Satan Spawn's Best Of 2013

Year: 2013

2013 was a great year for metal indeed. Month after month, fans were bombarded with releases from their favourite bands. There were no dearth for quality releases from big bands and except for a couple of bands, all the others managed to live up to the hype surrounding their releases. Another thing that must be mentioned about the releases this year, is that it was a year for comebacks. 

Big names that had been in slumber, arose from their hibernation and delivered some amazing stuff this year. Due to the sheer number of releases, I was unable to check out all the good ones. However, I did go through a substantial amount of records and the following ones are the ones that I feel are truly the best.

My Top Discoveries Of 2013

Year: 2013

2013 turned out to be a special year for me in terms of music. I started this webzine last December and as a result, I had the opportunity to check out so many underground bands from across the globe. Though not all these bands were worth the time, some of them were absolutely stand out brilliant. Though not widely known, these bands showcased their potential through their releases this year. Most of these bands are still unsigned, while a few of them have already signed deals with small time labels. Whatever the case, one thing is for sure. These bands have the potential to make it big and one must definitely keep an eye on them.

Gig Review - Black Metal Krieg 3 sponsored by Transcending Obscurity and S.B. Music

Year: 2013

A couple of weeks back, Mumbai was the home to the third edition of the country's biggest black metal festival called Black Metal Krieg. The brainchild of Stark Denial vocalist, Kunal Marie Gonsalves, Black Metal Krieg came back this year with the biggest line up yet. 9 bands from across the country convened at Hotel United 21, Thane on 8th December, 2013 which served as the unholy altar that day.

Here's how it went...

Unscarred - Fake Democracy EP - Album Review

Year : 2013

Many people call metal, the man dominated genre. But many women have risen up and proved all of those people wrong. Examples are women like Tarja Turunen (ex- Nightwish), Simone Simons (Epica) and even Angela Gossow (Arch Enemy) who has proven her worth in growling and the band being one of the pioneers of melodic-death metal. These are just few examples and there is a long list examples I can put here. But I have never heard a female voice in Thrash Metal. Thrash metal is one of those genres that steals away your attention with fast music and is usually fronted by masculine men.

Gig review - Neal Morse band Featuring Mike Portnoy at Mood Indigo, IIT Bombay.

Year: 2013

This was one gig that I had anticipated for a long time and even missed the likes of Black Metal Krieg 3 for. To watch the God of all drummers play. Mind you, I did have my fill. The gig on the following evening with Neal Morse and Mike Portnoy was worth the 600 bucks I paid for. Hell, it was worth much,much more than that.

Fragarak - Crypts Of Dissimulation - Album Review

Year: 2013

This year, I have listened to way more records than I usually do. However, there weren’t any records that absolutely knocked me off my feet and shattered all my expectations. That is, until I heard this beauty of an album called ‘Crypts of Dissimulation’ by Fragarak. Right off the bat, I’ll declare that this album is beautiful masterpiece and nothing less than that. In fact, this is one of the best albums I’ve heard from the Indian scene for quite some time now. Go ahead and buy this. But in case you need more convincing, read on.

Space God Ritual - Eldritch Tales - Album Review

Year: 2013

Eldritch Tales-The sophomore album of US Stoner/Doom metal band Space God Ritual-just months after their debut- is to be said; pure, unadulterated old school doom metal on the veins of Trouble and St.Vitus. The guitars are downtuned as usual, the drums slow and the vocals haunting and mystic,which takes you to another world, especially when you're tripping on substance.

      

Rhapsody Of Fire - Dark Wings Of Steel - Album Review

Year: 2013

Rhapsody of Fire is a Symphonic Power Metal band from Italy who are known to be one the pioneers in their sub-genre. The band is popular for fantasy lyrics written by founders Alex Staropoli and Luca Turilli. They started with 'The Emerald Sword Saga' followed by sequel, 'The Dark Secret Saga'. It concluded in their last album 'From Chaos Till Internity' (2011) which also served as the last album for co-founder and guitarist Luca Turilli with the band. After that album , the band split in half with other half known as Rhapsody and referred to as Luca Turilli's Rhapsody. All lyrics till now were written by keyboardist Alex Staropoli and guitarist Luca Turilli. 'Darks Wings of Steel' marks the first Rhapsody Of Fire album without Turilli writing lyrics. Lyrics were written by Alex Staropoli and vocalist Fabio Lione. The band still kept the theme of fantasy lyrics in this album. Is it a start of new saga?

