Fattyú, the Hungarian dungeon synth black metal unit led by Avius (all instruments), appeared with very diverse material and that's for sure. Previously, this stuff was only available on cassette, but now thanks to Transylmedia Records, the "Puszta" album is also available on CD. The album itself consists of 8 songs, which literally means 8 different musical journeys into the most unexpected cavalcade of moods. The core of the music is clearly metal, but not necessarily black metal, and since ambient type things are gaining more and more emphasis, Avius' music fits more into the atmospheric category. Most of the time it's meditative, but when it goes crazy with some blackened vocals and guitars, it gets really metal. The album is about 39 minutes long, but there are 3 bonus tracks at the end of the CD that add another 22 minutes to this release. These were done in the same style and manner, so they tied in quite well with the main material. The 12-page booklet contains all the lyrics, which are all in Hungarian and have a folklore theme. Some of the songs also feature guest appearances, which make the overall picture a bit more colorful. So anyone who likes atmospheric, relaxing music should definitely check out Fattyú's "Puszta". This CD edition is limited to 300 copies, so don't miss out!

Well, the long-awaited new album of one of the most prominent bands of the Ukrainian brutal death metal scene has finally arrived. This is their sixth full-length CD in the row. Their previous record "Denial of the Scriptures" was released in 2016 and is still one of my favorites from them. But let's get back to the new material. "Carnival of Flesh" contains 10 well-composed and arranged death metal pieces in nearly 39 minutes. This material sounds very punchy, much stronger than their predecessors. Furtherly, the band added vocalist Michele Borniotto, who suitably increased the level of growling brutalities. The other musicians remained the same as on the "Godless" EP from 2018, namely Igor Lystopad (guitars), Ruslan Drozd (bass/vocals) and Ed Litviakov (drums). The first song, "Distorted Lights", opens in typical Fleshgore style with a hint of Suffocation's "Funeral Inception" and a concentrated Dying Fetus spice. The grooves in this song are really cool. This is followed by the title track, which is perhaps even faster and more technical. The bass parts come out very well in some places, in a kind of bulldozer way. The third is "Inhuman Existence", which is another typical Fleshgore tune, nothing extra so to speak, just a brutal crush from start to finish. Then there's "Buried Truth", which starts with somewhat modern riffs, but then returns to the beloved masters of the New York school, that is, the aforementioned Suffocation and its companions, Internal Bleeding and Dehumanized. The fifth track, "Modern Arts of Slavery", roars with typical Dying Fetus-like grooves. The drum parts are really crazy there, especially the double bass patterns. The next song, "Hive of Insanity", has the most melodic riff combination and is also the most melodic song on the record. There are also many breakdowns, which eventually transform into a kind of ethereal Immolation vibe. The overall picture is intriguing and rather experimental, but I really like it. The seventh sonic spawn is "Invisible Reality". It's another killer composition where grooves alternate with bomb blasts and are covered by tricky bass lines and atmospheric guitar melodies. The eighth part of the album is called "Frail Utopia". This song ended up being less interesting and a bit boring, but the Dying Fetus grooves come through nicely. The guitar riffs of "War is an Amusement" roll through our ear canals like a road roller, it's a brutal one that also features a very good solo. The last song on the album is "Ad Astra". It crushes very well and gives a perfect finish to this excellent album. There is also a good bit of chaotic solo in this track. In short, everything is given plus the album cover is awesome too thanks to Raymond Art. So if you prefer brutal death metal with mind-blowing grooves, then don't hesitate any longer, buy this record right now directly from the band or their label!!!

Fogos from Barcelona is a fairly new black metal band, formed in 2021, but with a fully experienced membership, following the musical paths of the Scandinavian hordes of the 90s. Their music is direct and sufficiently dark, not over-thought or over-complicated, but because the more than 46 minutes of "Corpses and Ashes" has got a crystal-clear sound production, it affects our senses in a completely different way than the early materials of their Scandinavian contemporaries. Nonetheless, the Spanish quartet's debut album has a lot of potential. The vibe is there, the attitude likewise, so expect 10 well-crafted black metal pieces. I especially liked their tune called "Deimos" and wish they will write more songs like that in the future. Lyrically they forge themes about fatalism, nihilism, death and the human psyche. The fantastic cover art was designed by Beren. At first sight it looks plain, but believe me it has depth. I would advise fans of Mayhem, Dark Funeral and Marduk to pick this stuff for evaluation. Strong debut album for sure!!!

