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Abyssal Ascendent "Chronicles of the Doomed Worlds, Pt. 2: Deacons of Abhorrence" Review

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      Throwback Thursday is early this week, everyone! Celebrate with some gnarly tunes laid down before the almighty Yog-Sothoth!     Indeed, I do feel transported to some other dimension where early-2000s death metal never went away or never pupated into its modern form (eagerly awaiting new Horrendous release, throw me a bone). The new release from eastern French Lovecraft acolytes Abyssal Ascendent truly does feel like a time capsule of sorts. Not that we haven't had an abundance of Lovecraftian metal in the interim; H.P. and metal go together like Harold and Maude. Abyssal Ascendent simply feel like they bury their feet in the soil of a very specific time and very specific style of death metal that I don't find myself encountering very much. The early-2000s scene was what I was brought into the world of death metal by, with names like Krisiun, Hate Eternal, and Bloodbath on every heathen tongue. Like most nostalgia-worthy eras, it felt like a simpler time -...
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Cryptae "Nightmare Traversal" Review

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A new contender in the contest to sound like a hive of angry bees is on the scene…      and Cryptae are their name. Formed by two members of other such unlovable, misanthropic bands as Plague Organ and Dead Neanderthals, Cryptae have gone about positioning themselves as a new breed of experimental death metal. With the gurgitation of their forthcoming album Nightmare Traversal, the ne'er-do-wells in question have given us a glimpse into their just-barely-musical world. And, I've got to say, they've pretty aptly named this monster; it is a nightmare to traverse.       I mean that in the most lighthearted way possible. If you've heard anything from Plague Organ or Imperial Cult you may have some inkling of the beat down you're about to receive. Although less monolithic than his recent releases under other monikers, Marlon Wolterink's stylistic presence dominates everything to do sonically with Cryptae (though he is only mentioned as engineer, he is prese...
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Marche Funèbre "Einderlicht" Review

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  Belgian romantics, Marche Funèbre, conjure an operatic image of longing, grief, and loss of hope in the modern age     Isn't it so nice when a band's name accurately reflects the sound of their music? For all those who have trouble using Google translate (or can't make sense of English cognates in foreign languages), Marche Funèbre is French for "funeral march" or "funeral parade". As one might expect, a band name with such somber connotations belongs to a band playing somber, moody music. In fact I kind of find it funny that they play death doom rather than funeral doom, though I suppose that might be a little too on-the-nose. But enough of genre conventions and names, who are these people?     Marche Funèbre have been together since 2008, and Einderlicht  is their fourth provocation to the god of mourning and sorrow (see; album) since then. From their inception, Marche have been quite steadfast in their use of several key songwriting elements: decrep...
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