Zemial – To Slay With Silent Dagger [EP]

Artist: ZemialCountry: GreeceLabel: Self-releasedFormats: Digital EPYear: 2022 Archon Vorskaath has led his brainchild Zemial through many years of musical transitions and past many great releases. On many occasions, the enigmatic act has managed to surprise fans and critics alike. Looking…

Necromaniac – Morbid Metal [Demo / Re-Release]

Artist: Necromaniac Country: United Kingdom Label: Invictus Productions Formats: Demo Tape Year: 2021 Originally released in 2015 by Me Saco Un Ojo Records (and already reissued a year later) Invictus Productions thought it was about time to give this demo…

Apostasy – Death Return

Artist: ApostasyCountry: ChileLabel: Hammerheart Records / Sentient Ruin LaboratoriesFormats: LP, CDYear: 2022 First appeared in 2021 on both cassette tape and CD formats (by Cabalist Records and Fallen Temple respectively), this third album by Chilean cult thrashers got another run of releases in 2022 by…

Hellish – Dreamlike Fears/Goddess Of Death [EP]

Artist: Hellish Country: Chile Label: Self-Released Formats: Digital EP Year: 2022 As an appetizer for their upcoming album, ‘The Dance of the Four Elemental Serpents’ which is set for a release on December 16th of this year through Dying Victims Records,…

Daeva – Through Sheer Will And Black Magic…

Artist: DaevaCountry: USALabel: 20 Buck SpinFormats: LP / Cassette tape / CDYear: 2022 Back in 2019, our chief-editor reviewed Daeva’s first EP, and although he appreciated the offering, it wasn’t all too special for him. Now, a few years ahead…

Exordium Mors – As Legends Fade And Gods Die

Artist: Exordium MorsCountry: AustraliaLabel: Praetorian Sword RecordsFormats: LPYear: 2022 When New Zealand is mentioned many people think of those great mountain landscapes in which Peter Jackson filmed his Lord Of The Rings trilogy. But it also has a small but…

Sarcator – Alkahest

Artist: Sarcator Country: Sweden Label: Black Lion Records Formats: LP / Cassette Tape / CD Year: 2022 Usually I am not quite interested in father-son kind of relations, or any other family relations, between musicians. I think that every individual…

Defleshed – Grind Over Matter

Artist: DefleshedCountry: SwedenLabel: Metal Blade RecordsFormats: LP / CDYear: 2022 Not too long ago I spent quite a few words on Defleshed’s 7” EP, ‘Fleshless And Wild’, which was released to reintroduce us to the recently resurrected Defleshed. Arguably Sweden’s…

Deathhammer – Electric Warfare

Artist: DeathhammerCountry: NorwayLabel: Hells Headbangers RecordsFormats: LP / Cassette tape / CDYear: 2022 Norway’s Deathhammer have taken the Metal world by storm, crushing the masses with their intense Thrash/Speed Metal mix that blends in some of their Norwegian Black Metal…

Plaguefever – Crude Implements [EP]

Artist: Plaguefever Country: USA Label: Elvte Kvlt Recvrds Formats: 12″ / Cassette EP / CD EP Year: 2021 This trio from Richmond, Virginia, USA released their debut EP late last year and was picked up not long after by Elvte…

Necromutilator – Oath Of Abhorrence

Artist: Necromutilator Country: Italy Label: Osmose Productions Formats: LP / Cassette Tape / CD Year: 2022 In the 1968 Hammer Horror movie ‘The Devil Rides Out’, Duc Richleau tries to rescue his late friend’s son and his girlfriend from the…

Ultra Silvam – The Sanctity of Death

Artist: Ultra SilvamCountry: SwedenLabel: Shadow RecordsFormats: LP / Cassette tape / CDYear: 2022 That Ultra Silvam was a band to watch out for was immediately clear after first hearing their self-titled demo. The band effortlessly combined a ferocious untamed Black Metal…

Necrohammer – Unholy Black Steel [EP]

Artist: Necrohammer Country: Mexico Label: Self-Released Formats: Digital EP Year: 2022 Old School bestial Blackened Speed Metal fans of the world, rejoice! After a 2020 demo tape and a split CD (Bestial Possession, Profanación Sepulcral and Goatslaught) a year later,…

Sexmag – Zelazna Dziewica [Demo]

