![[Review] Blackened Dred - ‘Satan Is The Law’ LP.](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67738900deaf1a5f243892aa/1740904974170-DMVDE2MU344E0I77T3JD/bdbandphoto.jpg)
[Review] Blackened Dred - ‘Satan Is The Law’ LP.
Not all of Canberra is as authoritative and complacent as stereotypes may have you believe. Nay, not if Blackened Dred and their blackened-thrash/trad-metal rocking debut Satan Is The Law have anything to say about it! Check out our latest review by Brady, who explores this deliciously evil (and fun) homage to everything from NWOBHM and punk to classic rock. See also for full album stream, artist links and ticket links for tour dates with Abigail and Stalker!
![[Review] Abduction - ‘Existentialismus’ LP.](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67738900deaf1a5f243892aa/1740894229366-GV3F20EFG61HTPDX9WQB/abductionbandphoto.jpg)
[Review] Abduction - ‘Existentialismus’ LP.
The UK has been gaining increasing notoriety of late when it comes to black metal, and albums such as Abduction’s Existentialismus provide solid examples of why attention should be paid. Follow ISC staffer Dean through a philosophical and comprehensive review of this equally heady and mind-bending 6-track LP via the link. Also included are artist links, music videos and more! Courtesy of Candlelight Records.
![[Album Review] Lacuna Coil - ‘Sleepless Empire’ LP.](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67738900deaf1a5f243892aa/1740124900956-STT5KJRWPP2WGU4E7LQQ/lacunacoilcoverphoto.png)
[Album Review] Lacuna Coil - ‘Sleepless Empire’ LP.
Italy’s longstanding melodic-metal success story continues via Lacuna Coil and their latest LP, Sleepless Empire, which released on February 14th via Century Media. Dean gives the album a thorough track-by-track rundown, and it’s a good’un! Check the link for full review plus links to artist socials/official website, album order link plus latest single videos, live footage and more!
![[Review] Mandroid of Krypton - ‘Cosmic Sarcophagus’ LP.](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67738900deaf1a5f243892aa/1739873472907-0E3PMKI53YHP12Q6YFCN/459037345_26577216451922124_4403489910850976326_n.jpg)
[Review] Mandroid of Krypton - ‘Cosmic Sarcophagus’ LP.
One of many, many reviews on my backlog as podcast/blog host, stymied by an unfortunate demise of our old website on NYE 2024. Nevertheless, check out the full review of Cosmic Sarcophagus, an LP released Nov 2024 by Swiss progressive thrashers Mandroid of Krypton! It’s an expansive and ambitious effort, and worth a listen. Check link for the full review plus full album stream, artist links and more! Bring a spacesuit for this one.
![[Review] Into The Void - ‘Dysphoria’ LP.](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67738900deaf1a5f243892aa/1739351410654-SZ47G56Z2U2WOC3Y0YU6/dypshoriaalbumcover.jpg)
[Review] Into The Void - ‘Dysphoria’ LP.
Introducing our first piece of fresh content from new addition to the Inner-Strength Check team in Spiro (a.k.a The Hype Guy)! For his first piece, Spiro has elected to provide a great review of the 2024 album Dysphoria, by Michigan-based alternative-rock/nu-grunge outfit Into The Void. Check the link for the full review, album and singles links and more. As well, we’ve re-included an important appeal Spiro recent put out in support of Jampot Studios. Many thanks for an awesome review!
![[Archive Review] Nest - ‘Metempsychosis’ LP.](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67738900deaf1a5f243892aa/1739088176031-QYB02RWBLAQEI35X0N0A/a2700887671_10.jpg)
[Archive Review] Nest - ‘Metempsychosis’ LP.
This post has been through the wringer! Originally posted to Overdrive Music Magazine in 2019 (many thanks to Sebastian for permission to repost) in my time as Senior Contributor, it then made it onto our old blog in December ‘24 - right as our previous website met its’ demise. This is one well worth revisiting, however, as Nest’s bludgeoning LP Metempsychosis is an abrasive, expansive sludge/death metal bruiser that clearly stood the test of time.