Deicide - In the Minds of Evil - Album Review

Year: 2013

'In the Minds of Evil' is album number eleven from Death Metal veterans Deicide. Coming out two years after 2011's forgettable 'To Hell with God' and with the addition of new guitarist Kevin Quirion, who replaced the shred wizard Ralph Santolla, the new album has a lot to prove for the band that has existed since the dawn of the genre. Now frankly speaking, Deicide have been on a downswing since 2006's 'Stench of Redemption'.

Meat Train - Man Made Flesh - Album Review

Year: 2013

2013 is drawing to an end and thanks to this webzine, I had the opportunity to check a lot of underground bands that I normally wouldn’t have listened to. It is quite surprising how sometimes a band can be so talented and yet remain so underrated and unknown. I can quote a lot of bands like that, which I discovered this year. The latest addition to that list is the London based Death Metal / Grindcore outfit called Meat Train.

Darkthrone - The Underground Resistance - Album Review

Year: 2013

About 6 years after the biggest Norwegian Black Metal band found out that they are going stale and did a major genre transition from shrieking Satanic hymns to singing cheesy ballads about metal and everything that follows it, comes the biggest and best release since then. The masters of the dark have suddenly become the masters of versatility. The Underground Resistance is clearly a benchmark on the band’s discography, and notably one of the best albums of the year.

Top Indian Metal Releases Of 2013

The Indian Metal Scene is something which is still in growing stages. Though metal as a form of art, is not widely accepted in this country, the number of people appreciating it, is on the rise. 2013 saw a lot of releases from bands hailing from different parts of the country. Though there weren't as many big shows involving international acts as in 2012, the underground live scene is something that saw a phenomenal growth this year. This year also saw bands like Kryptos, Devoid and Inner Sanctum do various shows in Europe!

The following, are the albums that I consider to be the six best releases from the Indian Metal Scene in 2013. Note that, this is just my opinion and the albums are in no particular order. They were all equally impressive.

Interview with Blackrat

Year: 2013

Earlier this year, I was snooping around on bandcamp when I came across a band called Blackrat. Their brand of sleazy black thrash captured my attention and I went on to do a review of their debut full length, which can be found here. So who is Blackrat anyways? Read the following conversation and find out..

Mental Killing Spree - Centrifuge Of Man - Album Review

Year: 2013

It is not very often that I get obsessed over a band after just listening to their debut. But once in a blue moon, there comes a band whose capabilities are projected with sheer brilliance in their very first album. This is especially rare in a genre like Death Metal where all ideas seems to have been tried and there is a lack for fresh input. Surprisingly though, German DeathGrind band Mental Killing Spree manage to keep it fresh though their ideas have been heard before.

Interview with Stark Denial

Year: 2013

Black Metal Krieg is India's only event which caters exclusively to the genre of Black Metal, which is still in a growing stage in India. The band responsible for this dedicated black metal festival is the one  and only Stark Denial. 

Having successfully organised two editions of the event, Stark Denial is back and this time, they are bringing a legion of the country's finest black metal bands to Black Metal Krieg 3. With barely a week left for the dark day, we had a chat with the band about the show and their upcoming EP.

Stark Denial - War EP - Album Review

Year: 2013

Stark Denial’s debut is a record that has been much awaited by hordes of Black Metal fans in India. This band who has been active in the scene since 2006, is one of the integral forces behind the Black Metal Krieg fest. After three years, and two editions of the gig, the third edition of Black Metal Krieg will also serve as the album release show for Stark Denial. Now, the question on everybody’s mind is, is the debut worth the long wait? Or does the expectations created by the wait itself, bog down the quality of this release?

Interview with 1833 AD

The Indian Black Metal scene is an evergrowing one with more and more bands being formed. Leading this scene is Delhi based black metallers, 1833 A.D. Having released their full length last year, the band has been actively touring and are all set to play at the third edition of Black Metal Krieg in Mumbai. We had the opportunity to speak to the band about the event and their music. Here is what happened:

Blackrat - Whiskey And Blasphemy - Album Review

Year: 2013

The problem with many of the Thrash Metal bands these days is that most of it sounds very contrived and forced. The basic difference between the thrash metal back in the 80’s and the thrash metal today, is that back then, the music had a passion and the bands playing the music sounded like they were having fun. That is lost out on most of today’s thrash bands. However, that being said, there is still a hand full of bands that are bringing back that old school passion through their music. The latest album by Canadian act Blackrat is a fine example for this.

