Reviews: Future Palace, Sinner, Dry Wedding, The Salt Pale Collective (Spike & Matt Bladen)

Future Palace – Resurgence (Century Media Records) [Spike]

German alternative metal trio Future Palace have been quietly sharpening their blades over the last few years, and Resurgence feels like a band pushing their sound right to the edge. There is no denying the sheer technical ability on display here. The tight, punchy dynamic between guitarist Manuel Kohlert and drummer Johannes Berg gives the whole record a polished, modern weight, while vocalist Maria Lessing continues to prove she is one of the most versatile voices in the current post-hardcore and modern metal scene.

The album kicks off with Deep Blue, dropping you straight into a driving mix of heavy riffs, atmospheric synths, and massive vocal hooks. It sets an energetic pace before launching into the title track, Resurge, which stands out as one of the album's strongest moments. The way Lessing switches between soaring clean melodies, nu-metal-tinged verses, and brutal growls gives the song a genuine emotional punch.

As you move through the tracklist, the band isn't afraid to experiment with different textures. Supernova brings in glitched vocal samples and unexpected acoustic passages, while The Shades and Nixy lean heavily into crushing, low-tuned breakdowns and frantic drum work. Tracks like Nightfall and Symphony Of The Clouds give the album some breathing room, showcasing a darker, more cinematic side to their songwriting.

By the time the final cathartic moments of Tidal Waves and Cyclone fade out, you're left with a record that is undeniably tight and incredibly well-crafted. Lessing’s vocal performance is a standout from start to finish, shifting effortlessly between raw vulnerability and total aggression.

Yet, for all its technical polish and vocal brilliance, I walked away with the distinct feeling that Future Palace still have even more to give. They've built a rock-solid foundation and mastered the modern alt-metal formula, but there’s a sense that they are capable of pushing things into even wilder, unchartered territory on future releases. 

Resurgence is a strong, highly engaging album that delivers plenty of heavy highlights. These are very much one to watch. 8/10

Sinner - Boom Bang Goodbye (Reigning Phoenix Music) [Matt Bladen]

The end of an era, the last hurrah, better make it a big one then aye? 

Sinner is the hard rock project of songwriter/bassist/producer Mat Sinner, initially begun as a raw speed metal band in 1980's Germany, then went on a hiatus, in that time Sinner turned them into a melodic metal/heavy rock project which started to run parallel with Primal Fear who Sinner co-formed with Ralf Scheepers in 1997.

If we're being honest Primal Fear has always been the bigger band, played the arenas, headline shows, become the Judas Priest continental Europe always wanted.

With all this success Sinner continued pumping out heavy rock alongside the more metallic Primal Fear. Nineteen albums worth in fact, always driven totally by Sinner's creative vision, throbbing basslines and production skill.

As the title probably reveals, Boom Bang Goodbye will be the last rites of Sinner but Mat is determined to go out with some of his strongest work and closest friends performing them. 

Produced by Mat along with guitarist Alex Schlopp, given that final shiny mix and master by Jacob Hansen, the band remain Alex Schlopp and drummer Mortiz Müller while Jim Müller (Kissin' Dynamite) and Lisa Müller provide guitar and keys and former Sinner guitarist Mathias Dieth makes a return.

Magnus Karlsson, guitarist of Primal Fear, joins on guitar AND vocals, part of stellar line up of singers from the melodic/heavy rock scene, including Ronnie Romero (Every band ever), Michael Bormann (ex-Jaded Heart), Michael Sadler (Saga), Björn „Speed“ Strid (The Night Flight Orchestra), Erik Mårtensson (Ecliose), Renan Zonta (Electric Mob) and Sascha Krebs who has sung with Sinner on and off for over a decade.

A lot more than just an album then it's a celebration of the sound of Sinner, crafted like so many Frontiers projects, through strutting rockers like All Night Long, metallic offerings like Hellbreaker and ballads such as Leave It All Behind, Born To Run and the Celtic Turn The Page.

Boom Bang Goodbye is a record of nostalgia, and one that puts things to rest with songs like Are You Ready, Dreams Come True and the Thin Lizzy-like drive of Road To Remember.

So it's Boom Bang Goodbye to Sinner, but they leave with an album of big hitters. 8/10

Dry Wedding - The Back Of Beyond (Vesperian) [Matt Bladen]

I've always fancied myself as a latent goth and while the hairspray and eyeliner have always alluded me, my generally moody demeanor and all black outfit choice surely gets me into the room where the cool kids are right?

I've also got a love of post punk, if it's got open chord bass gallops, jangling guitar riffs and semi operatic baritone vocals I'm all in and Dry Wedding all that and more. With a revival of this style in recent years, there's certainly a love of this style of rumbling misery and Dry Wedding have been bringing the gloom on two albums before this.

The Back Of Beyond sees them getting angry, furiously attacking their guitars for plenty of angular noise (The Serpent Box), brooding doom (Moths) and extreme metal ferocity continued within this post-punk/gothic country wrapping where the inspiration of Nick Cave is overwhelming on Sure As A Gun.

One Last Strand employs the sprechgesang of Mark E Smith while on opener Arrowhead there's touches of early The Cult, all adding to the gothic post punk menagerie that is Dry Wedding on this great third record. 8/10

The Salt Pale Collective – ...And God Said Nothing (Self-Released) [Spike]

Someone wrote recently that my generation doesn't really talk about feelings, we just use music instead. If you're happy, there’s a track for that. If you're angry, there’s another. And then there’s the big stuff, the emotions you can’t quite put a name to. Listening to ...And God Said Nothing by UK post-metal outfit The Salt Pale Collective feels like discovering a brand new emotion altogether. This is the stuff of my dreams or nightmares, which ever fits.

The experience starts with Raised Aloft Upon The Horns Of The Celestial Bull, and it hook you immediately. It starts with this slow, ghostly, choir-laden harmony that lulls you into a complete sense of false security. And then the band drops the absolute weight of the universe on your head. The shift from that quiet choral atmosphere into a mountain-collapsing wall of sound is nothing short of epic.

As you move into the title track, ...and God Said Nothing, and Our Pale Madonna, the band shows off one of their greatest weapons: the clash of dual vocals. You get these abyssal, throat-shredding growls colliding with soaring clean melodies. It gives the heavy parts even more weight, balancing terrifying sludge and doom with moments of pure, tragic beauty.

Then you hit Litany for a dying sun, which might be the absolute peak of the record. They blend crushing riffs and chaotic time signatures with layered choir effects and even a manic, wailing saxophone that cuts through the noise. It sounds like an apocalyptic storm, yet every piece of the mix feels deliberate and crisp.

By the time the dark piano notes and crushing weight of Ahoy! The Black Caskets and The Stars Fade And Reel In Confusion fade out, you're left completely drained in the best possible way. This isn't just an album you listen to in the background; it’s an immersive experience that demands your full attention.

...And God Said Nothing is an absolute masterpiece of modern post-metal and doom. It’s heavy, layered, and deeply emotional without ever feeling forced. As soon as the final track finished, I knew I was heading straight back to track one to listen to the whole thing all over again. More than that, straight on to bandcamp to buy the physical record and to look for where they are playing. I want to see this live. 10/10

Reviews: Sellsword, God Unknown, Mountainscape, Cairiss (Matt Bladen)

Sellsword - ...With Might And Vengeance (Self Released)

How do you solve a problem like Stuart Perry?

The powerhouse vocalist of Yorkshire based Epic/Power metal band Sellsword, became so synonymous with the band that, when he retired from frontman duties in 2020, it did seem that they may never be able to find someone to take over as the siege captain of this trebuchet obsessed warrior clan.

However in 2022 step forward Nathan Harrison, a brave warrior ready to accept the sword from the Lady Of The Lake and lead Sellsword into future sieges and conquests. He has made an impact immediately with the live shows they have had since he joined.

Stepping into the frontman role brilliantly, bringing his own vocal style but one that still has the dramatic delivery of his predecessor, perfect when the band has always reminded me a lot of a band like Saracen who managed to transcend their NWOBHM meets AOR beginnings and become their own style of epic symphonic backed British metal.

This is what Sellsword do, with the epic, symphonic elements and keys and frantic pace of Euro power metal, the gallops and choppy riffs of NWOBHM it's heavy metal bravado that expects you to pump your fist and put on your armour ready for another crusade, with a sound that can be traced to such cult acts as Warlord, Omen, Blind Guardian and of course legends like Iron Maiden.

You could also trace Sellsword's style to Sabaton, but while the Swedes are strictly history, Sellsword merge history with myth be it mercenaries vs vampires, Boudicca/Boadicea (which features a guest voice from South Wales' own warrior Queen) or massive trebuchets, it's all got the swashbuckling approach of an Errol Flynn movie, the dramatic New Gods especially.

The rest of the band remains unchanged, Tom Keeley's bass shifting the rhythms from speedy gallops to mid pace grooves while Tom Warner's drumming always robust and rampant, the mighty engine room, storming on these tracks like Alexander The Great's Companion Cavalry.

