Latest Reviews

Neue Deutsche Härte has always been a hit-and-miss for me, with more misses than hits. Stahlhammer is one of those bands in that league that sound so weird and dirty, and not in the way I like. To be honest, Wiener Blut is pretty much a f***ing joke of an album, heavy relying on humor with not much of the destructive seriousness metal should have. You might understand it more if you can translate the German into English. And the length is sh*tloads long, with 17 tracks in over an hour!

"Bruderkrieg", the first full song, isn't too bad, having massive guitar fury. There are two covers, starting with the horrid "Boom Boom-Shake the Room", one of the most sh*tty covers I've heard. On the other hand, their cover of MC Hammer's "Can't Touch This" is the total opposite, being the best track here fitting in the "metalizing covers" category.

I don't have much else to say, other than very well the worst album in this troublesome subgenre of NDH. Let's f***ing boogie.... NOT!

Favorites (only tracks I even slightly like): "Bruderkrieg", "Can't Touch This"

‘Still the Orchestra Plays’ is a 2010 compilation album by legendary cult metal band Savatage. After years of inactivity, this CD package just randomly popped up from nowhere and probably left most fans wondering if it was a sign that anything new was coming. Sadly, that was not the case, as it would be another three years until the band would once more pop up out of the blue with a re-released narrated version of their rock opera, ‘Streets’.

But back to this one, and yeah, as you’d expect, this is a fantastic compilation! Two discs full of absolutely top quality music. Sure, there’s a few omissions that I feel should have been included, but overall, it’s a nice career retrospective, perfect for newcomers to the band, or long-time fans who need a reminder of how brilliant these guys are.

From ‘Power of the Night’, ‘Hall of the Mountain King’, ‘Gutter Ballet’ and ‘Edge of Thorns’, to the likes of ‘Morphine Child’, ‘The Wake of Magellan’, ‘Chance’ and ‘One Child’, there’s no shortage of Savatage classics here. And three newly-recorded acoustic versions of previous hits are a welcome sign that the band were still trying to somewhat maintain active.

This CD package comes with a bonus DVD, which has the classic ‘Japan Live ‘94’ concert on it. Originally released on VHS, it was nice to finally be able to own a copy of this. Granted, the sound and picture are quite dated, but the performances are excellent, and it’s just great to be able to see a full concert video of the band.

Overall, this is, quite simply, a fantastic compilation. It’s definitely a great starting point for newcomers, but also has plenty of value for fans too. A worthy addition to any rock or metal collection!

In the Woods… have always just ‘been there’. Floating around the periphery of my metal music awareness for years, with me rarely paying them any attention. The progressive tag is usually more than ample to put me off things but given this was dual tagged with gothic metal (another one of my areas of limited interest) and I am trying to broaden my horizons and capture as much new stuff in The Fallen as I can this year, I broke form and went for it. I am glad I did.

What is clear, even as a relative newbie to the band, is that these fellas know how to write songs. There’s obvious depth to all the tracks on this album. Emotional and compositional depth is present in equal amounts, and as a result Otra is an incredibly rich and rewarding album to listen to. There is the mournful atmosphere you would associate with the gothic tag, but there is also the sense of mystery, of some riddle that runs in secret through the album, like there’s always something more to come on each track. It is this narrative of intrigue that keeps my attention on the album from start to finish. This intensity by no means impinges on the overall relaxed vibes that come off the record as it plays. The vocals have a soothing monotone to them, a handsome charm almost. Even on the death doom sounding section of ‘The Crimson Crown’, the menacing vocals are tempered by most of the track being sung in a clean and sultry tone.

I would liken the connection I feel with this record to the same spontaneous response I had to Katatonia’s The Fall of Hearts. I can sense the dark soul behind the music, its presence obvious throughout. As I was ploughing through other releases this week, I got to The Maneating Tree’s latest album, and it just underlined the difference in quality in that Otra is interesting to listen to from the off. Otra lacks much in the way of a generic pigeon-hole to be sat in and as such, all bets are off. The juxtapose of styles somehow remains unintrusive over seven tracks that all seem to flow with an underlying air of calm. Hear the black metal vocals creep into tracks like ‘Things You Shouldn’t Know’ and ‘The Wandering Deity’ whilst enjoying vibrant progressive vibes in some of the guitar at the same time.

For all its free-flowing nature, there is no sense of reckless abandon in the playing. At no point do I feel the need to hit the skip button, which on an album that is infused with gothic and progressive tropes is no mean feat really. There are clunky moments still. ‘A Misrepresentation of I’ stands out for the failed attempt to shoehorn that title into the chorus (it sounds like ‘a misreputation of I’) but it is more than forgivable given it probably is my only negative out of over forty-five minutes of music.

Hail to the Queen! Her Majesty Doro Pesch! If anybody else was singing for this album it would be another mediocre throwaway, but Ms. Pesch puts the team on her back and drags them kicking and screaming to the top of the mountain. The music isn't terrible by any means, it's straight forward classic metal like what you would find on a Dio or Scorpions album, it's just that Doro's voice carries so much power and charisma that's it the clear star of the show. Good timing, fist pumping, classic heavy metal with an absolute dyno on the mic. Doro is just a pure joy to listen to and by all accounts a fantastic human being off the stage as well. 

When you think of a progressive concept album you probably don't think of the guy who wrote "Fuck Like A Beast" as a primary candidate for making a good one, but in 1992 he did, and it is good, real fucking good. I'm not in the camp that would call this the best WASP album, that honor goes to the Last Command, but I generally enjoy all of the WASP catalogue. They were just a nastier take on the Motely Crue formula that really worked for me. Blackie considers this his best work. Chainsaw Charlie kicks all kinds of ass. As with most concept albums you kind of need to listen to it from beginning to end and judge it by the complete product rather than by single tracks. Luckily, unlike so many concept albums, doing that is a joy rather than a chore. Fun Trivia Fact: this album doesn't have the WASP line up on it, Blackie wanted to release it as his solo debut, but the record company wouldn't go for it.

I absolutely love Slough Feg "Traveler" album. I also love Manilla Road, and that whole early 80s classic metal sound. This is more of that so it's fine, but it's mixed a bit murkier than Traveler and lacks the same excitement. There is more folky stuff in here than I remember being on Traveler too, and that's a negative for me. I don't really care for folk metal. You probably see where this is going, but long story short, just listen to Traveler instead, it's a more focused and better sounding album than this. 

The title track is great, and the rest of the album is just disappointing. It's fine power metal but I don't really like power metal and nothing else on the album remotely approaches the quality of the title track. I tried to think of something else to say, but it really is that much of an open and shut case for me. 

I was a surprised by how much I enjoyed this album. I listened to a Riot album for a different clan list, and while I applauded the bands enthusiasm it failed to land for me. Here they got it just right. This album plays out like a NWOBHM album like Judas Priest, except that it's an American band. Many bands of course, have taken a stab at the Judas Priest Formula, and I think Riot got pretty close to doing it justice here. Priest is still the better band, but I enjoyed every track on this album quite a bit, and I think I will come back to it time and time again in the future, I can't wait to have my wife weigh in on it later today! Well done RIOT!

Look man, I just hate Queensryche. I'm here to complete the clan challenges on the website, and I did listen to it, but I hated it as much as everything else they do. Given how beloved they are, and how much I despise them, I would have rather not written a review, but the site calls for it. I am not the man to get your Queensryche review from. I find them bland, boring, and up their own backside as far as social commentary and concepts. Something about them just irks me to no end. 

This is some utterly forgettable music that sounds like any given late 80s to early 90s mainstream rock. Think of the Scorpions, then take away anything interesting and you'll be in the ballpark of this. It's not offensive to the ears, but it's utterly unremarkable. As I was listening to the album on spotify it ended and went into a different but similar band, and I probably heard 3 of that bands songs before I realized it wasn't this album anymore. 

