(written by Islander)

We welcome the Kentucky extreme metal band Sinistrum to our menacing and morbid halls for the first time today, and it’s long past time that we did that.

They have an experienced lineup that includes members of acts including Fornicus and Kentucky death metal veterans Abominant. They made their first mark in 2022 with the three-song demo/EP Trichotomy of Death, and then followed that with their debut full-length, Infernal Dawn, released in February 2024 through Adirondack Black Mass and Morbid and Miserable Records. Now they’re preparing for the November release of their second album, the aptly named The Hammer of Conquest, via Remorseless Records.

This new album is what woke us up to Sinistrum. It’s accurately described as a musical conjunction of death metal brutality, black metal savagery, and flashes of thrashing, riff-driven aggression. It’s also the first work of a revised lineup that features lead vocalist and drummer Scott Briggs, guitarist and vocalist Timmie Ball, guitarist and vocalist Matthew Smith, and bassist Mike May.

As a pulse-pounding, soul-shuddering, and quite quickly addictive sign of what The Hammer of Conquest brings to the table, today we’re premiering an album track named “Scourge Awakened“. Continue reading »