Top Ten Albums of 2023 / Rob "The Metal Guy" Awards

As 2023 comes to an end, looks like it's time once again to reflect back on all the killer releases that helped me get through this crazy year. Overall, I would say that the world of hard rock, punk and metal continues to thrive, unlike the state of Hollywood which cannot seem to put out anything worth seeing right now. Disney is so bad right now that the only thing they did this year was give South Park a great idea for new content. In terms of music labels, I would say that the underground/independent labels once again proved to be an inspiring force by working extremely hard to promote some great artists this year. Sentient Ruin for example really made an impact throughout the year and I would trust them to lead the country right now more than the knuckleheads we currently have in charge. Yes, competent leadership is hard to come by these days and sometimes I wonder if I should run for office, because I know I cannot do any worse (Rob "The Metal Guy" 2024!).  In the end, I was rather pleased with the amount of solid albums that came out in 2023 and I really look forward to hopefully another year of great music...unless our president presses the wrong button thinking he is hitting the button to have his diaper changed. Anyway, here it is people, my top ten albums of 2023!

10. Shadows "Out for Blood"

This Chilean heavy metal act really draws from classic 80's metal elements, while coming up with some sinister lyrical themes. I definitely hear a lot Mercyful Fate influence on this record, but that is what I believe made it such a solid sounding release. The riffs are unbelievably catchy and hook you right away. Also, the vocals provide that utterly haunting touch to create this dark horror movie like atmosphere where evil is lurking around every corner. This album is one of many albums that came out from Sentient Ruin this year which really stood out and ended up being in my top ten. 

Link to my full review: https://rockandmetaltemple.blogspot.com/2023/05/shadows-out-for-blood.html

9. Uranium “Pure Nuclear Death”

Uranium is an utterly devastating act and when I listened to this new release, "Pure Nuclear Death," I was blown away by the abhorrent compositions that combine industrial elements and black/death metal. Talk about a surrealistic extreme metal exploration! Uranium does not disappoint when pertaining to the pure Armageddon like atmospheres that leave you feeling suffocated by this massive wall of decimating distortion. 

Link to my full review: https://rockandmetaltemple.blogspot.com/2023/09/uranium-pure-nuclear-death.html

8.  Marduk “Memento Mori”

One of the most vicious and raw black metal acts around that has influenced so many young black metal bands over the years, really came out and offered up some utterly blasphemous cuts of savage black metal. I thought Marduk put together a solid album featuring some truly raw sounding black metal compositions, while not settling for overproduced substandard black metal riffs. I was rather pleased with this album and I hope to see Marduk continue to charge forward waiving the flag for intense and insidious black metal music. 

Link to my full review: https://rockandmetaltemple.blogspot.com/2023/09/marduk-memento-mori.html

7. Decoherence "Order"

For Decoherence's third full-length album, "Order" the band went all out with more insane industrial noises mixed in with some harsh black metal elements to construct one mind altering release. The album is a dark exploration through these very unorthodox sounding riff structures, which creates some utterly entropic soundscapes. The experimentation and willingness to push the boundaries of extreme music is why I have always respected Decoherence, and I look forward to what they have in the works on future releases. 

Link to my full review: https://rockandmetaltemple.blogspot.com/2023/07/decoherence-order.html

6.  Old Tower “Draconic Synthesis”

Following up Old Tower's 2021 release, "The Old King of Witches," an album that I greatly enjoyed, The Specter has returned with yet another sinister dungeon synth tale to lead minds astray and travel into the dark mysterious depth. The Specter is a genius when it comes to composing ambient dungeon synth arrangements, and I must say that the albums he has been come out with over the last few years have really stood out. Even though there are no lyrics, the sounds and synth arrangements create a profoundly dark synergy which slowly builds these vivid atmospheric tales. I cannot wait to get this on vinyl, as Old Tower's releases are a must have if you enjoy ambient/dungeon synth music. 

Link to my full review: https://rockandmetaltemple.blogspot.com/2023/10/old-tower-draconic-synthesis.html

5.  Ch’Ahom “Knots of Abhorrence”

This album is a surrealistic venture into Mayan lore that draws you in like a malevolent jungle spirit possessing your mind as you slowly go insane from the pure blackened death bludgeoning. Ch’Ahom's ritualistic sound is perfectly captured on their debut album, “Knots of Abhorrence," and I would definitely consider this to be one the strongest conceptual releases to come out this year. Sentient Ruin was responsible from putting this out, and I think Ch’Ahom's sound and style perfectly fits in with the other bands in the Sentient Ruin roster. 

Link to my review: https://rockandmetaltemple.blogspot.com/2023/10/chahom-knots-of-abhorrence.html

4. Ash Prison “Future Torn” 

This was yet another one of my favorite albums to be released on Sentient Ruin this year and it really took me by surprise. "Future Torn," is a killer debut album featuring some monstrous tracks that blend together industrial metal and black metal. If you are fan of early Ministry and abrasive black metal then this album will be that perfect combination of cold harsh sounding industrial rhythms and ear shattering heavily distorted guitar riffs. 

Link to my full review: https://rockandmetaltemple.blogspot.com/2023/09/ash-prison-future-torn.html

3.  Night Demon "Outsider"

Night Demon's third full-length album took a turn into new territory by being band's first full blown concept album. Initially when I heard the first single,"Outsider," I did not think the band was going to be deviating too far from their core classic NWOBHM influenced sound, but when you listen to this album in its entirety you can really hear where the band took their time to make the album flow and tell a very fascinating story. From the musicianship to the songwriting, I truly believe Night Demon is one of the most talented acts around and deserves a lot of respect for the hard work they continue to pour into their recordings. 

