#mercyfulfate — Public Fediverse posts

ALFAMORPH PRESENTA «PHANTOM TRIUMPHANT SOUL»: UNA CUMBRE DE METAL CHILENO JUNTO A GABRIEL HIDALGO Y SERGIO DOMÍNGUEZ | vía #SonidosOcultos

https://www.sonidosocultos.com/noticia/alfamorph-presenta-phantom-triumphant-soul-una-cumbre-de-metal-chileno-junto-a-gabriel-hidalgo-y-sergio-dominguez/

#alfamorph #caterinanixchaosmagic #chilemetal #dorsoydarkemist #franmuñoz #gabrielhidalgocriminal #husar #ivangianninivisiondivine #matíasleonicionuclear #mercyfulfate #metalchileno #sergiodominguezsixmagics #snowyshawkingdiamond #therion #timotolkkisavalon

ALFAMORPH PRESENTA «PHANTOM TRIUMPHANT SOUL»: UNA CUMBRE DE METAL CHILENO JUNTO A GABRIEL HIDALGO Y SERGIO DOMÍNGUEZ | vía #SonidosOcultos

https://www.sonidosocultos.com/noticia/alfamorph-presenta-phantom-triumphant-soul-una-cumbre-de-metal-chileno-junto-a-gabriel-hidalgo-y-sergio-dominguez/

#alfamorph #caterinanixchaosmagic #chilemetal #dorsoydarkemist #franmuñoz #gabrielhidalgocriminal #husar #ivangianninivisiondivine #matíasleonicionuclear #mercyfulfate #metalchileno #sergiodominguezsixmagics #snowyshawkingdiamond #therion #timotolkkisavalon

Aggressive Perfector – Come Creeping Fiends Review

In 2019, English retro metal maniacs Aggressive Perfector came out of nowhere to blindside me with a nasty…
#NewsBeep #News #US #USA #UnitedStates #UnitedStatesOfAmerica #Music #2026 #3.5 #AggressivePerfector #ComeCreepingFiends #deceased #Desaster #DyingVictimsProductions #Entertainment #HavocattheMidnightHour #HeavyMetal #Mar26 #MercyfulFate #Motörhead #review #reviews #UKMetal #Venom
https://www.newsbeep.com/us/547241/

Aggressive Perfector – Come Creeping Fiends Review

In 2019, English retro metal maniacs Aggressive Perfector came out of nowhere to blindside me with a nasty…
#NewsBeep #News #US #USA #UnitedStates #UnitedStatesOfAmerica #Music #2026 #3.5 #AggressivePerfector #ComeCreepingFiends #deceased #Desaster #DyingVictimsProductions #Entertainment #HavocattheMidnightHour #HeavyMetal #Mar26 #MercyfulFate #Motörhead #review #reviews #UKMetal #Venom
https://www.newsbeep.com/us/547241/

https://www.europesays.com/uk/852402/ Aggressive Perfector – Come Creeping Fiends Review #2026 #35 #AggressivePerfector #ComeCreepingFiends #deceased #Desaster #DyingVictimsProductions #Entertainment #HavocAtTheMidnightHour #HeavyMetal #Mar26 #MercyfulFate #Motörhead #music #Review #Reviews #UK #UKMetal #UnitedKingdom #venom

In 2019, English retro metal maniacs Aggressive Perfector came out of nowhere to blindside me with a nasty mash-up of classic 80s metal, speed, and quasi-blackened evil called Havoc at the Midnight Hour. It was an endearing nostalgia ride through the early days of extreme metal, stealing body parts from Venom, Mercyful Fate, and beef-brained thrashers like Rigor Mortis and Nasty Savage. It was rough around every single edge, but it packed the same kind of past-obsessed punch as Deceased and made me love it. It took these sonic miscreants some time to get back in the marketplace with new material, but Come Creeping Fiends promises to have everything from the debut turned up to 12.5 and then some. And in this, they aren’t fibbing. This is another slab of over-the-top excess in the name of unholy overkill, and it sounds like a bunch of local bar bands covering Venom’s early material after too many shots of Jägermeister. That’s a good thing, right? RIGHT??

If you like your metal loud, unhinged, but oddly melodic and catchy, you came to the right Satanic mass. Opener “Dead Undead” is a wild and woolly smush of Venom and early Mercyful Fate with some Desaster crammed in to see if the mixture explodes. It does. This thing is hairier than Yours Steely with a full midvinter pelt, and just as fragrant. It’s not far from the usual Deceased output, and frontman Dan Chainsaw (formerly Dan Holocausto) sounds a whole lot like the legendary King Fowley as he roars, rages, and retches against the dying of the light (and the closure of the All-You-Can-Eat $8 buffet at King Egg Dynasty Kitchen). His vocal excess is excessive, and it’s laid on top of a weird collection of traditional, thrash, and NWoBHM guitar segments without much thought given to how well it fits or doesn’t. You go from a Sodom or Desaster riff one minute to something from Motörhead’s Another Perfect Day era, and though this hodge-podge recipe seems ill-advised, it works, and the song is stupid, brainless fun. “Strange Companion” sounds like a lost hit from Deceased, and I loved it the moment it assaulted my ear sockets. It’s bombastic but melodic and memorable, though you should never try to sing along with it in public, ever. “Fiend in You” keeps the strange times rolling with a number that’s hooky and hard rocking but extremely confrontational vocally. It reminds me of the days I worked for my older brother doing construction during summers in High School, and basically just got screamed at for 10 hours a day. I like it anyway, though!

“Obscene Cult” robs Candlemass blind of the riff from “Bewitched” and repurposes it for much nastier deeds done way cheaper than dirt. You won’t be able to unhear “Bewitched,” so it sounds like some absolute nutter is screaming over the song about Satanic masses and corpse defilement. “Harlot’s Curse” is the most ambitious track in that it dumps the most 80s influences into the smoothie machine, hoping for a new taste sensation. You’ll hear about 20 bands you know by heart in the riffing and song structure, but somehow it all coagulates into a functional song of its own. Penultimate cut “Return of the Axe” deserves special praise as the most frenzied and unstable track, thrashing and bashing for all its worth. It’s a silly but captivating piece of caveman metal, and I can’t help but want to adopt and raise it as my offspring. At a tight, no-blubber-allowed 30 minutes, Come Creeping Fiends rip rides over you like a nitro-fueled earthmover. You will be flattened, and you will enjoy it.

Aggressive Perfector make a lunatic racket, and the best parts come from the guitarwork by Dan Chainsaw and drummer/guitarist/keyboardist, Intimidator. These goons are like a living codex of 80s metal riffs and harmonies, and they regurgitate the olden sounds in strange new patterns to craft wildly entertaining tunes. The thrash leads are nice, but it’s the classic metal lines that really shake my lizard brain. Every track has at least one riff that activates my inner teenage idiot, and I appreciate that. Vocally, Dan Chainsaw goes all in, getting himself committed to the nervous hospital with his insane screams, rasps, roars, and unusual attempts at “singing.” Medically speaking, the dude has some screws loose in his tonsils, but wow, is it fun to hear him come unglued.

Come Creeping Fiends takes the chassis of the debut and welds spikes, spears, and buzzsaw blades all over it. It will harm all who listen, but in productive, character-building ways. If you have non-metal-loving friends, trap them in an enclosed space and force this on them loudly as you watch their panic and terror. This is what is best in life! Let these creeping fiends in and see how it goes.



Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 5 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Dying Victims
Websites: aggressiveperfector.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/aggressiveperfectorband | instagram.com/aggressiveperfector
Releases Worldwide: March 27th, 2026

In 2019, English retro metal maniacs Aggressive Perfector came out of nowhere to blindside me with a nasty mash-up of classic 80s metal, speed, and quasi-blackened evil called Havoc at the Midnight Hour. It was an endearing nostalgia ride through the early days of extreme metal, stealing body parts from Venom, Mercyful Fate, and beef-brained thrashers like Rigor Mortis and Nasty Savage. It was rough around every single edge, but it packed the same kind of past-obsessed punch as Deceased and made me love it. It took these sonic miscreants some time to get back in the marketplace with new material, but Come Creeping Fiends promises to have everything from the debut turned up to 12.5 and then some. And in this, they aren’t fibbing. This is another slab of over-the-top excess in the name of unholy overkill, and it sounds like a bunch of local bar bands covering Venom’s early material after too many shots of Jägermeister. That’s a good thing, right? RIGHT??

If you like your metal loud, unhinged, but oddly melodic and catchy, you came to the right Satanic mass. Opener “Dead Undead” is a wild and woolly smush of Venom and early Mercyful Fate with some Desaster crammed in to see if the mixture explodes. It does. This thing is hairier than Yours Steely with a full midvinter pelt, and just as fragrant. It’s not far from the usual Deceased output, and frontman Dan Chainsaw (formerly Dan Holocausto) sounds a whole lot like the legendary King Fowley as he roars, rages, and retches against the dying of the light (and the closure of the All-You-Can-Eat $8 buffet at King Egg Dynasty Kitchen). His vocal excess is excessive, and it’s laid on top of a weird collection of traditional, thrash, and NWoBHM guitar segments without much thought given to how well it fits or doesn’t. You go from a Sodom or Desaster riff one minute to something from Motörhead’s Another Perfect Day era, and though this hodge-podge recipe seems ill-advised, it works, and the song is stupid, brainless fun. “Strange Companion” sounds like a lost hit from Deceased, and I loved it the moment it assaulted my ear sockets. It’s bombastic but melodic and memorable, though you should never try to sing along with it in public, ever. “Fiend in You” keeps the strange times rolling with a number that’s hooky and hard rocking but extremely confrontational vocally. It reminds me of the days I worked for my older brother doing construction during summers in High School, and basically just got screamed at for 10 hours a day. I like it anyway, though!

“Obscene Cult” robs Candlemass blind of the riff from “Bewitched” and repurposes it for much nastier deeds done way cheaper than dirt. You won’t be able to unhear “Bewitched,” so it sounds like some absolute nutter is screaming over the song about Satanic masses and corpse defilement. “Harlot’s Curse” is the most ambitious track in that it dumps the most 80s influences into the smoothie machine, hoping for a new taste sensation. You’ll hear about 20 bands you know by heart in the riffing and song structure, but somehow it all coagulates into a functional song of its own. Penultimate cut “Return of the Axe” deserves special praise as the most frenzied and unstable track, thrashing and bashing for all its worth. It’s a silly but captivating piece of caveman metal, and I can’t help but want to adopt and raise it as my offspring. At a tight, no-blubber-allowed 30 minutes, Come Creeping Fiends rip rides over you like a nitro-fueled earthmover. You will be flattened, and you will enjoy it.