Artist: Sexmag Country: Poland Label: Dying Victims Productions Formats: Demo Tape Year: 2022 After their “tasteful” debut EP ‘Sex Metal’ from 2021, these Poles returned last summer with this new demo tape, which, like the EP, was also released by…

Sexmag – Sex Metal [EP]

Artist: Sexmag Country: Poland Label: Dying Victims Productions Formats: 12″ EP / Cassette EP / CD EP Year: 2022 A band with such a name immediately draws attention, add to that this fantastic cover artwork and you have yourself a…

Mayhemic – The Darkest Age [Compilation]

Artist: Mayhemic Country: Chile Label: Awakening Records Formats: CD Year: 2022 This Chilean Thrash Metal band, formed in 2018, released several demos and EP’s over the past few years. However, none of these releases reached my ears before, so for…

Defleshed – Fleshless And Wild [EP]

Artist: DefleshedCountry: SwedenLabel: Regain RecordsFormats: 7″ EPYear: 2021 After a career of almost 15 years, Swedish Death/Thrash band Defleshed threw in the towel in 2005. Up to that point in their existence, the band had released five full-length albums and…

Deströyer 666 – Guillotine [EP]

Artist: Deströyer 666Country: AustraliaLabel: Burn RecordsFormats: 7″ EPYear: 2022 Seemingly out of the blue there is this new sign of life from one of the most iconic Black/Thrash bands. Although influential, Deströyer 666 has not been very productive in recent…

Dead Head – Slave Driver

Artist: Dead HeadCountry: The NetherlandsLabel: Hammerheart RecordsFormats: LP / CDYear: 2022 Considering this album was released by the end of April this year, I am a little late to the party with this review. Dead Head has never really changed…

Morgal – Nightmare Lord

Artist: MorgalCountry: FinlandLabel: Werewolf RecordsFormats: LP / Cassette tape / CDYear: 2021 One of the interesting aspects of reviewing albums is diving into the musical history of a band, going back to the earliest material, and comparing how a band…

Anal Vomit – Into The Eternal Agony [Reissue]

Artist: Anal VomitCountry: PeruLabel: Black Legion RecordsFormats: Demo tapeYear: 2022 It was about 17 years ago when I reviewed Anal Vomit’s ‘Demonic Flagellations’ (From Beyond Productions) for VM-Underground’s predecessor and also conducted an interview with the band about these early…

Krushhammer – Blood, Violence & Blasphemy

Artist: Krushhammer Country: Brazil Label: Hellprod Records Formats: LP / CD Year: 2022 I do love the simple things in life. I am just fine when things are predictable. Admitted, I also like to have a musical surprise every now…

Destructo – Demonic Possession

Artist: DestructoCountry: The NetherlandsLabel: Dying Victims Productions / Wolves Of Hades RecordsFormats: LP / Cassette tape / CDYear: 2021 I don’t think I have to tell you that The Netherlands is a rather small country and its metal scene is…

Painsaw – Infinite Violence [EP]

Artist: Painsaw Country: Canada Label: Self-Released Formats: Digital EP Year: 2022 Ahh, great! Canadian Thrash Metal. Yes, please! Painsaw hail from Fredericton, New Brunswick and presents their first offering: ‘Infinite Violence’. That promises a nice piece of uncompromising Thrash Metal.…

Thanatos – Omnicoitor [Demo / Re-Release]

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…

Mutilator – Live At Lemmy’s Bar

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…

Sacrifice – The Ones I Condemn

Artist: Sacrifice Country: Canada Label: Cyclone Empire / Marquee Records / War On Music Formats: LP / CD Year: 2009 With the unstoppable stream of returning old Thrash Metal legends (as well as some lesser heroes), you would almost think…

Shackles – Traitors’ Gate

Artist: Shackles Country: Australia Label: Hells Headbangers Records Formats: LP / CD Year: 2009 After releasing two demos (one being re-released on CD on Kneel Before The Masters Throne) and a 7” EP these Australians were ready for their first…

Dishammer – Vintage Addiction

Artist: Dishammer Country: Spain Label: Hells Headbangers Records Formats: LP / CD Year: 2008 The announcement of this LP was already enough to get me interested: ‘A perverted overdose of raw diabolic metal punk. Sounds like a fistfight between Hellhammer…

