Gorleben/Menetekel/Darkness Shall Rise/2025 Full Length Review

 

  Gorleben  are  a  band  from  Germany  that  plays  an  atmospheric  mixture  of  black,  doom  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2025  album  "Menetekel"  which  will  be  released  in  October  by  Darkness  Shall  Rise.

  Clean  playing  starts  off  the  album  along with  keyboards  and  synths  which  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs  at  times.  All  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  while  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  lot  of  melody  and  elements  of  doom  metal  are  also  added  into  the  slower  sections  of  the  recording.

  At  times  the  music  also  gets  very  atmospheric  sounding  while  the  vocals  are  a  mixture  of  death  metal  growls  and  black  metal  screams.  Angry  shouts  can  also  be  heard  at  times  along  with  some  clear  singing  also  being  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  album,  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard.

  One  song  also  introducing  psychedelic  sounds  onto  the  album  along  with  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  tremolo  picking  is  also  added  into  some  of  the  faster  riffing.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  German  and  cover  apocalyptic  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Gorleben  are  a  very  great  sounding  atmospheric  mixture  of  black,  doom  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Countdown"  and  "Menetekel".  8  out  of  10.

  www.facebook.com/GorlebenUran236

Kingdom/Primeval Cult Of Strength In The Womb Of Suffer/Osmose Productions/2025 FUll Length Review

 

  Poland's  Kingdom  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  shows  the  music  going  for  a  blackened  form  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2025  album  "Primeval  Cult  Of  Strength  In  The  Womb  of  Suffer"  which  will  be  released  in  September  by  Osmose  Productions.

  A  very  dark  sound  starts  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  while  melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing.  All  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  adding  in  some    tremolo  picking  and  brutal  blast  beats.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  the  solos  and  leads  also  bring  in  a  more  chaotic  yet  melodic  style.  Vocals  are  a  mixture  of  black  metal  screams  and  death  metal  growls  along  with  one  track  also  being  an  acoustic  instrumental.  Spoken  words  can  also  be  heard  briefly  and  the  album  also  closes  with  a  cover  of  Deicide's  "Lunatic  of  God's  Creation".  

  On  this  recording  Kingdom  brings  out  a  very  fast,  brutal  and  aggressive  style  of  blackened  death  metal.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Satanism,  Anti  Christianity,  Blasphemy,  Darkness  and  Death  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Kingdom  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  blackened  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Behold  Thy  Light  Dying"  "Her  last  Stand"  "Womb  Of  Suffer"  and  "Blood  God".  8  out  of  10.

  https://bfan.link/KINGDOM-primeval-cult-of-strength-in-the-womb-of-suffer

No Shelter/Remission/Resolve/The Charming Man Records/2025 Full Length Review

 

  No  Shelter  are  a  band  from  Germany  that  plays  a  mixture  of  blackened  death  metal  and  hardcore  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2025  album  "Remission/Resolve"  which  was  released  by  The  Charming  Man  Records.

  A  very  distorted  sounding  intro  starts  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  while  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  recording.  Melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  along  with  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  lot  of  brutal  blast  beats.

  Vocals  are  done  in  more  of  a  hardcore  style  while  the  music  also  adds  in  a  lot  of  black  and  death  metal  elements.  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  food  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  the  album  also  adding  in  a  lot  of  Swedish  influences,  growls  can  also  be  heard  at  times  as  well  as  one  song  also  bringing  in  a  brief  use  of  spoken  words.  

  

When  guitar  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  along  with  a  couple  of  songs  being  instrumentals  and  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  clean  playing,  some  of  the  fast  riffing  also  adds  in  a  small  amount  of  tremolo  picking,  touches  of  crust  and  d  beat  can  also  be  heard  at  times  and  the  closing  track  is  a  cover  of  Entombed's  "Wolverine  Blues".  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  violent  and  angry  themes.

  In  my  opinion  No  Shelter  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  blackened  death  metal  and  hardcore  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Rotten"  "Doomed"  "Ultimate  Disgust"  and  "Soaked  In  Fear".  8  out  of  10.

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=shared&v=c3lq--qZtX0    

Sadistic Goatmessiah/Violence/Dying Victims Productions/2025 Full Length Review

 

  Sadistic  Goatmessiah  are  a  band  from  Germany  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black,  thrash,  speed  metal  and  punk  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2025  album  "Violence"  which  will  be  released  in  September b y  Dying  Victims  Productions.

