Mutagenic Host - The Diseased Machine

Mutagenic Host is a death metal band from London, England who hit the scene with their debut demo in 2023.  They are ready to reveal their true power with “The Diseased Machine,” their debut full-length album. 

This is quite the impressive debut album!   It’s an album of balance, in every way.  The production/mix nails down how to present a death metal album with real weight but still package it in modern sound without compromising any of the genre’s brutal elements. The tempo isn’t too fast or too slow.  With that said, however, they aren’t comfortable just throwing the songs out in a mid paced display either.  The speed of the songs vary when needed and will sometimes change several times within the songs themselves.

That’s another aspect of the album I really enjoy: it changes and refreshes itself in a way that feels very natural, very organic but those changes aren’t abrupt—this isn’t tech death or prog but death metal that seeks to march to its own drummer. Speaking of which, George’s drummers are utterly engaging from beginning to end.  Together with bassist Swales, the two offer a very robust rhythm machine.   

The album begins with “Neurological Necrosis,” and around the 21 second mark, Jack and Dan throw out chunky riffs that slide into a groovy, highlighted by the bass and drums.  The song very quickly fires on all cylinders and gets knocked up to the next level by vocalist Ash Moore.  Its barks and growls are also very balanced, finding a good mid-range between highs and lows. 

Blitzkriegs and whisplast instrumentation push the song to the edges of extreme before introducing thick grooves and a surprisingly catchy cadence.  The last minute or so really impresses, the guitars/bass grinding out a slow crush that lets their insane tone loose.

“The Twisted Helix,” introduces a little melody into the mix, yet another element the band isn’t afraid to embrace but only when needed.   Even as early into the album as this song, the band makes it obvious they put the song first.  There isn’t anything just thrown to wall to see if it sticks—this is thought out death metal where every note has its place in the given moment. 

The riffs on this song are insane!  They find a sweet spot early on with the bass and just groove it out, riding alongside the vocals.  It’s an effective way to fill up the atmosphere with pulverizing notes without going overboard.  Just after the halfway mark, the band does go overheard and lashes out with stunning fury.  This song just gets heavier and heavier, never stopping for a second.

“Organometallic Assimilation,” is one of my favorites on the album.  The beginning moments have the drums build up the tension, which is fully grasped by the guitars.  The riffs are more intricate here with a lot of little details and hooks that grabbed me hard.  The upkick in tempo after the two minute mark is a burner with insane focus but the instrumentation is still discernible, not simply just speed for speed. 

“Incomprehensible Methods of Slaughter,” is one of the more grimy, disgusting songs on the album.  From the opening growl to the dirty riffs, this is one sick as hell song.  Despite that, it’s catchier than it has any right to be.  This is one of the more zeroed in songs, in terms of total death metal devastation.  In particular, the bass and drums are demanding of the senses. 

The final song, “Rives of Grief,” is an instrumental opening with atmospheric tones and a horror vibe.  The slow burn in the song’s first half is magnificent: creepy, dark, and evil.   The tension builds up with a stalker’s lust, the instruments opening up more and more, each passing second adding another impossibly extreme layer.  It takes a lot for instrumentals to get my attention and this one did, one of the best ones I’ve heard in months.

Mutagenic Host have released one hell of an album with “The Diseased Machine.”  It’s rare that a debut hits like this but one listen is all that will be needed to  understand how they pulled it out.  Highly recommended. 

Gnipahålan - Folkstorm

Gnipahålan is a black metal band from Sweden, who hit the scene back in 2014 with their debut demo.  Several demos, EPs, splits, and compilations later, the band is ready to launch their third full-length album “Folkstorm.”  

This is actually a one-man project from musician Swartadauþuz, who runs Ancient Records and is in a ton of bands including but not limited to Greve, Kekeeth, Nexehmu, and Trolldom.  Apparently, this album was actually conceived n 2016 so this is, chronologically, the band’s second album.  Session drummer K provides a sterling performance and keeps the album very well grounded among its roots. 

“Folkstorm,” is an ice-cold album that sounds like it was recorded on a glacier in the middle of some frozen void.   It’s threatening, violent, and raw—just how black metal should be.  However, it’s more than that as well.  Beneath the rough exterior of its very fitting production, lies an oddly beautiful album with a lot of subtle atmosphere and melody.  

That’s really where the potency of the album lies.  “Folkstorm” is a decidedly old-school black metal album but it’s ancient and cosmic, offering soundscapes without being overly obnoxious about it.  One of the best elements of the album is the bass, which can be heard quite well actually through the mix.  A lot of raw-ish black metal ignores the bass but I’m glad its embraced here.

