Create your Metal Academy account.

It's free and only takes a minute.

Join Metal Academy Today

Latest Releases See more

Hexvessel - Nocturne

Hexvessel - Nocturne (2025)

Added: June 16, 2025
Ratings: 0
Reviews: 0
Site Rating
0.0
Clan Rating
0.0
Queen Elephantine - Gorgon

Queen Elephantine - Gorgon (2019)

Added: June 16, 2025
Ratings: 0
Reviews: 0
Site Rating
0.0
Clan Rating
0.0
Queen Elephantine - Kala

Queen Elephantine - Kala (2016)

Added: June 16, 2025
Ratings: 0
Reviews: 0
Site Rating
0.0
Clan Rating
0.0
Queen Elephantine - Scarab

Queen Elephantine - Scarab (2013)

Added: June 16, 2025
Ratings: 0
Reviews: 0
Site Rating
0.0
Clan Rating
0.0
Queen Elephantine - Garland of Skulls

Queen Elephantine - Garland of Skulls (2011)

Added: June 16, 2025
Ratings: 0
Reviews: 0
Site Rating
0.0
Clan Rating
0.0
55 Escape - Closing In

55 Escape - Closing In (2007)

Added: June 16, 2025
Ratings: 0
Reviews: 0
Site Rating
0.0
Clan Rating
0.0
55 Escape - Angels & Demons

55 Escape - Angels & Demons (2010)

Added: June 16, 2025
Ratings: 0
Reviews: 0
Site Rating
0.0
Clan Rating
0.0
Rentrer en soi - The Bottom of Chaos

Rentrer en soi - The Bottom of Chaos (2007)

Added: June 16, 2025
Ratings: 0
Reviews: 0
Site Rating
0.0
Clan Rating
0.0
Rentrer en soi - Rentrer en Soi

Rentrer en soi - Rentrer en Soi (2006)

Added: June 16, 2025
Ratings: 0
Reviews: 0
Site Rating
0.0
Clan Rating
0.0
Rentrer en soi - Megiddo

Rentrer en soi - Megiddo (2008)

Added: June 16, 2025
Ratings: 0
Reviews: 0
Site Rating
0.0
Clan Rating
0.0
Throne of Iron - Adventure Two

Throne of Iron - Adventure Two (2025)

Added: June 16, 2025
Ratings: 0
Reviews: 0
Site Rating
0.0
Clan Rating
0.0
Throne of Iron - The Slave and the Sorcerer

Throne of Iron - The Slave and the Sorcerer (2024)

Added: June 16, 2025
Ratings: 0
Reviews: 0
Site Rating
0.0
Clan Rating
0.0
Throne of Iron - Second Winter: Live and Raw in Chicago

Throne of Iron - Second Winter: Live and Raw in Chicago (2021)

Added: June 16, 2025
Ratings: 0
Reviews: 0
Site Rating
0.0
Clan Rating
0.0
Dreamland - Exit 49

Dreamland - Exit 49 (2009)

Added: June 16, 2025
Ratings: 0
Reviews: 0
Site Rating
0.0
Clan Rating
0.0
Dreamland - Eye for an Eye

Dreamland - Eye for an Eye (2007)

Added: June 16, 2025
Ratings: 0
Reviews: 0
Site Rating
0.0
Clan Rating
0.0
Fallujah - Xenotaph

Fallujah - Xenotaph (2025)

Added: June 17, 2025
Ratings: 1
Reviews: 0
Site Rating
4.5
Clan Rating
4.5
ByoNoiseGenerator - Subnormal Dives

ByoNoiseGenerator - Subnormal Dives (2025)

Added: June 17, 2025
Ratings: 0
Reviews: 0
Site Rating
0.0
Clan Rating
0.0
Burden of Grief - Destination Dystopia

Burden of Grief - Destination Dystopia (2023)

Added: June 17, 2025
Ratings: 0
Reviews: 0
Site Rating
0.0
Clan Rating
0.0
Burden of Grief - Eye of the Storm

Burden of Grief - Eye of the Storm (2018)

Added: June 17, 2025
Ratings: 0
Reviews: 0
Site Rating
0.0
Clan Rating
0.0
Burden of Grief - Unchained

Burden of Grief - Unchained (2014)

Added: June 17, 2025
Ratings: 0
Reviews: 0
Site Rating
0.0
Clan Rating
0.0
Lo-Ruhamah - Anointing

Lo-Ruhamah - Anointing (2017)