We didn't have to wait long for the continuation of the debut album "Memento Mori" (2021), because here it is, the second full-length material of Frozen Wreath has arrived. It is called "Mea Culpa" and contains 7 precisely arranged songs in the spirit of atmospheric black metal. Their songs are mostly long, so the playing time of the disc is almost 50 minutes. Despite the stormy blast beat parts and bloodthirsty vocals, I felt that their repertoire was quite relaxed. Their music is mostly measured, meditative and landscape-painting. As with the first record, Zoltán Szele is responsible for the instruments, and Roland Neubauer for the vocals and lyrics. The two musicians are in particularly good harmony, and this is, of course, reflected in the final production. If I brought up Cradle of Filth and the Scandinavian bands as possible influences on their debut album, I can now say with a clear heart that the band has found themselves as much as possible with this marching epic black metal attitude. Zoltán continued in the best possible combinations between the instrumental parts of "Mea Culpa", putting the whole music of Frozen Wreath on another level. As in the case of the debut album, the lyrics are included in two languages, i.e. Hungarian and English. The design and layout of the booklet are both professionally done and include the super rad cover art of Renáta Vörös. In short, the wait was not in vain, as the two Hungarian musicians created another masterpiece. Fans of atmospheric black metal should definitely taste the songs of Frozen Wreath's "Mea Culpa"!!!

The Hungarian band Funus was founded in 2007 and after four demos it is finally coming out with a full-length album. The main member of the melodic black metal band is Mathyas (guitars, bass, vocals, songwriter and poet), who was assisted on this record by Chris (drums), Moonchild (sound engineer, producer, vocals on "Varjútánc") and LXIV. King David (folk instruments). "Örökké" contains 7 songs, which have a kind of wandering atmospheric black metal character. The lyrics of the songs are written in Hungarian and they are really literary, sometimes grim, sometimes gloomy, I could say depressing in nature, but this type of music wants and suggests just that. Funus' music is definitely not fast-paced, rather measured, free of blast beats and completely atmospheric. For example, this music is very good for relaxing, reading or simply meditating. The sound is icy and most of the riffs reflect Scandinavian black metal, but there is also a folk-inspired song called "Varjútánc". In addition to the current jewel case CD version, this material was previously released on cassette courtesy of NGC Prod. Grafit & Hamu and R.C. are responsible for graphic elements. The booklet contains the lyrics and some information about the record. Of course, it's interesting sound material, but it definitely depends on the mood. The CD version is limited to 300 copies, so hurry before it runs out!!!

Hellwitch is the kind of band that rarely releases new material, but when they do release a new album, it usually delivers on all levels, be it technical, musical or lyrical. "Annihilational Intercention" is the third LP of the super-brainy, witch-speed-infused death/thrash combo formed in 1984, which also gained a well-deserved cult status. The new record is divided into 9 songs, and the membership is as follows: Patrick Ranieri (lead & rhythm guitars, vocals), J.P. Brown (12-string, rhythm guitars, bass) and Brian Wilson (drums). The over 41-minute stuff starts with the complex yet devastating song "Solipsistic Immortality", a typical Hellwitch composition with the usual ingredients: speed, blast beats, lots of crazy solos, hysterical screaming vocals. This is followed by "Delegated Disruption", which starts with a short drum solo. Killer composition, the tempo is even higher here and I really love the way the riffs are built. The third song is titled "Megalopalyptic Confine". This is a slightly more abstract composition, with some profound solos. Maybe even epic in places, of course in moderation. It is followed by "Sorcerous Imminence", a short but atmospheric instrumental piece. The name of the fifth composition is "Hellwitch" and it is, of course, an ancient song in a new interpretation. It sounds great and the execution is outstanding, classic at its best. After that we get to enjoy the mind-blowing riffs and solos of "Epochal Cessation", which has a whiff of old-school coolness and is simply awesome. The last three songs were all on the "Anthropophagi" demo from 1994, although "Torture Chamber" is a much older song. As we know, "Anthropophagi" is a long track of more than 7 minutes, with a lot of tempo changes and riff weirdness. Brian Wilson goes absolutely bonkers in this piece. The fresh version of "At Rest" comes eighth. It comes in the most crushing way possible. And at the end there is the super classic and maximally thrashy cut "Torture Chamber", which has been properly updated. It's so cool I can't even put it into words, ha-ha… In short, it was worth waiting for this excellent record, and the superbness of the cover art cannot be neglected either. I'm not saying anything new when I say that this record should be in every thrash and death metal fan's collection. Simply get it now!!!

