Reviews

Of all the different metal genres, the ‘blackgaze’ or ‘metalgaze’ niche is one that I’m perhaps most neutral to, which is why when an album comes along that makes a more lasting impression than just ‘enjoyable’,…

Of all the different metal genres, the ‘blackgaze’ or ‘metalgaze’ niche is one that I’m perhaps most neutral to; there’s usually one or two albums each year that stands out, but most of it is ‘good, not…

In assembling nominees for the Metal Storm Awards, I tend to see fluctuations in quality for different genres year on year. After several very strong years for the genre, I’ve been a bit underwhelmed by…

Once you activate KEN Mode, you will unleash noise, nausea, and misanthropy, but there is no return.

For the longest time, Hexvessel was that psychedelic folk band that metalheads liked because of the line-up connections it had to metal bands. Now, that connection runs deeper than just line-ups.

Night In Gales have been around for 27 years now, during which time they've remained in the shadows of their Swedish counterparts; could this latest release be an indication as to why?

Tonight there's going to be a jailbreak, somewhere in this town.

The 51st state.

So, it's the Sin... after Sin?…

What a difference a year can make; Bekor Qilish arrived in 2022 already in the I, Voidhanger mould on Throes Of Death From The Dreamed Nihilism, but the inklings of greater ambitions that occasionally…

Dwaal made a mark in 2020 with their impressive debut album, Gospel Of The Vile. Based on their attitude on that record, one might have thought that Dwaal could never have enough vileness, but their sophomore…

It seems that the Obsidian Tide has turned, which I'm sure you'll be pleased to know if the softer side of progressive metal suits your tastes.

It's been a while since we last heard from Tomb Mold. Seems like the passing time transformed them closer to prog death metal act.

What do you get if you mix the anger of mid-90s hardcore punk and Rage Against The Machine? The answer is Capra. This Louisiana quartet delivers one of the angriest albums of 2023, so it's time to…

Strap yourselves in for the surprise of the year! A 21-song Musical Journey across the entire metal spectrum awaits!…

“The road has taken a lot of the great ones. […] It’s an impossible way of life.” – Robbie Robertson, The Last Waltz…

Born under a bad sign.

Mercenary make a long-awaited return to the scene after a decade of absence, only to present us with their Soundtrack For The End Times.

They say you should quit while you are still at the top. For instance, quitting your job for another is usually the best way to get a raised salary. Well, if this is How It Ends, then Primordial is clearly…

Wormhole are driving innovation in perhaps one of the least innovative metal subgenres, with their self-proclaimed ‘tech slam’ style. As they continue to push the boundaries of brutal death, however, they…

Considering the amount of stoners that have ranted about the Fibonacci sequence in “Lateralus”, it’s surprising that there aren’t more stoner metal bands out there that sound like they were influenced…

Just over a year ago, I mused that “there’s enough bands doing ‘sludgy blackened hardcore’ music that one wonders if it’s time to make a definitive name for their niche”. As of yet, I’ve not heard anyone…

Not an album to listen to at the hospital.

A Poetry Of Rain marks a return after five years for one of prog’s most mellow and soul-touching acts; Subsignal have lost none of their dreamy charm in the intervening years.

In contrast to their name, this new Hungarian folkish power metal act don't seem to have a Grymheart, based on the vibrant melodies they deliver on their debut.

Over time, black metal has diversified so much from its uncompromising origins that we not only have two separate categories for ‘regular’ black and melodic black metal in the Metal Storm Awards, but also…

”I am saying this because we must be saved… the Lord is powerful, and he will smite the sinners and send them to everlasting hell… if you do not live your life for him, then to the lake of fire you shall…

The last Finsterforst album had a song as long as other bands' albums, and now they come out with a release that's slightly longer, but they still operate above calling it an album.

It’s been five years since Night Verses pulled off a hugely successful transition from having a vocalist to being an all-instrumental group; the fruits of their labours in the interim have apparently been…

Deitus may be unknown to the vast majority of black metal fans out there, but they'll surely leave an Irreversible lasting impression on anyone who hears this latest offering.

The death to Jupiterian's doom.

The cover art and the "neofolk" tag we have for In Exile here screams of some Death In June-ish neofolk. Even on sites like Rate Your Music, you won't find actual metal tags for 1476's…

As much as there’s pleasure in coming upon a great album from a previously unfamiliar band, there’s also fun in reacquainting oneself with a band that’s been off one’s radar for a long period of time,…

The place of the EP as a record format in the age of digital media seems to be becoming increasingly arbitrary; without vinyl size to consider, one might typically resort to track number or record length,…

Extreme doom metal and post-rock, while on the face of it seeming like polar opposites, aren’t actually all that incompatible; both are often geared towards atmosphere and emotion, both are often on the…

Instead of contemplating Taine's lengthy absence, let's focus on their latest effort, Chaos & Contemplation: a release not as chaotic as one might expect.

