Bear Mace "Charred Field of Slaughter"

   If Yogi Bear was injected with steroids and instead of stealing picnic baskets he decided to go on a bloodthirsty rampage, I would expect Bear Mace’s new music to be playing in the background. This Chicago based death metal band is one group of ravenous old school death metal fanatics, and their sophomore release, “Charred Field of Slaughter,” is definitely not something you would hear being played at an outdoor hippie fest. This band's music would probably possess the creatures of the forests to attack the hippies and eat them all alive! 

    Bear Mace is not trying to reinvent the wheel by any means with this new album, however, they sure do understand what is needed to make a slamming old school death metal release. I like the bombastic riff compositions that remind me of bands like Bolt Thrower, Benediction and Obituary. Also, the vocals on this album are executed extremely well giving the album a horrific old school sound. 

    Out of the eight tracks off of the album, listeners will be pleased to hear gritty compositions with song titles so brutal your neighbors might move away and then you’ll be left to blast your music as loud as you want. In all honesty, any album that starts off with a song called, “Destroyed by Bears,” is guaranteed to be one brutal listening experience. These dudes do not mess around and the riffs are menacing like a grizzly bear that woke up on the wrong side of the cave. 

    Throughout the album you will find plenty of juggernaut sized death metal riffs along with those glass breaking drums parts that inject such raw explosive force into the overall mix. “Xenomorphic Conquest,” is without a doubt my favorite track off of the album, because the riffs are vicious and the song is about goddamn xenomorphs! Also, the lead guitar playing is exceptional and the notes come screaming out of the speakers like a chestbuster bursting out of a person eating dinner on a spacecraft. Another solid track is, “Let Crack the Whip,” which incorporates that Bolt Thrower style of earth shattering adrenaline pumping aggression, as well as those mighty bass lines that compliment the music’s devastating tone. Tracks like, “Plague Storm” and “Brain Rot,” are a couple sinister offerings of gruesome old school sounding death metal. I thought, “Brain Rot,” was a cyclone of hellish sounding chaos and the tempo change about midway through the song really grabbed my attention. 

    “Charred Field of Slaughter,” is an album that I think people are either going to embrace because of the consistent old school style compositions, or they are going to have a metal elitist temper tantrum due to the fact that they want bands to be “unique,” which is really code for they want douchebags who ride old fashion bicycles to play shitty black metal with elements of post-punk.

    I think Bear Mace is a band that actually understands what it takes to write some strong headbanging pieces of music, and more than likely does not give a damn if the elitists listen to the them or not. Anyone looking for some solid old school death metal should definitely give this album a listen. If any people want to complain about this album, just be very careful, because you might end up getting destroyed by bears one day. 

Listen to "Hibernation/Destroyed by Bears" below:

Bear Mace bandcamp:
http://bearmace.bandcamp.com

The Riven "Windbreaker/Moving On"

   Get ready to crank up the volume and feel that electric classic rock energy come pouring out of your speakers! The Riven are a group of musicians looking to unleash some blazing rock and roll upon the world with the release of their new 7” vinyl. The two tracks featured on this new release, “Moving On” and “Windbreaker,” are just what the doctor ordered if you need some high voltage old school classic rock and roll. 

    These Swedish musicians really know how to inject some raw and exciting energy into their sound. Compared to a lot of the “classic rock” style bands you hear these days that end up sounding like a bad Led Zeppelin cover band, The Riven are a fierce force looking to make their mark in the rock and metal world. Everything on this new release seems to flow in a confident grooving fashion and the band’s strong presentation is what really took me by surprise. Also, the rhythm section for this band definitely knows how to lay down some wicked rhythms that pack a mighty punch. 

    Both tracks off of the release are solid sounding cuts of rock music that will remind listeners of a time when rock and roll would come blasting out of the speakers like an iron eagle screaming for vengeance. “Moving On,” is a fearsome piece of music and the band’s singer provides a stellar vocal delivery throughout the song. Her voice perfectly compliments the song's overall earth shaking tone. Also, there are plenty of thunderous drums parts and killer guitar riffs that eventually make way for some tasty lead guitar work. 

    The other song on the release, "Windbreaker," is probably my favorite and that is saying something since I did find, "Moving On," to be a strong song. I really thought the band turned the dial up to elven on, “Windbreaker,” which is an unbelievably blistering track from start to finish. The galloping main rhythm matched with the singer’s epic sounding vocal style takes you on a journey back to when music was all about pure raw emotion and not about overly saturated digital nonsense. 