Link to my full review: https://rockandmetaltemple.blogspot.com/2023/03/night-demon-outsider.html

2.  Ceremonial Bloodbath “Genesis of Malignant Entropy”

Ceremonial Bloodbath is without question one of the most brutal and unforgiving acts around. The band's debut album which was released through Sentient Ruin in 2020, "The Tides of Blood," is an inhumanly insidious blackened death album that I consider to be one of the greatest extreme metal releases to come out in the past few years. For their follow-up release, the band did not disappoint one bit and the new material continues the bestial onslaught with even more ferocious riffs and decimating blast beats. When you look at this albums cover you see pure unholy devastation, which is exactly what you imagine when listening to the barbaric riffs and savage blast beats on this album/ 

Link to my full review: https://rockandmetaltemple.blogspot.com/2023/10/ceremonial-bloodbath-genesis-of.html

1. Lathe of Heaven “Bound by Naked Skies” 

As someone who enjoys post-punk and new wave music, I was extremely impressed the first time I heard Lathe of Heaven's debut album, "Bound by Naked Skies." The songwriting is exceptional and the production on this album really captures that classic post-punk/new wave sound. Based out of NYC, Lathe of Heaven is a very talented act, and the band's sound reminded me a lot of Killing Joke, Joy Division and Echo & the Bunnymen, yet even though I heard a variety of influences I thought the band had very distinct and original sound. I have listened to this album almost everyday and I find that the music is written with such great substance to where you become profoundly drawn to the breathtaking chord progressions and captivating lyrics. 

Link to my full review: https://rockandmetaltemple.blogspot.com/2023/09/lathe-of-heaven-bound-by-naked-skies.html

Rob “The Metal Guy” Awards

Label of the Year: Sentient Ruin

Best Live Performance: My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult at the Ritz in San Jose, CA

EP of the Year:  Eternal “Faceless Evil”

Most Brutal Album Cover of the Year: Ceremonial Bloodbath “Genesis of Malignant Entropy”

Music Video of the Year: Night Demon "The Wrath" 

Up and Coming Artist of the Year: Sin Offering (Check out their EP "Charnel House")  

Manga of the Year: Mao by Rumiko Takahashi 

Biggest Douche of the Year: Tony Khan the head of All Elite Wrestling (If he does not win Booker of the Year from that schmuck wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer, then at least he wins something…) 

Ceremonial Bloodbath “Genesis of Malignant Entropy”

    Sentient Ruin has already released a plethora of unfathomably brutal releases this year, however Ceremonial Bloodbath’s sophomore release “Genesis of Malignant Entropy,” is the apex album when pertaining to raw inhuman brutality. Based out of Vancouver BC, Canada, Ceremonial Bloodbath’s savage scorched-earth blackened death metal style is on a completely different level, and the band's new material looks to take the underground metal community by overwhelmingly unapologetic force. 

    Ceremonial Bloodbath's debut full-length album which was also released through Sentient Ruin, “The Tides of Blood,” is a monstrous sounding release featuring some unbelievably pestilent sounding cuts of gruesome blackened death metal along with some extremely insidious lyrical themes. If you enjoy pulverizing sadistic music similar to that of Bestial Warlust, Blasphemy, Archgoat and Beherit, then you will be instantly hooked by Ceremonial Bloodbath’s music. On this new album, these ruthless Canadian extreme metal musicians come up with even more apocalyptically devastating tracks by continuing where they left off on, “The Tides of Blood,” and going further into the deafening chaotic sounding realms of unspeakable demonic horror. 

    From the instant you start listening to this album, you feel as though you have stepped into some unholy wasteland where there is still this inhumanly savage sounding massacre taking place. The opening track, “The Ritual of Unholy Descent,” establishes a haunting atmosphere of pure surrealistic sounding horror to paint this lifeless dominion which has been incinerated through mass slaughter. On the second track, “Exhumation of the Ominous,” the band aggressively launches into a destructive sounding arrangement featuring some feverish drumming and savage riffs. The drumming on this album is utterly ear shattering and adds to the album’s catastrophic vision by fueling the band’s abhorrent drive with gruesome bone crushing rhythms. 

    Along with the primordial rhythms and barbaric guitar playing, I thought the vocals on this album were really sinister sounding and perfectly complimented the compositions. During the third track, "Bloodlust Raids of Vengeance,” I really thought that the hateful sounding vocals damned your full attention as the band hacked away at these sickening riff progressions. Another area of this album that I thought the band excelled at was incorporating some of those Bolt Thrower like lead parts into the bludgeoning mix, especially the frantic guitar solo towards the end of, “Bloodlust Raids of Vengeance.” One of the my favorite songs off of the album, “The Boneless One,” is another entropic exploration into the blackened death metal void that paints a horrendously bestial landscape where all light has been devoured by dark ageless entities. 

    Throughout this entire album I do not believe that the band ever failed to deliver a profoundly brutal sounding piece of music. Tracks like “Caustic Invocation” and “Dissonance of Morbidity,” convey such ferociously festering emotions that you become hopelessly trapped in this distorted sounding bombardment. I would say, “Mutilation of Sacrifice” is another exceptional cut of morbid brutality that appeared on the band’s 2021 demo titled, “Mutilation of Sacrifice.” I think the song perfectly fits into this album’s abysmal theme by really putting an emphasis on those agonizing riff sections as well as the blistering lead parts. For the final track on the album, “The Invocation of the Tomb of Mankind,” the band concludes by creating these terrifying cinematic sounds that makes you feel as if you are standing all alone on a deserted dark plain after witness some tragic event unfold. This feeling of complete solitude and frightening isolation is a surprising way to end an album after hearing such crushing sounding arrangements, but in the end that is what I think makes this final track vividly standout. 

    Overall, “Genesis of Malignant Entropy,” is an extremely sadistic offering and ventures into an even more hellacious direction musically, which is saying something given how much profoundly dark abhorrent energy can be heard on the band's first release. In my opinion, Ceremonial Bloodbath is one of the most destructively omniscient sounding blackened death metal acts around, and they have really worked hard to achieve a malevolent sound. I highly recommend that you check this album out as I do believe, “Genesis of Malignant Entropy,” will be making its way on some top ten lists for this year, because when all is said and done there is no denying this band’s truly raw ritualistic blackened death metal talents. 

Check out the song "Bloodlust Raids of Vengeance" below:

Sentient Ruin Bandcamp:

https://sentientruin.bandcamp.com/album/genesis-of-malignant-entropy

Ceremonial Bloodbath Bandcamp:

https://ceremonialbloodbath.bandcamp.com/music

Ch’Ahom “Knots of Abhorrence”

    There is much to be said about the raw surrealistic brutality which Ch’Ahom diabolically explores throughout their debut full-length release, “Knots of Abhorrence.” The band’s sadistic blend of savage ritualistic bestial blackened death metal with mind bending progressive elements creates a vividly abhorrent tale that travels deep into the dark jungles where malevolent forces dwell amongst the ancient mysterious ruins. 