Henry Mahy and James Stephenson share the guitar duties and fill these songs with the heaviest, darkest, thrashiest riffs the band have come up with, with the lycanthropic grunt of Warwolf and the almost black metal blasting on opener The Bringers Of War.

Fear not though as there's still plenty of melodic shredding and cinematic symphonics, Saxon Steel propelled by Euro Power metal fury, some while Reignite The Flame is chugging anthem and a song highlighting Sellswords resilience as a band.

So how do they solve a problem like losing their vocalist? With ease! As Sellsword 2.0 return with another absolute classic in the epic/power metal genre pantheon. 9/10

God Unknown - Last Glimpse Of Daylight (TM Productions)

Musical project? Supergroup? No matter what you want to call it God Unknown is a collaboration of musicians from across the doom metal spectrum, based mainly out of the UK and Sweden.

Last Glimpse Of Daylight is their debut album after a lot of studio work, produced by God Unknown and mastered by Dan Swanö, it's an funeral doom record that doesn't spare on the atmosphere, organs/keys and introspective ambience spooned over the slow downtuned riffs that have a frostbitten rawness while the sombre lyrics are delivered by embittered vocals that range from shouts to whispers for Frost On The Windowpane.

It's all the brainchild of guitarist John Courage, he has has recruited a band that all have a history with death/doom, funeral doom and any music that revels in its misery. Joining him are guitarist/bassist Adam West, Grimtone's bassist Micheal Lang, Loft drummer Tats McGee, Pantheïst founder Kostas Panagiotou on keys and vocals come from Daniel and Camilla Tjernberg of Shrouded In Darkness/Dark Legacy.

With an Intro and an Interlude keeping the musical narrative moving and creating that oh so important atmosphere, God Unknown hits all the right note for a fan of funeral doom fan, and while it may not get you to smile, you'll certainly nod slowly in approval of this quality debut record. 8/10

Mountainscape - Traversing Realms (Road To Masochist)

We like a bit of cinematic post metal here and at just three songs but well over 28 minutes of music this new EP is definitely one to pick up of you like your songwriting, long and complex and mostly instrumental.

Formed in Reading, Mountainscape is drummer James and guitarist Dan Schrivener (Traces/Aklash/Saturnian) along with bassist Ethan Bishop of Cairiss, they have released three full length records before this, always experimenting and trying to make what they write unique.

Traversing Realms they have really showcased their composing skills as the first two tracks Dune and The Elder Scrolls are tracks inspired by those two epic franchises. However this isn't just inspired by, this is almost a case of re-arranged by, the band taking themes and melodies from Hans Zimmer's Dune soundtracks and Jeremy Soule's Oblivion and Skyrim soundtracks, pulling them apart and reconstruing them in their own way but with the spirit of the original compositions.

By, in their own way, I mean turning them into huge post metal showcases where massive melodic moments are turned into ferocious blasts of extremity, the cinematic scope allowing them to move between the several genres within their songs.

On Dune the spectacle of a desert world is created with huge vistas of melody and the brilliantly evocative vocals of Amaya López-Carromero (Maud The Moth/Healthy Living), while The Elder Scrolls is a fantastical adventure with a dark underside built on morality so the clash of dark and light is obvious here.

Traversing Realms comes to a head with Closure, a paean to lost loved ones, despite the source material of the other two songs the honesty and emotionally driven content here makes it the most powerful track on the EP. The kind of cathartic experience post metal should be, the addition of a string quartet makes for added potency.

Traversing Realms sees Mountainscape paying homage to things, and people they love, beautifully and brilliantly. 9/10

Cairiss - Wilderness (Self Released)

Their first album in a decade, Wilderness ISA stunning return for Cairiss. While this beginning may give away the end a little, there's plenty to talk about so let's dive in shall we? Wilderness was recorded over several years mixed and mastered by guitarists Ethan Bishop.

He wanted to let the more natural aspects of their music speak volumes, shunning digital perfection for authenticity of a band who meld blistering black metal, acoustic beauty and haunting atmospheres into some all consuming blackgaze which has been compared to Alcest, Sylvaine and Oathbreaker.

While I'd add they also have links to Dawnwalker and even Opeth too when the South Of England based collective, fully embrace the folksy acoustics in Integrate are segued into the stunning dissonance of Dissociate, the trio of vocalists, Freya Brown, Lydia Williams and Martin Williams, in an union of black metal screams, death growls and spectral cleans, adding more dynamic layers to music that is already huge in its scope.

Martin and Ethan's guitar playing is sublime, clean melodic phases, shift into acoustic beauty, through classic metal leads and tremolo picked savagery, their diverse and cinematic songwriting allowing orchestrations to swell against the crushing heaviness and incendiary pace powered by bassist Alex Taylor and drummer Connor Frapwell.

Wilderness is a concept record but around a "gruelling traversal through a psychic interior" the band set out a story that is a search for meaning, a long struggle though harsh metal landscapes, where grief is a mask and safety only comes when confronted, ultimately how trauma can soften through the experience of music, catharsis found at every moment of this record, even when they're at their most intense.

A decade in the making, Wilderness is a wonderful record from these blackgaze veterans, well worth the wait, Cairiss' debut album is something emotional, poignant and extremely powerful. 9/10

Bloodstock Preview 2026

Bloodstock Festival 2026 Preview



We here at Musipedia Of Metal have been covering Bloodstock Festival for around 15 years now (probably with one or two gaps) and as we’re also one of the sponsors of M2TM South Wales it seems apt that we’ll be covering the 25th Anniversary of Bloodstock Festival once again from Catton Hall.

So we thought we’d map out a few things you may want to check out when you’re on site as this year has one of the most eclectic line ups for a long while including some metal legends (and original headliners from when it first started), some modern metal heaviness and a few high profile returns and of course glut of bands making their debut at the festival.

Four days, across four stages, let’s get to it then!

Thursday

Usually Thursday is party day the Sophie Lancaster stage opens for around five bands to get the festivities up and running, however as this year is special the Ronnie James Dio stage will also be open and will welcome The Mighty Saxon as headliners of Thursday night, as the headliners of the inaugural Bloodstock (when it was still indoors), expect the Wheels Of Steel to be in full motion for the first day of metal.

Before that though Evil Scarecrow will be once again getting an entire field of people to make perfect robot squares and scuttle as they return with their unique brand of horror adjacent silliness, expect a workout and plenty of laughs.

Over on the Sophie stage there’s some excellent music to be involved in, opened by former Birmingham M2TM winners Mantis Defeats Jaguar, the Black Country collective will make sure to get the crowd going early with their crossover/hip-hop/metal hybrid. 

While from their it’s pure rock n roll from Black Spiders who will bring the spirit of Lemmy (and accusations against Kiss) to the Sophie for the rockers in the audience preparing for Saxon. 

If of course you want something different to the RJD headliner, the Thursday Sophie is headlined by the tech death devastation of Crytopsy making for a brutal end to the first day of the mammoth Bloodstock.

Friday

On Friday it’s the first ‘full day’ and the RJD stage will be taken to the motorbike cyber fantasy of Battlesnake who’ll roar on to the mainstage with some mad as hell stage outfits and fist full of speed/power/trad/something metal

From there it's something with a bit more legacy behind it as Life Of Agony will be bringing the grunge/alt rock to the RJD, prefect for all the 90's babys to throw themselves about to.

Speaking of throwing yourself about, expect nothing but constant pits and stage dives when NYHC legends Biohazard and crossover nutters Municipal Waste hit the RJD with plenty of razor sharp riffs and chugging grooves, our advice is avoid the dudes in the camo but get down the front and get involved.

Carrying on with the thrash assault will be Brazil's most famous metal band Sepultura who will be saying goodbye to the UK stages at Bloodstock, so you will want to be part of their final assault as they will be showing exactly why they will be missed by metal fans around the world.

Then it's time for the main event as Richmond, Virginia's heaviest sons Lamb Of God again take the headline spot at Bloodstock, with ten studio albums and countless shows under their belts, it's fair to say they've got enough bangers to get all of Bloodstock going wild.

With the indomitable Randy Blythe as the ringleader, get ready to Walk With Them In Hell all the way through Catton Hall's hallowed ground.

That's just the mainstage though as over on The Sophie Stage there's absolutely loads to get your heads banging, with the noise coming early from the Countess Bathory inspired Blood Countess who will bring the tremolos and blast beats early.

Gurt however are more Transylvanian Chunder as their party sludge, will insist that you have an adult beverage in hand as they will pour crushing heaviness on you, any hangovers you have will be destroyed by Hammer as the Scottish extreme metal crew show no mercy no matter how bleary eyes you are, this is the start of your headache.

In our opinion there's no better way to shake off extremely heavy metal than with a good old shout along to songs about trebuchets. Happily this is pretty much what Sellsword do and the Saxon (the people not the band) metal crew return to Bloodstock armed with hymns from their upcoming thirds album as well as their sword waiving classics.