![[Music Mondays] Mon 3rd Feb, 2025.](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67738900deaf1a5f243892aa/1738581277133-7RTXWS4SVZEU50VZVOZ2/427135807_7654838114540460_8045244545557484009_n.jpg)
[Music Mondays] Mon 3rd Feb, 2025.
This week’s Music Monday contains more than you shake a stick at! Multiple recent Heavy News items - album releases! Recent Riffs (articles)! Reviews and more! Plus a whole swathe of updates from the equally-busy Musolegion community - more album reviews, gig reviews and several packed Musolegion Recommends pieces exploring bands from Iceland, Japan and Central Asia! Dig in, music-lovers.
![[Archive] Review of Februus’ 2024 LP, ‘Surveillance Orgy’.](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67738900deaf1a5f243892aa/1737173636159-X60N9UPHS7FXEHGKGVXA/451603.jpg)
[Archive] Review of Februus’ 2024 LP, ‘Surveillance Orgy’.
Another archival review painfully extracted from the carcass of our old website (RIP). In this review, Hamza tackles something a little more on the heavier end of his metal-listening wheelhouse in progressive death metallers Februus and their 2024 album, Surveillance Orgy. The album is out now on Transcending Obscurity Records; check link for album stream, Bandcamp links and more!
![[Archive] Review of Hypergiant’s 2017 LP, ‘Father Sky’.](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67738900deaf1a5f243892aa/1737169965548-3HM57PAPK1DGN1INAFGE/a0290488524_10.jpg)
[Archive] Review of Hypergiant’s 2017 LP, ‘Father Sky’.
Originally posted on Overdrive Music Magazine in 2017 (now-defunct, RIP) and later posted to our also-now-defunct prior website (double-RIP), this is an archival review of progressive Australian post-metallers Hypergiant’s 2017 LP, Father Sky. It still holds up today, and this holds a special place for myself as the first official music-journo album review I ever wrote. Check the link for album Bandcamp links!
![[ARCHIVE - REVIEW]: Phobia - ‘Generation Coward’ LP.](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67738900deaf1a5f243892aa/1737169012702-4GB94O99UMG0SOUJXQNV/a1264083175_10.jpg)
[ARCHIVE - REVIEW]: Phobia - ‘Generation Coward’ LP.
Another archival review from the carcass of our old and now-dead website (RIP). This is a review of Orange County, US grindcore nutters Phobia’s blistering Generation Coward LP. A caustic take on the cowardice of flamewars and online avarice, it’s an album still well worth checking out!
![[Archive / Riffs]: RIP Dreare, or have a nice hiatus; here’s a very late, very loose review of "Foregone".](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67738900deaf1a5f243892aa/1737167988285-DULOGQKNBOQKP5CSAJ3U/dreare-foregone.jpg)
[Archive / Riffs]: RIP Dreare, or have a nice hiatus; here’s a very late, very loose review of "Foregone".
Originally posted on our now-defunct old website (RIP), authored by the venerable Hamza in what I, as your host, feel is one of his best pieces! (They’re all great BTW). Check the link for a review and retrospective of both the album Forgone as well as general musings of related band,Dreare. Some great post-rock word-smithing here; do check it out.
![[Review] Daufødt - ‘Glitter’LP.](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67738900deaf1a5f243892aa/1736743641516-6YRA8AJ0PKYWQJWRZEZ3/Daufodt_web.jpg)
[Review] Daufødt - ‘Glitter’LP.
Our first NEW album review for the new website! (RIP old site). I could very easily label this as my punk, hardcore or noise-rock AOTY for 202 - if it were any of these things in isolation, or even together. Norway’s Daufodt released this stellar, catchy and raw skilful cacophony in September 2024 via Fysisk Format. Glitter is glamorous, but only via the sticky, raw, neon shades of decidedly-Nordic punk. Well worth the belated review. Check link for review and artist/label links and more.
