Tag Archives: Technical

Review: BLACK FAST ‘Spectre of Ruin’ [Video Stream]

By | |
Comments Off on Review: BLACK FAST ‘Spectre of Ruin’ [Video Stream]

This Friday the 13th, St. Louis thrash metal quartet, Black Fast are set to release their third full-length LP entitled ‘Spectre of Ruin’ via eOne Music. Just like a machete to the jugular, this record is track after track of eviscerating ferocity, and for the listener, never a moment of sanctuary is offered. It’s just pure, balls-out metal in the form of blistering, technical, death-infused thrash with nuanced layers of gothic, black metal coldness that find a way to ooze into the music at just the perfect times. Continue reading →

State Of The Art: GREYLOTUS [EP + Video Stream]

By | |
Comments Off on State Of The Art: GREYLOTUS [EP + Video Stream]

*This is a part of our State Of The Art series, showcasing bands every Monday from the featured state.*

This month’s state is Maryland!

Welcome to the final installment of this months SOTA! I thought I would end this one with an artist that I believe will quite literally blow your mind. This is songwriting at its highest conceivable level, but what is most remarkable, is the fact that it is solely the work of one man! From Baltimore, Maryland, let me welcome the technical/blackened deathcore project Greylotus. January saw the release of the explosive debut EP ‘Savior’ which in my opinion is undoubtedly one of the most exciting releases of this year (up there with the likes of Inferi and Slugdge who have both dropped AOTY contenders) and forms the first part of a total 3 installments. Collectively the 3 EPs will form Greylotus’ debut full-length album, with work already underway on the second installement ‘Dawnfall’.  Continue reading →

Review: LAST LEGION – ‘Muspelheim’ [Video & Album Stream]

By | |
Comments Off on Review: LAST LEGION – ‘Muspelheim’ [Video & Album Stream]

 

Merging massive dueling guitars and epic lyrics infused with Norse mythology, Last Legion melds technical melodic riffs with the primal aggression of Scandinavian metal. When the war horn sounds, these New World Vikings gather from the far corners of the earth. In 2013 the New York based band released their debut album ‘Edge Of The World’. That debut cemented that these New Yorkers will be a dominant force when it comes to the viking metal genre. Powerful riffs and gut wrenching vocals that any established band would proud of. Last Legion not only have Norse mythology lyrical themes but they blend technical death metal, and various other styles that really make the band unique. The band recently released their follow up album ‘Muspelheim’. The album was produced by Aady Pandit (Jotunheim). Vocalist Jason Ayala has said “We are always trying to top ourselves, so I have to believe that our magnum opus is yet to come. However, I will say that this album is a massive step forward, and we are incredibly proud of what we have created”.

Continue reading →

SIKTH And EXIST IMMORTAL At ‘NME Best Small Venue’ The Forum, UK [Review + Photo Gallery]

By | |
Comments Off on SIKTH And EXIST IMMORTAL At ‘NME Best Small Venue’ The Forum, UK [Review + Photo Gallery]

Just before embarking on their mini EU tour including debut shows across Germany and the Netherlands Complexity Festival alongside Carnifex, The Faceless and others, djent pioneers SikTh treated UK fans to two intimate performances with Londons Exist Immortal. Firstly at Sub 89 in Reading, and secondly to my local venue and ‘NME Best Small Venue 2012’ The Forum in Tunbridge Wells. This gig marks one of many celebrating to small 250 capacity venues’ 25th anniversary celebrations, which has a reputation of giving a stage to bands before they made it big. SikTh are locally held in very high regard where they are practically legends and it was a pleasure to have them back here once again. UK alternative hardcore act Cove were announced as openers but unfortunately had to reschedule to the following Sunday – a shame for those attending as Cove perform with such an explosive veracity that they would have put on one hell of an opening performance! Despite this slight alteration to the evening, together SikTh and Exist Immortal both delivered equally passionate and energetic performances, where their two distinctive styles accentuated one another with their mix of djent and melodic verses. Continue reading →

Album Review: OBLIVION “The Path Towards…’ [Partial Album Stream + Video Stream]

By | |
Comments Off on Album Review: OBLIVION “The Path Towards…’ [Partial Album Stream + Video Stream]

It’s been over 3 years since the release of Oblivions critically acclaimed debut ‘Called To Rise’, and now their highly anticipated follow-up release is ready to be unleashed. ‘The Path Towards’ is the next exciting chapter for Oblivion in their odyssey of musical mastery, with internationally acclaimed composer (and Antagony founder) Dr. Nick Vasallo at the helm. Boasting not only an impeccable line-up itself*, ‘The Path Towards’ also features an all-star line-up of guest artists that include Karl Sanders (Nile, guest songwriter), Eddie Hermida (Suicide Silence/All Shall Perish, guest vocals), Enrico H. Di Lorenzo (Hideous Divinity, guest vocals), and Carlos Saldana (Connoisseur, guest vocals). This album also marks the return of Ben Orum (All Shall Perish and Antagony founder) and Nick Vasallo collaborating on music since Antagony’s debut album in 2001. ‘The Path Towards…’ is out November 17th via Unique Leader Records and is available to order here.

A follow-up is always a hard feat for many an artist, but with 2013’s debut having been crowned “the must-own album of 2013” by Metal Injection, and comments such as “the band’s eleven song display of nothing more than pure aggression with more musical depth than many bands can find in their entire discography” from Sputnik Music; Oblivion had already set the bar extremely high and left fans and media outlets alike with a burning desire for their sophomore release. Vasallos talents as an accomplished composer certainly bring a whole new dimension to the music, with this record giving off an overwhelming experience of boundary crossing metal at its finest. This release is arguably the most exciting death metal release of the year, giving off a lasting impression that we are listening to veterans in the death metal scene (despite in real terms only being early on in their career.) Continue reading →

State Of The Art: REPLACIRE [Full Album Stream]

By | |
Comments Off on State Of The Art: REPLACIRE [Full Album Stream]

*This is a part of our State Of The Art series, showcasing bands every Monday from the featured state*

This month’s state is Massachusetts’!

