Horrenda "Think On Your Sins" EP Review

  From starting out as a solo project,one of the most intense live bands within the irish Metal Horrenda have become an absolute force of nature over their 10+ years of existence,over the years founding member Darragh "Outis" O'Connor has recruited members to develop a sound so devastating and evil     combining elements of DSBM & Second Wave of Black Metal all layered with themes of Irish History, Horror and other topics ,the last five years have seen the band really up the quality of their material which has culminated in the release of their phenomenal new EP Think On Your Sins.

  

  The opening intro Canto 1:Descent  creates an anticipation and build for the madness and melancholy that's about to be unleashed while combining nice intricate and short guitar parts,it has a really haunting atmosphere that gets inside your head, we treated to some nasty riffage on the brilliant Come And See this track touches on the theme of one of the most tragic parts of our history The Great Famine of 1847 along with the filthy riffs there's also an element of melancholy and treachery(the music video will give you better idea of this), the haunting dark atmosphere of Nun's Tears really stands out as one of my favourite Horrenda tracks not only from this EP but ever,the vocal delivery throughout this is so intense and it almost feels like there's an element of sympathy to how they're executed.

 

 Possibly the most relentless track on this release is the excellent Handprints along with having peak Second Wave BM homages throughout this there's a theme of ancestry and leaving an undeniable mark on our legacy and that of our ancestors creating some sort of dual effect of whether it's a good or bad thing, closing track and title track Think On Your Sins introduces some new elements i've never heard this band utilise which is always a good thing to see happen,it's like they've delved into Atmospheric Black Metal and Post Black Metal territories while still maintaining all the trademarks we enjoy about Horrenda,this is definitely  a huge step up from previous material and long may it continue.

 This band continue to evolve their sound and have become a truly phenomenal force of nature, with Think on Your Sins they've really smashed through the proverbial glass ceiling and then some,without doubt this is very likely to be making my EP of the year list, all the hard work they've put in throughout the years is starting to reap the reward and long may it continue.

RATING: 9/10

  FB: https://www.facebook.com/HorrendaOfficial

  IG: https://www.instagram.com/horrendaofficial/

Hero In Error "Hero In Error" EP Review

   Dublin Hardcore/Metal Stalwarts Hero In Error have been tearing it up since 2007 with consistently quality releases and a plethora of live shows supporting luminaries such as Mastodon,Parkway Drive and more,despite a few line up changes and two hiatus's from 2013 to 2016 & 2020 to 2024,the addition of Kaan Tasan(Heart Of A Coward) on vocals gave the band a renewed vigor and another level of quality ,all of this culminates with the release of their absolutely monumental new Self Titled EP, let's dissect the finer details within this release.

    Instantly you know you're about to delve into something special when that first chord hits on Enemy Within the vocal delivery is both gut wrenching and full of angst combined with some thought provoking lyrics of self doubt and the struggle to communicate your true feelings, Moths To a Flame delivers some  really fantastic groove laden hooks with relentless drums ,the switching between clean and abrasive vocals adds a really melancholic atmosphere to the overall theme of personal struggle.

  Closing track Left In Your Absence goes into even more emotionally tinged  territory with the delivery of both extremely aggressive and emotiinally charged vocals,it feels like there's a gradual build within each song to the point where the emotions become too difficult to cope with and they eventually explode into an uncontrollable anger.

  Hero In Error may have been absent from the scene for a prolonged period of time but upon listen to this phenomenal EP it feels like they've never been gone ,they've even come back with a renewed purpose and intent all designed to deliver absolutely crushing and thought provoking passages,

RATING: 9.5/10

FB: https://www.facebook.com/HEROINERROR

IG: https://www.instagram.com/heroinerrordublin/

Bands To Watch(Irish Rock & Metal Community) For 2024(Part 1)

 2023 was full of memorable releases within the Irish Rock and Metal scene including a few new bands making their mark on a thriving community,i will be including a few who unleashed some quality releases in 2023 and a few bands who i think are worth paying attention to in 2024, i'll include links to all their music in this spotlight

URAGH

 The Absolutely mind blowing Progressive Metal Quartet Uragh are an absolute Force of Nature and made a huge ripple within the Irish scene,about a year ago they were releatively unknown that all changed pretty quickly with truly explosive performances in Metal 2 The Masses which saw them eventually make it to The Grand Final and delivered an absolutely devastating performance,they were unlucky not to win the competition but this experience really pushed them to the fore within the scene,not long after the band carried on regardless of not winning the competition with the release of their debut single Decimate which garnered a lot of attention ,near the end of November they unleashed the absolutely monumental single Monarch which was a really huge step forward for this truly talented band,in writing this piece coincidentally i was checking my emails and low and behold there's another absolutely devastating new single entitled The Widening Gyre which is due to be released on 9th February with an accompanying video out on 23rd February,there's was also the announcement that their highly anticipated Debut Album Maelstrom will be released on 19th April, The Storm is Slowly Brewing and i think no one is prepared for the devastation this band are about to unleash.