The Catalan band started in the field of melodic death metal in 2006 and this is now their fourth LP. "The Northern Crusades" features 9 epic songs plus an effective storytelling intro in over 34 minutes. Both their sound and musical ideas are very close to the Swedish Amon Amarth's concept. Maybe just with the difference that their lyrical themes deal mostly with the northern European crusaders and their campaigns. The core of the Barcelona horde is Marc Storm (vocals), Àlex Martínez (bass, backing vocals) and Jaume Roca (guitar, backing vocals), they are complemented by Xavi Puiggalí (drums) and Thomas Meier (guitar). Their music is quite melodic, but peppered with many dynamic moments and hooks, which are more reminiscent of representatives of modern groove metal. If you like the records of Amon Amarth, Thyrfing, Windir and Lamb of God, you can give Icestorm's new album a try. The sound turned out to be quite modern, thanks to Oscar David (AXtudio) and Tony Lindgren (Fascination Street Studios). I would also highlight the very appropriate cover painting, which is the work of Piotr Arendzikowski. In short, if you want anthemic death metal, definitely listen to "The Northern Crusades"! Preferred tracks are: "The Iron Fist on the Lance Shaft (The Teutonic Knights March to War)" and "Clash of Titans (The Battle Begins)".

The Hungarian black metal duo under the Kolp banner hits back with their fourth full-length album. Their new material is entitled "Pale Stars Shine", which perfectly reflects the current mood of their music. Their music sticks to simple solutions both in sound and structure. Thanks to this, it is much more lively than 99 percent of today's recordings. If I had to compare them with someone, I would pair their performance with the early Norwegian black metal releases. It is minimalist in every sense of the word, with a rather cold but interestingly bleak atmosphere. The six songs on the CD are more than half an hour long, and that's perfectly enough for such a harsh-sounding record. The two members, Knot (all instruments, mixing & mastering) and Jim Jones (vocals & lyrics), masterfully feel and mix the essence of black metal with a northern cold characteristic into musical landscapes. Each chapter leads to a different landscape, but with a sense of completeness, thus forming a moving sequence of images in the depths of our minds. The song titles are: "Beyond the Edge", "Ignite in Cold Flame", "Till Only Nails Remains", "Low Tide", "Pale Stars Shine" and "Remembrance". If you are a fan of primordial black metal bands and their unique sound, then this icy release is definitely for you!!!

Coming as a precursor to the new Kreator LP, the "Maximum Hate" CD is a really well put together compilation material. The first two songs "Hate über alles" and "Strongest of the Strong" come from the upcoming LP and are definitely successful in every aspect. The sound is bombastic and the guitar riffs hit hard as well, as we were already used to from Germany's best thrash metal band. In addition to these two new yet very killer & dynamic compositions, the following delicacies can be found here: "666 World Divided" (this song was earlier published only on the 7" split release with Lamb of God), "Earth Under the Sword" (another 7" specialty released by Decibel magazine and as a bonus on the Japanese version of "Gods of Violence"), "Iron Destiny" (bonus track on the Japanese version of "Phantom Antichrist" and as a split 7" with Arch Enemy). Additionally, there is a cool demo version of "Strongest of the Strong", two live tracks from the Belgian Alcatraz festival ("Satan Is Real" and "Hail to the Hordes") plus a previously unreleased demo track "Flowers in the Midst of Hell" (produced by Phil Sunday). This exclusive 37-minute long compilation CD was published by Germany's Metal Hammer and included in their June issue. I found this 9-song CD very useful, especially if someone does not have the Japanese editions and the limited 7" splits. The CD comes in jewel case with a decent 4-page booklet, so it's definitely a collector's item! Hail to Kreator and hail to their hordes!!!

