Rebel Extravaganza

Heavy Metal And Other Occasional Musics And Cultures

Album Reviews

Album Review: Darkthrone – Astral Fortress

Anyone who’s read my drivel for any length of time knows the importance I place on a band’s third album. Well, DARKTHRONE is at its 20th, so if they haven’t figured out what they are by now, there’s no point in bothering. And I suppose that’s why it pained me so much that 2021’s Eternal Hails……, the band’s self-proclaimed love letter to doom and prog, was such a disappointment. Now, off to strap on our skates and travel to the Astral Fortress. ‘Caravan Of Broken Ghosts’ begins interestingly enough, building in a way that brings anticipation. Never straying too far […]

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PEACEVILLE RECORDS Releases Dark Side Of The Sacred Star LP – A Limited Edition Anniversary Peaceville Compilation On December 9th

A Very Special Collection Of Exclusive Tracks From Some Of The Great Black Metal Artists Of The Current Peaceville Roster & Some New Acts, Coinciding With The 35th Anniversary Of The Label, On Numbered Vinyl. Peaceville presents a very special collection of tracks from the more black metal-oriented acts on the label, featuring a variety of brand new signings, recent bands amongst the firmly established legendary acts and influential names, with plenty of great showcases for what is to come on Peaceville in 2023, and also the LP includes a lot of exclusives! This pressing of Dark Side Of The […]

Album Reviews

Album Review: Amon Acid – Cosmogony

Looking for suitable musical accompaniment to a massive bong session or an experimental dive into psychedelics? I’m hard pressed to think of a better soundtrack for such activity than Cosmogony by space wizards AMON ACID. I was quite impressed by 2020’s Paradigm Shift – and while I don’t think this record tops it, except in terms of length -, this duo is now a serious player in the spaced out doom metal category. The record is quite a massive one, packed with droning, languorous riff-fests that virtually force you to explore the depths of the universe. Imagine a collision between […]

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IN THE WOODS… Release New Single from Diversum Album: ‘Master Of None’

Norwegian metal icons IN THE WOODS… have released ‘Master Of None’, the third and final single from forthcoming album, Diversum. Stream ‘Master Of None’ The single is also available on Spotify and Apple Music. Soulseller Records will release Diversum on November 25. The album will be available on digital, CD, and various limited edition vinyl formats. Pre-Order:World (Physical) Americas (Physical) Digital IN THE WOODS… return with a brand new studio album of avant-garde, progressive black rock and metal managing to deliver another epic masterpiece following untrodden paths and pagan tongue. With the band’s new label Soulseller Records and new vocalist […]

Album Reviews

Album Review: AAWKS – (((((Heavy On The Cosmic)))))

On the heels of an EP shortly after formation, Ontario’s AAWKS hunkered down to craft a masterpiece. An album for the ages. That one shining record that glows/glowers upon all beneath it. And lo, (((((Heavy On The Cosmic))))) was born, but the gods did not smile upon our champions, nay, nay! Cassettes are well and good, but what the public – well, at least what one Discogs member – was clamoring for was vinyl. Thusly, and at long last… Hazed right out the gate, ‘Beyond The Sun’ clearly takes a tab from the early KYUSS, languid, lysergic and loving it. […]

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ULTAR To Unleash Third Album, At The Gates Of Dusk

Siberian creature of bottomless chaos ULTAR will break its grave silence and amaze your imagination with the long-awaited third LP At The Gates Of Dusk. The time has come to plunge even deeper into the disturbing darkness of the beyond. This mysterious and sinister post-black tribute to the greatest horror writer and visionary of the 20th century Howard Phillips Lovecraft will penetrate your dreams and make you doubt the rationality of existence. The band recently released the official music video for album track ‘Innsmouth’ Watch the video for the album’s first single ‘Midnight Walk And Reminiscence Of Necromancy’ Another track […]

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STRYCHNOS – A Mother’s Curse Out Now on Dark Descent Records

A Mother’s Curse, the long-awaited debut album from Danish extreme metal veterans STRYCHNOS is out now on Dark Descent Records. Eight intricately sculpted compositions shift seamlessly between moods of terror, hope, and tragedy, building a momentous atmosphere rarely achieved in this day and age. Add to this the inventive riffing and bone-shattering vocals of the highest order and the result is A Mother’s Curse. STRYCHNOS bassist/vocalist Martin Leth Andersen comments on the album’s release. “We are proud to finally present eight tracks of pitch-black death metal tragedy as it was always intended to be: Dark, atmospheric, brutal, and tragic!” A […]

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GOTTHARD – ‘ONE LIFE, ONE SOUL – A NIGHT TO REMEMBER’ 60th ANNIVERSARY TRIBUTE SHOW FOR STEVE LEE

Musical history delivers unique talents, discovers one-off voices and gives artists an immortal status. But it is rare to have continuing worldwide success paired with real humanity because you need a very special character to not lose the wheel grip with all the limelight and applause. Steve Lee was one of these rare specimen and left the world being only 47 years old. Way too young one of the greatest Swiss rock singers died in the US in 2010 due to a motorcycle accident through no fault of one’s own.Steve Lee would have turned 60 years in August 2023. “He […]

Album Reviews

Album Review: Daeva – Through Sheer Will And Black Magic

As much slavish devotion to epic doom as I have, the last CRYPT SERMON really fell flat on my ears, so the news that 3/5 of that band was releasing a black/thrash album as DAEVA with a different vocalist at least perked up this ol’ dog’s ears. This could be stellar or abysmally bad, and with the PR sheet mentioning BATHORY, VOIVOD and DARK ANGEL…well, you see what I mean. When your album’s just a goat’s hair over 30 minutes long spending 2 of them in an intro is from the start an issue, nevermind that ‘Intro (Emanations)’ doesn’t give […]

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Amorphis: The Official Story of Finland’s Greatest Metal Band – now available in English via Decibel Books; pre-order now

Decibel Books is proud to announce the publication of Amorphis: The Official Story of Finland’s Greatest Metal Band, a fully authorized biography of the Finnish metal institution. Packed with tons of rare and never-before-seen photos, as well as a 16-page color section, the 360-page hardcover is exclusively available for pre-order in North America via decibelmagazine.com Copies are expected to ship in early 2023. Find a teaser of Amorphis: The Official Story of Finland’s Greatest Metal Band HERE AMORPHIS Online:Official Site Facebook

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