Added: June 20, 2025
Ratings: 0
Reviews: 0
Site Rating
0.0
Clan Rating
0.0
Lo-Ruhamah - The Glory of God

Lo-Ruhamah - The Glory of God (2007)

Added: June 20, 2025
Ratings: 0
Reviews: 0
Site Rating
0.0
Clan Rating
0.0
Extra Large Kids - Galactical Celebration

Extra Large Kids - Galactical Celebration (2007)

Added: June 20, 2025
Ratings: 0
Reviews: 0
Site Rating
0.0
Clan Rating
0.0
Fallujah - Xenotaph

Fallujah - Xenotaph (2025)

Added: June 17, 2025
Ratings: 1
Reviews: 0
Site Rating
4.5
Clan Rating
4.5
ByoNoiseGenerator - Subnormal Dives

ByoNoiseGenerator - Subnormal Dives (2025)

Added: June 17, 2025
Ratings: 0
Reviews: 0
Site Rating
0.0
Clan Rating
0.0
Darkenhöld - Le fléau du rocher

Darkenhöld - Le fléau du rocher (2025)

Added: June 22, 2025
Ratings: 0
Reviews: 0
Site Rating
0.0
Clan Rating
0.0
Alder Glade - Holocene Extinction

Alder Glade - Holocene Extinction (2025)

Added: June 22, 2025
Ratings: 0
Reviews: 0
Site Rating
0.0
Clan Rating
0.0
Alder Glade - Spine of the World

Alder Glade - Spine of the World (2017)

Added: June 22, 2025
Ratings: 0
Reviews: 0
Site Rating
0.0
Clan Rating
0.0
Alder Glade - Lunar Majesty

Alder Glade - Lunar Majesty (2021)

Added: June 22, 2025
Ratings: 0
Reviews: 0
Site Rating
0.0
Clan Rating
0.0
Alder Glade - Exordium

Alder Glade - Exordium (2015)

Added: June 22, 2025
Ratings: 0
Reviews: 0
Site Rating
0.0
Clan Rating
0.0
Dauntless - Imbalance

Dauntless - Imbalance (2013)

Added: June 17, 2025
Ratings: 0
Reviews: 0
Site Rating
0.0
Clan Rating
0.0
Morbid Scream - The Signal to Attack: 1986-1990

Morbid Scream - The Signal to Attack: 1986-1990 (2007)

Added: June 12, 2025
Ratings: 0
Reviews: 0
Site Rating
0.0
Clan Rating
0.0
Bitter End (US-TX) - Climate of Fear

Bitter End (US-TX) - Climate of Fear (2007)

Added: June 12, 2025
Ratings: 0
Reviews: 0
Site Rating
0.0
Clan Rating
0.0
Evil Angel - Unholy Evil Metal

Evil Angel - Unholy Evil Metal (2019)

Added: June 12, 2025
Ratings: 0
Reviews: 0
Site Rating
0.0
Clan Rating
0.0
Evil Angel - Unholy Fight for Metal

Evil Angel - Unholy Fight for Metal (2007)

Added: June 12, 2025
Ratings: 0
Reviews: 0
Site Rating
0.0
Clan Rating
0.0
Extra Large Kids - Galactical Celebration

Extra Large Kids - Galactical Celebration (2007)

Added: June 20, 2025
Ratings: 0
Reviews: 0
Site Rating
0.0
Clan Rating
0.0
Gutted with Broken Glass - Cannibalistic Cannabinoids

Gutted with Broken Glass - Cannibalistic Cannabinoids (2023)

Added: June 17, 2025
Ratings: 0
Reviews: 0
Site Rating
0.0
Clan Rating
0.0
Firestone - Element

Firestone - Element (1998)

Added: June 16, 2025
Ratings: 0
Reviews: 0
Site Rating
0.0
Clan Rating
0.0
An Empty City - To Whom or Whither Should My Darkness Flee

An Empty City - To Whom or Whither Should My Darkness Flee (2023)

Added: June 16, 2025
Ratings: 0
Reviews: 0
Site Rating
0.0
Clan Rating
0.0
An Empty City - Monoliths

An Empty City - Monoliths (2020)

Added: June 16, 2025
Ratings: 0
Reviews: 0
Site Rating
0.0
Clan Rating
0.0
Circus of Dead Squirrels - Scary Melodies

Circus of Dead Squirrels - Scary Melodies (2022)

Added: June 16, 2025
Ratings: 0
Reviews: 0
Site Rating
0.0
Clan Rating
0.0
Circus of Dead Squirrels - Operation Satan

