Diaries of Doom

Oldham thrashcore outfit Tortured Demon have really set the UK live circuit alight in recent years. Their first full-length, In Desperation's Grip , dropped in 2021, the same year that they notably packed out the smallest stage at Bloodstock before lunchtime, selling out all of their merch. After touring with Evile in 2022, their ascent seems unstoppable and inevitable, now with another string to their bow with Rise of the Lifeless . Tortured Demon - Oppressed (live at Bloodstock 2021) It's not a carbon copy of the first record. Tortured Demon have upped their game as musicians and songwriters, and the addition of a second guitarist has injected new life into the band. This is particularly evident over some of the choruses, where a counter-riff or Corey Beaulieu-style melodic lead seems to elevate its part to another level. Eyes of the Fire houses a series of fantastic diminished licks, and the solos in Global Threat , The Damage Is Done and the title track are outstanding.

This week sees the long-awaited release of Netherhall 's debut album, Process . Formed eight years ago, the band's formative years saw the Imacular EP, victory in the Birmingham Metal 2 The Masses, and a performance at the unveiling of the city's Black Sabbath bridge. Since solidifying their lineup with Matt Preston on lead vocals - alongside Lewis Ward on guitar, Tom Bushell on bass and Jake Raybould on drums - they released two singles prior to Covid and returned to Bloodstock in 2021. Plenty going on, then. Netherhall - Disintegrate (live at Bloodstock 2021) Process thematically deals with the process of life and death and everything in between. As the band put it themselves, 'after 8 years of ups and downs, lefts and rights and life itself, we are thrilled, relieved, and most of all proud to release Process, our debut album. This has been a labour of love for the last 5 years of our lives, which has been an emotional roller-coaster and in many ways, we can feel t