Empty Chalice “Majesty of Sin”

    For the fans of extreme metal music who are tired of seeing all this romantic black metal and experimental post-pussy nonsense coming out, the savage horde in Empty Chalice unleashes a deathly sounding strike to all those insanely atrocious and utterly ridiculous acts. The debut full-length album from Empty Chalice, “Majesty of Sin,” is without question one of the most intense and profanely devastating release to come out this year. 

    Hailing from the cold and shadowy parts of Victoria, British Columbia, the band seeks out those passionate fanatics of extreme metal music, especially those who desire to hear a style of raw and utterly punishing black metal with some primate death metal elements added into the mix. I have reviewed a couple of the band's demos in the past and I could tell that they were really crafting some insidious material, however, the songs of this new album come with an even fiercer and unforgiving edge. You can hear influences ranging from Bathory to Blasphemy as well as classic South American black metal. Personally, I thought the band really drew certain elements from Marduk, particularly the band's album,“Panzer Division,” because the music’s intensity is very profound and leaves an deniable impact. 

    The album contains 17 tracks, and even though most of them are rather short, the band hammers out plenty go merciless sounding riffs and unholy hymns of blasphemous celebration. “Upon the Throne,’ which is the first song off of the album, is a gruesome sounding intro into the starless black abyss where the low demonic vocals are accompanied by haunting guitar parts. On the second track, “Into a Dark Age,” the band maliciously opens up an aural assault with a burst of raw rhythmic intensity. The vocals paint a hellish picture as the band continues to deal out punishing arrangements with some ear crushing drum parts. There are some songs on this album like, “Slave Master,” where you can hear a mix of black metal vocals with more abrasive death metal like vocals, which I think gives the music an even more sinister feel at times.  

Another part of this album that really stood out and in my opinion and sort of helps Empty Chalice break away from a lot your modern extreme metal acts, was that there are some truly solid lead guitar parts throughout this album. Unlike some metal acts where the solos sound either out of place, or drag on for way too long, the leads on this album add a touch of agonizing explosiveness when needed. One of the best solos I thought was towards the end of the song, "Majesty of Sin,” where the lead really adds to the horrifying atmosphere. There are some songs that do slow down such as “From Thy Chalice,” and creates a very dark sounding atmosphere, which almost takes on Mercyful Fate vibe in terms of how the music is arranged to create a feeling of pure evil. Overall, the band really delivers in terms of the execution of their songs, and I would say that the production vividly captures the relentless aggression which Empty Chalice looks to convey on this release. From start to finish the album does not hold back and shows no lack of venomous creativity. 

In the end, I consider Empty Chalice, “Majesty of Sin,” to be one of the most deafening and purely sinister black metal releases to come out so far this year. The bestial bludgeoning that these musicians unleashed on each composition is truly impressive. I highly recommend this album for fans of extreme black metal and death metal, because unlike those generic bands who spend more time taking Instagram photos instead of practicing their instruments, Empty Chalice is truly dedicated to the dark musical arts. If anyone claims to be a fans of underground music, this album is a must listen, or else you must be one of them romantic black metal high heel wearing goofs who does black metal yoga and parties with Furries. 

Listen to the entire album below:

Empty Chalice Bandcamp:

https://emptychalicebm.bandcamp.com/

Diabolic Oath “Unholy Barbaric Hymns”

 

    Twisting, tormenting and utterly agonizing riffs can be heard throughout Diabolic Oath's newest sonically extreme occult offering titled, ““Unholy Barbaric Hymns.” The sadistic blackened death metal horde from Portland, OR has definitely established themselves as a profane force with their punishing style of unorthodox brutality 

    Teaming up with Sentient Ruin for the release of this four song EP, the band continues to push the boundaries by hammering out some insanely dynamic and decimating arrangements. As much as you can hear a variety of influences from the abhorrent atmospheres of savage 90's black metal with the bestial riffage of gruesome death metal, the band has truly achieved a unique and almost inhuman sound. I personally was a huge fan of their debut album, “Profane Death Exodus,” and feel as though the band has not disappointed with their following releases ever since putting that album out. 

    Although there are only four songs, the music is extremely enthralling by pulling you into this entropic soundscape of insidious proportions. Arguably some of the most intense riffs and drumming can be heard from Diabolic Oath on this release, especially once the opening song “Emblazoned Upon Ebony Winds,” kicks into full gear. The drumming on this album really hits hard to compliment the monstrous riffs as well as the demonic vocals. I really like the mix of low death growls with the more black metal style cries, because the contrast created a very pestilent atmosphere. The second track, “Radiant Mars, Reveal the Spear of War,” is a insanely deafening song with a cataclysmic introduction composition to make you feel as though you are being violently are thrown into a barbaric battlefield. At the end of the song, the music takes on a very haunting turn, and the transition from the extreme sounding punishment to a surrealistic atmosphere really strengthens the band’s mind altering approach to crafting songs. 