Well, it's Motorhead so I like it. If you listen to Motorhead at all they are pretty consistent in what they offer up: old school rock and roll sped up to punk/thrash levels and vocals delivered by the whiskey and tobacco soaked pipes of the great Lemmy Kilmister. For me it's a 4 start formula on average and then it comes up to 5 on some albums. This is a 4. I would recommend the title track,  and "Doctor Rock" be thrown into your permanent mix, then visit the other songs for flavor.  

Well, it is quite possibly the biggest mainstream metal release of all time, so that alone earns high marks for me. Yes all of the thrashy goodness from the earlier albums is gone. It has been exchanged for straightforward metal that verges on rock and roll, but the guitar tones and some of the subject mater are still aggressive enough for me to call it a metal album. It's incredibly catchy, full of memorable riffs and vocal passages. The production on it is top notch-it objectively sounds incredible and huge. As far as writing a review it's another case of "what can I say that hasn't been said?" Even if you are not a metalhead you probably already know about half of these songs as they are staples of rock radio. It's a great entry point for the genre, it's good music with great mass-appeal.

I'm being generous with the 2 stars. If you must listen to Metal Church stick to the self titled album. This is not the worst music I've ever heard or anything, but it is a lighter and more power metal influenced endeavor than the other album, and even that album isn't a favorite for me. I just have no reason to visit this and you probably don't either.

Fear of Domination have, well, dominated in their industrial melodeath sound with their first two albums. Anyone who has followed them that early would know what to expect in their 3rd album Distorted Delusions. A couple things are different here, but not for the whole better...

For one thing, keyboardist Niina Telen is out of the band. Her synths were really driving the band through with their style, and her background cleans gave some songs a touch of depth. She was replaced by Lasse Raelahti who can do solid synth-work, but it kinds of lower the quality with its strange effects. There are barely any female vocals in the album, and when there are, they're sung by a guest vocalist, Helena Haaparanta.

"PaperDoll" starts the album almost like a continuation of the more modernized melodeath sound Raintime had in their last album Psychromatic. "Wicked World" has the drop C riffing of God Forbid while staying firmly in their industrial melodeath. Kicking off "Violence Disciple" is some strange glitchy effects in Saku Solin's screaming. This might throw off some fans who prefer to hear his vocals in smooth production. "Parasite" again shows that industrial metal doesn't have to be like what Godflesh and Circle of Dust have. It's all about melody and drama in that ballad-ish highlight.

"Deus Ex Machina" mixes synths and metal as greatly as Crossfaith. The somewhat bad "Organ Grinder" is too weird for my liking, though some great moments there make it OK. But then we have a gem in "II". And another one in "Legion", my favorite track here. Guitar/keyboard melodies reach an intense height, and the ending climax is EPIC.

"Needle" doesn't stand out as much as the previous two, but I enjoy the guest vocals by Helena Haaparanta. "Dead Space" is another powerful highlight, and another one of my favorites here. "The Great Dictator" is like a more futuristic take on the power metal-infused melodeath of Gyze and Kalmah, though it ends up sounding a bit pompous. For the bonus Kuroshio remix of "Legion"... Why did they have to f*** up the best tracks of each album with sh*tty remixes?! This one is the worst!

Distorted Delusions is still great, yet some things make it a step down from their previous albums. Maybe later on, I might check out their remaining 3 albums so far and see if they have the first two albums' greatness. No matter the missteps this band might have, there's nothing to fear....

Favorites: "PaperDoll", "Parasite", "Deus Ex Machina", "II", "Legion", "Dead Space"

Throughout the past decade or so of me listening to melodeath, I've realized that the bands I enjoyed or still enjoy are the ones that use keyboards without coming out as overused or pompous. Those bands include Dark Tranquillity, Starkill, and many others. As I continue my search for more bands with that sound, Fear of Domination has come up, adding more electronic synths than some of those other bands. The idea of blending extreme with electronic has already existed in bands like Shade Empire and The Kovenant that started off as melodic/symphonic black metal. Keyboard-fueled industrial melodeath is such a majestic mix!

The drop-C riffing that has modernized European melodeath was first taken on by Children of Bodom in the second half of the 2000s. Imagine that but with keyboard usage boosted up. After this album, keyboardist Niina Telen left the band. That's too bad because besides her mystical keys, her serene background cleans fit well together with the growls of vocalist Saku Solin (who would later join Turmion Katilot). His vocals sound so natural and not strained, unlike In Flames at that time.

"New World" greatly exemplifies this vocal contrast, while the music itself combines melodeath with Argyle Park-esque trance-y synths. More of Solin and Telen's vocals come together in "Pandemonium", perhaps my favorite track here. The song has some Norther vibes in both the music and vocals. Solin adds more depth and accent to his growls, and the end result is another unique blend of extreme and melodic. "Modify" has more experimental synths, almost like the synths Crown the Empire would later use. "Destroy & Dominate" brings on some thrash in the instrumentation sounding close to Annihilator.

While there's nothing bad at all in this offering, "Coma" is a bit draggy while staying energetic. The clean singing by Telen can be heard the most in the ballad-ish highlight "We Will Fall Apart". Then "So Far So Good (All for Nothing)" has a more metalcore-ish vibe from Norma Jean and Of Mice & Men at that time while standing by their usual sound.

The greatness increases towards the end of the album with the bleak standout "Tool of God". The next track "Control Within" is another epic composition. Your brain will never forget this steaming hot plate of industrial melodeath that would taste good for generations. The bonus Proteus remix of "Pandemonium" is better than the remix that ends the debut Call of Schizophrenia, but it's still a f***ing remix.

Create Control Exterminate is one of the best offerings of industrial melodeath. Don't get confused about the "industrial" part though, there's a lot more here to do with Fear Factory than Godflesh. The album is a h*ll of a ripper, for anyone wanting something heavy and at the same time electronic and cinematic!

Favorites: "New World", "Pandemonium", "We Will Fall Apart", "Tool of God", "Control Within"

The more I discover the more melodic cyber/industrial metal bands out there, the more intrigued I've become. There seems to be great impact in electro-industrial keyboards blended with metallic guitars/drums. Fear of Domination has that mix in their industrial melodeath sound that's like Sonic Syndicate if they doubled the amount of synths. That kind of style really speaks to me!

Their debut Call of Schizophrenia is a heavy album, but it's not just heavy in the guitars but also in the keyboards. I enjoy this synth-metal attack and I'm up to checking it out in their next couple albums as well. For now, let's dive into this one...

It starts off clean but heavy in what can be the band's own theme song, "Fear of Domination". You can hear some background cleans by keyboardist Niina Telen. Awesome start! "Mistake in Evolution" speeds things up, though the background keyboards are a little oddly placed. Still, everything else fits like a puzzle, with the keys being the odd piece out. "Clown Industry" has the melodeath of Dethklok while adding in the electro-trance elements The Browning would later have.

"Synthetic Paradise" loses some pointage while the album rating is still intact. The rapid punisher "Punish Y.S." really speeds up as rapid riff-tastic highlight. With some great production in the riffs blended with synths, Norther would probably wish they had more of that. "Intact Girl" is an OK track but one I don't care too much about.

"Perfect World" is perhaps the most Deathstars-sounding track here. Then we have the ambitious title track speeding through heavy verses and a melodic chorus with more of Telen's background cleans. All in perfect synergy! The best song in the melodeath side is "Theatre". The keyboards are more subtle, allowing the guitars and drums to shine. I just wish that song was a little longer. The "Fear of Domination" remix by MC Raaka Pee probably could've been better off elsewhere, but I guess it's fine.

Industrial melodeath may not be for everyone, but it's what makes Fear of Domination such a unique band and something I would never get tired of. Pretty much all songs and enjoyable, though a couple of them could've been slightly better. Recommended for anyone who likes synths in metal!