Aggressive Perfector make a lunatic racket, and the best parts come from the guitarwork by Dan Chainsaw and drummer/guitarist/keyboardist, Intimidator. These goons are like a living codex of 80s metal riffs and harmonies, and they regurgitate the olden sounds in strange new patterns to craft wildly entertaining tunes. The thrash leads are nice, but it’s the classic metal lines that really shake my lizard brain. Every track has at least one riff that activates my inner teenage idiot, and I appreciate that. Vocally, Dan Chainsaw goes all in, getting himself committed to the nervous hospital with his insane screams, rasps, roars, and unusual attempts at “singing.” Medically speaking, the dude has some screws loose in his tonsils, but wow, is it fun to hear him come unglued.

Come Creeping Fiends takes the chassis of the debut and welds spikes, spears, and buzzsaw blades all over it. It will harm all who listen, but in productive, character-building ways. If you have non-metal-loving friends, trap them in an enclosed space and force this on them loudly as you watch their panic and terror. This is what is best in life! Let these creeping fiends in and see how it goes.



Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 5 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Dying Victims
Websites: aggressiveperfector.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/aggressiveperfectorband | instagram.com/aggressiveperfector
Releases Worldwide: March 27th, 2026

In 2019, English retro metal maniacs Aggressive Perfector came out of nowhere to blindside me with a nasty mash-up of classic 80s metal, speed, and quasi-blackened evil called Havoc at the Midnight Hour. It was an endearing nostalgia ride through the early days of extreme metal, stealing body parts from Venom, Mercyful Fate, and beef-brained thrashers like Rigor Mortis and Nasty Savage. It was rough around every single edge, but it packed the same kind of past-obsessed punch as Deceased and made me love it. It took these sonic miscreants some time to get back in the marketplace with new material, but Come Creeping Fiends promises to have everything from the debut turned up to 12.5 and then some. And in this, they aren’t fibbing. This is another slab of over-the-top excess in the name of unholy overkill, and it sounds like a bunch of local bar bands covering Venom’s early material after too many shots of Jägermeister. That’s a good thing, right? RIGHT??

If you like your metal loud, unhinged, but oddly melodic and catchy, you came to the right Satanic mass. Opener “Dead Undead” is a wild and woolly smush of Venom and early Mercyful Fate with some Desaster crammed in to see if the mixture explodes. It does. This thing is hairier than Yours Steely with a full midvinter pelt, and just as fragrant. It’s not far from the usual Deceased output, and frontman Dan Chainsaw (formerly Dan Holocausto) sounds a whole lot like the legendary King Fowley as he roars, rages, and retches against the dying of the light (and the closure of the All-You-Can-Eat $8 buffet at King Egg Dynasty Kitchen). His vocal excess is excessive, and it’s laid on top of a weird collection of traditional, thrash, and NWoBHM guitar segments without much thought given to how well it fits or doesn’t. You go from a Sodom or Desaster riff one minute to something from Motörhead’s Another Perfect Day era, and though this hodge-podge recipe seems ill-advised, it works, and the song is stupid, brainless fun. “Strange Companion” sounds like a lost hit from Deceased, and I loved it the moment it assaulted my ear sockets. It’s bombastic but melodic and memorable, though you should never try to sing along with it in public, ever. “Fiend in You” keeps the strange times rolling with a number that’s hooky and hard rocking but extremely confrontational vocally. It reminds me of the days I worked for my older brother doing construction during summers in High School, and basically just got screamed at for 10 hours a day. I like it anyway, though!

“Obscene Cult” robs Candlemass blind of the riff from “Bewitched” and repurposes it for much nastier deeds done way cheaper than dirt. You won’t be able to unhear “Bewitched,” so it sounds like some absolute nutter is screaming over the song about Satanic masses and corpse defilement. “Harlot’s Curse” is the most ambitious track in that it dumps the most 80s influences into the smoothie machine, hoping for a new taste sensation. You’ll hear about 20 bands you know by heart in the riffing and song structure, but somehow it all coagulates into a functional song of its own. Penultimate cut “Return of the Axe” deserves special praise as the most frenzied and unstable track, thrashing and bashing for all its worth. It’s a silly but captivating piece of caveman metal, and I can’t help but want to adopt and raise it as my offspring. At a tight, no-blubber-allowed 30 minutes, Come Creeping Fiends rip rides over you like a nitro-fueled earthmover. You will be flattened, and you will enjoy it.

Aggressive Perfector make a lunatic racket, and the best parts come from the guitarwork by Dan Chainsaw and drummer/guitarist/keyboardist, Intimidator. These goons are like a living codex of 80s metal riffs and harmonies, and they regurgitate the olden sounds in strange new patterns to craft wildly entertaining tunes. The thrash leads are nice, but it’s the classic metal lines that really shake my lizard brain. Every track has at least one riff that activates my inner teenage idiot, and I appreciate that. Vocally, Dan Chainsaw goes all in, getting himself committed to the nervous hospital with his insane screams, rasps, roars, and unusual attempts at “singing.” Medically speaking, the dude has some screws loose in his tonsils, but wow, is it fun to hear him come unglued.

Come Creeping Fiends takes the chassis of the debut and welds spikes, spears, and buzzsaw blades all over it. It will harm all who listen, but in productive, character-building ways. If you have non-metal-loving friends, trap them in an enclosed space and force this on them loudly as you watch their panic and terror. This is what is best in life! Let these creeping fiends in and see how it goes.



Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 5 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Dying Victims
Websites: aggressiveperfector.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/aggressiveperfectorband | instagram.com/aggressiveperfector
Releases Worldwide: March 27th, 2026

In 2019, English retro metal maniacs Aggressive Perfector came out of nowhere to blindside me with a nasty mash-up of classic 80s metal, speed, and quasi-blackened evil called Havoc at the Midnight Hour. It was an endearing nostalgia ride through the early days of extreme metal, stealing body parts from Venom, Mercyful Fate, and beef-brained thrashers like Rigor Mortis and Nasty Savage. It was rough around every single edge, but it packed the same kind of past-obsessed punch as Deceased and made me love it. It took these sonic miscreants some time to get back in the marketplace with new material, but Come Creeping Fiends promises to have everything from the debut turned up to 12.5 and then some. And in this, they aren’t fibbing. This is another slab of over-the-top excess in the name of unholy overkill, and it sounds like a bunch of local bar bands covering Venom’s early material after too many shots of Jägermeister. That’s a good thing, right? RIGHT??

If you like your metal loud, unhinged, but oddly melodic and catchy, you came to the right Satanic mass. Opener “Dead Undead” is a wild and woolly smush of Venom and early Mercyful Fate with some Desaster crammed in to see if the mixture explodes. It does. This thing is hairier than Yours Steely with a full midvinter pelt, and just as fragrant. It’s not far from the usual Deceased output, and frontman Dan Chainsaw (formerly Dan Holocausto) sounds a whole lot like the legendary King Fowley as he roars, rages, and retches against the dying of the light (and the closure of the All-You-Can-Eat $8 buffet at King Egg Dynasty Kitchen). His vocal excess is excessive, and it’s laid on top of a weird collection of traditional, thrash, and NWoBHM guitar segments without much thought given to how well it fits or doesn’t. You go from a Sodom or Desaster riff one minute to something from Motörhead’s Another Perfect Day era, and though this hodge-podge recipe seems ill-advised, it works, and the song is stupid, brainless fun. “Strange Companion” sounds like a lost hit from Deceased, and I loved it the moment it assaulted my ear sockets. It’s bombastic but melodic and memorable, though you should never try to sing along with it in public, ever. “Fiend in You” keeps the strange times rolling with a number that’s hooky and hard rocking but extremely confrontational vocally. It reminds me of the days I worked for my older brother doing construction during summers in High School, and basically just got screamed at for 10 hours a day. I like it anyway, though!

“Obscene Cult” robs Candlemass blind of the riff from “Bewitched” and repurposes it for much nastier deeds done way cheaper than dirt. You won’t be able to unhear “Bewitched,” so it sounds like some absolute nutter is screaming over the song about Satanic masses and corpse defilement. “Harlot’s Curse” is the most ambitious track in that it dumps the most 80s influences into the smoothie machine, hoping for a new taste sensation. You’ll hear about 20 bands you know by heart in the riffing and song structure, but somehow it all coagulates into a functional song of its own. Penultimate cut “Return of the Axe” deserves special praise as the most frenzied and unstable track, thrashing and bashing for all its worth. It’s a silly but captivating piece of caveman metal, and I can’t help but want to adopt and raise it as my offspring. At a tight, no-blubber-allowed 30 minutes, Come Creeping Fiends rip rides over you like a nitro-fueled earthmover. You will be flattened, and you will enjoy it.

Aggressive Perfector make a lunatic racket, and the best parts come from the guitarwork by Dan Chainsaw and drummer/guitarist/keyboardist, Intimidator. These goons are like a living codex of 80s metal riffs and harmonies, and they regurgitate the olden sounds in strange new patterns to craft wildly entertaining tunes. The thrash leads are nice, but it’s the classic metal lines that really shake my lizard brain. Every track has at least one riff that activates my inner teenage idiot, and I appreciate that. Vocally, Dan Chainsaw goes all in, getting himself committed to the nervous hospital with his insane screams, rasps, roars, and unusual attempts at “singing.” Medically speaking, the dude has some screws loose in his tonsils, but wow, is it fun to hear him come unglued.

Come Creeping Fiends takes the chassis of the debut and welds spikes, spears, and buzzsaw blades all over it. It will harm all who listen, but in productive, character-building ways. If you have non-metal-loving friends, trap them in an enclosed space and force this on them loudly as you watch their panic and terror. This is what is best in life! Let these creeping fiends in and see how it goes.



Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 5 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Dying Victims
Websites: aggressiveperfector.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/aggressiveperfectorband | instagram.com/aggressiveperfector
Releases Worldwide: March 27th, 2026

In 2019, English retro metal maniacs Aggressive Perfector came out of nowhere to blindside me with a nasty mash-up of classic 80s metal, speed, and quasi-blackened evil called Havoc at the Midnight Hour. It was an endearing nostalgia ride through the early days of extreme metal, stealing body parts from Venom, Mercyful Fate, and beef-brained thrashers like Rigor Mortis and Nasty Savage. It was rough around every single edge, but it packed the same kind of past-obsessed punch as Deceased and made me love it. It took these sonic miscreants some time to get back in the marketplace with new material, but Come Creeping Fiends promises to have everything from the debut turned up to 12.5 and then some. And in this, they aren’t fibbing. This is another slab of over-the-top excess in the name of unholy overkill, and it sounds like a bunch of local bar bands covering Venom’s early material after too many shots of Jägermeister. That’s a good thing, right? RIGHT??