Assaulter – Salvation Like Destruction

Artist: Assaulter Country: Australia Label: High Roller Records / Iron Bonehead Productions / Pulverized Records Formats: LP / CD Year: 2008 This first full-length release for this Australian duo is a collaboration between German labels Iron Bonehead Productions and High…

Trench Hell – Southern Cross Ripper [EP]

Artist: Trench HellCountry: AustraliaLabel: Hells Headbangers Records / Home Taping CrueltiesFormats: 12″ EP / Cassette EP / CD EPYear: 2008 After the great “Alcoholic Disaster” EP from four years back, these Australians are back with a 12” consisting of six ultra…

Magnus – Scarlet Slaughter [Re-Release]

Artist: Magnus Country: Poland Label: Blood Harvest Formats: LP Year: 2007 Sometimes you walk into something that you never heard of and surprises you in a pleasant way. This was the case when I got a package through the post…

Desaster – 666: Satan’s Soldiers Syndicate

Artist: DesasterCountry: GermanyLabel: Iron Pegasus Records / Metal Blade RecordsFormats: LP / CDYear: 2007 Though they are certainly some kind of worship/’tribute to the gods’ band, Desaster is, in the meantime, one of the longest running German thrash bands. It…

Death Attack – Death Attack [Demo / Reissue]

Artist: Death AttackCountry: GermanyLabel: I Hate RecordsFormats: 7″ EPYear: 2007 This is a band that is dead for about a good twenty years now, but still is something that is worth digging up if you’re into old school metal. This…

Thanatos – Thanatos Boxed Set [Boxed Set]

Artist: ThanatosCountry: The NetherlandsLabel: Areadeath ProductionsFormats: CD BoxsetYear: 2007 Thanatos is one of the oldest still active (death) metal bands from The Netherlands and therefore has got a rather rich history. This boxed set is a fine lesson in history…

Necrodeath – 100% Hell

Artist: Necrodeath Country: Italy Label: Scarlet Records Formats: CD Year: 2006 This Italian band will certainly ring a bell to old school metallers as they have been a part of a very lively underground scene in the eighties. Having their…

Axegrinder – Rise Of The Serpent Men [Re-Release]

Artist: Axegrinder Country: United Kingdom Label: Peaceville Records Formats: CD Year: 2006 In the early days of Peaceville there has been some truly worthwhile releases that somehow faded into oblivion and are totally unknown to most of the new-school metalheads…

Deviated Instinct – Welcome To The Orgy [Compilation]

Artist: Deviated Instinct Country: United Kingdom Label: Peaceville Records Formats: CD Year: 2006 Peaceville Records started out as label for punk, crust and hardcore and had cult bands like Doom, Axegrinder, Prophecy Of Doom, Electro Hippies and this Deviated Instinct…

Corrupt – Silence Equals Death [EP]

Artist: CorruptCountry: SwedenLabel: Blood HarvestFormats: 7″ EPYear: 2006 After four demos and a split 7” with Necrovation (also on Blood Harvest) that I personally all missed, even the split 7”, I finally got my first release from them in the…

Lethal – Deliverance [EP]

Artist: Lethal Country: Sweden Label: Blood Harvest Formats: 7″ EP Year: 2006 Not to be confused with the American progressive metal band that released a couple of albums from the early to the mid-nineties on various labels this Swedish Lethal…

XI-Void – PanDemonic [Demo]

Artist: XI-VoidCountry: The NetherlandsLabel: Self-releasedFormats: Demo CDYear: 2006 This young quartet from the northern parts of The Netherlands plays a mixture of thrash metal and heavy metal. Pretty reminiscent to bands like later Death, Iced Earth, Megadeth and Control Denied.…

Deep Vein / Bloody Sign / Oppression – Split Tape

Artist: Deep Vein / Bloody Sign / OppressionCountry: France / France / SwedenLabel: Nihilistic HolocaustFormats: Split cassette tapeYear: 2004 Another tape from the Nihilistic Holocaust label, an old school label that is specialized in releasing old fashioned tape releases. Can…

Barbatos – Fury and Fear, Flesh and Bone

Artist: BarbatosCountry: JapanLabel: Agonia RecordsFormats: CDYear: 2005 Remind yourself, when was the last time you bought an album and noticed on the band pictures in the booklet (or the inlay in the case it was a vinyl record, which is…