  Clean  playing  starts  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  while  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody.  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can be  heard  while  the  vocals  bring  in  more  of  first  wave  black  metal  style  and  the  music  also  mixes  in  elements  of  speed  and  thrash  metal.

  Most  of  the  music  is  very  heavily  rooted  in t he  80's  era  while  the  songs  also  capture  the  raw  energy  of  punk  rock  at  times.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilzied  they  also  bring  in  more  of  an  old  school  metal  style  along  with  one  song  also  adding  in  a  brief  use  of  ritualistic  chants  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  as  well  as  a  later  track  also  adding  in  some  spoken  words.  

  Sadistic  Goatmessiah  plays  a  musical  style  that  goes  back  to  the  80's  era  of  black,  thrash  and  speed  metal  and  mixes  them  with  a  touch  of  punk  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  old  school  while  the  lyrics  cover  Occultism,  Evil,  Darkness  and  Death  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Sadistic  Goatmessiah  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black,  thrash,  speed  metal  and  punk  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  7th  Circle  Of  Hell"  "Messiah  Of  Death  And  Doom"  "Curse  of  Eternal  Winter"  and  "Darkness  And  Evil".  8  out  of  10.

  https://youtu.be/ptktDiMdNAY?si=4gHihRnTWLm6aJlF

https://dyingvictimsproductions.bandcamp.com/album/violence

  

Gam Interview

 

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?

- We are a blackened death metal band formed in Sweden in 2011.

2.Recently you have released a new ep, musically how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?

- Our style has evolved throughout the years. We started with an old school death metal sound and began to infuse more black metal as we progressed all the while keeping the raw brutality of death metal.

3.This is also your first release since 2019, can you tell us a little bit more about the long wait in between releases?

- Since the release of “Crowned and Reborn” in 2019 we have lived in different countries and have not been able to focus much on the music. Thankfully this has changed recently.

4.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the newer music?

- Occultism, genocide, idolatry, chaos, liberation and death.

5.Originally the band was known as 'Vulture', what was the cause of the name change and also the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Gam'?

- Back when we started in 2011 there were, to our knowledge, no band in the genre named Vulture, a few years later a handful of bands with the name appeared and we decided to change our name to Gam which is Swedish for vulture.

6.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the new ep cover?

- Since the lyrics are touching upon the Cult of Iron Gauntlet we decided to centre the artwork around an Iron Gauntlet depicting carvings of mediaeval torture methods. The artist Sergei Zolotov at Soul-Paralyzed Art made a great rendering of our idea.

7.Has the band done any live shows or are open to the idea?

- Not as of yet, we are open to the idea and it will happen somewhere down the line.

8.Currently the band is unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest?

- We had a deal with a German label for our previous release which unfortunately fell through the cracks due to the Covid crisis.  We are open to any means helping us to distribute our music.

9.On a worldwide level, how has the reaction been to your music by fans of black and death metal?

- Our focus has been primarily on making music and as none of the members can’t be fucked promoting or marketing, our music is truly underground. The reactions we have received about our rather unique sound has been positive.

10.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?

- We are currently working on new material, exploring the darker elements of black metal without ever shunning away from the brutality.

11.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

- Our band members differ in music taste and style yet unites in their appreciation for the extreme music. Some of the bands that made an impression on all of us are: Deicide, Immortal, Dissection and Belphegor for example. Most of the metal bands we listen to are from the 90's and early 2000 era.

12.How would you describe your view on Occultism?

- A lifelong fascination for the ancient rituals, dark arts and mysticism without being an active practitioner. “Everything we call real is made of things that cannot be regarded as real” - Niels Bohr.

13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?

- Hope you enjoy Iron Gauntlet coming out on all major platforms August first. Thank you for having us and appreciate your review!

https://www.facebook.com/GAMSWEDEN/

Defacement/Doomed/Unorthodox Emanations/2025 Full Length Review

 

  International  band  Defacement  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  shows  the  music  going  for  a  dissonant  form  of  blackened  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2025  album  "Doomed"  which  will  be  released  on  Unorthodox  Emanations.

  A  very  apocalyptic  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  a  brief  use  of  synths  before  going  into  more  of  a  brutal  and  heavier  direction.  Blast  beats  are  added  into  the  faster  sections  of t he  songs  while  the  vocals  bring  in  a  mixture  of  guttural  death  metal  growls  and  black  metal  screams  and  the  music  also  gets  very  dissonant  sounding  at  times.