    What impressed me most from these German extreme metal musicians was how well they captured the album’s theme by incorporating some ritualistic tribal noises to create these haunting hallucinogenic moments right before they would launch into a brutal sounding blackened death metal onslaught. The monumental riffs sections mixed with the constant nerve shattering rhythms from the band’s insanely talented drummer, really establishes this violent and unpredictable extreme sounding atmospheres. 

    From the very beginning of this album until the end, each of the five tracks hooks you with such aggressively raw force. The profound sonic exploration into the ancient Mayan lore and ritualistic themes is what I picked up right away when I started listening to the first track, “Xibalba.” You become completely frozen with fear by the primitive drum sounds and ceremonial flutes as if you are walking into a spiritual ritual that begins to unfold into something even darker once the gritty guitar distortion slowly creeps in and eventually kicks into a monstrous death metal assault. Ch’Ahom does a really great job when pertaining to how they transition from the slow riff sections to the more intense arrangements where you feel as though you are being viciously torn apart as the music ruthlessly evolves. 

    The band's fiendish and horrifying extreme metal mindset continues on the second track, “Chavín de Huántar,” which is another pulverizing piece of metal music featuring some utterly deafening rhythms along with some insanely frantic guitar solos. The lead guitar playing throughout this album is another crucial factor in establishing such an unfathomably brutal sound, and in my opinion the lead parts on, “Path to Ixtab,” perfectly compliments the juggernaut sized riffs. “Path to Ixtab,” is an extraordinary bestial beatdown that contains some really agonizing arrangements which reminded me of bands like Beherit, Necrovore and Archgoat. 

    The final two songs on the album, “Knots of Abhorrence I and Knots of Abhorrence II,” are both solid tracks containing more fearsome riffs and decimating drum parts, yet the band keeps standing out amongst most modern metal bands by passionately pursuing their sinisterly creative vision. I really believe that the overall execution and production on the final two tracks solidifies this album as one of the best extreme conceptual releases to come out this year.  Towards the end of, “Knots of Abhorrence II,” you start feel as though everything around you is imploding as the lead guitarist tears through these entropic sounding scales. 

    Sentient Ruin will be responsible for releasing this ritualistic blackened death metal beast upon the metal world, so make sure to mark your calendars for November 3rd when the album is to be released. “Knots of Abhorrence,” is a strong debut album and Ch’Ahom is a band that demonstrates some truly talented extreme music making skills. Also, the creativity that went into developing the album's lyrical themes is another reason why this album makes for a solid listening experience from start to finish. I highly look forward to how the band will build off of this album's strong execution and vivid lyrical themes on future releases, but for now I shall rejoice in the ceremonial sonic carnage that can be heard on this debut album. 

Check out the track, "Knots of Abhorrence I," below:

Sentient Ruin Bandcamp:

https://sentientruin.bandcamp.com/

Old Tower “Draconic Synthesis”

    From out of the pestilent dark esoteric shadows comes an ominous new recording from Old Tower titled, “Draconic Synthesis.” On this new release the one-man dungeon synth artist known as, The Specter, continues to establish Old Tower as one of the most profound dungeon synth and ambient acts around by creating terrifyingly gloomy atmospheres where all light is devoured by a supreme dark presence. 

    “Draconic Synthesis,” is slightly similar to previous Old Tower releases in which The Specter composes these vividly haunting landscapes that convey a very cinematic like feel. Old Tower’s previous full-length album, “The Old King of Witches,” was a sinisterly mesmerizing tale that took listeners into an almost otherworldly dark sounding realm featuring some unbelievably bone chilling sounds and spectral synth arrangements. The early Old Tower releases definitely focus on a more old school dungeon synth approach, which I would say pays homage to acts like Mortiis and Secret Stairways. However, with each new album I cannot but stress how The Specter’s malevolent vision has started to venture into an even more nightmarish direction, thus making the new recordings profoundly haunting at times. 

    On this new album, The Specter dives deep into the shadowy soundscapes that can be heard on past recordings, but this world seems to be even more mysterious and even more diabolic as you listen to each song. The album’s opening track,“Draconic Arcanum,” slowly begins with these hauntingly uncomfortable noises, as if you are slowly entering a bleak underground world hidden from the rest of normal society. As the ritualistic sounds begin to take form you sense a monstrous force rising from the depths waiting to lead you further into the ancient inhuman landscape beyond. There was something about this opening song which eventually put my mind at ease towards the end of it, yet also had me highly anticipating what frightful sounds would be conjured up following this beginning track. 

    The second song, “Spirit Vessel,” definitely takes on a more old school dungeon style by emphasizing these blaring medieval noises to create a triumphantly evil composition. For the third track,“Gateway to the Serpent’s Dimension,” I felt as though the music took on a more ethereal sound, especially when pertaining to the very captivating synth arrangement which made me feel like I was floating through a celestial void and into an unspeakable dominion where some greater force slumbers in the shadows. A lot of the arrangements on this album really do an impressive job heighten the album’s striking cinematic sound with the most profound example being the Gregorian like chanting during the song, “Sacred Carvings.” That song sent chills down my spine and instantly grips you with its surrealistic musical elements. 

    Another song that also really caught my attention was, “Draugr Armada.” This track was one of the most realistic pieces of music on the entire release by utilizing sound effects to compliment the song's theme. As the eerie atmosphere completely surrounds you like a sinister fog, you can also hear the sounds of water splashing behind the other layers of sound. I could imagine a fleet of grotesque phantasmal ships moving across a blackened sea as I listened to the track. After listening to this song, I thought it could have very well been the album's finale, however, the actual last track on the album, "Crafting the Symmetry of Aeons," was yet another really extraordinary piece of music. I would describe, "Crafting the Symmetry of Aeons," as a more dynamic ambient experiment that still compliments the previous tracks, but goes beyond the boundaries of dungeon synth. At first you are left wondering where the music is headed and then all of a sudden from the gloomy trenches you step into this horrifying mind bending synth wave like section which reminded me of something you might hear in a John Carpenter film. 

    As some who has followed Old Tower for a while now, I thought, "Draconic Synthesis," was a very creative and unique musical offering. Honestly, The Specter's ability to tell these haunting surrealistic stories is getting better and better with each new release. I personally was a huge fan of, "The Old King of Witches," so I was pleased to hear that same approach and willingness to experiment on this new album along with some old school dungeon synth touches thrown in at times. No matter what seems to be happening in the world of music, Old Tower continues to be that dark resilient force standing against all adversity and thriving in the ruins of solitude crafting these extraordinarily vivid ambient tales to let our imaginations wonder amongst the ghoulish archaic depths of untrodden realms. 