Circus of Dead Squirrels - Operation Satan (2010)

Added: June 16, 2025
Ratings: 0
Reviews: 0
Site Rating
0.0
Clan Rating
0.0
Circus of Dead Squirrels - TPCM2 Judgement Day: Remixing the Massacre

Circus of Dead Squirrels - TPCM2 Judgement Day: Remixing the Massacre (2008)

Added: June 16, 2025
Ratings: 0
Reviews: 0
Site Rating
0.0
Clan Rating
0.0
Circus of Dead Squirrels - The Pop Culture Massacre and the End of the World Sing-a-Long Songbook

Circus of Dead Squirrels - The Pop Culture Massacre and the End of the World Sing-a-Long Songbook (2007)

Added: June 16, 2025
Ratings: 0
Reviews: 0
Site Rating
0.0
Clan Rating
0.0
Circus of Dead Squirrels - Outdoor Recess

Circus of Dead Squirrels - Outdoor Recess (2005)

Added: June 16, 2025
Ratings: 0
Reviews: 0
Site Rating
0.0
Clan Rating
0.0

Clans

The Fallen
The Fallen

Members: 193

Releases: 7790

The Gateway
The Gateway

Members: 70

Releases: 3077

The Guardians
The Guardians

Members: 200

Releases: 9616

The Horde
The Horde

Members: 247

Releases: 12871

The Infinite
The Infinite

Members: 145

Releases: 6313

The North
The North

Members: 204

Releases: 14238

The Pit
The Pit

Members: 213

Releases: 5713

The Revolution
The Revolution

Members: 48

Releases: 4799

The Sphere
The Sphere

Members: 38

Releases: 1159

Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water

If there's one thing that most of our regulars would know about me by now, it's that I call 'em purely as I see 'em & I don't give a fuck what the general consensus is. I like to make up my own mind about things & won't be swayed by what the cool crowd thinks. With that in mind, this week I decided that I really should have an informed opinion on one of the most successful yet heavily divisive metal acts on the global scene in Florida's Limp Bizkit. I'd never heard a full record by them before as I'd always assumed that they'd be none of my business up until now but, you know what, this shit ain't half bad. These dudes certainly know how to write a catchy hook, how to play their instruments & how to create a throbbing mosh pit anthem.

I was surprised at how many of the fifteen tracks I knew as there was clearly a whole slew of hits taken from this record but it wasn't always the well-known stuff that I found the most appeal in. Another thing that I perhaps wasn't prepared for was just how good a rhythm section Limp Bizkit had at the time, particularly the bass guitar which really drives a lot of this material. I don't think there's any doubt that front man Fred Durst's personality is what turns off most metalheads & I can see why as his message can often be summarized as meathead fodder but his macho posturizing can't disguise the obvious Eminem influence in his whiny rapping which I would suggest comes across as nothing more than tolerable. In fact, the rap component in Limp Bizkit's sound is really significant (perhaps more so than most nu metal bands) & that's usually the element of the subgenre that I struggle with the most but I've somehow managed to overlook it here, despite Durst being one of the more overt exponents of the craft. And once I managed to look past his immature personality to the groove-laden music behind him, I discovered that Limp Bizkit had more creativity in their kit bag than I'd ever given them credit for.

All of the hits are pretty enjoyable to tell you the truth with "My Way" being my pick of the bunch but it's the strength of some of the album tracks that surprised me the most with "The One", "Getcha Groove On", "Boiler" & particularly the outstanding album highlight "Hold On" really getting under my skin. Unfortunately, the album is book-ended by some much weaker material though with opener "Hot Dog" falling victim to Durst's idiocy, the Urban Assault Vehicle version of "Rollin'" being a total mess & the almost ten minute "Outro" track being absolutely pointless & a complete waste of your time. The remainder of "Chocolate Starfish & the Hot Dog Flavored Water" is well worth hearing though & provides further proof that you shouldn't believe everything you read. Perhaps I won't go running out to indulge in the remainder of Limp Bizkit's back catalogue any time soon but I can honestly say that this record isn't any worse than the majority of the subgenre, even if it doesn't compete with Linkin Park or Korn's best work.

For fans of Korn, System of a Down & P.O.D.

Read more...
Daniel Daniel / June 23, 2025 08:04 PM
Aurinko ja teräs

Norrhem’s fourth full length release has been bobbing around near the surface of my fathomless pool of new releases this year for months now. As soon as I get into it again, something else distracts me and then I go back see it marked as a “contender” on my list of new releases I am working through, and I remember to give it some more plays before I fallback into the whirlpool of new music that I cycle in nowadays. Nominating it for feature release in The North clan this month had a hidden purpose of giving its review an added dependency.