    The third song, “Within the Jaws of Lecherous Fire,” once again delves into the blackened death madness with more sanity shredding riffs. I thought the bombastically primitive sounding drum parts towards the end of the song added a profound touch to the track. On the final song, “Vomiting Flames in Rapturous Conflagration,” the band starts out with a more doom like style, but eventually jumps into the dissonant fires of hell by conjuring up more gruesome blackened death arrangements . In terms of the production, I think all the four songs were recorded extremely well, and really whoever mixed the release vividly captured the band’s uncompromising and unorthodox style. I don’t think there was one weak moment on this release, and the musicianship definitely played a part as to why the tracks sounded undeniably solid. 

    “Unholy Barbaric Hymns” from Diabolic Oath is definitely a release that fans of blackened death metal should checkout, especially if you enjoy a band that knows how to craft ritualistic like atmospheres with some sadistic arrangements. I looked to when this album is release via Sentient Ruin on June 5ht, as the label has always been a champion for extremely talented underground acts. After hearing this new EP, I am highly anticipating a full-length from Diabolic Oath given the level of musicianship and malevolent creatively that they were able to capture on this release. 

Check out the track "Emblazoned Upon Ebony Winds" below:

Sentient Ruin Bandcamp:

https://sentientruin.bandcamp.com/

Diabolic Oath Bandcamp:

https://diabolicoath.bandcamp.com/album/unholy-barbaric-hymns

The True None "Supreme Dedication to the Craft Is Forever"

    After 11 years of vehement dedication and unyielding artistic creativity, The True One unleashes upon the world an offering titled, “Supreme Dedication to the Craft Is Forever.” Nicholas Mendiola, the heart and soul behind The True None, has been working on this since 2015 and over the years he has put together a very raw and emotionally driven release that transcends the pressuring confines of a falling into specific sub-genre of music. 

    The True None is not an act that seems to concern itself with labels, or is trying to chase a local musical trends. There is a very unique fusion of sounds that can be heard throughout this album with elements that pull out the raw and savage primitive aura of black metal with the spiritualistic tranquility of dark acoustic folk. Using an acoustic guitar to primarily hammer out his mix of captivating riffs, Nicholas seems to a be a keen composer who seems possessed when he shouts out his profound lyrics. 

    The album's opening song “Stories” begins with a haunting piano arrangement which Nicholas speaks over with an unapologetic and very serious tone. The acoustic guitar comes crashing into the sonic landscape just as his vocals become even more aggressive to match the rush of entropic emotion. Throughout the album I do believe listeners will notice how music constantly changes tone from very calm almost transcendental sounds to a more intense burst of raw expression. The second song “Desert Skyline” was a really good example of a track where at one moment I was really captivated by the vibrant acoustic chords being played to all of a sudden getting thrown into a chaotic surge of sounds. The vocal style he uses it very unique and fits the music extremely well. His words seem to highlight his inner ethos, which he presents with a profoundly passionate tone. 

    “Dusk Skies Over The Dreaming Forests,” is one song off of the album that I found to be very strong in terms of the main riff and how the music came relentlessly flowing out as if he was pouring every ounce of energy he could muster into striking the chords while confidently shouting over the cataclysmic noises. Another song which caught my attention was “Burial Transcendence,” which I think took a lot of elements from atmospheric black as well as the acoustic arrangement which be heard in some of Bathory’s music like on "Twilight of the Gods." The music felt almost cinematic at certain parts of the song and really created this awe-inspiring atmosphere. 

    When you look at the entire album and listen to each of the twelve songs, you can definitely feel that not one second was wasted and that each song is an important part of the overall vision. The title track for example, really dives into the primitive instrumental themes utilized throughout the album, but goes even deeper into the mindset which challenges the modern world's suffocating confinements and pushes this resilient mindset. Also, I think that some of the acoustic riffs on this album are extremely heavy in the sense that they provide a impactful punch to compliment the meaningful lyrical content. The way in which the acoustic guitar parts were recorded and how everything was mixed together is definitely an important reason as to why I think the songs on this album leave such an impact. 

    In the end, I would highly recommend people checkout "Supreme Dedication to the Craft Is Forever “ by The True None, especially if you want to hear an album that goes against the grain and features a plethora of raw acoustic riffs with even rawer vocals to highlight powerful words on each song. After years of commitment I think what Nicholas was able to accomplish is very impressive, but what stands out the most is how he does not compromise,  or deludes his musical vision. On each song I can confidently say that he is dedicated to his craft, so I hope people take the chance to hear what he has to offer. 