Favorites: "Fear of Domination", "Clown Industry", "Punish Y.S.", "Call of Schizophrenia", "Theatre"

The final EP (to date) in this series ‘…:Grunsfoort’ harks back to the jangly tremolo and melodic gallop of Drudkh to kick things off this time.  Opening track ‘Sediment der Impressies’ again picks up where the previous EP left off some 18 months ago, trailing an air of accessibility and directness to its presence.  For the most part, this is a well-balanced track in terms of pace.  It measures the urgency of the tremolo with passages of thoughtful refrain and folky strings that really sound like they are grounding the track.  There is also a strong bass presence here as well which really does add depth to the slower parts.  The track does seem to lose its way about two-thirds of the way through, disappearing into an unexpected dark ambient section before racing back for the final meeting.  This feels disruptive, like they thought about ending the track there but changed their mind.

The strong, yet never intrusive bass, is retained on ‘Grunsfoort in de mist’.  Opting for a slower pace to start this time around the track also deploys acoustic strings to good effect, using them to herald the arrival of additional layers on proceedings.  This is the standout track on the release for me.  It is thoughtfully composed and builds up well.  The rich melodic aspects are never at the expense of the directness and despite the more softer approach, the band avoids ‘gaze’ territory in the main and still delivers a haunting and ethereal experience to draw the track to a close.

Whether this is the totality of the series or not, these three EPs are strong as a collective.  My criticisms are never items that necessarily diminish from my overall enjoyment of the series and they do showcase the talent, ability and influences of the duo involved here.  I would recommend playing them back to back to truly appreciate them but they do also work in isolation.

Landing just three months after the first EP in this series, Fluisteraars picked up on ‘…:Nergena’ pretty much where they left off on ‘…:Harslo’ back in March.  The dashing tremolos on opening track ‘De man, Zon van de Doden’ coupled with the erratic folk sounding instrumentation alongside more calming, clean and choral vocal sections make for an interesting start to proceedings.  Instrumentally, this EP feels a little more complex than its predecessor but it still manages to retain a rhythm that sticks in the brain making the opening track easy enough to follow.

When we get to the second offering here, ‘De Mystiek Rondom de Steen des Hamers’, we see a more direct approach.  This folky, chiming and pagan sounding track retains a catchiness that leaves me very much reminded of Havukruunu.  It is a very earthy sounding track that use melody intelligently to accentuate the softer nature to the bands sound.  It feels very relaxed in pace also and the jangly tremolo is less fuzzy here than on the opening track on the first EP.  It is kind of a chilled experience overall on this second track.

For me, I prefer the first EP over this one.  Whilst I respect the direct nature and earthiness that gets introduced here, I was kind of enjoying the more chaotic and eclectic elements that got called out in my review of the first release in the series.  Still there’s nothing bad here, just not as enjoyable as the first.

This two track EP from Dutch post-black metal outfit Fluisteraars, is the first of a trio of releases in the series (I am not sure how many there will be in the end, however the third instalment just got released in 2025).  Using the Dutch word for “Whisperers” as their band name is actually a good indication of how I find their sound.  Refusing to be drawn on exactly what type of a band they are in interviews, I find them to be a modern take on the the sub-genre of black metal in the sense that they infer a black metal aesthetic but seem to only whisper this.  There’s a definite Oranssi Pazuzu vibe to opening track ‘Dromen van de zon’ for instance.  The chaos of the guitar is underlined by a shrill tremolo that rides atop of crashing and dashing percussion and wild, shouted vocals.

The jangly edge to the tremolo does remind me of Drudkh somewhat, yet it retains a fuzzy, almost psychedelic and warm tone also.  There is also an intensity to the track that brings Wiegedood to mind.  That deranged edge to proceedings in particular draws this comparison.  Track number two on the release ‘ De konig de werd ontedkt tidens de blootlegging van de nieuwe dimensie’ has the vastness of ‘Blaze…’ or ‘Transylvanian…’ era Darkthrone to my ears.  It has a heavy atmospheric element to it also and touches on the horror of perhaps Leviathan or Xasthur too.

Whispered or not, there’s no denying the influence of black metal on the sound of Fluisteraars. The post elements fit well also, arguably being an extension of atmospheric black metal as opposed to outright post-metal.  There are chimes and and keys here that would not be out of place on a dungeon synth record and so I would say the influences here are far reaching, beyond what you may initially hear upon putting this on.

During the first quarter of the 21st century, there has been no thrash metal band that has piqued my interest in the genre quite like Skeletonwitch. They have been one of my most consistently solid bands in the genre since I really started paying attention around 2007, and only grew in popularity for me when I started to embrace the more extreme of the metal subgenres around 2010. Skeletonwitch's brand of old school Iron Maiden riffs, modified with faster grooves, a healthy dose of death metal guttural vocals and a sprinkle of black metal tossed in just to keep you guessing. Beyond the Permafrost was not my first exposure to this band, but after hearing it in full again, it really gets to the crux of my main concern with thrash metal as a whole.

And that concern is in the songwriting. Yeah, I can admit that Beyond the Permafrost can be a bit one-note at times, especially the longer it goes on, but that one-note mentality allows for this album to be far more concise than a typical thrash metal album. Skeletonwitch do not waste any time here as songs are concise and poignant. Guitar does play an integral role here, but the guitar solos are quick, technically impressive and get us back to the meat-and-potatoes expediently, while the main riffs almost take the form of an earworm considering how many times you hear them played over such a short period of time. 

Given that Skeletonwitch are not a full fledged tribute/homage band to the early "extreme" thrash giants like Slayer and Possessed, the album does have some variety. You will hear the occasional blast beat in the percussion, but they serve primarily as fills and embellishment rather than forming the grooves. What makes the comparisons make sense is when Skeletonwitch break out into a black metal riff with open chordal guitar harmonies and slower percussion grooves. While songs like "Remains of the Defeated" serve as too much of a good thing as well as an interlude, it isn't like the drastic style change is out-of-pocket, since Skeletonwitch have been embracing these types of grooves throughout the record. 

One thing that I would love for Skeletonwitch to embrace would be a couple of longer songs to show off their songwriting capability over an extended timeframe. The bands most recent album, Devouring Radiant Light does exactly that and would serve as quality, complimentary listening material if you find this album to be too simple for its own sake. As for me, I like the simplicity of Beyond the Permafrost more than most and pieces of it reminds me of early Kreator and more recently, Power Trip and Enforced. 

Best Songs: Sacrifice for the Slaughtergod, Beyond the Permafrost, Cast into the Open Sea, Soul Thrashing Black Sorcery, Within My Blood

If I had my time again, I would start listening to black metal a lot sooner than I did. The peak of the scene was around the time when I was just turning into a teenager and there was no mention whatsoever of black metal amongst my metalhead mates at the time. We were all about death metal, thrash metal and heavy metal and I cannot recall the likes of Burzum, Mayhem, Emperor or Satyricon ever entering conversation even, across five years of high school. As such, I have always felt like I have missed out on the true essence of black metal, my initial, stronger, affiliation with death metal being largely because I was watching it grow in front of my very eyes. Whilst I have many memorable experiences listening to black metal in my adult years, some of the same emotions that I feel when listening to say De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas, can never be the same as when I listen to Slowly We Rot. I guess then, that when I am looking for the ultimate experience of black metal when I get to a new release or one that I have not heard despite it being available for years, is that sense of true passion and excitement for the art that I feel I missed out on back in the day. Albums like the latest by Svartsyn.