The new album of the Teutonic thrash metal gods has arrived and of course it comes in the ultra-melodic musical style developed in the last 20 years. This melodiousness can partly be explained by the arrival of Sami, because his solos are very melodic, almost bordering on epic heavy metal. Well, let's get back to the new LP. It is titled "Hate über alles" and includes 11 songs in more than 46 minutes. It continues where "Gods of Violence" left off 5 years ago. The band led by Mille can't make mistakes, whatever material they release, it is flawless! Even if those who like the thrash metal horde's early extreme and aggressive records would imagine something else as the direction of the new tracks, but Mille is not going backwards, but only forwards and he does it perfectly, and achieve it with confidence. And Ventor's drumming is like good wine, the older he gets, the better he drums. This record marks bassist Frédéric Leclercq's first joint album with the band. After the short wild-western-influenced intro "Sergio Corbucci Is Dead", the thrashers jump into the title track and, needless to say, immediately hit the mark with its momentum. The record is full of killer riffs, humming guitar melodies and unbridled dynamism, which have become the band's trademark for quite some time. If I compare it with the previous record, then this one became a little more experimental, especially in terms of vocal melodies, I'm thinking of "Become Immortal", "Conquer and Destroy", "Midnight Sun" (completed with the vocals of Sofia Portanet, this became the weirdest song on the album) and "Pride Comes Before the Fall". But if you're looking for really old-fashioned thrash metal attacks, there are plenty of them here, such as "Hate über alles", "Killer of Jesus" and "Demonic Future", just to name a few. The mostly mid-tempo category of songs includes these pieces: "Crush the Tyrants", "Strongest of the Strong" (the album's biggest hit, if we can even say that for a thrash metal band) and "Dying Planet". Lately, when it comes to album covers, Eliran Kantor's name comes up and totally rightfully. Thus Mille & Co. also demanded his work. It shows the well-known evil mascot in a slightly different wording, perhaps too artistically, which gives this Kreator cover a much more serious effect. The album was recorded at the famous Hansa Studios and Studio Wong under the scrupulous direction of producer Arthur Rizk. Needless to say, both the sound and the mixing turned out really great. As we have already noticed, Kreator is becoming more and more melodic, and this has been confirmed even more with this record. In short, as the title of an early Kreator song suggests, it is about: "Love Us or Hate Us", so stick to it!!!

Valencian Litost released an excellent, fresh-sounding and experimental second album entitled "Pathos". The Spanish extreme metal quartet has been around since 2015 and successfully mixes their black metal based music with all kinds of atmospheric elements. Their melodies and vocal parts are based on sadness and depression. As you might have guessed, we are dealing with post black metal. The album's creative team looks like this: Manri (guitar/vocals), Joaquín (guitar), Pedro (bass/vocals) & Daniel (drums). The nearly 34-minute album contains 8 perfectly composed and arranged compositions, three of which are instrumental. Their guitar riffs are quite brainy, which sometimes border on progressiveness. The record has an ethereal sound, easy to digest and very transparent so to say. Despite the extreme nature of this type of music, it creates a very relaxing overall effect. I also have to admit this is a very profound and intriguing material and I would heartily recommend it to any post black metal fan! My favorite tracks are: "Espectro", "Simún" and "Galerna".

This digipak CD edition is a reissue of the first LP of the cult Hungarian thrash metal band Moby Dick. "Ugass Kutya!" was originally released in 1990 on vinyl and cassette formats only. To be precise, this is the second CD reissue of this great album, the first being released in 2009 by Hammer Records. Unlike the first reissue, which had a completely different cover, this one comes with László Hörcher's original artwork, albeit with slight modifications and in a vertically compressed manner. I have to admit, this record is still relevant both musically and lyrically, even 32 years after its original release. The nearly 40-minute album had a very great impact not only on Hungary's underground scene and its subsequent development, but also on the Hungarian metal maniacs living in the neighboring countries. So to speak, this is a timeless masterpiece with timeless songs and lyrics! There are 10 songs of pure old-school thrashing madness, plus an intro and an outro. The lineup of the band on this record was as follows: Tamás Schmiedl (vocals/guitar), Norbert Mentes (guitar), Gábor Gõbl (bass) and Tamás Rozsonits (drums). In my opinion, the album's best moments are squeezed into songs like the title track, "Többet nem tehetek", "Káosz és zûrzavar", "Bûz van" and "Átnevelés". But there is, for example, the ultra-melodic "Keresztes vitéz", which still has a very heavy metal flavor throughout, but is nevertheless an unavoidable part of any live Moby Dick concert. If I had to talk about influences, I would say that Kreator and Vendetta influenced their early material the most. But regardless of the influences, this record is really hard-hitting and perfect as a debut. Another interesting feature of this reissue is the 12-page booklet, the creation and unique graphics of which were designed by Winci's Imaginary Cover Arts. By the way, the album itself was remastered by the band's frontman – Tamás Schmiedl – at MD Studio. Oh and one more thing, this great reissue is limited to 1000 pieces, so I suggest you order it now or cry later!!!

