Reviews to perplex, intrigue and confuse you with my musical tastes ...

Corrosion of  Conformity- No Cross No Crown- CD/ Digital/Vinyl ( Nuclear Blast Records)

Folks it's been a minute  since Pepper has the been the voice of C.O.C  original vocalist and current Bassist Mike Dean did vocal duties on last album. I will say I very pleased Pepper is back as that Sludgy, Bluesy Heavy rock sound is  back.No Cross No Crown is very much in Wiseblood/ Deliverance style of the bands and it was something I was missing . They have  hooked up with Nuclear blast for this album a great home for  the more metallic side of this album.  CMC Intl always seemed to just live off  the existing fan base. There with this  new  album C.o.C is really  getting a major push . The sound are  heavy  grooving and catchy as all hell. There is a lot in common with Down on this as  remember  Pepper is a guitarist in that as well. The production is  clean and clear but still fuzzed out and full of dirge and aggression. Peppers vocals are  raspy and  throaty and just work so well of  this heavy rock style.  They are  currently on tour and it would be a crime to not this band live. Man those  solos are so deep and the  locked in bass and drum lines are second to none.  We need this line up to make C.o.C releases till the  bitter end..

http://nuclearblast.com/  

Eye of  Nix- Black Somnia- CD/ Digital ( Scryre Records)

From Seattle and this band is a female fronted Nightmare in the making. If was was to say this is a mixture of  Black Noise, Post Hardcore and Experimental Droning Doom . For a good start to understand. The female vocals are tormented and horrifyingly beautiful at the same time. I here element of 3 female fronted bands very much . Demonic Christ, Oathbreaker and Jarboe if you mixed this with moments of  Madder Mortem, 3rd and the Mortal and Made out of Babies . I really feel we have something going on here. There is a wonderful madness and chaos going on through out the album. Eye of Nix have a very early Swans vibe going on too. It's really more about the sum of all parts of this band for sure..  We have some very cool Eastern elements going on through out the album as well that makes it even more unsettling to the  causal listener. Thats all i really have on this album other then I love it and you need to hear the magic coming from the speakers...

https://eyeofnix.bandcamp.com/album/black-somnia

Spite (US) -Antimoshiac- CD/ Digital ( INVICTUS PRODUCTIONS )

This is  what I would love to say is  very cut and dry Black Thrash but then they have to add element of  early Death and Prog rock elements into it all to make someone as  nasty as it is thought provoking . This give me that same felling bands like  Dissection , Waitan and Absu in presentation and style. I would say some of bands like  Destroyer 666, Throne of ahaz and Early Satyricon. Brooklyn NY and the one man project seems to be a common place in extreme music as well and this is black metal band that love that raw retro sound that came from the thrash and punk styles and works very well. To call this Occult would make it underwhelming to say the least. Just listen to the pain and frustration that comes from the speaks of this  simple and powerful release.

https://spitedesecration.bandcamp.com/

https://invictusproductions.net/

Hawkmoth-Godless Summit- CD/ Digital ( Black bow)

The genre that a band like  Hawkmoth comes to confuse many as they like to mix elements of  Doom, Prog, Post Rock and Indie Rock into something Dark, unsettling and even at time I would call Post Punk meets Death rock. If you are a fan of Post Doom then you know what we are talking about here very early on  do you like Earth, Russian Circles, Red Sparrow, Pelican and East of the Wall. This the  beauty and majestic side of bands that have decided vocals get in the way of the power and creativity of the power of the dirge filled guitar sound mixed with major  atmospheric elements.. Black Bow already has some impressive bands on line up and this just one more to preach to the musical realms about with band form Down Under..

http://www.blackbowrecords.com/

https://hawkmoth.bandcamp.com/

Frost Giant- The harlot star- CD/ Digital ( Transcending Records)

Progressive  Avant Metal is were this is starting out almost Ambient and Symphonic at times. Wow it just moved into a Borknagar meets Arcturus moment lets this were this goes ok now were are Traveling to a More Limbonic Art meets Emperor vibe and then the viking and folk elements come soaring in .. Epic Sci-Fi Viking Black band with the fury of seven fucking Suns are being thrown at me. Wow is this an intense journey to say the least. This fucking album is really all over the place now there are heavy power metal riffs going on for solos????  Epic Black Viking , Power Folk Metal ... I don't know what else to say other then Huge this album is Huge in  style, genre breaking , talent and skill. If you could be a Viking Black  Prog band with Symphonic , Sci Fi and Folk elements that as I said you would have to be  Frost Giant. This is the 3rd album they made I need to go back to other two and see what I missed .

http://www.transcendingrecords.com

Heikki Hautala & Hyvät veljet -Rauha ja harmonia -CD/Digital (Ektro / Future Lunch) 

Something a little different hear folks this is a band thank mixes  Folk, Blues and Punk into something that is very indie rock , jarring and delicate at the same time as it get fuzzed out and a noisy rock over tone. They remind me of Sonic Youth, Meets Husker Du and Soul Asylum all in one. Even some moments of bands like Polvo and Neil Young at time.  There is at acoustic element to it all as well.  This Finish band is thought provoking to say the least and does have a Neo Folk element that could at time give them a Death in June and Spiritual front  vibe as well..  Ok now its your time to tell me what you think..

http://www.ektrorecords.com

Asphodelos -The Five Rivers Of Erebos-CD/Digital ( Black Sunset/MDD)

Ok this one is going to be a  shorter review as they place a very  classic  90's  Swedish Death metal sound .. Are you a fan of  Dismember, Entombed and Carcass then look no further my faithful readers as you have just what you want . The  snarls and  blasts are there as well as the cold  distant hypnotic death metal guitar and bass tone . With that I gave  " DEATH METAL"..

http://mdd-records.de/

Hard Action- Hot Wired  Beat- CD/ DIgital/Vinyl ( Svart )

Damn this is  70 Hard rock meets 80's  Glam and  Street punk all into something that is just ass kicking this if  Hanoi Rock, Kiss, Thin Lizzy and New York Dolls all found love for  Misfits, Motorhead and Dead Kennedys... Here you have all  you need to make a Hard Action album and shit does this albu rock hard. The  bluesy riffs , heavy back beat and just  catchy as well guitar and vocal work. There are even some awesome Death rock elements in this are you a fan of  Beast milk, Grave Pleasures or  Killing Joke many even Sisters of Mercy and the Mission yout just  going to love this. So so good thats how I'm going to end this batch of reviews..

http://svartrecords.com/