ACID THRONE – Kingdom’s Death

Behold, the new Doom Lords of East Anglia. Norwich doomsters ACID THRONE have slowly been garnering a reputation as a fierce live act over the past year, but does their dark energy translate onto record? Thankfully, ACID THRONE‘s debut album Kingdom’s Death captures the cavernous depths of their doom and gloom, along with rich, organic production to boot. One of the band’s biggest strengths is their frequent dips into black metal and post-metal. It is this crossover appeal which will see ACID THRONE gain a loyal legion of fans.

Opening track Death is Not the End is the perfect example of their black metal-tinged doom, with its raw, textured sound, chilly ambiance and slow and distorted guitars coupled with breaks of triumphant riffs. The way the track gradually erupts into a crypt of noise is subtle yet effective. Second track River (Bare My Bones) boasts slow grooves, rumbling basslines and the doom equivalent of a catchy chorus, while King Slayer is a metallic beast of epic proportions. War Torn is a ballsy affair with a groovy swagger and a brilliantly blackened climax, and this confidence and flair continues in the bold Hallowed Ground.

ACID THRONE close the album with Last Will & Testament, an ambitious slab of metallic doom which hints at a potential progressive edge. ACID THRONE certainly mean business with Kingdom’s Death – will you swear loyalty?

To pre-order Kingdom’s Death, check out ACID THRONE’s Bandcamp.

ANNISOKAY – Abyss Pt 1 EP

German metalcore rising stars ANNISOKAY continue to go from strength to strength with each release. 2021’s album Aurora was a bold move for the band as they re-established themselves with a new line-up and a bolder sound. New EP Abyss Pt 1 continues this progression and boasts the most confident version of ANNISOKAY to date.

Melodies have always been one of the band’s strengths but they are utterly off the chain on this EP. That’s not to say the heaviness has been replaced, absolutely not. Once again the German metallers expertly straddle being the heavy and the melodic, with stunning results.

Opening track Into the Abyss is an epic introduction to the EP which harks back to the cinematic influences on Aurora. ANNISOKAY showcase their perfect hybrid of heavy and melodic with the storming Human; huge choruses, cinematic electronics and intense vocals all make for an unforgettable (and a classic ANNISOKAY) track.

The band shake things up with Ultraviolet which has a fun, nu-metal spin to proceedings, while brutality ensues in the powerful Throne of the Sunset. ANNISOKAY provide us an absolute bop in the form of Calamity, which is a reworking of Remedy, a song by German pop star LEONY, but it has to be said that a poppier leaning really suits the band… The EP ends with Time, another catchy anthem by the masters of melodic metalcore. Another sublime effort.

CALLIGRAM – Position | Momentum

London-based misery merchants CALLIGRAM have returned with their blistering new album Position / Momentum – and it is an abysmal delight for any fan of blackened punishment. Like black metal? You’ll love the desperate howls of vocalist Matteo Rizzardo and the chilling atmosphere. Is post-metal more your jam? Look no further than the blackened riffs and monstrous soundscapes conjured on this album. How about blackened hardcore? You’re gonna love the ferocious pace and raw textures.

CALLIGRAM kick off with the relentless bludgeoning of Sul Dolore, which is followed by the urgent intensity of Frantumi In Itinere. Eschilo is an ambitious slab of rich, textured metal, while Tebe quickens the pace with its metallic tones and triumphant riffs. So far, CALLIGRAM have proven their blackened savagery, but they flex their diverse muscles in the acoustic and brass fuelled interlude of Per Jamie. The band switch it up once again in the storming black metal romp, Ostranenie which is easily a standout track with its dives into metal extremities and contrasting instrumental breaks.

Penultimate track Ex-Sistere doesn’t hold back with its fervent blackened delivery, but closing track Seminario Dieci is a brooding masterpiece which indulges the listener with waves of nostalgic post-metal twists and turns of chaotic black metal. CALLIGRAM have well and truly thrown their hat in the ring with this effort to become extreme metal’s new darlings. Absolutely superb.

A HORRIBLE DEATH TO A HORRIBLE MAN – Days Gone By

Sometimes a band comes out of nowhere and completely side-swipes you with an album. This is absolutely the case with Danish shoegaze, post-metal band A HORRIBLE DEATH TO A HORRIBLE MAN and their debut album Days Gone By. Read that again…their debut album. This is one of the most mature sounding debuts of the year. The band expertly mix post-metal riffs with melodic doom vocals and the results are striking and unforgettable.

