Black Fucking Cancer "Procreate Inverse"

    When Sentient Ruin announced the upcoming release for Black Fucking Cancer’s sophomore full-length album, “Procreate Inverse,” the response from fans expressing how much they were looking forward to the new album was astounding. These black metal musicians from San Jose, CA have proven with past recordings to be true masters of the malevolent arts, and this new album is yet another blasphemous offering to lay upon the extreme metal altar. 

    I was first introduced to the band when I reviewed the split they did with the black/doom metal band Gloam, which was a brutal and hellish sounding release that I definitely made sure to add to my collection. This band is not about pushing a whacky political ideology, or infusing indie rock elements into their music to be unique and win over the hearts of hipsters who ride around on those stupid electric scooters. When you listen Black Fucking Cancer for the first time you hear a band that is looking to completely annihilate all that stands in their way by unleashing a blitzkrieg of raw abhorrent sounding black metal. 

    “Procreate Inverse,” from top to bottom features some vicious guitar work and even more decimating drum parts. I was probably most impressed by the drumming on this album, because the drummer provides a fearsome onslaught of blast beats and crushing aggression from behind the kit. The first song, “Excursus,” sets the tone by creating this haunting occult like world where you feel as if you are entering a demonic realm where your soul is torn into thousands of pieces and your ears are overcome by a firestorm of bone crushing guitar parts. Also, the band’s vocalist does a tremendous job delivering this gruesome and hateful sounding attitude when presenting the band’s malevolent lyrics. 

    Another point to raise about Black Fucking Cancer is that they are not afraid to arrange some longer tracks, so the band is constantly throwing around different tempos and compositions, while still staying true to their sinister vision. “Obscene Lusting Dagger,” which is around twelve minutes dives into a very chaotic sounding world and comes rushing at you like a horde of grotesque demons crawling out of the abyss looking to slaughter all that stand in their path. During the song the guitarist incorporates some evil sounding lead guitar parts into the overall mix, which I thought added to the already deranged sounding musical landscape.  

    As the album progresses and the band continues to unleash more deafening instrumental ideas as well as venomous vocals parts to paint an unfathomable picture of nightmarish devastation. The album’s longest song, “Procreate Inverse,”is a sixteen minute exploration into a savage wasteland of inhuman brutality. Throughout the song the band constructs a plethora of agonizing arrangements fueled by this insidious energy dragging you deeper into a pitch black void of distorted cataclysmic horror. 

    “Procreate Inverse,” is not just another stereotypical corpse paint wearing gimmicky black metal worship album, but an unbelievably hellacious creation conjured up by a group of dedicated extreme metal musicians. Black Fucking Cancer is not looking to win over the mainstream metal community with an album to get them on the cover of some elitist publication. In the end, Black Fucking Cancer’s punishing approach to writing music is what makes them stand out from the rest. I highly recommend fans of extreme music give this album a listen, because music like this is what you should be blasting through your speakers! 

Check out the song "Serpentious Flames" below :

Link to Sentient Ruin Bandcamp:

https://sentientruin.bandcamp.com/

Moonlight Haze "Animus"

    I used to review a fair amount of power metal bands for this blog, but as of recent I have just not heard a band that has really grabbed me within the world of power metal. Most of the time when I receive a promo for a new power metal band I cannot make it through the first couple tracks without getting a headache from the gimmicky redundant sounding compositions. In the case of Moonlight Haze I can honestly say that this band really hooked me from the beginning and the overall quality of musicianship on their new album, “Animus,” is extremely impressive. 

    This group from Northern Italy really captures a lot of qualities that I tend to enjoy from iconic power metal and symphonic metal bands such as Helloween, Rhapsody, Blind Guardian, Epica and Nightwish. Also, I have to point out how the band does not get carried away with over the top compositions that sounded painfully over produced. For example, the lead guitar playing is extremely fluid sounding and the solos on this release really hooked me, because the lead guitarist never tries to go overboard with pointless shredding to where you feel like the music is being hijacked by some dude trying to show off. Plus, the vocals on this album are phenomenal and the band’s singer Chiara Tricarico has an amazing vocal range. 