Ohio's Mortuary Ghoul is a one-man death metal slaughterhouse that is musically and lyrically very close to what Mortician stands for. Each of their songs begins with creepy intros taken from various horror movies to add a seed of fear to the already brutal music. The Mortician formula is so perfect in Mortuary Ghoul's approach that it's easy to mix them up, which of course isn't a big deal, I'm just saying. The sound is, of course, bulldozer-like, as it should be. There's a crazy mix of super-fast blast beats and slow agonizing riffing, perhaps Mortician's "Zombie Apocalypse" song could serve as an example, because it contains the whole essence of Mortuary Ghoul. The EP consists of 6 own cuts and a cover, the latter being none other than Mortician's classic "Chainsaw Dismemberment". This 20-minute-long material is a fitting homage to Mortician, but don't expect any originality here. The four-page booklet contains all the lyrics to Mortuary Ghoul's own songs. Accordingly, this reissue was released by Unpure Records in a limited edition of 300 copies. If you're a big fan of Mortuary Ghoul, get this reissue and also look for the band's recently released debut album, "Friends with the Dead" (2023)!

The next release is a compilation featuring two demos on CD by the German death metal trio Necroblasphemy. The relatively new band was formed in 2018 and consists of Patrick (vocals/bass), Jeff (guitar) and Daniel (drums). However, their members are experienced and have played in other bands besides Necroblasphemy in recent years. The CD opens with 7 tracks from the second demo, "Necroblasphemic Rites" (2022). Musically and sonically, the trio guides us to the death metal movement of the 90s. Their songs are raw and contain the uncompromising side of death metal without modern influences. Both demos were recorded at Rehearsal Room Records in Saarbrьcken, which gives them a special basement feel, faithfully reflecting the right attitude of the members. The last 4 songs are taken from the band's first demo, "Crypt" (2019), and this demo is even more necrotic in sound. Listening to their songs, I realized that although they didn't create anything original in their nearly 38-minute repertoire, they still presented a lot of good ideas and interesting riff parts in both demos. Fans of old-school death metal are encouraged to check out this Necroblasphemy compilation CD!

This is already the 11th LP of the German thrash metal legend – Necronomicon. Freddy & Co. confidently deliver quality thrash compositions, of which there are now 13 on the disc. The well-known and proven Achim Köhler is responsible for mixing and mastering, who once again did a balanced and flawless job, providing the German quartet with a modern soundscape. Next to Freddy (guitar/vocals), the members of the already well-established previous LP are lined up, i.e. Glen Shannon (lead guitar), Marco Lohrenz (bass) & Rik Charron (drums). Their music is mostly a killer mix of grooves and melodies, which has been the band's trademark since the beginning. The more than 48-minute disc contains many interesting musical ideas that will fully satisfy both old and new fans of the band. I personally loved the title track along with "They Lie", "Children Cry Alone" and "Bloodrush", but the rest of the songs are great too. This is Teutonic thrash metal at its best!!! The album cover turned out to be simply fantastic, Kattrin Peter gave the band's mascot a completely mysterious and fresh look. The design of the booklet is also excellent. Now you just have to catch the band live, because I think this kind of music is even better live. But in the meantime, familiarize yourself with Necronomicon's new material, definitely recommended stuff!!!

Necrotum from Brasov (Romania) is a very young death metal band, formed in May 2019. Their second full-length album, "Undead Symbiosis", reminded me of a super raw mix of early Grave and Cadaver stuff, but unfortunately, good ideas are sorely lacking in their repertoire. So in their case it's literally an undead symbiosis, ha-ha... The CD contains 10 songs in more than 40 minutes, of which the last song "Extremely Rotten Flesh" is, unsurprisingly, a Grave cover. The sound production is not bad, kind of necrotic, mainly because of the sick guitars and vocals, but overall it's still pretty lame. According to the booklet, the members are Filip Garlonta (vocals, rhythm guitar & bass), Robert Brezean (lead guitar & backing vocals) and Alex Tampu (drums), but the last member's instrument sounds so synthetic and programmed that I'm not sure he played a single note there. In any case, if you take into account how young they are, the end result is not so bad, I hope that they will improve the overall picture on their soon-to-be-released third LP "Defleshed Exhumation". Until then, if you get tired of the old classics, which is somehow impossible for me, but only in that case I can recommend listening to this record. However, be prepared for plagiarism!