Album Reviews


Isolated Antagonist Takes Us Into “Oblivion”

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Isolated Antagonist is:

Glen Mitchell – Aggressive vocals, lyricist, music

Nate Exx Gradowski – all instrumentation/music, clean vocals

Christian Olde Wolbers – (formerly of Fear Factory) bass

Isolated Antagonist (an inversion of the Artificial Intelligence acronym) has been in our stables for a couple of years now, supplying us with a steady supply of purist level Industrial Metal with roots solidly grounded in the original trail blazers of the genre like Fear Factory, Godflesh and Die Krupps with additional influences coming via Progressive Metal greats like Sepultura, Mnemic, Gary Numan, The Frontline Assembly, Brujeria, Queensryche (Geoff Tate era), Napalm Death, Strapping Young Lad and Devin Townsend. Started by Army Warrant Officer (CW3) Glen Mitchell (aggressive vocals, lyricist and music) and Nate Exx Gradowski (all instruments/music and clean vocals) as a musical outlet for vivid Sci-Fi Metal in 2014, they wasted no time releasing their first EP entitled Engineered Audio Hallucinations the same year. By 2016, Isolated Antagonist released their second full-length album called Affirmation of Entropy on the BluntFace record label. Originally set to be released around Halloween of last year as the ongoing Sci-Fi saga of humanity’s slide into a pseudo-Hell, Oblivion now has a set release date of November 20, 2017, with all pre-sales profits being donated to the Dana–Farber Cancer Institute (Pre-Sales website) in the name of fallen soldier and friend, Melanie Crim, who Chief Mitchell served with. This alone is worth the price of entry. F*ck Cancer!

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Review: VOIDS – ‘No Character : No Crown’ [Official Videos]

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Voids hasn’t been in the game for a long time yet their sound suggests otherwise, beginning with the 2015 EP ‘As Above, So Below’ they already proved that they understand the deep roots of metalcore and with the 2017 release of ‘No Character : No Crown’ they have shown us that they only have improved ever since. Their new album offers a huge quality difference as well as a mature sounding character. With that being said, let’s get right into the review!

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Album Review: BAND OF SPICE – ‘Shadows Remain’

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Band of Spice

Shadows Remain

Scarlet Records

Unlike the bloodthirsty beasts and mythical creatures that serve as subject matter for so much of the metal genre, the demons and monsters that occupy the songs on Shadows Remain are all too real. The third album from the namesake project of Kayser and former Spiritual Beggars frontman Christian “Spice” Sjöstrand, Shadows Remain is a harrowing ride that documents the darkest days of the singer/songwriter’s life, a period induced by isolation and the abuse of various substances. It’s a record that wears its soul on its tattered denim sleeve, a brooding bruiser that simultaneously kicks your ass and breaks your heart.

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Album Review: NE OBLIVISCARIS – ‘Urn’ [Official Video Streams]

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Two and a half years ago in the good wintry month of February, me and my cousin happened to witness one of the best prog extreme metal bands, who were pretty much new to my taste buds. A month before that gig, I started jamming their songs religiously and it instantly struck a chord in my heart. I remember my cousin weeping in all his happiness midway their set when Tim Charles started to move the bow to and fro on his violin strings, thus resulting in the harrowing yet beautiful ‘Painters Of The Tempest(Part I): Wyrmholes‘. I remember asking him “Dude, why the fuck would you cry in a metal concert?”. Yes I know, I was pretty stupid back then and probably didn’t understand the catharsis music leads you to. It actually lead me to some long time contemplation, how could someone be reduced to tears with such heavy and intense sonic atrocity.