Check out the full album on Youtube below: 

The True None Bandcamp:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uyJusjPBpNA&t=2475s

Coroner and Heathen - Live at The Ritz in San Jose, CA 2/9/2026

 

    Many people would not believe that a metal show on a Monday night would draw a large crowd, however, they might not realize how passionate Bay Area metal fans can be if given the opportunity to see some killer bands. With a line-up featuring Swiss tech thrashers Coroner who have not played the Bay Area in about three decades, along with the mighty Bay Area thrash warriors in Heathen, this was a show that people would drive hours through agonizing traffic and poorly maintained roads to see. Plus, the show was in downtown San Jose at the Ritz, so this was a night to remember! Well, let’s just say that a lot happened throughout the night, so I will always remember this show… 

    After putting a crushing comeback album last year, Coroner was finally making their way back to the US, so I definitely wanted to check them out. I have always appreciated this band’s blend of progressive rock influences with thrash metal, as they really do have some brilliant compositions featuring a refined edge of technically mixed with explosive aggression. Of course being from the Bay Area I was equally as excited to see Heathen, especially since not only are those first two full-length albums phenomenal and iconic thrash albums, but the band continues to put out solid recordings. Overall, this was a show that passionate metal fans are going to show-up no matter what day of the week it was booked. 

    The moment I entered the venue, I could already start to sense that people were really excited for this show. You had a good amount of people already staking their claim to the front of the stage with their battle vest covered in patches getting ready to bang their heads to some dynamically devastating riffs. Another point to bring up was that this was an all ages show, so you had metal fans of all ages in attendance, yet all of them connected through their enjoyment of metal music. Now, this being an all ages show will come up later as it did factor into a situation later in the night. More on that later....

    Heathen walked onto the stage to massive roar from the crowd and tore into their first song wasting little time getting the adrenaline flowing and heads violently banging. David White is a tremendously talented frontman and he was going around the stage during the first song fist bumping fans in the front row while delivering some epic high soaring vocals. The two guitar attack of Kragen Lum and Kyle Edissi was insanely vicious as both guitarists know how to hammer out some wicked riffs and scorching leads. Throughout the set bassist Jason Mirza and drummer Blake Anderson proved to be a strong rhythm section adding a mighty boost of juggernaut sized devastation. Actually, Jason was not only playing some killer bass riffs during their set, but he was maniacally running around the stage and seemed to be having a blast. I really liked getting to hear them perform, “Open the Grave,” because that song contains some HEAVY riffs to get the audience moving. Also, I must say that the band’s new song which they just released, “Never a God,” is sounds extremely solid and the fans seemed to be very receptive to the new music. After seeing Heathen perform I am looking forward to a new album from them, and I definitely would like to see them perform live again. 


HEATHEN

    Once Heathen exited the stage with devil horns raised high and the audience showing their appreciation for the band’s performance, the roadies in Coroner began setting up for the band’s set. When the members in Coroner stepped out from the side of the stage and took their positions, the metal maniacs went full flown savage and made enough noise to be heard all the way in Santa Cruz. The band’s bassist and singer Ron Royce had a big grin on his face as he stepped up to the mic and they launched into the first song. 

    Now, I did not notice it at first, but as the band kept playing something seemed a bit off in terms of the sound coming from a speaker/monitor to where I noticed a roadie kept flashing a light at it for the sound engineer to be made aware of. Shortly after this the statement most concert attendees and band members hate hearing was uttered as the sound engineer came up on the stage and told the crows that due to technical issues they had to restart the system. Little did the crowd know that this would take over an hour to finally resolved, during which time some people started to maybe drinking more than they should have. As someone who worked at a concert venue in college and experienced first hand an unruly audience waiting around for a performance due to a drunk country star deciding to show up late that night, I started to have concerns that the crowd would become restless and the situation might turn ugly. 

CORONER

    Luckily the people working the sound seemed to be more motived than workers at a record store, and they eventually solved the issue. Only problem was San Jose has an ordinance, to where minors cannot be out past 11:30pm, so since this was an all ages show the venue had to take this into account. At first I saw an employee tell people that they were shutting it down right after the sound guy seemed to solve the issue, but then Coroner came back on the stage and began playing. I guess you could say that for those who stuck around we were treated to a brief, yet still very killer performance from Coroner. For me, I was super stoked to hear the song “Serpent Moves” from the album Grin, which I think is a very underrated release and one of my favorites from them. Tommy Baron is an insanely talent guitarist who utilizes these mind altering chord progressions that hit you with such fearsome force. They also played “Masked Jackal” which the crowd was passionately getting into as that track is definitely one that seems to be timeless in terms of the song’s lyrical themes. Just as the band was unleashing a progressive flurry of technical metal wizardry, the sound was cut and that was the end of their set. I was disappointed as I would have liked to have heard more songs, but in the end I think the band being able to give the audience even that shortened performance after waiting around for over an hour, was still something you can walk away remembering. Coroner seems to be a very talented act and the album that they released last year seems to be proof that they still have some insanely brilliant musical ideas. 

    Instead of pointing fingers and focusing on the negatives, I am going to say that even with the technical issues and waiting around, the diehard metal fans still seemed to be in good spirits as there is strong appreciation for the music. In the end, people can only do so much in certain situations and I applaud Coroner for not throwing a tantrum and just leaving with an angry audience potentially turning into an angry mob like the villagers in a Frankenstein movie. Now, I know Coroner is playing in Berkeley as they had two shows scheduled in the Bay Area, so maybe they will be able to play a full set without issues. For me though, I am glad I went to this show and still feel like I was able to see two tremendously talented bands that have decades many years to providing metal fans with some great music.