Hierophant Nox

RUMPLESTILTSKIN GRINDER : LIVING FOR DEATH…DESTROYING THE REST Relapse Records I’ll admit to having a genuine ‘softspot’ for these crazed Philadelphian thrashers, their complex and groove laden music melds old school thrash metal a la Ludichrist and Scatterbrain with 21st century “modern” metal to infectious and glorious effect. I name-check those wonderful, sadly-missed bands because [...]

DEADWOOD : RAMBLACK Cold Spring Genius is a word that’s grievously overused, but on this occasion it is justly awarded, and genuinely undersells what an epic and amazing project Deadwood is. It is (of course) the brainchild of Swedish extreme maestro Daniel Jansson (see also Keplers Odd/Blodulv, and Culted etc.), and is a blistering hybrid [...]

EIBON LA FURIES : YOURS TRULY… EIBON LA FURIES… FROM HELL Ministry for Infernal Affairs Eibon La Furies released “Yours Truly…” back in 2007, and since then the release has been gradually but relentless gathering converts to the band’s unique and unsettling modus operandi. A concept EP delving into the mind of nineteenth-century England’s most [...]

OUROBOROS : VANITAS Prime Unit Records Ouroboros is the work of Marco Grosso, an Italian ‘esoteric dark ambient’ artist whose forays into the musical world are apparently an extension of his interest in alchemical studies and secrets. “Vanitas” is an array of treasure for collectors of his work, featuring remixes, unreleased tracks and covers that [...]

WOLFGATE : HOWLING LAMENT Unsigned Wolfgate are a four-piece symphonic black metal outfit from California, and “Howling Lament” is their debut demo, created after three years of steady rehearsal and line-up tuning . The sound they have created is instantly surprising in its depth; it’s most unexpected to stumble across a band so new yet [...]

SOLUS : SCREAMS FROM THE SILENT FOREST Unsigned Solus is a one-man project hailing from Hungary, and “Screams from the Silent Forest” is his first foray into the extreme metal scene, a short collection of tracks pieced together in 2006, and forming a vanguard to the second demo, which is expected in the near future. [...]

DEAD MAN’S HAND : THE COMBINATION Agonia Records Hailing from Norway, Dead Man’s Hand are an aggressive, confrontational five-piece who blend classic and modern thrash sensibilities with a death metal heaviness to crushing, fist-in-the-face effect. “The Combination” is their debut full-length, following a short demo in 2006, but the musicianship and coherency of vision on [...]

PROSECUTOR : MISANTHROPIC NIHILISTIC TERROR Cutting Edge Records Prosecutor flirted with existence from 2005, producing a three track demo the following year and this debut full-length, “Misanthropic Nihilistic Terror” in 2007. Although the project is now halted, the band have offered this album up for free download at misantropia.se (unsurprisingly, as owner Martin Linde provides [...]

When Amaroc’s manager suggested that this would be a band who would definitely appeal to me, I was pleased to discover she’d pinned down my taste pretty well; formed and fronted by Elite guitarist Per Valla, Amaroc mix extremity, progression and technicality to excellent result. Currently working on their debut album and searching for a [...]

SAGITTARIUS : SONGS FROM THE IVORY TOWER Cold Spring Sagittarius began as the brainchild of one Cornelius Waldner, a German musician whose startlingly poignant and affecting creative gift lies in a blending of neo-folk and neo-classical elements. Where friction is generated between those two approaches, Waldner incorporates it, exploits its potential, and makes it his [...]