It is all here for the taking for me. Themes of Satanism, death, ritualistic offerings and dark mythology are what help pique my interest on most metal records. When they are as well integrated into a wall of crawling, lumbering, threatening and menacing black metal music such as Vortex of the Destroyer, then this is the icing on the cake. Ornias sounds genuinely deranged on here, his vocals are as pestilent as the vilest of diseases, his riffs are relentless sorties of marauding layers of darkness hammered home by guest drummer Ignace Verstrate’s (the aptly nicknamed Hammerman) unabating pounding on the skins. It is the dead body the kids find out by the lake one day. Bloated with filth, hissing noxious gases from its orifices, its flesh infested with all manner of crawling things. If you need a quick teaser of VotD at its best, throw on the amazing ‘Utter Northern Darkness’ and you will soon be met with the type of barrage of fury you can expect from pretty much all ten tracks on offer here.

Whilst I will accept that sometimes the mix does lose elements of the instruments, it is a black metal record after all, so production values are not always the order of the day, let’s be honest. Not even this though can hinder the majestic grimness of the album. Clearly written from a place of passion for the darkest of arts, VotD has enough black metal heart to keep me freezing cold for the whole of 2025 alone. It is not polished, it does not rely on atmospherics, and it yet has a sense of balance to its chaos. It has borders to its disorder. With hints of black ‘n roll here and there, the pacing of tracks always feels measured, despite the often-raging intensity. This will be a go to record for me for some time to come.

From time to time I surf youtube and try to find good live performances. It was through this method that I came across Crowbar's Bloodstock set from 2023 which can be found here: https://youtu.be/hGih5_AJrPw?si=lUhmBDWJ4GtYbk0f

Now, being a fan of doom and sludge I had of course heard of Crowbar, but what I had been told was that "Planets Collide" was their magnum opus. That particular song doesn't resonate with me, so I didn't dive deeper. It was when they performed "To Build a Mountain" in that live set that something clicked for me. 

...but Zero, that song isn't on this album. 

Correct, so let's talk Symmetry in Black; Crowbar's most common lyrical themes revolve around strength and perseverance in the face of depression, anger, addiction, and unfavorable odds. This is music designed to get a man through his lowest lows. In any Crowbar album you're going to get super thick down tuned guitars, an endless stream of powerful riffs, and Kirk Windstein delivering encouragement in a style that is heavy, gruff, bellowing, and yet completely 100% decipherable. These are possibly the most clear vocals I've heard on anything this heavy, and this is good because as strong as the riffs, and as crushing as the tones dialed in are, it's the lyrics and messages that I'd say are Crowbar's greatest strength. Crowbar's formula and sound are very consistent from release to release. Symmetry just sounds a little bit better to me from a production standpoint and it has some lyrics that particularly connect with me. 

This is an album full of inspiration, but I've chosen the lyrics to "Shaman of Belief" as I feel it encapsulates best what Crowbar is all about.

Shaman Of Belief

"Look up at me

You're crawling

On dirty ground you prowl

Lift up your head

And see me

Your antidote is now

Open up your mind

Time to realize

Now save your energy and use it well

It's not too hard to see

What's real

Look up at me

You're drowning

So far below

Beneath

The answer that eludes you is echoing so deep

Open up your mind

Time to realize

Now keep your energy and use it well

It's not too hard to see

That time will tell

I'm the creator of all your dreams

I am the shaman of belief"

Powerful stuff. Did I mention this is an incredible album to work out to? It is. 

I'd like to conclude by saying that I've watched a lot of Kirk Windstein's interviews, and he seams to be a down to earth, humble, polite, and honest man. The phrase "salt of the earth" comes to mind. The kind of person you can feel good about supporting. I've read that he's pretty accessible and available so when he goes on tour again I will try to meet him.

Arch Enemy return in 2025 with Blood Dynasty and I find myself rather impressed by what's on display here. For starters, when I reviewed Deceivers a few years ago, I heavily criticized it for its lack of originality. To me, Deceivers sounded liked a greatest hits compilation instead of a new album. In 2025, Arch Enemy are at least putting in some much asked about effort. Blood Dynasty shows off a full range of emotions throughout the runtime and it does lead to success...most of the time. It took a while for me to start enjoying the record since the opener "Dream Stealer" has an aura of progressive songwriting as it quickly modulates back-and-forth between about three different ideas that do not compliment one another. "Illuminate the Path" was a little better, but Alissa White-Gluz's clean singing comes out of nowhere and the whole track loses momentum after that. "March of the Miscreants" is when the album picks up and Arch Enemy do a solid enough job of keeping that intensity up until the final moments. Songs like "Vivre Libre" are better constructed for Alissa's clean singing, while "Paper Tiger" takes liberties from classic hard rock/heavy metal. And while it might sound extremely goofy at first, after the second or third listen, I really enjoyed it as a fully developed interlude. 

While nothing on this album screams at me (besides Alissa herself I guess) that Arch Enemy are going above and beyond in the world of melodic death metal, I cannot deny that Blood Dynasty is quite a bit of fun. It still sounds like Arch Enemy, but it isn't status quo Arch Enemy in the same way that Will To Power and Deceivers were, and I greatly appreciate that.

Best Songs: March of the Miscreants, Blood Dynasty, Paper Tiger, A Million Suns

The Place After This One can be considered Underoath's very own Classic Symptoms of a Broken Spirit. It's their 10th album and the one where they take on more of an alt-/industrial metal sound. This is where the band adds in more electronic experimentation than before, taking some cues from bands such as The Prodigy and early 2010s Linkin Park, signifying a new future for the band.

Don't worry, longtime Underoath fans! You can still hear some of the melodic catchiness of They're Only Chasing Safety and Define the Great Line, along with the anthemic metalcore of their subsequent albums. All in solid bangers, though there are a couple disappointing tracks...

Kicking off the action right away is "Generation No Surrender" which attacks with lead vocalist Spencer Chamberlain's frantic screams. It's practically like their late 2000s era on steroids, especially in the riff-wrath. Everything sounds so fresh and natural, staying true to what you remember them to be. "Devil" comes up next with electro-industrial synths by longtime keyboardist Chris Dudley, almost heading into trancecore territory with his synths and the guitarwork. Drummer Aaron Gillespie sings his wonderful cleans to remind you about the band's fresh unique sound. The chaos doesn't end there, as "Loss" blends hardcore screams with melodic cleans, alongside fast drumming speed. After those 3 tracks, "Survivor's Guilt" keeps up the anthemic streak, more melodic in the chorus while going wild in the verses.

Another trance-y track "All the Love is Gone" has more experimentation on their plate. The vocals rise slowly in intensity in the first verse, letting out all this energy in the chorus. It all leads up to a fist-pumping breakdown in the bridge. The more formulaic "And Then There Was Nothing" still has something, with nothing but guitar/vocal aggression. However, I feel like it could've extended with some melodic sections to make it a more balanced killer banger. Really pulling my leg is "Teeth" which really shows something different. It grabs my attention but in a bad way. Choppy glitch-hop just isn't my thing. Fortunately, the boost of heaviness at the end saves that track from being a total sh*tter. What can really get the live crowd dancing and headbanging is "Shame", a big highlight with cinematic electronics. The riffs and vocals will make you jump along to the beat. The synths and guitars are in such a sweet blend.

The blazing "Spinning in Place" is like a better more electronic take on one of the weaker songs from Define the Great Line. The rapid pace isn't that bad, but seems kinda like rushed towards the end, another short track that should've been extended for better closure. One of the band's most industrial highlights yet, "Vultures" is a killer track that can really punch its way to Hell and back. The ethereal leads grab my attention as much as the heavy chorus, "How’s it feel now that you circle with the Vultures?!" The chorus isn't the only massive hooker here. We also have the dark heavy bridge featuring Troy Sanders of Mastodon and his gritty singing. Truly a "take no sh*t" kind of highlight. Next, "Cannibal" continues switching between heavy and melodic. The vocals in the chorus are quite huge, though the drop into a soft bridge kinda breaks the flow. Still I love that harmonic vocal power, "CANNIBAL!!!!" Final track "Outsider" marks the grand end of the journey. Aaron Gillespie sings solo in this track, and that helps it being an easy track to end with. The perfect way out, with more to expect in the future!

