Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #theblackdahliamurder, aggregated by home.social.
Fuming Mouth Added To The Black Dahlia Murder’s European “Nocturnal” 20th Anniversary Tour
Death metal-laced hardcore outfit Fuming Mouth have landed the direct support role to melodic death metal outfit The…
#Europe #EU #European #FumingMouth #TheBlackDahliaMurder
https://www.europesays.com/europe/139227/
Trap a toddler, just any foundling who wanders into your snare, and he’ll tell you: maximum gross-out can never be induced by sight, smell, touch, or taste alone. No, it’s that combination of all or some of the above that we call texture–texture is the most reliable shortcut to the gag reflex. With that in mind, Ferox eyed the self-titled debut from Aussie sextet Slime Dimension. AMG Industries already has a Vomit Guy on staff. Could I carve out a similar niche for myself in all things slimy and mucous-y? Ya gotta specialize to survive the onslaught of n00bs coming for your spot. I want to be Snot Guy! Will these nine tracks of death metal, delivered in a fleeting, sneeze-like twenty-six minutes, get me there? Empty your sinuses on me, Slime Dimension, and let’s find out.
When you unwad the tissue that is Slime Dimension, you may be surprised by the nuggets inside. The band name and album art promise something burbling and viscous. Instead, Slime Dimension traffics in polished and even catchy melodeath. From the moment you click “play,” it’s apparent that this platter is more of a sweet treat than it is a pile o’slop. Opener “Carcass Gravy” snaps you to attention with big Skeletonwitch vibes, as thrash-y riffs and Chance Garnette-style vocals fly by in a blur. Track after track whips past, with Slime Dimension displaying an aptitude for infectious choruses (“Carcass Gravy,” “The Beyond”) and tastefully dispensed guitar solos (“Weightless, Unhinged,” “Necrotic Solace”) that evoke genre titans The Black Dahlia Murder. Sprinkle it all with an overlay of the Party Lovecraft ethos that distinguishes Xoth and Slugdge from their peers, and it’s apparent that Slime Dimension has coughed up an appealing loogie. Even if this long player never escapes the shadow of its influences, Slime Dimension is still mostly worthy of the sliver of time it asks of you.
This is all familiar territory, but Slime Dimension make small choices along the way that keep things from getting mired in formula. The guitars of Sloptimus Slime and Slimeon Phoenix (a duo that’s been replaced since recording by Arnold Sludgenator and John Slimebo) intersect with the songs in interesting ways. They don’t simply plop a solo down two-thirds of the way through every track. That restraint makes the classic rock-inflected bars that finally drop during album centerpiece “Weightless, Unhinged” land harder than they otherwise might. These well-conceived dollops of novelty pop up throughout the slab’s brief run to make twenty-six minutes disappear before anyone has time to say “Gesundheit.”
The time might fly by too fast. Slime Dimension is a fleet and entertaining listen, but few moments stand out or leave a lasting impact. “Weightless, Unhinged,” “Necrotic Solace,” and closer “The Beyond” sport dynamic songwriting, and all three will stick to the wall if you flick ’em yonder. There are no outright duds on the platter, but the remaining tracks can feel like they’ve been buffed and shined to the point of becoming slight. Slime Dimension’s debut is crafted with enormous good cheer, from the earworm riffs to the slime-based fake names that come off just a bit goofy. The album lacks substance, though; there’s never enough nutritious gristle to justify the insulin spike these nine offerings are sure to induce.
An inessential good time is still a good time. Slime Dimension spew forth with a strong handle on their sound and the ability to channel their influences with brio. I got through this album with ease each and every time I played it. I’d bet large sums that the band is a ton of fun in a live setting. If they’re going to make an impact in the studio, though, they might want to balance their exuberance with something stickier.
Rating: 2.5/5.0
DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: FLAC
Label: Self-Release
Websites: slimedimension.bandcamp.com|slimedimension.com
Releases Worldwide: September 11th, 2026
https://www.europesays.com/ie/669942/ Fog Wall – Gloomweaver Review #2026 #40 #AmericanMetal #DeathMetal #Éire #Entertainment #FogWall #Gloomweaver #IE #Ireland #MorbidAngel #Music #Necropanther #Review #Reviews #Sandvvitch #SelfRelease #Sep26 #TheBlackDahliaMurder #TypeONegative #Warbringer
Drawing from metal’s perennial fantasy touchstone—Lord of the Rings—with the genre’s new favorite fantasy—the Fromsoftware game catalog1—Fog Wall make their independent death metal debut with Gloomweaver. Formed by two lifelong friends and Sandvvitch bandmates, vocalist Zak Brady and vocalist/bassist/overall-sound-guy Alex Malmquist (ex-Warbringer) wove Gloomweaver out of “their love of crushing evil riffs and heavy bass tones,” a fondness I’m sure is common among the greater AMG readership. Joined by guitarist Shagrat “Quincy” Gorbag and drummer Logan Griggs, Fog Wall aim to whip up heck with this passion project. But is this a passing thing, Gloomweaver, or does its soul have the strength to keep the fire lit?