Check out the song "Draugr Armada" below :

Old Tower Bandcamp:

https://oldtower.bandcamp.com/album/draconic-synthesis

Infinite Rising “Awakening”

    Just as our galaxy is a place that has fueled human curiosity and inspired wondering minds, the Italian trio Infinite Rising combines their fascination for space and Sci-Fi movies with a passion for progressive rock and metal music that traverses through a plethora of captivating musical landscapes. The band’s debut album, “Awakening,” is a dynamic sounding instrumental release which combines technical talent with breath taking cinematic like touches. 

    Musically, Infinite Rising seems to be very efficient in terms of their technical talents, reminding me of such acts as Scale the Summit and Animals as Leaders. They really do an impressive job at building such complex compositions through the use of various time signatures as well as riff structures. The three band members, Federico Albanese (guitar), Silvia Pistolesi (bass) and Alessandro Formichi (drums), have really great chemistry and the music flows with a graceful synergy. “Awakening,” is a very refreshing release that not only demonstrates the group’s highly skilled technical talents, but also their keen compositional efforts and ability to have everything flawlessly come together. 

  The album features six tracks with the opening song called, “Nocturnal Skywatchers.” From the very beginning of the song, you can tell that these three musicians are extremely creative when pertaining to how they use their instruments to tell this complex progressive story without any words. Also, the production and recording quality adds so much to band’s sound and really highlights the guitarist’s brilliant tone. Plus, the bass parts during the track sounded so fluid and vibrant to compliment the mesmerizing guitar notes and precise drum rhythms. On the second track, "Cosmic Sunset," the band begins with some frantic scale runs and eventually transitions into a more metal sounding jam. I thought the lead guitar playing was very virtuosic and it really demanded your attention as the guitarist shredded throughout the composition. 

  As a huge fan of Rush, I really liked the bass playing on the third track, “Perpetual Mood,” which reminded me of Geddy’s playing on albums like “Roll the Bones” and “Counterparts.” That bass tone just hits you with such bombastic force, while at the same time offering up these funky and unbelievably catchy fills. The drumming is also very well executed and on the fourth song, “Orbital Inclination,” the different time signatures and rhythmic patterns has your head completely spinning. It can be very challenging to come up with instrumental tracks, as sometimes you might get overwhelmed by the constant tempo changes along with the endless technical arrangements. However, Infinite Rising did a solid job keeping everything sounding tight and making sure they did not deviate too far from their vision. 

  Personally I thought the final two songs on the album were the most fascinating pieces of music with the fifth song, “Eternal,” being a truly profoundly progressive science fiction themed odyssey. I am a huge fan of atmospheric elements and I thought the band incorporated some haunting celestial atmospheric sounds to compliment the dynamic arrangements. The final song on the album, “Emotion Galaxy,” features a spectacular piano arrangement, which allows the conclusion of this album to be a very soothing experience. Again, I thought the overall execution when pertaining to how they went about arranging their songs was without a doubt one of the band’s greatest accomplishments on this release. 

  When looking back at the entire release, “Awakening,” is an unbelievably creative and skillfully crafted album that brings together progressive rock and metal elements to explore infinite sounding possibilities. I would highly recommend this album to anyone who enjoys progressive instrumental rock and metal music, because when there are no words the music allows your mind to create these mental images and drift away into the comforting complex melodic landscapes. I look forward to more music from Infinite Rising and I hope the band digs deeper into some of the musical concepts I heard on the fifth track, “Eternal,” as that is easily the best song off the album in my opinion.
Even though there are still mysteries about the galaxy which we do not yet know, Infinite Rising is able to provide us with a soundtrack to listen to as we ponder about the vast starry frontier above us. 

Check out the video for the song "Cosmic Sunset" below:

Infinite Rising's website:

https://infiniterising.co/

Uranium “Pure Nuclear Death”

    The American one-man savage doomsday composer behind Uranium unleashes a devastating full-length album that is brighter than a thousand suns and more devastating than anything one could have ever imagined. The mixture of agonizing black metal and surrealistic industrial elements creates a wasteland of post-apocalyptic sounding horror, making Uranium’s sophomore release, “Pure Nuclear Death,” an utterly haunting listening experience. 

    Uranium is working with Sentient Ruin once again, which comes as no surprise given the fact that Sentient Ruin was responsible for releasing Uranium’s cassette compilation “Wormboiler" back in 2021 as well as the band's first full-length album, “An Exacting Punishment.” This new release definitely continues the reign of industrial extreme blackened electronic chaos that one can hear on the previous releases, but I think this album goes even further into the entropic sounding landscapes where all light is devoured by a dark cloud of ash. 

    When I look at this album and the five tracks which are featured on it, I find that the entire release is one vivid sounding abysmal tale from beginning to end that almost traumatizes you as your mind is constantly being overloaded by these surreal arrangements. From the very first track, “Absolute Terror,” you are met with a festering swarm of raw aggressive guitar distortion and nerve pounding rhythms. Uranium holds nothing back and really begins the album with a merciless assault of sonic terror, thus grabbing your attention as the music radioactively seems to evolve into even darker sounding directions. On the second track, “Pure Nuclear Death,” you find yourself speechless hearing the crackling sounds burst out of the speakers while these sound clips discuss the grim realities of what will happen if we experience nuclear armageddon. 

    For me the album is going to be one those releases that you either find extremely fascinating, or one which will end up leaving you completely terrified and not wanting to leave your house for a week. The music is very abrasive sounding as the album progresses with song's such as “Casual Violence” and “Fortified Mass Fungus.” In terms of the explosive chaotic compositions, they only become more overwhelming as you try to make sense of the bleak reality which will befall humanity if we continue to march off the cliff and into a hopeless oblivion. The vocal parts on this album actually impressed me the most, as the vocals really compliment the doom like atmospheres that give off a very cinematic like aura at times. I really enjoyed the last song, “Black Knight Satellite,” as the Godflesh-like approach with its agonizing industrial elements aggressively shreds away at your sanity. You almost cannot imagine what you are hearing is human as the music transforms into this cataclysmic electronic onslaught. 

