Within the rather restricted sub genre that is black/thrash metal, it’s hard to stand out from the ravenous, Satan-praising hordes, but an eye-catching name won’t do you any harm and that’s undoubtedly something that LA’s Lightning Swords of Death are in possession of. Of course,...

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Blistering slabs of death worshipping metal issue forth on this, Necovation’s second, eponymous work of ancient ritualistic metal. Hailing from Sweden, lineage is clear with hints of Watain, Dissection, Unanimated and co all evident, yet not overpowering. This is no tribute record and while influences...

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There’s nothing quite like being battered around the head by an album when you put it on for the first time, and Norwegian black metal project Blodhemn’s debut full-length album “Holmengraa” delivers that exact sensation in a full-on, blackened swipe to your senses. Essentially a...

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I won’t lie to you. This album reeks of true black metal but before you salivate and smack your lips, let me tell you about Aldaaron. The French band was founded in 2004 on the grounds of atmospheric black metal. Their first album, “Nous Reviendrons...

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When I first heard the opening notes of Immanifest I was immediately hooked. Symphonic extreme metal is a personal favorite of mine, I guess the sheer power waves and pounding metal that results appeals to some part of me. After many listens, a little research...

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I had never heard of German melodic death metal act Thulcandra until the release of “Under A Frozen Sun”, their follow up to 2010’s debut “Fallen Angel’s Dominion”. Doing some research, the one thing that stood out was a bevy of comparisons of this 2003-formed...

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Hailing from the badass sounding and “damned pits” of Bled, Slovenia, “Xullux”, the debut album from the “spiritual katharsic black death cult” Nephrolith, has put the band on the outskirts of the traditional black metal map. Initially inspired by legendary Swedes Dissection, Nephrolith was brought...

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