Gutslit - Skewered In The Sewer - Album Review

Year: 2013

When someone mentions the brutal side of metal, India is not exactly the country that pops into one's mind. The reason is that there are not many brutal death metal bands from India. The number of proper bands playing brutal stuff can be counted on a single hand. But however few these bands are in number, their music sure does pack a punch. Leading this legion of brutal death metal bands is the almighty Gutslit.  This band has been playing an active role in propagating this heavy art form since 2007. After releasing a split in 2009, the band's much awaited debut full length is finally here! Was it worth the wait?

Facegrinder - Unstable Mentality And Theoretical Convulsion - Album Review

Year: 2013

Every once in a while, I go through a phase, where all I need is a huge wall of music to grind my face. When I came across the band Facegrinder, this is exactly what I expected. Going into this album, my expectations from this band where pretty high, because earlier this year, I had reviewed an album from another band from by same members, called Corpseflesh and that album had impressed me so much. So does Facegrinder impress as much as Corpseflesh, or is it not as good?

Winter Gate - Dis-Illumination EP - Album Review

Year: 2012

Writing a song with a long runtime takes skill. Keeping the listener engaged throughout the length of the song requires even more special skills. The number of progressive bands in India are actually very limited and even the few that do exist, tend to stick to shorter song lengths (with exception of one or two songs ofcourse). But never did I imagine that when I discovered such a progressive band from India, it would be from Jaipur of all places! While the general public had been focussing their attention on bands from Bangalore, Kolkatta, Delhi and Mumbai, these lads have achieved something which quite a lot of bands in this country fail to do - release a spectacular debut!

Aetherium Mors - Entrails of the Soul EP - Album Review

Year: 2013

When I was a kid a long time ago (in the early 90's) the death metal scene was growing, and demos were a big part of the scene. Somewhere along the road, when the scene exploded, it was almost impossible to keep track of all the unsigned bands. There wasn't enough time or money to focus on anything but bands that were signed. This EP from the unsigned UK-based blackened death metal band Aetherium Mors makes me wonder how much I've missed out on.

Ayreon - The Theory Of Everything - Album Review

Year: 2013

It's 2 a.m. at night, I plug in the earphones, switch off the lights, close my eyes, getting ready to explore everything. Arjen Lucassen has given new direction to metal, created a new level of metal. Ayreon's music has never been limited to one genre. It's music has always touched the heart of everyone that listened to it. Arjen, the mastermind behind Ayreon is the master of transitions. With each and every album he amazes everyone and causes them to love him even more.

Cosmic Infusion - Cosmic Infusion EP - Album Review

Year: 2013

Whenever I check out a new band, if I see the words 'keyboard' anywhere in the line up, I automatically turn into a sceptic of the band’s capabilities. It is not that I hate the keyboards as an instrument. Its just that, over the years that I have been listening to metal, I have come across very few bands that have been able to incorporate this instrument in an effective way, that pleased my tastes. The rest of the time, the keyboards always felt like unnecessary additions and they felt over used in the music. The scepticism arose in the case of Cosmic Infusion too. But with only five songs, they managed to lay all my doubts to rest.

Toxic Holocaust - Chemistry of Consciousness - Album Review

Year: 2013

Earlier this year, I randomly came across a Facebook post which said that some bloke called Joel Grind was giving away his first solo album for free download on his bandcamp page. Looking at the name and artwork of the album (he called it 'The Yellowgoat Sessions'), I naturally was intrigued. Little did I know that I was about to discover a musician whose genius cannot be contained in a few words. This guy has been as active as quicksilver, with his numerous side projects aside from his main project i.e. Toxic Holocaust. What is fascinating about this, is each and every project of his, has a unique sound and no two projects sound the same! Coming back to his main project, Toxic Holocaust had been silent for almost a year, before announcements came that a new album was in the works and immediately this album shot up to the top of the ‘Albums I look forward to list’. After some impatient waiting, it is finally here.

Skeletonwitch - Serpents Unleashed - Album Review

Year: 2013

The first guy who ever had the idea to mix Black Metal and Thrash Metal, was a true visionary indeed. The rapidity and aggressiveness of Thrash Metal and the dark evil tone of Black Metal complement each other in a manner that it feels totally natural. These two genres were meant to be together! It goes without saying that Black Thrash Metal is fast growing to become one of my favorite sub genres of all time. And one of the fast rising bands in this genre is the mighty Skeletonwitch. Their last album, 'Forever Abomination' ended up in lot of top 20 lists of 2011. Will they be able to create the same magic (or should I say black magic?) with their upcoming album?