If you decide to step through the Fog Wall, you’d best steel yourself; Gloomweaver hits hard and sticks deep. Striking with the old-school grit of Morbid Angel, muscle and immediacy of The Black Dahlia Murder, and the snarling ferocity of Necropanther, Fog Wall punch well above their weight. Many of Gloomweaver’s riffs feel irresponsible. The neanderthalic, brown-noted bulldozer grooves of “Knife, Sting, Tooth,” “Mazarbul (Desolation),” and “Manor of Ensnarement” tap into a primal need for heavy things to hit other heavy things. When “Fleshpot Ritual” hits its breakdown or “Frantic Orb Wielder” reaches its post-sample groove,2 heads will roll. Brady and Malmquist’s vocals make for a slobbering two-headed beast, wetly belching screams, gurgles, and growls matched in savagery only by Malmquist’s grotesque, capital-PH PHat bass wreaking havoc across Gloomweaver. Fog Wall is a band that just gets the minutiae of what makes death metal devastating, and are poised to use said minutiae to rip new ones with great urgency via Gloomweaver.
Fog Wall are no mere conjurors of cheap brutality, but come armed with plentiful eccentricity. There’s a blackened edge to Fog Wall—see the twin tremolos of “The Accursed” or the icy synths and blast-beated turn in “Strangling Gloom”—lending a density and sinister bent that’s supercharged by their superb death metal heft. But more surprisingly, the sleazy swing of Type O Negative manifests in musty doom riffing on “Manor of Ensnarement,” muscular group vocal “hoo”s on “Fleshpot Ritual,” and—no duh—the entirety of the Type O cover “The Profit of Doom (Medley).” Gloomweaver can verge into tech-death on speedy, tweedily-dweedily cuts like “Mazarbul (Desolation)” and “Frantic Orb Wielder,” and their Necropantheresque snarl lends a thrashy bite to everything.3 Finally, Fog Wall know how to sample. Clips from the LotR movie trilogy and Fromsoftware games briefly and succinctly establish setting and tone (“Manor of Ensnarement,” “Traverse”) and cue mid-song shifts with serious aplomb [“Mazarbul (Desolation),” “Frantic Orb Wielder”] bolstering Gloomweaver as an artful and thematically rich record as well as a delightfully heavy one.
Fog Wall’s songwriting is tight and thoughtful, but it’s not without its hiccups. Gloomweaver is a well-edited record, with every song focused and impactful and nothing running unbearably long. They even cut “The Profit of Doom (Medley)” almost in half from its original runtime. More importantly, nothing’s cut too short either, as even quick cuts like “Frantic Orb Wielder” and “Strangling Gloom” sound full and fully realized. But both “The Accursed” and “Belching Black Vapors” start strong and somewhat lose steam by the end, with the former lacking as many twists as usual and the latter seemingly entering into its ending phase halfway through. Gloomweaver’s weakest moment unfortunately comes with its finale in “Traverse,” where its slower pace loses much of the album’s previous vitality, and a tastefully doomy bass line and name-dropping “FOG WALL” chorus can’t bring the fire back as hot as on prior tracks. These few pacing issues are worth noting, though in no way do they detract from Fog Wall’s electrifying presence and smartly-written tunes.
Gloomweaver is fire. A gross display of joyously seething deathly goodness, Fog Wall killed it with their debut. Like the stories of their fantasy inspirations, the ordeal of any independent artistic process is long, tiresome, and uphill; this bunch of chums made it look effortless. If you like death metal, you probably like this album. Not all who wander are lost, but if Gloomweaver isn’t where you’re headed, then get it together, step through the Fog Wall, and let them take you to a cold, dark, and decidedly ungentle place today.4
Rating: Great!