    Overall, Uranium’s “Pure Nuclear Death,” is a horrifying extreme warning to all of us regarding nuclear war and the impacts it will have on our world should our world leaders decide to the press buttons. I think Uranium’s unfathomable extreme creativity throughout this release was on full display. Even if you are not a fan of this type of music I believe that the attention to detail as well as the strong production made the album’s theme undeniable potent. Extreme music has always been at the forefront when it comes to calling out these topics that people tend to ignore, which is why labels like Sentient Ruin and artists like Uranium continue to gain massive support from the underground extreme music community. Highly worth checking out if you are into punishing extreme music with a very profound message! 

Check out the song "Pure Nuclear Death" :

Sentient Ruin Bandcamp:

https://sentientruin.bandcamp.com/album/pure-nuclear-death

 

Ash Prison “Future Torn”

    Ash Prison is a true meeting of the most malevolent minds in the world of decimating underground extreme music and their debut album, "Future Torn," is a surrealistic sounding nightmare that invites listeners to partake in one punishing darkened industrial sounding exhibition. Featuring Matt Auxier from industrial occult themed act 6th Circle, J. Thompson from the darkwave group Child Ov Night and M. Alagna of Abstracter/Somnolent/ex-Atrament, their collaboration on this release is definitely something to take notice of if you are fan of agonizing extreme music. 

    Sentient Ruin will be responsible for releasing this sadistic electronic creation, so right away you know that the music is going to be profoundly sinister and down right unapologetic to the rotten core. Ash Prison’s sound and style is exactly what you want to hear if you are a fan of Ministry (The Land of Rape and Honey period especially), Godflesh and Skinny Puppy, as well as ambient industrial black metal artists that have come along as of recent to offer these really raw and mind altering pieces of hateful sounding music. This album speaks to those who see the world as a bleak and hopeless mess, slowly being driven to the edge of collapse. M. Alagna’s vocals tell this frightening tale of futuristic annihilation as the heart pounding industrial rhythms and gritty distortion perfectly forms these ruinous soundscapes. 

    Once I first started listening to this album, I could definitely hear a mixture of each musician’s vicious artistic backgrounds as well as their extreme sounding musical influences. The opening track, “Archangel,” commences with these thunderous bursts of guitar distortion that signal forth the hellish deafening destruction. As much as the arrangements hit and grab your attention, I can’t stress the importance of the vocals and how on songs such as, “Death Reborn,” “Eraser” and “No Return,” the lyrics inject a sense of vividly haunting realism that speaks directly to you. “No Return,” is especially one track which I really enjoyed as the hypnotic sounds as well as the abrasive straightforward guitar riffs definitely convey a harsh old school 90’s industrial metal sound. 

    As I listened to this album multiple times, I truly felt as though that the execution on each track in terms of the production and recording quality played an important role in making this release really standout. A lot of artists that experiment with extreme industrial music tend to get carried away and end up putting out atrocious sound piles of horseshit, which is why I am very selective with this style of extreme music. Ash Prison’s confident and uncompromising aggression simply demands your attention. As the album progresses, you can really hear their sadistic experimental passion on tracks like, “Scorn,” “Collapse” and “Black Horizon.” Actually, the suffocating atmosphere on “Black Horizon” perfectly captures the nihilistic nature of raw black metal, which is why it was probably one of my favorite tracks off of the album. 

    To quote Pinhead from the movie Hellraiser, “Demons to some, angels to others.” Ash Prison is an act that I can see winning over those who fiendishly desire chaotic extreme industrial music which digs deep into the endless blackened distorted depths, while at the same time striking fear into the minds of those who might find themselves lost in the abrasive sounding voids. “Future Torn” is an album that perfectly encapsulates the abhorrently creative artistic talents that Sentient Ruin continues to promote, thus making this yet another album highly worth seeking out once it is released September 22, 2023. 

Check out the song "Death Reborn" below:

Sentient Ruin Bandcamp:

https://sentientruin.bandcamp.com/

Abstracter, Disimperium and Funeral Chant live at Eli's Mile High Club (9/8/2023)

 

    Last night I decided to make the trek out to Eli’s Mile High Club in Oakland, CA where three unfathomably extreme bands would be performing and offering up decimating ear shattering riffs to all those metal maniacs in attendance. Funeral Chant, Disimperium and Abstracter are three very insidious sounding acts that exemplifying the decimating dark spirit of extreme music. 

    Before the show I will admit that driving through the part of Oakland where Eli’s Mile High Club is located can be a very surreal and sobering experience when pertaining to the state of society. As much as the bands performing are “extreme” and the fans in attendance can put on the tough image, nothing compares to the harsh and abysmal reality of the area around the venue where you see people strung out on drugs and living in torn up tents. Actually, getting to hear live music while being around people who share the same passionate of extreme metal is sort of the perfect escape from that chaotic world outside. Also, I was also really excited to meet up my friend from Canada who came out to the Bay Area, because he too has the same enthusiastic mindset for metal music as I do, which made attend this show really enjoyable. 

    Upon arriving at the venue, the first band Funeral Chant just launched into their set right as I walked through the door and into the dimly light venue. Funeral Chant is a local black metal band that has a purely sinister sound that reminds me a bit of groups like Marduk, Blasphemy and Beherit. Being that they are a local band I could tell the audience was extremely supportive of the group throughout the entire set. I thought the band’s singer/guitarist had great stage presence as he unleashed his agonizing cries over the hellish chord progressions. The band for the most part sounded solid and I think that they were a good choice to open the show, because the crowd seemed to very responsive from the start of their set until the very end. 

    After Funeral Chant cleared the stage, the second band Disimperium began setting up for their set. This destructive four-piece band from Portland, OR caught my attention a couple years back with the release of their debut EP, "Malefic Obliteration.” They combine sickening black metal with tormenting death metal to offer up one sadistic overall sound. Recently, they released an album called, “Grand Insurgence Upon Despotic Altars,” so I was looking forwarded to hearing the new material live. Right away, I could tell that this band had a profoundly brutal live sound as both guitarist seemed to play with this unexplainable savage synergy. The band’s technical riffs capture that gruesome old school death metal sound, while the slower sections convey a more malevolent and raw blackened death metal quality. Also, the drumming was insanely intense and I could tell that the drummer was expending a ton of energy from behind the kit. 