Opening track Other is a superb example of this, with colossal CELESTE-esque riffs and vocals in the same vein as the clean vocals of SHORES OF NULL. It’s a winning combination. Standout track Too Soon really ramps up the blackened shoegaze vibes with its sorrowful guitars and ethereal vocals. The band channel their inner MØL on First Light as unforgettable blackgaze riffs are the order of the day and a focus on building a haunting atmosphere. The instrumentation really shines here, but the song is completed by the resonating vocals nestled amongst the layers of sound.

The title track is an epic journey of emerging soundscapes, mournful lyrics and spectacular pacing – this is truly a remarkably mature piece of song-writing. A HORRIBLE DEATH TO A HORRIBLE MAN change tack a tad with the laidback closer, Breathe. The stripped back textures make for a track to get invested in, and the pay-off is hugely rewarding. Days Gone By is destined to be an album which causes small ripples at first, but will rapidly grow in popularity once the word gets out about how accomplished this album is. An astonishing achievement for a debut album.

BLINDFOLDED AND LED TO THE WOODS – Rejecting Obliteration

New Zealand tech death metallers BLINDFOLDED AND LED TO THE WOODS dazzled death metal fans with their last album Nightmare Withdrawals back in 2021 with its relentless savagery. This year, they’ve returned stronger than ever with fourth album, Rejecting Obliteration with new label, Prosthetic Records. With this album, the band are set to launch themselves into the greater collective conscience of metal. Their unforgiving brutality, innovative riffs and blackened tones make for an absolutely gripping experience.

The band wear their NIGHTMARER influence on their sleeve in opening track Monolith, but with an extra cutting edge thanks to the metallic guitars and the progressive flair. Second track Methlelem sets the bar high with its infectious grooves, disorientating riffs and Stace Fifield’s punishing vocals. Hallucinative Terror doesn’t hold back with its subject matter or intense execution. This is the definition of present day BALTTW; unafraid, ambitious, ferocious and progressively extreme.

The band completely side-swipe you with the blackened masterpiece Wraith, before taking a dissonant dive into Cicada. The technical madness continues through the album, including the jarring riffs of penultimate track, Hands of Contrition before Caustic Burns closes the album with an absolute masterclass in dissonance. BLINDFOLDED AND LED TO THE WOODS have finally tapped into their full potential with Rejecting Obliteration, but with the levels of talent and commitment on display, it’s clear the band still have so much to offer.

KARMANJAKAH – Ancient Skills EP

After soothing souls with their debut album A Book About Itself back in 2021, Swedish proggers KARMANJAKAH have decided to tease fans with a new, four-track EP, Ancient Skills. Since the release of their self-titled EP in 2016, the band have always been able to tug on the heartstrings of fans thanks to their moving melodies and shimmering music – so much so the band have developed an ever-growing loyal legion of fans.

KARMANJAKAH have used A Book About Itself as a springboard for this new collection of songs, as they continue with the sunny vibes with an additional dollop of feels and chilled vibes. The song titles are charmingly simple and tie in with the title of Ancient Skills as it feels like the band are exploring what it means to be human and coming back to ourselves. The music also reflects this, with tranquil passages to promote reflection.

Opening track Breathing is the KARMANJAKAH we know and love but with a maturity and underlying stillness that is the sound of a band utterly confident and comfortable with their art. Jonas Lundquist’s vocals and Vìggo Örsan’s guitars beautifully entwine along with the harp and keys. Like breathing is fundamental for survival, the fluidity between instruments is fundamental to KARMANJAKAH.

Flying is easily one of KARMANJAKAH’s finest songs written to date. Like the concept of flying, the song is wistful, dreamy and has a streak of vulnerability thanks to the charming piano notes throughout. The djent is present but it provides a much needed contrast to the light and airy vocals. Writing is a glimpse at the musical expertise of the band, with a long instrumental passage which allows the music to breathe and allows the listener to become immersed in the KARMANJAKAH universe.

The band surpass themselves however with Listening, their most ambitious track to date; a track filled with oriental moments, heavy riffs and expansive textures. Four tracks may not sound enough but these four tracks certainly feel enough. At this rate, the second album will crush us all.

CATTLE DECAPITATION – Terrasite

Deathgrind masters CATTLE DECAPITATION have always had their finger on the pulse when it comes to our impending apocalypse. Who could forget the defining album of the band’s career Death Atlas in 2019 and its uncanny premonition of plagues and mass deaths shortly before the world got turned on its head… With their new album Terrasite (the title being a play on words of ‘earth-eater’ and ‘parasite’), the band explore the concept of humanity causing the destruction of the planet. In the short-term, CATTLE DECAPITATION will certainly cause the destruction of your eardrums and any lingering optimism you may have.

Music-wise, everything is once again on point, but there has been a slight shift in direction and more ambient textures can be heard on Terrasite, especially on the blistering closer (and standout track) Just Another Body. But we’re getting ahead of ourselves here. Terrasite opener Terrasitic Adaptation is business as usual with Travis Ryan’s diverse vocals, vivid lyrics, flawless drumming and death metal riffage with a smattering of blackened brilliance.