The album begins with the short instrumental “Karolinernas dödsmarsch,” and it’s a lot more regal than I thought it would be but it makes sense in context of the album.  Soon as it ends the first full song begins.

“Det nordiska urkallet,” is that song and it’s a nearly twelve minute epic that is a solid opener because it’s length never becomes an issue.  It opens with synths that are used to boost the atmosphere rather than become the song’s focus.  The drums rumble through with their own brand of extremity.  Together with the profane vocals, the song exists in both a searing world of blackened anguish and one that is uniquely melodic.  The bass seems to take its own pathy even while complimenting the other elements—I love it.

“Blodsband genom tidens gång,” is more languished in the beginning with a slower tempo but no less effective.  The vocals hang in the air like vengeful spirits, while the bass walks around the keys. It’s a sterling mix and it’s very clear just how much talent is on display here with the songwriting.  I love it when the song it’s very minimalistic with the guitars but the drums and bass bang it out.  It’s a very engaging sound but unhinged.  

“Ur myllan kommen…” is one of my favorites on the album because the way the instruments work together makes the song sound sweeping and engaging without resulting in unnecessary elements or fluff.  This is black metal and how Swartadauþuz is able to write a song with abrasive qualities like this but still make it stand out among countless other bands  is truly special.  The melodic guitar around the 2:22 mark is fantastic and it’s little details like that, that make the song so good.

The album ends with the atmospheric title track but the final full-length song is the massive  “Blodörnens kall…”  and its twelve minute runtime.  Much like the other longer song, this one is never boring and uses its time wisely.  Parts of this are extremely furious and among the album’s most caustic moments.  The drums, especially the snare work, are outstanding and surprisingly catchy.  Around the 4:10 mark, the bass gets center stage but helped along with clean guitar and a nasty foreboding tone.  It builds back up to an explosive mid-section which is another album highlight.

All in all, Gnipahålan’s “Folkstorm,” is a stand out album that showcases black metal is still the best genre to show off how raw and underground metal can be but still open enough to allow different elements inside it.  

The Cimmerian - An Aged Undreamed Of

The Cimmerian is a doom/sludge/stoner metal Band from California who hit the scene in 2022 with their first single “Neckbreaker of the Mountain.”  

After two EPs, they are now ready to drop their full-length debut “An Age Undreamed Of.”  This is a well written album that hits all the right notes! It is nearly an hour long with eight songs but it flows smoothly, despite how abrasive the music is. 

There is a huge stoner vibe to it but it doesn’t sound sleepy—it sounds rumbling like a volcano leading up to an eruption.  The bass helps a lot with this…in fuzz we trust!  The guitars are thick and paired with the bass….this is a heavy hitter of an album that constantly feels like a  two punch to the face.   The drums are yet another fantastic album; much like the guitars/bass, their sound is robust and just adds another layer to what is already a mountainous project.   The vocals are sludge grows/yells, that are the audio equivalent of having a sandpaper bath.

The album begins with “Shadow Kingdom,” and immediately feels the production/mix is just as important to the band as the songwriting.  It’s a heavy, sweltering atmosphere that captures the sonic density of the genre.  This short but sweet song is an instrumental that starts the album off on the right, lead heavy foot.  Most intros are worthless but this is a prime example of how to do one correctly.

The first full song, “Neck Breaker of The Mountain,” sounds pretty much like what such a title would conjure in one’s head.  The drums add an intensity to the song that feels like it will bring it collapsing under its own weight.  But that isn’t the case—the drums hold up all the other elements.  The groovy, fuzz riffs and vocals rip through the song with a fury that matches any extreme metal I’ve heard lately.  The band is at their best when they have jams sessions, throwing out riff after riff.  It’s done on this song around the halfway point.  It’s so goddamn potent that it’s nearly surreal. 

“Darkwolf,” shows off the atmospheric side of the band.  Expansive riffs and clever drumming build up an unique world of desolation as the song ramps up the energy.  The song picks up little by little until it’s a massive maelstrom of groove, crashing drums, and mad vocals.  Even on an album that is nothing but intensity, this one is a burner.  Around the 4:18 mark, the song pulls back slightly before leading heavy on psychedelic/stoner vibes.  The guitar solo is hazy and fantastic, fitting right in where it needs to be.  

The album remains consistent throughout, with some of the deep cuts being among the best.  “Black Coast Tigris,” is a barrage of wreckage alongside the road to devastation.  At the 1:53 mark, the vocals bark loudly one final time before the band enters another session of rifftastic passage and explosive drums.  The lead guitar offers more subtle but mind melting solos as the freight train rhythm machine rolls on.  