The Sophie Stage closes on Friday with Shining, the Norwegian one, not the Swedish one, which you know immediately when you approach the tent and hear those saxophones. There's is a weird and wonderful world as Jørgen Munkeby's creative vision will draw you in with impressive experimental metal.

Elsewhere on the New Blood Stage get over for some prog/alt rock from Temples On Mars and thrashing from Bristol M2TM winners MartyrsSaint while over on the EMP stage you need to catch Vanitas, it's prog/power/death categorised by powerful vocals and technical accumen.

Saturday

Whew Saturday offers perhaps the least for us a collective howerer, there one band we will NOT be missing no matter what.

So the RJD stage offers slimmer pickings but an opening slot from Inhuman Nature will do just fine to get the blood pumping after two days of "excitement".

Crossover thrash that will bring the pits early as the epic heaviness will increase for the mighty Urne, who are steadily climbing up the Bloodstock bill on the back of their incredible second album, it'll be progressive and dynamic so you won't want to miss these future headliners.

Speaking of headliners Vended have a lot of familial headliner pedigree behind them but they are very much their own band, although with their outright intensity they do have a lot in common with the 36 limbed extreme machine from Iowa so let's hope you'll be Surfacing for this group of talented youngsters.

Then for us what is the main event on the RJD stage as it's the return of Nevermore for their first UK show since the untimely death of the much missed Warrell Dane. Jeff Loomis was wasted in Arch Enemy let's not beat around the bush, he was just too good to play melodeath.

Thankfully he felt the same and along with longtime drummer Van Williams has reactivated the American prog metal masters. With a new bassist and co- guitarist it's vocalist Berzan Önen who has stolen the headlines with his uncanny similarity to Dane.

There will be tears, none morseo than from a certain Mr Hall as Nevermore will be majestic.

On the Sophie Stage its more riffs as those amphibian doomers Froglord take to the BOA stage once again, with low end fuzz and swamp dwelling riffs to get a heavy start to the tent

The pace will pick up considerably though from there with the crushing blackened death metal of the cinematic Outergods followed by the modern thrash aggression of Imperium which brings us neatly into thrash veterans Death Angel another long time visitor of BOA and another band who will get the pits moving.

If this trio are the pace then the headliner are the heart, the incredible live show that is Leprous pulls into the Sophie for soemthing a bit different to the breakdown driven main bands on the RJD stage, wrapped in brilliant visuals, melodic and anthemic songs and Einar Solberg's crystalline vocals, this will be much needed emotional catharsis after a heavy as hell day.

Over to the other stages and you CANNOT miss for the New Blood Stage are M2TM South Wales winners INSCAPE who will storm the stage with their electronic driven modern metal sound, clashing and contrasting but delivered with intensity, they wowed everyone this year so get down early if the likes of Don Broco and Enter Shikari are your thing.

Continuing the Welsh theme on the EMP stage make sure to catch up with stoner doom trio Goat Major who'll be slinging riffs all the way from Wild West Wales, then Caerphilly rockers Cancel The Transmission will be getting you bouncing in between the mainstage acts, while the always incredible Dosed will be injecting some hardcore into your veins right in time for that Bleed From Within/Slaughter To Prevail closing duo.

Sunday

Breathless, tired, hungover, it's into the last day and there's some serious treats for you here, again starting with the RJD mainstage and fantasy metal crew Castle Rat, a band who have been on a huge upward trajectory will be kicking off Sunday with some sword waiving battle metal.

From there it's time for some nu metal originators now as the much lauded return of Kittie hits the Bloodstock stage, since reforming in 2024 and releasing their first new music in 13 years Morgan Lander and co look to fill the RJD stage with massive grooves.

Speaking of grooves, Orbit Culture, and their Swedish mechanised metal will be looking to steamroll you with riffs straight from the Gothenburg scene and beyond, perfect soundtrack of anyone who still has the energy to pit.

As the day progresses things get a bit more old school with thrashers Testament, ready to see you go Over The Wall as they roll into Bloodstock with over 40 years of thrashing behind them expect wall to wall thrash classics.

Body Count, will be turning BOA into warzone with their aggressive, politically charged, crossover metal. One of the first bands to meld metal and rap, you can expect confrontational classics like There Goes The Neighborhood, Cop Killer and maybe even their cover of Comfortably Numb.

To close out the Ronnie James Dio stage on the last day of the UKs premier metal festival, you need something a bit special and Bloodstock deliver with the Metal Gods themselves Judas Priest.

Packing 50 years of British Steel into two hours means that you may not get every single brilliant track you want but we can guarantee you, their set will feature some of the best heavy metal anthems ever and also some deep cuts from their huge back catalogue.

A celebration of heavy metal music to close out the weekend.

However there still loads going on the other stages to as the with New Blood Stage hosting some crossover violence from Bristol ragers Overpower.

The Sophie Lancaster stage plays host to some massive doom riffs courtesy of Acid Throne and Alunah, fuzz and distortion are the order of the day here getting your morning/early afternoon tinnitus juuuust right after three days of heavy music.

Trivax then increase the stakes with blistering exile black metal, this Iranian, by way of the UK band combine black metal assault with themes of Middle Eastern heritage and a continuing fight against the oppression of the Iranian state. It will be brutal and uncompromising.

Speaking of brutal masked madness from Mushroomhead as the revamped line up, now featuring three vocalists, will be spitting venom from their latest record Call Of The Devil along with some other prim cuts of industrial/alt metal from their chart topping career.

Going down the weirder path Noisepicker take to the Sophie Stage with some D.I.Y doom blues punk, Harry Armstrong (ex-Orange Goblin) and Kieran Murphy have been delivering the experimental sound of Noisepicker since just before Lockdown and from there it's only gotten weirder. Get down to get your noise picked.

Back to a band who are a bit more conventional but always deliver, as Welsh alternative rockers Dream State will make sure to display just why there deserve such a high billing on the Sophie Stage, headliners in their own right, this will be a set field with modern anthems.

Closing out the Sophie Stage will be the apocalyptic race that is Carpenter Brut. Thumping satanic synthwave with the best visuals you'll get all weekend, Brut is part of the new wave of metal where the riffs and attitude of our denim and leather tribe combine with the processed beats and wonos of electronic dance music.

If you've still got the energy, then be sure to throw some illicit shapes as the French producer/alchemist welcomed you to his Leather Temple.

A full four days of this music we love so much, if you don't like our suggestions then that's fine seek out the bands that appeal to you, read through the bios on the Bloodstock page, use this week to do some pre-listening, but most of all enjoy the best celebration of heavy metal in the country!

Reviews: Stay Dead, Minipony, Hopsydian, Svindel (Rich Piva & Spike)

Stay Dead! - Beneath The Weight Of Worlds (Ripple Music) [Rich Piva]

Ryan Garney (High Desert Queen and so much more stuff), one of the busiest and most important humans in the heavy underground scene, lends his amazing vocals to a new project that is special in a way that I have not covered on a release before. 

The band is called Stay Dead, and project founder and bass player Christopher Borrelli battles his demons, with the weapons being the songs on this record, on Beneath The Weight Of Worlds, brought to us by the amazing Ripple Music. 

The album is a lesson in persistence, and how art as an outlet can help you beat the things that try to bring you down, like the PTSD and other effects of his time in the US Army. Oh, and also, the record rips, with a series of unbelievable guests on the sludgy, doomy bangers that make up Beneath The Weight Of Worlds.

The opener, Empty Pages has Garney going places with his voice he has not visited before with amazing results, to go along with the work of Borrelli, Garney’s HDQ bandmate, Rusty Miller, on guitar, and Kenny Shillingburg with quite the effort behind the kit. 

The spoken word bits across the record add a different and more pointed experience, like the way it leads to the title track, which is all sorts of heavy and dark. 

Did I mention guests? Well Troy Sanders from Mastodon appears on the sludgy yet atmospheric White Noise, which reminds me of Soundgarden done by Mastodon, and the one and only Matt Pike lends but has axe work and vocals to the totally made for Matt Pike track Electric Mistress. 

The least famous but probably my favourite guest star appearance is from the Rhode Island band Coma Hole, as Eryka Fir joins Blake from Aiwass on Chrysalis, an epic track that is more of a composition than just a song, this one will blow you away as the music and Fir’s voice joined with Garney is something to behold. 

Coving Fever Dog, a song from a fake band from a famous movie, seems like an odd choice, and it kind of is, until you hear their version, which reminds me of a slower tempo Soundgarden song more than the tune from Almost Famous.

Stay Dead is thankfully not a one off, as we need more of the collaborations we hear on this record. From what I have gathered it has really been helpful in Chris’ healing, which is a testament to what music can do. 

From a pure music perspective, this record rips. It is heavy, sludgy, a bit atmospheric, has Matt Pike, exposes more people to Eryka Fir and Coma Hole, has amazing vocal and musical performances, and so much more. 

Check this one out, and, since Ryan promised it, go see them when they make the dream of playing on the same together a reality. 9/10

Minipony– Detach (Subsound Records) [Spike]

Metal as a genre has so many sub-sections and weird variants that discovering something completely unhinged is a genuine joy. Some people want comfortable, familiar riffs, while others want unpredictable noise and total technical chaos. 