DR: 9 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps MP3
Label: Self-Release
Website: fogwallnv.bandcamp.com | facebook.com
Releases Worldwide: September 4th, 2026
https://www.europesays.com/nl/288051/ The Absolution Sequence – Dread Cycle #2026 #Amusement #Australië #BleedingArtCollective #death #deathcore #decapitated #DreadCycle #Dutch #Entertainment #groove #Music #Muziek #Nederland #Nederlanden #Nederlands #Netherlands #NL #recensie #review #revocation #TechnicalDeath #TechnicalDeathMetal #TheAbsolutionSequence #TheBlackDahliaMurder #ThyArtIsMurder #ZwareMetalen
https://www.europesays.com/be-nl/124381/ The Absolution Sequence – Dread Cycle #2026 #Amusement #Australië #BE #België #Belgium #BleedingArtCollective #death #deathcore #decapitated #DreadCycle #Entertainment #groove #Music #Muziek #recensie #review #revocation #TechnicalDeath #TechnicalDeathMetal #TheAbsolutionSequence #TheBlackDahliaMurder #ThyArtIsMurder #ZwareMetalen
In his review of Eaten by Sharks’s debut, Eradication, Carcharodon mollified readers about the dangers of sharks by citing statistics. However, statistics don’t erase the fact that sharks look like the stuff of nightmares—and they do sometimes eat people. Most of us prefer to experience this vicariously through film, where we learn sharks are quite versatile killers. They might surprise you while you’re skinny dipping and thrash you around a bit before dragging you underwater. Or one might burst through the floor of an underwater research facility and chomp you in half. There are also more subtle methods of death, like finding yourself stranded in the middle of the ocean when a shark bites your leg and then swims off, leaving you to slowly bleed to death. Canada’s Eaten by Sharks throw their own narrative hat in the ring on their second album, The Undertow of Hate, a dark and brutal vision of violence in the deep seas.
The songs on The Undertow of Hate behave just like killer sharks—they’re brutal, shifty, violent, and efficient. Eaten by Sharks achieve this through a deathcore-adjacent style of death metal that straddles the line between Fit for an Autopsy and Cattle Decapitation. Down-tuned, chugging guitars and pummeling blast beats provide an atmosphere of dark violence, and the high-energy music feels like a rallying cry for sharks in a feeding frenzy. Eaten by Sharks also dip into The Black Dahlia Murder-style melodeath on the likes of the speedy and entertaining “Bodies Overboard” and “Crimson Tide.” The Undertow of Hate isn’t all pedal to the metal, though. It often pauses for slower moments, surveying the outcome of the violence with pithy observations like “Look at all the bodies” (“Bodies Overboard”). The progressive nature of the music ensures a narrative flow rather than a mere repetition of ideas.
Eaten by Sharks have produced a masterwork of horror in terms of atmosphere and storytelling. Borrowing from horror stalwarts Fulci, they integrate atmospheric soundbites into the opening of each song. Far from being annoying or gimmicky, these touches meld naturally into the music. Opener “Vessels Torn” combines gentle guitar riffs, crying seagulls, and the straining of a ship against the waves before plunging into the violence of guitars and growls. Other tracks open with people screaming in terror, splashes of water, underwater bubbles, and even a soundbite from the original Jaws. These touches help immerse the listener in the grisly setting and add a layer of depth to the pummeling music. It all culminates in a brilliant outro, “Surfaced Remains,” which uses surprisingly lovely arpeggios and some audio tricks to give the sense of bodies rising to the surface, making for a poignant, if nihilistic, conclusion to the record.
The musicians overcome a pretty bad mixing job to put together an album that sounds much better than it should. I think it helps that Eaten by Sharks doesn’t overwhelm with a busy mix—they take a rather simple, though effective, approach to the music. The drums from Justin Whitehead may be a touch too loud, but he lays the framework for violence with some powerful blast beats, while taking things down a notch as the narrative requires. The dual guitar work from Chris Chaperon and Dan Oko helps instill a sense of the unfolding chaos through the use of dissonant, off-kilter riffs. Yet they also incorporate some impressive shredding, technical wizardry, and memorable melodic touches, which help allay the oft-used repetitive chugging. Matt Sherriff puts together an impressively schizophrenic performance behind the mic. His convincing swap between deep throaty growls and rasping snarls gives the impression of a second vocalist. On the terrific “Treading Water,” he demonstrates a melodic storytelling capacity that’s just a blast to listen to.
The attention to detail throughout The Undertow to Hate shows that these guys had a ton of fun with the concept. I do wish Eaten by Sharks had provided a lyrics sheet because Sherriff delivers a number of gems. When he rasps “there’s fucking bodies in the water” on “Crimson Tide,” it’s a chilling, almost gleeful, reminder of the destruction wrought. Touches like these help cover up some other flaws, especially the rather simplistic and sometimes headache-inducing loud chugging guitar/drum/growl combo. Nonetheless, this will end up as one of the year’s most memorable listening experiences. If you love brutal death metal featuring effective storytelling and plenty of wiolence, then you need to go out and get Eaten by Sharks.
Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 4 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: CDN Records
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: July 17th, 2026
Recent #WhiteroomReviews items that I wrote:
#LikeRoses #EvaUnderFire #Knosis #Brat #Citizen #Boston #WailinStorms #Hamasaari #Waltari #RegressiveHypnosis #DayDreamPlus #IceSealedEyes #Jera #EvenIfWeLose #LakeDrive #TheBlackDahliaMurder #ColorBlind #IceNineKills #Walkways #Gorod #Beartooth #Nunlslaughter #TheNocturnalAffair & MORE!
The Black Dahlia Murder Reveal 2027 Nocturnal Anniversary European Tour
Melodic death metal veterans The Black Dahlia Murder will celebrate one of the most beloved albums in their…
#Europe #EU #European #TheBlackDahliaMurder
https://www.europesays.com/europe/86521/
The Black Dahlia Murder Announce “Nocturnal” 20th Anniversary European Tour
Midwestern melodic death metallers The Black Dahlia Murder will be throwing it back two decades next year. The…
#Europe #EU #European #TheBlackDahliaMurder
https://www.europesays.com/europe/82985/
Wrote some #BrothersinRAW items regarding:
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The Black Dahlia Murder announce 2027 European tour
Author Teemu Hakala – 30.6.2026 The Black Dahlia Murder have announced “Two Decades Of Nocturnal,” a European headline…
#Europe #EU #European #TheBlackDahliaMurder
https://www.europesays.com/europe/82785/
Goreworm – Miasmic Solitude Review
After releasing debut LP Prodigy of the Grotesque in 2020, Canada’s Goreworm re-emerges from their burrow with follow-up…
#NewsBeep #News #Music #2.5 #2026 #AbysmalDawn #Archspire #CanadianMetal #CannibalCorpse #DeathMetal #Entertainment #Goreworm #Jun26 #MiasmicSolitude #Necrophagist #Obscura #review #Reviews #technicaldeathmetal #TheBlackDahliaMurder #TranscendingObscurityRecords #UK #UnitedKingdom #ValeofPnath
https://www.newsbeep.com/uk/639146/
Goreworm – Miasmic Solitude Review
After releasing debut LP Prodigy of the Grotesque in 2020, Canada’s Goreworm re-emerges from their burrow with follow-up…
#NewsBeep #News #Music #2.5 #2026 #AbysmalDawn #Archspire #AU #Australia #CanadianMetal #CannibalCorpse #DeathMetal #Entertainment #Goreworm #Jun26 #MiasmicSolitude #Necrophagist #Obscura #review #reviews #TechnicalDeathMetal #TheBlackDahliaMurder #TranscendingObscurityRecords #ValeofPnath
https://www.newsbeep.com/au/736440/
Goreworm – Miasmic Solitude Review
After releasing debut LP Prodigy of the Grotesque in 2020, Canada’s Goreworm re-emerges from their burrow with follow-up…
#NewsBeep #News #Music #2.5 #2026 #AbysmalDawn #Archspire #CA #Canada #CanadianMetal #CannibalCorpse #DeathMetal #Entertainment #Goreworm #Jun26 #MiasmicSolitude #Necrophagist #Obscura #review #reviews #TechnicalDeathMetal #TheBlackDahliaMurder #TranscendingObscurityRecords #ValeofPnath
https://www.newsbeep.com/ca/736507/
After releasing debut LP Prodigy of the Grotesque in 2020, Canada’s Goreworm re-emerges from their burrow with follow-up full-length Miasmic Solitude. Prodigy of the Grotesque enchanted me when I ran across it a few years ago—sweeping guitars, slick bass grooves, and a deliciously vigorous percussive cannonade made for a tasty tech death treat. Now six years later, Goreworm has metamorphosed from the band that dropped Prodigy. Vocalist Jesse Suess and founding members drummer Sean Bruce and bassist Derek Gibbs bid adieu, leaving guitarists Jordan Estrela and Brent Moerschfelder to carry the torch. For Miasmic Solitude, Goreworm rounds out the ensemble with session drummer Robin Stone (Ashen Horde, Chestcrush), who flayed the skins on 2021 EP Plague of Shadows, and vocalist Robert Miller (Antheraea). With a revitalized crew and a fresh batch of jams in hand, can Miasmic Solitude worm its way into your heart?
