DEAD METAL

Dark Angel is a Californian thrash band that formed in 1983. Time Does Not Heal was their fourth and final full-length, released (on Combat/Relativity/Under One Flag) in 1991. Those of us who bought it when it came out might remember that it featured a sticker reading "9 songs, 67 minutes, 246 riffs!" ...and, quantity aside, it certainly is packed with great riffs. The drumming is also highly noteworthy - provided by one of extreme metal's finest - Gene Hoglan (of Death fame). You are statistically likely to develop a love/hate relationship with the vocals, but you would be well-advised to put any reservations on that front to one side. It is widely regarded as one of the best thrash metal albums of all time for a reason. You can preview the opening/title track below, and buy a copy here .

After the outstanding early offerings - the debut  and Legion (which also need posts at some point), 1995's Once Upon The Cross  and 1997's Serpents Of The Light (a post about that one coming soon), and 1998 live recording  When Satan Lives  - came two full-lengths that many people feel failed to quite hit the mark. Perhaps the band did rush this one (and 2000's Insineratehymn, which also deserves its own post) in order to liberate themselves from their contract with Roadrunner; perhaps the production isn't as strong on this one as on preceding efforts; but it is still pretty great nonetheless. If you have overlooked this album, either based on a poor review or a general impression it isn't good, then you should do yourself a favour and spend some time with it. If it had been recorded by another band then it would no doubt be rated a lot more highly. ...and in objective terms, it is probably one of Deicide's six best offerings. You can listen to ...

If you would like to win the Metalhead Box items pictured above, just head over to  the Dead Metal Facebook page  and comment on the post about this giveaway there. It's open to anyone worldwide, but you do need to have 'liked' the Facebook page to qualify. The competition closes at midnight (GMT) tonight (25th April). A winner will then be chosen at random, and notified on Facebook.

For previous posts about Old Tower, see here . This new release, for Profound Lore, only features three tracks; but is 55 minutes in length. It is another example of dungeon synth at its very best; this artist continues to do it as well as it has ever been done. The Last Eidolon avoids any of the usual genre pitfalls, and should please any fan of dark ambient music. It "tells a somber story of a kingdom laid to waste by its own creator through the corruption of dark magic and possession of destructive spirits. Because of wrongful decisions, spiritual rebellion and the misuse of ancient yet dangerous practices these malevolent forces started to turn against the enchanter. And so fell his once proud and powerful dominion. What was once great has now been reduced to a hollow manifestation of its old self. The long and weary process of reclaiming its former glory has begun." You can stream the album below, and acquire a copy here .

Tampa death metal legends Massacre have been active since 1984. From Beyond was the band's first full-length, released on Earache in 1991. It features Kam Lee, Rick Rozz, Bill Andrews and Terry Butler - all of Death fame. Old school death metal, but with quite a lot of Slayer influence; where the vocal patterns are concerned, for example. The vocal delivery takes a little getting used to, but that perseverance is absolutely worthwhile - the album is solid gold. This outstanding debut can be heard in full below, and you can pick up a copy here . Reissue CDs include 1992's also-excellent  Inhuman Condition EP as a bonus.

21st February -   Invocation ( Chile, blackened death-doom ) -  Attunement To Death ( Iron Bonehead ) 28th February - Drown ( US, funeral doom ) -  Subaqueous ( Lupus Lounge/Vigor Deconstruct/Prophecy ) 13th March -   Burzum  ( Norway, dungeon synth/ambient ) -  Thulean Mysteries  ( Byelobog/Back On Black ) 13th March -   Rotting Kingdom  ( US, death-doom ) -  A Deeper Shade Of Sorrow  ( Boris/Godz Ov War )

Pyrexia is a New York death metal band that formed in 1990. Their debut was released in 1993; and as the above description (and indeed cover) might suggest, it has quite a brutal sound. There are similarities, in production as well as musical terms, with (early)  Cannibal Corpse and Baphomet . These guys brought more brutality to the table than either of those bands, though, they were perhaps closer to Suffocation on that front. Originally released on Drowned Records, Sermon Of Mockery has since been reissued by Century Media (amongst other labels). You can preview the album below, and purchase a copy here .

All from European bands that haven't been featured before... Gorefest  ( Netherlands ) -  False  ( Nuclear Blast, 1992 ): Chemical Breath  ( Belgium ) -  Fatal Exposure  ( Crypta, 1992 ): Sacred Sin  ( Portugal ) -  Darkside  ( Música Alternativa, 1993 ): Apoplexy ( Slovakia ) - Tears Of The Unborn ( Station Master, 1995 ):

Following on from the post about 1997's The Forsaken Mourning Of Angelic Anguish , this full-length was released in 1998. As with its predecessor, it is one of the band's most immediate offerings.  Daniel Corchado of The Chasm is on vocal duties; the songwriting is excellent; and the production is also very strong. A particular highlight is the seventeen minute closing track, "Unto Infinite Twilight / Majesty of Infernal Damnation". If you enjoy doomy, blackened death metal then you should spend some time with Diabolical Conquest. You can hunt down a physical copy  here , or download it here . You can also listen to the album in its entirety below. P.S. You can expect a lot more posts about Incantation in the future - their whole back catalogue is worth exploring.