If you like your metal loud, unhinged, but oddly melodic and catchy, you came to the right Satanic mass. Opener “Dead Undead” is a wild and woolly smush of Venom and early Mercyful Fate with some Desaster crammed in to see if the mixture explodes. It does. This thing is hairier than Yours Steely with a full midvinter pelt, and just as fragrant. It’s not far from the usual Deceased output, and frontman Dan Chainsaw (formerly Dan Holocausto) sounds a whole lot like the legendary King Fowley as he roars, rages, and retches against the dying of the light (and the closure of the All-You-Can-Eat $8 buffet at King Egg Dynasty Kitchen). His vocal excess is excessive, and it’s laid on top of a weird collection of traditional, thrash, and NWoBHM guitar segments without much thought given to how well it fits or doesn’t. You go from a Sodom or Desaster riff one minute to something from Motörhead’s Another Perfect Day era, and though this hodge-podge recipe seems ill-advised, it works, and the song is stupid, brainless fun. “Strange Companion” sounds like a lost hit from Deceased, and I loved it the moment it assaulted my ear sockets. It’s bombastic but melodic and memorable, though you should never try to sing along with it in public, ever. “Fiend in You” keeps the strange times rolling with a number that’s hooky and hard rocking but extremely confrontational vocally. It reminds me of the days I worked for my older brother doing construction during summers in High School, and basically just got screamed at for 10 hours a day. I like it anyway, though!

“Obscene Cult” robs Candlemass blind of the riff from “Bewitched” and repurposes it for much nastier deeds done way cheaper than dirt. You won’t be able to unhear “Bewitched,” so it sounds like some absolute nutter is screaming over the song about Satanic masses and corpse defilement. “Harlot’s Curse” is the most ambitious track in that it dumps the most 80s influences into the smoothie machine, hoping for a new taste sensation. You’ll hear about 20 bands you know by heart in the riffing and song structure, but somehow it all coagulates into a functional song of its own. Penultimate cut “Return of the Axe” deserves special praise as the most frenzied and unstable track, thrashing and bashing for all its worth. It’s a silly but captivating piece of caveman metal, and I can’t help but want to adopt and raise it as my offspring. At a tight, no-blubber-allowed 30 minutes, Come Creeping Fiends rip rides over you like a nitro-fueled earthmover. You will be flattened, and you will enjoy it.

Aggressive Perfector make a lunatic racket, and the best parts come from the guitarwork by Dan Chainsaw and drummer/guitarist/keyboardist, Intimidator. These goons are like a living codex of 80s metal riffs and harmonies, and they regurgitate the olden sounds in strange new patterns to craft wildly entertaining tunes. The thrash leads are nice, but it’s the classic metal lines that really shake my lizard brain. Every track has at least one riff that activates my inner teenage idiot, and I appreciate that. Vocally, Dan Chainsaw goes all in, getting himself committed to the nervous hospital with his insane screams, rasps, roars, and unusual attempts at “singing.” Medically speaking, the dude has some screws loose in his tonsils, but wow, is it fun to hear him come unglued.

Come Creeping Fiends takes the chassis of the debut and welds spikes, spears, and buzzsaw blades all over it. It will harm all who listen, but in productive, character-building ways. If you have non-metal-loving friends, trap them in an enclosed space and force this on them loudly as you watch their panic and terror. This is what is best in life! Let these creeping fiends in and see how it goes.



Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 5 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Dying Victims
Websites: aggressiveperfector.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/aggressiveperfectorband | instagram.com/aggressiveperfector
Releases Worldwide: March 27th, 2026

There’s a burgeoning old school 80s trve metal movement growing these days, with more and more young bands longing to sound really olde. Steel is there for that, as it speaks directly to his ancient bones. A good number of these retro sword-swinging acts seem to be coming out of Sweden of late. We covered Century’s Sign of the Storm last year, and here comes Templar with their Conquering Swords debut, which was produced by Century’s Staffan Tengnér. As a fan of conquest and swords (and that awesome van-worthy cover art), I’m the target audience for this early 80s throwback insanity, which steals from cult acts like Manilla Road, Cirith Ungol, and Brocas Helm as well as NWoBHM heroes like Satan and Witchfinder General. All this is to be expected, but what I didn’t see coming was the hefty Mercyful Fate influence that Templar throw around like a 50-pound sack of wet concrete. On paper, that should not work, but does it work in your tin ear? Let’s take a peek.

After a rousing, table-setting intro, you’re launched into “Witchking” and greeted by classic 80s guitar lines with a burly trve vibe sure to get your lust for battle growing. When Isak Neffling starts singing, those familiar with the Mercyful Fate demos and the original EP will hear a notable similarity to an early-day King Diamond. I don’t mean the high-pitched falsettos, but the ominous baritones he used regularly before he became a faux-evil cartoon character. One could also say Isak also reminds of The Night Eternal’s Ricardo Baum, who borrowed a lot from Mr. Diamond vocally himself. Either way, it makes for an interesting listen as Isak sings of Tolkien baddies, swords, and sorcery. “Excalibur” is all beef and chest-pounding bravado with a galloping pace, scrotal power to spare, and a chorus that feels just epic enough. It hits all the nostalgia bells and feels ancient as fook, but it can still beat your ass like a back-alley thug.

Elsewhere, “Exiled in Fire” is fast, fist-pumping classic metal with sweet guitar work and a rowdy, rough edge that takes me back to the dirty, unpolished NWoBHM days. “Shipwreck” is another riffy good time with a vague In Solitude vibe, and “White Wolf” is about as epic 80s metal as it gets without lapsing into Spinal Tap levels of parody. At a tight 40 minutes and with all songs contained in the 4-5 minute window, there’s not much fluff or blubber on the compositions. The only drawback is that the writing routinely sits in that “good and almost very good” pocket, never fully reaching that next level of badassery. It’s an easy, entertaining spin, but it won’t blow anyone’s mind or make many end-of-year lists. The production is painstakingly designed to sound rough and vintage, and it does hit that 1980-1982 aura with a warmth and texture that modern recordings often lack.

Gustav Harrysson and Teddy Edoff bring the sounds of proto and epic 80s metal to the Great Hall, cleaving closely to the NWoBHM blueprint but always injecting that grand and glorious edge to their playing. I hear many hints of early Mercyful Fate and Satan in their choices, and the Manilla Road-isms are there too. I don’t know if Isak Neffling was trying to channel King Diamond, but he certainly does, and that adds to the nostalgic appeal. Listen to “White Wolf,” and you hear the earliest days of Mercyful Fate, and that’s undeniably cool. His vocals don’t always work, though, and things get especially weird and awkward on “The Sorceress.” In toto, Isak gives Templar an X factor the band wouldn’t have otherwise, and that certainly works in their favor despite a few misfires.

Conquering Swords is an interesting and engaging debut from a band that have the potential to be much more. There are moments scattered across the album that hint at greatness, and maybe with more time and effort, those parts lead someplace special. As things stand, Templar are a good throwback band with one foot in the past and the other looking for the next place to stomp. Where they go from here will prove interesting. Worth checking out for the love of Diamond and rust(ed swords).



Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 9 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Jawbreaker
Websites: facebook.com/templarsweden | instagram.com/templar.band
Releases Worldwide: February 27th, 2026

VOID – Forbidden Morals Review

By Iceberg

Pinpointing a band’s style of metal is becoming an increasingly difficult task these days. Amidst the sub-sub genres and metal-adjacent infusions, its refreshing to find a band sporting the trad metal tag. Louisiana’s VOID has been kicking swamp-ass and taking names since 2021, self-releasing their thrashy debut Horrors of Reality in 2023. Forbidden Morals leans further into VOID’s horror atmosphere, with the long shadow of a certain European count presiding over the record. Recently picked up by Shadow Kingdom, and buoyed by aggressive touring of their region of the Deep South, VOID seem primed to pour their potent brew of technical thrash and trad metal into my sublimating earholes.

In a crowded world of metal bands trying to be the next big thing, VOID are unapologetically throwback. Along with leather and hair that won’t quit the 80’s, the sound of the band hearkens back to the halcyon years of metal. VOID’s brand of thrash leans more Bay Area than Germanic, and often is simply high-energy heavy metal, evoking the pre-Load era of Metallica, classic Mercyful Fate, and a whiff of Judas Priest. Catchy, horns-up riffs abound in Forbidden Morals and the guitar solos in particular are worthy of the thrash solo pantheon (“Forbidden Morals,” “Beneath…Lives The Impaler”). Jackson Davenport’s vocals are a standout here, running up and down his larynx with abandon in both clean singing and gruff barks. The rhythm section doesn’t slouch either, with a springy bass tone that is an unexpected highlight in the record’s more spacious moments (“Judas Cradle”). A murky production job compliments the album’s concept, but when the riffs pick up the pace and intricacy, I found myself missing the clarity of the low end.

What Forbidden Morals lacks in studio sheen, it makes up for in sheer enthusiasm. The album’s ten tracks cover a large swathe of ground, and VOID aren’t content to confine themselves to one side of metal. Progressive inclinations pop up in odd time signatures (“Beneath…Lives The Impaler”) horror atmospheres (“Apparition”) and rapid fire tempo changes (“Forbidden Morals”). The voice-over intro of “A Curse” comes off on the cheesy side, but when paired with a recap in “Beneath…Lives The Impaler” and the very obvious Andrew Lloyd Webber reference in “Return Of The Phantom” VOID make a convincing case for Forbidden Morals as a horror-inspired album. The Priest-esque power ballad “By Silver Light” is one of the album’s strongest tracks, featuring a throat-shredding performance by Davenport, and tasteful flamenco guitar that makes for a nice change of pace. After spending a few weeks with Forbidden Morals, it occurred to me the further VOID move from traditional thrash, the better they get.

Forbidden Morals is a raucous good time, and quite ambitious, but I can find a few dents in VOID’s Transylvanian armor. The back of the half album (beginning with gorgeous acoustic guitar instrumental “Valeria”) is much more engaging than the front, and this lopsidedness makes album relistens something of a chore. While the individual tracks here have an impressive array of structures, using repeating guitar motifs as connective tissue, there’s a frustrating lack of memorable, or even perceptible, choruses. When combined with progressive song layouts (not simply verse/chorus/bridge) finding one’s place in the song is difficult, and the songs feel much longer than they are (“Gateways of Stone,” “Judas Cradle”). VOID also abuse the fade-out, with four of the eight proper tracks on here featuring this listless ending. Longform closer “Beneath…Lies The Impaler,” which is otherwise a commendable achievement of progressive thrash, is saddled with not just a fade-out but a fade-in as well, an unforced error in my book of album production choices.

The cartoonish quality of Forbidden Morals’ album cover had me worried this would be an amateur outing into thrashy trad metal, but I’m happy to report VOID have put my worries to rest. If the back half of Forbidden Morals were packaged as an EP I’d be hawking VOID’s wares up and down the n00b cells on my weekly guard rotation. With a bit of work on clarifying their song structure, and the will to end their songs with an exclamation point versus ellipses, I hope to see big things from the Louisiana quintet. As it stands, Forbidden Morals is a solid album for those who like their metal a bit thrashy, a bit classic, and a lot of fun.

Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Shadow Kingdom
Websites: Bandcamp | Website | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: August 29th, 2025

#2025 #30 #Aug25 #ForbiddenMorals #HeavyMetal #JudasPriest #MercyfulFate #Metallica #Review #Reviews #ShadowKingdom #ThrashMetal #USMetal #Vøid

Many have seen the statue that cries
But only I have seen her at night
Many say that it, is a miracle
From so deep inside, I heard a voice from Hell
"I am the lady who cries, I am he who lights the night"
"I am Lucifer"
King Diamond.

#KingDiamond #MercyfulFate #Mary #CatholicChurch #Heresy #Blasphemy

Mawiza – ÜL Review

By ClarkKent

Mawiza, an indigenous band from Wallmapu, a territory out of South America’s Mapuche Nation (spanning Chile and Argentina), has seen a sudden rise in recent years. Formed in 2014 as Nunca Seremos Dichosos, their second album, 2019’s Kollong, would go on to win them Chile’s version of the Grammy awards (called the Pulsar Award) for Best Metal Artist. In 2021, they adopted the name Mawiza and decided to sing entirely in their ancestral language, Mapuzungum, instead of Spanish. Their music garnered enough attention from Gojira, Mastodon, and Mercyful Fate to open shows for them in front of large crowds, and Gojira’s Joe Duplantier even collaborates on a song with them. To top it off, Seasons of Mist saw enough in Mawiza to sign them ahead of the release of their debut, ÜL. 1 They’ve got quite a story, and now we find out if they have the goods.

The word ÜL means chant, and that’s a good description for their overall musical approach. Lead singer Awka Mondaka delivers a chant-like vocal performance, and the guitars and drums play a start-stop rhythm that complements Mondaka’s chants. Gojira’s influence is undeniable in the form of pinch harmonics and slides that constitute major instrumental techniques. The intro to “Wingkawnoam” sets the stage for the harmonics, and hardly a minute passes on ÜL without hearing them. Mawiza uses the combination of pinch harmonics, guitar riffs, and heartbeat-like drums to create a groovy sound that’ll get you bouncing and swaying side to side. A couple of breakdowns (“Ngulutu,” “Nawelkünuwnge”) lend a metalcore touch, though their overall sound defies simple genre tags. Nature is also an important component, both thematically and aurally. With a good pair of headphones, you can hear birds tweeting (“Wingkawnoam”) and insects trilling (“Pinhza Ñi Pewma”).

While the early songs have moments of groove to keep things fun, it’s the middle of ÜL that shines the most. These tracks stand out as more melodic than the rest. “Mamüll Reke” is a slower, ballad-like tune, but it’s also one of the catchier tracks, with a chorus that’ll make you want to learn Mapuzungum so you can sing along. It’s the closest to having a traditional structure of any song on ÜL, which makes its selection as one of the lead singles no surprise. Perhaps my favorite is “Wenu Weychan,” which creates some great energy with a combination of thumping, heavy guitar riffs and powerful blast beats. In particular, Txalkan’s rhythmic drum work makes this so much fun that you want to get up and dance. Yet these songs also display some of Mawiza’s songwriting pitfalls. As much as I love “Wenu Weychan,” it goes on for two minutes too long with some weird instrumental shenanigans. “Nawelkünuwnge,” which opens with an enjoyable Pantera-like riff, eventually devolves into an unusual drop beat breakdown. Decisions like these kill the momentum on otherwise killer tunes.

The final third of ÜL highlights its true weaknesses. “Lhan Antü” and “Kalli Lhayay” feel like half-baked rough drafts instead of well-tuned, coherent tracks. There’s a moment three minutes into “Lhan Antü” where it begins to transform into a different, far more interesting song, but the rest of it sounds like aimless banging on the drum and noise-making with guitars. “Kalli Lhayay” makes use of cybernetic-sounding riffs and vocals that sound like Skynet hacked into Mawiza’s recording session. The conclusion of “Kalli Lhayay” demonstrates how grating those pinch harmonics can be from overuse–at the most extreme, they sound like a simulation of tinnitus. The inability to write memorable hooks and melodies leads to inconsistencies throughout ÜL.

Perhaps it’s my Western concept of music that is getting in the way of enjoying Mawiza’s ÜL as much as I should. I like hooks and melodies, and it’s not as if the album is entirely devoid of these things, but it’s not as hooky or melodic as I’d like. There’s plenty to enjoy, though. The energy on display provides almost enough momentum to carry throughout the entirety of the record. And even if the songwriting is uneven, the musicianship is top-notch. I’m not a guitar player, but I can appreciate the difficulty of playing pinch harmonics, especially to the extent that Mawiza employs them here. I see ÜL as a good start, and with some better songwriting, the next one could be something special.

Rating: 2.5/5.0
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Seasons of Mist
Website: Bandcamp
Releases Worldwide: July 18th, 2025

#25 #2025 #ChileanMetal #DeathMetal #Gojira #GrooveMetal #Jul25 #Mastodon #Mawiza #MercyfulFate #Metalcore #Pantera #Review #Reviews #SeasonsOfMist #UL

Mawiza – ÜL Review

By ClarkKent

Mawiza, an indigenous band from Wallmapu, a territory out of South America’s Mapuche Nation (spanning Chile and Argentina), has seen a sudden rise in recent years. Formed in 2014 as Nunca Seremos Dichosos, their second album, 2019’s Kollong, would go on to win them Chile’s version of the Grammy awards (called the Pulsar Award) for Best Metal Artist. In 2021, they adopted the name Mawiza and decided to sing entirely in their ancestral language, Mapuzungum, instead of Spanish. Their music garnered enough attention from Gojira, Mastodon, and Mercyful Fate to open shows for them in front of large crowds, and Gojira’s Joe Duplantier even collaborates on a song with them. To top it off, Seasons of Mist saw enough in Mawiza to sign them ahead of the release of their debut, ÜL. 1 They’ve got quite a story, and now we find out if they have the goods.

The word ÜL means chant, and that’s a good description for their overall musical approach. Lead singer Awka Mondaka delivers a chant-like vocal performance, and the guitars and drums play a start-stop rhythm that complements Mondaka’s chants. Gojira’s influence is undeniable in the form of pinch harmonics and slides that constitute major instrumental techniques. The intro to “Wingkawnoam” sets the stage for the harmonics, and hardly a minute passes on ÜL without hearing them. Mawiza uses the combination of pinch harmonics, guitar riffs, and heartbeat-like drums to create a groovy sound that’ll get you bouncing and swaying side to side. A couple of breakdowns (“Ngulutu,” “Nawelkünuwnge”) lend a metalcore touch, though their overall sound defies simple genre tags. Nature is also an important component, both thematically and aurally. With a good pair of headphones, you can hear birds tweeting (“Wingkawnoam”) and insects trilling (“Pinhza Ñi Pewma”).

While the early songs have moments of groove to keep things fun, it’s the middle of ÜL that shines the most. These tracks stand out as more melodic than the rest. “Mamüll Reke” is a slower, ballad-like tune, but it’s also one of the catchier tracks, with a chorus that’ll make you want to learn Mapuzungum so you can sing along. It’s the closest to having a traditional structure of any song on ÜL, which makes its selection as one of the lead singles no surprise. Perhaps my favorite is “Wenu Weychan,” which creates some great energy with a combination of thumping, heavy guitar riffs and powerful blast beats. In particular, Txalkan’s rhythmic drum work makes this so much fun that you want to get up and dance. Yet these songs also display some of Mawiza’s songwriting pitfalls. As much as I love “Wenu Weychan,” it goes on for two minutes too long with some weird instrumental shenanigans. “Nawelkünuwnge,” which opens with an enjoyable Pantera-like riff, eventually devolves into an unusual drop beat breakdown. Decisions like these kill the momentum on otherwise killer tunes.

The final third of ÜL highlights its true weaknesses. “Lhan Antü” and “Kalli Lhayay” feel like half-baked rough drafts instead of well-tuned, coherent tracks. There’s a moment three minutes into “Lhan Antü” where it begins to transform into a different, far more interesting song, but the rest of it sounds like aimless banging on the drum and noise-making with guitars. “Kalli Lhayay” makes use of cybernetic-sounding riffs and vocals that sound like Skynet hacked into Mawiza’s recording session. The conclusion of “Kalli Lhayay” demonstrates how grating those pinch harmonics can be from overuse–at the most extreme, they sound like a simulation of tinnitus. The inability to write memorable hooks and melodies leads to inconsistencies throughout ÜL.

Perhaps it’s my Western concept of music that is getting in the way of enjoying Mawiza’s ÜL as much as I should. I like hooks and melodies, and it’s not as if the album is entirely devoid of these things, but it’s not as hooky or melodic as I’d like. There’s plenty to enjoy, though. The energy on display provides almost enough momentum to carry throughout the entirety of the record. And even if the songwriting is uneven, the musicianship is top-notch. I’m not a guitar player, but I can appreciate the difficulty of playing pinch harmonics, especially to the extent that Mawiza employs them here. I see ÜL as a good start, and with some better songwriting, the next one could be something special.

Rating: 2.5/5.0
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Seasons of Mist
Website: Bandcamp
Releases Worldwide: July 18th, 2025

#25 #2025 #ChileanMetal #DeathMetal #Gojira #GrooveMetal #Jul25 #Mastodon #Mawiza #MercyfulFate #Metalcore #Pantera #Review #Reviews #SeasonsOfMist #UL

Mawiza – ÜL Review

By ClarkKent

Mawiza, an indigenous band from Wallmapu, a territory out of South America’s Mapuche Nation (spanning Chile and Argentina), has seen a sudden rise in recent years. Formed in 2014 as Nunca Seremos Dichosos, their second album, 2019’s Kollong, would go on to win them Chile’s version of the Grammy awards (called the Pulsar Award) for Best Metal Artist. In 2021, they adopted the name Mawiza and decided to sing entirely in their ancestral language, Mapuzungum, instead of Spanish. Their music garnered enough attention from Gojira, Mastodon, and Mercyful Fate to open shows for them in front of large crowds, and Gojira’s Joe Duplantier even collaborates on a song with them. To top it off, Seasons of Mist saw enough in Mawiza to sign them ahead of the release of their debut, ÜL. 1 They’ve got quite a story, and now we find out if they have the goods.

The word ÜL means chant, and that’s a good description for their overall musical approach. Lead singer Awka Mondaka delivers a chant-like vocal performance, and the guitars and drums play a start-stop rhythm that complements Mondaka’s chants. Gojira’s influence is undeniable in the form of pinch harmonics and slides that constitute major instrumental techniques. The intro to “Wingkawnoam” sets the stage for the harmonics, and hardly a minute passes on ÜL without hearing them. Mawiza uses the combination of pinch harmonics, guitar riffs, and heartbeat-like drums to create a groovy sound that’ll get you bouncing and swaying side to side. A couple of breakdowns (“Ngulutu,” “Nawelkünuwnge”) lend a metalcore touch, though their overall sound defies simple genre tags. Nature is also an important component, both thematically and aurally. With a good pair of headphones, you can hear birds tweeting (“Wingkawnoam”) and insects trilling (“Pinhza Ñi Pewma”).