 FB: https://www.facebook.com/uraghband

  IG: https://www.instagram.com/uraghband/

TERAS

 

Not confined to one specific genre the absolutely brilliant Teras have an aura like no other band ,their live performances are not like your regular gig it's more like an experience were you feel you're in some sort of trance and you feel this addictive urge were you keep wanting more,it's kind of tricky to explain unless you're lucky enough to see them, about a year ago they made an unbelievabke impact within the Northern Ireland Metal community as their first few gigs were in Metal 2 The Masses NI competition culminating in them reaching The Grand Final,this is by no reach of the imagination a phenomenal achievement, after this they continously keep performing at as much shows as possible garnering much deserved attention from more people,before i finally got to see them live i knew there was something special about them and on my second time seeing them they done their first ever Headline show with two established bands in Acid Age & Cursed Sun supporting them in the 7Twenty Bar in Derry, they played an hour+ set at this and were absolutely phenomenal,they ended the year with another headline show in Belfast were they premiered a new song Kill Your Idol this is something that will help to expand their setlist for further live shows,recently it was announced that they'll be playing at Siege Of Limerick for the first time at the end of March,they're also taking part in Metal 2 The Masses NI on March 22nd in Voodoo Belfast, there's also the possibility that they'll be releasing an album in the not so distance future,keep a real close watch on these and if you haven't go see them live.

FB: https://www.facebook.com/TerasOffical.ni

IG: https://www.instagram.com/teras_ni/

the 

LAVEIN

    About a Year ago to the day i went to a gig in Fibbers basement for the first Rage Metal Night of 2023,was paying attention to all the bands that night but one in particular stood out that night a newky formed Modern Metallic Hardcore outfit by the name of LaVein, i knew very little about these with the exception that their Drummer Lachlan also plays with Fornoth, it would become apparent really quickly to a number of people that these weren't messing around and had seriously unmatched potential, i now refer to them as "The Glass Ceiling Smasher" with good reason at that,in the midst of all the furore this band achieved a mind blowing story by not only getting to the Grand Final of Metal 2 The Masses Ireland  they also won it, not many bands cna say they formed and about half a year later were told they're going to be playing at Bloodstock Festival,also just before the Grand Final they did release their absolutely devastating Debut EP Fine Failure ,they also got to support one of their favourite bands Kublai Khan TX and played numerous other shows including their first ever time at Siege Of Limerick last October,they're currently working on EP #2 and at the start of March they go on a Five day tour over in the Untied Kingdom

THE BOAT SANK

 This final band in my first round up are an absolutely bombastic Instrumental sludgy groovy heftmonger machine, The Boat Sank are also another act that achieved  alot in such a short space of time,the sludge trio would eventually come together out of a love for Groove laden heavy Riffage in the vein of Crowbar,Down etc,was pure coincidence that the members became aware of each other sharing the same practice space in seperate bands,they eventually would start jamming together(Secretly so i'm lead to believe) ,anyway they developed a reputation for stellar live shows extremely quickly during sets in Metal 2 The Masses NI which would culminate in them getting to The Grand Final,although they are mainly an instrumental band there is version of their tracks with vocals,also should mention the use of samples in their live sets adds to the overall aura/sound of the band,anyone who i've tlked to that's seen them says their drummer is an absolute beast behind the kit and he also has a hilarious sense of humour which you'll come across on some of their social media posts and you tube content, as of now i've yet to see this band live ,this NEEDS to be corrected this year,beofre i close this out i have heard murmurings of a brand new single and they're also going at it again in Metal 2 The Masses NI for Heat 6 on 22nd March,interesting times ahead for this absolutely brilliant Trio.

FB: https://www.facebook.com/Theboatsank

IG: https://www.instagram.com/the_boat_sank/

 

Aesect "Simulacra" Single Review

 

Progressive Tech Metal Stalwarts Aesect are a real force of nature and have been honing and crafting their sound for over a decade,the band have put out consistently good releases throughout the years,despite numerous different vocalists and other difficulties for the band this hasn't detered the quality of what they deliver,over the past three years their bassist Willow has now transitioned to vocals on their past two singles Revolutionary Suicide and now on their mind blowing new single Simulacra, lets get into the finer details and see what sort of quality they've delivered this time.

