A View From The Back Of The Room: Arcane Dimensions Tour (Matt Bladen)

Epica, Amaranthe & Charlotte Wessels, Arcane Dimensions Tour, Bristol Beacon, 21.01.26

It was many a brave music lover that made their way through horrific weather on a Tuesday night to support three bands who carry the flag for symphonic metal.

Due to accidents, torrential rain, wind and closures my colleague and I were able to get into the Bristol Beacon just in time for Charlotte Wessels (8) to begin her intimate but hard rocking set of solo anthems. Vocally she has always been very impressive, stretching right back to her days with Delain, her solo material is much more emotive and theatrical the set dressed almost like it was going to host a stage play giving everything a sense of intimacy between the audience and the band.

Charlotte is exquisitely able to easily shift from heavy rock to ballad and even some pop and jazz moments, her dynamic range using both power and fragility. Behind her she has a band, The Obsession, who are just as capable of these genre switches and in guitarist Timo Somers (formerly if Delain), she has an axe slinger who absolutely loves to solo. While the rhythm section of Joey Marin De Boer (drums) and Otto Schimmelpenninck Van Der Oije (bass) compliment that with some thick heaviness as Nina Van Beelen on keys bring not only the orchestral/classical phrasing but vocal harmonies too.

This wouldn't be the last time that we saw Charlotte she appeared on stage later but more on that as we progress with the review as an opening slot her inclusion was well received and genre wise worked perfectly. Charlotte has created her own legacy in the Dutch metal scene that the co-headliners set out the blueprint for and yet now creates her own sound away from that but still very much a part of it.

The stage now got bigger as we came into the co headline part of the tour there were risers steps and all manner of video screens lasers CO2 cannons primed and ready for Amaranthe (7) to take the stage. 

Now I have seen this band a few times many of them in Bristol and while I can see the appeal I understand quite people find them entertaining I struggle, to me a lot of their music it's very very similar. It feels very synthetic the EDM and synths far outweighing the metal side of things meaning that the guitars, bass and drums are there but never particularly potent.

I think the other issue that I have always had with Amaranthe live is that so often Elize Ryd's vocals are buried really really deep in the mix now seeing as she is the only surviving vocalist from when the project started and for a lot of people the reason why they go to see the band it always strokes me as odd that she is the one that I can hear the least. Both harsh screamer Mikael Sehlon and clean singer Nils Molin are much higher up in the mix, essentially working as the main singers of the band Nils especially doing all of the interaction with the crowd.

With an 80 minute set I did kind of get fatigue a little bit as although Amaranthe are a perfectly serviceable band, they are slick, perhaps too slick, a lot of their songs blend into one after a while for me.

Now they got a huge reception the stage show is top notch but it is very much a meat issue in terms of what they play and how they've influenced a lot of the symphonic metal scene as now using EDM and lots of synth has become the norm over the more traditional style of classical orchestration.

After Amaranthe's set the lights went down once again and with a video intro we counted down to the last band of the show the silhouette of front woman Simone Simmons draped in a veil beginning the show proper with Apparition.

A ghostly spectral start that fully dialled you in to the theatrical power of Epica (9), then the full metal assault came with Cross The Divide, where heads began to bang and pits began to form. This was very much more my thing out on for the two bands I've always loved the way that Epica blend the symphonic and classical elements with death thrash and black metal wrapping it all up in a progressive metal experimentalism.

Since 2002 the band have been driven by the crushing riffs of Mark Jansen, his grunts countering the angelic delivery of Simmons, as the orchestral moments are brought by Coen Janssen. A man who despite being a keyboard player could also be a frontman switching between his rotating keyboard stand and his curved portable keyboard/keytar, a grin permanently etched on his face. The keytar allows him to come down from his perch and join Jansen, Simmons, Isaac Delahaye (lead guitar), Rob van der Loo (bass) at the front of the stage as all of them switch between the various levels of the stage.

There's something quite powerful about what Epica do, the heavier style that they play means that even some of the more po-faced of the crowd were banging their heads as the band drew mostly from their most recent album Aspiral. With Sirens - Of Blood And Water, Charlotte Wessels joined for a duet, however just as they were ending it all of the house lights came on and a few blue lights starting flashing up in the lighting rig. The fire alarm had triggered (remember the CO2 cannons?) leading to a elongated periods of nothing the audience were told nothing where the venue other than the band occasionally checking in to see if everyone was still there.

Thankfully this was resolved after about 10 minutes and Simone and Coen return to the stage for a piano and vocal rendition of Tides Of Time, which managed to recalibrate the room as things got back on track with The Grand Saga Of Existence – A New Age Dawns, Part IX and Cry For The Moon, building the excitement once more 

Even with this break in the show which was unfortunate considering this was there first UK date on the tour Epica showed why they are considered to be one of the originators of the symphonic metal genre despite my grievances with Amaranthe the inclusion on this tour meant that both versions of the symphonic genre we're represented and having Charlotte Wessels as the opener was the icing on the cake.

Overall the Arcane Dimensions tour was a perfect way to spend a Tuesday night in Bristol with one of my best mates, even though at times it proved too hot to handle!

Reviews: Textures, Crystal Lake, Death Dealer, Coronatus (Matt Bladen)

Textures – Genotype (Kscope) [Matt Bladen]

In 2018 it looked as if one of the founding pillars of the djent scene would never again play polyrhythmic guitar riffs. The Dutch prog metal band disbanded six years ago, however in 2026 they return with their sixth album Genotype, the continuing concept they first explored on 2016’s Phenotype, however anyone who may yearn for the a total return to how things were, may get a rude awakening with this record as Textures are now doing things on their own terms, created from scratch, self-produced, it’s a record that dictates who Textures are now, not who they were in 2018. 

Yes there is plenty of quiet/loud dynamics and polyrhythmic grooves on At The Edge Of Winter, where Charlotte Wessels joins on vocals. However there’s ambient flow, melodic keys and synth elements that owes much more to classic prog rock bands on Measuring The Heavens. Also there does seem to be the inspiration of Devin Townsend and his multi-discipline songwriting on the opening overture Void, an instrumental beginning that cements Textures as a band who know how to prog. 

Probably why they have signed to one of the world’s foremost prog labels Kscope as it allows them to be more creative in their compositions, creating an album that belongs to them and them alone. Lyrically it’s personal, these are songs for the “introverts, outsiders, and those navigating internal worlds that often go unseen”, anthems to those that are the most resilient and honest.

The entire djent/prog metalcore or whatever you want to call it has evolved since Textures first arrived on the scene in the early 2000’s and they have had to evolve with it, but in the last decade I would say that things have shifted rapidly, many of the bands like Textures such as Tesseract, Periphery and Monuments are now the elder statesmen and have to adapt to remain relevant while the younger generation take what they did initially and make it something similar but different. 

Despite a lay off Textures clearly understand where they stand in the mix, Genotype manages to recapture the heaviness of their djent beginnings easily enough but with tracks such as Vanishing Twin and Closer To The Unknown they are well aware of the hybrid sound that is around now.

You could make an argument that they were one of the bands that started it off, with their forays into symphonic and power metal from the early days, but maybe that’s a discussion for another day. With a colossal mix from Forrester Savell, Genotype heralds the return of Textures as the masters of their domain. 9/10

Crystal Lake - The Weight Of Sound (Century Media Records) [Matt Bladen]

Tokyo metallic hardcore now as veterans Crystal Lake come roaring back with another set of ferocious tracks, a new vocalist and a host of high profile guests. 

Formed all the way back in 2002, Crystal Lake have become an internationally renowned live act and as they enter their 23 year they are feistier and louder than ever. Having added new vocalist John Robert Centorrino (ex- The Last Ten Seconds Of Life) recently, the core line up of guitarists Yudai "YD" Miyamoto and Hisatsugu "TJ" Taji, bassist Mitsuru and drummer Gaku Taura have embarked on a new journey with their first non-Japanese singer and they announce their arrival by kicking your head in on the chunky start-stop opener Everblack which features David Simonich from Signs Of The Swarm.

