CIRCLE OF CHAOS – FORLORN REIGN (Review by Varg The Mighty )

 

Today’s review is of Swedish Death Metal band Circle Of Chaos’ new album.

This release offers a classic sounding Swedish Death Metal assault that also leans strongly towards Melodic Death Metal, although not in an excessive way and mostly maintaining classic Death Metal as the main theme. As so, it may remind of Unleashed or early At The Gates, and the release may appeal to fans of both subgenres alike, even if they’re elitists of any of the two.

The release is powerful, it fully embraces the supreme Swedish sonority and it keeps an ideal balance between straightforward fury and melodic catchiness, bathing it all in a subtle amount of elegance. My personal highlights are the title track and “Embracing Chaos”.

I recommend this album to fans of Swedish Death Metal and Melodic Death Metal. My rating is of 9/10.

VARG THE MIGHTY 

 

ANTHEMS OF ISOLATION – APOCALYPTIC PORTRAYALS (Review by Varg The Mighty )

 

Today’s review is of Iraqi Doom Metal band Anthems Of Isolation’s new album.

This release offers some absolutely oppressive kind of Doom that mainly tends towards a Funeral Doom direction, but they don’t fear speeding things up slightly when necessary. There’s also some dark ambiences behind the sorrowful riffs that adds that pseudo-symphonic background that drowns the listener’s hope even more.

These long and cruel tracks include an original kind of despair that reminds of classic bands such as Mournful Congregation while still adding in that special bit of identity. Overall, it may appeal to fans of dark Extreme Metal, but only the fans of the most forsaken kind of Doom Metal will truly enjoy it. My personal highlights are “Signs Of Cataclysm” and “The Deep Dark Ocean Part II”.

I recommend this album to fans of Doom Metal and Funeral Doom. My rating is of 9/10.

 

VARG THE MIGHTY 

 

 

HAISSEM – A SLEEP OF PRIMEVAL IGNORANCE (Review by Varg The Mighty)

 

Today’s review is of Ukrainian Melodic Blackened Death Metal band Haissem’s new album.

This release offers dark atmospheres bathed in high amounts of melodies that remind of early Emperor, especially when the synths appear. It is one of the rare exceptions where notable amounts of virtuosity coalesce with Black Metal and produce an authentic result which may also appeal to the purists.

You may also identify at times some Dissection influences, but everything here has been composed with a clearly unique personality that adds an element of freshness. There are some catchy bits, frigid tremolo pickings and organ-backed passages of pure gloom that all come together in 4 long yet cohesive tracks that will surely catch the listener’s attention. Given their length and the album’s nature, I personally recommend listening to the whole release without apparent highlights.

I recommend this album to fans of Melodic Blackened Death Metal, Melodic Black Metal and Symphonic Black Metal. My rating is of 9/10.

VARG THE MIGHTY