Category: Reviews
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Tyler Bates – Deadpool 2 score (12″ picture disc)
Before even considering the music pressed into the twelve-inch score released in support of Deadpool 2, one has to respect the flamboyant nature of this album. First, in a time period marked by the decline of interest in soundtrack and score album releases (due in no small part to the fact that the cherry picking…
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Black Tusk – TCBT
A bit of a new look for Black Tusk on this one, as this Georgia trio puts out its first new record since replacing the late Johnathan Athon with ex-Kylesa bassist Corey Barhorst. But while the lead singer might have changed, the song largely remains the same—despite some slight variations, their brand of thrashy, sludgy…
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Astral Witch – self-titled
I first saw this Hamilton outfit when they were a guitar/drums duo; Astral Witch have since added a bassist/occasional lead vocalist to the mix, giving their sound some added dynamics on their self-titled debut. Astral Witch begins with a doomy bass line on “Rune” before the rest of the band comes grooving up slowly, adding…
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Primitive Man/Unearthly Trance split
With both of these Relapse sludgy doomsters known for their droning, drawn-out numbers, I’m surprised this split between Primitive Man and Unearthly Trance is under 45 minutes. Each band gets three songs, with the opening track “Merging” serving as a mysterious one-minute collaboration between them both. Actually scratch that, Primitive Man’s A Side only has…
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Sleep – The Sciences
With the length of time that has elapsed since Sleep released Jerusalem, it would be logical to think that with the passage of time, Sleep’s ability to forge earth-crushing riffs might have diminished. But no, The Sciences can stand beside Holy Mountain and the aforementioned Jerusalem. It is, in the best possible way, exactly what you’d…
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Slim Dunlap – The New Old Me / Times Like This (2LP reissue)
Of course, after the collapse, crash and burn of The Replacements in 1991, it was almost instantly hoped that somebody in the band would begin producing more music but nobody looked at Slim Dunlap to be the first one out of the gate. Dunlap was, after all, the replacement guitarist in The Replacements – that…
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Various Artists – Contract In Blood: A History of UK Thrash Metal boxset
This is a superb collection of music to provide the soundtrack to Ian Glasper’s fine book of the same name which I feel is one of the best music books ever written – Contract In Blood: A History of UK Thrash Metal. This is a most comprehensive selection of music with no less than 83…
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Integrity & Krieg Split
Integrity and Krieg join up for a brutal, crushing split following the release of Integrity’s critically acclaimed 2017 album, Howling, For the Nightmare Shall Consume. The split, running 23 minutes in length, serves to provide an even balance of metalcore and black metal. The Integrity half is definitely hardcore and is more of what we…
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Witch Mountain – Witch Mountain
The three previous albums from Witch Mountain – Cauldron of the Wild, South of Salem, Mobile of Angels – are truly superb. This is the first Witch Mountain album with Kayla Dixon on vocals. She has an incredible voice, powerful, heartfelt. The songs are excellent. This is timeless music, made for all the right reasons. Billy Anderson…
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Horehound – Holocene
Pittsburgh has been a pretty solid, low-key player on the doom scene ever since Dream Death first coined the term “sludge metal” by blending doom and thrash in the 80’s. Continuing the tradition of bands like Penance, Argus and Brimstone Coven, Horehound is currently shopping its second album, Holoscene, to like-minded labels. This six-track, 44-minute…