In a world where everybody wants to become a famous rockstar Spanish death metallers Altarage beg to differ keeping total anonymity and proclaiming a nihilist approach (towards music or life in general?) that feels extremely palpable on the crushing newest release “Endinghent” .

“Incessant Magma” glorifies an immense sense of cold darkness that inevitably infuses each guitar riff and drum blast while distant pitch black atmospheric echoes render the whole instrumentation quite surreal.

“Spearheaderon” feels like an ominous sonic spiral with recognizable blackened rhythmic patterns that become simply breathless even when guitars slow down to increase malevolent tonalities.

“Rift” might be the most dissonant tune you ever listened to as for a while guitars simply follow a sort of imaginary rhythm that knows no boundaries. When a more listenable blend of murky atmospheres and cascading heavy guitars takes over Altarage diligently guides the listeners through a darkened asphyxiating sonic realm.

“Barrier” is devoted to arcane darkness with tormented vocals straight from the expected blackened abyss lost in time and space while guitars gallop fiercely until slower hypnotizing doom oriented phrases depict a desolate obscure world.

The secretive musicians behind Altarage certainly fulfill their desire to keep an enigmatic music vision delivering immense brutality with cacophonic accents and while extreme metal acolytes will be intrigued by “Endinghent” others might not fully comprehend it.

Georgia based young band Cloak is eager to enter the chaotic realm that is the current metal scene with the promising debut album “To Venomous Depths”.

“To Venomous Depths/Where No Light Shines” dwells in the darkest limbo where rock and black metal meet and inevitably embrace. Cloak doesn’t refrain from crafting deliciously addictive guitar driven grooves that bear the malevolent heavy dynamics of doom and dark metal while fully embracing a mystical grim atmosphere that continuously fuel the song’s melodic core.

The compelling darkness of “Within the Timeless Black” is constantly enhanced by a similar black ‘n roll attitude that influences the whole instrumentation as the galloping mid paced rhythmic sections are naturally entwined with highly somber melodic passages filled of monolithic dark atmospheres.

There is an enchanting gothic feel on “The Hunger” reminiscent of the unforgettable early days of gothic metal. Here guitars focus mainly on the creation of melancholy infused melodies that reach a cathartic acme in a dreamy yet quite dreadful breakdown.

“Beyond The Veil” begins with a hymn to the darkest shades of metal and remarkable doom accents that will contribute to craft a more dramatic mood in the suspenseful introspective breakdown while a fair dosage of crunchy riffing and faster drumming keep an unrestrained blackened core obviously enhanced by proper vicious growls.

“Deep Red” starts with comforting somber melodic guitars that recall the ethereal darkness of Cascadian black metal but soon Cloak delivers a charismatic blast with entertaining classic heavy metal riffage and  gradually build loads of energetic rhythmic dynamics characterized by monumental blackened flavors.

While “To Venomous Depths” displays the expected rough edges of a debut album you can readily perceive the refreshing passion for dark music behind the work of Cloak and certainly we can expect much more on the band’s next endeavor.

Cannabis Corpse emerges from a true passion for Floridian death metal shared by Municipal Waste bassist / vocalist Phil “LandPhil” Hall and drummer Josh “Hallhammer” Hall, who created the band in 2006. While many might not take this band seriously, maybe because of the sense of humor or the gore stereotypes, the latest release “Left Hand Pass” demands the listeners’ full attention.

With somber tonalities “The 420th Crusade” opens the album focusing on intriguing guitar dynamics, especially compelling in the eclectic solo, while the relentless rhythmic section and the vicious growls bear a ‘90s death metal attitude.

“Chronic Breed” again stands out for the particularly multifaceted guitar work while the rest of the song is all about crazy rhythmic patterns relying on super thick riffing and drumming.

The title track unleashes an overwhelming series of fast & ravenous riffing segments and the wild technical guitar solo simply cuts through such rhythmic fury.

“Papyrus Containing the Spell to Protect Its Possessor Against Attacks From He Who Is In the Bong Water” might win as most original title of the year and Cannabis Corpse concocts an initial ritualistic mood swiftly followed by fierce death metal grooves that include the usual breakneck speed shenanigans but also less intimidating guitar passages.

On “The Fiends That Come To Steal the Weed of the Deceased” the lyrics regarding a passionate interest for marijuana continue to entertain the audience while the band is engaged in a furious distorted jam that culminates with a savagely interesting guitar solo.

With slick precision and unrestrained brutality Cannabis Corpse concocts the expected ravenous death metal anthem so let’s say that lovers of this particular genre will certainly embrace & enjoy “Left Hand Pass” without hesitation.

German black metallers Der Weg Einer Freiheit have released the new album “Finisterre” which stays true to the band’s chosen music blend of punishing blackened riffs and dramatic melodies.

“Aufbruch” bears the ethereal gloomy vibes of modern post-black metal but certainly doesn’t forget to draw its inner ominous strength from the darkest depths of classic black metal with breathless fast rhythm built relentlessly by savage guitar riffing and drums. Obviously, vicious growls constantly amplify the bleak cold music theme that becomes particularly mournful and surreal in the atmospheric breakdown with solemn clean vocals and aptly tragic guitar melodies.

“Ein letzter Tanz” is probably the most complex track in terms of composition and structure. Initially it favors feelings of overwhelming sadness with super slow heartfelt guitar melodies but doesn’t hesitate to channel the band’s primordial black metal roots with traditional austere tonalities and breakneck speed while additional dramatically slower sorrowful melodies return to depict the most melancholic soundscape.