It’s time once again to shake off those Monday blues with an absolute earth-shaker of a band that are completely redefining the new-wave of technical death metal. Hailing from MA’s capital Boston are technical death metallers Replacire. Already described as “a new breath of life for the death metal genre”, Replacire have been taking the aggressiveness and complexity of modern death metal and infusing it with beautifully intricate progressive elements and technical complexity. Think of a masterminded cosmic mutation that would ensue from the intense atmosphere and progressiveness of Mikael Åkerfeldts Opeth, mixed with Obscuras and Beyond Creations technical virtuosity and death growls, with Katatonias haunting cleans and dynamacism. Whilst this may sound in print like it has been done to death (pun-intended), Replacire stand out from the sea of other technical metal artists and are certainly at the head of the pack. Who ever said that metal was dead clearly has no idea what they’re talking about, with young blood like this keeping death fresh and feeding our bloodthirsty desires, Replacire are redefining an already extensively innovative genre and they are certainly the ones to be keeping an eye on!

Continue reading →

Review: DECAPITATED – ‘Anticult’ [Official Videos]

By | |
Comments Off on Review: DECAPITATED – ‘Anticult’ [Official Videos]

Decapitated has been reigning since the year 2000, that year they also released their first full-length album ‘Winds Of Creation’. But, 1 album wasn’t enough for them so the album ‘The First Damned’ came to claim its righteous spot. After that they have released 4 beautifully dark albums, ‘Nihility’, ‘The Negation’, ‘Organic Hallucinosis’ and last but certainy not least ‘Carnival is Forever’, this album created a spot on the record label Nuclear Blast for these guys. The 2014 album ‘Blood Mantra’ is for sure one of my favorite releases from that year, this album marked their sound’s turn around. Roughly 3 years later they came back with another crazy fast album ‘Anticult’. It got out today, on the 7th of July. If you love their old sound combined with fast riffs then this is the album for you!

Continue reading →

State Of The Art: DAEDALVS

By | |
Comments Off on State Of The Art: DAEDALVS

    *This is part of our State Of The Art series, showcasing bands every Monday from the featured State*

                                                 This month’s State is North Carolina!

Today we are going to be talking about the death metal band Daedalvs from yet again North Carolina. They are a 4 piece band that consists of vocalist Pancho Mortem, drummer Aaron Charlton with assistance on the guitars from Spencer Starnes and Christian Chadwick. Daedalvs has been one of the most unique sounding upcoming bands I have ever seen. There is a lot of competition in the death metal scene but these guys push the boundries like no other band does, in no time they will be on the top! So far they have released 1 EP named ‘Apotheosis’, this masterpiece has been around since the 24th of February via the biggest death metal label SLAM WORLDWIDE. Just 4 days before this release they released their single ”God Machine” which is from that very same album, this song really got death metal fans talking about the band. For everyone that hasn’t heard of SLAM WORLDWIDE before I will introduce you to them real quick. As quoted by the owner the page is about ”ONE MAN PROMOTING MACHINE BRINGING YOU ONLY THE HEAVIEST UNDERGROUND MUSIC AROUND THE WORLD SINCE 2014.”. So any underground heavy band is welcome on this brutal page, luckily for us Daedalvs has claimed their spot and we can only hope for more awesome music!

Continue reading →

A Little Q and A To Metal Up Your Day [Interview With ACID DEATH!]

By | |
Comments Off on A Little Q and A To Metal Up Your Day [Interview With ACID DEATH!]

Acid Death, Live in Germany. (Photo credit unknown)

 

About a month ago, I wrote a little piece for Metal Nexus in regards to the unearthing of the long lost debut album of Grecian prog/tech metal innovators, Acid Death.  (Click here to check it out if you’re so inclined.)  Not long after the publication of that article, I was in contact with Savvas Bettinis (vox and bassist for AD) about a possible interview with the band and after consideration, we decided on a more Q & A style due to differences in scheduling and time zones.  What follows is the results of that exchange, Continue reading →

LOST TO THE WAVES Premiere “Ghosts Of Autumn” [Exclusive Track Stream]

By | |
Comments Off on LOST TO THE WAVES Premiere “Ghosts Of Autumn” [Exclusive Track Stream]

Founded in 2011 Melodic death metal act Lost To The Waves are about to release their latest EP ‘Nightfall’ on March 31st. The follow up to their 2015 EP ‘Elegy’. The Massachusetts 5 piece don’t only want your attention they demand it with their fierce riffs and deadly to the core vocal approach. With their technical approach to deathcore they are easily one of the best up and coming bands in all of metal. Their upcoming EP was recorded by Sean Fitzpatrick at The Brick Hithouse, and it was mastered by the famed Brad Boatright at Audiosiege (Four Year Strong, Defeater, Code Orange). Lost To The Waves are exclusively premiering the track “Ghosts Of Autumn” right here on Metal Nexus. The song begins with a somber tone but quickly delves into the bands much heavier style. The band showcases riff’centric style along with those deep harsh vocals they are known for. The technical aspects of the guitar playing is mesmerizing as they dance around inside your ear drums. Lost To The Waves showcase the perfect ratio of vocals and instrumentation. Allowing each the appropriate amount of time shine. This track is just a snippet of what’s to come on this EP. March 31st can’t come soon enough for most fans to get their hands on this release. Until then use “Ghosts Of Autumn” as an appetizer until we can feast our ears on ‘Nightfall’ in its entirety. Continue reading →