out there. A 4 star (80%) rating is deserved.

UMUR "Opposer" is the fourth full-length studio album by Danish death metal act Deus Otiosus. The album was released through Great Dane Records in April 2017 almost to the day three years after the release of the preceding album "Rise". No lineup changes has taken place, and Deus Otiosus have actually had a stable lineup since 2012.

The word stable can also be used to describe the band´s sound and the quality of their output, because the material on "Opposer" continues the old school thrash infused groove laden death metal style of the preceding releases. The band are still well playing and delivers their music with both skill and great conviction. The vocals are to my ears the weakest link as the growling is a little one-dimensional. Other than that the music is powerful, brutal when it needs to be, and most importantly energetic and filled with sharp organic grooves. "Opposer" features a powerful and well sounding production job too, so upon conclusion it´s another good quality death metal release by Deus Otiosus. A 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.