Now, I am not overly familiar with pagan black metal, however I do know a hint of Moonsorrow when I hear one and after multiple listens, I think that the reference is the nearest I can make to how I can define the sound here. The tracks for the most part have solid, driving rhythms, offset with acoustic, atmospheric passages that give time for reflection. Clearly Norrhem have a deep sense of pride in their Finnish heritage and this nationalism is strong in the sound of the music. Embracing the melodic aspects as they do on Aurinko ja teräs alongside the more choral/chanting effects makes for a good mix of foot stomping black metal that carries an almost hidden catchiness (in the sense that it takes a few listens to pick up on it – well at least I did). Unexpectedly, I find some of the tracks quite warming, despite the colder atmospheres associated in general with the music.

I did baulk at the symphonic comparisons I saw with other bands but, again, upon repeated listens I did start to increasingly notice this in the sound. Even when the band drifts a bit too far on the eerie ballad ‘Mullan marttyyrit’, they still manage to make it work well in the grander scheme of things as a (albeit slightly grandiose) intro to the title track. Despite this symphonic and pagan meleé the band can add a great selection of riffs into play also, ranging from the squally efforts on ‘Hävitetty maa’ through to the relentless chop of ‘Teräsmyrskyssä’ which is my album highlight here. Some of the keys remind me of 80’s pop whilst on other occasions they sound like chimes straight from a Burzum record.

Aurinko ja teräs has worked its way onto my rotation with an almost dogged determination. It is not my usual bag really but is hardly celebrating sub-genres that I go out of my way to avoid either. My overarching sense from multiple connections with it is that the record grows stronger as it goes on without quite reaching the imperious levels of pagan black metal that Havukruunu have achieved in recent years. It is unlikely to walk away with any massive accolades this year but it certainly deserves recognition.


Read more...
Vinny Vinny / June 23, 2025 07:40 PM
Dormant

Take the heavy guitar leads from modern Arch Enemy, combine it with some Arch Enemy style vocals, a percussion work that feels eerily similar to Arch Enemy and....wait.

It's hard to dunk on a band who are just trying to get their feet wet, but when that band in question has nothing unique to add to the table, it makes me lose focus in record time. Hiraes are a German melodic death metal band with Dormant as their second full length studio album. And as I alluded to from the start, Dormant doesn't really do anything to separate itself from its clear primary influence. What does one do to stand out in a landscape of second wave melodic death metal? You could go the Aephanemer approach and bring the symphonic embellishment to the forefront. Or you could try the progressive/folk approach like Eluveitie or Aeternam. Hiraes do have some symphonic development here, but it is all very conservative in its usage; no song on this record is either benefited or detracted by having a orchestra. It simply adds to the density of the recording, but without providing something of its own value.

Dormant is one of those albums that promises to be a heavier Arch Enemy...which it is. The guitars alternates back and forth between very standard melo-death leads, chugging riffs and the occasional tremolo picking sections. The percussion is a lot more engaged on Dormant than it has been on recent Arch Enemy projects like Deceivers and Blood Dynasty. But the whole project is brought down by the generic vocals. Britta Görtz has a strong presence behind the microphone and performs with great diction. But the delivery itself is monotonous. Britta's vocal range feels very limited on Dormant and the ramped up intensity that was promised at the start feels underutilized, since the rest of the music doesn't play into her strengths. Ironically, some of this albums better songs are the ones that stay at one intensity for their entire duration. Songs like "We Owe No One" and "Nightflight" benefit the underwhelming vocals, while the more "progressive" leaning tracks like "Red Soil" do absolutely nothing for me.

When I listen to Dormant by Hiraes, I hear a band that just wanted to make music together, but without any sense of direction as to what to do with it. This band is listed as having in formed in 2020 when the world was engulfed in an economic lockdown so finding something to do with friends was undoubtedly important so as to not go stir crazy. They are clearly in love with Arch Enemy, which is not a bad place to start if you are creating melodic death metal. But now, after the bands second studio album, they need to walk their own path and not lay Dormant to the changing tide of modern melodic death metal.