It’s business as usual from here on out with Centorrino a venom spitting addition to the band giving them a more Western vocal approach while the music is still a thrilling mixture of aggressive riffs and atmospheric synths, swapping and changing to constantly surprise you as to where they are going next but then battering you with massive breakdown after a moment of melodic clarity. They don’t slow it down for the next few either, more guests appearing as of Jesse Leach (Killswitch Engage), Taylor Barber (Left To Suffer), Myke Terry (Volumes), and Karl Schubach (Misery Signals) all pitch in to add their snarls to the most intense Crystal Lake album yet.

It’s also their most personal, written through a nostalgic lens but always looking to the future, the overarching theme is the passing of time and the impact that being a band can have, how you influence culture and reflect the changing landscape around you, while trying to still be relevant to your fans but also present for your family who often bear the brunt of success. These ideas are present on The Weight Of Sound, it’s Crystal Lake taking stock of how far they’ve come but not resting on past glories, looking toward the next 23 years with eleven new heavy metalcore bangers. 8/10

Death Dealer - Reign Of Steel (Massacre Records) [Matt Bladen]

Forged in the flame of lockdown and crafted over the next five years Reign Of Steel signals a return from the heavy metal supergroup Death Dealer. The band is the result of the combined powers of vocalist Sean Peck (Cage/Denner Shermann), guitarists Ross “The Boss” Friedman (Manowar/Dictators) and Stu Marshall (Empires Of Eden/Night Legion). They're joined by bassist Mike LePond (Symphony X) and drummer Steve Bolognese (Into Eternity/Ross The Boss) to create the sort of music you could probably guess.

There's not much room for angst or introspection, neither is there much in the way of complexity or multi-genre inclusion. Death Dealer play heavy metal, muscular, macho, chest beating heavy metal, Devil's Triangle brings the influence of both Judas Priest and Manowar (obviously). As thrashy Bloodbath (inspired by the USS Indianapolis) and Dragon Of Algorath see Sean Peck screaming for so long you do have to worry his head will explode Scanners style!

It's not all shredding riffs and lung exploding screams though as Raging Wild And Free, takes the role of the albums ballad, making me think of Saxon. However this is a brief shift, with an album cover (Dusan Markovic) depicting a mechanized future war, Reign Of Steel is all about getting the head banging and your fist in the air. The dual harmonies and light speed shredding of Friedman and Marshall backed by the thick bass of LePond and machine gun percussion of Bolognese, come back on the neo-classical Blast The Highway or the chugging Compelled.

The muscle behind these tracks coming from the production of Marshall and Peck, who give it a thick analogue sound, which picks up every instrument, the mixing and mastering of Chris Themelco fitting the modern retro style Death Dealer strive for. The production is a lot more accessible than on their previous album thankfully and it means that you could definitely call this a return to form for Death Dealer. If you like your metal heavy then you'll love Reign Of Steel, if not then I don't know... leave the hall or something. 7/10

Coronatus - Dreadful Waters (Massacre Records) [Matt Bladen]

A symphonic metal band featuring two mezzo sopranos, a rock singer and a violin, who span multiple influences and genres, with a new album that is “a dark and ambitious exploration of the mysteries, dangers, and mythic forces of the sea.” This one is going to be a ride if nothing else. Coronatus have been around for long old while and have more ex-members than Megadeth, with only band founder Mats Kurth still leading the band as both drummer and songwriter, sharing the latter role with gritty rock vocalist Brigitte "Nemesis" Kaefer and guitarist Harry Zeidler, both of whom joined the band in 2022.

Perhaps their input has made Kurth stretch a little more in his scope as Dreadful Waters takes many different routes through various musical styles, from the gothic symphonic metal of Nightwish, through heavy German rock, folk metal and Celtic balladry, Dreadful Waters is a record that takes a lot of time to digest properly. What you get out of it really depends on how much you enjoy folk driven gothic/symphonic music that features a traditional rock voice alongside two sopranos.

It can be a bit overwhelming, add to that the complex arrangements and the violin, I did find my enjoyment and my attention wandering as there was an overall similarity between the performances but also a jarring difference between the styles, it was odd and confusing for me and became a slog.

With the pace varying wildly and maybe a little bit too much experimentation, these Dreadful Waters can be a perilous if you don’t come prepared. 6/10

Reviews: Megadeth, Alkaloid, Temptress, New Mexican Doom Cult (Mark Young & Rich Piva)

Megadeth - Megadeth (BLKIIBLK) [Mark Young]

The second of the Big Four to seemingly bow out, I didn’t expect it to be him. Given that Dave Mustaine built and then sustained a career on wanting, no having to be better than the other band beginning with M, I was surprised that he would finish now. It’s likely that suffering with cancer has taken its toll on him and maybe crystallised plans for packing it in. 

Personally, my own interest in them peaked with Rust In Peace, as the following albums saw them slow down, wear plaid and then really turn into a cast of supporting musicians. 2022’s The Sick, The Dying And The Dead had some crackers, but also some duff tracks so was this going to be similar or is it a worthy last will and testament?

Well, its ok.

One thing he does well is pull those speedy tracks together and make them sound vital. Tipping Point is such a track, opening things off at full pelt. I’ve read comments such as classic Megadeth being applied here, but which version? Is there an argument that any of the personnel assembled since the end of the Menza/Friedman era have meshed together as well that grouping, I don’t think there is. 

Like the other members of the Big Four, they can’t write the same way as they used to and that is a fact. The track listing here runs like a tick list – fast one, slower one, slow again, speed back up and repeat. They aren’t bad songs, just not what I expected this band to sign off with. Let There Be Shred is another blast that is followed by Puppet Parade, which has that classic Mustaine chord set up. You will know it as soon as you hear it, but tempo wise it sounds similar to material from The System Has Failed. 

No soon as this wrapped then Another Bad Day slides in, and as earnest as it is, it represents one of those ‘bloody hell’ moments where you think someone should have pointed out that this is not what fans want. Made To Kill on the other hand is more like it, and personally I’d take this over Another Bad Day and Hey God. The Last Note is the last original composition here, and its his goodbye song. Arrangement wise, it returns to the World Needs A Hero / System sound. 

As a closing song, its fine but I expected so much more something that snarled and spat fire. You want every track to be on fire, something that harks back to that golden period where he was angry all the time but as I mentioned earlier, he is not that man. Does this do the band justice? Just about. 7/10

PS – Bonus track: Ride The Lightning. Now, you might have heard that Dave was originally in Metallica and wrote a lot of their early material. Its been barely mentioned since 1983, and so he decided it would be fun to cover this classic. Its fine, a respectful rendition but that is all it is.

Alkaloid - Bach Out Of Bounds (Season Of Mist) [Mark Young]

And now, a touch of the old culture.

At first glance, the prospect of reviewing a live album that mixes in the works of Bach as well as original compositions didn’t fill me with glee. Live albums are hit and miss affair, my thoughts on this are captured elsewhere this week with The Crawling’s live album. At the risk of repeating myself, capturing that live ‘Boom’ is like trapping lightning. 

It’s rare (Please refer to Thin Lizzy with Armed And Dangerous as one of the pinnacles), but because I’ve already said my piece so I can get straight into it. Bach Out Of Bounds was curated from three selected nights in Holland, with a line up bolstered by Cello, Violin and Accordion. Yep, you read that right, Accordion. I’ll be honest, I’m not going to try and do any form of comparison between their interpretations of the Master’s work. It would be pointless.

Allegro is first out of the gate, and somehow, they manage to make it not just listenable but actually enjoyable. You have to remember that there was a moment when classical motifs were shoehorned into metal as a way of guitarists to show off incredible technical ability. Luckily it didn’t last long but even now the thought of someone blasting out the Flight Of The Bumblebee in a guitar shop leaves me cold. But, it has to be said, listening to this as a full piece of music is certainly an eye opener. There is some incredible guitar work on this and yes, its 8 minutes long but I don’t think you will hear anything like it this year. 

Adagio is next to receive the death metal make-over, this time replete with ethereal vocals from Rianne Wilbers and Julija Hartig dominating. There is an issue here, in that live this would have been something to behold especially whilst the band do their thing in supporting. Listening to it, it falls flat for the most part. I would think that kicking off with Allegro you would need to follow it with something as equally as bombastic in order to keep energy levels up. This piece just doesn’t do that and it’s a shame because it leaves Beneath The Sea with a lot of work to do. As it goes, its not without merit. You get the feeling that seeing this live with that full band and those dual vocals would be so impressive. 