While the early songs have moments of groove to keep things fun, it’s the middle of ÜL that shines the most. These tracks stand out as more melodic than the rest. “Mamüll Reke” is a slower, ballad-like tune, but it’s also one of the catchier tracks, with a chorus that’ll make you want to learn Mapuzungum so you can sing along. It’s the closest to having a traditional structure of any song on ÜL, which makes its selection as one of the lead singles no surprise. Perhaps my favorite is “Wenu Weychan,” which creates some great energy with a combination of thumping, heavy guitar riffs and powerful blast beats. In particular, Txalkan’s rhythmic drum work makes this so much fun that you want to get up and dance. Yet these songs also display some of Mawiza’s songwriting pitfalls. As much as I love “Wenu Weychan,” it goes on for two minutes too long with some weird instrumental shenanigans. “Nawelkünuwnge,” which opens with an enjoyable Pantera-like riff, eventually devolves into an unusual drop beat breakdown. Decisions like these kill the momentum on otherwise killer tunes.

The final third of ÜL highlights its true weaknesses. “Lhan Antü” and “Kalli Lhayay” feel like half-baked rough drafts instead of well-tuned, coherent tracks. There’s a moment three minutes into “Lhan Antü” where it begins to transform into a different, far more interesting song, but the rest of it sounds like aimless banging on the drum and noise-making with guitars. “Kalli Lhayay” makes use of cybernetic-sounding riffs and vocals that sound like Skynet hacked into Mawiza’s recording session. The conclusion of “Kalli Lhayay” demonstrates how grating those pinch harmonics can be from overuse–at the most extreme, they sound like a simulation of tinnitus. The inability to write memorable hooks and melodies leads to inconsistencies throughout ÜL.

Perhaps it’s my Western concept of music that is getting in the way of enjoying Mawiza’s ÜL as much as I should. I like hooks and melodies, and it’s not as if the album is entirely devoid of these things, but it’s not as hooky or melodic as I’d like. There’s plenty to enjoy, though. The energy on display provides almost enough momentum to carry throughout the entirety of the record. And even if the songwriting is uneven, the musicianship is top-notch. I’m not a guitar player, but I can appreciate the difficulty of playing pinch harmonics, especially to the extent that Mawiza employs them here. I see ÜL as a good start, and with some better songwriting, the next one could be something special.

Rating: 2.5/5.0
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Seasons of Mist
Website: Bandcamp
Releases Worldwide: July 18th, 2025

#25 #2025 #ChileanMetal #DeathMetal #Gojira #GrooveMetal #Jul25 #Mastodon #Mawiza #MercyfulFate #Metalcore #Pantera #Review #Reviews #SeasonsOfMist #UL

Mawiza – ÜL Review

By ClarkKent

Mawiza, an indigenous band from Wallmapu, a territory out of South America’s Mapuche Nation (spanning Chile and Argentina), has seen a sudden rise in recent years. Formed in 2014 as Nunca Seremos Dichosos, their second album, 2019’s Kollong, would go on to win them Chile’s version of the Grammy awards (called the Pulsar Award) for Best Metal Artist. In 2021, they adopted the name Mawiza and decided to sing entirely in their ancestral language, Mapuzungum, instead of Spanish. Their music garnered enough attention from Gojira, Mastodon, and Mercyful Fate to open shows for them in front of large crowds, and Gojira’s Joe Duplantier even collaborates on a song with them. To top it off, Seasons of Mist saw enough in Mawiza to sign them ahead of the release of their debut, ÜL. 1 They’ve got quite a story, and now we find out if they have the goods.

The word ÜL means chant, and that’s a good description for their overall musical approach. Lead singer Awka Mondaka delivers a chant-like vocal performance, and the guitars and drums play a start-stop rhythm that complements Mondaka’s chants. Gojira’s influence is undeniable in the form of pinch harmonics and slides that constitute major instrumental techniques. The intro to “Wingkawnoam” sets the stage for the harmonics, and hardly a minute passes on ÜL without hearing them. Mawiza uses the combination of pinch harmonics, guitar riffs, and heartbeat-like drums to create a groovy sound that’ll get you bouncing and swaying side to side. A couple of breakdowns (“Ngulutu,” “Nawelkünuwnge”) lend a metalcore touch, though their overall sound defies simple genre tags. Nature is also an important component, both thematically and aurally. With a good pair of headphones, you can hear birds tweeting (“Wingkawnoam”) and insects trilling (“Pinhza Ñi Pewma”).

While the early songs have moments of groove to keep things fun, it’s the middle of ÜL that shines the most. These tracks stand out as more melodic than the rest. “Mamüll Reke” is a slower, ballad-like tune, but it’s also one of the catchier tracks, with a chorus that’ll make you want to learn Mapuzungum so you can sing along. It’s the closest to having a traditional structure of any song on ÜL, which makes its selection as one of the lead singles no surprise. Perhaps my favorite is “Wenu Weychan,” which creates some great energy with a combination of thumping, heavy guitar riffs and powerful blast beats. In particular, Txalkan’s rhythmic drum work makes this so much fun that you want to get up and dance. Yet these songs also display some of Mawiza’s songwriting pitfalls. As much as I love “Wenu Weychan,” it goes on for two minutes too long with some weird instrumental shenanigans. “Nawelkünuwnge,” which opens with an enjoyable Pantera-like riff, eventually devolves into an unusual drop beat breakdown. Decisions like these kill the momentum on otherwise killer tunes.

The final third of ÜL highlights its true weaknesses. “Lhan Antü” and “Kalli Lhayay” feel like half-baked rough drafts instead of well-tuned, coherent tracks. There’s a moment three minutes into “Lhan Antü” where it begins to transform into a different, far more interesting song, but the rest of it sounds like aimless banging on the drum and noise-making with guitars. “Kalli Lhayay” makes use of cybernetic-sounding riffs and vocals that sound like Skynet hacked into Mawiza’s recording session. The conclusion of “Kalli Lhayay” demonstrates how grating those pinch harmonics can be from overuse–at the most extreme, they sound like a simulation of tinnitus. The inability to write memorable hooks and melodies leads to inconsistencies throughout ÜL.

Perhaps it’s my Western concept of music that is getting in the way of enjoying Mawiza’s ÜL as much as I should. I like hooks and melodies, and it’s not as if the album is entirely devoid of these things, but it’s not as hooky or melodic as I’d like. There’s plenty to enjoy, though. The energy on display provides almost enough momentum to carry throughout the entirety of the record. And even if the songwriting is uneven, the musicianship is top-notch. I’m not a guitar player, but I can appreciate the difficulty of playing pinch harmonics, especially to the extent that Mawiza employs them here. I see ÜL as a good start, and with some better songwriting, the next one could be something special.

Rating: 2.5/5.0
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Seasons of Mist
Website: Bandcamp
Releases Worldwide: July 18th, 2025

#25 #2025 #ChileanMetal #DeathMetal #Gojira #GrooveMetal #Jul25 #Mastodon #Mawiza #MercyfulFate #Metalcore #Pantera #Review #Reviews #SeasonsOfMist #UL

Mawiza – ÜL Review

By ClarkKent

Mawiza, an indigenous band from Wallmapu, a territory out of South America’s Mapuche Nation (spanning Chile and Argentina), has seen a sudden rise in recent years. Formed in 2014 as Nunca Seremos Dichosos, their second album, 2019’s Kollong, would go on to win them Chile’s version of the Grammy awards (called the Pulsar Award) for Best Metal Artist. In 2021, they adopted the name Mawiza and decided to sing entirely in their ancestral language, Mapuzungum, instead of Spanish. Their music garnered enough attention from Gojira, Mastodon, and Mercyful Fate to open shows for them in front of large crowds, and Gojira’s Joe Duplantier even collaborates on a song with them. To top it off, Seasons of Mist saw enough in Mawiza to sign them ahead of the release of their debut, ÜL. 1 They’ve got quite a story, and now we find out if they have the goods.

The word ÜL means chant, and that’s a good description for their overall musical approach. Lead singer Awka Mondaka delivers a chant-like vocal performance, and the guitars and drums play a start-stop rhythm that complements Mondaka’s chants. Gojira’s influence is undeniable in the form of pinch harmonics and slides that constitute major instrumental techniques. The intro to “Wingkawnoam” sets the stage for the harmonics, and hardly a minute passes on ÜL without hearing them. Mawiza uses the combination of pinch harmonics, guitar riffs, and heartbeat-like drums to create a groovy sound that’ll get you bouncing and swaying side to side. A couple of breakdowns (“Ngulutu,” “Nawelkünuwnge”) lend a metalcore touch, though their overall sound defies simple genre tags. Nature is also an important component, both thematically and aurally. With a good pair of headphones, you can hear birds tweeting (“Wingkawnoam”) and insects trilling (“Pinhza Ñi Pewma”).

While the early songs have moments of groove to keep things fun, it’s the middle of ÜL that shines the most. These tracks stand out as more melodic than the rest. “Mamüll Reke” is a slower, ballad-like tune, but it’s also one of the catchier tracks, with a chorus that’ll make you want to learn Mapuzungum so you can sing along. It’s the closest to having a traditional structure of any song on ÜL, which makes its selection as one of the lead singles no surprise. Perhaps my favorite is “Wenu Weychan,” which creates some great energy with a combination of thumping, heavy guitar riffs and powerful blast beats. In particular, Txalkan’s rhythmic drum work makes this so much fun that you want to get up and dance. Yet these songs also display some of Mawiza’s songwriting pitfalls. As much as I love “Wenu Weychan,” it goes on for two minutes too long with some weird instrumental shenanigans. “Nawelkünuwnge,” which opens with an enjoyable Pantera-like riff, eventually devolves into an unusual drop beat breakdown. Decisions like these kill the momentum on otherwise killer tunes.

The final third of ÜL highlights its true weaknesses. “Lhan Antü” and “Kalli Lhayay” feel like half-baked rough drafts instead of well-tuned, coherent tracks. There’s a moment three minutes into “Lhan Antü” where it begins to transform into a different, far more interesting song, but the rest of it sounds like aimless banging on the drum and noise-making with guitars. “Kalli Lhayay” makes use of cybernetic-sounding riffs and vocals that sound like Skynet hacked into Mawiza’s recording session. The conclusion of “Kalli Lhayay” demonstrates how grating those pinch harmonics can be from overuse–at the most extreme, they sound like a simulation of tinnitus. The inability to write memorable hooks and melodies leads to inconsistencies throughout ÜL.

Perhaps it’s my Western concept of music that is getting in the way of enjoying Mawiza’s ÜL as much as I should. I like hooks and melodies, and it’s not as if the album is entirely devoid of these things, but it’s not as hooky or melodic as I’d like. There’s plenty to enjoy, though. The energy on display provides almost enough momentum to carry throughout the entirety of the record. And even if the songwriting is uneven, the musicianship is top-notch. I’m not a guitar player, but I can appreciate the difficulty of playing pinch harmonics, especially to the extent that Mawiza employs them here. I see ÜL as a good start, and with some better songwriting, the next one could be something special.