Technical death metal can be a tough genre to craft thoughtful songs within. The most immediate hurdle is technical chops—if you can’t muster the dexterity to pull off instrumental mayhem, you’re sunk. Yet the ability to play at blistering speeds with robotic fidelity isn’t enough on its own; it’s merely the price of admission. To transcend in the genre as the best from Necrophagist, Obscura, and Archspire have, you need crystalline mechanics embedded within engrossing and memorable compositions. Goreworm’s brand of death metal lands amidst the likes of The Black Dahlia Murder, Vale of Pnath and Abysmal Dawn, sporting burly riffs played at head-spinning velocity with occasional splashes of neoclassical color. This, at least, ensures the price of admission has been paid in full.
Goreworm members old and new unleash the razzle-dazzle on Miasmic Solitude as they pump gallons of adrenalized ear candy into its compositions. Estrela and Moerschfelder beget a sinewy string section, uncorking spidery leads that dash along fretboards with muscle and venom (“Monuments to Murdering,” “Miasmic Solitude”). Moerschfelder pulls double duty on the low-end, too, clanging and banging with satisfying heft. I only wish he broke away more from playing under the guitars and locking into root notes. To be clear, this is a nitpick on style and not a comment on his ability to bring the thunder. It’s just that compared to Gibbs’ bass on Prodigy of the Grotesque, Miasmic Solitude loses a dimension that helped set Goreworm’s debut apart. Meanwhile, Stone supplies a magnificent performance behind the kit, unfettering smooth rolls à la Chris Adler (“Amor Vincit Omnia”) and hammer-smashing cavalcades that recall the ferocity of Cannibal Corpse’s Paul Marzurkiewicz fused with the grace of Dirk Verbeuren (“No Reprieve”). Robert Miller proves a capable vocalist, and though his performance isn’t particularly dynamic, he supports the music well and sounds credibly savage throughout.
Goreworm crackles with vitality throughout Miasmic Solitude, yet the entirety falls short of the promise of its performances. The production proves a mixed bag, allowing the guitars and vocals to shine at the expense of the drums, which sometimes cut through but often become muddled during furious blasts, obscuring the pop of robust drum tones I loved on the debut. Perhaps the intent was to thematically embrace what a cloudy, claustrophobic atmosphere achieves, shining the spotlight on a single focus at a time. If so, I can appreciate the attempt, but it fails to properly incorporate all the ingredients into what Goreworm is cooking. Besides the mix, the songwriting highlights Goreworm’s technical acumen without sharpening their hooks enough to reel me back in once the music fades. To be fair, Miasmic Solitude rips throughout its runtime and is a qualified neck-wrecker—I just don’t feel compelled to revisit it afterwards.
Ultimately, Goreworm exhibits a myriad of traits I love to hear in technical death metal. With a more well-rounded production and carefully honed compositions that transcend being platforms for flexing technical mastery, Goreworm bears all the potential to annihilate expectations. As it stands, after several listens through Miasmic Solitude, there’s no doubt that Goreworm possesses the prowess necessary to deliver on the technical front. I’m just unconvinced of the magnetism their material yields to keep me coming back past the pyrotechnics.
Rating: Mixed
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Transcending Obscurity Records
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: June 12th, 2026
Arch Enemy and The Black Dahlia Murder are joining forces this fall for the Wrath Across America co-headlining tour with support from Septicflesh, Crypta, and Thrown Into Exile.
The run also marks a new era for Arch Enemy following the addition of Lauren Hart as the band's new vocalist.
#ArchEnemy #TheBlackDahliaMurder #Septicflesh #Crypta #DeathMetal #MelodicDeathMetal #MetalTour #MetalNews
Leading up to the release of The Harvest, Ashen Horde finds themselves pushing against the boundaries of the identity they’ve honed since forming in 2013. Conceived by Los Angeles-based Trevor Portz, the sole contributor through the band’s first two albums,1 Ashen Horde stands as a studio-only project, blurring the lines between black and death metal with progressive tendencies while telling unified stories through each album’s runtime. On third album Fallen Cathedrals, Ashen Horde enlisted the talents of powerhouse vocalist Stevie Boiser (Inferi, Equipoise) to tremendous effect. Portz and Boiser delivered another gem on follow-up Antimony, joined by drummer Robin Stone (Chestcrush) and bassist Igor Panasewicz (NightWraith). On fifth album The Harvest: newcomer Karl Chamberlain (Putrefier) replaces Boiser and leans heavily into melodic cleans, Panasewicz exits the fold, the narrative element has been replaced with a looser theme,2 and Ashen Horde begins rehearsals for their first-ever live performances later this year. Do all these changes result in an effective crop rotation, keeping The Harvest’s yield fresh and rich, or do the white-hot flames of slash-and-burn songwriting blaze too brightly, leaving only a bumper crop of ash?