For me, It needed to hit hard which is what Cthulhu does. Its central riff moves like tendrils moving, spidery lines that invoke skittering creatures and this should have come directly after Adagio. The latter stages are home to some phenomenal lead work and suddenly we are back on track. Haunter Of The Voids ups the progressive stakes, warping and moving through different patterns until it detonates around the 5-minute mark into a crescendo of those mental guitar lines that offer two rhythm parts in counterpoint to each other. Its 10 minutes of madness that they carry off with considerable aplomb and with more incendiary lead lines. 

All this leads to the final track, which is just superlative. The Fungi From Yuggoth is simple in its opening moments. Its an almost traditional arrangement, with discordant melody lines that are burnt away with brutally efficient riffs. The strings gradually make their presence felt, not all at once but at key moments as the song moves along its journey. This is the kind of progressive death metal I could listen to all day long. The lead breaks, once again are just fire, we are talking virtuoso here but because of the building around them they do not feel out of place. They are there because they need to be there. The violin breaks act in much the same way – a command of the instrument delivering music that is hanging on by a thread. Just superb.

I didn’t expect to like this as much as I did. Yes, there are missteps on here but they recover from them and deliver one of the albums of the year, just for the sheer naked ambition it shows. 8/10

Temptress - Hear (Blues Funeral Recordings) [Rich Piva]

The first great record of 2026 is here in the form of Hear, brought to us by North Carolina via Texas power trio Temptress. These veterans of the heavy rock scene came together to create one of the surprise killer records of 2023, titled See, that both kicked so much ass and showed the potential of what these three together as a band could be as a true, living and breathing entity, and not just a side project. That potential is fully realized on the eight tracks that make up Hear, brought to us by the amazing Blues Funeral Recordings.

Heavy, doomy, psych-dripping melodic perfection is what Hear is all about. Kelsey Wilson’s guitar work is one of the many stand out aspects of Hear. She flat out rips it up and delivers riff after riff after riff. Andi Cuba’s drumming holds everything together perfectly, always able to create this hypnotic build that leads up to the heavy. Christian Wright’s bass partners perfectly with Cuba, creating the foundation for which the Temptress heaviness is built upon. This is all just on the first track after Intro, titled Narrows. Wright’s vocals paired with the female harmonies just under the surface is developed perfectly. 

There is this mesmerizing quality to Temptress. On the first record, Serpentine was that track that took over control of all of your functions. On Hear, all the songs are at that level of living in your mind, rent free. Take track two, Edge, for example. Wilson’s harmonized siren song vocals trap you with no way out, while dealing a riff right out the 90s Pacific Northwest (with a video to match, who knew they had acting chops!). These Walls is when the trio gets to rip the place up with a high tempo punk inspired song that pairs more harmonies behind Wright’s punk snarl. 

The 90s punk/alt rock of Now Or Never, with Cuba on vocals, is the best Pixies song that has come out in 25 years. Be Still will stop you in your tracks, with its airy and open take on grungy doom, with those wonderful harmonized vocals to take you into the stratosphere. The heavy does not all have to be riff-filled, with the dark and beautiful Downfall showing you exactly why. Oh, don’t worry, it eventually knocks your head off too. I love how the record opens with Intro and closes with Out Of. A perfect pair of bookends for a pretty much perfect record.

January seems to always bring me one record that lasts with me all year. One that lingers in my top three for all twelve months. Temptress has given me this in the form of Hear. A record that rarely leaves my mind when I think about what I want to listen to at any given point in time. No side project, indeed, but one of the best albums I have heard in a very long time. 10/10

New Mexican Doom Cult - Ziggurat (Majestic Mountain Records) [Rich Piva]

Are they a Cult from New Mexico or a New Cult from Mexico? Actually they are a doom band from Gävle, Sweden, and on their second full-length record, the band takes a major step forward with their brand of proto doom, leaning towards lo-fi goodness, that they have delivered on their previous material, with Ziggurat. Candlemass vibes are lurking, but these guys are the real deal who are really starting to develop their own doomy and dirty sound.

Bands like Candlemass, Pentagram, and more contemporary bands like Early Moods and Sahg are what I am hearing on the eight tracks that make up Ziggurat. The Church Of Starry Wisdom is the opener and starts the record off perfectly, with a killer riff, a nice level of doomy fuzz, and this lo-fi vibe I called out in the opening. Don’t think negatively at lo-fi, think more raw sounding than anything else. Great stuff. 

I love the guitar work on the record, with the second song, Metatron being a great example. The guitar is great and it also has this wonderful early 80s metal vibe to it as well. There is a psych thing going on with Cloudrider, which is a song that doubles down on the filthy riff aspect of this record. Return To Babylon gives me some early Trouble and I am always here for that. 

Criosphinx is raw 80s doom goodness while the closer, I Stand Alone is a very cool departure for the band and is the perfect example of why this record is a next step forward for the band. Sungod is the star of the show on Ziggurat. It starts out with some creepy noise before the very slow burn leads to this epic release. I love this track, and it fits perfectly where it is in the sequence.

This is a great second record for New Mexican Doom Cult. While the material from the first record and scattering of EPs and singles have all been really good, Ziggurat shows what this band is really capable of. An excellent collection from this Swedish power house. 8/10

A View From The Back Of The Room: Biffy Clyro (Alex Tobias)

Biffy Clyro, Soft Play & The Armed, Utillita Arena Cardiff, 18.01.26

First gig of 2026 for me and its Scottish Rock Giants Biffy Clyro with support from the punk rock duo that is Soft Play and the hardcore madness that is The Armed, lets get stuck in!

First up is Detroit's own The Armed (6), having had a good listen the week previous of this collab bands back catalogue was interested to see what sort of performance I was going to get from a band that has produced so many different styles and tones on different releases, from walking onto the stage that tone was set with crazy energy from all members. 

A wall of hardcore heaviness hits your face and doesn't let up through the bands entire set. we get lots of bouncing riffs and nasty growls from the frontman. We get a few songs from the bands latest release 2025s The Future Is Here And Everything Needs To Be Destroyed, notably the gut turning song Kingmaker which smashes you on the head with screams and a half time riff that makes you want to throw down the fists and stat stepping. 

A lot going happening on stage that your eyes are all over the place, we get saxophones and instrument changes with female vocalist also running off stage to join the crowd for them to crowd surf her back to the barrier to finish off the song with the audience. Like falling off a roller-coaster at a great height and speed but also having your headphones on listening to some awesome post hardcore madness. 

After a little break we are back for the next band, Soft Play (7). Getting to know this band recently I am already very impressed with the music and passion these two men from Kent display in the releases they have so far, so was quite eager to see how they pull it off live. Isaac Holman, drummer vocals and many other instruments, comes to the stage with guitarist and all things stringed Laurence Vincent and we get straight into the first track. I am not the best on the genre of punk but I do like plenty of bands that would be certainly considered punk so I can only judge what I see and what happens over the next 40 mins is nothing short of a really fun set. Quite heavy metal riffs burst through at times from Soft Play on a few of there songs. 

Having started back in 2012 (then as Slaves) Soft Play have a good mix of older songs and some great recent songs also, one being that stood out for me was the marching dirty punk anthem that is Act Violently, its a gritty sounding guitar and perfect drum breaks with vocals that have all the grunt of someone barking orders at you from behind a drum kit would. A very enjoyable set, both really great stage presence considering there being only two members they filled the stage and then filled the crowed by both jumping over the barriers and making a nice gap going all the way back to the sound desk, talking to the audience and asking for some pits to open up on the next song.

While jumping back on stage Isaac says how amazing it is to be playing such a big place in Cardiff because "last year we played The Globe in Cardiff to nobody" and that its so amazing how things can change so quickly, Humble and very thankful for the reception the get Soft Play bow out with a bow to everyone. Really enjoyed watching the set and while not being my regular genre of choice to listen to this was British punk I can get behind.

Biffy Clyro (8) up next with their Futique Tour, named from the bands latest release of the same name. We get a big stage covering sheet to start the set which only falls down when the first song kicks in, that song being A Little Love from the bands latest album release, a song that everyone is singing at the top of there voices including me as being a fan for a while of the Scottish rockers I was really impressed with the new songs on record and now live also. In addition to the front sheet that falls down we are then witness to the entire band covered up with what looked like tee pee white shapes over them that is lifted when the chorus kicks in and the roar from the crowed is deafening over the music, this rammed arena in Cardiff tonight is pumped and ready for Biffy Clyro to share in some good times. 