    Out of the album’s eleven tracks, I found myself listening with great interest on each song and I believe that fans of power metal and symphonic metal will really be impressed by the band’s tight sound. The first track on the album, “The Nothing,” is a solid opening piece of music and contains a very calming yet uplifting main driving rhythm. The band hammers out some catchy guitar riffs while injecting epic sounding vocal parts to create a very cinematic sounding environment. The second track, “It’s Insane,” is probably the primary reason why this band peaked my interest after I first listened to the album. The chorus section is truly inspiring and Chiara’s vocal delivery adds such fiery and passionate emotion into the track. Also, the guitar solo during the song is a great example of how a player is able to take you away for a bit by exploring some mesmerizing scales, and is then able skillfully return to the main riff.

    As the album progresses from song to song you start to notice how the band is able to lay down some crushing riffs, yet they are always able to transition so smoothly to these mighty melodic chorus sections. On the song,“Kintsugi,” I was impressed by how the arrangements complimented Chiara’s vocals, especially how the music flowed with this graceful synergy. Songs like, “Animus” and “The Thief and the Moon,” glide through these grandiose sounding musical landscapes featuring a fair amount of inspiring lyrics that I believe listeners can relate to, especially during these difficult times in our world. 

    Very similar to the band Rhapsody, one of my all time favorite power/symphonic metal bands, Moonlight Haze pays great attention to detail on each composition and one can tell that the band takes pride in their craft. The song, “We’ll Be Free,” was another epic sounding song that captures one’s imagination as Chiara completely unleashes a mighty rush of emotion during the chorus section. Plus, the drumming is very tight sounding and establishes a thunderous rhythmic backbone for the guitars to come screaming in like mighty eagles soaring over majestic misty mountains. 

    Moonlight Haze, “Animus,” is a modern power and symphonic metal gem that I really hope people check out once it is released through Scarlett Records on March 18th, 2022. The band is able to write such powerful sounding music, while also not getting carried away with ridiculously sloppy instrumental arrangements that end up turning into a saturated symphonic sounding mess. I believe balance and consistency is what separates Moonlight Haze from a fair amount of other up and coming power metal bands. In the end, Moonlight Haze displays a certain level of confidence which can be heard throughout their music, so if you are fan of this type of music and you don’t listen to this album, then you must be insane. Definitely an album you don't want to miss! 

Check out the video for the song "It's Insane" below : 

Moonlight Haze FB Page:

https://www.facebook.com/Moonlighthazeband/

Moonlight Haze Bandcamp:

https://moonlighthaze.bandcamp.com/

Eric Wagner "In the Lonely Light of Mourning"

 

    Even though he may not have played in a band that sold millions of records and had chart-topping hit singles, Eric Wagner was a truly amazing singer and all around a genuine person. Best known as the lead singer of the iconic doom metal band, Trouble, Eric Wagner sang on such classic doom metal releases as, “Psalm 9,” “The Skull” and “Run to the Light.” After departing from Trouble Eric continued to record music and was involved in countless other projects over the years. 

    Last year when Eric passed away fans like myself were really hit hard by the news, especially since his music spoke to people on a very deep level. When the news came out that the label, Cruz Del Sur, was going to posthumously release Eric’s solo album in March of 2022, fans really appreciated the opportunity to hear what Eric was working on just before his passing. “In The Lonely Light of Mourning,” is honestly one of the most powerful releases I have ever heard in my life, and Eric is able to say goodbye to all his fans with an album that combines years of wisdom coming from a man who did what he enjoyed most until his final days. 

    The origins of this solo album can be traced around 2017 when Eric and Dave Snyder (former Trouble/current Blackfinger drummer) started working together on some ideas that would eventually become, “In the Lonely Light of Mourning.” The album also features a handful of other musicians, most of whom had worked with Eric in the past. I believe what listeners will notice right away about this album is that the musicianship sounds very tight and the compositions are extremely well recorded. From top to bottom, the overall solid sounding production allows the music to flow with a tremendous synergy. 