Rating: 2.5/5.0
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Seasons of Mist
Website: Bandcamp
Releases Worldwide: July 18th, 2025

#25 #2025 #ChileanMetal #DeathMetal #Gojira #GrooveMetal #Jul25 #Mastodon #Mawiza #MercyfulFate #Metalcore #Pantera #Review #Reviews #SeasonsOfMist #UL

Sexmag – Sexorcyzm Review

By Dr. A.N. Grier

Thanks to the ever flippery Dolph, I am blessed to have the Sexmag in my life. And you will be too. Regardless of whether you hide them away under your bed or display them in the guest bathroom, the sex mag is back to being a staple in all homes. If it’s classy or filthy smut is up to the beholder, just as long as your children don’t find them. While Poland’s Sexmag and new album, Sexorcyzm, sound like a new addition to the Lordi sump of “metal,” they’re far from it. Tagged as a death-thrash outfit, this little foursome is surprisingly fun and versatile for what they do. I’d go even further than these two genres and pin old-school 80s heavy and hints of black metal to their influences, which adds a beautiful depth and uniqueness to their sound that I haven’t heard in some time. I mean, it’s still as slimy as Midnight, but there is much fun on Sexmag’s debut album. Buckle up, fuckers, we’re about to get sexy.

Formed around stalwarts of the Polish underground metal scene, Sexmag appears to have a newcomer to the metal world in the form of vocalist Jacek “Truposz” Wojno. Having never heard his voice before, his odd vocals provide the right amount of support for the band’s songwriting style. In combination with drummer/vocalist Lord Violator, you’ll find everything from low-to-high register rasps, death growls, falsetto screams, and that odd, clean vocal approach that brings to mind Fenriz’s vocal contributions to recent Darkthrone releases. In the same vein of varying vocal approaches, you’ll find old-school death marches, Slayer-esque thrash moments, and impressive guitar leads and solos that reincarnate the spirit of Mercyful Fate. And to top it off, this eight-track, forty-minute debut sees track runtimes ranging from two minutes to seven.

The appropriately (and ridiculously titled) opener, “Intro (Total Metal),” gets things rolling with an instrumental piece that could have worked well on King Diamond’s Conspiracy album. It does a nice job setting the mood for the upcoming tracks, matching the sinister tone of Sexorcyzm before erupting into “Inkubus.” This track showcases an old-school speed lick that morphs into an 80s-inspired death groove. But, like all the tracks on the album, there is never a dull moment in the riff department. As the song progresses, the two vocalists introduce every vocal style they can dish out with the guitars mindfuck you into oblivion. I particularly like this song because it sounds like the band struggles to match the pace between guitars and drums. But that’s a facade once it gets rolling, and the band’s performances throughout are impressive as hell.

While the front half is good, the album’s back half is great. Specifically, the back-to-back-to-back “Sex z diabłem,” “Córy Koryntu,” and “Psalm I – Intronizacja Szatana.” Like the opener, “Sex z diabłem” begins with some eerie synths before unleashing one of the most badass death chugs on the album. Then, as expected, this seven-minute ditty tears through riff after killer riff, providing moments of old-school Slayer before making a U-turn into an 80s heavy metal plod. It also sports the most solos I’ve heard in a single song in a long time. “Córy Koryntu,” on the other hand, is a slimy, mucky Autopsy-inspired cesspool that eventually escapes the mud in favor of pounding drums and clinical riff mastery. “Psalm I – Intronizacja Szatana” is perhaps the favorite here, opening with clean guitars that bring to mind the intro to Mercyful Fate’s “Into the Coven.” Then, it takes a wild turn for the remainder of the song, bringing to life Blood Fire Death Bathoryisms that could have worked as a bonus track to any of Bathory’s Viking era albums.

While the vocal diversity can be outlandish at times, and songs like “Smród palonych dusz” don’t hold up to the others, Sexorcyzm is a hell of a good time and a smart debut record. Coming into this release, I was dead set on dropping a dozen cheeky sex jokes, but Sexorcyzm is too much fun for even Grier to masturbate all over. Take all the impressive skill and well-crafted structure, then add a dynamic DR9 master to it, and you have an orgy that even the strictest Mormon mother can enjoy. I’m not sure what’s to come for these Polish bastards, but if our new pope continues to support the Sexorcyzm, I’m fully on board.

Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 9 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Dying Victims Productions | Bandcamp
Websites: Too kvlt for this shit
Releases Worldwide: May 23rd, 2025

#2025 #35 #Autopsy #Bathory #BlackMetal #Darkthrone #DeathMetal #DyingVictimsProductions #HeavyMetal #KingDiamond #Lordi #May25 #MercyfulFate #Midnight #PolishMetal #Review #Reviews #Sexmag #Sexorcyzm #Slayer #ThrashMetal

Dr. A.N. Grier’s Top Ten(ish) of 2024

By Dr. A.N. Grier

If I were to rate the year of our Lord 2024, I’d give it a solid 4.5/5.0. No, I joke. FUCK 2024. Good riddance, fuck off, goodfuckingbye. This year, the layoffs continued (even affected some of our writers here), the prices skyrocketed, the World Series was bullshit, and landfills across the States are twice their capacity thanks to useless election fliers. This year has resulted in practically zero time to work on AMG efforts, write reviews, or listen to music as I continue to try to keep my job. Yay. Cheers to you, 2024—you sack of horse shit. Let’s go, 2025, you sassy bitch who suggests great things to come but probably won’t deliver. If only you could promise me more time doing the things I love—listening to metal, writing about it, and pretending to edit the other writers’ reviews while completely hammered. If so, I’d kiss you as the ball drops, take you to the back alley during the after-party, and promise not to poison your coffee the next morning.

But we aren’t there yet. We are still stuck in the past, looking over a mediocre year of metal, regurgitating the same shit we already wrote for each album on our lists. That way, you all can praise, argue, and whine about each choice and its placement. Thankfully, my lists rarely overlap with anyone else’s and no one actually gives a fuck, so my sleep patterns remain the same. Having passed the ten-year mark at this amazing madland, my tastes remain the same, and no one will be surprised that most of the selections here are the items I alone reviewed. That changes occasionally but with no time to think about music this year, you’ll be treated to odd takes and albums that only scored a 3.0. Oh no!1

Thank you to the AMG staff for their lackluster productivity and overrating tendencies. To Dolph, Kenny, and Sharky for introducing new segments and keeping legacy ones alive. And to Cuervo and GardensTale for the additional year-end contributions they deliver. I also have to give a huge shoutout to the top bosses—AMG and Steel Daddy—for all they do2. I guess I should also thank all of you for your continued support. I guess. May this list find you well as we are thrust into 2025 and the potential nightmares that it’ll bring. Cheers.

#ish. I Am the Intimidator // I Am the Intimidator – What? You fucking knew this was coming. When Steel told me to review an album about NASCAR and Dale Earnhardt, I couldn’t not do it. I mean, this one-off, self-titled record from a one-off band was a perfect opportunity to unleash my rage. And then… wait, what the fuck? It’s actually kinda good? In a weird year where I reviewed two racing-related albums, I Am the Intimidator sports3 six wild tracks that combine Dio and Iron Maiden with Ministry. What the fuck? And, somehow, the lyrics would be fucking hilarious if they weren’t so passionate. OK, the lyrics of the surprisingly delicious and crushing “Gasoline” are fucking hilarious, and a regular, all-caps attack in the AMG channels. After all the chaos and wild influences that make up this tight, six-track album, the passion for “The Intimidator” is true, even if it’s weird. But, I can’t stop listening to this album any more than I can stop drinking beer.

#10. Dust Bolt // Sound & Fury – Like so many other Grier lists, there’s always an album that becomes the most frequented in my shit-filled ears. Yup, I know, you all fucking hate it, and I couldn’t care less. For the band (and style), Sound & Fury is a brave effort that I find addictive, fun, and hilarious trolling material when Steel talks shit. Is it thrash? No, but that didn’t stop me from proclaiming Load as Metallica’s best album. Shifting away from the overused thrash concept and mediocre record releases, Dust Bolt chose the unconventional route of cleaner vocals, smoother production, and catchier choruses to remove themselves from their past outings (and, some would argue, from thrash and metal in general). For you naysayers, there are plenty of headbangable moments on Sound & Fury, so you don’t have to feel like a poser singing these new songs in your mom’s shower.

#9. Midnight // Hellish Expectations – Perhaps one of the most prolific metal bands out there, what can I say about Midnight that I haven’t said already? Oh yeah, they’re badass and if you don’t like them, you’re shit. Also, fuck you. Like previous releases, Midnight continues to speed through riffs that bring to mind classic outfits like Darkthrone, Motörhead, Venom, and Celtic Frost at a relentless speed. While other Midnight records are better, Hellish Expectations joins its compatriots in a discog that can do no wrong. Unless, of course, you don’t like this band’s style. In that case, read above regarding that “fuck you” thing. What makes Hellish Expectations great in this frustrating year is that it caps at twenty-five wonderful minutes—which is the same amount of time it takes to shit out your morning coffee. So, this is a chance to correct your poserness. If you like this band, you already know Hellish Expectations is a fun ride that’ll keep your spikes sharp and your leather pants shit free.

#8. Bombus // Your Blood – Like another band on my list, this Swedish heavy metal, hard rock band has seen a lot of ups and downs in their career. And, for some reason, their co-founding vocalist and guitarist walked. But that didn’t stop Bombus. Not only did they find someone to fill those two slots, but they also added another guitarist to round it out to three. With these new additions, the skill displayed on Your Blood is superior to anything the band has ever done. There’re solos, harmonizing leads, and riffs up the fucking wazoo. I’m uncertain if it’s due to this new skillset or an increase in motivation with five years between albums, but Bombus held nothing back for Your Blood. While there are plenty of the bangers you would expect from a band of this caliber, like the addictive “Take You Down,” there are also other interesting inclusions that I should hate, yet love. For example, the weird, Spaghetti Western qualities of “Your Blood,” the Nick Cave-meets-The White Stripes musings of “The One,” and the bizarreness that is “Carmina.” With Your Blood, the band has found their groove and passion again, delivering their best album yet.

#7. Vanessa Funke // Void – This year brought a surprising new addition to my favorite bands of all time. In this case, it was the newest release from the multi-instrumentalist, Vanessa Funke. With a small but stellar catalog, Ms. Funke continuously dabbles in new influences and song approaches with each album and Void is no different. Coming off last year’s acoustic masterpiece Vanessa Funke rewinds to her debut record, Solitude, alternating between rasps and cleans, acoustic and distorted guitars, and her perfectly molded combination of folk, melodeath, and atmospheric black metal. The textures created by the vocals, guitars, keys, and piano take Void down into some incredible depths, engulfing its listeners in blankets that can be both soft and stabby. Albums like this are rare for me these days, so when they do completely submerse me to the point that I can’t think of anything else, there’s no doubt it’ll make it on my year-end list.