If I look at the set in whole it is a good mix up until the last few songs of new material from the latest album and some older classic songs like Who's Got A Match from 2007s album Puzzle, the last few songs being complete sing along bliss with the band saving many of their hits for the end of the set. This is a band that I would happily agree with anyone giving them the highest accolades to contributions to British Rock music and rock music in the world, from forcing you to sing along to their songs by being so dam catchy with smooth vocals from Simon Neil to forcing you to headbang with chunky riffs and backing melody's to get swept up in a dream with, what a great set from a band I have never seen before but always wanted to. 

Such at ease on stage but with all the energy and aggression that makes you feel lost in the moment of a song. We get the standard pyro and smoke bursts from stage but a little extra and thinking outside the box half way from the stage and sound desk we get white tape strips hanging from the celling with a projection of what is being filmed on stage blown up from the sound desk so it is visible on the strips which I thought was a cool element to add to an already incredible lighting show. The last few songs as I said are just pure Biffy Clyro classics with the last two in the set being Bubbles and Many Of Horror, the atmosphere by now was just electric, every single person in the arena is in full voice and it is something I feel very happy to be a part of, excellent performance and a great show that if you still can get out and see them.

Reviews: Blanket, Sky Valley Mistress, Backengrillen, HamaSaari (Matt Bladen & Spike)

Blanket - True Blue (Adventure Cat Records) [Matt Bladen]

If you didn't know this was UK rock band Blanket then I think you could be forgiven for thinking that it may be some Deftones tracks left off 2025's Private Music. There's plenty of similarities on True Blue, from luxurious, layered atmospheres, the hypnotic close-up vocal approach and the shimmering guitars that echo long after the songs finish.

However Blanket fill their music with the type of introspection and depth that only bands from the UK post rock scene can, maybe it's to do with being from the UK but I find there's always a melancholy, tinged with hope, to UK post rock that many other bands try to replicate.

On this new record, they plunge deeper into the emotive side, there stories are raw and personal as the music gets more thrilling, the quiet/loud dynamics embraced by cinematic production for a record creating a very clever trick of being both enveloped by the music and being in awe of it.

It surrounds you, as if Blanket have written this for you, to be played in a quiet room, while also keeping their signature sky scraping sound that is built on textured compositions. The band say that True Blue is a journey though catharsis, with the idea of "brighter days, a bit of nostalgia, and finding beauty in the small, quiet moments" the main creative roots.

Blanket are aiming for honesty with True Blue (hence the title) and they bring it in spades, some guest appearances from emo/shoegaze duo Wayside and Lynsey Ward of Exploring Birdsong, add to these brilliant soundscapes. You need to open your heart as well as your ears for this one, a cultivated expression of nostalgia and vulnerability, let this Blanket wrap around you with musical beauty. 9/10

Sky Valley Mistress – Luna Mausoleum (New Heavy Sounds) [Spike]

I’ve spent a fair chunk of my life wondering why we still insist on calling it "Desert Rock" when the nearest thing we’ve got to a Mojave is a particularly dry patch of the Pennines during a hosepipe ban. But then Sky Valley Mistress kicks the door in with Luna Mausoleum, and suddenly, the geography is irrelevant. This Blackburn lot have been grinding away in the northern gloom for years, stubborn as a damp patch on a cellar wall and this latest slab of noise feels like they’ve finally stopped asking for permission to be the loudest thing in the room and just started taking it.

Properly, rib-cracking heavy.

The opener, An Eagles Epitaph, is a 40 second scene setter before we began the album proper. Kayley "Hell-Cat" Davies sounds like she’s gargling honey and broken glass in equal measure. Her voice? A force of nature. It reminds me of the first time I heard Janis Joplin, if Janis had been raised on a diet of Black Sabbath and particularly cheap, lukewarm cider. Feral. That’s the word.

There’s a groove here that’s wider than the M6 on a Bank Holiday Monday.

I’ve always thought that stoner rock tends to get a bit... well, stagnant, doesn't it? Everyone wants to be Kyuss, but nobody wants to actually put the work in to find their own grit. Luna Mausoleum dodges that particular trap by leaning into a sort of cinematic, gothic grime that feels uniquely British, the kind of stuff you'd listen to while walking through a Victorian cemetery in the rain.

The Exit List and Too Many Ghosts are mid-paced monoliths that have a nod to theatre of gothic rock too. It’s got that fuzzy, thick-as-clotted-cream guitar tone and it’s wonderful for that. The rhythm section is a steamroller.

Then you get No Sleep and House Of The Moon, which I’m fairly certain are direct invitations to some kind of sonic exorcism. The way Live Past Life builds, this slow, creeping dread that eventually explodes is exactly why I still bother listening to new music at my age. It’s not just about the riffs, though the riffs in White Night are massive enough to anchor a North Sea oil rig; it’s about the intent.

Perhaps the production is a bit too "pro" in places. I sometimes miss the sound of a band falling down the stairs but you can’t argue with the clarity. You can hear every desperate string bend in Thundertaker. Every thwack of the snare. Every moment of Kayley’s absolute conviction.

Is it perfect? Nothing ever is. The closer, Blue Desert II, wraps it all up in a hazy, psychedelic shroud that feels like a proper goodbye to sanity. It’s an album for the long nights. It’s for when you want to feel the floorboards groan under the weight of a band that knows exactly how to weaponize a fuzz pedal. 8/10

Backengrillen – Backengrillen (Svart Records) [Spike]

I was just sat here thinking about how most bands spend eighteen months "finding their sound" in a studio that costs more than my first house, only to produce something that sounds like tepid tap water. Backengrillen wrote this record on a Thursday. They played it live on the Friday. They recorded it on the Saturday. That’s not a recording schedule; that’s an act of public defiance. It shows, too, it’s raw, it’s stupid in the best possible way, and it possesses that gut-instinct filth that you just can't manufacture with a ProTools plugin and a "vision board."

This is Umeå’s finest*,members of Refused, TEXT, The Thing, and The International Noise Conspiracy deciding that what the world really needs is "antifascist, antiracists free form death-jazz." Sounds like a bit of a mouthful, doesn't it? Perhaps. But when the needle drops on A Hate Inferior, you realize the "jazz" part isn't about wearing a turtleneck and nodding along to a syncopated hi-hat. It’s about the total annihilation of structure.

Mats Gustafsson’s saxophone doesn't just play melodies; it screams, it honks, and it tries to eat the rest of the band. It’s glorious.

The opener hits like a sack of spanners dropped from a great height. Lyxzén’s vocals are drenched in effects, distorted, desperate, and sounding like he’s trying to communicate through a broken intercom during a riot. Then you get Dör för långsamt (dying too slowly, for those of us whose Swedish is limited to IKEA furniture names), which is a mid-paced crawl that feels like a death/doom riff being chewed on by a ravenous cat. It’s dense. Claustrophobic. The kind of thing that makes you want to draw the curtains and hide the sharp objects.

I’ve always reckoned that the best noise rock should feel like it’s falling apart while you listen to it. Repeater II does exactly that, it’s a revolving door of abrasive textures and Sandström’s drums, which move with the frantic energy of someone who’s just realized they’ve left the iron on. It’s "in-your-face" HC jazz that owes as much to Albert Ayler as it does to Entombed.

The title track, Backengrillen, is where the "death-jazz" tag really earns its keep. Magnus Flagge’s bass is a tectonic plate shift, providing a thick, fuzzy foundation for Gustafsson to absolutely lose his mind over. It’s a fourteen-minute behemoth (I believe, my watch stopped out of sheer fright halfway through) that breaks down riffs until they lose all meaning. It’s hypnotic. Properly, unpleasantly brilliant.

Then you close with Socialism Or Barbarism. Bit of a pointed title, isn't it? But in 2026, it feels less like a political slogan and more like a weather report. The track is a final, feedback-saturated shrug of the shoulders, a chaotic, brilliant mess that refuses to resolve into anything comfortable.