Disimperium

    Once Disimperium finished their extreme sounding onslaught, it was then time for the night’s headliner to take the stage. Abstracter is a Bay Area band that I have followed for many years, but unfortunately never had yet seen perform live. I was highly anticipating their performance, so as the band took to the stage with their instruments looking unleash their ferocious brand of apocalyptic blackened death/doom, I quickly made my way to the front. From the very first riff I was completely taken back by how tight and in sync they seemed to be while performing with all this smoke swirling around them. They sounded exactly the same as they do on their albums, if not even louder and more vicious live! The band’s singer is a tremendously talented frontman and he delivered the lyrics with such unapologetic attitude which really complimented the soul crushing arrangements. Getting to hear material from one of my favorite albums, "Abominion," was probably my favorite part of the whole night, as the songs from that album are insanely brutal. 

Abstracter

As the smoke cleared and the noise from Abstracter’s amps faded away until everything went silent, the audience roared with appreciation for the band one last time before everyone started to make their way out of the venue. I must commend each of the three band’s for giving every once of energy to put on such a cataclysmic show. This show was a testament to how underground extreme music continues to thrive due to the hard work from the truly creative musicians and the loyal support from all those diehard metal fanatics. I highly recommend checking out all three of these bands, and I hope to see them continue to record/perform as this world needs something to get us through all the insanity of where society seems to be headed...trust me, when you have to watch out for dog crap and human crap when walking down the street...things are not looking good. 

Abstracter Bandcamp:

https://abstracter.bandcamp.com/

Disimperium Bandcamp:

https://disimperium.bandcamp.com/album/grand-insurgence-upon-despotic-altars

Funeral Chant:

https://funeralchant.bandcamp.com/album/funeral-chant

Eternal “Faceless Evil”

    Over the past few years, I’ve come across a decent amount of solid up and coming extreme metal and punk acts from Arizona, which tells me there is a thriving underground scene out in that region of the country. Recently, I discovered this EP from death metal maniacs, Eternal, and was instantly taken back by the band’s raw unapologetic energy. 

    Titled, “Faceless Evil,” Eternal offers listeners five horrifying cuts of old school influenced death metal in the same vein as Obituary, Death, Autopsy and Massacre. This EP sounds like it came from the late 80’s/early 90’s period when death metal bands were really starting to unleash some utterly decimating releases. Eternal is by no means reinventing the wheel, but their sound and attitude pays homage to the gruesome death metal greats, while showcasing their skillful extreme music making talents. 

    The opening song off of the album will have some listeners surprised at first, but in the end, “Dagger to the Mind,” is a great opening piano composition to capture your attention. Also, I thought the song’s overall haunting ambience was a clever way to lead you into the fiery death metal onslaught that would take form on the second track, “Faceless Evil.” Right when the second song begins, you are instantly hit with a tremendous amount of raw old school death metal force. As the band slashes away at these ominous chord progressions the singer unleashes some tremendously decimating death metal vocals. Probably one of the areas of this album that I enjoyed the most was the vocal delivery, because so many young singers fail to maintain that profoundly sinister presence, where as the vocalist in Eternal stays consistent throughout the entire release. 

    On the third track, “To the Grave,” the band continues to stick to the old school formula by cranking out more putrid sounding riffs and agonizing drum arrangements. Also, the transition from the slower doom like parts to the more intense savage death metal compositions was very well executed. I liked how the band ended the song as well by coming up with a very abhorrent sounding riff section that reminded me of early Suffocation where the music hits you right in the gut with each palm muted chord strike. The last two tracks, “Diabolic Rebirth” and “Depravity,” are monstrous tracks that once again invoke the malevolent spirit of old school death metal. On, “Depravity,” I really enjoyed by the frantic lead guitar playing which was thrown into the blistering chaos. On future releases I definitely would like to hear more of those lead guitar fills as they do a great job adding to the sadistic soundscape.  

    Overall, Eternal’s “Faceless Evil,” is a solid EP that I would highly recommend fans of sickening old school death metal check out. I believe the band has something to offer and on their future albums I would like to see them continue to display the same savage attitude as they did on this EP, while also not being afraid to expand upon certain musical themes to create a very brutal and dynamic album. Eternal is another example of how this style of extreme music has continued to thrive even without mainstream recognition, because the young bands that have been inspired by the previous generations of extreme metal music are undeniably passionate fans looking to continue the brutal legacy by creating their own monstrously deafening releases.  

Check out the full EP below:

Eternal Bandcamp:

https://eternalaz.bandcamp.com/

Eternal Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/Eternalbandaz

Lathe of Heaven “Bound by Naked Skies”

    With lyrical themes inspired by classic and contemporary science-fiction authors as well as a sound that blends together hardcore punk, post-punk and new wave, NYC based band Lathe of Heaven offers listeners an unbelievably profound debut album. Titled, “Bound by Naked Skies,” the album captures the pure essence of 80’s inspired post-punk/new wave, while also having a uniquely refreshing sound from start to finish. 

    I came across this album through the Youtube channel, No Deal, which is a great channel to subscribe to if you are a fan of hardcore punk, post-punk and crust punk. Lathe of Heaven reminds me so much of what you would have heard coming from the UK and Europe during that late seventies and early eighties period where you had punk bands starting to experiment more with electronics, dark atmospheres and haunting synth arrangements. You hear a bit of Killing Joke and Siouxsie and the Banshees in their sound as well as new wave acts such as OMD and early Echo and the Bunnymen. They really do such a great job recording a refreshing sounding album by coming up with some very catchy verse and chorus sections wrapped up in these mesmerizing compositions. Also, the band’s vocalist has a captivating delivery that grabs your attention right away and puts your mind at easy while you listening to words soar over the enchanting post-punk instrumental arrangements.  

    The album features eleven tracks, and I can guarantee that there are no filler songs on the entire release. Everything seems to be in perfect synchronicity when the band launches into the first song on the album, "At Moment's Edge." The guitar notes ring out with such an awe-inspiring sound and the guitar effects used by the guitarist create an extremely comforting atmosphere. On the second song, “Ekpyrosis,” the band comes up with a more punchy sounding piece of post-punk music that reminded me of classic Killing Joke. The lyrics vividly standout out as you slowly become engrossed in the catchy sounding musical landscape. Also, the bass tone on this track as well as most tracks on this album is truly immaculate sounding and adds so much to the band's overall sound. 