Now we come to the final song, the epic “Monarch.”  It’s ten and a half minutes long and each second brings the bones closer to dust.  This is a dark song, very bleak in the beginning and dangerous every second after.  The atmosphere feels like the high point of desperation before realizing there isn’t a thing to be done other than just accept one’s fate. Even the clean parts have a sense of foreboding dread as it bridges the two halves of the song together.  

The Cimmerian’s “An Age Undreamed Of,” is a fantastic way to start the new year and one of the heaviest damn albums I’ve heard lately.  Any fan of doom/sludge will want this on their radar—and I’ve no doubt that even the mos hardcore fans of the style will still be suprised by the band’s palpable approach to sonic density.

Inborn Suffering - Pale Grey Monochrome

Inborn Suffering is a melodic death/doom metal band from France, who formed in 2002. Their latest album “Pale Grey Monochrome” is their third full-length album and their first one of original material since 2012!  They did release an alternate version of their modern classic debut album “Wordless Hope” in 2022. 

With such a long time between material, does the band have what it takes to still be relevant in today’s world of doom?  What kind of question is that? Of course they do!  “Pale Grey Monochrome,” takes their trademark sound of emotional and beautifully dark doom to new heights. It isn’t that they have reinvented the wheel of doom but rather reinvented their own wheel.  To me, that is just as important, if not more so.  

I love it when a band embraces who they truly are, makes no apologies for it, and zeroes in on all the elements that made them great in the first place.  “Pale Grey Monochrome,” does just that.  This is a dour, tragic album that would make a rainy day seem filled with brightness by comparison.  

But it’s loaded with wonderful melodies and expansive harmonies.  These elements are intertwined into the very foundations of the song, making their home next to massive riffs, extreme vocals, and drums that are far more impressive and intricate than a lot of doom.  Even though all these elements, these layers, are pieced together seamlessly, they can all be enjoyed separately.  

This is an album that you can push play on and let it wash over you.  Taken as a whole, it’s a full sound of an ever expanding void that is as grippy as it is bleak.  But your ears can follow any of the individual elements and find yet another journey.  It’s amazing to hear how all these pieces come together for the great whole.  The production and mixing keeps it neat and straight, never cluttered or too blended that it loses the very identity the band have so expertly crafted. 

The album begins with “Wounding,” an instrumental intro that arrives like a shadow eating the light of all it approaches.  It’s short but very effective in setting up the rest of the album.  Intros should serve this purpose and this one does what it needs to, nothing more and nothing less.  The whole album is solid without any weak moment to speak of but I will highlight my favorite parts below.  

“From Lowering Tides,” drops the doom hammer immediately with a deep riff and Gothic melodies that took me back to my younger days when I discovered bands like Draconian and My Dying Bride for the first time.  The death growls roll in like a coming storm—a force of nature, for sure and one of the best in the modern scene.  The song is slow and plodding but never boring…each note builds towards the next one.  This is doom with a purpose, the sadness being put to work in weaving this melancholic tapestry.

The band always finds time to offer earworms in their songs with the clean vocals around the 4 minute mark being their weapon of choice for this one.  I love the subtle use of keyboards, stark but yet gentle like an ethereal being gliding through a cold autumn day. 

“Tales From An Empty Shell,”  features dual guitar melodies and spoken word passages—absolutely classic in its approach and yet again they capture what makes doom metal of this type so great.  The riffs and drums work together to create a hearty rhythm that is far more energetic than doom usually is.  It even sounds a little dangerous and the riffs after the 2:20 mark add to this, but even more sinister.  The growled vocals are low, becoming an instrument in their own right with just as much to say.  

One of the more impressive feats of the album is how it takes an idea and just runs with it, not really switching to something else but using the base as an idea to grow further.  Case in point is the lead guitar that begins around the 5:02 mark.  It cries out through pained notes, it becomes like a flowing river for the rest of the song to move across.  The transition back to a riff based structure and shouted gang vocals is very natural and yet another catchy piece thrown into the mix.  

Not counting the intro and interlude, the final song “Drawing Circles,” is the shortest song at just over seven and a half minutes. It accomplishes a  lot in this time and I find it to be the most dynamic on the album.  The beginning is lush, detailed clean instrumentation and melodic bass. This movement is Gothic and even a little regal in its cascading emotions.  What I assume is a style of Spanish guitar makes its presence known—beautiful and a wonderful idea, another little detail in an album that is made up of hundreds. The death growl at the 2:22 mark kicks off what is one of the heaviest parts of the album.  The riffs are just groovy enough without loosing their dark metal flavor while the keyboards keep the song soaring high in its misery.