Where Boiser’s vocals amplified Ashen Horde’s ferocity within the confines of black and death metal, Chamberlain’s stylings push the band’s sound into a more melodic arena. Clean vocals sparsely populated Ashen Horde’s Boiser era, but The Harvest sees them co-headline, prominently featuring Chamberlain’s versatile melodic phrasing. Prior releases’ touchstones Opeth and Enslaved continue to be relevant, yet the emphasis on cleans skews heavily towards Trivium and, to a lesser extent, Killswitch Engage.3 The shift is broader than the vocals, though, as the instrumentation diversifies as well. Frantic trems and knotty compositions previously grounded Ashen Horde’s sound in progressive black metal akin to Ihsahn, but The Harvest evolves to bring a distinctly Voivoidian essence to the guitar work (the riffing after the solo on “Backward Momentum” is classic Piggy). Performance-wise, Ashen Horde delivers first-rate moments that ground returning listeners in a familiar setting, with Portz laying down his usual impressive stringed attack and Stone supplying nuanced exhibitions throughout. In total, these changes evince a band at a crossroads, uncontent to rest on its laurels while a new outlook is forged.
The maturation of Ashen Horde’s sound amounts to more than an inflated list of references, though. For starters, the underlying genres require reevaluation. Fallen Cathedrals and Antimony classify as black metal, death metal, and progressive metal, yet The Harvest adds a healthy dose of melodic death metal and a dash of thrash. Specifically, “Remnant” evokes a slightly proggier take on 90s In Flames while “Apparition” recalls a less rabid The Black Dahlia Murder. Besides Voivod, The Harvest taps into thrash via the jazzy grooves heard on Species’ latest (“Entropy and Ecstasy”) and the whirring, dissonant refrains endemic to Coroner (“Autumnal,” “A Place in the Rot”). With so many moving pieces, it’s a wonder that Ashen Horde retains as much of their core identity as they do.
Given the dramatic musical pivot, The Harvest feels like a snapshot of a band mid-flight rather than one reaching their final destination. With Ashen Horde stacking so many elements on top of one another, I’m not sure how well they gel into a unified album. The vocals in particular give me the biggest pause—not because of Chamberlain’s performance, which is potent across harsh and clean deliveries. I’m just not convinced how well they work in concert, given the even split between them. On previous albums, cleans were sparingly used as accents, but their expanded involvement on The Harvest conjures disparate moods that flit back and forth in a way that occasionally feels jarring (“Autumnal”). The end result is a compromise that lands between the familiar and the bold.
Despite Ashen Horde exploring a new identity on The Harvest, plenty of earwatering fruit awaits a good reaping. As the band calls out in their promo materials, even though the central theme is about endings, The Harvest is a new beginning. I expect opinions will be split on the new direction, but Ashen Horde is a project that teems with ideas and new frontiers, and I’ll take that every time over a band that’s content to remake the same album over and over. Now go check out this week’s Harvest and sample its tasty Ashen Hordeuvres.
Rating: Good!
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Self-Release
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: May 1st, 2026
What a Horrible Night to Have a Curse by The Black Dahlia Murder on Apple Music https://song.link/us/i/261391753
#TheBlackDahliaMurder #Metal #NowPlaying #Musicchannel #MastodonMusic #Mastoradio #Music #AppleMusic #TrevorStrnad🖤
Nach drei Jahren sind HEAVEN SHALL BURN endlich wieder im Wiener Gasometer zu Gast. Im Rahmen ihrer „Heimat over Europe“ Tour werden die Thüringer von der schwedischen Melodic-Death-Metal-Supergroup THE HALO EFFECT, der amerikanischen Melodic-Death-Metal-Band THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER und den amerikanischen Death-Metallern FROZEN SOUL begleitet. Wir waren für euch beim drittletzten Konzert dieser epischen Tour dabei.
#heavenshallburn #thehaloeffect #theblackdahliamurder #frozensoul #deathmetal #melodicdeathmetal
For a band that takes its namesake from a Harry Potter reference (ew), Nashville’s Inferi are infinitely more brutal than its original inspiration. Blending searing speed, flashy technicality, and death metal intensity, Inferi have been at the forefront of tech death for over fifteen years now, and their latest release, Heaven Wept, comes after a five-year gap. With such a chasm between their releases, is Heaven Wept a reformation for the band or a refinement of their sound?