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Review: REPTILIAN ILLUMINATI – ‘Dark/Light’ [Album Stream + Video]

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 Reptilian Illuminati formed in 2016 in the land down under Australia. The band is influenced by a wide variety of artists like Pallbearer, Ahab, This Will Destroy You and Pink Floyd. The band is comprised of Matthew Brennan – Guitar, Terry Pietrosanto – Guitar, Dean Astrella – Guitar, Dexter Karpe – Bass, and Matty Innes – Drums. Reptilian Illuminati is an instrumental band that brings a wide range of elements into their music including historical samples which attributes to the concept of the album. ‘Dark/Light’ is their debut album and is also a concept album based on UFO phenomena. Using speeches and audio clips as historical clues and some spacey riffs and beats at times the album is truly cohesive. ‘Dark/Light’ was recorded at Brown Lounge Studios Engineered by drummer Matty Innes Mixed by Matty Innes and Michael Marinucci Mastered by Chris Themelco at Monolith Studios. The album released on September 1st, 2017 and is available on Bandcamp here and you can stream below.The band has also released a music video for the track “Valentich” which was filmed and edited by Lewi Haskins at Sonder Media. It’s an amazing video that has beautiful naturalistic imagery and then turns to the sky and shows it with a kaleidoscope effect that is simply amazing.

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Review: IRON MONKEY – ‘9-13’ [Lyric Video]

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Iron Monkey have returned. Yes, you read that right, Iron Monkey have returned! The reason for the comeback? Unknown. But after listening to 9-13 (Available October 20th on CD, LP, and digital formats via Relapse Records. Physical packages and digital orders are available via Relapse.com HERE and all retail outlets HERE.) I can assure you that this is (mostly) a solid return to form!

Iron Monkey formed in Nottingham, England in 1994. The original members were Justin Greaves (drums), Johnny Morrow (vocals), Jim Rushby (guitar), Steve Watson (guitar) and Doug Dalziel (bass). The group’s sound was influenced by doom metal and sludge metal acts such as EyeHateGod, and Grief. In 1998 Iron Monkey released the highly acclaimed “Our Problem” via Earache Records. Unfortunately, due to issues with the music business as well as personal problems the band split in 1999. To add to that drama, On June 22, 2002 frontman Johnny Morrow passed away due to heart failure, effectively putting Iron Monkey on ice for over a decade. Continue reading →

Review: GWAR – ‘The Blood Of Gods’ [Full Album Stream]

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Raising complete chaos from the year 1988 is the one and only Gwar, known from the beginning of time for their vulgar and shocking style with an hilarious topping. Eventhough they have been around for a long time I never got bored of them. They always managed to bring an unique style consisting of scum dog riffs alongside of lyrics that some consider utter bullshit. But, after waiting for about 4 years they finally came back with the release, via Metal Blade, of ‘The Blood Of Gods’. Prepare yourselves for this awesome mess!

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Review: Left Behind – ‘Blessed By The Burn’

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Noise, angst, grit and melodrama are all undeniable qualities that compose and define the emerging new sound of West Virginia-based group LEFT BEHIND. Signed to Unbeaten Records, the group’s status is one of ambiguity for upon listening to them it’s incredibly easy to mistake them for a Southern Lord Records group. Their new LP, ‘Blessed by the Burn’ is in style analogous to contemporaries such as PRIMITIVE MAN and ALL PIGS MUST DIE, Continue reading →

Review: WildeStarr – Beyond the Rain [Song Link Below]

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Over the past decade or so concerns have been raised amongst the metal community regarding a lack of homage to the groups that began it all. WILDESTARR are in many ways a group that exist to deny such criticisms seeing as they’re a modern group with a keen gravitation towards conventionality and tradition. Influenced by Eighties-spawned acts such as DIO, QUEENSRYCHE, and SAVATAGE yet coupled with their own touch of magic, the group are set to release their third studio album via Scarlet Records. The album is titled ‘Beyond the Rain’ and is a highly emotional work of heavily orchestrated rock coupled with a high sense of melodic sophistication and song-writing efficiency. The group consists of husband-and-wife duo Dave Starr (ex-VICIOUS RUMORS) Continue reading →

Album Review: MOONSCAPE – “Entity”

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Let’s welcome Moonscape to the world of melodic metal! Moonscape has just released their debut album, “Entity” on October 2nd and I have only good things to tell you. They are actually one man, Håvard Lunde. He is a multi-instrumentalist native to Gjøvik, Norway. And Moonscape itself is considered a prog/melodic metal solo artist.

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