    The Riven are what rock and rolls needs right now, because the two songs on this 7” prove that classic sounding rock and roll is alive and kicking. I think people who enjoy bluesy hard hitting classic rock are going to want to sink their teeth into this 7” when it comes out in August. Once this band flips on the switch to their amplifiers, I swear you are instantly knocked off of your feet and carried away into a realm of monumental sounding rock and roll. 

Check out the song "Moving On" below. Also, the 7" vinyl comes out August 28 and will be released through "The Sign Records" :

The Riven Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/TheRivenMusic/

Diabolic Oath "Profane Death Exodus"

    The amount of uncompromising brutality that Diabolic Oath deals out on their debut full-length album, “Profane Death Exodus,” is almost unfathomable. This blackened death metal act from Portland, OR summons forth a punishing release with endless amounts of cataclysmic aggression.

    Joining forces with Sentient Ruin, one of the most maniacal extreme music labels around right now, Diabolic Oath is looking to make a colossal impact with the release of their debut album. The use of fretless guitars allows the band to construct these abysmal sounding riff compositions, which perfectly complements the sinister vocal attack. You feel completely overwhelmed at times by the sheer vitriolic force that this band delivers when hammering out their deafening brand of extreme metal music.

    I would say that the songwriting on this album is very strong and the ability to pull together such chaos in an attempt to hit listeners with a might bludgeoning of extreme artistic expression is very impressive. I’ve noticed a lot of young up and coming death metal acts fail to put forth the effort in building vivid atmospheres and end up writing repetitive compositions that are rather forgettable. I find that this album features some truly exceptional atmospheres that definitely grabbed my attention and showed how this band is not in the business of trying to become another gimmicky extreme metal band. 

    The opening song, “Towards Exalted Coronation,” is a beast of a track and contains a hellish war metal like guitar assault, but eventually transitions into a slow avalanche of gritty doom. Throughout the album you feel the musicianship, songwriting and attitude become even more savage, to where you are descending into a realm of infinite destruction. “Immaculate Conjuration of Infernal Recrudescence,” is one song that I found really taps into the dynamic and unholy sounding world of extreme musical creativity that almost seems limitless. You are always finding yourself being pulled in multiple directions by the frantic guitar and bass riffs, while also taking a massive hit to gut from the ear-splitting drum parts.

    Towards the end of the album songs like, “Opening the Gates to Blasphemic Domination” and “Chalice of Conquering Blood,” continued to display that ruthless aggression and formidable extreme creativity that the first few songs on the album seemed to convey. I thought, “Chalice of Conquering Blood,” was one of the most enigmatic songs off of the album and the wide range of harrowing tempo changes never lost that vicious sounding edge.

    This entire album is an onslaught of diabolic intensity, which I find the extreme music needs more of right now. I think Diabolic Oath’s approach to building apocalyptic sounding atmospheres filled with unpredictable dynamics is something listeners will notice right away. I highly recommend this album for extreme music fiends, especially those looking to step into a gateway of unrelenting brutality.

    Also, whoever did the album cover for this release is a genius, because after you listen to the album and then look at the album cover, you feel like the artwork matches exactly what was going through your mind when listening to the album. That is when you know an album is definitely worth getting!

Check out the song "Opening the Gates to Blasphemic Domination" below. Also, album comes out June 26, 2020 :

Diabolic Oath Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/Diabolic-Oath-179885016082489/

Sentient Ruin Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/SentientRuin/

Fornicus "Sulphuric Omnipotence"

    Time to talk about another band that I know will be striking fear in the hearts of religious zealots across the country and will most likely not be getting invited to the local church picnic. If anything, this band would probably cause the local preacher to shit his pants if he heard them live.

    The Kentucky based blackened death metal band, Fornicus, unleashes a fearsome demonic assault with the release of their third full-length album, “Sulphuric Omnipotence.” Fornicus holds nothing back on this new album by constructing vicious cuts of merciless black metal, while also adding some gruesome sounding old school death metal elements.

    I think what stands out the most about this album is the band’s ability to avoid writing songs that are painfully gimmicky, which happens with some blackened death metal acts. They definitely pay attention to detail and don't just slam together some generic riffs to help promote some simplistic satanic themed agenda. The band’s debut album, “Storming Heaven,” was my first introduction to them and I definitely hear a shift in their sound on this new album. The debut album was a decent release, however, I find the musicianship and overall production on this new album to be slightly stronger. One area where I really noticed an improvement was the recording of the drum parts. The drums are not too loud, yet don’t sound drowned out by the guitar parts. Everything seems to flow in a ferocious synergy that remains consistent until the very end.