On the title track thick guitar riffs can sound quite visceral under classic black metal influence as speed and obscure fury become the main focus to produce a rather asphyxiating groove. After such intense blackened experience, the charismatic softer yet absolutely darkened nuances and melodic serenity expressed by graceful violins are a truly pleasant diversion.

Overall, Der Weg Einer Freiheit confidently delivers a cohesive mature music opus as “Finisterre” diligently provides the fascinating melodic emotions of post-black metal combined with an easily satisfying extreme sonic assault.

Swiss post-hardcore veterans Impure Wilhelmina have been a prolific band for 10 years and the emotionally charged new full length “Radiation” aims to surprise the audience pushing music boundaries.

On “Great Falls Beyond Death” a somber mood dominates the song’s themes as loads of diverse guitar melodies embody darkened emotions with smooth gloomy tonalities.

“Sacred Fire” features groovy guitar riffs progressions but the whole instrumentation maintains a rather dark spirit as the main melodic core elegantly evokes a profound sadness that becomes overwhelming during the mellow breakdowns.

“Meaningless Memories” feels like a hymn to absolute melancholia with mournful vocals and refined guitar melodies that maintain a dark rock delivery and in general the guitar work showcases complex dramatic textures with a genuine emotive approach.

“Bones and Heart” offers some modern rock upbeat grooves and energetic rhythmic dynamics where cohesive guitar melodies evoke a brighter hopeful mood.

With renewed intensity “Murderers” returns to a darker sonic realm as guitars incessantly craft particularly gloomy vibes further emphasized by borderline dramatic desperate screams.

As Impure Wilhelmina continues to evolve exploring new sonic territories “Radiation” is the result of a substantial darkened songwriting approach that focuses mainly on melancholy infused intricate melodic textures.

Among modern metal bands, Australian Ne Obliviscaris have proven to be seriously devoted to the creation of complex fascinating music and the latest full length “Urn” showcases a versatile and visionary songwriting that meticulously blends compelling classical passages, ominous blackened accents and technical prog prowess.

“Libera (Part I) – Saturnine Spheres” opens the album with soft classical nuances that naturally evolve into a diverse ensemble of powerful prog tempo variations carefully built by fast precise drumming and intense eclectic guitar work. Ne Obliviscaris bravely explores an incredible range of music styles resulting in a rather unique composition where guitars deliver both crunchy extreme metal influenced riffing and elegantly polished melodies. The violin will always have a significant role throughout the album and here enhances the melodic aesthetics while the mixture of bright clean vocals and enraged growls amplifies the band’s music duality.

It would be simply impossible to resist the classical enchanting beauty of the evocative violin instrumental piece “Libera (Part II) – Ascent Of Burning Moths”. This short yet highly charismatic track complements the previous part I and delivers a tranquil multitude of ethereal decadent tones.

The brilliant theatrical composition of “Intra Venus” showcases again the band’s passionate music approach and undeniable talent. This is another quite complex track featuring multiple changes of scenario as guitars fervently accelerate the rhythm channeling the extreme depth of black metal but also shine for the excellent technical progressions and melodies matched by impeccable wild violin solos.

On “Eyrie” with magnificent classical beauty graceful violin and acoustic phrases evoke a luminous dreamlike atmosphere accompanied by calm soulful vocals. Such peaceful moment is followed by remarkable obscure growls marching through a heavy guitar driven crescendo that create the expected  dramatic contrast and the song’s variegated textures continue to unfold with an overdose of tight technical prog riffs and somber magical violin melodies.

The heavier enigmatic moments always enhanced by flawless venomous growls continue to have a large presence on “Urn” but it will be very easy to fall desperately in love with the sophisticated classical violin that constantly adds captivating intensity to each song.

We could try to analyze and categorize the music style of Norwegian Vulture Industries but it would become a challenging process so we should conveniently tag them as ‘avant-garde metal’. The latest release “Stranger Times” is in fact all over the place as Vulture Industries channels a surreal darkness embracing multiple rock/metal styles.

“Tales Of Woe” offers some inflamed ensemble of gothic rock style guitar riffs & melodies following a quite catchy rhythmic crescendo that often bears enigmatic heavy accents while the whole instrumental galore is spiced up by occasional intense screams and flamboyant vintage rock keyboards arrangements.

The darkly sultry track “As The World Burns” should never be ignored as Vulture Industries skillfully and effortlessly craft slow burner bluesy melodies that eventually gain all kinds of energetic rock dynamics ultimately crowned by a highly enjoyable guitar solo.

“Strangers” might sound exquisitely melodic with solemn clean vocals, carefully structured soft guitars leading to a lovely sparkling solo and a mournful trumpet waltz yet the massive shroud of darkness is rather palpable within the borderline experimental rock tonalities.

“Something Vile” revolves around rich rhythmic textures with embedded catchy qualities and fascinating guitars offer also a lavish dosage of darkened rock melodies that can be considered widely accessible and memorable.

“Gentle Touch Of A Killer” features over the top yet quite charismatic vocals while guitars focus on gritty riffs as well as loads of obscure rock melodies that follow a sort of creepy carnivalesque theme.

Vulture Industries successfully deliver their signature ‘dark metal cabaret’ and despite its inner entertaining quality “Stranger Times” is an album that might not necessarily sound immediately/easily loveable to the average metal/rock listeners.