Unfortunately, this is a prime example of an album with a strong opener and a weak rest of the album. The production is excellent; the instruments are half decent; the vocals are okay, but the lyrics are downright cringey. Heads for the Dead has no right to be as popular as they are within the metal underground, to be frank. Camel
This black metal band from L.A. returns to the genre’s roots, delivering icy, forbidding songs with knife-sharp riffing. Bandcamp New & Notable Apr 12, 2021
Shrines power through melancholia with aggressive, well-produced post punk, with some death metal and post-rock textures for good measure. Bandcamp New & Notable Apr 7, 2021
Thick guitar tone and barraging drums lead a headlong charge of vocals. The low volume of the grunts give them a sort of evil "brooding" characteristic that suits the rest of the music exceptionally. This record is a nonstop belligerent barrage of dark irreverence that envelopes the listener. Blistering and unforgiving. Highly-addictive and worth dozens of spins. mongreljack