    Each of eight tracks on this album explores very similar lyrical concepts that Eric explored during his time in Trouble along with his other groups. “Rest In Place” and “Maybe Tomorrow” are two very thought provoking tracks featuring some extremely catchy yet also very haunting sounding riffs. One of my favorites off of the album, “If You Lost Is All,” takes listeners on this gloomy journey with some very melancholy sounding string arrangements to accompany the song’s very somber tone. The song makes you put a lot of concepts about life into perspective, and the lyrics are written with such honest and reflective artistic expression. 

    The album also features some really juggernaut sized doom riffs like on, “Strain Theory,” which opens up the gates and unleashes a flurry of titanic sounding doom. I believe Eric had a great mind for writing music, because he was able to take listeners on this profound emotional joyride with his lyrics, while also capturing listeners’ imaginations with those catchy classic hard rock and heavy metal arrangements. On the album’s final song, “Wish You Well,” I really enjoyed the song’s tempo, which reminded a lot of classic Trouble songs. Plus, Eric offers up a very strong chorus section with the lyrics, “If you are in heaven, or in hell, either way, I wish you well.” The lyrics are not overly complicated, but the words create a vivid and enlightened message of being able to let go and move on from certain feelings. 

    After listening to this album a fair amount of times before I started writing this review, I came to the conclusion that even though Eric is no longer with us, his impact and contributions will never be forgotten. “In the Lonely Light of Mourning,” was written and recorded in such a manner that I believe a lot of rock and metal fans will take notice. Eric along with all the other musicians who worked on this album did an amazing job crafting these songs. Again, Eric Wagner might not have gained the same fame and notoriety within the rock and metal world as some other singers, however his music will always be remembered by those who cherished and respected his musical contributions. 

Check out the song "Maybe Tomorrow" below : 

Places where you can purchase the album :

https://ericwagner.bandcamp.com/

and

http://www.cruzdelsurmusic.com/store/

MÆNTRA "Kundalini"

    For anyone looking for a brutal release that explores human consciousness and looks to transcend the mental barriers of human existence, I believe MÆNTRA has you covered with the release of their debut full-length album, “Kundalini.” The band explores the musical boundaries of death metal and industrial metal, while also incorporating a plethora of other mesmerizing sounds to guide you on this one of a kind extreme sounding spiritual journey. 

    The band consists of drummer Adam Houmam (Cartilage, Ghoul, Ion, Terrorizer L.A.), guitarist/vocalist Rudy Pina, bassist/vocalist Paul Ryan (Origin) and keyboardist Martin Boynton (Short Fuse). The album is rather fascinating with each track on the album exploring one of the seven chakras. One would not typically connect extreme sounding brutality with euphoric enlightenment, but I do believe that is what makes this album so unique. Also, the musicianship really stood out when I first started listening to the album, and I find that the band composes their arrangements with tremendous precision. The album flows with a tremendous synergy which helps bring together all these different sounds and compositions. 

    To begin the first track off of the album, “Muladhara,” the band provides these calming atmospheric noises that eventually get completely decimated by intense blast beats and mind crushing riffs. Throughout the song there are a lot of dynamic arraignments along with very frantic sounding industrial elements in the background. At first I was a bit taken back, but eventually I started to become more and more intrigued as the music evolved. 

    On the second track, “Svadhisthana,” the band continues to traverse across these unconventional musical landscapes, while at the same time creating a monumental avalanche of inhuman distorted sounding entropy. The band’s approach does have you questioning the direction of the music at times, however the unpredictable nature of the band’s arrangements definitely has you engaged and drifting through this unpredictable void of mind altering chaos. The brutal complex technical rhythms on songs like, “Manipura” and “Vishuddha,” sounds almost otherworldly, which actually perfectly compliments the haunting celestial keyboard parts.