The Place After This One is a strong transition from the past to the future for the most part. While a few odd tracks may bring this album down to almost average status, Underoath still have their boundary-pushing passion in album #10. The keyboards really take the frontstage without losing much of the riff variation. The screams and cleans are in great balance, adding cool effects without damaging the vibe. If two or 3 songs from the middle of the album were slightly improved though, the quality would be much larger. With such powerful compositions, Underoath has never ceased to amaze the world. We don't know what will come next after this, but I can't wait....

Favorites: "Generation No Surrender", "Survivor's Guilt", "All the Love is Gone", "Shame", "Vultures", "Outsider"

Released in 1996, ‘Black Moon Pyramid’ is the fifth studio album by German hard rock guitarist/band Axel Rudi Pell. It follows on from the incredibly strong ‘Between the Walls’, which marked a creative shift in the band, as the quality of writing, production and overall performances took a huge step up.

However, in all honesty, perhaps they took a slight step back with this one. It’s a solid album, don’t get me wrong, and continues in exactly the same vein as its predecessor, but there’s just nothing overly remarkable I can think of to comment on.

‘Fool Fool’, ‘Getting’ Dangerous’, ‘Hole in the Sky’, ‘Touch the Rainbow’, ‘Aquarius Dance’ and the title track itself are all good songs, displaying furious guitar virtuosity and Jeff Scott Soto’s powerful vocals that demand attention. But that’s about all I can think of worth mentioning. ‘Black Moon Pyramid’ has been on my playlist for quite a white now, and I just couldn’t figure out what to say about it. It’s a solid, hard rock record, simple as that.

I am starting to amass a fandom for Daniel Butler. After finding Acephalix many moons ago and subsequently Vastum a couple of years later, I know have stumbled across Decrepisy (which I am unsure is even an actual term). In a year that has so far floated my death doom boat very little in the first quarter of 2025, I was instantly full of hope when I heard Daniel Butler and Kyle House from Acephalix were involved in Decrepisy. Deific Mourning I am pleased to say, certainly lives up to the expectations that I have of these artists, and the bands numbers being bolstered by current Morbid Angel live drummer (as well as Funebraum and Ascended Blood sticksman of course), Charles Koryn and Jonathan Quintana on guitars (of Ritual Necromancy and Coffin Rot fame), all works out well for their sophomore release.

Deific Mourning sounds like a beast in the throes of uncontrollable grief for it’s fallen lord. It is like an acid bath of sorrow. The density of the sound is like a mournful millstone around your neck, the cavernous vocals grunting and gurning their dismal and gloomy emotions until they surround you. All the while the guitars chug away in a punishing and laborious drudgery, as if consigned to riff away for an eternity of mourning. The leads when they come, are just as melancholic, sharpening the pain as they seep into tracks. These leads are my only element of criticism on the record though, as despite them having impact, they feel placed rather than planned sometimes. Whilst they by no means ruin any of the tracks, they do have a sense of them being an afterthought on more than one occasion.

Koryn’s drumming is well-balanced throughout the record, coming to the fore especially well on the stripped back ‘Spiritual Decay 1/4 Dead’. It sounds like a professional performance from him. Indeed, the only element that feels a bit lost in the mix is the bass. Kyle handles bass alongside his guitar duties, and so perhaps this explains why the four strings have little presence overall (not that you miss them by any means). The multi-talented Leila Abdul-Rauf (Vastum, Cardinal Wyrm), guests on the record, dropping some menacing synths and additional vocals into the fray.

Album highlight for me is the brooding album closer ‘Afterhours’. I suspect Leila is heavily involved on this one with its looming dark ambience and abyssal echoes. It plays like some agonising cabaret in places, yet as some shamanic ritual in others. It is unexpected at the end of an album that to this point has been so clearly rooted in death doom, but it works brilliantly. The distortion applied to the guitars gives a b-movie aesthetic to the proceedings as the threat builds up and up during the track. Decrepisy may have passed me by with their first record, but I am so glad I did not miss this one. Off to blast me some Acephalix and Vastum for the rest of the bank holiday.

Sounds like Windhand. There, got that out of the way early in the review and will try to spend the rest of the paragraphs not mentioning how much this sounds like Windhand (dammit, there I go again). Joking aside, there are worse bands to sound like out there. What Daevar lack in originality they make up for in consistency that eventually overbears even the most ardent of critics. Sub Rosa sets an early tone and sticks to it for the next half an hour. They advertise themselves as having elements of grunge in their sound, an influence I don’t recognise as being that obvious. I can see where it might get called out but in the main, I just hear straight up stoner doom, done well. In a year where I have so far been unimpressed by Messa’s latest offering (there’s a few listens in the tank to go yet but it by no means grabs me like Close did), it is good to find some quality female-fronted doom kicking around.

In their home country of Germany, Daevar are probably pretty much unrivalled in the doom stakes. The quality levels on Sub Rosa are high, and this sounds like a record made by a trio who are tight and used to playing alongside each other. I can’t deem how long they have been together, but they have three albums under their belts now, and this shows here. Balancing all the elements superbly here, the album feels like everyone knows their place with the riffs, bass, percussion and vocals all getting a showing in the sound. There is no sense of jostling for position on behalf of any of the component parts here, probably as a result also of the great production job that allows those hazy and more dense atmospheres to stay present alongside each other so well.

I can’t pretend it will be my AOTY, but there’s a charm to Daevar that makes them great music for summer night campfires. The intense sense of togetherness in their sound is infectious and it is impressive to get such a positive vibe from a record that assess the troubles of the life in the modern 20’s. Whilst it may lack the emotional intelligence of some other artists, it is a success in part because of its direct nature and stark refusal to break from an established sound. Yes, it does still remind me of Windhand, but that by no means is aimed as a criticism.

Pretty good.... just there though, not an album that stands out like other Mercyful Fate works such as their breakthrough album Melissa. nor as interesting as some Kind Diamond pieces, but it is a pretty good, just kind of there, I wasn't mad about listening too it just its not  one I would probably seek out again and again. If the songs from this album came up in a random playlist I would probably let them play but I wouldn't seek them out as they didn't stand out enough on their own for the most part.

Flawless Album.  Dave is an excellent writer at times and this is some of his best work all put together on one album.  Even the ' sillier' tracks such as Psychotron are a lot fun, and get stuck in your head. Whether you are playing this album start to finish or just picking individual singles you can't go wrong with the pieces from this album to listen to as you will have a lot of fun with it. Even with some of the more bleak subjects such as in countdown to extinction and sweating bullets. Put this on an enjoy the metal! this album is always worth a listen.

I found this album to be a little better than average. As someone who enjoys Manilla road, its not their finest work ( that of course goes to Crystal Logic) but it was a serviceable work.   Nothing on it particularly stood out. I put the album on an sat back and listened while playing a game and no tracks on it made me stop and go OH WHATS THIS SONG they all kind of blended together, in a nice way, but not in a way that any of them were special. Its an album to throw on and play in the background that's enjoyable but there are no particular hits in my opinion on this one and that's fine enjoy it for what it is,  a deluge of sound.

This is an album where is is difficult for me to find words that have not already been said by countless reviewers I have already seen before as this is an iconic album,  by an iconic band, this is perfect heavy metal. Only an absolute maniac would deny its awesomeness. Turn it on, turn it up loud, as albums like this don't come around very often and enjoy yourself. Aside from the Title track being many persons favorite Judas Priest song ( its definitely one of mine )  you will also  get to enjoy Hell Patrol,  A  Touch of Evil, and  Metal Meltdown, to name a few of the highlights.