I am firmly in the second camp. Detach by Ecuadorian trio Minipony is definitely not music for the masses, and honestly, that’s exactly why I love it. Also Minipony as a metal band name is genius.

I’ll admit I missed their previous two releases, so thanks to Musipedia Of Metal for dropping this on my desk. I’ve found a new band, a brand new sound, and something I’m going to be blasting for a long time to come.

The album kicks off with the instrumental track OM, and it made me smile right out of the gate. It sounds like an angry bee buzzing around with a chainsaw. It sets a frantic, chaotic tone before launching straight into the crushing weight of Detachment. 

This is where the utter lack of conformity lands, the vocals are epic, swirling, harsh and putting my in the mind of Brody Dalle from The Distillers which the riffs are chaotic and powerful.

Musically, this EP is a wild mix of djent, mathcore, and electronic layers, with some subtle Latin-influenced percussive grooves thrown in for good measure. 

Emilia Moncayo’s vocals shift effortlessly from visceral, throat-shredding growls to strange atmospheric synths, while Amadeus Galiano’s low-tuned guitars and Carlos Sanchez’s drums deliver absolute rhythmic madness.

The mix, which is handled by Jamie Uertz, who worked on Gojira’s Magma, gives the whole thing a punchy, physical hit without losing any of the raw edge and feedback. 

Tracks like Hope and Pachanga pull you in completely unexpected directions, while Inner Dance brings the whole chaotic experiment home with relentless energy.

Chaos, feedback, angry bees, and chainsaws, what’s not to love? Detach is a thrilling, uncompromising piece of work that rewards you for stepping off the beaten path. It’s an easy 9 out of 10 for me. 9/10

Hopsydian– A Graceful Sin (Arising Empire) [Spike]

I'm completely new to Milan's Hopsydian, but as far as introductions go, their debut EP A Graceful Sin makes a very strong first impression. 

Formed only back in 2024, this Italian crew has managed to assemble a 5-track release that lands right in the sweet spot of modern, cinematic metalcore. 

It’s definitely a release that sits comfortably "of the genre", you can hear the lineage of influences all over this. The initial though in my head went to the vocals for 30 Seconds To Mars but building on rock-solid foundations is always the best way for a new band to open their account.

The EP kicks off with the heavy, atmospheric push of Elysium. Right away, you get a feel for what Hopsydian are about: crisp, modern production, huge soaring choruses, and sharp guitar work from Loris Ronchi and Nikolay Deliyski. 

Vocalist Myles Idolo carries a lot of the weight here, effortlessly shifting between clean, chant-ready hooks and throat-shredding growls over a tight, punchy rhythm section.

The real centrepiece of the record is Heavenly. It's a towering, ritualistic anthem built around massive build-ups and eruptive breakdowns. It takes that classic modern metalcore formula, combining dark, sacral atmospheres with heavy post-hardcore urgency and delivers it with absolute confidence. 

It’s easy to see why this track has been turning heads and why they've already managed to land spots at festivals like Slam Dunk Italy alongside LANDMVRKS and Caskets.

Tracks like Blind Faith and Seraphim keep the momentum going, balancing aggressive riffs with polished, accessible melodies. There's an undeniable theatrical polish to the whole thing (which is probably why I got the 30 Seconds To Mars reference), but it never feels like it's sacrificing its heavy edge for the sake of radio appeal. 

By the time the final notes fade out, you're left with the distinct feeling that this is a band that knows exactly who they are and where they want to go.

For a debut release, A Graceful Sin doesn't try to completely reinvent the wheel, and it doesn't need to. It's a tight, confident, and well-crafted package that showcases a young band playing to their strengths. 

If you're a fan of modern, atmospheric metalcore with big hooks and heavy riffs, Hopsydian are definitely a name to keep on your radar. 7/10

Svindel - Drömfeber (Chien Noir) [Rich Piva]

Svindel is the latest out-of-nowhere killer band that Chien Noir brings to us, and I don’t need to speak Swedish to understand what these proto-psych and classic rock newcomers, as their bio on Bancamp states, are all about. I just need to know that the songs on Svindel’s debut sounds like they are from somewhere between 1968 and 1973 and it is wonderful.

The guitar tone on Pionjärer. The organ on Jupiterbarn. The riff on Katten. The CCR vibes on Drömfeber. The 60s psych pop trippiness of Atlanten. The funkiness of Tunga ögon. The hypnotism of Chimär. The Dylan/60’s pop weirdness of Ta mig tillbaka till världen nu. The Three Dog Night-like Göken. I don’t even know how to explain En blå charad and it doesn’t matter.

This is the language I speak now. I don’t need to know what the words are actually saying, which is not the norm for me, as I tend to not connect with albums not sung in my native tongue, but Svindel got me with their retro sounds on Drömfeber, and they are going to get you too. 8/10

Reviews: Loathe, Protest The Hero, Mourir, Rising Alma (Alex Swift, Spike, Mark Young & Matt Bladen)

Loathe – A Stranger To You (Sharptone Records) [Alex Swift]

Stark, glacial guitar textures open Block Of Flats. Its one of many moments on A Stranger To You that feels esoteric, yet speaks to the experience of loneliness, of feeling like a stranger to all those around you. This project frightfully captures the dread that eats away at our lives, when you’re afraid to pass one of your neighbours on the dark stairs that lead to the place where you reside. 

“Caught in this familiar state of one-way empathy. As you take it day by day, the subtlety. What could be slowly starts to deafen me” Oli Appleyard sings on the chorus, his melancholic drone evoking experiences of disassociation, and overwhelm.

These songs confound with the absence of conventional structure. Harder To Pretend constantly alters and shifts, the melodies proving amorphous and erratic like gusts of smoke caught in a storm. It’s a song about wearing a wry, liars smile, knowing that the “words inside” you can’t stay locked up forever, despite your efforts to keep them hidden. 

Many of the changes on this albums feel like disruptions to the illusions of safety - chasmic ruptures to the ground we consider holy. The visceral dance beat that splices Gemini in half catches the listener off-guard, giving them yet another hurdle to overcome in and album that’s frankly exploding with creative left-turns. And yet, with time, you settle into them with a kind of grace that comes with embracing chaos.

Perhaps the most challenging aspect of this album is the sound design. There’s an intimate, guttural quality to even some of the quieter moments, as the textures seem to reverberate, and the compositions rattle. However, do not mistake this for lack of care. Fortress Down, for instance, is incredibly detailed, the subtle use of atmospherics intersecting with the cascading guitar work, in a way that elicits sensations of vulnerability in the face of anxieties. Despite the harshness of the production, its strangely beautiful.

Revenant is the enormous centrepiece of the album. Beginning with an exhilarating crash of guitars and synths, before plunging into turmoil, this is a piece about how we recognize trauma. “Burying your head in the sky, you split so close to the sun. Bodies transform. Others, they’re done” runs one line, illustrating the contradiction in the way in which moments of turbulence can cause us to adapt how we live, or destructively shrink into ourselves. It’s a turning point on the album, before a confessional and sanguine second half.

The Way It Breaks is musically the adverse of the preceding song. The gentle rise and fall of the synths and percussion lends itself excellently to our narrator’s story of witnessing a friends life burn down in front of their eyes. “Does it break your heart, the way it breaks mine” they wonder in the chorus, before an ethereal instrumental section lays bare the depth of anguish being addressed. 

The following Meet My Maker is made all the more cathartic when viewed as part of a story in which the protagonist longs to transcend the trappings of suffering and agony, yet risks flying too close to the sun in their quest to do so.

One of the most beautiful moments here is The Ladder. A stripped-back acoustic ballad, the piece feels fragile, yet joyful. “Brand new like a sunrise, and over in a day” Kadeem France ruminates, his words touched with a sense of sadness at what has passed, and acceptance of the temporal nature of both suffering, and joy. 

The contradictory nature of Gifted Every Strength, which artfully transitions from vicious fury to solemn peacefulness, reflects the practice of learning to walk away from a situation that can only bring you hurt. The moment of burnout when someone has poured their heart into a relationship, a way of life, or an endeavour that no longer feels worth the sacrifice.

A Stranger To You does not reveal any specifics. When the title is inverted on the closer No Stranger To You, its not clear who the song is spoken to. Whether it’s about a moment of escape, or a reflection on past lives is arguably less important than the emotions that the piece evokes.

 To me, Loathe’s long awaited third project see’s them expressively capture perceptions of isolation, and the process of realising its effect. The changeable musical landscape of the record, mixed with the earnest lyricism, makes this a raw and often demanding listen. See past that however, and this is an album that was absolutely worth waiting for! 10/10

Protest The Hero – Within (Independent) [Spike]

Protest The Hero have spent over twenty years operating in a space completely of their own making. They are a rare breed: a band with the technical chops of a progressive metal act, but the beating heart and irreverent spirit of a room full of punks. Six years on from Palimpsest, their new record Within feels like a genuine shift. It’s tight, compact at thirty-five minutes, and carries a quiet, personal reflectiveness that draws you right into its orbit.

