Memento Mori

Malignant Aura – Where All of Worth Comes to Wither Review

By Owlswald on January 27, 2026 in Reviews, Death Metal, Doom Metal, 30 comments

“The marriage of death and doom is a well-trodden path, but Malignant Aura’s 2022 debut proved they had quickly mastered the formula. Abysmal Misfortune is Draped Upon Me was a crushing blend of old-school death metal (OSDM) misery and funeral desolation, establishing the Australian quartet as another worthy addition to an already vibrant scene. Now a part of the Memento Mori roster, their sophomore effort, Where All of Worth Comes to Wither, arrives to push Malignant Aura out of the nether realm and into a world all their own.” Aura Borealis.

Thaumaturgy – Pestilential Hymns Review

By Spicie Forrest on October 23, 2025 in Reviews, Death Metal, 15 comments

“Changing your sound must be equal parts thrilling and intimidating. On the one hand, it’s an opportunity to explore and flex your creative muscles, to see what else you can do. On the other hand, it may alienate your listeners, but more simply, it may just be unsuccessful. This is the crossroads at which we find Kansas-based Thaumaturgy. While their debut, Tenebrous Oblations, was a cavernous voyage through Mortiferum’s lightless catacombs, sophomore effort Pestilential Hymns, is a notable departure from that sound.” Come for pestilence, stay for the hymnals.

Coffin Mulch – Spectral Intercession Review

By Felagund on July 6, 2023 in Reviews, Death Metal, Doom Metal, 45 comments

“How can you go wrong with a band named Coffin Mulch? While I’ve used these introductory paragraphs time and time again to restate my love for OSDM, it doesn’t hurt that this band’s morbid moniker really tickles my fancy. While “Coffin” isn’t a particularly inventive inclusion, “mulch” adds an entirely new, evocative flavor to this putrescent pile. Is the mulch intended, perhaps, to entice the seeping coffin below to sprout zombified greenery? Or, better yet, is the mulch itself made from that nitrogen-rich churn composed of damp soil and viscous coffin offal? The band themselves don’t offer an explanation, and that’s just fine.” Savage gardening.

Stuck in the Filter – February’s Angry Misses

By Kenstrosity on April 18, 2023 in Stuck in the Filter, Atmospheric Black Metal, Black Metal, Melodic Black Metal, Technical Death Metal, 45 comments

Behold! A list of pretty good stuff from February of 2023 that you almost certainly missed! All shall kneel before the Filter and despair!

Rigor Sardonicous – Praeparet Bellum Review

By Thus Spoke on January 26, 2023 in Reviews, Death Doom, 18 comments

“What have the Romans ever done for us? Apart from the sanitation, the medicine, education, wine, public order, irrigation, roads, a fresh water system, and public health? According to Rigor Sardonicous, a language to use as an idiosyncratic gimmick. Their name, and the majority of their song and album titles are in Latin, Praeparet Bellum—roughly, Prepare for War—being no exception. It marks their return after an eleven-year hiatus but seems to more or less pick up from where Ego Diligio Vos left off. Low-fi, grimy death-doom so low it’s barely within the range of human hearing, and so gritty and slow it feels like drowning in a vast quantity of sand.” Rigor mortis.

Conjureth – The Parasitic Chambers Review

By Kenstrosity on January 21, 2023 in Reviews, Death Metal, 25 comments

“It’s nice to have something to look forward to at the start of a new year—even nicer when that thing is some truly evil death metal. Thanks to San Diego trio Conjureth, and their sophomore release The Parasitic Chambers, I got exactly that. When I covered their previous outburst, Majestic Dissolve, I noted that their biggest hurdle was injecting more variety in their riffs. My hope was that with just a little more pizazz, they would unleash a devastating monster unto this unsuspecting sponge, a total sucker for aural abuse.” Pizazz delivery.

Doomocracy – Unorthodox Review

By Steel Druhm on November 9, 2022 in Reviews, Doom Metal, 60 comments

“Epic doom is a much-beloved genre for yours Steely, but it’s a very challenging one to pull off properly. Balancing doom and traditional metal while imparting an epic flavor can be a tricky proposition for even the most talented band, and it’s far too easy for things to fall into cheddar and shame with the slightest misstep. For every glorious Atlantean Kodex victory, there are several crushing defeats out there where heroic sagas flop harder than that 300 lb. gent at the annual drunken bellyflop tournament. That brings us to Doomocracy and their third album, Unorthodox.” Vote DOOM!

Rotheads – Slither in Slime Review

By Ferox on July 27, 2022 in Reviews, Death Metal, 10 comments

“The Rotheads formula may have been tweaked, but this fetid draught retains its signature nose. Here are seven songs spanning forty-three minutes, each one chock-a-block with death riffs played at a tempo often verging on thrash. The band still has songwriting talent in spades, and a penchant for stretching that talent to the breaking point.” Slime to kill.

Ectoplasma — Inferna Kabbalah Review

By Ferox on January 24, 2022 in Reviews, Death Metal, 24 comments

“Reader, we have before us a scabby and indelicate piece of business. It’s been a busy few shifts at the filth factory for Ectoplasma; Inferna Kabbalah marks the fourth time in recent years that they’ve dropped a compost heap filled with dung and rotting offal on our doorsteps. And a ghastly pile it is!” Nasty plasma.

Opera Diabolicus – Death on a Pale Horse Review

By Dr. A.N. Grier on December 1, 2021 in Reviews, Gothic Metal, Heavy Metal, 60 comments

“Along with Shaw and Levén, the band adds some stellar vocals from Madeleine Liljestam (Eleine) and Angelina DelCarmen (Charetta), and guitar solos from King Diamond legends Andy LaRocque and Michael Denner. But the backbone of the album is all the other guests. These lesser-known individuals supply the keys, strings, pianos, and organs that make up the record’s core. It’s an unbelievable lineup with a lot of moving parts. But, somehow, the band keeps this chaotic metal opera about ‘witchcraft, the black death and revenge!’ together.” Panic in the opera horse.