{"id":1014904,"date":"2026-08-21T12:48:20","date_gmt":"2026-08-21T12:48:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/1014904\/"},"modified":"2026-08-21T12:48:20","modified_gmt":"2026-08-21T12:48:20","slug":"lord-carrion-man-made-hell-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/1014904\/","title":{"rendered":"Lord Carrion – Man Made Hell Review"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/strong>There are a few phrases that I could theoretically read in a promo blurb that would get me to instantly pick it up. When my eyes landed on the line \u201cLord Carrion<\/strong> seeks to usher in 1000 years of ruin to fascists and authoritarians of all stripes,\u201d I thought \u201csay less,\u201d and took Man Made Hell without any care for the fact that its black metal comes with a significant dose of southern hardcore\u2014not my preferred subgenre. I\u2019m glad I did. Their debut LP after two years honing their craft with an EP and a split, Man Made Hell is Lord Carrion<\/strong>\u2019s first big chance to bring about the promised destruction to oppressors. The stark redness of the cover, the marrying of some of metal\u2019s noisiest styles, and the band\u2019s proud antifascism make for a loud statement that the music must live up to. And does it?<\/p>\n

Man Made Hell certainly does not flinch away from the implicit violence of its influences. A crusty, second-wave black metal base meets with the boundless energy and acidity of rampaging hardcore for a sound that\u2019s both aurally and spiritually raw as fuck. Jonross Maddog Maddox\u2019s d-beats and the clattering pivots of snare rollovers and cymbal smashes drag you by the scruff of your neck behind a rampaging train of Matthew Price and Miguel Hallare\u2019s riffs, as Jake Plissken screams in your face through a mouthful of barbed wire. Sometimes, it\u2019s no more than this: sanguine yet standard noisy rampaging that doesn\u2019t break any moulds (\u201cSuicide Planet,\u201d \u201cBillions Dead\u201d). At others, Lord Carrion<\/strong> pull back from showing their teeth just enough for some layers and gripping melodicism to show their heart.<\/p>\n

Lord Carrion <\/strong>display their passion best when they stray outside of the lines. It\u2019s tangible in the ballistic extremities\u2014the snippets of solo drums (\u201cBillions Dead,\u201d \u201cYaldabaoth\u201d) and the passages of particularly intense extended, repeated, throat-shredding screams (\u201cPlutocrat Slaughter Ritual,\u201d \u201cThe Walls are Closing In\u201d). Most notably, the feeling on Man Made Hell is strongest in every place Lord Carrion <\/strong>make the sound entirely their own. Resonance that goes beyond its obvious atmo-black inspiration to transform a previously granite riff into a shadowy refrain (\u201cPlutocrat\u2026,\u201d \u201cPeace is a Bloody Sword\u201d) when it isn\u2019t blurring a tremolo melody for some randomly gorgeous meloblack (\u201cWhat Remains\u201d). Such buoyant, mournful melodies sprinkled around work together with punchy syncopation and aforementioned hellish vocals for compelling, satisfyingly sharp declarations (\u201cDesperate Cruelty,\u201d \u201cWhat Remains\u201d). Disso-death drips into arachnid arpeggios (\u201cBillions Dead\u201d) and drawling, sinister chords (\u201cPeace\u2026), injecting a cruel edge that just works. Rhythmic turns often take the best of both black metal and hardcore for fun (\u201cSuicide Planet,\u201d \u201cThe Walls are Closing In\u201d) and darkly groovy (\u201cPlutocrat\u2026\u201d) moments.<\/p>\n

\"\"The greatest issue with Man Made Hell is that its brilliance is a little unevenly distributed. So fiery at its jawbreaking, moody, best, the (over-)use of more \u201cstandard\u201d second-wave black\/hardcore riffing risks the loss of any audience turned off by such mundanities. Similarly, the album would probably benefit from a smidge more time to fully integrate the many great ideas and segments it contains. As an example: the jumpscare of full-volume white noise that splits the doom-drone of \u201cPeace\u2026\u201d\u2018s first act is visceral, and will probably split listeners into a love\/hate dichotomy. The gentle beauty of \u201cWhat Remains,\u201d rising from carefully-placed strums and the hushed howling of wind to an emotional meloblack finale, though I love it, feels slightly out of place. I can hear the hints of atmosphere and nuance that Lord Carrion<\/strong> drop beforehand, and it seems like minor tweaks would integrate these aspects better.<\/p>\n

Man Made Hell divides me, leaving me affected but uncommitted. It\u2019s pretty fun in a satisfyingly gronky way, whilst also possessing a gravitas that portends\u2014even though it doesn\u2019t execute\u2014greatness. What is certain is that Lord Carrion<\/strong> have got something; their ardour oozes out of most-every fuzz-choked note, and I think they make their point just fine for now.<\/p>\n

Rating:<\/strong> Good
DR:<\/strong> 6 | Format Reviewed:<\/strong> wav
Label:<\/strong> Self-Released
Websites:<\/strong> Bandcamp<\/a> | Instagram<\/a>
Releases Worldwide:<\/strong> August 24th, 2026<\/p>\n

\n\tGive in to Your Anger:\n<\/p>\n