Mini Reviews From Around The Bowl (10/1/2026)
(Mostly) mini reviews to start off your October
Noctule – Extinguish Thy Flame
Church Road Records – September 25, 2026
With Svalbard recently coming to an end, Serena Cherry is now back with her solo black metal project again, Noctule. This project made an impressive debut in 2021 developed during the pandemic with Wretched Abyss. It delivered an ethereal experience throughout that showed Serena’s range further from the post-hardcore/screamo edge of Svalbard. While the project is still themed on video games, instead of the cold wintry mountains of Skyrim, this second release in Extinguish Thy Flame is themed on the majestic fantasy world of Elden Ring. In this latest effort, it adds more emphasis on the melodic side of things which feels fresh while doesn’t lose what made the previous record a blast. The guitars in particular are just brilliantly crafted throughout. It’s best moment in showing it’s melodic heights is shown in “Lord of Blood” that has such an epic main melodic riff throughout that sinks in the brain. While it is a more melodic effort than their previous record, it still has some hard kicks throughout as shown in songs like “Devour the Gods”. “Lament of the Omen King” is probably my favorite track that contains the black metal aggression that thrives well in this project as well. Another standout track is “Become My Blade Once More” that fittingly mixes the intensity and melody together really nicely. All in all, it’s another really impressive release from Noctule that certainly takes a different but fresh approach which is thrived by how well-crafted the guitars are here and it’s song-writing. It certainly gives respect to the world/lore of Elden Ring. – Stevo
Deceptor – Reign of Terror
Dying Victims Productions | August 21, 2026
Deceptor are billed as death thrash on Metal Archives, and there is a strong old school death vibe to be found in the raspy, reverbed vocals that occasionally even dip down into the guttural depths of early brutal death. You’re about three minutes into the record before you hear these for the first time though, and until then, you may be forgiven for expecting something more along the lines of crossover thrash. A sound reminiscent of early 90s Pro-Pain or Biohazard combined with a stronger emphasis on grooving and moshing than on all-out brutality positions Reign of Terror closer to metallic hardcore than your average OSDM record. Three consecutive songs taking up a combined three minutes in the middle of the album further belie the band’s punk sensibilities. The overall surprisingly sparse vocals (the intro being far from the only instrumental here) makes me wonder if there’s a bit of an identity crisis going on behind the scenes, but the resulting mix of atmospheres doesn’t present an irreconcilable clash so much as an interesting look into an alternate dimension where Sepultura and Sodom embraced their love for hardcore punk earlier and more fully. –Hans
Razorvoid – Into the Void
Jawbreaker Records | October 2, 2026
Razorvoid would have fit in well with my Necrosexual/Karloff review – it’s a very similar brand of evil, sleazy black’n’death’n’roll that’s most at home in the fog between tombstones. While the first two tracks do a splendid job at setting the stage, the album really hits its stride with “Blasphemic Assault,” its unrelenting forward momentum and fuck-off attitude crowned by an anthemic guitar melody just before the blistering solo. The bar is held high almost all the way, with only “An Everlasting Flame” falling slightly behind. Admittedly, the band’s toolkit isn’t the most diverse, as only the closer offers a bit of sonic variation, but you’re still in for enough surprises in the songwriting, especially since there’s an undeniable penchant for fun that brings in some levity. Check “422 Gutterpunx” for the most distilled form of this. From head bobbing to stank face to chef’s kiss, Into the Void elicited all the emotions that I want from a good metal record. –Hans
Woundflower – Privatized Collapse
Self-Released | September 25, 2026
One of the things that I find funny about punk subgenres is how they try to outdo each other, powerviolence being angrier version of hardcore, and Woundflower certainly is an angry band. This newest EP by the Nashville grindcore/powerviolence act manages to deliver all the furious pummeling you want from the extreme side of punk and then some, but they also add a new atmospheric twist, which means they made a noisy, industrial soundscape track that makes the already abrasive EP more intense. The closer, “Too Empty to be Endured” is also the complete second half of the EP and their longest song to date, clocking at 6:30, an eternity by powerviolence standards. But all in all, really brutal and cool stuff. – Falxifer
Barn – Crucibles
Self-Released | March 24th, 2026
Death metal is nothing if its not dictated by trends. As I have a tendency to drone on about, we’ve seen the OSDM revival and the hardcore proliferation both come in and out of popularity, with their identities being folded into this writhing mass of a genre we all love to, well, death. Those of you with a finger on the somehow-still-lingering pulse of death metal have potentially noticed a new pattern arise (one I can’t remember if I’ve talked about on this most toilet-y of blogs): a new found interest and appreciation for the stranger, almost-jazzier flavorings commonly attributed to the iconic 90s Florida scene. One could argue that this scene, often best represented by Atheist, Cynic, and the later career work of groups like Morbid Angel and Death, has always been instrumental in inspiring groups regardless of if they carry the same affinity for technical wizardry and forward-thinking writing – yet it seems that bands in the current decade have taken to pushing ideas featured on records like Formulas Fatal to the Flesh and The Sound of Perseverance. Boise-based tech-death band Barn exemplifies this wave with their frantically varied approach to the genre, crossing boundaries between technicality, brutality, and progressive approaches to song craft. Crucibles might read as a bit disjointed to you if you’re not as versed in this side of what I can only call “weirdo death metal,” but, for true believers in what janky, complicated riffs can accomplish, this is a mind-bending full length stuffed to the brim with creativity and ambition. – Sean Ghoulson