    Out of the nine tracks I would say that you get a sufficient dose of extreme blackened death aggression. I don’t think the band ever tries to go beyond their musical identity by exploring unnecessary complex time signatures and randomly dabbling in the progressive metal realm. From the opening song, “Perdition’s Guiding Winds,” to the last song, “Usurping the Throne,” the band hammers out instrumental compositions that firmly establishes their blasphemous vision. For some this may be nothing new, but I tend to appreciate the ability to focus on solid riffs that leave an impact. A song such as, “The Abhorrent Path,” is well constructed in terms of presenting plenty of sinister sounding riffs and bombastic drums parts in a combed effort to create a mighty hellish atmosphere of grim proportions.

    Another song worth noting is, “One Mass Grave,” which I would consider to be my favorite song off of the album. The band unleashes a scorching main guitar riff that leaves pure extreme carnage across the musical landscape, thus giving listeners a roll coaster ride through an oblivion of endless horror. Towards the end of the album, “Stormwolves” and “Tempestuous Flames,” were a couple of pieces that really exemplify that solid style of abysmal blackened death attitude. The brutal vocal delivery injects fear into the piece, while the guitars rip away like a demon ripping apart the soul of an unlucky victim.

    I definitely would recommend this album for fans of black metal that also desire some pulverizing death metal touches thrown into the chaotic sounding mix. Overall, I believe Fornicus is an extreme metal act that has plenty of potential and shows a willingness to expand their dark desires with each new release. In a world where modern metal is becoming too watered down with bands that look like they are models for a New York City hipster fashion show, you need a band like Fornicus to come along and conjure up some truly devastating tracks of blackened death horror.



Check out the song "One Mass Grave" below:

Fornicus Facebook Page:
https://www.facebook.com/fornicus666/

Dearth "To Crown All Befoulment"

    Sentient Ruin’s conquest for most dominate extreme music label continues with the release of Dearth’s debut full-length album, “To Crown All Befoulment.” Dearth proves to be a formidable blackened death metal force that does not wish to underwhelm listeners with the same generic approach, but instead invokes an inhuman nature full of extreme mind altering brutality. 

    The Oakland based band delivers one colossal bludgeoning with enough power to awaken sinister forces from beyond that dwell in starless realms. Overall, the production creates such an agonizing atmosphere that you feel as if the riffs consume you and leave you sinking into a pitch black abyss. I felt as though the musicianship never sounded sloppy and the band was very thoughtful in terms of how they developed their songs. There is a real strong cohesive sound that I think played an important factor in allowing the band to lay down some truly unforgiving compositions. 

    The opening song, “Writhing in Cellophane Cages,” is a ferocious assault of unapologetic musical attitude and contains some very ominous sounding guitar parts. I think the band’s guitar arrangements on this album leave a vivd impression on the listener and the opening track really sets the tone for the rest of the release. Track number two, “Autoasphyxia,” is delivered in a more blistering approach by unleashing a tsunami of blast beats and feverish guitar parts. Unlike some blackened death metal acts, I never found myself feeling like the band was stuck in a cycle of gimmicky repetitiveness. Their overall approach is refreshing and tracks like “The Reverence of Swine” and “Death Sown in Polluted Soil,” are dynamic cuts that keep you fully engaged. 

    Track number five, “Anthropocene Through Burial Mounds,” is another solid punishing piece of music and once again features some savage riff sections, as well as plenty of feverish drum parts. I thought the final song on this album, “Blight,” really summed up what this band set out to accomplish. The song’s erratic presentation and agonizing vocals paints a cataclysmic world for listeners to explore these endless mountains of ear shattering madness. 

    I can honestly say without any hesitation that Sentient Ruin sure knows how to find these extremely creative and atypical sounding metal acts. Dearth is a band I defiantly want to hear continue to explore those chaotic musical landscapes of uncompromising brutality, because their talents featured on, “To Crown All Befoulment,” are such that you know these guys will only get better with each new release. I believe this shall be the start of a destructive alliance between Sentient Ruin and Dearth which will hopefully spread darkness and terror for many years to come. 

Check out the track “Death Sown in Polluted Soil” below:

Sentient Ruin Bandcamp (Album comes out June 19th):
https://sentientruin.bandcamp.com

Dearth Facebook Page:
https://www.facebook.com/dearthblackdeath/

6th Circle "Pacified / Conjuring"

    Listening to 6th Circle is like stepping into a nightmare world of savage occult and apocalyptic themes that does not need lyrics to paint the sacrilegious picture. The artist behind 6th Circle takes listeners down a terrifying highway of sinister post-industrial electronic music on the band's new album. This compilation release contains material from two previous EP releases called, “Pacified” and “Conjuring,” offering listeners elven tracks of unspeakable sounding blasphemy.

