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Author Lars Christiansen

Having been introduced to metal by my older brother (who was an 80s thrasher with a love for NWOBHM), I caught the metal bug by association from a very early age. My tastes have changed a lot over the years, beginning with Metallica and Iron Maiden and culminating in just about everything extreme and underground. My main loves are slimy/occult death metal, teeth-grinding/neck-rending thrash, frostbitten black metal, crushing doom and blasting grindcore – what’s not to love there? I’ve worked in the music industry as a music buyer for an online retailer for the best part of 10 years so have a wide range of knowledge of most genres of music, but metal has always been my bag. I’ve also been writing on and off about metal for many years now, reviewing for various zines including a stint with Ave Noctum’s previous incarnation as Metal Team UK. I’ve always loved to tout out the underground metal scene like some filth dealer in an Amsterdam back street (but without the STDs). In my spare time I like to add good shit to my ever growing and unstable CD collection, dabble in smelly vinyl and dust off my dubbed tapes from my trading days, hoping with clenched bum that they aren’t inexplicably chewed to buggery. I’m born and bred in Oxfordshire, have Danish ancestry, like shit jokes, play guitar fast, like my beer cold (unless I’m on ales, in which case – don’t mind) and can usually be found dressed in all black with an unreadable logo emblazoned across my chest.

Noctem Cursis – Nocturnal Frost (Mortis Humanae)

As a black metal band, trying to make your mark in 2014 when releasing your debut album must be a pretty tough gig, but that’s exactly what Noctem Cursis are doing with ‘Nocturnal Frost’ here. There are of course multiple… Continue Reading →

Incantation – Dirges Of Elysium (Listenable)

John McEntee and his band of not so merry men return once more to lay waste to your surroundings with another shadowy blast of occult death metal, filled to the brim with blasphemy and darkness. Although this is studio album… Continue Reading →

Deep In Hate – Chronicles Of Oblivion (Kaotoxin)

This is the third album from French deathcore crew Deep in Hate, and my first taste of their sound. Forming in 2004, they apparently started out as a straight up death metal band with grind influences, before the call of… Continue Reading →

Mayhem – Esoteric Warfare (Season of Mist)

7 long years have passed since Mayhem’s last full length sweep of decrepit blackened murk ‘Ordo ad Chao’ hit our speakers, covering listeners in a filthy napalm-like phlegm which ate deeply into the beings of those who were willing to… Continue Reading →

Vanhelgd – Relics of Sulphur Salvation (Pulverised)

What’s that? A Swedish death metal band, releasing their third album you say? A band which I haven’t come across before?! Egads! Thus, I approached ‘Relics of Sulphur Salvation’ with all the trepidation of a starved puppy to an over-filled… Continue Reading →

Shroud of Despondency – Tied To A Dying Animal (S/R)

Having formed a good fifteen years ago as the solo project of Rory Heikkila, it’s only been recently that Shroud of Despondency became prolific with full length albums (having turned into a fully-fledged band around 2011-ish). This is the band’s… Continue Reading →

Weltschmerz – Odium Humani Generis (Immortal Frost Productions)

Opening with a wall of shuddering feedback, quickly followed by a storm of angry black metal blasting – what a great way to introduce yourself to a new listener! No pissing around with acoustic intros, fannying around with effects or… Continue Reading →

Decembre Noir – A Discouraged Believer (FDA Rekotz)

FDA Rekotz isn’t necessarily the first label you’d think of for a doom/death release (from their roster, barring Graveyard of Souls they’re usually known for their straight death metal, or deathgrind bands). With Decembre Noir they have a fine discovery… Continue Reading →

Electrocution – Metaphysincarnation (GoreGorecords)

Italians Electrocution return after years in the wilderness with their second full length album ‘Metaphysincarnation’, which for me is already a front runner for the ‘most difficult album to pronounce when drunk’ award for 2014. Having been known mainly for… Continue Reading →

Near Death Condition – Evolving Towards Extinction (Unique Leader)

That cover art is wonderfully dark and gnarly isn’t it? Created by none other than the legend that is the late Zdzisław Beksiński, and portraying what seems to be an abode made of human remains (replete with TV aerial just… Continue Reading →

One Hour Hell – Interfectvs (ViciSolum)

One Hour Hell hail from Sweden, and bring a bounding brand of death metal to the table with this their second album ‘Interfectvs’. Having formed from the ashes of Oxide in 2007, they quickly released their debut ‘Product of Massmurder’… Continue Reading →

Subliritum – Downfall (Battlegod)

Opening with a frosty array of jangling guitar chords, a gravel-coated set of lungs hissing out about cold winds and mountains, and an accompaniment of clattering drumwork, Subliritum set their musical stall out pretty straightforwardly from the off. This is… Continue Reading →

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