Is it "ugly"? Yes. They even said record number two will be "more ugly," which is a terrifying prospect. Is it "stupid"? Only if you think gut-level honesty is a lack of intelligence. Personally? I think it’s the most vital thing I’ve heard in a while. It’s the sound of four blokes who have seen it all and decided to set fire to the rulebook one last time. It’s a masterclass in the beauty of the collision. 9/10

* I’ve spent a fair bit of time pondering the Umeå water supply. Honestly, there must be something in it, probably some radioactive runoff from a discarded punk demo because that tiny Swedish outpost keeps vomiting up the most vital, stubborn music on the planet.

HamaSaari - Pictures (Klonosphere Records) [Matt Bladen]

When I saw that Pictures, the new record from HamaSaari was FFO Earthside, Porcupine Tree and Karnivool, it had my attention. I love all three bands but PT are very special to me in lots of ways, then in the accompanying blurb goes on to cite Pink Floyd another of my favourites and I have very high hopes for this record.

With Below The Lightenings they start off with the forward marching acoustics, unravelling their progressive, atmospheric sound so it latches on to you, it reminds me of the band 3 however but with The Wild Ones, the lean towards Mr Wilson and co is very prominent here. Although that can be said about both tracks as there's a massive Porcupine Tree influence in the way the guitars sound and are arranged especially.

The is music that is crafted, not just written, pieces together with emotions and dynamics as the dreamy wanderings are pulled towards earth with metallic heaviness on Our Heads Spinning. It's prog rock but more than that, HamaSaari started life as a totally different band, in a totally different genre but they transformed into their current from a few years ago, embracing classic prog rock, but also the experimental nature of post-rock, ambient and more like the musical alchemists they have been compared to.

With Pictures that alchemy continues where their debut Ineffable left off, a vibrant collision of floaty, reverbed guitars, emotive vocal phrasing, polyrhythmic grooves (Frames) and acoustic moments of introspection that make this a thrilling listen for prog fans who are fans of any of the bands referenced here. 8/10

Reviews: The Crawling, Edenbridge, Casket, Under (Mark Young, Cherie Curtis, Spike & Rich Piva)

The Crawling - Live In Belfast MMXXIV (Grindscene Records) [Mark Young]

Live albums—especially the truly great ones—are like attempts to capture lightning in a bottle. They freeze a fleeting, unrepeatable moment: the exact convergence of band, audience, room, and emotion that exists for only a few hours and then vanishes. 

Unlike studio recordings, which are carefully constructed and endlessly adjustable, live albums rely on a fragile balance of spontaneity and precision. A bum note here, a misplaced solo there transforms the songs from a soulless play through into something else. I think its probably worse when you have seen the band in question, exposed to the power, caught up in the emotion and violence of the crowd and then are given something that is flat and emotionless. 

This brings me to The Crawling, with their live opus captured in Belfast in 2024, delivered to a febrile crowd and it’s a performance that makes good on the accompanying PR for this release. Its raw, stripped back and without any studio polish whatsoever. It represents what they sounded like, errors and all and you have to give them props for doing so. The tracks presented represent their recorded output to date and so I assume (rightly or wrongly) that they are considered by the band to be their high watermark that subsequent records must match up to.

Once the intro completes, its into March Of The Worm. A militaristic drum pattern drives this forward, into a crushing, doom metal arrangement. They just attack it with relish with an expansive guitar tone that squashes all in front of it, and that sets the scene for the rest of the evening. I can’t tell you if they tear through this in a more energetic way than in the studio, but I can say that it totally nails that unpolished live sound. 

As a three-piece, it must be difficult when live to be able to fill that space, especially in the quieter moments such as on Sparrow where the guitar drops back to allow the bass and drums to come in. They don’t shy away or look to speed up the arrangement as there is a supreme confidence in their material. Vocally, it’s an assured performance from Andy Clarke, who also handles guitar duties making sure that there is plenty of chunk to go around.

Another Vulture is dropped with some venom, the opening frenzy pulled back into more traditional doom with discord running through it. The arrangement itself cycles from the this heavy opening into a melodic pattern and back again before upping its game with an exemplary drum performance from Ant Deane, it is an absolute cracker bringing light and dark together, heavy and soft approaches. It’s a theme explored on An Immaculate Deception. Both are done very well and make for engaging music, although I’ll be honest right now that the latter could have been shorn in length. 

Their final song, Wolves and the Hideous White is presented as a tribute to their home crowd and to the underground movement. They bring that message with a deep sense of pride and the crowd are there for it. It is an outstanding way to close the show, leaving with nothing left to give.

I think that as a document, representing their journey it is a valid one. It is honest, authentic and one that they should be rightly proud of. It should make you want to seek out their studio material and give it a spin. Based on this, if you do get an opportunity to catch them live then you should. 8/10

Edenbridge – Set The Dark On Fire (Steam hammer/SPV) [Cherie Curtis]

Edenbridge’s Set The Dark On Fire does exactly that. The album blends dark, resonant and luxurious instrumentals with radiant sounding vocals which teeter on the edge of optimistic.

What stands out to me is how maximalist the texture is. This isn't a huge surprise within this genre but the layers upon layers of sound especially from the keyboards which swing from synth to organ and strangely enough, elements of pipes (if my hearing is correct) which I find unique. Complemented by a drum progression so articulate that you can barely notice through each track before it slowly rises and crashes like a tidal for a wave over each chorus. There’s a battle between vocals and instrumentals over who gets to be centre of attention.

Edenbridge’s lyrics paints a picture, Bonded By The Light and Lighthouse are a personal favourite. These tracks are symphonic and powerful with vocals that border on operatic with stunningly memorable harmonies that belong in a theatre or a church. This album incredibly substantial without being too distracting or having elements negate each other.

Whatever I expected was swept away and the amount of thought and energy that Edenbridge put into this one is apparent yet there is no strain or rush, just a natural progression like a storm or a flood. Tracks are broken up with some glorious Interludes; the album gets better the further along you get.

Set The Dark On Fire is very well done. Edenbridge has a very distinctive sound and even though the album is 13 tracks it doesn’t feel long and every track has something different to offer. It’s produced well and I'm surprised I haven't heard these guys before; they're underrated. It’s a hard one to describe as it’s so atmospheric, it’s one you must sit and listen too rather than move along with. 8/10

Casket – In The Long Run We Are All Dead (Neckbreaker Records) [Spike]

I’ve often thought that staying in a band since 1990 requires a specific kind of mental illness or at least a very high tolerance for damp vans and lukewarm lager. Germany’s Casket have been lurking in the shadows for over thirty-five years now, and their latest full-length, In The Long Run We Are All Dead, is a testament to the sheer, bloody-minded endurance of honest death metal. No trends. No hypes. Just eleven tracks of uncompromising, lead-heavy rollers that sound like they were forged in a scrap metal yard during a thunderstorm.

The opener, The Will To Comply, sets the tone immediately. It’s got that raw, "no triggers" honesty that makes most modern productions look like a bit of a plastic toy. Schorsch’s "vokills" (brilliant term, that) sound like a man who’s been gargling with industrial-grade solvent, sitting perfectly atop Susi’s thick-as-treacle bass lines. It’s visceral. It’s dirty. It’s exactly what you want when the world outside looks like a skip fire.

Does it reinvent the wheel? Don't be daft.

What it does do, however, is remind you why the wheel was a good idea in the first place. Tracks like Hammer, Knife, Spade and Skull Bunker are masterclasses in the mid-paced, atavistic chug, the kind of stuff that makes you want to smash your own furniture just to see if you can. The rhythm section, anchored by Marinko’s relentless drumming, moves with a "savagery and nonchalance" (their words, but I’m inclined to agree) that only comes from playing over two hundred shows in every DIY dive-bar in Europe.

I particularly enjoyed Mainstream Mutilation, a title that probably says everything you need to know about their worldview and the closing stomp of Graveyard Stomper. There’s a certain "Urn"-like weight here that carries through from their 2021 EP, but expanded into a much broader, more suffocating canvas. It’s the sound of a trio who have seen every trend come and go and decided to ignore every single one of them in favour of a "fundamental rot" that feels true to the bone.

Perhaps some of the younger "tech-death" crowd, you know, the ones who need a flute solo and a degree in mathematics to feel alive, might find this a bit basic? Maybe. But for those of us who appreciate the simple, skull-cracking joy of a well-placed riff and a drummer who actually sounds like they’re hitting something, this is pure gold. It’s a grey afternoon in an industrial estate, grim, persistent, and utterly essential if you’ve got a heart made of cold stone and a soul that thrives on the low-end.