#6. Crystal Viper // The Silver Key – Maybe not everyone’s favorite Polish act,4 Crystal Viper’s founding vocalist and guitarist, Marta Gabriel, has been knocking around her blend of heavy and power metal for nearly two decades. But, it’s been a rocky road of great, mediocre, and rage-inducing records. Where Crimen Expecta shines like a bright star in the sky, Tales of Fire and Ice is a dumpster fire that topped my most disappointing album of 2019. When I approached this year’s The Silver Key, I was expecting another mid album (or worse) but was immediately engrossed—maybe even more than Crimen Expecta. Though many of you dislike the vocals, Gabriel is in top form. But, her vocal performance is only one aspect of the Crystal Viper sound. Her guitar work is some of the best of her career, lending new ideas to the song structures and album flow. While plenty of bands are—and are not better—than Crystal Viper, The Silver Key is undeniably one of the best albums of their career.

#5. Sidewinder // Talons – Most likely one of the only overlaps I’ll have with the cunts that work here,5 Sidewinder’s newest release, Talons, threw me for a loop. Not expecting anything from a band I’ve never heard about, Talons immediately got my noggin’ bobbin’ in the most pleasing way. I can’t pinpoint exactly why I like this style of heavy, bounding stoner metal, but every time I hear it, it clicks. And nothing is better than diving right into a record where one of the band’s best pieces is the opener. “Guardians” is a quintessential Sidewinder piece that personifies the band and everything they stand for. But that’s only the beginning, as the guitars cruise down the road and the bass rumbles through the gravel. Clocking in at a mere thirty-four minutes, this eight-track beauty never reaches beyond its means, ensuring the songs are straight and tight, allowing Jem’s powerful vocals to direct the varying moods. While the band resides in the lush and beautiful landscapes of New Zealand,6 if a sound could represent the harsh desert lands of my home, this would be it.

#4. Aborted // Vault of Horrors – As many know, death metal is not my cup o’ tea. Once upon a time, death metal was my life, but that ship sailed when my favorites grew old and repetitive, and what you all call death metal these days bores me to tears. But the one band that continues to make me salivate is Aborted.7 And, boy, did this year’s Vault of Horrors deliver. With tracks like “Dreadbringer,” “The Golgothan,” and “Malevolent Haze,” this new release offers some incredible depth and relentless brutality. Aborted has always delivered good-to-great albums but after nearly thirty years, how can these lads continue to improve and produce such quality releases? Vault of Horrors is a great record and arguably one of the band’s best. It’s been several months since this beauty was released, so if it passed by you, rectify your posersivity.

#3. The Vision Bleak // Weird Tales – I don’t know what it is about The Vision Bleak but they fucking hit me and hit me hard. On the surface, their style is quite simple, but it’s the layers, stories, mood, and damning vocal performances that draw me in like I’m viewing a Vincent Price horror marathon. Combining their Type O Negative vocal characteristics with atmospheric moods that can be depressive at one point and ethereal at another, The Vision Bleak took a massive leap by releasing Weird Tales as (technically) a one-song album. Eight years since their incredible The Unknown, Weird Tales doesn’t skip a beat, maintaining the duo’s title as one of the greatest bands in gothic metal. With magnificent builds, eerie transitions, mind-bending fluidity, and heart-wrenching passages, the haunting nature of Weird Tales leaves you contemplating your existence in a world controlled by the fate instilled in it by the late, great H.P. Lovecraft.

#2. Kingcrow // Hopium – For fucking months, our progressive cunt, Dolphin Whisper, tried desperately to steal Kingcrow’s Hopium from me—somehow thinking he’s better than me when it comes to describing the lushness of Kingcrow. The fuck. Even though Kingcrow hasn’t released an album in six years, there’s no way some flipper fucker would take this from me. Sure, I’m not a huge fan of progressive metal, but at least I know what’s good progressive metal instead of lazily making love to everything with the tag of “prog.” Anyway, Hopium continues to deliver gorgeous tapestries painted with soothing vocals, synthy atmospheres, and impressive performances for all involved. Though I consider Eidos their best, Hopium is not far behind. While tapping into common influences like Dream Theater and Spock’s Beard, this Italian outfit is very much on a level all its own. If you like prog, you’ll find Hopium—with such wildly varying tracks like “Vicous Circle,” “Parallel Lines,” and “White Rabit’s Hole”—to be the most diverse prog record of the year.

#1. Borknagar // Fall – Goddammit, I love Borknagar. Few bands have such high album scores for a career that spans thirty years and a dozen albums—especially with a constant rotation of players and vocalists. Though, how can you be pissed off about having any of the great vocalists Borknagar has employed throughout the years? Since the beginning, the band has continuously introduced more melody and keys in their music, but Fall is special compared to the output in the last twenty years. Though this new album hasn’t hung up that hat by any means, Øystein G. Brun, Lars A. Nedland, and crew dug through the ashes of the past to bring some of those old-school black metal moments back into the mix. From the blackened assault of “Summits” and the Dimmu Borgir-esque vibes of “Northward,” the band continues to shock and surprise, avoiding a repetition from a previous album. So, dive into the best album o’ the year in all its glory.8

Honorable Mentions

• Portrait // The Host – While I didn’t like the production of Portrait’s The Host, I’m still a slut for King Diamond and Meryful Fate-adjacent metal. Especially when it comes to Portrait, who continues to be less like a copycat and more like a pioneer of the style.
• Attic // Return of the Witchfinder – More King Diamond-core! Easily one of the best examples of the sound, Attic continues to keep me coming back with each release. As their predecessor, Return of the Witchfinder brings a new story, more twists, and those pleasing falsettos that trigger my “O” face.
• Sarke // Endo Feight – Sarke (the artist) and crew have had one hell of a busy couple of years. This year, in particular, sees not only a new Sarke release but also a new Khold record (see below). Endo Feight is a wonderful addition to the band’s catalog and, by god, it’s wonderful to see the man himself back behind the kit.
• Khold // Du dømmes til død – See? I told you it would be here. While 2022’s Svartsyn was better record than Du dømmes til død (and a fantastic comeback), Du dømmes til død still has those elements that make the band so unique and fun to listen to.
• Blood Red Throne // Nonagon – Three years ago, Blood Red Throne released not only one of their best albums but 2021’s best death metal record. Unsurprisingly, it’s difficult to follow something like Imperial Congregation without some hiccups. That said, Nonagon is still a brutal piece of work worthy of mentioning.

Disappointments o’ the Year

• Darkthrone // It Beckons Us All……. – Like Sarke, Nocturno Culto has also been busy this year. If that’s part of the reason for the utter bore that’s It Beckons Us All……., I don’t know. But, this new record feels like Darkthrone is going through the motions. While I respect that they don’t care what the fuck any of us think, this is one of their worst albums.
• Exhorder // Defectum Omnium – After Exhorder’s incredible comeback album, Mourn the Southern Skies, I was more than a little excited for this new one. Unfortunately, like Darkthrone’s newest, Defectum Omnium is a dreadfully boring record that lacks all the passion of Exhorder’s comeback, leaving me confused and pissed the fuck off.

Songs o’ the Year

• Kingcrow – “White Rabbit’s Hole” – With an album full of great songs, there’s just something about the energy of this track that makes me so happy.

• Sidewinder – “Guardians” – This song represents some of the best stoner metal of 2024, and I can’t stop listening to it.

• Bombus – “Take You Down” – This song is just badass. I couldn’t care less what you think. Die.

Show 8 footnotes

1. Fuck off, this happens every year. ↩
2. Don’t call me Steel Daddy ever again! – Steel Daddy ↩
3. See what I did there? ↩
4. They can’t all be Vaders, ya fucks! ↩
5. Love you, GardensTale. ↩
6. Well, that’s what the Lord of the Rings movies tell me. ↩
7. Yeah, yeah, bitch all you want about including this band into my collective bubble of “death metal.” ↩
8. Also, stop listening to “Nordic Anthem” by itself. Fucking idiots. ↩

#2024 #Aborted #Attic #BlogPosts #BloodRedThrone #Bombus #Borknagar #CelticFrost #CrystalViper #Darkthrone #DimmuBorgir #Dio #DrANGrierSTopTenIshOf2024 #DreamTheater #DustBolt #Exhorder #IAmTheIntimidator #IronMaiden #Khold #KingDiamond #Kingcrow #Lists #MercyfulFate #Metallica #Midnight #Ministry #Motörhead #NickCave #Portrait #Sarke #Sidewinder #SpockSBeard #TheVisionBleak #TheWhiteStripes #TypeONegative #Vader #VanessaFunke #Venom

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MERCYFUL FATE Bassist BECKY BALDWIN, VIXEN Vocalist LORRAINE LEWIS Discuss The Rise Of Women In Metal And Hard Rock (Video)

https://bravewords.com/news/mercyful-fate-bassist-becky-baldwin-vixen-vocalist-lorraine-lewis-discuss-the-rise-of-women-in-metal-and-hard-rock-video

#WomenInHardRock #MetalMayhem #Vixen #MercyfulFate #LorraineLewis #BeckyBaldwin #EvolutionOfWomenInMusic #HardRockAndHeavyMetal #Trendsetters #EmpoweringWomenInRock

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#BraveWords
MERCYFUL FATE Bassist BECKY BALDWIN, VIXEN Vocalist LORRAINE LEWIS Discuss The Rise Of Women In Metal And Hard Rock (Video)

https://bravewords.com/news/mercyful-fate-bassist-becky-baldwin-vixen-vocalist-lorraine-lewis-discuss-the-rise-of-women-in-metal-and-hard-rock-video

#WomenInHardRock #MetalMayhem #Vixen #MercyfulFate #LorraineLewis #BeckyBaldwin #EvolutionOfWomenInMusic #HardRockAndHeavyMetal #Trendsetters #EmpoweringWomenInRock

#TheMetalDogArticleList
#BraveWords
MERCYFUL FATE Bassist BECKY BALDWIN, VIXEN Vocalist LORRAINE LEWIS Discuss The Rise Of Women In Metal And Hard Rock (Video)

https://bravewords.com/news/mercyful-fate-bassist-becky-baldwin-vixen-vocalist-lorraine-lewis-discuss-the-rise-of-women-in-metal-and-hard-rock-video

#WomenInHardRock #MetalMayhem #Vixen #MercyfulFate #LorraineLewis #BeckyBaldwin #EvolutionOfWomenInMusic #HardRockAndHeavyMetal #Trendsetters #EmpoweringWomenInRock

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#AngryMetalGuy
Yer Metal Is Olde: Illwill - Evilution | Angry Metal Guy
A look back at Illwill's Evilution, which is twenty-five years olde in 2023.