Heaven Wept establishes itself quickly, and the band sounds tighter than ever. Immediately apparent is Stevie Boiser’s vocals, which flit from screeching highs, boastful mids, and throat-wrinkling lows. Boiser doesn’t seem to have a weak point when it comes to his capabilities, and he leads tracks along like a malicious conductor (not unlike Trevor Strnad of The Black Dahlia Murder, RIP). For Inferi, the technical prowess expands beyond just the instruments, and the vocals on display across Heaven Wept are bound to make an impression. Not to be overtaken, guitarists Malcom Pugh and Sanjay Kumar showcase their axe mastery throughout. A majority of the tracks feature individual solos by each, and none of them overstay their welcome. If they aren’t competing in shredding territory, they work in tandem on solos in the remainder of the songs. Spencer Moore’s drums round out Inferi’s sound, and in a rare turn, they sound surprisingly natural for a tech death band. Perhaps the melodic aspect of Inferi’s core sound helps keep Moore’s drums from becoming robotic, and his playing spans core stylings, technical blowouts, and military marches, never staying in one space for too long.
While Heaven Wept is by no means a stylistic change-up from their previous work, the latest record utilizes more dissonant harmonies and tends to feel more ethereal as a result. Combine that with some symphonic backing, and you have an atmospheric album without relying on overly long instrumental passages that break up the pacing. Inferi takes the melodic part of technical melodic death metal very seriously, and Heaven Wept is surprisingly catchy and approachable, while still being so dense that I imagine listeners will discover new secrets after numerous listens. “The Rapture of Dead Light” calls to mind melodic death metal masters The Black Dahlia Murder while combining some light core elements (don’t worry, Inferi is not a deathcore band now). The band smartly uses crushing breakdowns but only at a minimum, and where they have the most impact.
Heaven Wept doesn’t waste a second, coming in at eight tracks and under forty minutes, the album is pure face-melting goodness throughout. Every band member lays it all out on each song, and I wouldn’t call a single one a miss. The title track is a stylistic standout, slowing things down with a lumbering staccato riff that worms its way throughout the song. Boiser’s vocals follow along with the riff, punctuating the melody while also adding a bit of slam to Heaven Wept’s complex sound. “Of Rotted Wombs” is oozing with atmosphere, with a backing organ, a choir, and wailing guitars that pull emotion from every string. It is a track that feels huge without relying on a bunch of pomp and circumstance. Despite the inclusion of the aforementioned organ and choir, they are a small part of the song and only appear in the background. The incredible solo from Kumar in the back half of the track ties a bow on an album highlight.
Heaven Wept could very well be Inferi’s best work yet. Dripping with style and substance, as well as piling on the atmosphere without resorting to trite methods or wasteful interludes, this is an album that is solid throughout. It isn’t without its flaws; the low end is basically non-existent, and even the band plays live without a bassist. There are occasional bass flourishes on the album that remind me of Job for a Cowboy’s Sun Eater at times, but they are few and far between. The album also lacks the instrumental flair of 2018’s Revenant, and fans looking for a return to that record will be disappointed. Overall, these are nitpicks for an album that nails everything it sets out to do and then some. Inferi have shown that they can stand tall as the masters of modern technical melodic death metal without losing sight of what brought them there in the first place. Heaven Wept epitomizes the idea of metal at every turn and will likely have something to offer any earnest listener.
Rating: 4.0/5.0
DR: 4 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: The Artisan Era
Websites: Instagram | Bandcamp
Releases Worldwide: April 10th, 2026
The harsh environs of Australia are the perfect breeding grounds for brutal music. Xenobiotic based their latest on the hellish setting of Dante’s Inferno, an ideal topic for the desert landscape that dominates their home continent. The melodeath of Freedom of Fear has an acerbic tone perfect for combatting the numerous venomous animals that lurk there. Newcomers Vanta are similarly raising their debut, Perpetual Selection, amidst the brutal, but also lovely, backdrop of the Land Down Under. In truth, Australia is a complex place, featuring the harsh Outback, lush jungles, beautiful beaches, and modern cityscapes. Vanta reflect this complexity, playing a brutal melodeath style that borrows from a myriad of influences outside the genre. Time will tell whether these guys have what it takes to thrive in this environment or fall to the perpetual forces conspiring against their survival.