After the four minute mark, the song opens up to let its sound sprawl out like the icy grasp of winter covering a forest’s tree tops.  The final part of the song is heavy yet gentle, the melodic riffs offering a foundation for the spoken word to stand on.  The song, and album, ends with a certain majestic touch that only Gothic melodic death/doom can pull off.

Inborn Suffering’s “Pale Grey Monochrome,” is a hell of a return for the band and a truly masterful way for the doom genre to being 2025.  

Bullhead - Methcrush

Bullhead is a metal band from the UK, who formed in 2016.  After releasing two demos, they are ready to unleash their debut EP “Methcrush.” Their press release said the album is made up of “pure noisy, abrasive sludge metal with bits of crust punk, black metal, and death metal thrown in, too.”  

Well, the band certainly knows who they are and what they play because that description is straight up on point!  This five track EP with a run time of just over 20 minutes packs more energy and power than a lot of full-lengths I’ve heard in the past year.  

Its crust punk aesthetic is against the grain—unbelievable raunchy atmosphere with the attitude to back it up.   The guitar tone is killer—sludgy as hell with fuzz that’s layered in poisonous spikes.  There is more than enough groove in the guitars/bass to make this violent noise headbanging and, surprisingly, more catchy than it has any right to be. 

The vocals go a long way with the album’s ability to make music that sounds like a car crash—blackened screams and growls that seemed as if they were going to reach out of the speakers and throttle me. The production is actually one of the best aspects of the album—its raw, dirty, full armed and fucking filthy! Since it's only five songs, I'll say a little about each of them.

The opening song is “Alabama Dry Socket.” I've been to Alabama once and it was a disgusting state and if I ever go there again, it will still be too soon.  Is this song the soundtrack of walking through its alleys and being stalked by drugged out zombies? If not, it needs to be. 

Up next is the title track; the bass is a beast and sets up the groove the other instruments rip through. This song highlights the fervor of the drums. They bash and crash their way through but they compliment the song like flesh ripping wind compliments the path of a tornado’s destruction.  The guitars tread the line between noise and groove but multiple listens reveal actual notes, just ones coated in poison spikes.  The transition between abrasive screaming and a hardcore style death growl is fantastic!

“Finrot,” opens with what could amount to melody for a band such as this but all that is washed away by the depravity of the vocals and the punk energy. Starting at about the halfway point around the 1:45 mark, the band enters a pulverizing jam session that’s just crushing riff after crushing riffs, all of which is being hammered into oblivion by the drums. 

“83 Days of Sodom,” is probably my favorite on the album.  The opening is huge and vast—instantly crushing and encompassing.  It’s the longest song on the album so it seems they used the time to really give this song a lot of violent depth.  I just love the contrast between the insane vocals and the almost stoner-ish vibe of the bass.  The tempo increasing throughout the song makes it feel like it’s falling down a flight of stairs, collecting every broken bone and scrape along the way. 

The final song is “Christbestos,” and it is so damn frantic.  The drums take what is already a vicious burst of perpetual motion and push it to another level.  After the three minute mark, the song delves into wild noise, nearly alien in its depravity.

Bullhead’s “Methcrush,” is a short but very powerful EP that contains punshining music that still mixes in a lot of different styles for a surprisingly dynamic approach to a new level of pain. 

Wizard Tattoo - One of These Knives

Wizard Tattoo is an Indianapolis-based progressive metal project from multi-instrumentalist Bram the Bard.  The project blends in a ton of different styles....doom, progressive, black metal, jazz, and even grunge all find a place in this project's highly unique approach.  

I reviewed their precious EP, “Living Just For Dying,” and found it to be a challenging but rewarding listen.  So what about their newest EP, “One of These Knives?” Like always, the band runs through a gauntlet of styles both metal and not-so-metal.  No matter what they choose to play, it’s always interesting because of their exemplary songwriting skills.  

This is a much darker piece of music and the band’s ability to look into this void while still laughing in its face to bring us this EP’s many twists and turns is impressive.  The first song, “Varsak of Man,” is an excellent metal song.   The bass stands out very well—melodic yet textured with robust Gothic heaviness.  I like the menacing vocals a lot—almost blackened in the way they spit out the lyrics with venomous fervor.   The groove is unique, an odd but well-executed combination of stoner metal and NWOBHM.  Yes, it is as catchy as it sounds!  