What I love about this record is how its message projects back onto your own life. On early albums, the lyrics leaned heavily into grand storytelling and mythology. Here, vocalist Rody Walker brings things right down to the pavement. He writes about real, messy human interactions with the standouts on this album covering arguments in driveways, grief, and the struggle to keep your heart open in a world that seems determined to harden it. At its core, the album's bottom line is simple: be more kind to the people around you. But they deliver that message wrapped in a whirlwind of punky, mathcore-inspired goodness.

The opening track Mouthpiece sets the tone immediately. It’s fast, winding, and packed with geometric guitar work that skitters over a heavy post-hardcore frame. It leads straight into Fishhook, which is easily one of the standouts on the record. It takes a honest look at political disagreement and personal frustration, balancing a punky, optimistic hook with the realistic admission that finding common ground is tough. It’s melodic, relatable, and impossible to get out of your head.

Musically, the band hasn't lost an ounce of their signature spark. Grandfather's Axe has a great rock 'n' roll swagger to it beneath all the odd-time signatures, while The Orchard gives us one of their catchiest, most anthemic choruses in years. Then you hit Liberty Spike, which might be the most emotionally raw track Rody has ever written. It deals with loss and unsaid goodbyes, backed by a dark, surging dynamic that feels like classic 2000s post-hardcore done with modern veteran precision. This one hits a bit too hard on the emotions, you have been warned.

By the time the seven-minute epic The Mariner brings the album to a close, you realize just how much ground they’ve covered in such a short runtime. The production keeps things feeling alive and energetic rather than over-polished, making it easy to picture how these songs will hit in a packed venue.

It takes a special kind of band to make you want to jump around a room while simultaneously making you reflect on how you treat your neighbours. Within is an energetic, deeply empathetic record that proves Protest The Hero are still holding some serious aces when it comes to song writing. 8/10

Mourir - Nous, Le Venin (Pelagic Records) [Mark Young]

And here we go, its time for the monthly ‘I missed these from the review schedule’ catch up, with part one dealing with Mourir, and their super intense black metal release Nous, Le Venin (roughly translated to We The Venom from the French) and its one of only a small number of black metal releases that strive to deliver the attitude and cold aggression that the genre used to serve up on a regular basis. 

The album itself delights in offering up clinical speed with guitars that cascade in and out, and vocal patterns that range from the guttural to the plainly unhinged. It’s the kind of stuff that is almost impossible to put a tag on (for those that love a good tag) and as a result I think that its best that you approach this knowing that you have to subject yourself to it as a whole listening experience. You cannot dip in with one song and immediately get that flavour; you need the whole thing to understand what it is you are supposed to be digesting.

Feu d’un Regard is the unbalanced opening point, its frenzied guitar salvos suddenly pulling back into a controlled level of fury. It’s not what I expected at all and then continues to subvert at every step. Don’t be fooled into thinking that this is without any melodic touches to it, they are in there, you just need to dig deep for them. 

Ennui Ennemi brings what you might call classic BM into play. By that I mean the propulsive drumming and rhythm patterns associated but again they subtly change the game within. Yes, it’s fast, but not at the expense of musical ideas. At times they knock on the door of country and western tropes. Just because they can. This approach serves them so well, because there is an expectation that they will pull the rug from underneath you and delight in doing so.

In the centre of the album are two diamonds – Mon Rêve Animal and Je Est Absent, both hitting 7 minutes plus of barely controlled mayhem that drag the album along, changing speed and intent as they chart a unique path from traditional BM into melancholia and back again, its supreme stuff. And of course, the end is also the title track in which they invite you onto a 10 minute terror train. All is discord, stuffed with those gloriously unhinged vocals from Oliver Lolmède and some serious trem picking. 

Its just like going back in time when the genre was fresh and exciting. Its certainly a climatic end, one that picks up the pace and then just gallops off, truly excellent stuff. Like most things worth doing, putting the effort in and absorbing this in one go is the right (only?) way to listen to it. Don’t dip in and dip out, commit yourself to it and you will be rewarded. 8/10

Rising Alma - Your Own Story (Self Released) [Matt Bladen]

Melodic heavy rock now from multinational trio Rising Alma. They are Maximo on guitar, Bastie on bass and Alise on vocals and Your Own Story is their second release after their 2025 debut album.

Your Own Story has a thematic link running through it but the songs all stand together in their own right, the vocals of Alise are a highlight, she's got a vocal that comes from the 2000's American radio metal sound of Evanescence et al.

While the music is also from that influence however I did find the instrumental things a little one dimensional, hindered by the production which is supposed to be "natural and authentic sound" but with the electronic drums (I think anyway) feels very muddy and a very bass heavy and really just not that interesting.

Your Own Story is a great way to introduce yourself to Rising Alma if you've never heard them before, but I don't need another listen. 5/10

A View From The Castle: David Byrne (Michael Chapman)

David Byrne & Anna Calvi, The Depot Live, Cardiff Castle 26.07.2026

Not so long ago there was an intensity to the heat felt at the height of the latest summer heatwave.

Tonight the temperature had dropped a few degrees, but there was still an intensity as Anna Calvi (8) took her place, complete with solid red background. 

Calvi’s guitar no longer an instrument, more of an extension of herself as she stood purposefully, as the sonic ballet of Rider to the Sea features soaring and diving emotive guitar wails that renders the audience's attention firmly captured. 

Drifting effortlessly into the pulsating rhythm of Suzanne & I the set started with a feeling of intent. 

The staging simple, flanked by talented drummer and keyboardist Calvi stood center stage in front of a large red background, despite the size of the stage and sparseness of its population, Calvi filled every inch of the stage with an aura that felt almost magnetic.

I’ll Be Your Man & Don’t Beat The Girl Out Of My Boy were definite highlights before bringing out Mr Byrne, the evening's headliner, out a little early for a duet of their emotional song Strange Weather.

Finishing on the enthralling cover of Suicide’s Ghost Rider, Anna Calvi left her mark on myself an the crowd, a wonderful beginning to what was to be a wonderful evening.

Not long after the headline act arrived, David Byrne (10) formerly of Talking Heads redefined what it is to perform, using a talented arrangement of bandmates and dancers, all dressed in blue and completely wireless, allowing space for a true performance.

Beginning with Heaven, Byrne begins with three musicians and a display of Earth from the Moon’s surface. As the song concludes he turns to the audience and points at the Earth proclaiming ‘There is our heaven, the only one we have’.

Diving straight into the upbeat Everybody Laughs, the atmosphere lifts even further, moving into popular Talking Heads song And She Was, Byrne explains the origins of the song before the superbly choreographed motions on stage from his talented ensemble in addition to the creative visuals and film footage accompanying on screen, the evening certainly felt like an artistic experience.

Dancing was non-negotiable as the set list flowed effortlessly through songs such as This Must Be The Place, a first performance of the remixed What Is The Reason For It, Slippery People & Life During Wartime.

As the crowd had completely surrendered to David Byrne and his band's infectious rhythms, fan favourites Psycho Killer and Once In A Lifetime were the icing on the most delicious of cakes.

Finishing an encore with Everybody’s Coming To My House & Burning Down The House it felt like a night of celebration, not just of the songs and career of David Byrne and his band, but of music itself.

Reviews: Fuming Mouth, Ripper, Sigyn, Tesla (Mark Young, Cherie Curtis, Matt Bladen & Cherie Curtis)

Fuming Mouth - The Ringing Bell (Triple B Records) [Mark Young]

Ok, so I had the pleasure of reviewing their Last Day Of Sun, their second full length back in 2023 and found it to be a positive experience. 

The main man, Mark Whelan had fought back against life threatening conditions and the album reflected that struggle, and I remember it being an excellent release, and hoped that they would continue on. The band themselves has changed a little, adding ex Slipknot man Jay Weinberg on drums and Pat Merson moving from bass to guitar has hinted at a level of flux within them. I’m not here for that drama, I’m just here to see if this takes the next step.

This is death metal where each of the component parts are wired in and on plan. The Ringing Bell decides that they have spent enough time looking back and are now pushing forward, with Cheat Death kicking things off for us with an unapologetically short gut stomp of a songs. There isn’t any drawn out interludes or rising orchestral movements, press play and you are off, a HM-2 grind dominating proceedings along with La Whelan’s uncompromising vocal delivery. 

It’s not speedy and I thank them for that as its methodical pace means you don’t miss a trick. Add in a lead break that is part incendiary and you have a strong opening statement, one that is then backed up by Self-Exhumed, with a guitar tone that scrapes the enamel off your teeth. In some respects they are sides of the same coin and provide us with a fine start and in effect set up the base for the rest of the album to flow from.

Its on Finally Fearless, that the brakes are taken off and whilst its not achieving high BPM there is a greater sense of movement within it. It feels like it’s the first opportunity for Jay Weinberg to add a stamp to proceeding and as a result we are treated to a monstrous break down around 2 minutes in. There is a real strength in this, and it’s the kind of thing that causes mass flailing of limbs if its played live. 