![[Heavy News] THE CIMMERIAN's ‘An Age Undreamed Of’... Out Now and Streaming!](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67738900deaf1a5f243892aa/1736652156847-T4JLBU015XDY0JLBP71W/bandpicfinal2024.png)
[Heavy News] THE CIMMERIAN's ‘An Age Undreamed Of’... Out Now and Streaming!
(ISC Heavy News, 13.01.25) - Los Angeles (CA) - Doom/Thrash trio THE CIMMERIAN set a crushing tone for the new year with today's release of An Age Undreamed Of..., the band's first full-length album! This rogue set conjures images of high adventure and mayhem with an aggressive mix of sludgy-based rumblings, caustic fuzz-filled riffs, and sonorous war drumming that recalls High on Fire, among others.
![[Album Review] –Devin Townsend –'PowerNerd' LP](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67738900deaf1a5f243892aa/1736070362653-DZ27UM29FPNXW2WGP9EE/DT+Powernerd+JPG.jpg)
[Album Review] –Devin Townsend –'PowerNerd' LP
A repost from our sadly-dead-as-of-NYE-2024 old website. RIP. In this article, Mal discusses his thoughts on Devin Townsend’s rockin’ 2024 opus PowerNerd. As a new listener, Mal offers a fresh-eared perspective to the latest from the mad scientist of prog metal.
![[Review:] Nadir - Extinction Rituals LP (03.05.23)](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67738900deaf1a5f243892aa/1736077534374-RIVLMWR7NQCWLHERW924/nadir1.jpg)
[Review:] Nadir - Extinction Rituals LP (03.05.23)
And another in the line-up of our archival posts, extracted from the data retrieved from our sadly now-defunct corpse of an old site (RIP isc.com NYE 2024). This represents one of the earliest album reviews conducted by site owner Brady in Nadir’s excellent black-thrash/metallic-hardcore bruiser of an LP, Extinction Rituals. Links to artist profiles to grab the now-released album within. Check it out!
ISC Podcast Ep. 7: Review of IHSAHN’s ‘The Fascination Street Sessions’ LP, 06.03.2023
Originally posted on our old website, which unfortunately has met an untimely end (thanks, WordPress!). RIP. This episode is a brief one, naturally so when reviewing a short but powerful EP in Fascination Street Sessions by progressive black metal maestro Ihsahn. Original post date: March 6th, 2023.
![[Archive Review] - Kurushimi, Return 3:Death EP (12.11.2022).](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67738900deaf1a5f243892aa/1735797734694-3W2KPBFP59P3C0E6D4QT/a2738616382_10.jpg)
[Archive Review] - Kurushimi, Return 3:Death EP (12.11.2022).
Archival Review - originally posted on the now-defunct InsertReviewHere.com music journalism blog, then later reposted on the (sadly also now-defunct!) previous InnerStrengthCheck website. Review of Australian avant-garde metallers Kurushimi’s 2022 chaotic EP release in Return 3: Death.
![[Archive Review] - Hidden Intent: Dead End Destiny. (03/11/2022).](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67738900deaf1a5f243892aa/1735794615555-VKVDO87O6R8IKFVR3O4W/a2793573206_16.jpg)
[Archive Review] - Hidden Intent: Dead End Destiny. (03/11/2022).
Archival Review - originally posted on the now-defunct InsertReviewHere.com music journalism blog, then later reposted on the (sadly also now-defunct!) previous InnerStrengthCheck website. Review of Australian thrashers Hidden Intent’s opus Dead End Destiny.
![[Archive Review] - Alarum - Circle's End - (03.11.2022)](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67738900deaf1a5f243892aa/1735713576242-VEB5RHNF23ID3FJPRCEE/alarum.jpg)
Archive Review: LIFE/LIMB - Emergent LP (07.12.2022).
Archive review of LIFE/LIMB’s blistering-Australian-sun full-length Teratoma. This was originally posted to now-defunct music journalism online outlet Insert Review Here, then my own sadly-also-goner ISC.com. Support the Aussie Scene, RIP LIFE/LIMB.