Tales From The Underground
Tales From The Underground
Artist: ArmageddaCountry: SwedenLabel: Nordvis ProduktionFormats: LP, CDYear: 2019 It was 18 years ago when I reviewed Armagedda’s ‘Ond Spiritism…’ for Vampire-Magazine (this zine’s predecessor) and while that is half a life ago, it still feels like it has been only recently that I heard this…
Artist: SarvekasCountry: FinlandLabel: Soulseller RecordsFormats: 12″ EP / CD EPYear: 2020 AA and JL formed Sarvekas in late 2018 and at the dusk of 2020 their first EP release ‘Of Atavistic Fury and Visions’ saw the light through the Dutch…
Artist: Khold Country: Norway Label: Soulseller Records Formats: LP / CD Year: 2022 It is strange how some things get into a certain position or context without a logical reason or string of events. Like these Norwegian Black Metallers Khold,…
Artist: TherionCountry: SwedenLabel: Hammerheart RecordsFormats: LP / CDYear: 2022 The second part of Hammerheart Records’ Therion reissues, after the great ‘Time Shall Tell’ 12” EP, is the bands’ second album ‘Beyond Sanctorum’. Indeed, skipping their great debut LP ‘Of Darkness…’…
Artist: TherionCountry: SwedenLabel: Hammerheart RecordsFormats: LP / CDYear: 2022 The musical voyage of Therion, that led them from a pure, but atypical Death Metal band to a multi-layered and creative musical chameleon has been spread over four albums, with each…
Artist: TherionCountry: SwedenLabel: Hammerheart RecordsFormats: LP / CDYear: 2022 With the bands’ 1992 album, ‘Beyond Sanctorum’, Therion proved not quite to be a band to play Death Metal-by-numbers. On the contrary. They already pushed the boundaries of the genre and…
Artist: TherionCountry: SwedenLabel: Hammerheart RecordsFormats: 12″ EPYear: 2022 Introducing a band like Therion seems a little pointless as they are among the most successful bands on the Nuclear Blast roster – for a quarter of a century now. Much of…
Artist: Master Country: USA Label: Xtreem Music Formats: 10″ EP Year: 2020 It is almost impossible and perhaps even morally wrong to leave Master’s legendary 1985 demo-tape out of a series that is called ’10 Inches Of Deathcult’, in which…
Artist: Tenebro Country: Italy Label: Xtreem Music Formats: LP / Cassette tape / CD Year: 2022 After a demo tape (reissued on 7” vinyl by Seven Metal Inches) and a 3-track debut EP which was initially only released on cassette…
Artist: Fides InversaCountry: ItalyLabel: World Terror CommitteeFormats: LP / CDYear: 2020 The Italian Black Metal band Fides Inversa doesn’t exactly work at a high pace, but they have consistently improved their craft since the formation in 2006. Their first album…
Artist: AdramelechCountry: FinlandLabel: Xtreem MusicFormats: 10″ EPYear: 2020 Finnish Death Metal, or ‘Finndeath’ as they like to call it, always had something special compared to bands from other countries who had a lively Death Metal scene. They often had a…
Artist: Deathspell OmegaCountry: SwedenLabel: Norma Evangelium DiaboliFormats: LP / CDYear: 2022 You can safely say that Deathspell Omega is one of the most prolific bands in the current Black Metal scene. Initially releasing more standard, but very good, Black Metal…
Artist: Paganizer Country: Sweden Label: Transcending Obscurity Records Formats: LP / Cassette Tape / CD Year: 2022 Ah! Rogga Johansson again found some time to record yet another album, this time with Paganizer. It sometimes just puzzles me how some…
Artist: Dark FuneralCountry: SwedenLabel: Century MediaFormats: LP / CDYear: 2022 What is the point in introducing Dark Funeral? No, there is none. A band that has drawn as much praise as it received rejection. Rejection because the band isn’t matching…
Artist: Black Fucking CancerCountry: USALabel: Sentient Ruin LaboratoriesFormats: LP / Cassette tape / CDYear: 2022 After having released their debut album in 2016 through Osmose Productions, this subtly named power trio from California found a new home at Sentient Ruin…
Artist: Incantation Country: USA Label: Xtreem Music Formats: 10″ EP Year: 2020 What can be said about Incantation’s debut demo from 1990 that hasn’t been said before? It has not only been tape traded a zillion times back in the…
