Live from the Pit: Spiter @ Piranha Bar – 05/26/2024

Spiter @ Piranha Barw/ Desolus, Shroud, MistwalkerMay 26th, 2024Dungeon Works ProductionsMontreal, Quebec, Canada I've been a fan of Spiter since the release of their first album, Bathe the Babe in Bats' Blood, which completely ripped my head off in a way that I wasn't expecting. I was stoked the first time I caught them live …

EP Review: Occult Blood – The Room in the Ground

Occult Blood - The Room in the GroundAugust 18th, 2023Blackened Punk / Black MetalIndependently ReleasedEugene, Oregon, USA I first happened upon Occult Blood when I was listening to some other band that falls within the purview of blackened punk and blackened heavy metal. It may have been Darkthrone. It may have been Devil Master. I …

Album Review: Mistwalker – Oceanic Heritage

"What shall become of this island, another century down the road? Abandoned hopes and towns of ghosts, left scattered amidst the bones.” Mistwalker – Oceanic HeritageJune 24th, 2023Blackened Heavy MetalViridian RecordsGlovertown, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada Mistwalker returns to the turbulent history of Newfoundland and Labrador on their 2023 full length album Oceanic Heritage. With this …

Live from the Pit: Devil Master @ Cabaret Foufounes – 11/03/2023

Devil Master @ Cabaret FoufounesW/ Fuming Mouth, Final Gasp, SkumstrikeNovember 3rd, 2023Extensive EnterpriseMontreal, Quebec, Canada Devil Master are one of the few bands who I will go out of my way to see every single time they come to Montreal. I saw them pre-pandemic twice, once with Obituary and Abbath, and another time with Power …

EP Review: Melissa – II

Melissa - IIMarch 24th, 2023Blackened PunkUrge RecordsBrooklyn, New York, USA Melissa first came across my dashboard thanks to my partner who had previously discovered them and showed them to me. This was around the time the band's first EP, the self-titled, was released. I thought that EP, while perhaps rough around the edges, was a …

Album Review: Zorn – Zorn

"Stuck like a nail to the cross, before you've started you already lost." Zorn - ZornMarch 25th, 2023Blackened Punk / MetalpunkIndependently ReleasedPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania, USA I got into Zorn around the same time I got into a bunch of different Philadelphia-associated metal bands like Devil Master, Poison Ruin, and Spiter. It's no surprise considering these bands …

EP Review: Wastëland Riders – Speed Rock & Roll

Wastëland Riders - Speed Rock & RollMay 16th, 2016Blackened Speed Metal / MetalpunkIndependently ReleasedMadrid, Spain While these Spanish metalpunk bastards have since split up, this EP left such an impact on me last year that I felt it only appropriate I delve into it for a review. It may have dropped in 2016, but Wastëland …

EP Review: Narcömancer – Narcömancer

"Narcomancer! Alchemist psychonaut!" Narcomancer - NarcomancerApril 13th, 2020Black Metal / MetalpunkIndependently ReleasedPorto, Portugal I was first put on to the existence of Narcomancer by my pal Robert who has over the years introduced me to a number of different bands that I've found to be interesting. When I first threw this on, however, I wasn't …

Akhenaten’s Best Albums of 2022

2022 had an absurd amount of good and great music release, most of which I haven't even skimmed the surface of on this here blog. However, of all the music I did listen to and did manage to review, these are the top ten records that really stood out to me. I'm going to continue …

Live from the Pit: KEN mode @ Turbo Haus – 11/07/2022

KEN mode @ Turbo HausW/ Frail Body, Cell Press, SkumstrikeNovember 7th, 2022 Disclaimer: I micro-dosed shrooms before going to this show. I've been following Manitoba experimental noise rockers KEN mode for about ten years now. I remember first reading about these guys on Heavy Blog is Heavy way back when I was a teenager and …