Albums like this are why we love heavy metal. Every part of the music; The tones, the vocals, the lyricism, the production, are top notch here. I feel this is an album of music that can appeal to anyone, not just heavy metal fans specifically because it is that good of an album. Every song is not just good, but excellent, there is no wasted space, no "filler' tracks in my opinion.  I would proudly recommend this to anyone as an example of how good the genre can be at its best, needless to say, if you have not heard it I would put it on right now.

When an iconic singer departs from an iconic band such as Bruce Dickenson from Iron Maiden, or Robert Halford from Judas Priest, there is an expectation that the music they release as a solo artist will at least be on par with what they release with that band. This is WAAAAAY below Judas Priest standards. Therefore there is no reason to listen to this when Judas Priest albums exist. Every song on this felt like an inferior version of a Judas Priest song that already existed, either sonically, ( see the perpetual high tones of the first track making me think about how annoying they were compared to how I enjoy them in Painkiller) or lyrically, Locked and Loaded being a much worse Turbo Lover ... skip this album.

Listen to the track Mr. Scary. So that you can appreciate the choice of guitar tones and technical ability of the guitar players in this band really are. The trouble is that the singer, while good in literal sense,  lacks any distinguishing or characterizing features in his voice.  So, He's good, but he could be any singer, in any band, and the lyricism is unfortunately awful. That being said, I have heard Dokken songs that I really like and I  think there are more to be found, just...not on this album. Its fine, but nothing special.

Excellent stuff, this isn't a 5 for me, but it does have a  few great songs, such as All the Fools Sailed Away ( maybe his best )  the title track, Dream Evil, and  Sunset Superman among them. Once again my wife includes Dio among her top artists and so this album has seen very  heavy rotation in my home over the years and I can highly recommend it to others. While not every track is a star, it has enough heavy hitters on it to make it a definite listen.

I would say that my wife is a very big fan of Glen Danzig's solo albums and of all eras of the Misfits, and therefore all of  these albums have seen very heavy rotations in my home. I would say any Danzig album, and this is no exception, are going to be very solid, evil music, that rides the hard rock/heavy metal line. i would also add that despite a gruff reputation I saw him live on one of his solo tours a few years back, he gave an excellent performance, there was no drama from the night ( except the middle aged women trying to throw themselves over the barricade at him onto the stage) and it was a great time. The formula for this album ( and any other Danzig solo album if you're looking for a comparison) is equal parts Black Sabbath, AC/DC, and the Doors

Released in 2000, ‘Chocolate Starfish and the Hotdog Flavored Water’ is the third studio album by American rap rockers Limp Bizkit, who, having gained mainstream recognition with their previous outing, really stepped up the ante on this one, and produced an album that totally defined an era. Not just in music, but in pop culture.

It’s crazy to think how big this band was back in 2000, but Limp Bizkit were literally one of, if not THE, biggest band on the planet. ‘Chocolate Starfish’ produced five chart-topping singles, a memorable soundtrack to a huge, Hollywood blockbuster, the music to one of the most highly revered Wrestlemania events of all time, and had mainstream appeal thanks to cameos by hip hop superstars DMX, Xzibit and Method Man.

And in all seriousness, it holds up well to this day. I know it’s cool to hate this band, and it’s cool to hate this album… but whatever, I love it! It’s just pure energy and attitude throughout, whilst never taking itself too seriously, nor coming across as a parody. The band have a sound and style that they stick to, and don’t care what anyone thinks. Fred Durst’s lyrics are often daft, but always memorable, and Wes Borland’s unique guitar playing is taken to a whole new level here. The production is fantastic too, and this sounds as fresh and exciting as it did way back at the turn of the century.

Need proof of how awesome this is? ‘Rollin’’, ‘Take a Look Around’, ‘Boiler’, ‘My Generation’ and ‘My Way’ are all the massive anthems that everyone knows, but in their shadows are some fantastic tracks such as ‘Hotdog’, ‘The One’, ‘Getcha Groove On’ and ‘I’ll Be Ok’. This is an incredibly well put-together album. If you’re looking for something deep and introspective, this isn’t for you. Neither too serious nor too daft, this album hits all the right spots if you just want to rock without a care in the world.

Décembre Noir are a German doom metal band that have been learning a lot form the Officium Triste/My Dying Bride school of melodic death doom songwriting. And with Your Sunset | My Sunrise, Décembre Noir are doing all they can to bring the melancholy to you. I personally believe that while the production of this album is sparkling, some of the records more "extreme" elements can fell a tad overwhelming. They never get to the point of becoming overbearing or fully modulating this album into technical death metal, but the percussion is far more engaged in the song themselves than one might expect. Songs like "Your Sunset | My Sunrise" and the closer "Trivial Heart" have some enormous grooves, but Décembre Noir balance them out with some of the gothic tones that would not seem out of place on Hour of the Nightingale. The vocals are strong and have a really nice timbre; stylistically they vocals may seem to be a bit weak and lacking in presence, but the dark atmosphere helps to sell the despair that comes across through the vocal delivery. I personally would have liked there to be more tracks like "Trivial Heart", where the melody is consistent and built upon during an entire songs length. At only six songs, Your Sunset | My Sunrise tells a really good story and is a really good compliment to those artists mentioned previously.

Best Songs: Against the Daylight, Your Sunset | My Sunrise, Trivial Heart

Having heard a number of random tracks over the years, Anubis Gate are a band I’ve always held in pretty high regard. Typical of most European progressive metal bands, they’re not very well known, but despite remaining mostly off the grid, they’ve put out an impressive array of high-quality albums. Keen to delve properly into their discography, 2004’s debut, ‘Purification’, seemed like the best place to start.

Except it probably wasn’t.

Sadly, to my surprise, I’ve found this a very hard album to get into. I’ve had it in my playlist for what feels like forever, and I just can’t seem to really remember anything from it. Every time I play it I zone out. The playing is fantastic and there are a few rather tasty guitar riffs, likewise, vocalist Torben Askholm has a great voice that really suits the music and its themes. But the overall writing is just so dull, all the songs seem to mesh together and just plod along at the same pace, all sounding similar to each other and thus, making it impossible to really distinguish most of them.

If I had to pick out any highlights, ‘In the Comfort of Darkness’, ‘Hypernosis’ and ‘Downward Spiral’ are all decent enough, but even then, I don’t think I could sit and listen to them all the way through without losing interest. And it’s a shame, because I know this band are capable of much better than this. But overall, ‘Purification’ just does nothing for me, and it’s fortunate that I’m already familiar with some of the bands later material, otherwise, had this been my first exposure to them, I probably wouldn’t bother coming back.

Following on from two fairly lacklustre albums, 1994’s ‘Dreamspace’, the third studio album by Finnish power metal band Stratovarius, starts to show some early signs of the Stratovarius we’d all go on to know and love.

As before, the music is a fairly upbeat, energetic power metal, but the band are starting to incorporate some progressive elements in their song-writing, with keyboards in particular, becoming more prominent. Band leader Timo Tollki is a fantastic guitarist, and his neoclassical style of shredding is brilliant. However, while I give him credit for handling vocal duties whilst playing guitar, his singing can be a bit boring and uninspired at times.

Unlike the previous two releases, this one actually has a number of memorable songs, including ‘Abyss’, ‘Reign of Terror’, ‘Hold On to Your Dream’, ‘Chasing Shadows’, ‘Wings of Tomorrow’ and the title track itself.

Sure, some of the slower songs tend to drag, and particular mention must go to ‘Thin Ice’, which is absolutely awful, but the aforementioned tracks are all fantastic, and while ‘Dreamspace’ isn’t likely to be anyone’s favourite Stratovarius album, it’s a very confident release, and a sure-fire sign that the band are constantly improving.