    Overall, I cannot find too much to complain about this album and I believe that MÆNTRA is an extremely talented up and coming band. The caliber of musicianship along with the album’s production quality sounded very impressive compared to a fair amount of modern death metal bands that I have come across. Unlike some extreme metal artists that have this tendency to hastily throw a pile of messy sounding arrangements together, MÆNTRA really understands who to make everything sound tight and flow from beginning to end. If you want an extreme metal experience to open your mind to achieve inner enlightenment, then this album is definitely worth checking out. 

Check out the song "Svadhisthana" below : 

Link to the band's Bandcamp:

https://maentr3.bandcamp.com/track/svadhisthana

Link to the band's Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/maentr3

The Language of Thunder : A Benefit for Tornado Victims of Southern Kentucky

    This past December severe storms devastated certain parts of the United States with Kentucky being hit the hardest. Snow Wolf Records and Unsavory Records have joined forces to create a compilation album featuring thirteen metal bands from Kentucky as a way to raise money for those who were impacted by the tornado. 

    I truly believe that this compilation is a great way to help an important cause, while also providing an opportunity to promote some extremely talented local metal bands that care about their communities. Some of the tracks on the compilation are previously unreleased songs and demos, which I find will give listeners a perfect glimpse into what these bands are capable of offering. Some of the bands on this compilation I have heard of before since Snow Wolf Records has sent me promos in the past, but for the most part this would be my first time hearing a lot of these bands. 

    Also to point out, there is a fair amount of diversity when pertaining to the representation of the various metal subgenres, so I find that metal fans will be able to hear an abundance of musical creativity throughout the album. If you are a fan of bloodthirsty raw black metal, sickening old school death metal and even just solid classic heavy metal music, then this album will have you covered. Hell, you even have an act like Pulse diNura which dives into this heart pounding hallucinogenic blackened electronic industrial sounding world with the song, “Drinking Tyrants’ Blood from a Paper Cup (Pardon the Fangs)." 

    I did notice that the album showcases a fair amount of black metal bands, although I cannot complain given the auspiciously sinister sounding quality of the recordings. To start, the band Brood in Black (Not to be confused with the wrestling faction known as The Brood) contributed an inhumanly vicious track called, “Vampyric Lust.” The song conveyed a massive amount raw sounding dark energy, which reminded me a lot of Satanic Warmaster by creating a very haunting and abysmal atmosphere. Fornicus, Bihargam and Starer, all bands that I have encountered before listening to this compilation, each contributed spectacular sounding songs. Starer’s track, “The Flickering,” is a breath taking piece of atmospheric black metal music highly worth checking out along with the band’s previous releases. Another band that caught my attention was, Black Knife, a very no-nonsense unapologetic sounding black metal artist which contributed a short yet blistering piece of corpse ripping music titled, “Satan’s Wolves.” 

    Two bands that I felt stood out from the rest of the crowd were Blood Curse and Thumos. Blood Curse is a band that I definitely want to hear more of going forward as the band has a very strong classic NWOBH sound that reminded me of certain iconic metal bands such as Witchfinder General, Satan and Angel Witch. The catchy guitar riffs and feverish lead guitar parts really hook the listener from the beginning of the song until the end. In the case of Thumos, I believe listeners who appreciate instrumental progressive metal will really find the band's song, “Mysterium Cosmographicum,” extremely fascinating. The band pulls you in a variety of directions with these vibrant sounding dynamic compositions, thus creating a very atypical musical landscape.

    Overall, “The Language of Thunder,” is an album highly worth checking out and each band is unbelievably talented. I wish I could have gone through each track and given more detail, but I hope to maybe cover some of these artists in the future, as the amount of extreme metal talent is undeniable. Snow Wolf Records and Unsavory Records did an exceptional job putting together this compilation to help an important cause, so I have a tremendous amount of respect for both labels. Unlike when those douchebag celebrities got together and did a rotten cover of John Lennon’s, “Imagine,” the artists featured on this compilation actually provided killer sounding music for a good cause that did not make you want to vomit. 

