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Swedish 3 piece Kongh are back for their third outing of 4 slabs of crushing sludge. This is their first album on Agonia Records, a label known for some great death and black metal releases.

The 10 minute title track, ‘Sole Creation’, starts with pounding tribal drumming with David Johansson’s twisting riffs erupting into sweet sludgy groove. David’s blackened tinged screams lead into soaring clear vocals somewhere between Mastodon, Alice in Chains and Callisto. The track winds down into haunting riff that builds back to that great opening assault and those soaring vocals.

Second track is entitled ‘Tamed Brute’, but there's nothing tame about this track as it stomps its way forth like...

Old school death metal (OSDM) has become something of a catchphrase in recent years, a term descriptive of a relatively consistent onslaught of contemporary bands employing a sound and approach to the genre of death metal reminiscent of it's late 80's and early 90's pioneers in a more often than not genuine and authentic manner. As with any sub-genre experiencing a flood of popularity there comes a surge in the output of current bands alongside the formation of new blood and, with this, a hell of a lot of mediocre and forgettable material. Of course wherever there is shit, gems will shine. 2011 saw the releases of bands such as Mitochondrion, Sonne Adam, Necros Christos & Disma deservedly making plenty of well-respected end-of-year lists and forging through into 2012 the trend continued. Germany's Chapel of Disease released at the beginning of 2012 their debut recording, a demo under the title "Death Evoked" which was soon followed up by a split with fellow countrymen Lifeless and lastly, in the winter of the year, their debut full-length "Summoning Black Gods"; a thrashy, energetic and captivating affair...

This was the debut album by these Swedish black metal stalwarts. Now 20 years old, yes it has been that long! Listening to it over again brings back all of the feelings of the early 90’s style of music. This reissue has the original album plus some live tracks from 1991 and some early rehearsal recordings.

This album has a solid foundation. Ripping fast, thrash tinged black metal broken down with almost death metal style slower sections. This all tied together with mid range hoarse screamed vocals that have that faint echo effect which is a great touch. Take ‘The Sun Turns Black As Night’ with it’s chaotic fast ripping opening that breaks into a more death metal sinister plod. A section of guitar melody builds to machine gun drumming and a trad black metal guitar lead. Then you have ‘Within The Abyss’ that starts slow and brooding, menacing in feel only to break into a more traditional black metal pace. This once again turns down a few notches with a sinister...

Finland is no stranger to either black or death metal with the country's burgeoning 80's and 90's scene having produced genre titans in regards to both, baring the weight of bands such as Beherit, Barathrum, Demilich, Convulse & Demigod who later left the black metal torch (at least) to be carried by the mighty Horna, Baptism & Behexen among others. Indeed the onslaught continues into 21st century and the last few years in particular has borne witness to the reformation of Purtenance, the announcement of Convulse's first release in just short of 20 years being put out at the beginning of 2013 along with reissues from Abhorrence and Depravity. Not only this but we see a consistent introduction of new blood and formulation of upcoming contenders to the throne. One of these upcomers is Maveth. Releasing their 2012 debut full-length through Dark Descent Records, "Coils of the Black Earth" is a near hour long onslaught of filthy blackened death metal, worshipping at the altar of Incantation...