Sideburn - IV Monument - Album Review

Year: 2012

There used to be a time when the riff was the protagonist. The riffs were simple in their structure and yet so effective in carrying the entire song forward. That time is described by many as the golden era of heavy metal before the technological advancements changed the game completely. If you are someone who misses the good old days of riff based heavy music, then fret not. Sideburn, with their heavy stoner rock tunes, take the listeners back to the good ol' days of metal.

Interview with Cosmic Infusion

The Indian metal scene is no stranger to Black Metal. Over the years, many Black Metal bands have come and gone but only a few have stood the test of time. One such band, is Cosmic Infusion from Mumbai. Formed in 2003 and having survived many lineup changes, the band has finally delivered a self titled EP that lives up to the long wait. The band is also part of the line up in the upcoming third edition of Black Metal Krieg, a festival that exclusively features Black Metal bands in the country. I got a chance to interview the band, thanks to Kunal Choksi of Transcending Obscurity. Here's how it went...

Djinn and Miskatonic - Forever in the Realm - Album Review

Year: 2013

H.P.Lovecraft was a man who, during his time was terribly under appreciated. It was only after his death, that his true genius was recognized and respected. Titled the Edgar Allen Poe of the 20th century, H.P.Lovecraft was instrumental in shaping up the genre of horror with his works which dealt with themes like occult, supernatural and extra terrestrial elements in such a way that they were clumped together under a broader classification called Lovecraftian horror. He not only inspired a multitude of writers, but his influence is also seen to play a major role in many of today’s metal bands. From early bands like Black Sabbath, to modern bands like The Black Dahlia Murder, all have gained inspiration from Lovecraft in one way or the other. The Indian metal scene is not far behind in this aspect. Djinn & Miskatonic from Bangalore, have a penchant for Lovecraftian Horror as exhibited in their latest studio release.

Chaos Plague - Chaos Plague EP

Year: 2012

What is essential in any music album is that it should be memorable. The riffs must invade the listener’s mind in such a way that they haunt him long after he has hit the stop button. But this is a lesson that seems to be lost on many bands today, especially when it comes to the technical and progressive genres. Most of these bands try to cram in as much technical riffs in their songs as posiible and to leave the listeners in awe. The result of this is that the songs are instantly forgotten after the last note, though they manage to keep the listener enthralled for the length of the track. Still, there are quite a few bands that are an exception, who make their music both memorable and technical. Which of these categories does Chaos Plague fall under?

Seed Of Sorrow - Seed Of Sorrow EP - Album Review

Year: 2013

In today's scenario, there a tons of new metal bands being formed every single day. Bands have started popping up in every part of this planet, creating the music that they love and adore. The sheer volume of bands coming into existence each day, causes a lot of bands to be overlooked. Some of these bands are truly worthy of more attention than what they are getting at the moment. One such new and upcoming band is Seed Of Sorrow.

Carcass - Surgical Steel - Album Review

Year: 2013

A perfect blend of Death Metal and melody. I used to wonder if such a thing can even exist! Evidence from the music of most Melodic Death Metal bands today, suggested otherwise, as they were over saturated with melody to the point that they became simple melodic metal with harsh vocals. But, if there is one band that could pull off the perfect ratio of both Death Metal and melody, it ought to be a band that have proved their merit in both the fields. That is exactly what Carcass had done in the past and now, with their comeback album about to be unleashed, they prove that they are the right band to accomplish the task of delivering the perfect mix.

Gorguts - Colored Sands - Album Review

Year: 2013

The true test of a band's skill and consistency, is when they make an album after a long period of absence. The so called "comeback album", measures the band's ability to make good quality music despite staying dormant for an extended period of time. 2013 seems to be filled with such comeback albums, with big league bands like Carcass and Black Sabbath putting out albums after quite some time. Canadian Avant Garde Death Metal veterans Gorguts are the next ones in line. 

Watain - The Wild Hunt - Album Review

Year: 2013

Popularity. It can either make a band grow big or it can break the band. If there is one thing to be learnt from the years of metal music, it is that when a band achieves high levels of fame, the band most often ends up becoming a shadow of its former self. This phenomenon has remained true in almost all sub genres of metal, including one of the most non commercial ones that is Black Metal. Bands like Satyricon, Dimmu Borgir etc., who were once hailed as great bands, after seeing their share of fame are now regularly churning out mediocre albums. With this in mind, I approached the new Watain album (considering the amount of expectations and hype that this album made before its release) with high scepticism. Has Watain really made the same mistake as their peers?