Link Below to the Compilation via Snow Wolf Records: 

https://snowwolfrecords.bandcamp.com/album/the-language-of-thunder

Entire Track Listing Below: 

1. Stonecutters - Creatio Ex Nihil  

2. Starer - The Flickering 

3. Black Knife - Satan's Wolves 

4. Fire Messiah - Stars of the Maniac Revival 

5. Blood Curse - Destitute  

6. Thumos - Mysterium Cosmographicum 

7. Moonknight - Weakhearted 

8. Ad Infinitum - Submerge 

9. Bihargam - Anti-Angel (demo) 

10. Brood in Black - Vampyric Lust 

11. Fornicus - One Mass Grave  

12. El Astronauta - Give Up the Ghost 

13. Pulsa diNura - Drinking Tyrants' Blood from a Paper Cup (Pardon the Fangs Remix) 

Glyph "Remind Us of the Sun"

    Emerging from some frozen dominion surround by infinite darkness, Glyph has finally decided to unleash their debut full-length album upon the metal world. “Remind Us of the Sun,” is a raw black metal release that journeys into insidious sounding musical realms shrouded in a suffocating mist of distorted chaos. 

    Not much is known about this artist, which I find adds to the album’s mystique and establishes this haunting presence which can be felt throughout the release. I’ve reviewed a couple Glyph demos before receiving this promo, however this full-length album seems to build off of the previous releases in terms of recording quality and overall production. The riffs on this album are extremely chaotic sounding and go against what one might expect from a typical black metal band by experimenting with different tempos and creating very unorthodox sounding atmospheres.

    The album’s opening track, “Of the Cinders,” begins with a very hypnotic sounding composition which transitions into a more blizzard like black metal approach. This artist is extremely open to altering tempos and messing around with dissonant chord progressions. As much as I enjoy the dynamic style at times, there are moments on this album where I felt a bit overwhelmed as though the direction of the music was going off of the path, but for the most part the music grasps you with a wicked sounding confidence. Tracks like, “Lost Beyond Time” and “Who Lies Dormant,” are a couple of songs that really stood out when listening to the album, especially when pertaining to the music’s overall malevolent sounding tone. Although the production quality on this album might not meet the standards of some black metal purists, I personally felt as though Glyph captures the dark and ominous energy quite well. 

    Towards the end of the album I felt as though the arrangements continued to provide that classic raw black metal sound, as well as the atmospheres expanding into directions that bring hope for more exploration on future releases. The song that stole the show for me was, “Relics of the Precursors,” which I thought was a manifestation of classic sounding black metal with some subtle touches of atmospheric black metal elements as well. Glyph’s ability to record harsh compositions with some slight catchy and mesmerizing atmospheric elements is what I believe will allow this artist to really standout amongst the other modern black metal artists. 

    “Remind Us of the Sun,” is an album that does stay true to what black metal fans have come to expect from artists who play this style of music, however, I find when listening closely that Glyph has a tremendous amount of potential that will hopefully be utilized on future releases. I look forward to what Glyph has to offer in the future, although I highly recommend people check out, "Remind Us of the Sun," as this type of music definitely captures the unforgiving and sinister essence of black metal. 

Link to Glyph Bandcamp (Album comes out February 18th, 2022) :

https://keeperoftheglyph.bandcamp.com/album/remind-us-of-the-sun

Top Ten Albums of 2021 / Rob "The Metal Guy" Awards

After living through all the hysteria and chaos of 2020, a year that shall go down in history as one of the most inconceivable years in the history of the world, people looked to 2021 as a year of redemption. In terms of hard rock and heavy metal music I felt as though 2020 was a decent year, but 2021 seemed to be the year where bands really stepped up their game. As much as people thought the return of CM Punk to professional wrestling was a historic and monumental moment, I personally found myself rejoicing to the news that artists like Old Tower and Wallachian Cobwebs were putting out new releases. Independent music labels like Sentient Ruin continued to promote hard working up and coming underground acts from around the world, which is always great to see compared to those labels still promoting aging rockers who look like they just escaped from the retirement home. 2021 may not have been exactly what we were expecting the world to look like after 2020, but I do think we can look back and appreciate some of the brilliant sounding albums that came out during the year. So here it is everyone, my top ten list for 2021....