Eleven tracks. No filler. Just a solid, dependable slab of German efficiency applied to the concept of total annihilation. 9/10

Under - What Happened In Roundwood (APF Records) [Rich Piva]

The Stockport, UK trio Under are loud, noisy, dissonant and, as a listener who has never heard the band before, to me sounds like if you threw the bands like The Melvins, Unsane, The Blood Brothers and Mclusky in a blender, and their new album, What Happened In Roundwood, would be what your poured into you big ass smoothie cup for immediate consumption and sudden violent reaction to what you are ingesting.

You want some off kilter sludgy noise rock? Cool, because the opener, Tantrum, got you. Track two, Ma, starts with a Twin Peaks if it was set in a dank warehouse vibe; dissonant being a key word here. It’s like a weird, crazy black swirl circling your head, until the monster attacks. The Alchemist is the most Melvins-esque track on the record, a slower tempo trek that also reminds me of early to mid 90s noise rockers Steel Pole Bath Tub. 

Isaac has (for Under) a straightforward rhythm to it and shows that the trio isn’t completely void of melody. This one (literally) screams 90s underground to me. The cleanest singing on the record comes in the form of Escape Roundwood, a long, sprawling track that is like noisy doom post hardcore, and it is wonderful. 

 Under are masters of quiet loud quiet when they want to be (see the track Rings), and when they turn on the psych-leaning guitar work it is next level stuff. I am sure bands like Converge and Dillinger Escape Plan come up in conversations about Under, but these guys are way more all over the place (compliment), and my favourite track on the record, the closer, Felling, is a great example of this.

What Happened In Roundwood is not going to be for everyone. Art rock is not always pretty, especially when it is as dark as what Under has created on these eight tracks. I would need to be in the right mood for this record, but when I am, it will fit perfectly. I am just not sure how often I want to feel the way I need to in order to really enjoy this record, but that might just be the magic of What Happened In Roundwood. 8/10

Reviews: Shadowmass, Leave The Wave, Hidden In The Basement, Sevengill (Matt Bladen)

Shadowmass - Wastelands (Floga Records)

Wastelands is the sound of Shadowmass, combining their influences into their own style, a blackened type of thrash metal that where the likes of Metal Church, Coroner, Slayer, Nevermore and modern Megadeth converge into shredding guitars, blasting double kicks, snarling/sneering vocals and ominous dread filled movements.

These Greeks have made a definite effort to form something of their own, stepping into more extreme territory as their already with the ferocious and explosive thrash attack of Visions Of Desolation and Adrammelech's Laughter, both in the Slayer vein getting the trem picking and glacial atmospheres of black metal on Apphton.

A record that is based around the concept of entropy, Shadowmass have delivered a record that destroys any structures they have had before, adding more styles to their songwriting it's brought them closer to the closer to the progressive style of Nevermore on tracks such as Fading and Thy Will Be Crushed.

With their second album, Wastelands, Shadowmass take their music to a nastier place, blackened thrash with a progressive streak. 8/10

Leave The Wave - Disturbance (Self Released)

Leave The Wave is the debut album from Cypriot grunge rockers Leave The Wave, they refer to themselves as grunge-inspired and that's definitely obvious on this album as occasionally they they veer away from the grunge sound into some Iron Maiden rhythms (All I Ever Wanted) and even a bit of mid-90's Metallica too (Insane).

This debut deals with themes such as mental health, inner chaos, and struggle, all brought to bear with gritty heavy rock, that comes from multiple 90's bands. Be it some Pearl Jam on Control Your Brain, the echoed aggression of Nirvana on In My Way, while Lost In The Fray/Figure It Out have the woozy approach of Alice In Chains.

Disturbance is produced with a grimy, of that era sound to it which makes it all the more authentic, capturing the live sound of the band on record. Leave The Wave are a band who are inspired by the decade of plaid shirts and introspective riffs and this debut does a great job of churning the nostalgia. 7/10

Hidden In The Basement - Mud Days (Self Released)

Mud Days is the fourth full length from Larisa based heavy rockers Hidden In The Basement, and while their name is one that could prove difficult to Google, their music speaks for itself with some swaggering Southern heavy metal.

With three full length records and an EP behind them, along with numerous tours around Europe the band have been locked into what they do since their formation in 2007. Hidden In The Basement there's a real link to bands like Fireball Ministry, Black Stone Cherry and The Almighty on 4 Leaf Clover.

In fact any band that come from that Southern rock class, where the riffs are heavy, the vocals are gritty but there's plenty of dual guitar melodies on tracks such as As It Burns too. Hidden In The Basement, come swaggering up the stairs into the light of the world with more heavy riffing and swagger. This veteran band know how to sling a riff and Mud Days shows that off well. 7/10

Sevengill - Penumbra (Self Released)

Named after a type of shark that spends it's life "cruising along the sea floor and making an occasional foray to the surface”, this Athens band have embraced this beasts nature on the way they write their music. Their new album Penumbra is only four tracks long but three of them are way over 10 minutes apiece as Sevengill are a band who languish in the slow burn of post-metal and sludge.

Layers of guitars build one on top of the other as the tracks progress, the thunder growing louder and louder until it's fit to burst into explosions of savage vocals and cathartic release, which is them making their way to to the surface after snaking their way across the sea floor. The theme of the record is how music is important to our emotional state and there is a rawness to Penumbra (which translates to gloom).

It's a melancholic festival of noise where they're just as likely to play some oppressive industrial synths as they are steamrolling sludge metal. The segue between Ballata and For The Sun is especially good, as one slithers into the other perfectly. Sevengill impress with Penumbra, four tracks of dense musical intensity to sink your teeth into. 8/10

Reviews: Ov Sulfur, The Eternal, Carrion Vael, In A House Of Heartbeats (Spike & Matt Bladen)

Ov Sulfur – Endless (Century Media Records) [Spike]

Is there anything actually left to say about the Antichrist? Apparently, if you’re Ricky Hoover and the Las Vegas lot in Ov Sulfur, the answer is a resounding, guttural "yes", though they've pivoted from the usual anti-church venom toward something far more existential on Endless. It’s a massive, sweltering slab of blackened deathcore that feels like being slowly crushed by a falling cathedral, painful, certainly, but you can’t help but admire the architecture while your ribs are snapping.

The record kicks off with Endless/Godless, and honestly, it’s a bit of a testosterone sandwich. You know the type. It’s got that "biblical" scale, all symphonic swells and jackhammer percussion that makes your morning brew rattle in the mug. But then we hit Seed, and you realize they aren't just here to make a racket; the guitars are sharp, clinical, almost and the synths add this layer of theatrical drama that feels like Fleshgod Apocalypse had a nasty accident with a vat of bleach.

Now, here’s where it gets dicey for the purists. Wither is almost entirely clean vocals. Shocking, I know. I had to double-check I hadn't accidentally sat on the remote and switched to a hard rock station, but it actually works, acting as a sort of palate cleanser before the real filth returns. Perhaps it’s a bit of a curveball, a bit "country rhythm" in places, if you squint but given the record deals with the suffocating nature of eternity and grief, the vulnerability feels earned rather than just a cynical grab for radio play.

The second half is a proper "who’s who" of the underground. You’ve got Josh Davies from Ingested lending his pipes to Dread, which is pure blunt-force trauma, and Johnny Ciardullo (Carcosa) upping the ante on Bleak. It’s a lot of guests, three in a row is pushing it, really and I did find myself wondering if the band’s own identity was getting a bit buried under all the help, but the sheer momentum of tracks like Vast Eternal keeps the wheels from falling off. That one, in particular, is a mid-paced monolith that sounds like staring into the void and realizing the void is looking back and it’s forgot its spectacles.

It’s not perfect, some of the breakdowns feel a bit "by the numbers," like they’re checking off a list and the production is so polished you could probably see your own face in it. But? It’s heavy. It’s honest. And it’s got enough cinematic flair to make a great listen. 8/10

The Eternal - Celestial (Reigning Phoenix Music) [Matt Bladen]

A collaboration between Australian's Mark Kelson (vocals/guitars) and Richie Poate (guitars) and Finns Niclas Etelävuori (bass) and Jan Rechberger (drums), both former and current members of Amorphis. The Eternal is an international melodic doom band that draws from Amorphis, Katatonia, Swallow The Sun and many others in that Scandinavian doom tradition.