Artist: ThanatosCountry: The NetherlandsLabel: Xtreem MusicFormats: 10″ EPYear: 2020 A series that is called ’10 Inches Of Deathcult’ would not be complete without Hollands’ self-proclaimed initiators of Dutch Death Metal. Though the band was already founded as early as 1984…
Artist: Supremative Country: Spain Label: Crimson Tide Productions Formats: LP Year: 2022 Although I already picked up the reissue of Supremative’s first demo on 7”, which was released by Blood Harvest Records back in 2016, I still had to check…
Artist: Recipients Of Death Country: USA Label: VIC Records Formats: CD Year: 2022 Halfway the 80’s, the absolute heydays of Thrash Metal, many of the founding fathers of the genre released their iconic and classic albums. But it was also…
Artist: AcheronCountry: USALabel: Funeral Industries / VIC RecordsFormats: 12″ EP / CD EP Year: 2022 There aren’t many American Death Metal bands about which opinions are as divided as Acheron. There’s a lot of haters and a lot of fans.…
Artist: God Dethroned Country: The Netherlands Label: VIC Records Formats: LP / CD Year: 2022 Before God Dethroned gained worldwide fame with their brilliant ‘The Grand Grimoire’ and ‘Bloody Blasphemy’ albums in the second half of the 90’s, for which…
Artist: Shape Of Despair Country: Finland Label: Season Of Mist Formats: LP / CD Year: 2022 Originally formed in 1995 (then under the name of Raven), Shape Of Despair is one of the longest running Funeral Doom bands. Debuting in…
Artist: Seep Country: USA Label: Extremely Rotten Productions / Gurgling Gore Formats: LP / Cassette Tape / CD Year: 2022 After an EP, Vomitus, the sole member behind Seep, returns with a full-length album which sees the gore of day…
Artist: VampireaCountry: BrazilLabel: Depressive Illusions Records / Floppy Tales RecordsFormats: Cassette EPYear: 2022 Obscurity is the keyword here. Vampirea Spawned out of the mind of its sole member (Giuliano Paulin). Started in 2022 and presenting its first self-titled 3-track demo…
Artist: Mayhem Country: Norway Label: Century Media Formats: 12″ EP / CD EP Year: 2021 Mayhem’s latest two albums, ‘Esoteric Warfare’ from 2014 and the latest, ‘Daemon’ from 2019, have divided fans and admirers. Both records are far from easy-listening…
Artist: Hearse Country: USA Label: Sinistrari Records Formats: CD Year: 2022 Not being aware of their reuniting in 2019, it came to me as a surprise to see Hearse surface with a new release. ‘Traipse Across The Empty Graves’ is…
Artist: AsphyxCountry: The NetherlandsLabel: Xtreem MusicFormats: 10″ EPYear: 2020 During the late 80’s and early 90’s the Dutch Death Metal scene had a lot of great bands to offer. Many of those bands recorded full-length albums and gained their fame in their respective careers. But…
Artist: Midnight Country: USA Label: Metal Blade Records Formats: LP / CD Year: 2022 Much has changed since the inception of Midnight. Going from a side-project that was initially only releasing (split) EP’s through various underground labels, Midnight went to…
Artist: TerrorizerCountry: USALabel: Xtreem MusicFormats: 10″ EPYear: 2020 During the second half of the 80’s Terrorizer, along with peers like Repulsion, Carcass and Napalm Death propelled extreme music into whole new levels extremity by pushing the boundaries that were thought…
Artist: Pyrexia Country: USA Label: Xtreem Music Formats: 10″ EP Year: 2020 Around the 90’s American Death Metal bands had a real special thing going on. Other than their European counterparts they were much more vile and brutal. Especially New…
Artist: Nidernes Country: Portugal Label: Black Gangrene Productions Formats: LP / Cassette Tape / CD Year: 2022 When it comes to Black Metal, Portugal has never been much of a fertile breeding ground. Apart from bands like (very) early Moonspell…
Artist: Embrace Of ThornsCountry: GreeceLabel: Iron Bonehead ProductionsFormats: 7″ EPYear: 2022 Quite out of the blue comes this nice 7” EP from these Greek veterans with a career spanning over two decades already. During this long career they have delivered…