https://www.angrymetalguy.com/yer-metal-is-olde-illwill-evilution/

#metal #olde #Illwill #Evilution #AngryMetalGuy #YerMetalIsOlde
#KingDiamond #MercyfulFate #SnowyShaw #AndyLaRoque

#TheMetalDogArticleList
#AngryMetalGuy
Yer Metal Is Olde: Illwill - Evilution | Angry Metal Guy
A look back at Illwill's Evilution, which is twenty-five years olde in 2023.

https://www.angrymetalguy.com/yer-metal-is-olde-illwill-evilution/

#metal #olde #Illwill #Evilution #AngryMetalGuy #YerMetalIsOlde
#KingDiamond #MercyfulFate #SnowyShaw #AndyLaRoque

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#AngryMetalGuy
Yer Metal Is Olde: Illwill - Evilution | Angry Metal Guy
A look back at Illwill's Evilution, which is twenty-five years olde in 2023.

https://www.angrymetalguy.com/yer-metal-is-olde-illwill-evilution/

#metal #olde #Illwill #Evilution #AngryMetalGuy #YerMetalIsOlde
#KingDiamond #MercyfulFate #SnowyShaw #AndyLaRoque

#TheMetalDogArticleList
#AngryMetalGuy
Yer Metal Is Olde: Illwill - Evilution | Angry Metal Guy
A look back at Illwill's Evilution, which is twenty-five years olde in 2023.

https://www.angrymetalguy.com/yer-metal-is-olde-illwill-evilution/

#metal #olde #Illwill #Evilution #AngryMetalGuy #YerMetalIsOlde
#KingDiamond #MercyfulFate #SnowyShaw #AndyLaRoque

#TheMetalDogArticleList
#AngryMetalGuy
Yer Metal Is Olde: Illwill - Evilution | Angry Metal Guy
A look back at Illwill's Evilution, which is twenty-five years olde in 2023.

https://www.angrymetalguy.com/yer-metal-is-olde-illwill-evilution/

#metal #olde #Illwill #Evilution #AngryMetalGuy #YerMetalIsOlde
#KingDiamond #MercyfulFate #SnowyShaw #AndyLaRoque

Yer Metal Is Olde: Illwill – Evilution

By Dr. A.N. Grier

In a recent discussion in the AMG halls, we shared some of the most obscure shit we have buried in our hard drives, burned to a CD, or kept hidden from the masses—hidden because we adore it too much to share or feel much shame. In this case, it’s the former. So, in an attempt to help the idiots on staff (and in the comments) who think an album ten years ago is iconic, I’ll share a gem you would be an idiot to ignore. While this piece could easily be a 90’s Weirdness bit, I am not here to shame the band members for making it. Evilution is the sole LP from quasi-supergroup Illwill. This odd band consisted of King Diamond and Mercyful Fate greats Andy LaRocque, Sharlee D’Angelo, and Snowy Shaw. While it’s common for these lads to form, join, or guest in many projects over the years, this might be one of the strangest collaborations in their storied careers.

Formed as a thrash band in 1997, Illwill puts a boot to the genre, each kick aiming for a different part of the body. The first kick is to the head from little-known vocalist Jonas Dahlström. This is odd because, at the time, Dahlström was the vocalist for Desert Plains, a Judas Priest cover band. While that would be odd enough for a thrash album, he goes apeshit on his approach to the music of Evilution, combining Judas Priest, Gwar, and other ungodly insanity. The second kick is to the balls by Snowy Shaw. When this dude is at the helm of any project, you know it’s gonna be fucking weird. And there’s absolutely no shortage of weirdness on Evilution. Even mentioning another thrash band as an influence would be a mistake. The last kick is to the throat. The lyrics alternate between tongue-in-cheek absurdity and downright hilarious to offensive-as-fuck and disgusting. So, stop reading if you’re easily offended by things that won’t hurt you.

You don’t have to wait long to hear Dahlström’s vocal approach as he counts down opener “Singh Hai” inappropriately. Beyond his vocals, you’ll notice the piercing guitar tone and drum master1 as we explore the song’s torture story. As the thrashy licks change and evolve, the vocals become more chaotic, spewing obscenities and absurdities to the bitter end. If you somehow made it through the opener, it doesn’t get any easier from here. In a few minutes, you’ll stumble over “Six Sec Sex.” If you want to continue having good sex, don’t wander into the lyric sheets for this one. The song is even more disturbing with the staccato vocal approach that’ll burn those three words in your skull for decades to cum. A little later, you’ll collide with the droner known as “Bid Farewell to Welfare.” With its long sustains and dissonant chords, Dahlström warbles on about welfare and some shit, while Shaw’s odd drum work fucks with your mind.

Between all this chaos, there are some remarkably badass songs. These include the “Whether With or Without,” “Who to Trust?,” and “365 Reasons to Commit Suicide.” The first is a thrashy three-minute piece combining solid riffage and a punchy chorus. Next to “365 Reasons to Commit Suicide,” this song has the most memorable chorus on the disc—one you’ll use when yelling at small children. “365 Reasons to Commit Suicide” is not only the most addictive song but also one of my top ten favorite thrash songs ever. Its approach is similar to “Whether With or Without,” but the riffs are meatier, and the intensity cuts deep. On the other side of the coin, “Who to Trust?” is a stellar piece consisting of an Iron Maiden-esque attitude that lets D’Angelo explore his inner Steve Harris.

Even with all this absurdity, there are moments when Dahlström can use his pipes. These moments come in the form of the back-to-back “Eternal Sleep” and “K.A.O.S.” “Eternal Sleep” kicks off with a punishing march, and D’Angelo bass leads to guide us to the soaring, melodic Judas Priest chorus. “K.A.O.S.,” on the other hand, rips out your butthole with an opening trash lick that transitions to a similar death march as “Eternal Sleep.” But the melody shines when the vocals dress in a tuxedo. Though not as pleasing as the track before, the song’s internal beauty-and-the-beast struggle is wholly worth it.

If you can make it through fifty-plus minutes of this bizarreness, you’ll find a lot of hidden treasures. As always, Shaw puts on one hell of a performance behind the kit, fucking around where he wants and adding heft to the heavier material on the album. Though King Diamond isn’t exactly fast and hard, LaRocque ain’t afraid to be. We’ve seen that on Death’s Individual Thought Patterns and now again on Evilution. In particular, his blisteringly-fast performance on “365 Reasons to Commit Suicide” is delicious. Throughout the album, you’ll also find D’Angelo’s bass rising to the surface, toying around with clever licks and adding unsettling atmospheres to some of the odder tracks. I’ve never heard Dahlström on anything else but Evilution. I can only imagine his voice can carry many Judas Priest tracks. But he doesn’t give a shit here. I guarantee most of you will hate his voice on Evilution, but I wouldn’t change it for the world.

#1998 #2023 #Death #DesertPlains #DiamondRecords #Evilution #Gwar #Illwill #JudasPriest #KingDiamond #MercyfulFate #Pantera #SwedishMetal #ThrashMetal #YerMetalIsOlde

#NowPlaying #TheMetalDogIsNowPlaying
#MercyfulFate
Into The Unknown
Holy Water

YouTube Search:
https://youtube.com/results?search_query=Mercyful+Fate+Into+The+Unknown+Holy+Water

Songwhip:
https://songwhip.com/Mercyful-Fate/Holy-Water

Lyrics:
https://genius.com/Mercyful-fate-holy-water-lyrics

LastFM:
https://www.last.fm/music/Mercyful+Fate/_/Holy+Water

#heavymetal #metal #horrormetal #favouritetracks #mercyfulfate

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#BLABBERMOUTH
New MERCYFUL FATE Bassist BECKY BALDWIN Opens Up About Suffering From Prosopagnosia, Or 'Face Blindness'

https://blabbermouth.net/news/new-mercyful-fate-bassist-becky-baldwin-opens-up-about-suffering-from-prosopagnosia-or-face-blindness

#MercyfulFate #Bassist #BeckyBaldwin #Prosopagnosia #FaceBlindness #Condition #Awareness #Interview #Experience

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#MetalInjection
MERCYFUL FATE Bassist BECKY BALDWIN On Joining The Band As Permanent Member: "I Guess The Idea Was Floating Around For A While"
"It was a natural progression."

https://metalinjection.net/news/mercyful-fate-bassist-becky-baldwin-on-joining-the-band-as-permanent-member-i-guess-the-idea-was-floating-around-for-a-while

#MercyfulFate #BeckyBaldwin #PermanentMember #JoiningTheBand #FloatingAround #BandMember #Bassist

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#AmericanSongwriter
4 80s Hits and 2 Metal Epics That Broke the Rules of Conventional SongcraftFrom Prince to The Stranglers
Examining four hit songs from the 80s and multiple metal epics that wavered from the conventional crafting of music.

https://americansongwriter.com/4-80s-hits-and-2-metal-epics-that-broke-the-rules-of-conventional-songcraft-from-prince-to-the-stranglers/

#Metal #MercyfulFate #80sHits #2MetalEpics #BreakingTheRules #ConventionalSongcraft #Prince #TheStranglers #AmericanSongwriter

#TheMetalDogArticleList
#AmericanSongwriter
4 80s Hits and 2 Metal Epics That Broke the Rules of Conventional SongcraftFrom Prince to The Stranglers
Examining four hit songs from the 80s and multiple metal epics that wavered from the conventional crafting of music.

https://americansongwriter.com/4-80s-hits-and-2-metal-epics-that-broke-the-rules-of-conventional-songcraft-from-prince-to-the-stranglers/

#Metal #MercyfulFate #80sHits #2MetalEpics #BreakingTheRules #ConventionalSongcraft #Prince #TheStranglers #AmericanSongwriter

#TheMetalDogArticleList
#AmericanSongwriter
4 80s Hits and 2 Metal Epics That Broke the Rules of Conventional SongcraftFrom Prince to The Stranglers
Examining four hit songs from the 80s and multiple metal epics that wavered from the conventional crafting of music.

https://americansongwriter.com/4-80s-hits-and-2-metal-epics-that-broke-the-rules-of-conventional-songcraft-from-prince-to-the-stranglers/

#Metal #MercyfulFate #80sHits #2MetalEpics #BreakingTheRules #ConventionalSongcraft #Prince #TheStranglers #AmericanSongwriter

#TheMetalDogArticleList
#AmericanSongwriter
4 80s Hits and 2 Metal Epics That Broke the Rules of Conventional SongcraftFrom Prince to The Stranglers
Examining four hit songs from the 80s and multiple metal epics that wavered from the conventional crafting of music.

https://americansongwriter.com/4-80s-hits-and-2-metal-epics-that-broke-the-rules-of-conventional-songcraft-from-prince-to-the-stranglers/

#Metal #MercyfulFate #80sHits #2MetalEpics #BreakingTheRules #ConventionalSongcraft #Prince #TheStranglers #AmericanSongwriter