Alekhines Gun

The Lion, the Blog, and the Black Metal

Wuldorgast – Cold Light Review

By Alekhines Gun on January 19, 2025 in Reviews, Black Metal, 52 comments

“As the tendrils of winter usher in good bourbon, unwanted family visits, and moon-bitten frost, the trvest of the black metallers come out to peddle their wares. Releasing anything so late in the year is a bold move, as list-mania seizes the hearts of authors across the blogosphere, making an uphill battle for bands from the first note. Here to try their luck today is two-man USBM outfit Wuldorgast, a band so young that at the time of this writing, they don’t even have a page on the Archives.” The darkness of Decemeber releases.

Sarcophagum – The Grand Arc of Madness

By Alekhines Gun on December 4, 2024 in Reviews, Uncategorized, Death Metal, 31 comments

“Side projects are a staple in all genres of music, and metal is no exception. Some projects are used to explore new ideas that would be out of place in a musician’s main outfit (Spectral Voice), with others to express themselves in a more individualized setting (Corpsegrinder). But what if members of a band decided they could do the same thing as their old and current outfit, but better? Enter Sarcophagum. Created by current and past members of Golgothan Remains, this Sydney Australia studio project wasted no time crafting a debut EP in 2022 and released a stand-alone single just last year. Now, they stand poised to deliver their first full-length, The Grand Arc of Madness.” Of side projects and phagums.

Deathrite – Flames Licking Fever Review

By Alekhines Gun on December 1, 2024 in Reviews, Black Metal, Death Metal, Punk, 23 comments

“Sometimes it’s not about the brutality or the speed, it’s about the pizzazz. German band Deathrite began life as OSDM worship in 2010, before attempting to make their own mark by incorporating more punk riff simplicity and black metal atmospheres into one vile brew. Now, they stand poised to deliver their fifth outing, the oddly titled Flames Licking Fever, and the idea of such a trifecta of sounds certainly tickles the earballs. Do the ingredients come together in a potable stew, or should these flavors remain separated from each other for good?” Lick the Devil.

Dying Grotesque – Celestial

By Alekhines Gun on November 25, 2024 in Reviews, Death Metal, 27 comments

“Sure, Swedish death metal is the chicken wings of the metal soundscape, with a narrow definition and specific ingredients, but that’s part of the appeal. How would anyone dare reduce one of the basic deathly food groups in such a way? Well, as if an answer to a prayer nobody made, Ukraine’s Dying Grotesque have arrived with their sophomore album Celestial, and don’t let the Ukrainian tag fool you. This album is as Swedish as they come.” Pretty sure chicken wings aren’t a food group…

Iniquitous Savagery – Edifice of Vicissitudes Review

By Alekhines Gun on November 22, 2024 in Reviews, 49 comments

“Of the seven deadly sins, lovers of metal aren’t most prone to wrath, as the filthy casuals would expect from such ‘mindless noise.’ No no, we are lovers of gluttony. Stoner doom can never have too much fuzz, black metal can never have enough ~~reverb~~atmosphere, and power metal, never enough queso. While the metalverse is busy weeping with joy over the new Defeated Sanity album, Willowtip Records is quietly loading up a shotgun shell of aural abuse in the form of Scotland’s Iniquitous Savagery’s newest release Edifice of Vicissitudes.” Never enough slam bands with thesauri.

Blasphemous – To Lay Siege and Conquer Review

By Alekhines Gun on November 9, 2024 in Reviews, Black Metal, Blackened Death Metal, Death Metal, 34 comments

“Have you ever looked back on the grander, moister bands of yore and thought ‘Man, I sure do wish Immortal and Angelcorpse did an album together’? That’s okay, neither have I—apparently we have no imagination. Luckily, New Jersey blackened death outfit Blasphemous are prepared to uncork their fourth album, To Lay Siege and Conquer to show us all what we’ve been missing.” Once again, New Jersey innovates. I’m fairly certain that’s the first time such a sentence has been composed in the English language.

Amputate – Abysmal Ascent Review

By Alekhines Gun on November 1, 2024 in Reviews, Death Metal, 23 comments

“The indiscernible line between inspiration and imitation plagues writers, musicians, and artists of all stripes. While the Wormeds and Ulcerates of the world continue to ask what it means to be death metal in a modern context, entire scenes have sprung forth to celebrate the sound of the olde and trve, with the name of the game being “bigger and better” rather than raw innovation. Swiss band Amputate finds themselves in the latter camp, poised to uncork a letter to the old school in the form of third album Abysmal Ascent.” Let’s hit the chopping mall!

Warlust – Sol Invictvs in Vmbrae Satanae Review

By Alekhines Gun on October 3, 2024 in Reviews, Black Metal, Thrash Metal, 18 comments

“Germany’s Warlust promises a sonic Venn diagram of blackened death/thrash with a grand, epic feel. Toiling away in the underground for a decade, Sol Invictvs in Vmbrae Satanae is their third outing, and to hear their label tell it, they’ve leveled up. The promo attached waxed eloquent about “assaults on the false” and music with “genuine evil blood coursing through its veins.” References to Necrophobic and Dissection, on top of the assurance that the album sounds “HUGE” [sic] tantalizes and entices.” Lust in the bloody dust.

Sanctuarium – Melted and Decomposed Review

By Alekhines Gun on September 30, 2024 in Reviews, Death Metal, Doom Metal, 16 comments

“Sanctuarium is a young band with an old, rotted soul. The band’s debut—recorded as a two-piece—was a more synth-drenched death/doom hybrid, heavy on atmosphere blending their doomy dirges in with mid-paced death. On its sophomore outing, Melted and Decomposed, the band has upped to a full five-piece and further evolved its sound. With this stylistic shift and three new members, it remains to be seen if Melted and Decomposedinnovates or not.” Innovation in death metal? Unheard of! Absurd!

Deliver the Galaxy – Bury Your Gods Review

By Alekhines Gun on August 26, 2024 in Reviews, Melodic Death Metal, 30 comments

“It turns out space really is the final frontier. While topics like the nothingness of death, religion, and romantic predilections of the cadaverific kind will always be reliable tropes, space has long revealed itself to be the most tonally diverse of the metal fixations, with music to celebrate its infinite beauties as much as its unknowable (and very knowable) horrors. German melodeath outfit Deliver the Galaxy is poised to drop their third offering, Bury Your Gods, to expound on the ‘exciting idea that humanity is not alone in the universe.'” Watch the skies.