Mindforce - Reign of Terror (2020)

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Mindforce released one new song. Just one. Not sure if it's leading to a latter full-length release in 2020 or not, but I don't care either way. Mindforce are meat and potatoes hardcore with their approach heavily grounded in the old-school Boston hardcore sound with an unrefined and gruff take on old thrash metal of the 80's. It's not reinventing the wheel or anything, but it's fun and raw and I don't need a damn thing else. Do you? Triple-B Records still got it.

Mindforce (bandcamp)

Akhlys - Melinoë (2020)

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I've been following most things affiliated with Naas Alcameth, the main song-writer behind Akhlys and force behind the likes of Bestia Arcana, Nightbringer and Aoratos, since the essence that permeates everything he touches is smeared in some cosmic ferocity. Akhlys has been on my radar since I heard The Dreaming I, a feral amalgamation of black metal and dark ambience is the backbone behind the barrage of double-bass and whirring tremolo picking.

From the teaser tracks, it's more of the same. A meat and potatoes barrage of black metal with passages and sequences dipping heavily into ambient territory, and it's equally plummeting and challenging to get through, in the sense of auditory fatigue, but I still find myself hitting the play button. KNEEL has released my favourite take on black metal this year so far, so everything else comes second. 

Melinoë (bandcamp)