Running through the crushing riffs are some cracking melody lines too, providing a little spice to proceedings. I’d hoped that they wouldn’t take a backward step, and its evident that they haven’t, A Blaze Of Nihilism refocusing our attention with yet another massive breakdown before handing that baton over to After Oblivion. 

Now, before I get carried away, I need to point out that there is a lot of similar approaches going on here. Of these two songs, it feels that that they are saying the same thing. Now, how much this changes things for you will depend on your own personal preference. For me, you could have dropped either one or it wouldn’t have affected how the album flows. 

A change comes with Hidden In The Moor, the need to crush replaced by a more expansive approach that provides that necessary injection to keep things alive. That gnarly guitar tone is in place, there is no change there but that addition of a dominating melody line at key intersections makes the song stick with you after it finishes. Coming at the point it does, it gives the album a slap in the face,

Vivid Revelations strides in, taking its time to assert itself with a monstrous build that belies a relatively short run time whilst Flourishing Flesh provides this album’s stab to the neck, a very speedy minute and a bit that acts in some ways as pressure release. I can’t deny that I would have loved to have heard more like this on here, but I admire how they stayed consistent throughout. It’s the introduction of cleans on the title track that seems to allow them to expand further, in spite of the harsh style returning to close that song out. 

Personally I get the impression that the early songs provided that bedrock for them to do what they needed to do later, providing them the room to manoeuvre. Like Hidden In The Moor, The Ringing Bell is another stand-out moment for them, joined by Barbarian Scourge which hits like a hammer from the middle ages. There is a storming melody line employed on here which calls back to Phantasm in the way it spins around, maybe some of you might remember Entombeds version of it, if not check it out online. In any respect, this is another massive statement from them and sets them up for their closing piece, Respect Mortality.

The hard work is already done and it isn’t in a rush to unfold itself. It just grinds its way to the finish line; the pace never changing and closes things out in a solid manner.

Now we get to the hard part. This is an album where the positives outweigh the negatives by a massive number but I’m still compelled to mention it. Basically, there is a sense that some songs sound the same and I’ve captured it above. 

This could be partially due to the overall tone present, but in any event its there for you to hear. But, in its favour are some stunning tracks, especially the run from Vivid Revelations through to Barbarian Scourge where its cracker after cracker which take that strong early work and then really go to town with them. 

There’s no doubt they have made some massive steps with this, and this Is a very good album to get your hooks into. 8/10 

Ripper – Towards Rebirth (Dark Descent Records) [Cherie Curtis]

Hailing from Chile, death metal band Ripper brings us their newest album Towards Rebirth. This album has 10 tracks and is their first full length album since 2016 and it’s not one to skip past. What makes this album a great one is a strong sense of narrative, it feels very theatrical in style and the texture is so thick it’s visible, but it’s done in an effortless way.

The composition is luxurious and all-encompassing which makes for a very cinematic feel as well as being very versatile even though they don’t stray away from their usual style, as well as staying very genre typical, they show creativity and uniqueness in the technicalities, their riffs and their instrumentals feel very experimental. 

Towards Rebirth shows us that Ripper are fully aware of who they are and what they want to create and they execute it well. Their overall style consists of cold opens where there is already a huge amount of tension then swift breakdowns, it feels very much like a push and pull back and forth like a frenzy. They’re incredibly energetic and they will have you on the edge of your seat. What makes this a great album is that there’s a strong sense of story and narrative it feels very theatrical and grand but in an effortless way. 

The composition is luxurious and encompassing which makes for a very cinematic and atmospheric feel as well as being very versatile considering that they don’t stray away from their usual style this album is similar to their previous one and doesn't really stray away from the death metal thrash genre but they do tend to get very creative in the technicalities of their riffs and their instrumentals.

They also experiment with the form and genre which is absolutely fine because genre isn't something that a band would usually mess about with, they're not a gimmick they know who they are and what they make and they know what they're good at so they deliver it they give us what we want.

Their overall style consists of cold opens and tension build-ups and heavy breakdowns they'd like to drop you straight into the action they knock you off your feet until a long drawn out hurricane of instrumentals whisks you off your feet and into the action again it feels very much like a push and pull back and forth can overall frenzy it's incredibly energetic with some metal screams and vocal sustains sprinkled in for a battle cry effect they will have you on the edge of your seat.

One of my favourite tracks from the album is World Of Darkness it’s the second track after a gentle and ethereal interlude so it came as a huge surprise. It’s loud racing and very frantic with piercing and spiralling refs and a deep gravelly shouted metal vocals which is stereotypical within the genre but very nice to hear.

It is pure mosh pit fuel it’s very thrash and it will get you throwing it back at a gig and the repetitive earworm instrumentals are very technical complex and dynamic each track sounds different. Though he’s not the best vocalist I’ve ever heard the instrumentals are outstanding and unrelenting there’s no downtime just a massive build and breakdown after build and breakdown.

One of my favourite tracks from the album is World Of Darkness it’s the second track after a gentle and ethereal interlude so it came as a surprise. It’s loud and frantic with piercing riffs complimented by deep and gravelly death metal vocals, it’s very thrashy and it will get you throwing it back at a gig. The instrumentals are hypnotic and complex, though the vocals aren't the best I've ever heard within this specific genre, the overall composition is impressive. 

Towards Rebirth, the title track is much slower but more powerful. It's classic sounding and very reminiscent of 80s style thrash with thunderous drums, it’s more beautiful than it is a floor filler. The vocals are interesting here, they are direct, punchy and very strong, it commands your attention which adds to the theatrical aspect to the atmosphere with some masterful vocal sustains sprinkled in for a fun battle cry effect. Ripper is not for the faint of heart, if it's not your genre then it'll be hard to stomach but lovers of death metal and thrash will love this one. 

Overall, it’s a great album. I was on the fence with it at first as its not usually something I'd listen to as I find it’s very distracting, it does command 100% of your attention. It’s not something to have on in the background and is meant to be something you can move to, and it will get you moving. This album is professional, crisp and well-made, you can tell that it was made with a mighty sense of purpose and articulation. Give it a go if you have the chance, it is worth a listen. 8/10

Sigyn - From Nation To Chaos (Noble Demon) [Matt Bladen]

Symphonic melodeath now from Helsinki who will be on the playlist of every Children Of Bodom/Wintersun fan as there's a thrilling mix of virtuoso guitar and keyboard playing on From Nation To Chaos, the twin axe assault rapid and ravenous as thrashy shredding, death metal grunt and power metal melodies all combined as any good melodeath band should.

However like the bands I've mentioned Sigyn also have some epic keyboard/synth playing that will impress on I Am Nothing, Blind Prophet and the closing drama of World In Flames. For me the fusion between orchestrations and blast beats on A New Nation and Creating My Own Chaos puts Sigyn up with those Finnish foundations of this power/melodeath genre.

They're able to move away though as the chuggy Break These Chains takes the inspiration from the Swedish style while The Crawlers injects a bit of black/folk metal, the result of it all being that Sigyn's second album, despite them being formed in 2008, is a slickly executed record of epic melodeath, that is heavily inspired from the Finnish originators. 7/10

Tesla - Homage (Frontiers Music Srl) [Rich Piva]

Generally Tesla is good at covers. They should be. One of their biggest hits was a cover, their live acoustic record that was a huge hit and helped to start the whole Unplugged thing (and that was great) was filled with covers, and they have multiple covers records, some of it good, some of it unnecessary. So it begs the question if we really needed Homage, their latest covers record, which has 14 songs and is over 50 minutes long, emphasis on long. The short answer is no, but that doesn’t mean there are not some fun covers on here that are done well.

I will just mention the good. Give A Little Bit is right in their wheelhouse, if not an over done cover, but it sure is a great song. Picking a Queen song that is mostly overlooked with Spread Your Wings was a cool idea and well executed. The Ballad Of Curtis Loew is another one that I feel like they could do in their sleep, and it was also done well. Their one original on the record, Never Alone was solid too. That’s about it for me. This certainly could have been an EP.

It pains me because I do think Tesla was one of the stronger bands of the “hair band” period, maybe because they really were never a hair band, but I digress. Their first three records are untouchable, and Five Man…was great too. Homage is pretty much a hard pass, but it doesn’t make me love Tesla less, only makes me want to turn on The Great Radio Controversy. 4/10

Reviews: Embodiment, North Sea Echoes, Faustian, Changing Places In The Fire (Mark Young & Matt Bladen)

Embodiment - Cryptomorph EP (Self Released) [Mark Young]

Bristol have something in the water there. There is a pool of extreme metal talent that just seem to be able to do it and as further evidence of this, up stride Embodiment with their first release since 2020 with a 4 track EP of the harshest nature. In a world where bands are in love with an instrumental opening, there is no messing about here from these. 