I will confess to have been on the fence with The Great Old Ones for some time. I do not recall ever sitting down and giving anything of theirs to date a critical listen before spending a few hours with Kadath though, so I am unsure where this standoffishness came from. Picking up on some of the references to latter day, more progressive Enslaved did have something to do with it, I think. I am not progressive metal’s biggest fan, and so the prospect of having to follow such a trail (or trial as I often find progressive metal to be) did not bode well. However, on reflection, having listened through to the record multiple times, the progressive elements are a lot more subtle than I first feared. They represent a well balanced and unintrusive character in proceedings. Even at its most obvious the progression is not complex or jarring and so I find it more than palatable.

The fact is that I enjoy Kadath a lot more than I was expecting to. I have gotten into the habit of getting in bed at a reasonable hour and taking some bedtime listening with me. Kadath was my bedtime listen last night, and I completed a further run through this morning before work. These two more critical listens, done without the distractions of screens or work, proved to be key in my development of understanding the record better. For a start, it struck me that the three guitars are used intelligently and are not allowed to overwhelm tracks. In fact, they fill up space that would otherwise go unused, in the sense that if two of them are maintain the often-powerful rhythm of many tracks then melodies and atmospherics are done by the third guitar in the background, on the periphery of the main drivers of tracks or in the upper stratosphere of some of the more expansive moments on songs. Cleverly, they do this without creating any distractions. All three instruments fit together so well.

I hear little, if not any, synths or keys on the album either. Considering the nature of the music, this is surprising. The fact that I can be entertained by a fifteen-minute instrumental track, that I would normally hate, is testimony to how good the band are at creating atmosphere and tension using just strings and percussion. The only disappointment around the instrumental is the track prior to it. ‘The Gathering’ must hold some purpose from a narrative perspective as it does little else other than act as an intro for the instrumental. I just find this an odd arrangement choice.

Going back to that earlier Enslaved comparison. If I benchmark Heimdal against Kadath, then it is the latter that I hold in much higher regard. The comparison is most definitely relevant and justified but the French outfit here are far more entertaining and stronger sounding (which I grant is largely down to the third guitar). ‘In the Mouth of Madness’ has an almost epic heavy metal feel to the opening of the song and chaotic riffs of ‘Those from Ulthar’ are backed by wonderful percussion and those grim vocals superbly. This is top three material in the black metal release of the year so far and may supplant Grima for second spot with further listens. I should have perhaps taken more notice of TGOO before now.

I don't know what enticed Orbit Culture to begin their album with a constant pulsing of the Inception atom drop on "Black Mountain", but it sounded terrible and set a really bad first impression for their album, Descent. Unfortunately, the production blunders do not end here, as Orbit Culture are undoubtedly caught up in the metalcore/deathcore craze of blasting every instrumental part up to eleven on the soundboard, and letting all of the instrumentalists fight for their time in the spotlight. The percussion is severely overcooked; any time the double bass kick pedal takes shape, the sheer repetitiveness and rate at which they strike pushes everything else to the back. One moment that truly stuck out for me was during the second half of "From the Inside", which at first, I thought could be a pretty decent djent infused song. But then the softer bridge kicked in with this unsavory synth lead. This is followed by a return of the metal foundation, with vocals, and dueling guitar solos. It's just too much stuff going on and none of it is allowed to take center stage.

The albums length is also a big determent. Averaging five-plus minutes per song is not an inherent bad thing, but when more than half of them sound half cooked is when you know something is wrong. The album begins with "Black Mountain", which would have been okay if not for the Inception sound effects. Then both "Sorrower" and "From the Inside" are both over six minutes long, but the main idea ends after only four. That leaves Orbit Culture with another third of the song to fill in with other space. And, like in metalcore, that space is filled with an unrelated riff and an unprepared new melody. If you're band is going to do this, at least put in some effort to make the two parts work together. Otherwise, they just sound half-assed. When "Vultures of North", "Alienated" and "Descent" come on, they are stronger songs with good forms, okay melodies and a smaller collection of sounds conversing at the same time. The production is still hit-and-miss, but I'll take the positive songwriting over poor production.

But Orbit Culture keeps bringing back the patchy songwriting for the albums conclusion (and obnoxious instrumental choices) for the finale of the record and leaves this album feeling a little bit hollow. It's almost like the band wanted to try something more experimental, which I appreciate, but they didn't know how to do it well. Maybe this band should return to the basics of melodic death metal and really embolden their fundamentals before expanding further. I mean, they have already proven that they can with pieces of Descent, but now they need to bring them to the surface for a full album.

Best Songs: Vultures of North, The Aisle of Fire, Descent

Adding symphonic black metal elements to deathcore is something that has been done for over a decade, but this kind of sound has been popularized by Lorna Shore and several other bands have been following their lead. I'm sure Worm Shepherd have been following that band's footsteps since before the "To the Hellfire" boom, having formed on the day Lorna Shore's Immortal came out, and releasing their own album In The Wake Ov Sol later that year. And now comes their second album, Ritual Hymns!

Worm Shepherd has a little more maturity than other bands in the epic deathcore league. The writing is tighter and darker. The guitars and keyboard orchestrations are in an awesome balance, the latter they know how to use wisely in their brutal sound for a perfect experience of death and glory.

The opening title track is a solid grand example of that band. The atmospheric keyboards are quite effective while letting the heaviness shine. It's like a bridge between the Lorna Shore tracks "Immortal" and "Welcome Back, O' Sleeping Dreamer"! Then we have "Ov Sword and Nail", another crushing highlight. The breakdown and vocals are balanced out with occasional small experimentations like the bass intro. When each member has their own moment, it shows that the vocalist isn't always the leader, unlike other deathcore bands. "The Raven's Keep" would've been as much of a highlight as the first two tracks, but its early fadeout is kind of a small issue. Small enough to still maintain the album's perfect score. The song itself is one of the more blackened tracks here with its rapid pace.

More ideas roll in through "Chalice ov Rebirth" including another b*lls-out breakdown. As great as that is, I feel like there could've been slightly more momentum in the track. I feel like the inclusion of guest vocals by Lucca Schmerler in "Blood Kingdom" is a bit odd, though it doesn't affect much. Abuse allegations aside, his vocals rule in the band he was once in, Mental Cruelty. The symphonics shine the best in "Wilted Moon". That epic highlight is almost a redux to the Lorna Shore track "And I Return to Nothingness".

We have more monstrous vocals in "A Bird in the Dusk", from vocalist Devin Duarte and guest vocalist Scott Ian Lewis (Carnifex). Despite being hard to tell apart, it adds quite a difference to the usual delivery. "The River Ov Knives" has some cool occasional cleans. If anyone thinks clean singing only belongs in melodic metalcore/emo bands like Black Veil Brides, they're dead wrong. "Winter Sun" can almost be a deathcore tribute to the band Wintersun with its blackened symphonic power metal-ish guitarwork. It might just be the strongest epic deathcore album ending track!

Ritual Hymns is another true definition of symphonic blackened deathcore. You really gotta enjoy the tight serious writing. While Lorna Shore hasn't done anything new since their album Pain Remains released later this year, Worm Shepherd is still active, and I look forward to exploring more of this band's material and the epic deathcore realms!

Favorites: "Ritual Hymns", "Ov Sword and Nail", "Wilted Moon", "A Bird in the Dusk", "Winter Sun"

Swedes Scitalis are new to my black metal radar with this, their sophomore album surfacing in January of this year. Since then, it has enjoyed a degree of frequency on my rotation list. It is an album that is based on the witch trials of North Sweden in the late 1600’s, and so it flows heavily on the themes of suffering and persecution. What we get therefore is a bm record that retains a real rawness to proceedings (especially the vocals, which I will come to later) yet the band are also unafraid to wheel out some melodicism at the same time and use it in an atmospheric way. The album feels very powerful at all times, and it leans on more than one medium to assert its strength.