Best Songs: Chance to Fail, Nightflight

Read more...
Saxy S Saxy S / June 23, 2025 04:58 PM
Destroy the Machines

I am not super familiar with a lot of metalcore, outside of a few big names like Converge and Trivium and I have only very recently tried to explore it further. I find a lot of it to be very samey, with little to differentiate a lot of the bands, but Earth Crisis certainly are not one of them. Destroy the Machines sounds very much to me like a straight edge band that has discovered Sepultura's Chaos AD and thought "We'll have some of that". I like quite a few straight edge bands, even though they can be annoyingly preachy, and Chaos AD is a great record, so that combination works really well for me.

Vocals can often be a personal bugbear with metalcore acts, but Karl Buechner has a raggedness to his voice that makes it sound less shouty and forced than most and that is definitely a plus. A lot of more modern metalcore feels like it has moved away from the punk side of the equation, but Earth Crisis are most definitely authentic when it comes to their punk credentials, which gives the album a looseness that allows it to breathe rather than the constipated tightness of more recent metalcore orthodoxy. The riffs are great, even pretty groovy at times, yet still contain a lethal agressiveness that lets everyone know exactly just how pissed off these guys are. If more metalcore sounded like this then I would most definitely be a bigger fan.

Read more...
Sonny Sonny / June 23, 2025 09:24 AM
So It Goes

The scathing attack of Demoniac is a welcome approach to how I like my thrash metal. With a frantic pace to proceedings, So It Goes stamps and stomps a mark in sheet steel when the band are in full flow. Those sneering vocals and razor-sharp riffs over a plodding bass and relentless drums makes for a great combo. As such, there are parts of the record that connect well with me. The Kreator and Sadus vibes are strong in this group. Heck, even the progressive wizardry of Vektor gets incorporated into the Chileans sound. At face value, this is exciting music for any fan of thrash or speed metal. As always though, there is a lot to be said for some adherence to some semblance of control and restraint.

Whilst it is not unheard of that I am alienated by a band’s sound or chosen style, sometimes even by an individual track even, I would not call it a regular occurrence by any means still. In those moments when I detect that sense of “WTF is this?”, then this usually does not bode well for the artist or release concerned. The clarinet is not an instrument many of us would associate with metal music. Its inclusion here on So It Goes is an absolute bolt out of the blue for me and no matter how hard I try to fathom the rationale behind its appearance, I cannot attribute any reasonable logic to it. It just seems like one of the band members plays the clarinet as well as guitar and so they have included it on the album. It holds no place on the record for me beyond setting some element of atmosphere. Its timbre is too bold and the texture it induces is too warm for the aesthetic of the music Demoniac play. What annoys me even more is that there is no need for the band to try and make themselves stand out by way of such a gimmick. Demoniac can play. Some of their lead work is mindboggling. Their vocals are perfect for blackened thrash and that drummer certainly knows his way around his kit too. Hell, even the bassist can make their presence known without taking over whole sections of tracks with progressive wankery.

I cannot say the clarinet rules my experience of the record, there’s far too much high level, well played, intense thrash metal being played here for that. However, it does ruin the album for me overall. It is just so unnecessary an addition and it retains an almost anarchical presence when considered with the rest of the record. So much potential here as well but this one is destined for the lower end of my ratings.  So it goes, indeed.


Read more...
Vinny Vinny / June 22, 2025 02:14 PM

Recent Topics

Shadowdoom9 (Andi) in Requests for The Revolution Bands to be added to Metal Academy at 24.06.2025 01:48 AM: Ben, please add The Breathing Proces...
Shadowdoom9 (Andi) in Track Of The Day - The Revolution Edition at 24.06.2025 01:30 AM: If they had more of the clean chorus...
Shadowdoom9 (Andi) in Track Of The Day - The North Edition at 24.06.2025 01:27 AM: Lots of vicious headbanging moments ...
Shadowdoom9 (Andi) in Track Of The Day - The Horde Edition at 24.06.2025 01:25 AM: Great heavy start, though keep that ...
Rexorcist in The Rock Thread at 23.06.2025 09:08 PM: I was JUST listening to Ropes to Inf...
Daniel in The Rock Thread at 23.06.2025 08:45 PM: Monster Magnet - "Spine of God" (199...
Daniel in The Nu Metal Thread at 23.06.2025 08:36 PM: Limp Bizkit - "Chocolate Starfish &a...
Vinny in June 2025 - Feature Release - The North at 23.06.2025 07:41 PM: Norrhem’s fourth full length relea...
Shadowdoom9 (Andi) in Shadow of Intent's "Inferi Sententia" should be in The Horde at 23.06.2025 11:41 AM: The 2014 Shadow of Intent EP consist...