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Author Jonathan Butlin

A metal fanatic since the age of 15, I am now a considerably long way away from that age and still headbanging (lumbago permitting). If it is noisy, over-the-top, faintly ridiculous, and generally interesting I will probably like it. I like to think of myself as a bit of a philosopher, but that is mostly an excuse to sit around doing nothing. Founding member and guitar player in Detrimentum (also played bass on the new album, but my hands weren't really ape-like enough). I'm also a fantasy/sci-fi/history geek and have attempted to write some of that too; so far I have never been accused of `literature'.

Infernal Conjuration – Death Has Appeared (Gruft Produktion)

There is a real whiff of brimstone, as well as grubby denim and sweaty leather about this one. Like many other bands across the globe, the wonderfully named Infernal Conjuration eschew the modern trends, sub-sub genres and nuances, and harken… Continue Reading →

Ophis – Abhorrence In Opulence (Cyclone Empire)

This is indeed a grisly affair! Ophis are yet another band which has languished in relative obscurity, yet this fact has not stopped them being fairly prolific; `Abhorrence…’ is their third full-length release. For the uninitiated, Ophis are worshippers at… Continue Reading →

King of Asgard – Karg (Metal Blade)

Bolt the door, snuff out the lanterns, keep out of sight; the Vikings are coming! Rampaging through your village, with fire, sword and a brand new slab of crushing metal is King of Asgard, a bunch of Swedish Hell-raising heathens…. Continue Reading →

Brutally Deceased – Black Infernal Vortex (Doomentia)

I am sure the band have probably heard this before, but you would be totally forgiven for thinking that Brutally Deceased were from Stockholm, and are probably elder statesmen of underground Swedish Death metal. However, you would of course be… Continue Reading →

Waxen – Agios Holokauston (Moribund)

This is the long awaited sophomore album from one man, black metal-ish project Waxen. I must admit that Waxen are a new name to me, but having dug a little deeper, it is no surprise that there has been 7… Continue Reading →

Twilight’s Embrace – By Darkness Undone (S/R)

Doom is great. Long live Doom – a metal subgenre that somehow seems to be impervious to the constant re-invention and `trendifying’ that other subgenres have to put up with. Doom bands just seem to do what they do, regardless… Continue Reading →

Hibernal – Replacements (S/R)

Hibernal is quite a unique outfit: a one-man progressive music machine from Brisbane with a serious interest in thought-provoking sci-fi themes. My opening line will probably put off quite a few of those who just want a heavy, rocking album…. Continue Reading →

Putrified – Sacrilegious Purification (Hellthrasher Productions)

Forget In Flames, forget Arch Enemy, forget Dark Tranquillity. This EP from one-man project Putrified (also Swedish), drags us kicking and screaming right back to the slimy, maggot-infested inception of the whole Swedish Death Metal scene, or at least that… Continue Reading →

Burial Hordes – Incendium (Hellthrasher Productions)

I must admit, being sent underground metal albums to review is great. Partly because of laziness (I don’t have to leave my house to see brand new albums), and partly because, quite often it’s a voyage of discovery about all… Continue Reading →

Shores of Null – Quiescence (Candlelight)

There are an awful lot of creative, inventive bands coming out of Italy these days. Chances are there always was, but the rest of the world knew nothing about it until fairly recently (or maybe I am just old and… Continue Reading →

Nihilo – Dum Spiro Spero (Subversiv Records)

`Dum Spiro Spero’ marks 10 years of life for this grisly, underground outfit from Switzerland, although by the sounds emanating from this filthy slab of nastiness, you’d think they had been going a lot longer! These boys are from the… Continue Reading →

MaYan – Antagonise (Nuclear Blast)

There are some types of music, sub-genres of metal in particular it seems, that either really turn people on or put them off completely. The highly bombastic and overblown metal on display here may indeed have a polarising effect on… Continue Reading →

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