“A Wizard’s Blade,” is a much more laid-back experience in terms of presentation but it’s just as dark.  The instrumentation is clean but low and dour.  Djinnifer’s vocals are something else—seductive and mysterious yet not very far removed from dangerous and sultry.  This song has a folky vibe to it while being hazy and ethereal. 

Ok now things get weird—and I’m here for it.  “My Second Knife Fight,” opens with odd audio language that tells a very strange story.  The music is sort of…country yet there is a rock and roll vibe to it?  Yes?  Maybe?  Regardless, this unique song is entertaining.  Oh, and it rocks too, especially that solo!  After the halfway point, it takes an atmospheric turn with synths/keys and melodic bass.  Totally out of left field yet it works.  Why wouldn’t it?  Wizard Tattoo does whatever it wants to do and succeeds every time—this song is prime evidence of that fact.

The final song, “Edge of Reprisal,” is beautiful in the way it embraces bleak tones and a darkness that I’m going to call regal.  It’s a short instrumental but the perfect way to end the album.  Near the end, distortion can be heard creeping in before the song fades off…could this be a sign of things to come on their next release?  Hmmm.

Once again, Wizard Tattoo offers a short but sweet EP that steps outside the box—assuming they had one to begin with.  Anyone who likes music that marches to a different beat would do well to continue to follow this band on their strange but captivating journey.

Qaalm - Grave Impressions of an Unbroken Arch

Qaalm is a doom/sludge band from Los Angeles, California who formed in 2017.  Their latest album, “Grave Impressions of an Unbroken Arch,” is their second full-length album; they have also released an EP and a split.

Although the album is definitely rooted in doom and sludge, it isn’t limited to just those genres.  “Grave Impression…” is a surprisingly progressive album that mixes it up along the way with a variety of sounds and styles.   Their brand of doom is immersive but it is fused with rough sludge, black metal, post metal and prog rock.  Vocalist/guitarist Henry Elis is a dynamic vocalist who offers everything from death growls to expressive cleans.  Along with Minsu Kim and session bassist Chris Cozzi, he provides a similar performance with the guitars.  

Although the four tracks are cohesive with one another and flow very well, each song is like its own world.  This is a beefy release with a lot happening between its many layers and wheels within wheels.  

The first song, “Borderlands,” opens with subtle melodies that recall a Gothic doom tone from the legends of old like My Dying Bride or Paradise Lost.   But the guitars unfurl in such a way that it reminds me of “Sonic Excess In Its Purest Form” era of Crowbar, where the songs show progression but it’s in a subtle approach that reveals itself over time rather than immediately throwing it into your face.

Drummer Dave Ferrara does a fantastic job on this song, and the album as a whole.  He holds down a strong foundation while displaying his own imaginative style that helps steer this doomed ship as the band runs through their variety of musical angles. 

The chorus is catchy as hell with clean vocals that are just as potent as the extreme ones.  The final half of the song features a ripping solo that sets up the next few minutes as a bulldozer of sludge doom.

“Shadows Behind The Sun,” shows off the band’s atmospheric chops.  This is a heavy song but one that is spacious. Leaving room to expand its considerable girth.  I love the urgency to the riffs in the first part of the song.   This song lives in two worlds: one that is made of a massive, earworm of a chorus and the other that is unending punishment through sweltering double bass and riffs thick as concrete. 

Around the 6 minute mark, the song gets highly emotive and melodic…wow, that guitar solo is fantastic.  The music builds back up to its turbulent waters in a natural way, never allowing any part of the song to take away from another one but instead help build each other up.

The band dives further into melodic waters with the opening moments of “King of Contradiction.”  The first two minutes of its post/atmo elements create a striking passage that lead to gripping riffs, a steady groove, and brutal vocals.  This is my favorite song on the album—it really represents the band’s sound and what they wanted to achieve with this album.  

Liminal spaces take over for the metal aspects around the 6 minute mark.  The drumming here handles the load well, keeping the song interesting while it builds back up towards rumbling levels.  The last minute and a a half or so it’s a bittersweet dirge that is one of the best passages on the entire album.

The final song is “Hangman’s Lament,” which begins airy and spacey before the doom drops like a hammer.  But another twist arrives with a bouncy, almost jazzy little passage that connects the song to some of the heaviest parts of the album.  The song speeds up, racing to another jazz section.  Afterward, the album crescendos into monstrous riffs and emotionally savage vocals. 

Qaalm’s “Grave Impressions of an Unbroken Arc,” is one of the most surprising albums of 2024 that pushes doom to its limits even while respecting its roots.