10. Tower “Shock to the System”

This New York City based band displayed a tremendous amount of ballsy sounding hard rock and heavy metal attitude on their sophomore full-length album, “Shock to the System.” The high soaring vocals of singer Sarabeth Linden perfectly complimented the band’s feverish sounding guitar riffs. Overall, the album contains a strong and confident energy, which seems to grow from the beginning of the album until the very end. I also was extremely impressed by the band’s songwriting skills and I thought that the music sounded tight. 

Complete Album Review: https://rockandmetaltemple.blogspot.com/2021/10/tower-shock-to-system.html

9. When the Deadbolt Breaks “As Hope Valley Burns: Eulogy” 

These Connecticut based musicians are an extremely creative act and one that took me by complete surprise after I listened to their new album. When the Deadbolt Breaks offers listeners a truly atypical sounding listening experience on, “As Hope Valley Burns: Eulogy.” Their unique brand of psychedelic doom is very refreshing and they show a willingness to experiment with a variety of different sounding musical concepts. The dynamic arrangements hook you right from start by writing some haunting chord progressions along with a fair amount of trippy rhythms. 

Complete Album Review: https://rockandmetaltemple.blogspot.com/2021/10/when-deadbolt-breaks-as-hope-valley.html

8. Maze of Terror “Offer to the Fucking Beasts” 

I don’t know what it is about Peru, but there has been a decent amount of brutal sounding bands to come out of that country over the years. Maze of Terror is yet another band from the region that knows how to write some gruesome sounding pieces of raw brutality. The band mixes casket crushing old school death metal with some merciless black metal to craft an unholy sound which does not disappoint. Plus, the frantic lead guitar work adds to the over bloodbath of devastation laid down by the band’s skillful drummer. Highly recommended for anyone who enjoys vicious sounding music with a blasphemous attitude that is sure to scare the hell out of a pack of Jehovah Witnesses. 

Complete Album Review: https://rockandmetaltemple.blogspot.com/2021/09/maze-of-terror-offer-to-fucking-beasts.html

7. Concilium “Desecration” 

Talk about HEAVY! This Portuguese extreme metal band knows how to lay down some juggernaut sized riffs along with some monstrous sounding drum parts. Of course, the band worked with Sentient Ruin on the release of this album, which should come as no surprise given the label’s history of finding the most extreme and profound sounding artists around. I think what stood out the most about this album for me was the band’s ability to get to the point and no overwhelm the listener with unnecessary arrangements. Sometimes you just want a meaty sized riff to come crashing down on you like an avalanche of distorted destruction leaving a trail of carnage in its path. 

Complete Album Review: https://rockandmetaltemple.blogspot.com/2021/06/concilium-desecration.html

6. Last Agony “The Imminent Slaughter”

Another band on the Sentient Ruin roster that knows how to unleash a tidal wave of face kicking insanity. Adrenaline pumping noise-punk with some blackened aggression is what this Canadian based band brings to the table on their debut full-length release. The songs on the album may be are short, but the band unleashes an insurmountable amount of chaos on each track. From the rebellious sounding guitar riffs to the singer’s unapologetic vocals, I swear that this band means business. Really hope they keep recording new music and building off of this album’s relentless sounding energy. 

Complete Album Review: https://rockandmetaltemple.blogspot.com/2021/04/last-agony-imminent-slaughter.html

5. Crawl Below “9 Mile Square”

This album came out earlier this year and I still find myself playing it over and over again. Overall, the compositors are extremely mesmerizing and wrap you in this veil of haunting tranquility. The musician behind this band, Charlie Sand Eyes, is a very creative artist who also happens to be in the band When the Deadbolt Breaks. I find Crawl Below to be a fascinating act, especially since the style of music seems to be influenced by a lot of bands that I really enjoy. In the end, Charlie tells these haunting musical tales that are inspired by the history of the area in which he resides located in Connecticut. Having lived in Connecticut myself for a couple years I was really impressed how he captured the spell casting natural beauty of the historic region through the album’s sound. Overall, an album worth checking out and the follow-up release that is coming out in 2022 is another phenomenal sounding release. 

