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Author Pete Woods

Quickly discovering in formative years that I was never quite going to fit in anywhere, I spent time growing up listening to punk, futurist, goth, industrial, metal and psychedelic sounds ranging from Hawkwind to The Sex Gang Children via Japan through to Crass mangled in with Psychic TV and New Model Army. Catching my first band live by accident; The Poison Girls at a G.L.C. free festival, I never looked back. Musical tastes have developed accordingly and I now spend time writing for both Terrorizer and Dominion magazine as well as co-running www.avenoctum.com and pushing the boundaries of genre definition to mould around my own eclectic tastes. Not having the patience to play any instrument myself, I see my writing, to a certain degree as putting something back into the music I love. If I didn't spend time doing this I would be an alcoholic slumped without hope on the cold streets of London. Instead I can be found pint, camera and notepad in hand covering bands both old and new and will happily accept free cider without

Cultes Des Ghoules – Sinister (Hell’s Headbangers)

Sinister by name and sinister by nature, watch out the ghoules are back in town. If you have a certain song going round in your head after reading that line, wipe it out now. This lot are in no way… Continue Reading →

Infestus – Thrypsis (Debemur Morti)

I remember the second album ‘Chroniken des Ablebens’ from Infestus back a decade ago in 2008 but our paths do not seem to have crossed since then. The German outfit who have had various past members in their ranks now… Continue Reading →

Void – Jettatura (Ladlo Productions)

If you are gonna thrash do it blackly said someone very sensibly once, or perhaps it was just me. That’s the way I like it though baby and a good dose of black n’ roll always hits the mark and… Continue Reading →

Empty – Vacio (Osmose)

I remembered Spanish band Empty not by their name which is hardly remarkable but by the cover art to their third album The House Of Funerary Hymns which certainly caught my attention on release in 2009 with its spooky imagery… Continue Reading →

Phal:Angst – Phase IV (Bloodshed666 Records)

I wonder if the group’s name was inspired from suddenly realising the curry they had eaten was too hot hmmm. Anyway joking aside Phal:Angst hail from Vienna and play a mix of industrial and post rock which is very much… Continue Reading →

Winterfylleth, Meus, Wolcensmen – London St Pancras Old Church 24/9/18

It’s not often we get an invite to church, certainly not from a band known (mainly) for playing black metal. Winterfylleth are not about any form of satanic shtick though and as latest acoustic album The Hallowing Of Heirdom has… Continue Reading →

Anaal Nathrakh – A New Kind Of Horror (Metal Blade)

Hang on to your hats and bolt everything down, there’s a new hurricane about to hit and forget girly names this one’s called Nathrakh. There’s something entirely honest about Anaal Nathrakh, you pretty much know exactly where you stand when… Continue Reading →

Solar Temple – Fertile Descent (Eisenwald)

I think it is fair to say that as far as Dutch death metal is concerned you have a pretty good preconceived idea of the sort of sound you are going to get from it. Black metal from Holland is… Continue Reading →

Malthusian – Across Deaths (Invictus)

Well let’s face it, this was never going to be pretty. Irish extremists Malthusian more than proved themselves with 2015 EP ‘Below The Hengiform’ as well as at various live eviscerations. They have been quiet for a while but now… Continue Reading →

Abattoir / Satori – Megaloschemos (Gradual Hate Records)

This arrived, I listened one evening and had nightmares. The next morning I got up, played it again and had daymares! Yep this is scary stuff. Megaloschemos is the ‘great scheme’ of two gents, one Dave Kirby of Satori from… Continue Reading →

Voivod – The Wake (Century Media)

It’s been 5 years since Voivod last targeted earth, not that they haven’t been busy with smaller releases and extensive touring over that time. An album from the Canadian troops is pretty much a main event and they work steadfastly… Continue Reading →

Madder Mortem – Marrow (Dark Essence)

20 years under their belt and one long gap between ‘Eight Ways’ and ‘Red In Tooth And Claw’, Madder Mortem are truly back and firing on all cylinders and have been down on their allotment cultivating a Marrow. It should… Continue Reading →

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