Rebel Extravaganza

Heavy Metal And Other Occasional Musics And Cultures

Album Reviews

ALBUM REVIEW RATING SCALE:
**Please note that this rating scale serves as a reference for albums reviewed prior to 2023.
Numbered ratings will not be added going forward, in hopes that the writer’s impression of the work will suffice.
It will have to.** 

6 – Rarely bestowed. An honor reserved for undeniable classics (or those that should be). The Apex Predator.
5 – Impressive.
4 – Worthy of special recognition.
3 – A solid effort.
2 – The participation trophy.
1 – These are the albums that the 2s beat up on the way home from school.
0 – A waste of both our time and yours.

Album Reviews

Album Review: IZTHMI – Leaving This World, Leaving It All Behind

IZTHMI’s been practicing the dark arts for just over five years now, and yes, they’re from Washington state, but don’t let that mislead you into writing the quintet off as some WITR clone of the “Cascadian” black metal “scene”. After the whispered delivery of ‘Ever Beneath His Gaze (He Will Drown The World In His Tears)’, ‘The Shadows Of Our Disillusionment’ begins Leaving This World, Leaving It All Behind proper. The guitar tone immediately sets apart IZTHMI, being almost mechanical at times, yet shot through with super-clean lead phrases. While it’ll make a good many BM purists cringe or grouse, […]

Album Reviews

Album Review: Hurakan – Via Aeterna

France’s HURAKAN returns for the all-important third album, moving up to virtual abattoir of death metal, Czechia’s Lacerated Enemy Records. Via Aeterna from the start reveals a darker, more seasoned HURAKAN, ‘Imperium’ slowly but deliberately moving into our field of vision, a hulking being, orchestral arrangements courtesy of Philippe Parickmiler adding just the layer the foursome needed to move forward. And thus we do, into ‘Void’, which isn’t so much of an earworm as the prior track, but drummer Thomas Cremier seems to have fixed the slight thinness I thought I was hearing before. Unhurried yet not lazy, this seems […]

Album Reviews

Album Review: ORATORY – Inner Pyre [EP]

I won’t lie. As much as I pride myself on being musically openminded I expect truth in and from the musicians I listen to and strive to be authentic above all in my own work. You’ll never see me sporting a Harley Davidson shirt. You know why? I do not own a Harley Davidson. Don’t slap a Viking helmet on your dome and sing about Lindisfarne if you’re from bloody Croatia, and if your band members are going to wear CELTIC FROST and NEUROSIS shirts in your promo photos, I’d better hear you at least trying to inject some of […]

Album Reviews

Album Review: HALLUX VALGUS – Reflections Of Distant Dreams

Okay, so the cat got me. I mean, look. On the cover. It’s a cat. And it looks like my cat, for fuck’s sake. I’ve been going through a late ‘60s-early ‘70s psych/folk phase for the past year or two such as INCREDIBLE STRING BAND blended with monster ‘70s guitar rock ala CROW and RAM JAM, and the art of this first widely-available edition left me unsure what to expect, but intrigued enough to press Play. A hard-charging riff sets Reflections Of Distant Dreams off at a gallop, ‘Ghastly Reflections’ harking back to the days when thrash/speed was beginning its […]

Album Reviews

Album Review: Mirror – The Day Bastard Leaders Die

Look deep into this MIRROR and you’ll see the spirit of true heavy metal staring back at you. I thought the debut from this Greek band was fantastic and The Day Bastard Leaders Die is a more than worthy follow-up. The creation of SATAN’S WRATH bassist Taz, this band is 100% dedicated to the sounds of the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal and the darkest ’70s hard rock. MIRROR play a rather elegant, almost baroque style of true metal that has a strong flavor of ANGELWITCH, CANDLEMASS and MERCYFUL FATE. Singer Jimmy Mavrommatis has a great clear voice that’s […]

Album Reviews

Album Review: Vaamatar – Medievalgeist

And so it was that, after suffering through the utter dreck comprising HELL MILITIA’s newest half-assery, I needed the black metal version of a palate cleanse. Having no experience with VAAMATAR prior, but armed with the assurance that Iron Bonehead Productions is usually reliable for at least quality if not preference, we venture forth into Medievalgeist. The title track arrives, synth, screams and sacrifice giving way to equally orgiastic glee, and the first thing that stands out is the surprisingly robust production. No ‘Several Species Of Small Armored Pandas Together In A Cave A Mile Away And Grooving With A […]

Album Reviews

Album Review: Eight Bells – Legacy Of Ruin

Released parallel to the compiling of its prior works, the aptly-titled Histories 2010-2016, EIGHT BELLS delivers its third long-player, Legacy Of Ruin on some expectant ears. Well, these, at least. Sonically I’ve always found Melynda Jackson & co. not-so-distant cousins to the now-defunct SUBROSA, albeit more diverse in their palette. Where the former came from the dark heart of folk, EIGHT BELLS treads more in the realms of doom, all the while tossing shovelfuls of hard prog ala POPOL VUH, the devilish dirge of JACULA and orbit-twisting YOB… All evidenced splendidly on opener ‘Destroyer’, which had me reaching for my […]

Album Reviews

Album Review: Buňuel – Killers Like Us

Luis Buňuel was a film-maker who liked to shock and surprise. This is the guy we have to thank for images of eyeballs being slashed by razor blades and dead donkeys lying on top of pianos. It seems fitting that he lend his name to this noise rock project full of uneasy screams, mutters and groans, both human and instrumental. Noise rock is something I’ve found myself gradually getting into in recent years, but boy, BUÑUEL push things to limits even I find hard to take. It’s an international combo featuring Eugene Robinson of OXBOW fame on lead vocals. Never […]

Album Reviews

Album Review: Skumstrike – Deadly Intrusions

Ah, Quebec! Home of Mononc’ Serge, black metal, Poutine, black metal, and a little band we all know and had better respect, VOIVOD. Oh, and GORGUTS. Oh, and…now SKUMSTRIKE! Beginning with the soft, soothing intro track as all albums should, ‘Caustic Poison’ comforts and gives peace and if you believe that, stop reading, this fuck is not for you! Surprisingly battle-hardened despite having only a demo and 3 EPs under its bullet belt, the duo of ZS and LA [drums, vocals and string bedevilment respectively] go straight for the balls on ‘Blood Red Vision’, a slaughter-stomp if ever there was […]

Album Reviews

Album Review: BA’A – Egregore

A relative new arrival to black metal, France’s BA’A stirred up things a bit with 2020’s Deus qui non mentitur, the debut embracing the overarching aspects of the genre without seeming beholden to tradition to the point of obstinance. Now don’t get me wrong, I can fully respect a BOLT THROWER-esque refusal to move either “forward” or “backward” sonically, it’s just that to have put up such an image for BA’A – especially given the pedigree of its members – would’ve seemed dishonest. And thus, credit where due. Not having nearly enough French to even begin deciphering Egregore lyrically, I’ll […]

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