    I am glad to see 6th Circle working with Sentient Ruin Laboratories for the release of this compilation, because if you want a label to help promote your extreme vision, Sentient Ruin is the label that knows how to get the word out. The entire release is extremely impressive if you are a fan of dark sounding electronic music that also draws influence from classic industrial acts, while moving in an even more fearsome direction. The hypnotic synth arrangements mixed with ghastly vocals makes you feel as though you are listening to a mind altering horror movie soundtrack. I mean, this artist is able to cleverly conjure together some malevolent sounding arrangements that convey an unholy theme of pure dark electronic energy.

    The first half of the album really draws you into this heart pounding industrial world of overwhelming malevolency and the opening track, “Era of the Pig,” instantly builds up this chaotic distorted dystopian environment. There is an addictive driving rhythm that hooks you instantly and then develops into a shockwave of distorted hellish sounding entropy. The song, “Burn, Walk Away,” is another mesmerizing track that pulls you through an endless dark dimension of electronic walls of unimaginable sounding evil. I felt like the audio clips helped to strengthen the already haunting atmosphere and injected even more vile aggression into the song’s overall theme.

    I thought the second half of the album sounded even more profound than the first half, and if you are into demonic and occult readings you will notice that the names of the songs are taken from actual demons. Tracks like “Agreas,” “Asmodeus,” “Paimon,” “Zepar” and “Balaam,” are all named after different demons and all sound unique in their own nightmarish way. When listening to these songs I felt that the music took on an even darker and more vicious tone, especially on the song, “Paimon,” which I would consider my favorite song off of the album.

    I will be honest and say that historically I have not been a massive fan of electronic music in the past, however, as of recent I have come to respect the genre more and I do believe that the ability to compose music without lyrics can be extremely challenging. An artist must really focus on constructing a truly compelling atmosphere, otherwise listeners become disinterested if the music all sounds the same and has no imagination. 6th Circle’s music definitely caught my interest and the creativity that drives this one-man project is not to be overlooked. Right now if you want some music to fuel your dark and diabolic inner musical preferences, then this is the album that I recommend.



Check out the song/video for "Asmodeus" below:

6th Circle Facebook Page:
https://www.facebook.com/6thcircle666/

Sentient Ruin Facebook Page:
https://www.facebook.com/SentientRuin/

Old Tower "The Last Eidolon"

      Over the last few years Old Tower has taken listeners on a spectral journey into a dark dominion of dungeon synth music and the most recent album, "The Last Eidolon," is yet another example of this artist's ever growing phantasmal vision. The artist behind Old Tower known only as, The Specter, is quite possibly one of the most creative minds in the genre as of late, and one who works under a mysterious shadow of secrecy.

    Working with Profound Lore Records, Old Tower is once again allowed to conjure up a monumental release full of ambient and atmospheric grandeur. The Specter truly makes you feel as though you are wandering through a forgotten kingdom where unfathomable mysteries are lurking around every corner. I cannot think of many artists currently who have this ability to write such profound compositions that do not need lyrics to narrate, but instead lets the album’s ambience guide you throughout this haunting musical landscape.

    The album’s first track, “Loremaster,” introduces us to the isolated kingdom by slowly lulling listeners into a trance like state with a calming melody. Eventually, the gates open and you travel through these halls of blaring synthesizers, becoming lost in a medieval maze of cursed ruins. The second song, “Shadow Over Thy Kingdom,” is another long haunting atmospheric experience that I find to be extremely compelling in its overall presentation. As the music evolves you become immersed in this ghastly sounding world driven by sinister synth arrangements. I think the Specter’s talents really took me by surprise on, “Shadow Over Thy Kingdom,” and I find the recording to be one of Old Tower’s most exceptional tracks to date.

    The final song on the album, “The Fallen One,” concludes the long and eerie sounding journey by leading listener’s through more dynamic ambient pathways. In the distance the pounding of drums can be heard over the whirling synths that blanket the landscape and through the darkness you feel as though you are gazing atop a tower over the kingdom’s grim remnants. I liked how the composition flowed and towards the end of the piece the synths built up this epic climax that eventually concluded with a mighty bombastic crash like the ending to an epic odyssey.

    Old Tower’s, “The Last Eidolon,” proves to be another exceptional offering from the Specter, thus adding to an already strong discography. I find there is little to complain about after listening to this album, attributing the Specter’s enigmatic and sharp musical mind to why this album is such an impressive accomplishment. Highly recommended for fans of ambient music and dungeon synth, especially considering the need for an escape with everything going on in the world.



Stream the entire album below:

Link to where you can buy/order the album:

https://oldtower.bandcamp.com/album/the-last-eidolon