Filthy Music Review - 'Goat Semen: Ego Svm Satana'

Goat Semen - Ego Svm Satana (2015)

Hell’s Headbangers

Review by Trevor Proctor

One of the most anticipated underground albums in recent memory is set to make a most welcome appearance in February. Way back in 2002 Peruvian black-death band Goat Semen first made an impact with the release of their self-titled demo, a demo that soon gained notoriety and has been repressed a number of times in multiple formats. Since then they’ve released two well received live albums and a few splits here and there but never, until now, a full studio album. Ten years in the making it’s no surprise anticipation around the release of “Ego Svm Satana” has reached feverish levels. Goat Semen's Ego Svm Satana, is set for North and South American release on February 24th via Hells Headbangers.

Filthy Music Review - 'A Forest of Stars: Beware the Sword You Cannot See'

A Forest of Stars - Beware the Sword You Cannot See (2015)

Lupus Lounge (Prophecy Productions) 

Review by Trevor Proctor

March will see the release of Gentleman’s Club A Forest of Stars’ fourth album, “Beware the Sword You Cannot See,” which follows the highly rated “A Shadowplay For Yesterdays,” released in 2012. This mysterious English troupe of musicians has a membership of seven and plays a diverse style of psychedelic black metal featuring elements ranging from folk to progressive and a little bit of almost everything in between. Beware the Sword You Cannot See is due to be released on the 3^rd of March, coming out via Lupus Lounge, a division of Prophecy Productions.

Filthy Music Review - 'Witchrist: Vritra' 12" MLP

Witchrist - Vritra 12” MLP (2015)

Iron Bonehead Productions

Review by Trevor Proctor

Iron Bonehead Productions is set to unleash an exclusive 12” MLP from one of New Zealand’s finest bands – Witchrist; a band that shared members with Diocletian and also featured KzR from the powerhouse that is BÖLZER on vocals for the first time on Vritra. New Zealand currently has a very healthy underground metal community and a seriously impressive group of bands to be proud of which includes the likes of Heresiarch, Diocletian, Vassafor, Trepanation and Sabbatic Goat. Unfortunately this MLP and a 7” split with Antediluvian via Martyrdoom Productions will be Witchrist’s final releases following the announcement of “the death of Witchrist” via Facebook on December 16^th. 

Filthy Music Review - 'Garotting Deep / FŌR : Void Asceticism' Split LP

Garotting Deep / FŌR - Void Asceticism Split LP (2015)

Iron Bonehead Productions

Review by Trevor Proctor

With many excellent releases already in the pipeline 2015 is shaping up to be another highly significant and exciting year for underground death metal. A constant force within this underground is Iron Bonehead Productions which is due to bring us more quality music via a split LP from two very promising and up-coming black/death bands - Garotting Deep and FŌR.

Filthy Giveaway - 'The Woman in Black 2 Angel of Death' Closed

2015 is here at last! So, what better way to kick things off, here at The Lair, than with a new giveaway? Exactly, sounds good to me. As you may have gathered from the poster above, it's for some rather cool The Woman in Black 2 Angel of Death swag. The film, which is the sequel to the 2012 movie which starred Daniel Radcliffe, has just hit theaters from Relativity.

Jude Felton's Top 20 Albums of 2014

2014 has, without a doubt, been an incredibly dark year for me, on a personal level. However, one of the things that has helped me through it has been the sheer quality of new music that has been released. I could have quite easily doubled the length of this list, as it has been that damned good, To say it was tough to compile would be a severe understatement.

Trevor Proctor's Top 20 Albums of 2014

This has been a fantastic year for albums and the only down side this brings is trying to select a year-end list befitting of such a year - it’s very easy to criticise lists but I can assure compiling them is far from straight forward. As testimony to the standard of this year’s releases I’ve opted to select three albums for the number one spot. This is not a cop-out in any way, shape or form, merely a reflection of just how good this year has been and the three albums in question are exemplary releases that I just couldn’t and don’t want to split – which is why my list ends at 18. There are also a few albums such as those from Swallowed, Triptykon and Winterfylleth, amongst others, that are missing from my list – this is merely because I won’t get my grubby mitts on them until Christmas.

Filthy Music Review - 'Vircolac: Codex Perfida'

Vircolac - Codex Perfida (2014)

Iron Bonehead Productions 

Review by Trevor Proctor

Ever the source of exciting and fresh underground music, once again Iron Bonehead has dredged the depths of Hell and unearthed another gem. Not content with supplying us top-notch bands such as Malthusian and Zom, Dublin has another new band to be proud of - Vircolac. Named after a Ukrainian werewolf this four piece death metal band is another Irish band you’ll be hearing a lot more of in the near future.