    Other tracks like, “Genome” and “Inertia,” continue to emphasize this classic post-punk/new wave sound that explores themes of science fiction and deep thought provoking concepts. Musically the band does not disappoint and the riffs on this album simply take you away from all the chaos and despair of modern society to look beyond what our current reality has to offer. “Moon-Driven Sea,” takes a turn down a more solemn sounding pathway, one which caught my attention instantly and made me forget about everything around me as I listened intently to the singer’s enchanting vocal delivery which follows along to the spectral guitar chords. 

    Another track that I want to point out is, "Ilusi ó n de Luces (Cold's Embrace),” because on this song there is another singer who starts the song off and then switches with the band’s primary singer. The contrasting voices makes the overall composition extremely fascinating, while also perfectly matching song’s quick and frantic tempo. I think what I took away most from this album was how strong the songwriting was on the entire release. There are few albums I have come across whether they be metal, rock, or punk releases that have such a captivating quality. 

    Lathe of Heaven’s “Bound by Naked Skies” has the potential to be a highly sought after release, especially amongst fans who enjoy 80’s post-punk and new wave. When I saw that Sacred Bones was the label that would be putting this album out, I knew Lathe of Heaven was in good hands since Sacred Bones is a label that is known for promoting very talented, highly driven and passionately creative acts. I do hope more people check this album out, because even if you are not a massive fan of this type of music, the songwriting and I think the overall sound of this album can be extremely appealing to a wide range of people. No matter what year or decade it happens to be, I strongly believe Lathe of Heaven is a band that will be able to transcend musical trends and maintain to passionate cult like following thanks to what they accomplished on this album. 

Check out the video for "At Moment's Edge" below:

Lathe of Heaven Bandcamp:

https://latheofheaven.bandcamp.com/album/bound-by-naked-skies

Marduk “Memento Mori”

    Swedish black metal titans, Marduk, continue to prove to the extreme metal world that they are one of the most vicious and unforgiving acts around with the release of their fifteenth full-length studio album, “Memento More.” Formed in 1990, Marduk has become one of the most influential and fearsome extreme metal bands around. From the early years where the band unleashed nightmarish raw sounding black metal on albums like, "Dark Endless" and "Those of the Unlight," to when they released one of the most intense and destructive albums ever recorded, “Panzer Division,” Marduk’s dedication to recording such hellacious releases is something that I believe deserves to be acknowledged. 

    It has been close to five years since Marduk released their last full-length album, “Viktoria,” which in my opinion was a solid album that demonstrated how skilled this band is at writing blistering black metal riffs, as well as dealing out some decimating blast beats. After waiting five years, I do think expectations for this new album were high and in the end Marduk delivered another strong extreme metal release. The tone of this album is a bit darker and the slower riffs sections on some tracks create a very morbid and bone chilling musical environment which was not something that the band emphasized as much of the previous couple full-length releases. I thought this album did a great job balancing the different types of riff structures, while still unleashing those deafening blitzkrieg like black metal riffs.

    The opening of the album instantly had me hooked and I liked how the band slowly built up the arrangement to create a very suspenseful sounding landscape. Morgan Håkansson’s sinister guitar tone rips through the sickening chaos, while the vocals provided by singer Mortuus paint a gruesome tale to compliment the hateful sounding riffs. Also, the feverish drum parts do a solid job maintaining the tempo and adding to the apocalyptic noises from the other instruments. The second track, “Heart of the Funeral,” is a strong piece of savage black metal, which is very reminiscent to what one would expect to hear from Marduk. On the third track, “Blood of the Funeral,” I thought the band really turned up the intensity, especially pertaining to some of the guitar leads Morgan thew into the recording to inject an extra boost of raw ferocity. Everything just really comes together on the song and this is something which continues throughout the rest of the album where the band sounds extremely tight as they deliver more catastrophic black metal music. 

    My favorite song off of the album is, “Shovel Beats Sceptre,” because the start of the track is just Mortuus growling out the lyrics while a bell eerily tolls in the background. Eventually the other instruments come feverishly crashing into the composition to unleash a very doom like sounding piece of music. Personally, I really enjoyed the slower more mid-tempo riffs on the album, because they do a great job drawing you into this brutally hypotonic sinister sounding realm. Other tracks such as, “Marching Bones” and “Year of the Maggot,” keep the black metal assault moving forward by hammering out more soul crushing riffs and ruthless sounding drum parts. Until the very end of the album you are unable to tear away from the sheer frantic insanity, which I attribute to the profoundly fiendish guitar playing. 

In the end, Marduk’s “Memento More,” is an album that I would highly recommend if you are a fan of black metal and want to hear something that is not poorly produced unlike some of the modern metal releases you might come across. Marduk has proven time after time to be one the most highly respect black metal acts around, which I would definitely credit to the band’s consistent and sinister creative mindset. Now, does this album stack up to some of their highly praised past releases? I think that is a tough call, and it will ultimately depend on your personal preferences. In my opinion, this album is a strong offering and one of the best black metal releases of this year that once again establishes Marduk as one the most malevolent forces within the global black metal community. 

Check out the song "Shovel Beats Sceptre" :

Marduk Facebook Page:

https://www.facebook.com/Mardukofficial/

Century Media Website :

https://centurymedia.store/dept/marduk

Egregore “Synchronistic Delusions”

 

    Nightmare like surrealistic sounding landscapes dominate the debut album from Utah’s putrid death metal/grindcore act, Egregore. On their debut full-length album, “Synchronistic Delusions,” the band violently hammers out some pulverizing riffs to launch an utterly sadistic sonic onslaught upon the global metal community. 

    From the frantic and gruesome guitar riffs to the unbelievably deafening blast beats, this band puts together one insanely intense listening experience. Fans of old school grindcore, death metal and crust punk will definitely be drawn into the abysmal and hope crushing sound that can be heard throughout the album. I think what impressed me the most was how the entire album flowed by perfectly weaving together all these cataclysmic compositions. Taking a page from old school extreme acts like Carcass, Napalm Death and Terrorizer, the songs are not very long in terms of length, but they sure as hell pack a mighty punch of ruthless inhuman aggression. 

