Rebel Extravaganza

Heavy Metal And Other Occasional Musics And Cultures

Album Reviews

Album Review: Deliria – Phantasm

Birthed in 2017, DELIRIA had the misfortune of coming into being shortly after the “post-black metal” (I will never understand that term) dam had burst, unleashing a saddened, craft beer-sipping, beard-grooming, horde of L.L. Bean-wearing DEAFHEAVEN fans masquerading as shoegaze devotees into the gene pool. Thankfully, Nausea had enough going for it to pass as more than Muzak made for immersing yourself in during your time at the local Whole Foods Market, and thus…Phantasm. ‘Smoke & Mirrors’ wants to shimmer its way into your consciousness, but there’s just something about the tone of this guitar that’s annoying from jump. Blessedly, […]

Music News

Nashville Rock Trio SOUND&SHAPE Announce New Album, Pillars Of Creation, Out May 24th

Rising Nashville rock trio SOUND&SHAPE have revealed details of their eagerly awaited, 5th full-length album, Pillars Of Creation, which will be self-released by the band through a joint venture with The Syndicate and Vydia Distribution on May 24th. The record follows the band’s praised 2022 album, Disaster Medicine, and continues their unique sonic trajectory melding rich melodies with captivating songwriting while embarking on a new, ambitious journey that delves further into the realms of progressive rock. Working alongside Grammy-winning producer/engineer “Greazy” Wil Anspach (Metallica, Muse, Red Hot Chili Peppers), SOUND&SHAPE has created an enthralling collection of 12 songs that blend […]

Album Reviews

Album Review: Vulture – Sentinels

Holding the flag high for German thrash we have VULTURE, who have emerged as solid journeymen in their chosen field. The ’80s thrash revival hasn’t quite hit the same level of success as the recent comeback of old school death metal…can VULTURE turn the tide? I don’t know if Sentinels will be the record to do it. It’s a fun record combining straight EXODUS worship with heaping helpings of yelping Kraut-thrash, but it’s no threat to join the company of thrash immortals. The yippy vocals (like Zetro Sousa trying to do early Schmier from DESTRUCTION) are overdone and sometimes cringeable. […]

Music News

NECROPANTHER: Denver Metal Act To Release Oblivion Jones: A Tale Of False Consciousness EP, Featuring Saxophonist Rico Jones, On May 3rd

Prolific Colorado metallers NECROPANTHER announce the May 3rd release of Oblivion Jones: A Tale Of False Consciousness, their latest EP, which features saxophonist Rico Jones. The cover art, track listing, preorders, and lead single, ‘The Denver School’ have been unveiled. NECROPANTHER hails from the metal music cauldron of Denver. Masters of genre manipulation, the band blends elements of death, thrash, black metal, and more to create riff-heavy albums for a dystopian future. All four band members are composers and collaboratively create their full-length albums. Since 2014, they have amassed a catalog of startling diversity and consistent quality. The four-song Oblivion […]

Album Reviews

Album Review: KÓLGA – Black Tides

“Blackened surf rock/nautical horror”. Well, now I’ve heard it all. Although, to be fair, any band with a glockenspiel and waterphone isn’t to be denied for adventuresomeness alone. ‘Space Beach Massacre’ begins, already substantially more creeped-out and terrifying than 99.9% of death metal intro tracks, quickly slipping into the churning foam, flecks of black metal howl and DICK DALE guitar stranglings a’ flying and, believe it or not, ending too quickly for my taste. It’s alright, though, as the brilliantly titled ‘Squall Of Cthulhu’ rises, not as inherently frenetic as its predecessor, more lurking as its namesake befits. Imagine, if […]

Music News

HARVESTMAN: Neurosis’ Steve Von Till Shares ‘Give Your Heart To The Hawk’ Visualizer/Single Triptych: Part One To Be Released Via Neurot Recordings To Coincide With The Pink Moon On April 23rd

Throughout 2024, and marking three full moons, HARVESTMAN – the psych project of Neurosis’ Steve Von Till – will be presenting his ambitious Triptych project, a three-part album cycle. Today, HARVESTMAN shares the elegiac ‘Give Your Heart To The Hawk’, taken from Triptych: Part One, confirmed for release on April 23rd via Neurot Recordings to coincide with the Pink Moon. Released periodically on three of 2024’s full moons – April 23rd’s Pink Moon, July 21st’s Buck Moon, and October 17th’s Hunter Moon – the three-album cycle Triptych is HARVESTMAN’s most ambitious undertaking yet. But it’s also the distillation of a […]

Album Reviews

Album Review: The Rottening – Seeds Of Death [EP]

In which ex-members of Swedish death metal band INTESTINAL take shape under the moniker of that band’s last album, new vocalist in tow, to create, you guessed it…Swedish death metal. Carrying over three songs from last year’s Ode To Rot demo and adding a couple new ones, THE ROTTENING breathes, eats and shits the Stockholm sound on initial EP, Seeds Of Death. So, you know what you’re getting, and can stop now or move forward into demise. The Swedish Chainsaw is revved up with ‘Ode To Rot’, the tone a bit less coarse than I’d anticipated, but still raw, hard-charging, […]

Music News

HUNTSMEN announce new album, The Dry Land, and share release show

Chicago, IL ensemble HUNTSMEN has announced their third album, The Dry Land, set to be released via Prosthetic Records on June 7. Alongside the album announcement, the Americana / doom metal group has shared release show details for The Dry Land, set to take place on June 7 at Sleeping Village in Chicago, IL. Further details on The Dry Land will be revealed in the coming weeks, with the band sharing a teaser for the lead single HERE Speaking on the album announcement, Ray Bueno-Knipe (drums and vocals) comments: “We are incredibly grateful to announce the release of our third […]

Album Reviews

Album Review: Necrot – Lifeless Birth

I remember really digging on NECROT’s sophomore full-length, Mortal, maybe partly because it was released in the throes of the pandemic, when the world was in literal spastic convulsions. Songs like ‘Stench Of Decay’ and ‘Malevolent Intentions’ were cut to the chase, no frills death demons that gave (at least these ears) an escape from the political haranguing and media talking heads. Lifeless Birth’s opener, ‘Cut The Cord’ slices and dices with exactly none of the precision of, say, CARCASS, but more a rusty cleaver hacking away, chunks of gore a’ flying into the speed-driven title track. Less chord-driven, just […]

Music News

Umbra Vitae Announce Sophomore LP, ‘Light of Death’

UMBRA VITAE, the powerhouse which features Jacob Bannon (Converge), Sean Martin (Twitching Tongues, ex-Hatebreed), Mike McKenzie (The Red Chord), Jon Rice (Uncle Acid, Tsjuder) and Greg Weeks (The Red Chord) have announced their sophomore album, Light Of Death. Set for release on June 7, 2024 via Deathwish Inc., the album was recorded by Kurt Ballou and Zach Weeks at God City Studios and mastered by Brad Boatright at Audiosiege. Light Of Death emerges with a spine-chilling violin swell before erupting into duel guitar driven madness, and UMBRA VITAE stay redlined onto their first single “Belief Is Obsolete’. Watch / share […]

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