 Aesect have always delivered quality tunes full of heaviness,aggression and full of  thought provoking lyrics so when i first listened to Simulacra i was speechless when i heard a new added element of clean vocals,this adds a whole new dimension to their sound and gives them a somewhat Progressive edge, lyrically the band touch on the theme of mental illness and the struggle to maintain some sort of sanity,this is conveyed beautifully on the music video for the track: dare i say this but when they transition between the really heavy parts and the clean vocals it adds a really awe inspirng and passionate element to the track, it sounds like there's an inner struggle between two different personalities and a lack of self control and awareness,an insatiable rage locked in a cage.

  This is definitely one of the best singles/releases i've listened to so far this year and  is a taste of things to come from one of the best bands on this wee island,this is going to be a really interesting year for Aesect and i have a feeling we're going to be treated to more memorable and thought provoking material from them.

RATING: 9.5/10

FB: https://www.facebook.com/AeSect

IG: https://www.instagram.com/aesect/

Aborted Earth "Hey Kid,Wanna Buy A Split" EP Review

 

    I always like when someone contatcs me to do reviews was absolutely over the moon when Aborted Earth vocalist Jamie asked me would i be interested in doing so for their absolutely devastating new Split EP Hey Kid,Wanna Buy a Split? they're about to release with the equally apocalyptic sounding Organ Blender suffice to say i'll be doing a seperate review for their part of this release.

   I've being paying close attention to this band for a few years now and they've evolved their sound by adding extra facets with each release and now on this it seems they have come fulll circle with devastating consequences, straight off we're treated to some relentlessly uncomfortable passages with Conspiracy to Kill the repitition throughout this track really creates a sense of a dark and prevelent impending doom with no means of escape whatsoever, Coolock Bodybag is executed with an extremely visceral vocal delivery combined with relentless pace for the opening 2 minutes of the track at which point they launch into some Sludgy and Apocalyptic sequences similar to early Godflesh,something that should be mentioned this also has some element of social strife,societal problem(referenced in the soing title,if you know you know otherwise i'm not explaining), Closing track Vicious Circle combines every element the band have been adding to their repetoire throughout the years and their arsenal has all the recipes to create an absolutely obliterating apocalyptic soundtrack.

   As mentioned earlier the advancemenst this band has made in the last few years is mind blowing,from a straight-up crazy Grindcore band with some tongue in cheek dark humour(it's still there) to adding Industrial Metal elements akin to Godflesh or Scorn which in turn adds a really scarey apocalyptic atmosphere to their sound,with Hey Kid,Wanna Buy A Split long term fans of the band are going to absolutely love what's on offer here.

RATING:10/10

SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0VHpCKARiFRVT7oyfW5PuR?si=yXrbNRDyQDeqmUCJXlK1Aw

BANDCAMP: https://abortedearth.bandcamp.com/

YOU TUBE: https://www.youtube.com/@abortedearth7074

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/AbortedEarth

INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/abortedearthireland/

LUD "Ritual Of The Damned" EP Review

   LUD are an International Band based In Ireland,members have previous experience of playing in bands such as Voidhammer, Coscradh, Leproso and Gathering Darkness, the band want to create a sound similar to The Second Wave of Black Metal combining aggression,speed and melodic elements in the mould of 1349, Dissection, Satyricon, Dark Funeral and Keep Of Kalessin,these elements are abundantly clear on their absolutely killer 3 track Debut EP Ritual Of The Damned.

  Opening track Devour To Transcend is a pretty relentless offering with little to no let up razor sharp riffs and laser precision balst beats with  a powerful vocal delivery makes this a great way to unleash whats to follow.  Powerful double bass drums set the tone for the brilliant Perish On The Cross switching between mid paced heaviness and fast melodic riffs, there's also a very blasphemic atmosphere to proceedings only added by the satanic lyrical content, closing track  Ritual Of The Damned has some kind of seance/ritual at the intro of the track before unleashing a truly relentless and evil sounding riff ,there's an added viciousness to this particular track compared to the previous two,that main riff hooks you by in and dissects with unrelentling precision and savagery.

 LUD have left a undeniable mark with this excellent releases, all the nuances of Second Wave Black Metal are present and done with passion, unrelenting fury and aggression, i also get the feeling that the band are more then capable of expanding this sound into an even broader spectrum and further themselves not just as a unit but as musicians, despite the shortness in length of the EP Ritual Of The Damned achieves what it set out to do and gets the point of the release across brilliantly.

BANDCAMP: https://lud666.bandcamp.com/releases

YOU TUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCILq-LfSyd6eNtD2VbGzIlg/videos

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/groups/322041484530881/user/100083143608367/

INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/ludblackmetal/