We Eat Our Young features some of the grooviest death metal riffs you’ll hear this year, while The Storm Upstairs is a strong, nostalgic punch in the guts with machine-gun riffs. …And the World Will Go On Without You is the epitome of contemporary CATTLE DECAPITATION; a superb mix of straight-up death metal, grind bursts, thought-provoking lyrics and sparse, clean vocals. A Photic Doom leans more into blackened territory, but Solastalgia reigns supreme with the atmospheric textures and triumphant riffs.

Ten albums into their career and CATTLE DECAPITATION still prove they are constantly evolving to remain the masters of their brutal craft. Another stunning offering.

NIGHTMARER – Deformity Adrift

Finally, an album release to smother the last inklings of hopes and dreams for 2023. It’s been five years since NIGHTMARER released their debut album Cacophony of Terror, and since then the band have gone through a transformational period of welcoming new members to the fold, creating their own label and releasing the Monolith of Corrosion EP in 2021 to test the waters. Now NIGHTMARER are finally ready to unleash upon the world their second full length, Deformity Adrift. This is their most diverse and punishing era yet.

Opening with Brutalist Imperator, it is everything we fear from NIGHTMARER and more; colossal vocals, disorientating dissonance, a tight rhythm section and all executed with such boldness it will be the perfect accompaniment for staring into the abyss. Baptismal Tomb is a fast-paced death metal menace, while Tooms side-swipes you with a bleak industrial-esque instrumental. The bleakness continues in standout track Suffering Beyond Death which has some of the most bewitching dissonance ever conjured by man.

The band take savagery to the next level in the truly terrifying Taufbefehl before obliterating your senses with Hammer of Desolation. NIGHTMARER become a sonic machine in the dramatic closer, Obliterated Shrine; if you think the band couldn’t be any more harrowing then this track will certainly drive you to the brink of despair. With Deformity Adrift, NIGHTMARER have truly plunged dissonant death metal to horrifying, new depths.

FIRES IN THE DISTANCE – Air Not Meant For Us

It is absolutely staggering Air Not Meant For Us is only FIRES IN THE DISTANCE’s second album, as the delivery of the melodic death doom is executed with such flare and brilliance you could easily believe you’re listening to a band decades into the game. This album is nothing short of stunning.

The Connecticut melo-death-doomsters begin the album with the epic Harbingers which is a ten minute masterpiece of live orchestration, warm distortion and spellbinding riffs and lyrics. The organic piano and strings add to the honesty of FIRES IN THE DISTANCE‘s music and takes their sound to the next level. The depth and textures throughout the album are so rich and rewarding, Air Not Meant For Us is truly an enthralling listen.

The melodic death metal influences shine through on Wisdom of Falling Leaves with the colossal vocals, rumbling basslines and flurries of atmospheric piano, while doom reigns supreme on the lusciously paced Crumbling Pillars of a Tranquil Mind.

The surprise standout track comes in the form of Adrift, Beneath the Listless Waves which provides an utterly spectacular instrumental break featuring dynamic guitars twinned with other-worldly piano melodies. The instrumentation tells the tale of this track and it will stay with you for a long time to come. Idiopathic Despair, with its hybrid sound of doom and melo death, provides the perfect finale for an almost perfect album. Utterly superb.

EXISTENTIALIST – The Heretic

Essex based death metal group EXISTENTIALIST definitely bring their A-game to their second album, The Heretic. The potential was always there but it’s a huge step up from their 2020 debut, Prophet of Ignorance.

Opening track Shrouded in Darkness showcases the new and improved EXISTENTIALIST, with dramatic orchestration, ridiculously tight drumming, beautifully blackened riffs and colossal vocals by front man Patty Kolasa. The track clocks in at just over seven minutes, but the band’s ambitious approach never becomes tiring. The Zealot’s Demise enters deathcore territory, while Churchburner is an impressive slab of symphonic death metal with a nostalgic air.

Lead single Embers Upon Calvary remains a standout track with its technical precision and brutality, but nothing quite prepares you for the utter filth of Usurper. This track has it all; slamming deathcore drops, heavily atmospheric orchestration and an intensity which can only be matched by well established artists. This is EXISTENTIALIST’s last-ditch attempt to win you over with blackened brutality alone before they end proceedings with the slow burn finale, The Abyssal Embrace. This piano-led track makes for a dramatic closer and the band still deliver a few surprises before the end.

EXISTENTIALIST have proved they’re constantly growing and improving and certainly have the chops to be big players in the game. Make sure you’re keeping watch.