Artist: Immolation Country: USA Label: Nuclear Blast Records Formats: LP /Cassette tape / CD Year: 2022 There are only few bands that have been around for about 35 years and are still as relevant today as they were when releasing…
Artist: DoodswensCountry: The NetherlandsLabel: Svart RecordsFormats: LP / CDYear: 2022 Anyone with a little interest in the Dutch Black Metal scene must have stumbled upon Doodswens at some point over the last past two years or so. But although it is rather unique to have…
Necrovorous’ last album, “Plains Of Decay”, will have its fifth birthday this year and not much has been heard since. But, that is not much to be worried about, says guitar player and vocalist K. Devilpig. They are just very…
Artist: YggCountry: UkraineLabel: Ashen Dominion / Darker Than Black RecordsFormats: LP / CDYear: 2020 Hailing from Kharkiv, Ukraine, Ygg shares not only their hometown with bands like Nokturnal Mortum or Drudkh, but also their musical roots. For a country of…
Artist: Moonlight Sorcery Country: Finland Label: Avantgarde Music Formats: 12″ EP / CD EP Year: 2022 At some point in the history of Black Metal it was something that was laughed at exclusively: melodic Black Metal, or symphonic Black Metal…
Artist: AngelBlastCountry: SwedenLabel: Edged Circle ProductionsFormats: 7″ EPYear: 2022 As a two-piece AngelBlast released a 7” in 2019, which marked the start of the band. The three songs on that 7” showcased a band in its early stages, but potential…
Artist: Yoth IriaCountry: GreeceLabel: Pagan RecordsFormats: LP / Cassette tape / CDYear: 2021 Though Yoth Iria introduced themselves with a great EP (released on 10” and 12” vinyl formats, as well as on CD and cassette) and a split 7”…
Artist: Nokturnal Mortum Country: Ukraine Label: Heritage Recordings / Oriana Music Formats: LP / CD Year: 2022 One of Ukranian most prolific bands will definitely be Nokturnal Mortum, with their folk-drenched black metal they are a strong influence on many…
Artist: Graveland Country: Poland Label: Forever Plagued Records / Inferna Profundus Records / The Oath / White Wolf Productions Formats: LP / CD Year: 2021 Unquestionably one of the most prolific bands in the Polish underground Black Metal scene is…
Artist: Funeral Mist Country: Sweden Label: Norma Evangelium Diaboli Formats: LP / CD Year: 2022 Like always is the case with Funeral Mist, all of a sudden there is a new album. I was pleasantly surprised by 2018’s ‘Hekatomb’-album, which…
Artist: Faceless BurialCountry: AustraliaLabel: Dark Descent Records / Desiccated Productions / Me Saco un Ojo RecordsFormats: LP / Cassette tape / CDYear: 2022 With their debut album, ‘Grotesque Miscreation’ from 2017 and its follow-up EP that appeared a year later,…
Artist: Mutilator Country: Brazil Label: Hellven Records Formats: LP / CD Year: 2021 When you talk about classic Brazilian Thrash Metal albums, you automatically end up with Sarcófago’s ‘INRI’, Sepultura’s ‘Morbid Visions’ and Mutilator’s ‘Immortal Force’. Of course, they were…
Artist: Ceremonial OathCountry: SwedenLabel: VIC RecordsFormats: CDYear: 2020 After having paved the way for many bands that would follow and further perfect Ceremonial Oath’s blueprint for the melodic Gothenburg Death Metal sound with their amazing debut album, ‘The Book Of…
Artist: Mortuous Country: USA Label: Carbonized Records / Extremely Rotten Productions Formats: LP / Cassette Tape / CD Year: 2021 In a scene that is getting more and more crowded with bands that take their major influence from what we…
Artist: Revenant Country: USA Label: Xtreem Music Formats: 10″ EP Year: 2020 Between all the violence of the American Death Metal bands of the early 90s, it was difficult to really achieve great (commercial) success, obviously not every band had…
Artist: Drowning The LightCountry: AustraliaLabel: Dark Adversary ProductionsFormats: CDYear: 2020 When all light is consumed, your soul is putrefying and only ghouls, specters and vampires are left to take over to feast upon your woefully existence, Drowning The Light’s Azgorh is there to compose yet…