Maledictum, is well written and equally as adeptly performed. The storytelling is logical and meaningful without being overly dramatic. The musical representation of the witch trials plays as a very honest and earthy representation of what went on at the time. The playing sounds tight and direct, maintaining consistency throughout the album duration. Whilst this does cause the album to stray into dangerous levels of repetition there are a couple of elements for me that still make it standout. Number one is the vocals. An internet acquaintance of mine pointed out to me that the vocals put them off this release, which was a real shame because they found everything else here to be ‘top notch’. For me the vocals are a real draw. Reminiscent of Nas Alcameth in Akhlys, they are a raspy, throaty whisper style that is not common, not in my bm catalogue at least.

Then we have the drums. Well-paced and kept simple for the most part, they endure the darkness on the fringes of the limelight here on this album to some degree. It is hard to hear past those vocals and the driving riffs but listen closely and the solid bash of the drums is hard to ignore. The blastbeats have a refrain to them almost that is giving the other instruments the space to stamp their authority on the story. They are almost gentle at times on ‘The Suffering’, even at the height of their blasting intensity. Whoever ‘W’ is, their drumming credentials are clear for all to hear.

Scitalis write good records, based on this release at least, and I cannot understand how they have escaped my radar until now. The melodic tremolos on ‘Seven Years ov Blood’ would give Drudkh a run for their money. The charge of the rhythm section is none too shabby either. As solid as it all is though, it does have something missing. There is almost an absence of some synths to add some real weight to proceedings, like the guitars try but can only go so far. For such a serious subject matter, the need for some cold atmospherics seems obvious to these ears. That having been said, Scitalis are deadly serious about their art, that much is clear from these seven tracks. This is a record written by knowledgeable guys and one that sets a high bar for Swedish bm so far in 2025.

Void of Hope have managed to churn out one of my favourite bm releases so far in 2025. As I walk through the dirge of releases this year there is a pattern emerging of me finding releases or artists that take me by surprise to the extent that I end up with whole discographies to check out. Void of Hope are a bit easy in that regard as they only have one album to date, and a mighty fine slab of depressive black metal it is. Howling vocals, tortured shrieks, menacing atmospherics, drawn out melodies and monotony to boot, all make for a challenging yet thoroughly entertaining experience.

Whilst researching the album it alarmed me how most blog reviews are basically a copy and paste job from the bio on the group’s Bandcamp page. Come on internet critics, up your fucking game and write some words about your actual experience of the record instead of just plagiarising the cool work of someone else. I don’t really care what temperature it was outside when they recorded this, there was clearly more than enough chill in the air in the studio when this trio laid down these six tracks. The title track is a black ‘n roll blast of iciness across the listener’s bows. Those vocals howl into the very void from which the band take their name. Whoever does the vocals here (guessing one of the guys from Ondfødt as two of them are in the line up) has the requisite amount of derangement in their kit bag to give an authentic level of credibility to them. That is, they have experienced the mental anguish that forms the subject matter of most of Void of Hope’s lyrical content.

There’s variety on this record to. Without ever once giving up on the levels of misery in their music to support their lyrical themes, Void of Hope pull in an eleven-minute plus track ('The Hollow Hymn') alongside a just under two-minute piano led palate cleanser immediately after it. The longer track goes through the whole gamut of black metal, from slower sections to blasting fury, atmospherics to blastbeats, melodic passages to driving, near epic sections. As I understand it, one of the guys from Moonlight Sorcery is involved and so I guess this explains the flavour of the epic and some of the expansiveness. There’s variety in the instrumentation too. Synths and keys permeate the space just behind the strings, vocals and percussion, giving a sense of density to the sound of tracks. These are well balanced, and they feel like they are in a true supporting role, breathing in some elements of atmo-black as they create this fog in the background.

Proof of Existence is not just depressive bm for the sake of it. Like a (good) Shining record, there has clearly been some thought put into this record both in terms of the content it wants to share and how it goes about sharing it. The piano and spoken word of ‘Inner Peace’ is possibly one of the most effective pieces of depressive bm I have heard in many years, and this is what makes PoE standout, I think. The band can be genuinely creative with their mental pain and create something that whilst is innately a negative experience, still comes out positive in the sense of the way it speaks to the listener and all the great things I have referenced in this review already. More please.

Even at first glance, Gloomy Reflections seems odd for a band attached to the NWOTHM movement. One half is from longtime The Wizar'd guitarist and the other is an apparent mainstay of the Tasmania punk scene and dungeon synth artist. Why are these two people getting together to make...heavy metal/progressive rock?
As could be expected, these guys have an odd sound. While the music is clearly using modern production techniques and things you can only do with modern amps, it's still trying to involve a sense of a '70s heavy metal that could have existed, but didn't. The guitar tone is akin to a '70s borderline metal band than the more familiar sound of Black Sabbath or Judas Priest.
The keyboards/synths are more odd, and on the surface steal the show. It sounds like it's supposed to be old-fashioned even if any time spent around synths will reveal that they're pretty modern. They're just doing some sort of effect over what are probably more mundane sounds to make them fit more in the mystical old metal sound they're going for. But it's effective, it feels far more fitting as the soundtrack to a fantasy adventure than a lot of its contemporaries.
Of special note are the vocals and the lyrics. I'm really not sure what to compare him to. It's not that he's unique, just that he isn't very typically metal. A very generic rock voice trying something serious and grand. But he's not that special in of himself, what's special is the way his singing makes the lyrics feel more than the meaningless low fantasy fluff a lot of bands have. Take The Clock Tower, taken in isolation, the lyrics aren't that impressive. Taken with the vocals, they work; They aren't just meaninglessly sung, they have weight to them.
In short, this is an off-the-wall album from a pair of very clever musicians who really know how to layer instruments and vocals together to make something special. I hope to see more from them.

Fledgling to the metal scene, coming across this album wasn't anything out of the ordinary; an opinion I held till watching Welcome to your funeral a documentary on the early day's of rigor mortis, and with another re-listen to the album, I can for sure say this album is a favorite of mine.

From the sheer gritty descent of welcome to our funeral, to the brutal slap of demons waking to your new residence hell and it's inhabitants. Rigor Mortis, really opens quite strongly. Other tracks like re-animator, condemned to hell, and foaming at mouth really give the album a fun kick and bash that gets you going.

The big track for me bodily dismemberment, just has the staple thrash feel of brutal lyrics, pounding drums, fast riffs, and unsettling vocals that really gets the ya groovin.

Props to Mike Scaccia, guy has some crazy picking skill accompanied with killer riffs.

Casey Orr is a beast of a bass player.

Harden Harrison the fucking back bone.

Bruce Corbitt the spirit and soul.

R.I.P Rigor Mortis

After three releases playing psychedelic rock, and one playing classical with an orchestra, it was time for Deep Purple to truly establish their identity and give us a taste of who they are. With a major line-up change and at the insistence of guitarist Ritchie Blackmore, the band would go down the route of a heavier, more hard rock style, and it would pay off in dividends.

Released in 1970, ‘In Rock’ would go on to become one of those classic, genre-defining albums. Along with Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple were laying down the foundations of heavy metal with a bigger guitar sound and a high standard of musicianship by everyone involved.

‘In Rock’ would also see the debut of vocalist Ian Gillan, who’s banshee-like wailing set the bar for metal vocalists a decade before Bruce Dickinson and Rob Halford were screaming their hearts out. Giving the band a much broader and more versatile range to work with, the chemistry between Blackmore, Gillan and keyboard player Jon Lord (and everyone else, for that matter) really starts to shine through here. For the first time since their debut album, the band sound genuinely inspired and confident.

With that out of the way, I do think that perhaps you had to be there in 1970 to truly appreciate this album the most, because listening to it today, there are a number of songs I tend to skip. But the ones I don’t skip, such as ‘Black Night’, ‘Speed King’, ‘Child in Time’ and ‘Bloodsucker’, are without a doubt, Deep Purple classics. And packaged with its iconic and instantly recognisable artwork, this album is a pivotal moment in rock and metal history, and thus, belongs in everyone’s collection.