Devil's Horns Zine

Wide Shut-Expose EP review.

Wide Shut is a crushing metallic hardcore band from Toulouse, France. And rest assured if you haven't heard of them, this writer was the same. But get familiar because this band has certainly hit their straps on this debut EP. If metallic and exceptionally heavy hardcore is your fave genre, you'll love Wide Shut.

This band has only existed since 2017, but this release shows advanced skills and riffs that the writer would expect from seasoned veterans only. It's crushing hardcore that I would suggest is beat-down influenced, but the sound is so much more than that. I hear everything from Hoods, Blood for Blood and straight-up death metal at times.

The tone over the whole frantic release is of extreme darkness with songs very much driven by the uncompromising vocals and absolute tornado-like guitar brilliance. I was initially shocked that this band was only a four-piece; as the sound is very full and attacking with no let up on the excitement lev…

DÖ-Astral Death Cult album review.DÖ-Astral death cult album review. If you like heavy music that sits exceptionally well between stoner and doom metal with fantastic landscapes of depth and texture, you are going to do anything to get a copy of this jewel in this genre. So fkn heavy and epic.
DÖ are an outstanding stoner/doom trio from Finland who has been dropping seismic tunes since their amazing first EP in 2014. The great thing about this band is they steer away from the dullness of many Sludge bands by mixing in fantastic layers of Black metal and even classic hard rock throughout this, particularly immense release.
The vocals and riffs benefit from this mixed-genre palette by not letting your attention waver from track to track. You can pick the varied influences in some parts of the album, but this ain't no copycat bullshit. The band is just so damn good at what they do. One every level!!.
And they need to be because most bands dipping in between genres, would frankly sou…

Vulvodynia Interview. Brutal Death metal from South Africa.   Vulvodynia dropped an awesome album Mob Justice a few months ago and this writer is still playing it heavily, due to its addiction-like qualities and brutality. We had a chat with this awesome band and remember in November, we are lucky enough to have Vulvodynia on the Australian shores!!!.

1-Tell me how it feels to drop the face-melting album that is Mob Justice? And give your readers a
history of how your brutal band came about?

It’s always very exciting to release new material. We poured our hearts and souls into it and we
hope people will enjoy what we released. Vulvodynia started with Luke Haarhoff and Duncan
Bentley writing slam tunes. They were inspired by bands like Ingested and Acrania, and wanted
to write some brutal music of their own. Fast-forward to today we have Kris Xenopoulos, Thomas
Hughes, and Chris van der Walt added to the line-up to complete the band.

2- What drew you to metal and what is it such a rew…

Marca De Honra-Gaijin EP review.  Brazil has an amazing history of hardcore and metal bands. Marca De Honra from Sao Paulo personifies the greatness of this region. Gaijin is a raw and absolute firecracker of a release. Beatdown hardcore with a strong urban vibe. Get it in your ears pronto!!!.
There is no time for pissing about on this fine release and it is really hectic hardcore meets Body Count with an obvious beatdown foundation. But not in a poseur way, but as a direct way to knock your ears about. Nothing is boring here, not a single song overstays it's welcome and you will hit repeat in an instant.

The build-up on each track is sweet and the players are both angry as hell and so proficient at administering their concrete medicine to your dome.




1054 records are really unearthing some amazing gems at the moment and you have to credit their scouting network because this is another of their bands that need to play major festivals.
Highlights: the whole fucking release because …

Proven-Always on the Attack album review. One thing that I fucking adore is labels unearthing incredible bands that you may not have heard of. Proven are an intense hardcore band from Portland, Oregon that drip in heavy tone and riffs on steroids. The moment I heard of them I was like, how the fuck didn't I know of this incredible band.
If bands like Biohazard, Brick by Brick and Sworn Enemy give you an adrenaline rush from every single release, then you have found your perfect band.
Always on the Attack is a seven-track album of crushing hardcore. Everything is phenomenal here, proper hardcore vocals, meaningful lyrics, and dudes that can play exceptionally well. Riffs are hectic as fuck with a strong 90's metal influence; definitely tipping their hat to Pantera and other thrash classic bands. This is actually their six release and my fave by a mile. As I said this band can seriously write a catchy tune and as their bio states they have played with Biohazard, Sepultura, Soulf…

The Curse of Millhaven-Thresholds album review. 1054 records just dropped this great release of catchy and hectic melodic death metal. TCOM hail from Belgium and this 9 track beast is pure aggressive finesse across the whole album.If you dig sick riffs and solid songs with punch you need this album asap!.
This is the band's third album and def their most consistent and attacking release. What sells the release is that, it has gripping riffs and specialised vocal skill that draws you in and keeps you there.
There is a definite swedish death metal feel to the band and whilst it is melodic; it's also extremly heavy and punishing. This is sometimes majorly lacking in many melodeath releases; where all the harmony drama amounts to wasted time and notes. But TCOM know their area of skill and stick there whilst remaining consistently aggro.
I believe this is a really solid release, whilst not amazingly challenging it does definitely stand out from the crowd and their next album will…