Plague Throat - An Exordium To Contagion - Album Review

Year: 2013

When it comes to the Indian Metal Scene, if there is one place where one can look for some quality, underground bands delivering some solid extreme metal, then that place would be the North East. This land of the hills has given rise to some of the big names in extreme metal like Alien Gods, IIIrd Sovereign, Agnostic, Dark Carnage etc. Plague Throat is one such band, which had been causing shock waves in the underground scene for quite some time. Now, it is the time for these underground mammoths to unleash their debut record. So how have they fared in this venture?

Exhumed - Necrocracy - Album Review

Year: 2013

Are you on the lookout for a new band that out brutalizes every other band out there? Searching for something that is filled with riffs written in such a way that its sole purpose seems to be to squish your head to a pulp? Do you want a fast, mind numbing wall of noise? Then this is NOT the album that you are looking for. Because, Exhumed has come out with something that you might not have heard from them till now. They have released a very mature album.

Thy Raventhrone - End - Album Review

Year: 2013

What is it about the Finns? Whatever they touch, it turns grand and melodic. I can safely say that the majority of music coming out of Finland, have this very melodic and very epic feel to them. It has got to do something with the Finnish landscape, filled with beautiful forests, majestic hills, the northern European climate etc. So it really comes as no surprise that the music made by inhabitants of such a awe inspiring place, sounds so beautiful. Speaking of Finnish melodic metal, Thy Raventhrone has the very same formula, containing ingredients of melody, grandeur and atmosphere.

Parasitic Ejaculation - Rationing The Sacred Human Remains - Album Review

Year: 2013

When dealing with Brutal Death Metal, the things that immediately spring to mind are rough production, wailing of highly distorted guitars, a wall of noise attempting to pulverize the listener with sheer brutality and highly incomprehensible vocal work. I did not expect anything different when receiving the promo of Parasitic Ejaculation's debut. In this album, they have done many things right and one of those things, was proving all such expectations wrong.

Broken Hymen - Shrouded By Death EP - Album Review

Year: 2013

When speaking of the Metal scene in Asia, the scenes that generally come to mind are Indian, Sri Lankan and Malaysian scenes. But there is yet another rapidly growing, yet predominantly underground scene that Asia has to offer. I am talking about the Metal scene from Nepal of-course. Unlike most of the other countries, the bands from Nepal predominantly sway towards the more abrasive side of Metal, taking up genres like Death Metal, Black Metal and Grindcore. In fact, the audience there crave the heavy stuff so much that they have had giants like Napalm Death and Vader perform in the country. Now, from the country that has given us bands like Ugra Karma and Antim Grahan, comes a new icon of brutality, Broken Hymen.

Preludium - Impending Hostility - Album Review

Year: 2010

War. This is a sensitive subject which has captured the attention and serves as an inspiration to many an artist. It serves as the subject matter for too many works of art. In literature, there are works by Lord Alfred Tennyson, Leo Tolstoy, Charles Dickens, Alistair Maclean etc. In the field of cinema too, we have witnessed innumerable films depicting the various aspects of warfare. Metal music, was not far behind to catch up. Bands like Bolt Thrower, Sodom, Hail Of Bullets etc, have spoken about war throughout the length of their discography. The latest band to join the ranks of such bands is Preludium from Poland.

Autopsy - The Headless Ritual - Album Review

Year: 2013

When listening to music, the first thing I expect from a band is, for them to provide enough variations, either in terms of composition, song writing, pace shifts etc., that would keep me hooked to the music that they are delivering. While a few bands manage to do that now and then, some bands have been doing it throughout their career, in almost all their releases. One such band, is the legendary Death Metal band, Autopsy.

Coffins - The Fleshland - Album Review

Year: 2013

I had always pictured Japan as a land of technology, anime and bubbly J-pop music. But on listening to Coffins for the first time, surprise hit me hard like a massive sledgehammer. This band was nothing like the other stuff, that I've heard coming out of Japan. It appears that I've been missing out on a big metal scene from the island country.