Perpetual Selection borrows heavily from the crushing melodeath of The Black Dahlia Murder, yet where TBDM inaccurately draw comparisons to metalcore, Vanta happily blend metalcore into their sound. However, they play energetic melodeath first and foremost, featuring some impressive guitar leads with only the occasional sprinkle of a breakdown (“Stillwater,” “Sandstalker”) or down-tuned guitar tones (“Empty Shell”). Beneath the crushing riffs is an effective melodic layer produced by the guitar duo of Thien Huynh and Jesse Venus. There’s a sense of constant kinetic motion between the duo as they lay out hooky leads (“Empty Shell,” “Kuyang”) and speedy solos (“Stillwater”). The blistering kitwork from Ferdi Handojo also adds to the sense of non-stop energy. Like TBDM, Vanta have a knack for creative intros that heighten the excitement when the song proper roars into action. These intros range from gentle arpeggios (“Sacred Light,” “Stillwater”) to Fulci-style horror screams (“Kuyang”), and all culminate in a testosterone-fueled explosion of riffs, blast beats, and growls.
As I mentioned in the intro, Vanta infuse a wide variety of influences from various genres, yet somehow allow them to flow naturally together. Following an energetic set of songs, “Drown” slows things down with a melodic piece that has a whiff of sadboi melodeath stalwarts Insomnium, and yet it somehow works, perhaps due to how it eases into the gloom following an energetic intro. “Alchemy” similarly heads in a new direction, patiently building into a memorable chorus rather than immediately going for the jugular. Somehow it transports me to Stortregn’s Impermanence as Venus sings “Ash to ash / dust to dust.” Finally, “Purity” is a complete surprise, ripping a speedy tune that sounds uncannily like something off an Archspire record. Yet this all works, creating an exciting and varied album, in part thanks to the chameleon-like vocal attack from Venus. He seamlessly switches from his usual rasps to deep growls to speedy Oliver Rae Aleron delivery as if it all naturally fits together.
This variety in tunes does expose some weaknesses on Perpetual Selection, however. Not all influences that Vanta draw from work in their favor. The straight-up metalcore track, “Sandstalker,” sticks out like a sore thumb with its lack of melody or hooks. Sandwiched between two fantastic tunes early on, it threatens to derail the record right from the start. A breakdown halfway through the bloated “Stillwater” is another odd choice; it’s not a metalcore song, so the segment just feels out of place. Yet it’s the penultimate track, “Transmorcide,” that feels the most adrift. It lacks any hooks or leads and seems unsure what it’s trying to do. These issues don’t detract enough to keep Perpetual Selection from being enjoyable and worth checking out, though; they just show opportunities for growth.
Perpetual Selection proves to be a fun record from a new, young band with lots of promise. Vanta shows creative songwriting chops as well as a willingness to stretch out of their comfort zone. Most importantly, they fit nicely in that TBDM sound without being a mere clone. If they hone their talents and skills, they can find a niche in the melodeath realm that TBDM and Inferi have carved, hopefully for many years to come.
Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: WAV
Label: Self-Released
Website: Bandcamp | Facebook | Official Site
Releases Worldwide: March 13th, 2026
Lustiges Lineup in Jena gestern Abend.
#FrozenSoul #theblackdahliamurder #TheHaloEffect #HeavenShallBurn
Stilistisch breit gestreut… Ich war hauptsächlich wegen HSB dabei, TBDM und Halo Effect begeistern mich nicht so.
Location: #Sparkassenarena, sonst auch für Sport genutzt, 3000 Plätze, ausverkauft.
Frozen Soul als Opener haben echt Stimmung gemacht, obwohl oder vielleicht auch weil der Saal nicht mal halb voll war. Eine gute Mischung aus Old School Todesmetall und einigen Hardcore- und Doomelementen. Es gab ein immer wieder gut bevölkertes Moshpit und eine herzliche Message für Mental Health.
„Politisch eine klare Ansage – Musikalisch ein Knie ins Fressbrett“ Heaven Shall Burn haben sich auf ihrer Tour vorgenommen die Porsche Arena in Stuttgart in Schutt und Asche zu legen.
#Konzert #Konzertbericht #Concert #LiveMusic #LiveMusik #Konzertfotografie #ConcertPhotography #HeavenShallBurn #TheHaloEffect #TheBlackDahliaMurder #Metalcore #DeathMetal
Having a Black Dahlia Murder kind of afternoon. FUCK, but 2011's 'Ritual' is good. Ridiculous
https://theblackdahliamurder.bandcamp.com/album/ritual
#metal #DeathMetal #BlackenedDeath #BlackMetal #TheBlackDahliaMurder
New post: Gig Review: Heaven Shall Burn / The Black Dahlia Murder / Frozen Soul – The Garage, Glasgow (22nd February 2026) https://moshville.co.uk/reviews/gig-review/2026/02/gig-review-heaven-shall-burn-the-black-dahlia-murder-frozen-soul-the-garage-glasgow-22nd-february-2026/ #FrozenSoul #HeavenShallBurn #TheBlackDahliaMurder