With seven album behind them, Celestial is an EP that sees them continuing their cinematic style that debuted on Reigning Phoenix Music with previous album Skinwalker. It's an EP that is inspired by the wonders of the cosmos and how love can transcend all physical realms even death, a melancholic record that traces connection through grief and loss.

Celestial features five new tracks along with Everlasting MMXVI, a re-recording of a song featured on the album Sleep Of Reason from 2005, here it gets a new overhaul 25 years after it's initial release. From the bold unfolding of Absence Of Light and Celestial Veil through the gothic realms of It All Ends, we creep towards the end with the introspective power of Bleeding Into Light and Celestial bewitches with it's highly accomplished melodic doom. 8/10

Carrion Vael – Slay Utterly (Unique Leader Records) [Spike]

I’ve always had a bit of a soft spot for the "serial killer" niche in death metal, provided it’s handled with a bit of panache and not just the usual "I found a saw in the shed" bollocks. Carrion Vael have been kicking around for a while now, but Slay Utterly feels like the moment they finally decided to sharpen the axe properly. It is technical. It is melodic. It is, frankly, a bit of a headache if you aren't prepared for the sheer velocity of it all.

Unique Leader Records usually signs bands that can play a thousand notes a second, and this lot certainly fit the bill, but there's a theatricality here that’s genuinely unsettling.

The opener 19(Fucking)78 hits like a bucket of cold water to the face, no preamble, just straight into that high-speed, technical churn that makes you wonder if the drummer has extra limbs hidden somewhere. But then? You get Truth Or Consequences. That Spanish guitar intro! Unexpected, right? It is a brilliant bit of misdirection before the track descends into a frantic, blackened death metal sprawl that reminds me of The Black Dahlia Murder at their most caffeinated. It’s got that "grand guignol" vibe, like a horror film where the soundtrack is just as bloody as the visuals.

I suspect some of the old-school crowd will have a proper moan about the clean vocals in 1912 and Lord Of 74. I’ll be honest, I hesitated too. Is it a bit much? Perhaps. But in the context of an album exploring the fractured minds of the Hillside Stranglers and Jack The Ripper, that melodic vulnerability actually adds a layer of genuine creepiness. It’s not "radio friendly" clean; it’s "the voice in your head telling you to do bad things" clean.

30 On 9 and 40 Echoes Upon The Parlor are where the technical gymnastics really go off the rails. The riffs are jagged, stabbing things that never seem to settle and while I did find myself wishing for a bit more "groove" to hang my hat on, the sheer momentum is undeniable. It’s an exhausting listen. By the time you reach Bisection 47, you feel like you’ve done ten rounds with a particularly athletic ghost.

Is it perfect? Not quite. The production sometimes robs the "gristle" from the more brutal sections. And yes, the symphonic bits can feel a tad overproduced if you’re used to the more stripped-back stuff. But as a piece of high-speed, serial-killer-obsessed art? It’s a ripper. Proper mental. 8/10

In A House Of Heartbeats - Divination Of Dreams (Ripcord Records) [Matt Bladen]

There are probably many things you would associate with Essex, but I doubt instrumental post rock would be one of them. However formed in 2022, In A House Of Heartbeats are a band with a very big melting pot of influences but all of their music is built on a duality between dreams and nightmares, one minute carrying you into eternal worlds and then the next gripping it's hands around your throat.

They state genre influences such as post-rock, doom, goth and shoegaze and all of things are present on their second album Divination Of Dreams, crafting soundscapes that need you to listen closely, the layered, experimental music takes inspiration from "arthouse cinema and silent film to folklore, myth, and the murky corners of the subconscious", these songs use hypnotic repetition to hammer their potency home as the samples and spoken word elements bring the cinematics.

Recorded on analogue equipment alongside Misha Hering with Magnus Lindberg of Cult Of Luna mastering it, Divination Of Dreams has dynamism and drama sewn through it's eclectic musical fabric. 8/10

A View From The Back Of The Room: Cwfen (Matt Bladen)

Cwfen, Haast & Adfeilion, Fuel Rock Club, Cardiff, 17.01.26



This has been a gig I had been looking forward to for a long time and it so happened to be the first gig of 2026. Another presentation from those fine folks of FHED, who strive to showcase the bands on the fringes of the UK music scene.

Here we had a headliner who have been rapidly rising up the bill across the UK, supported by some of South Wales finest who brought the sludge and post metal, to round out the show. Let's get down to it then, as this was a very well attended show, Fuel Rock Club packed to the gunnels, I mean literally sold out, so there was clearly something special in the air.

I just want to stress that Adfeilion (7) were let down by the limits of the venue, the complexity of their sound was not meant for the sound desk of Fuel, strangled by the limiter they played a set with all the gusto and power they usually do.

Weaving a newly written spoken word tale through instrumental post metal, those near the front of the stage were able to get the full effect however anyone past the sound desk just heard a band being suffocated and the PA picking up on the wrong parts but still appreciated it all the same.

Thankfully the band have the skill and the troubadour spirit to win over a crowd even when not at full volume. Hopefully creating more fans on the Eastern side of South Wales area with a group that may not have seen them before.

Following up from here was something less complex but still just as powerful as Haast (8) again took to a South Wales stage. The veterans of the scene craft atmospheric, prog soaked, grunge, driven by thunderous bass and riffs heavy enough to level mountains, though again the sound in the venue made sure that it didn't hit as hard as it has before.

Weirdly it was their lead vocalist who benefited the most, as you could hear the clarity and power in the vocals, but the rest of the band weren't quite as potent as they should have been. The influence of Mastodon and those who bridge sludge and prog clear to anyone that may not have seen the veterans of the South Wales scene before.

With a set made up of mostly new material from their as yet to be released album, the future of Haast looks just as heavy as their past, I'll be keeping an eye on them in 2026.

Finally though it was the band who everyone was here for, carrying a Welsh name but hailing from Scotland (all Celts innit?) Cwfen (9) are a band who already have a very dedicated following, their atmospheric, LGBTQ+ positive, feminist music is drenched in folklore and witchery and has meant that their shows gather fans from multiple backgrounds, collectively joining together for these rituals on what was their debut UK headline tour. 

With their debut album Sorrows compared to the likes of Amenra, King Woman and heroes like Type O Negative, Cwfen play music that immediately grabs you but will haunt you long after. The gothic doomgaze of the band is driven by the ferocious performance of Agnes Alder upfront, beginning the show with Bodies and Wolfsbane, the first two songs on the record, the cheers went up early and loud as they set the tone with two of the singles from the record.

The rage was intense, on Wolfsbane especially, Agnes channelling the lingering spirits of witches from the past, conducting a ritual in front of the Cardiff crow. Wrapped in a microphone you can feel the crushing weight of past injustice coarse through every vein. Behind Agnes the band composed of Guy DeNuit (guitar), Mary Thomas Baker (bass) and Rös Ranquinn (drums), played the evocative gothic doomgaze that Cwfen do so well, heavy lumbering riffs melded with atmospheric melodies to create a soundscape to pagan worship that captivated the Fuel crowd. 

The soundscapes got broader when Agnes picked up a guitar for Reliks before shifting into a double newbies of Reviled and Revenge. With the two guitars the sound of Cwfen became bolder as there was a jangling, almost 12 string sounding harmony, plucked from the goth rock style, which brought and extra dimension to Cwfen's already intense and vibrant sound.

Playing the entire debut album the climax to the evening for a lot of people was the incredible Embers dedicated to "any woman that, loved another woman" and this sense of communal acceptance and catharises through emotionally charged music, really hammered home why Cwfen should be on you 'must watch' list. The personal lyrics, gothic splendour and inventive songwriting make them a special act to bare witness too.

Hwyl Fawr, Am Y Tro, Cwfen.