Black Sabbath - 13 - Album Review

Year: 2013

Of all my years of lurking in the interwebs, I have seen one particular argument rear its ugly head many times over. "Who gets the credit for inventing Metal as a genre?". While some may say Led Zeppelin, others may say Blue Cheer or Deep Purple. The reality is though, no single band can be credited for inventing this amazing form of music. However, there is one band, without whose existence, Metal may not have been as we know today. And that band, undeniably, is Black Sabbath. These lads from Birmingham, UK, started out way back in 1968, under the name Earth. Through the course of their 45 years of existence, this band has undergone numerous line up changes and stylistic changes, while at the same time, remaining true to Heavy Metal. Now in 2013, the band has broken out of a long slumber, to unleash doom upon the mortal world once again, this time, in the form of 13.

Megadeth - Supercollider - Album Review

Year: 2013

When Megadeth named their new album Supercollider, I expected the album to surpass the previous two albums by them, namely Endgame and Thir13en. This expectation was only compounded by Dave Mustaine's constant words that this was the best album that the band had ever recorded. But none of this prepared me for what Supercollider, really turned out to be. 

September Murder - He Who Invokes Decadence - Album Review

Year: 2013

Progressive Metal is a genre, which is known for it's eclectic tempo shifts and time signature changes. Now, put this together with something as heavy as Brutal Death Metal, and the resulting concoction is something which is truly interesting. The mark of a good Progressive Metal band is to keep the listener hooked, while keeping the changes coming. On the other hand, a Brutal Death Metal band aims to pulverise everything in it's path. New age metallers, September Murder succeed in achieving both, for the most part.

A Chat With Kracken Kelly Of "Foreshadow"

Foreshadow are an American Death Metal band hailing from Tampa Bay, Florida. Having successfully released one studio album and an EP to some really good reception, the band is all set to tour the world. They are currently set to play their music in China and are also pushing for a tour in Europe. We, at Metal Gallows, had a chance to have a chat with the drummer of the band, Kracken Kelly. Here is an excerpt of the interview.

Reptilian Death - The Dawn Of Consummation And Emergence- Album Review

Year: 2013

Sahil 'The Demonstealer' Makijha seems to be a very busy man indeed. Many people consider him to be the face of the Indian Metal Scene and one can see why. He is an active member of not one, but four different bands and he is constantly touring and releasing new material. This year has already seen a release from his comedy rock project, Workshop. Now, Sahil has rebooted his death metal project, Reptilian Death. What started out as a parody act, has now become something serious. 

Gregzeye - The End Days - Album review

Year: 2013

What kind of a name is Gregzeye? It sounds an awful lot like Greg's Eye. Upon some further inquiry into the origin of such an uncommon name, it turns out that my initial suspicions about the name was spot on. The members had actually named the band after their friend Greg, who had visited one of their rehearsals after hurting his eye on a beach umbrella! Well, don't let the name put you off. Because, listening to their debut album, it is not difficult to see the passion and talent that these lads possess.

Immolation - Kingdom Of Conspiracy - Album Review

Year: 2013

In today's metal scene, there are very few bands that have shown consistent quality outputs. Even the best of bands have had some rough patches during their career. But this observation does not apply to the death metallers from Yonkers, New York. Immolation is one of those few rare bands that have given us quality albums time and time again. What is it that they do, that makes all their albums so enjoyable and gives them such consistency? 

Motorhead Tribute - India - Album Review

Year: 2013

Motörhead is a band that any true metalhead would be familiar with. They are one most revered and respected metal bands in the world. With their combination of the NWOBHM sound with fast punk elements, they re-energized the sound of metal. They have been around since 1975 and are still going strong. Many of today's emerging bands cite them as their influence. Such is the glory and legacy of  Motörhead. 

Sorrows Path - The Rough Path Of Nihilism - Album Review

Year: 2010

Sorrows Path is band that was formed in 1993. 17 years later, in 2010, they released their debut album. In the time between their inception and the release of their debut album, this band has faced a lot of obstacles and tragedies. But despite all that, they have released a wonderful debut album.

With Burning Contempt - Red Visions EP - Album Review

Year: 2013

There are many bands around that have had their trysts with different styles of metal. Some tend to do it over the span of their entire career, while some do it within a single album. What do you call a band that blends Thrash, Death, Black and even a tinge of Doom, all in the duration of one song? Over ambitious or talented genius?

Sodom - Epitome Of Torture - Album Review

Year: 2013

The genre of Thrash Metal was made popular in the late 1980's by bands such as Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth, Anthrax, Sodom, Destruction, Kreator etc. While the American thrash giants suffer from the lack of quality releases in recent times, their German counterparts are still going strong with their brand of Teutonic Thrash. Last year saw two top notch albums from Kreator and Destruction. Sodom, the other Teutonic thrash king are not far behind.