The Jeopardy In Idolatry comes screaming in with this magic guitar measure. I mean its just quality, and it comes in amongst a crushing opening track that could cheerfully hold its own against any extreme act. It combines all of the good things that you love in extreme metal; speed, aggression and having it all wrapped up inside of 4 minutes. There is a literal joy running through this, seemingly from an understanding that the material on this EP is their best, with nothing being phoned in. 

That technical, almost cosmic theme continues into Beneath The Skin, that spidery lines falling away to allow the true hard riffs to come flying in. And they do, even the addition of cleans doesn’t detract from the arrangement here, its just full on and suddenly we are on two for two. Did I mention the face melting solo? No, well there’s one of those too. You combine that with an aggressive resolve to continually mash you into bits and you have a stormer on your hands. 

Resonance Cascade sees them bring more of the cleans to play, but its backed up by some of the tightest rhythms you could find. As a the three of four, its like the climatic baton pass in a relay. Its pitched just right to set up what should be the triumphant final lap, as long as they don’t do anything stupid.

As They Spread Their Infection starts in a way that gave me a pause, its almost a throwback to 80s hair metal in the way this opening riff kicks off, like mid 80s Ozzy. You’ll know what I mean as soon as you hear it. Suddenly they pull that particular rug up and normal frenetic metal service is resumed. The drop into it, and then the corresponding arrangement that follows up is just quality. 

Its so tightly wrapped during those speedy moments that when it loops back to that opening measure it lands so much better. The lead that frankly dominates from about 2 minutes and 30 seconds is spell binding, so much so that you lose track of everything else. And then they bring more heaviness in that closing minute that is just crushing. And I mean crushing.

Its probably some of the most exhilarating metal that’s come out this year, 4 perfectly built tracks that I’m hoping preface a full length release from them. This is a work of art, simply put. Absolute stormer. 9/10

North Sea Echoes - How To Cast A Shadow (Metal Blade Records) [Matt Bladen]

Veteran prog metal musicians Ray Alder and Jim Mathos (both Fates Warning), flex their muscles with North Sea Echoes, keeping the musical cohesion they have cultivated over many years but within a different set of soundscapes than they are normally a part of.

Their debut record Really Good Terrible Things matched the emotional power of Alder's voice with a style of writing from guitarist Jim Mathos that was driven by electronic music genres merging with rock, it was introspective and carried a quiet intensity that appealed to long time fans of the duo but also cast them in new roles.

The follow up How To Cast A Shadow, takes things further, getting heavier in all aspects the riffs on Enjoy The View are turn up the distortion while the electronic thumps are now combines with real drums from Dennis Leeflang, to give these songs more dynamic and natural heaviness, like the hard rocking All That Comes After.

Matheos has been writing extensively in between the last NSE record and for this one he had 25 songs prepared, sending them over to Alder who chose the ones he wanted to work with. The ones that suits his ever excellent and emotive vocal style from the anthemic single I'll Leave A Light On, the creeping thump of All Fall Away and the beautiful Good Enough all highlight his talents.

Matheos on the other hand expands his wiring style more on this second album, creating some moody pop rock ala Del Amitri on Villains Or Saints, as Revenge goes into the dark sensuality of Depeche Mode while the Title Track invokes some industrial dreamscapes.

In my review of their debut I mentioned Lunatic Soul, Silent Skies and the more ambient side of Devin, and all these comparisons still stand on How To Cast A Shadow, this second collaboration between prog metal veterans does gain a bit more metallic weight. 8/10

Faustian - Parable Of The Sewer (Apocalyptic Witchcraft) [Mark Young]

Supergroups, by their definition are a collection of individuals who are already established as solo artists or from groups, again already established. Your personal definition may be driven by how famous (relatively) they are within that chosen genre. 

In some cases, metal, specifically extreme metal supergroups are maybe more deserving of that tag. Or you might see that and it immediately puts you off. Again, its dependent on your taste. Of the bands that make up Faustian, I have heard of Werewolves, I reviewed their Ugliest Of All album, and just as a reminder to them that they: They.Must.Not.Slow.Down.

In any event, it doesn't matter to me who is in this band, they key is that it either:

Kicks ass.

Does not kick ass.

That is my starting point, and luckily, I Curse You, the lead off point starts off like a bomb detonating. The primordial energy that I’ve associated with Werewolves is here, but its emboldened by a different method of madness. It black metal but distilled from a place that is hotter than hell when it wants to be. Its not brittle in its production like others, everything is captured so well, but the one thing that is here is that intent, of moving beyond simple brutality into something else. 

Broken Better pulls back the blackened cloak to throw in an electric display that takes the traditional and bends it to their will. The change in tack and willingness to do this where they could in all honesty have written 9 versions of, I Curse You and then be applauded. 

One thing that is noticeable is that the songs are filled with ideas that don’t overstay their welcome. They speed when they need to, reduce when required but its never done without meaning something in the context of the song. Nothing is presented without meaning, and that is what I love about this. 

As we move along Immaculate blasts off like the best black metal does, melody lines moving like a blur, drums blasting and guttural vocals are all in place. It’s a typical example of what you can expect from them, of being able to build music that is based on a genre that can often leave you cold and uninspired. This constant and consistent execution doesn’t falter at any point, its like they have chanced upon a fountain of riffs and ideas that have formed into extreme metal goodness.

As a rule of thumb, the success of an album (at least for me) is based on how it starts and then how it ends. We have all been there, a band starts off strong and stays at a decent level only to drop an absolute clanger at the end. No danger of that happening here; Tenements (Only The Wicked Walk In Circles) brings that mix of speed and classic black metal melodic lines into play, it calls back to Broken Better in how its put together, but it isn’t just a repeat. 

This is the thing, the way that they have been able to this right through is top class. And then they drop their final statement: The Rot Shall Inherit The Earth. July has been very good to me; there has been some blinders released and this is one of them. Its one of the strongest closing pieces you will hear in 2026. It’s the sum of all parts smashed into a cohesive shape. 

There is nothing wasted, nothing added that isn’t needed. It is an exercise in pure metal craft that a lot of bands would give all of their extremities to be able produce something like this. Jump on this immediately. 9/10

I almost forgot – It Kicks ass. Or kicks Arse. Depending on where you live.

Changing Places In The Fire - Changing Places In The Fire (Wild Thing Records) [Matt Bladen]

Born in exile, Changing Places In The Fire is the product of five Venezuelan musicians that are spread across the globe, this is their way of expressing the emotions about their forced collective migration, the effects it has had on them as people and the political ramifications that have led to it. Venezuela if you didn't know went from being a dictatorship into effectively controlled by the USA.

So there's a lot of real life experience he band say these songs were written in a period of upheaval and that the "album has lived with us for years" so now it's the time for them to share their music with a wider audience courtesy of Wild Thing Records.

Falling between the alternative, prog and post metal scenes, Changing Places In The Fire can't really be nailed down to one approach, in the blurb there are references to Dredg, Deftones, Oceansize, and Porcupine Tree, casting the net pretty wide.

Changing Places In The Fire open their debut record with some Tool-like grooving on The Epiphany Tree while Home blends Rush with Marillion, these two tracks begin the album very strongly, putting the band very much in my wheelhouse as a listener. 

Progressive but without the need for too much showing off, song focussed to tell these stories of alienation and as we Welsh say hiraeth. A Reason To Fall carries on with the melodic post metal dreaminess as Fury And The Sound reminds me of Karnivool, due to the varied and passionate vocals of Daz Medrano.

Whether it's dreamy post metal realms of the aforementioned A Reason To Fall or heavier sound such as Learn To Die, the the drums of Miguel Ángel Moliné are always sturdy and inventive, locking down the potency of the massive The Epiphany Tree.

In the melodic areas keyboard player Alfredo Ovalles adds the orchestrations and electronics, keeping tracks As If You Were Free feeling cinematic and bringing ambience to The Door Left Behind. Javier Landaeta and Antonio Silva share the guitar duties shifting magnificently between the ultra prog metal workout of A Case Against The World to the acoustically laced Into The Unknown.

There's just so much talent on display and a synchronicity here that it feels like they were all in the same room rather than various places around the world. The debut album from Changing Places In The Fire is uniting force between all the players displaced but connected through their music. 9/10

Reviews: Heavy On The Ride, Recluse, The Scepter, Hypnotic Gaze (Matt Bladen)

Heavy On The Ride - Heavy On The Ride (Self Released)

It's been a particularly heavy ride for Wales' answer to Queens Of The Stone Age over the years, many forks, bumps and breakdowns have tested their resolve over the years but they've always been a constant presence on the local scene.

Honing their craft alongside opening slots for Mondo Generator, Alain Johannes, Green Lung amongst others, they’ve even played QOTSA and Kyuss cuts with Nick Oliveri in the past, which has solidified their influences. 

Despite all their live shows the band have not done much in the ay of releases but now these road dogs have finally dropped their self-titled debut album, so prepare yourself car stereos as we're about to go Heavy On The Ride.

Having recently added guitarist Ryan Williams to the band, the album was recorded by the tenured trio of Jordan Huxtable (guitar/vocals), Michael Bale (bass/vocals) and Jason Young drums, Jordan and Joe Garcia sharing the recording duties.