  Elements  of  doom  metal  are  also  added  into  the  slower  sections  of  the  music  while  the  album  also  has  its  atmospheric  moments.  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  the  riffing  also  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  melody  at  times

   A  couple  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  along  with  some  clean  playing  also  being  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  album  as  well  as  some  songs  also  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  ambient  and  noise  touches,  when  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  identity  erosion,  spiritual  distortion  and  existential  collapse.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Defacement  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  dissonant  and  blackened  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Portrait"  "Worthless"  and  "Absent".  8  out  of  10.

  https://avantgardemusic.bandcamp.com/album/doomed

https://www.facebook.com/officialdefacement

https://www.instagram.com/defacement_band

https://defacementofficial.bandcamp.com  

  

lowheaven Interview

 

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?

lowheaven is a pandemic band. We started after the demise of previous bands, and the chaos that ensued during the lockdown phase of covid. The songs we created were directly impacted by the faltering of life.

2.You have a new album coming out in August, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical style that you went for on the recording?

We never set out to create or be a specific style of band, but the intense chaos of life during the writing phase is evident. We started to realize that we were writing the soundtrack to our individual forms of hell. I think when that mindset really took hold is when lowheaven started to grasp what we really were going to sound like, and we continued to double down every chance we got.

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band has explored so far with the music?

The lyrical content is bleak, to say the least. As mentioned, the utter chaos of the pandemic, along with the full fledged meltdown of my (Dan's) life is completely on display. There's no hiding from that fact. I think it would have been tough to write about anything else, considering the significant lack of distraction that was provided by the lockdowns.

4.You have also mentioned an interest in the works of David Cronenberg,  Julia  Docourna and Horror Films, what influence does this have on the musical style that you play?

I think this played into the actual recording of the record more than the writing. I think we were continuously in the mindset of "how do we make this sound darker, more uncomfortable" and having that kind of imagery on display for us, most waking moments, it was definitely going to infiltrate the process. It's definitely a weird but necessary part to creating darkness, for us at least. 

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'ilowheaven'?

The only real clue I'll give you is that it slightly involves Jack Kerouac.

6.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the new album cover?

The artwork for the whole layout of Ritual Decay was created by Joel Villegas, someone we had been a fan of for a couple of years prior. We actually met while on tour with Holy Fawn. I inserted myself rather aggressively into a conversation that was happening, so I could share my joy and interest in his work. Since that point, we've been trying to find a way to work together on something, and this was the ideal project. He absolutely conquered this layout in a way I couldn't have even imagined when we first began speaking about it. There's something really special about Joel.

7.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?

We take a lot of pride in our live show. We all grew up in a southern Ontario scene where the performance was of priority, and that's never left our bones. We've been lucky enough to play a plethora of incredible shows, I don't know that I could pick just one. Always just excited for the next show.

8.Do you have any touring or show plans once the new album is released?

There is some touring throughout the rest of the year, and it looks like 2026 is going to be quite busy. We're all extremely excited to get out there and play these songs live. It's been years of sitting on this stuff, so we're ready.

9.The album is going to be released on 'MNRK Heavy', how did you get in contact with this label?

The Cole's note is that our record was just put in the right hands by a friend of the band. It was quite the process, but we definitely feel like we ended up in the right spot. Sometimes things just work out, however rare that can be. And you just have to enjoy it.

10.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of hardcore and post metal?

I think it's a bit harder for us to tell, as we are the type of people who just keep our heads down and keep working. That being said, seeing our name on the likes of Kerrang or New Noise has been pretty wild. Again, just trying to enjoy the moment.

11.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?

This is something we are always conscious of, with really anything we do. I think we have really established who we are, and now it's time to extend out what that sound is, make the prettier prettier, make the heavier heavier. But at this point, it's all about getting Ritual Decay into every ear possible.

12.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also e=what are you listening to nowadays?

There are so many bands we all love, coming from so many different places, it would be hard to just choose a few.

13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?

Ritual Decay is out Aug 29th on MNRK heavy! You can order the physical representation now!

https://www.instagram.com/lowheavenband

https://x.com/lowheavenband

https://www.facebook.com/lowheavenband

https://www.youtube.com/@lowheavenband/videos