Review by Michael on June 22, 2021.

That was fast. After last year's sophomore album World Sacrifice, the three Frisians (to quote Nis Randers) are back with their third album Hades Unleashed. On one hand, you are happy when a band you like to listen to releases another album so quickly, but on the other hand, such a quick fix can also backfire. Let's see how it behaves in this case.

First of all, let's take a look at the cover. This was designed by Paolo Girardi and does not foretell anything good. Agony, torment, horror, gloomy atmosphere - the first 'plus' point is here already.

Musically, it starts directly with 'Aithon's Hunger'. A few drumbeats without any banter move into fast drums, hectic riffs and brutal vocals - but without drifting into chaos. 'Necromanteion' is a very catchy song that starts pretty groovy and stays that way despite some faster interludes. The riffing reminds me of Death during their "Leprosy" phase. Pretty casual spoken word parts are used and the guitar solo in the middle of the song is a "bow" to Iron Maiden. 'Wrath Of The Gods (Furor Divinus)' starts with a teutonic thrash riff á la "Endless Pain", only to turn into a brute death metal piece right away. Death's ("Spiritual Healing") also comes to my mind as a reference. 'Threefold Agony' is a very catchy mid-tempo stomper that invites you to take a breath in order to be ready for 'Empyrean'. Full brute force of the band comes out again here; a fast song with impressive, dramatic riffs and firing drums which can be as well said about the following track 'Crypt Of The Gorgon', which comes across a bit punky from the rhythm of it. 'Nefarious, I' starts Celtic Frost-like (even a Uuugh!!! can be heard) and it is pretty noticeable that the band uses slightly disharmonic sounds (Voivod says hello....) but that can be heard in 'Aithon's Hunger' already. The final track is 'Procession To Tartarus', which starts slowly creeping in with mantra chanting and sounds quite vicious due to its doomy instrumentation. I don't want to keep coming up with any band comparisons, but I'm reminded of Celtic Frost here also and once in a while and in the further course of good old Bolt Thrower. Very cool!

My conclusion is that Temple Of Dread have created a pretty strong album that in my eyes (ears) is a bit more aggressive and uncompromising than its predecessor. The tracks are more complex and hateful and also Jen's voice sounds angrier than before. The disc was produced at Soundlodge Studio by drummer Jörg Uken, who has also worked for Anvil, Sinister, God Dethroned, Obscenity or Slaughterday, among others. There are no failures to complain in here, superb job as a producer and as a musician!!! If the next album will again be such a big hit I just like to say "hurry up"!!!

Rating: 9 out of 10 lugworms

Review by Fernando on July 16, 2021.

There has been no shortage of death metal in recent years, more like, there has been a flood of it, and seemingly burrowing exclusively from the American and Swedish styles, however, at some point after so much Morbid Angel and Entombed worship someone had to do something different, right? That is the case today with Canadian solo act, Dungeon Serpent, through their debut record: World Of Sorrows, released independently on Bandcamp and by Nameless Grave Records on CD.

Dungeon Serpent is a new project by multi-instrumentalist Arawn, and other than this new LP, he had a 2-track demo released independently online in 2020 and went the full-length route a year later, and this is the record worth checking since the 2 tracks of that promo are here, re-recorded to their fullest potential. Musically, Dungeon Serpent can be described as melodic death metal, however, while there are some familiar traces of Swedish “melodeath”, this album’s sound and atmosphere is wholly unique. For starters, the major standout instrument is the guitar, the riffs and melodies are the driving force of all songs, and this is where the melodicism differs from the standard melodic death metal mold. Arawn seems to take cues less from NWOBHM and more from American heavy metal and some hints of early thrash, and most notably, elements of medieval music and sensibilities, which is odd in a good way for a death metal record. The music has a somber and melancholic tinge that is very uncommon but a very welcomed diversion from the death metal formula, especially given the surge of death metal revivalists. But make no mistake, this album is still a proud and true display of death metal. There is no shortage of galloping riffs, solos and fast tempos to please any fan of death metal, and the more mystical musicality, which makes use of synths and ambient passages in key moments of each song, serves to enhance and push the genre to new heights.

The medieval and ancient feeling of the music is also present in the lyrics. Arawn was able to craft an album where the music and lyrics fully coalesce to create the arcane atmosphere that makes the record so unique, which brings me to the otherworldly growls of Arawn. Much like the music, the vocal work feels familiar but different; the dry vocals are soaked with reverb and perfectly complement the music to a tee. The only real flaws I found with the record is that the bass is not as prominent as the guitars and the drumming is clearly programmed. Now, while there’s nothing wrong with artists using a drum machine if they can’t hire a drummer, I feel that the music would greatly benefit if Arawn had been able to get one but as it is, the programmed drums get the job done, and it sounds good enough. I’m only pointing out my own preference of having organic instrumentation.

The final aspect worth noting is the album’s overall composition and length, and this is both a strength and a minor weakness. At 5 tracks and 35 minutes, the album is a nice and to the point package, despite the more esoteric aspects that make the album unique. Having a relatively digestible length is a good way to ease in novices into death metal, however, given how unique and long the songs are, especially taking into account the eponymous 11 minute instrumental closing track which is also one of the best tracks of the whole album. If the album had 2 more tracks and was 10 minutes longer it would’ve been a genuinely epic experience, alas, this again my own personal tastes, because for what it is, World Of Sorrows is a genuinely great and unique death metal record that simultaneously feels ancient and fresh. So, unsheathe your sword and grab a flagon of ale, because this album beckons you to embark on an odyssey, and Dungeon Serpent is a name to reckon in the current landscape of death metal.

Best tracks: 'Decay', 'Cosmic Sorcery', 'World Of Sorrows'

Rating: 8.7 out of 10