    The opening of the album is very fascinating and the band uses a couple different audio samples to setup up the first song, “Synchronistic Delusions.” Without much warning the band dives right into a hurricane like arrangement full of adrenaline pumping drum parts and ear shattering malevolent guitar riffs. Also, the vocals perfectly compliment the overall hellacious soundscape by providing this sort of disgusted and unapologetic attitude. Songs like “Walk in Soul” and “Ligis,” have this sort of crust punk vibe, while still maintaining an utterly blistering old school death metal sound with some technical guitars parts thrown into the mix to give the music this unpredictable quality. I think the lead guitar playing on this album was extremely well executed, and the band did a solid job adding some vividly sinister sounding note patterns when needed. 

    Along with the strong guitar playing, I think the unique cinematic electronic noises used on certain songs like, “Incorporeal Vivisection,” made the music standout even more and complimented the album’s theme. Even though this style of metal music along with the riff structures are nothing new to the world of metal, I would argue that Egregore’s commitment to coming up with a creative release, as well as making sure the production on this album fit with what they wanted to get out of the songs they wrote, made this an enjoyable listening experience from start to finish. You even have acoustic guitar riffs thrown in at times like on the song, “Metaprogramming The 8th Circuit,” which started out by blending together these ambient celestial sounds before shifting over to an impressive acoustic arrangement. Even though the majority of this album places an emphasis on unleashing pure devastation with hellish offerings like, "Birth of Death and "Chaos Protocols," you do have these moments that makes this a very dynamic extreme metal release. 

    Working with Sentient Ruin, a label that you all should know by now if you read this blog, Egregore will be releasing, “Synchronistic Delusions,” on September 1, 2023. I am looking forward to seeing how fans take to this album, because the variety of extreme metal elements makes this an album that I do find can be of interest to a wide range of metal fans. Yes, the band takes significant influence from old school extreme metal acts, however, their ability to forge a very enthralling and monumentality savage album is something which allows them to really standout. Given that this is just the band's debut album, I look forward to what they might be able to record on future releases!

Check out the song "Birth of Death" below:

Sentient Ruin Bandcamp:

https://sentientruin.bandcamp.com/album/synchronistic-delusions

Concert Review: My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult with Special Guests ADULT. and Kanga

 

Sunday night August,13th in downtown San Jose, CA was one massive fanatical electronic/industrial gathering that featured three solid acts. Headlining was industrial/electronic music icons My Life With the Thrill Kill Kult along with openers ADULT. and Kanga. Performing at The Ritz, a venue that is extremely significant when pertaining to the music scene in downtown San Jose, I had a strong feeling that this would be an epic show. 

Hell, even before I arrived at the venue there was this buzz in the air as I walked through downtown, which seemed to be hosting some sort of festival/bloc party with street vendors as well as people dancing in the middle of the sidewalk. The atmosphere around the city and even inside the venue was unbelievably electric. Before the first act even took the stage I felt as though people were in good spirits just listening to the music being played by DJ Basura who was ecstatically rocking out in the DJ booth.  Even if some of these people were probably under the magic spell of a feel good type of substance, I'd rather have people in a positive mood before a show compared to a bunch of angry looking yokel ready to whack you in the back with a steel folding chair. 

The first act of the night was Kanga, a female synth pop artist from Los Angeles, who actually took me by surprise. I had checked out some of her material earlier in the week to get an idea of what she sounded like and to be honest the recordings that I heard were just not fully grabbing me. However, once she started performing and I watched her command the stage with such mesmerizing presence, I started warm up to her sound. Quite frankly, I am the furthest thing from an indie pop/synth pop fan, but I can respect the music and appreciate the creative talents that go into writing and arranging the songs. Also, I thought she had a really strong natural voice compared to a lot of these new artist that I hear who tend to drown their voices with unnecessary digital effects. One song that I like was, “Rehab” because Kanga really brought a tremendous amount of euphoric passion as she sang over the adrenaline pumping electronic beats. 

Kanga

Following Kanga was, AUDLT. , an electronic/synth wave duo from Detroit, MI. The band started the show by wrapping a piece of tape from one end of the stage to the other and then the singer, Nicola Kuperus, attached a wire that seemed to be hooked up to an effects pedal of some sort to create these unearthly sounds. As Nicola madly ran her hand up and down the tape to send these ear shattering noises through the speakers, Adam Miller, hammered out some thunderous rhythms to create this cold dark electronic sounding atmosphere. Throughout the band’s set I was extremely impressed by Nicola’s stage presence as she has this punk rock attitude where she come right up to the crowd and delivers the lyrics with such vivid tenacity. Also, I liked how at the end of their set she walked out into the crowd to perform the final song, while Adam just kept rocking out on stage with such a suave presence. 

ADULT.

Once AUDLT. finished their set and cleared the stage, it was time for the night’s headlining act, My Life With the Thrill Kill Kult. The band’s second full-length album “Confessions of a Knife…” is without a doubt one of my favorite albums, so when the band opened with the song “Burning Dirt” I started singing along as well as most of the audience in attendance. There was this thrilling electricity in the room as the band performed that allowed you to get lost in the infectious electronic sounds coming from speakers. Buzz McCoy was rocking out from behind his keyboards, while Groovie Mann delivered the lyrics with his distinct voice and charismatic stage presence. Also, Mimi Star is a solid bassist and her tone made songs like, “A Daisy Chain for Satan” and “Sex on Wheels,” sound even more brilliant when hearing them live. Plus, Justin Thyme did a great job behind the kit and in my opinion was one reason as to why the band had such a tight overall sound. 

My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult

I thought they played with such passion and the audience was really going all out as the band continued to deal out some groovy sinister electronic cuts like, “Ride the Mindway” and “And This is What the Devil Does.” For their final song of the night the band played, “Kooler Than Jesus,” to a massive pop from the crowd and it perfectly capped off the evening. From the start of their set until the end, the band seemed to be fueled by the audience's passionate support, which made this such a thrilling experience. 

Once the show was over and I made my way out of the Ritz and onto the streets of San Jose I felt exhausted, but also really elated as I walk back to my car to make my trip back home to the mundane suburban confines of San Ramon. Seeing this show reminded me of how strong the connection can be between a band and its fanbase, and I do believe it is why My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult has continued to thrive for so many years, as well as the band's unique and passionate creative mindset. All around this was a great show and if you have the chance to see them when they perform near you, I'd highly recommend going as they have more stops on the tour. Only complaint of the evening was going home a section of the 680 freeway was closed because of road work and I had to take a detour, but that is what you get living in this chaos carnival known as the Bay Area. 

Check out the show if it comes to your town, or if there is a stop close to where you live!