Reviews: Demons My Friends, Gran Moreno, Moon Wisdom, Total Annihilation (Rich Piva & Mark Young)

Demons My Friends - Demons Seem To Gather Re-Issue (Ripple Music) [Rich Piva]

Ripple Music continues to do the work for us, bringing back some out of print classics and bringing forward some independent releases to a broader audience to make sure the ears get on some of this under-listened to goodness. This week, we have the best label in heavy rock bring us the repressing of Godzillionaire’s 2020 record, Negative Balance (see my review for this one too!), alongside the first ever vinyl pressing of the killer record from Austin, Texas band Demons My Friends, Demons Seem To Gather, originally only released digitally and in a small run of CDs back in 2023. This record is filled with groove, hooks, and riffs; one listen and you will get why more people need to check this record out.

Bring The Night alone is worth the price of admission. Riff-filled, catchy, and right in that wonderful groovy stoner wheelhouse so many of us dig. Inner Slay is groove-heavy doom goodness. There is this Texas + Seattle thing going on with Demons My Friends. You get these harmonies on this track but a riff out of Vulgar Display Of Power, pairing perfectly. I love the emotional vocals on this record, with Ghosts Of You being a great example. 

My favourite riff is from Make The Pay, that also combines the heavy with these underlying pop sensibilities that are subtle but there. This one goes in a few directions, all of them very cool. Sometimes you just want a riff to smack you across the face, and this is why Fire Mountain is on the record. Sludgy doom your thing? Your Bones got you, as this one slow rolls over you from Texas all the way to the Pacific Northwest and beyond. No skips here, just killer heavy groovy grungy stoner doom.

While this record is a re-release and you may have heard it before, this will be a new experience for you record nerds. I am lucky enough to already have the vinyl version and boy did it transfer well to wax sound-wise. These songs were meant to be heard in this format. No matter how you check this one out, Demons Seem To Gather rips, and Ripple bringing forward a band like Demons My Friends is an excellent thing. 8/10

Gran Moreno - El Sol (Self Released) [Rich Piva]

The new album from Austin, Texas band Gran Moreno is labelled “psych pop” in the folder where the promos live before they are assigned to us reviewers. That is the kind of label that both perks my ears up and makes me very weary of what that could mean. Enough blabbing, let’s check out what the record, titled El Sol, is all about across the seven tracks over 32 minutes it contains.

I get the psych part, as I am reminded a bit of The Black Angels on Las Montañas. Maybe a bit heavier and in Spanish, but it is there. I really dig the guitar tone and the atmosphere this song brings. Chunky with some psych leanings, and it even rips when the pace picks up towards the end. Aztlan leans more towards the stoner rock side of the house, with a bit of an up-tempo groove and another great riff. I dig the background vocals on this one too. 

Huracán is where, I assume, the pop part comes in, and takes this record in a totally different direction. While there is a nice and heavy riff, there is this crooner aspect to this song that is interesting, and may make or break this album for the listener. I am not sure where I fall on this, but it is a jarring song to put right in the middle of this record. At times it sounds like a hair metal ballad, a blues track, an adult contemporary radio hit, and Soundgarden all at once. Whatever it is, it’s a lot. 

Temple Of Fire brings more of the stoner side of the band, this time sung in English. While it is the most straight forward track of the seven, it may also be my favourite. I say straightforward but there is this very cool little guitar interlude that makes this one special. They lose me a bit on La Mentira, which sounds too much like The Black Keys for my ears. 

OAXACA / Please Don't Cry is another one of the tracks that will put this record over the top as something that you love or it may be an instant skip. I am still not sure which, but if you like a kind of Mariachi feel to your heavy rock this one may be for you. The closer, HIKURI, feels like an attempt at stoner Jack White, and partially succeeds, but may also be two minutes two long.

There is some good stuff on El Sol, and some stuff I am not so sure about. I would not call this psych pop, but there are elements of both in there, but I hear more stoner rock that attempts to branch out, maybe overstretch, more than I do the original description. El Sol has something you may really dig, I am just not sure it is the whole record end to end, but there are some very cool pieces here. 7/10

Moon Wisdom - Let Water Flow (Hypnotic Dirge Records) [Mark Young]

Let Water Flow, is described as being a ‘lean, 29-minute ritual’ and I think that is about an accurate description as you could make. There is a perfunctory introduction track, surprisingly titled Intro, which gradually builds before breaking into As Rain, which sees a Black Metallised hybrid of Iron Maiden, at least to these ears bursting forth. I don’t mean that to be disrespectful, it is the way the guitars interact with the drums with a forward motion is straight out of their songbook. 

When it does break into traditional blackened territory, that is executed well, albeit in a familiar fashion. Ashen Winds is pure Black Metal for the ages, all trem picked riffs and snarling vocals. It’s definitely a case of a band finding their way, picking the best bits and then putting their own mark on things. There is some quality lead work on this, but also look for the flourishes that Hexis throws in whilst keeping the beat steady that shows they have quality behind them.

Frozen Soul enters the arena from an atmospheric and reduced tempo, opting to allow the guitar lines to ring out. As you might have expected It starts to pick up speed where it needs to, pulling back to usher in the second half of the song. The issue, although a small one is that you can figure out where they are going with their music on this. However, you shouldn’t let that dissuade you from the fact that it is a decent song, in fact they are all decent songs. 

Going back to their assertion that this is lean, it certainly is. Solitude picks up the responsibility of keeping you engaged by upping the pace without it turning into a lesson in superspeed. The guitar/drums link up work is spot on again, but It would be remiss of me to ignore the work by Faith on vocals, with a jagged performance that ties up nicely with the music behind it. 

Dark Shades does similar work, melodies broken by stabbing drums and pummelling rhythms. At its heart, like Solitude, is the use of melodic lines played at speed. The break piece that comes in midway is expansive, bringing in progressive elements to proceedings. Lullaby Of Woods is where they finish, bringing in string instruments to give it that atmospheric feel.

It is an impressive display from them and consulting online sources it looks like this is their debut release following a number of single releases. It is an assured release, one which should give them a strong foundation to kick on from. 7/10

Total Annihilation - Mountains Of Madness (Testimony Records) [Mark Young]

Representing their 4th full length and 20th anniversary, Mountains Of Madness sees Total Annihilation spewing out some effective Death Metal. Now, this is a band that has seen a number of line-up changes effectively leaving Daniel Altwegg as the only remaining founder member and in some respects the de facto boss. In terms of their music, I admit that they have flown under my radar and so I am going in as a fresh set of ears, unencumbered by their previous releases.

The Art Of Torture gets them off to a flyer, offering up some classic Death Metal – syncopated riffing, pinched harmonics, double bass drumming and Daniel’s vocal delivery that reminds me of Malevolvent Creation circa 91-92. It does what it needs to do in giving this album the start it needs, and by rights the title track should have followed the same direct approach. 

Mountains Of Madness has a slower vibe that sees its change gears quickly until it finds the right speed. They needed this to have a one-two opening salvo to get you firmly onboard with the tracks that follow. There is some brilliant guitar play in its closing stages, and a firm focus on bringing a crushing attack. Illusion is a blink and miss-it 9 second blast, whilst Chokehold drops in with a feet down head kicker. It has that class DM tempo to it, one where the double bass is providing that impression of speed whilst chunky riffs are fired at us. 

So far, so comforting in that its Death Metal that does what is required without requiring a lot of effort from the listener. Its material that doesn’t seek to reinvent any wheels nor tell you that this is the greatest thing ever to come out of the Swiss nation (That's Celtic Frost - Ed). Actually, I think it does say that. 

Anyway, each of the songs here present a fine selection of stylish metal; Age Of Mental Suicide just continues to push and push and push forward, making sure that it leaves a mark on you whilst Nyctophobia is a rager. This is the thing, they approach each song as though it’s the first time, flushed with enthusiasm for the genre. Amongst the constant battering there is a sense of joy, a commitment to the genre that goes a long way.

Hate Remains is the curtain raiser, and it’s a stormer. There was no way on earth that they would close the album out by going down the soft route of possibly some strings, a flute and gentle meanderings. This is a high-octane demolition job, a repeated attack that takes no prisoners and it is exactly what you want from any band that purports to be of the extreme persuasion. 

Ultimately, its good, quality Death Metal. It comes, plays and leaves without overstaying its welcome. There are moments of real quality, but what I loved was the vibe that ran through it. It felt that they were having fun therefore we could join in with it. You can argue about founding members if you want, but for me it’s a great way to celebrate 20 years. 8/10