Complete Album Review: https://rockandmetaltemple.blogspot.com/2020/12/crawl-below-9-mile-square.html

4. Wallachian Cobwebs “Night Sobbed a Potion Diseased” 

If you are a reader of this blog then you will remember how much I enjoyed Wallachian Cobwebs’ debut album, “Hearken to the Moon Whisper.” This one-man dungeon synth artist took vampiric lore and created a masterpiece of an album, so once I heard there was going to be a follow-up, I was simply overcome with excitement. The new album, “Night Sobbed a Potion Diseased,” takes the story of Frankenstein’s Monster and creates this haunting soundtrack which I thought was very creative. Every sound grabs your attention and creates these vivid mental pictures as if you were witnessing this tale of terror firsthand. The cinematic like environment is perfectly recorded, so anyone who desires a powerful ambient/dungeon synth release should check this album out.   

Complete Album Review: https://rockandmetaltemple.blogspot.com/2021/03/wallachian-cobwebs-night-sobbed-potion.html

3. Graveland “Hour of Ragnarok” 

One of my favorite bands, Graveland, did not disappoint this year with their new album, “Hour of Ragnarok.” The band really went all out with this new album and recorded a true masterpiece in my opinion. Rob Darken’s vocals along with the triumphant sounding instrumental arrangements throws you into this bombastic realm full of epic sounding music. You do hear the early Graveland sound at times, but the band has definitely evolved and become so much more dynamic in terms of their recording techniques and overall production quality. Conceptually this is probably one of the most impressive albums I have heard over the last couple years. 

Complete Album Review: https://rockandmetaltemple.blogspot.com/2021/09/graveland-hour-of-ragnarok.html

2. Old Tower “The Old King of Witches” 

I can say without hesitation that Old Tower is one of the most accomplished and exceptional dungeon synth/ambient artists around. For fans of this style of music, Old Tower has become one of the most recognized artists around the world. The Specter who is the mysterious artist behind Old Tower, is a true genius and this new album reinforces everything that I have said about Old Tower from day one. “The Old King of Witches,” takes a turn down an even darker road, leading listeners into an ambient world shrouded by a sinister energy that I believe creates a truly insidious atmosphere. When listening to this album is the dark you become bewitched by the music’s malevolent charm. I am so glad that I ordered this album on vinyl, even if I have to wait a while due to shipping delays. 

Complete Album Review: https://rockandmetaltemple.blogspot.com/2021/11/old-tower-old-king-of-witches.html

1. Abstracter “Abominion” 

Picking an album for the number 1 slot this year was not an easy task, but in the end Abstracter’s “Abominion” is the album that stood out above all the rest. The Bay Area based band has been a favorite of mine ever since they released their debut full-length album and I was very pleased when they started working Sentient Ruin. Abstracter is such an extremely talented group of musicians and their songs combine a plethora of savage sounding creativity. Each composition hits you with tremendous apocalyptic sized force, especially the riffs on this new album. There are no filer tracks, or cheap sounding compositions, because every riff and every sound demands you attention. “Abominion,” is truly flawless in my opinion and is an album that I expect to be playing on my turntable for many years to come. 

Complete Album Review: https://rockandmetaltemple.blogspot.com/2021/09/abstracter-abominion.html

Rob "The Metal Guy" Awards 

 

Best EP of the Year: Rude “Outer Reaches” 

Best Compilation of the Year: Snow Wolf Records “This Wretched Earth” (Global Black Metal Compilation Album)

Best Label of the Year: Sentient Ruin Laboratories

Best Cover Song of the Year: Hemotoxin for their cover of Death’s “Crystal Mountain”

Best Music Video: Venom Prison “Pain of Oizys” 

Best Record Store: Discology in Reno, NV 

Most Brutal Wrestler of the Year: Roman Reigns

Biggest Douche of the Year: Tony Khan