Given how international music, including metal, has become, it can be fascinating to see ‘microscenes’ of bands of a similar style emerging from the same city. I’ve covered several Mechelen-based post-metal…

Remember when dinosaurs ruled ancient Egypt? Yeah, me neither. But that's not stopping newcomers Primal Tyrant from inventing some fun, dino death metal!…

After the relatively muted response to the positively bitesize Sonder in 2018, TesseracT have pulled out all the stops this time around; new record War Of Being is accompanied by not just a video game…

Slomatics's newest release deviates from their previous reliable formula, injecting calmer ambience and more operatic vocals. Unfortunately, the songwriting is hung out to dry as the front-loaded…

Attention for this new Baroness album has unsurprisingly been directed towards the band’s departure from using colours as album titles; however, the artwork for Stone, which features every colour that’s…

Resuscitation of the Corpse.

The title of this album arguably would have better suited its predecessor; at the time, Cycle Of Suffering and the standalone singles that followed it sounded like the sign of things to come for Sylosis.

Dropping a self-titled album this late into a career is a bold move. Sort of like with Rammstein, you would expect Shining to be an encapsulation of everything Shining stands for. In other words, expectations…

Domkraft’s Seeds earned a glowing review from BitterCOld back in 2021, and for good reason; it was a strong addition to the stoner metal scene that naturally fell within the confines of the genre without…

Thorn's death doom approach is scary and vile, but, unfortunately, not very memorable.

Ringo did it better.

When revenge isn't enough.

Here is the long-awaited return of Cryptopsy, and, As Gomorrah Burns, we listen and hold the masters of brutality themselves responsible for their diabolical actions.

And so, it is told that Boston's very own Ice Giant will save Humanity from the brink of extinction through this extreme power metal saga.

Let’s crack open the bottle of gin, already. For my heart is heavy, and so is Urfaust’s last album.

If you want to reach more people with your music, do you have to compromise the quality of said music? Memorial proves that you don’t necessarily have to, but it is also not easy to have your cake and…

A melancholic, atmospheric journey told in four acts and two languages.

The "hyperthrashers" are back with another fantastic album, solidifying their spot among the best of the modern thrash metal scene.

Not so polarising.

Stoner metal, perhaps fairly, gets a worse rap than most metal genres for featuring an overabundance of formulaic and repetitive bands. However, there’s still plenty of bands representing the genre that…

If you think the band name Skull & Crossbones indicates a pirate-themed heavy metal album, you'd be wrong. There's no such theme here, but what Sungazer does provide is simple, catchy, light-hearted…

Earlier this year, many of us were dazzled by the weirdly wonderful instrumental metal debut Wet Ass Plutonium from Nuclear Power Trio. Well, if you thought that was a strange instrumental concept, then…

This is the Celestial Annihilator's path to Annihilation For Esoteric Nascency, which is a bit of a mouthful; in other words, hold on tight, as this is going to be a voyage from out of this world!

The Salt Pale Collective was formed in the north of England in 2021 by members of Cumbrian prog-metal outfit The Sun Explodes due to a passion to produce music of a more raw and primal kind. Rawness can…

I might not know what "Baxaxaxa" means, but now I know what it sounds like: an enjoyable concoction of raw, menacing black metal infused with a haunting, synth-based atmosphere.

‘Gentle brutality’ is quite a fitting description for a whole range of metal sub-genres that equally feature fervent extremity and touching beauty. The band that has made Gentle Brutality, Massen, incorporate…

They're Phil Campbell And The Bastard Sons and they play rock 'n' roll.

Now that they made sure that we remembered about good ol' son of a bitchin' blues, it's time for Weird Tales to revert back to original ugly doom.

In the sphere of modern prog metal that crosses over into math or djent territory, for lack of a more appealing moniker, it seems to increasingly be the more melodic and heartfelt bands that most capture…

Godthrymm is a fairly new band, featuring former My Dying Bride members, Hamish Glencross (guitars/vocals) and Shaun Taylor-Steels (drums). The band’s debut, Reflections, was very well received by the…

A black cloud rolls in from Chile, rewarding open-minded listeners with thrash that's not only extremely fast and fun, but also very experimental and creative.

Empire State Bastard is the new project from Biffy Clyro’s Simon Neil and Oceansize’s Mike Vennart. The duo have separately described the project as an attempt to "make the most fucking poisonous…

After reviewing Hivemind last year, I was eager to see what Ashbreather would come up with next. Now that I’ve heard Primordial Bong Soup, I have to admit, it was not what I was expecting.

Swamping us with top quality black metal albums, yet again, 2023 is another far from disappointing year. Well, saying that, let's throw another one your way: how about the famous USBM trio Uada? A…