Dave Tidmarsh mixed and Brad Boatright mastered, making 10 songs that define the band, ready for long road trips across desolate plains or for playing at full volume with your buddies and some beers.

There's plenty of QOTSA style grooving here from the live staple Cheshire Cat Grin to Sunseeker, the fuzz frothing and the riffs having that walking start-stop strut that is all about the groove, taken from the blues but through a 90’s alt rock filter. 

Heavy On The Ride area also able to take off into the upper atmosphere with mind altering desert rock, where Kyuss is the main comparison, the dreamy Interludes gives way to Almost Alive, with a couple of the tracks falling under the numerous Kyuss/QOTSA splinter acts but they never fully shake off their primary influences.

Away from Homme and Co when Heavy On The Ride get heavier there's the blood and thunder of Mastodon/Baroness on I Owe You Nothing, all of these cuts taking a dual vocal approach that works really well to add to the dynamics, be it double clean harmonies or some trade-offs. 

The debut feels like a collaborative effort despite the recording line up only being a trio, you can hear the experience of the band, every moment is curated to grab the attention and keep your head nodding and your feet tapping.

Heavy On The Ride play riffs that bite, grooves that rumble and top it all with a little left field weirdness that permeates and never lets you get too comfortable about what's coming next. Long awaited but very much worth it get Heavy On The Ride, you won’t want to get off! 9/10

Recluse - Atrocity Parade (Self Released)

Despite being around the South Wales riff community for a long time, I'm really disappointed in myself that I'd not come across Recluse before this album.

They've had three albums before this one so I'll be diving into those after I've written this review but let's concentrate on Atrocity Parade, their fourth full length record that comes with an album cover that hints at something neon and possibly terrifying behind a door.

So let's open up that door and explore the music of Recluse who are a band that I would class as stoner/grunge, much like compatriots Lethargy, Recluse have a long list of inspirations that from Soundgarden (Conduit), though Kyuss, King Gizzard and some Tool (...In The Handwriting Of Others)

Passionlessly begins album number four with the sort of fuzzy alt riffs you get from QOTSA, swaggering and lumbering, but feeling stripped back and dirty. From here Doll Skull is a breathy Nirvana-like haze, close up and wrought with emotion playing with that 90's loud/quiet duality.

It's after two songs I get why this is the fourth record from Recluse, they're have a skill that allows them to take heavy, riffy routes with shifting pace of With The Predetermined Jump Length Into The Room Of The Infinite Death Loop behind them but Recluse can also enter the world of psychadelic/desert rock on Depression both linked together by the acoustic interlude Severed.

Far from an Atrocity Parade, Recluse have put together a record of rough-hewn diamonds that bring riffs, melody and more besides. 8/10

The Scepter- Shadows In The Tower (No Remorse Records)

Canada has a very rich heavy metal scene, especially when it comes to the traditional heavy metal revival of that began in the 2010's.

Formed towards the end of that, 2018 to be exact, The Scepter fall more into heavy/power metal category with their music owing influence to bands like Riot but also Helloween and Iron Maiden on Where Art Thou and Protector Of The Skies, where the vocals of JP Abboud really impress.He's the former singer of Traveler, Gatekeeper, and Borrowed Time so he's got quite a pedigree behind him.

Abboud is the best fit for this band, exorcising those speed metal demons on Burn Bundy Burn, where guitarists Josh Collins and Morgan Walsh whip up a storm that continues through Dunes where Stew Everitt (bass) and John Crawford (drums) dictate the pace and the rapid fire gallop of the Title Track which ends this debut record in a tight 29 minutes.

Classic metal from the Great White North as The Scepter pay homage to royalty but add enough of their own flair as well. 7/10

Hypnotic Gaze - Demo (Self Released)

Featuring members of High Command and Mistress, Hypnotic Gaze are the newest throwback, retro, traditional, whatever you want to call it, heavy metal band that is taking its first steps into the heavy metal world.

A three track affair, it's rough and ready to burst out of 1986, all twin axe attacks, soaring vocals, and galloping riffs, as the speed kicks in for Debaucherous Knights after the strutting Lunar Spell begins this Demo with some street metal right from the Sunset Strip.

It's a Demo so it's not going to sound polished or pristine, but really I don't want to to be, this sounds like it should be recorded straight onto cassette and with the closing epic The Ballad Of The Webster Lizard, Hypnotic Gaze prove that they can do more than just speedy heavy metal.

I'm looking forward to what Hypnotic Gaze bring on their first 'proper' album. 7/10

Reviews: Quicksand, Lunatic Soul, Poison The Preacher, No Cure (Rich Piva, Matt Bladen, Mark Young & Spike)

Quicksand - Bring On The Psychics (Rude Records) [Rich Piva]

Anyone who knows me even a little bit knows I love Quicksand and that I think they have a perfect discography. So it should be zero surprise that I love the new record from Walter and crew, titled Bring On The Psychics. I always go in with an open mind when listening to a new record, if not with a little bias for one of my favourite bands of all time, but Quicksand has once again delivered what can only be called a banger, beginning to end, for 29 plus minutes.

I am a not big on saying things like “back to the basics” because there is nothing basic about Quicksand, but let’s just call it back to their roots, as the opener, Get To It, just rips it up, with the vibe of their early Revelation stuff and Walter being full on aggressive Walter. I love the stop and start again, which is sure to get the pit going. Regenerate is Slip era mid tempo awesomeness, with layered vocals and Walter’s voice as good as it has ever been, and the trio just sounding super tight. 

Agency is bringing more of the aggression folks may have thought was missing on the later period Quicksand records, with the loud quiet loud executed perfectly as you always know it is coming but is always awesome. Crystallize is a killer melodic later period Quicksand track that shows the band can sound really big without ever sounding too polished in the studio, with Supercollider coming right after to bring those Slip vibes right back to the listeners who were hoping to go there again, even if it is a bit more brighter that Slip was production-wise. I love the chunky riff on this one. 

In Full Color is the same vibe and just as great. It has been decades since Walter started Quicksand, and bands of his since then like Rival Schools, Walking Concert, and his solo stuff have leaned more towards indie rock and less post hardcore, all of them great. That is where Days You Run To will remind you of. This is the most pop forward track Quicksand has ever done, and it is a beautiful, spacy, melodic masterpiece that makes this record even better with the contrast it brings from the more aggressive material that Bring On The Psychics has delivered. Perfect stuff. 

I say contrast, as the heaviest riff on the record from Cool Guy comes next, with one of those wall of sound guitar parts from Walter. Their former touring partners and contemporaries from back in the day Helmet should still sound like this one. Moving Forward is another one of those super solid late period Quicksand tracks that have made us marvel at how Walter just locks in when writing and recording as Quicksand. My only nit pick is the closing title track could have opened the record, because at under 30 minutes for the whole album this one leaves me wanting for more.

I love Quicksand. Bring On The Psychics does nothing to make me love them any less, only more. The band continues their string of having a perfect discography. Combine that with Walter playing and writing like it was 1993 and looking like he is having the time of his life, Bring On The Psychics only confirms that Quicksand is a top 10 band of all time for me and one of my go to references for bands I like to this day. 10/10

Lunatic Soul - Transition II (Kscope) [Matt Bladen]

Lunatic Soul is the solo, and after the disbanding of Riverside, only project of Mariusz Duda. A more ambient, darker and instrumentally inclined project than Riverside, Lunatic Soul is in a state of flux as it is now the primary output for Duda, something it was never supposed to be so this release is an important one.

It features new track Realm Of The Weeping Willows, an organic epic that draws from folk traditions with a sprawling run time and a feeling for the occult or the pagan traditions, it's a song with a lot of history started in 2020 and worked on throughout the Through Shaded Woods sessions but never released on that record.

Coming in full form here as it looks toward more a lighter and brighter sound for Lunatic Soul after the culmination of the eight album The Circle Of Life And Death, with the remixes of Vyraj and Hylophobia from Through Shaded Woods, both taking new musical routes away from the often ominous introspective sound Lunatic Soul has cultivated.

The epic Transition II here in a condensed version (15 or so minutes) but is still a brilliant instrumental piece that's got Mike Oldfield influences throughout. Lunatic Soul release Transition II at just the right time, whatever Mariusz Duda decides to transition too, after this will be his most personal and unrestricted work for sure. 7/10

Poison The Preacher - Things I Want EP (Seek & Strike Records) [Mark Young]

Who doesn’t love an EP? Well Poison The Preacher have dropped a quickfire 14 minute salvo for your attention with the Colombian’s output showing no signs of slowing down. This is a blink and miss it affair, Things I Want (ft Speed) is their starter for ten and it’s just a straightforward kick to the skull that Is in keeping with their Vs The World album released last year. 

Its metallic, riffy and full of suggested violence. And of course there is the breakdown, that then lets them drop a Suicidal Tendencies special into the mix. Its immediate and just what an EP requires; energy and balls-out lead breaks. There is a hint that it runs a little bit too long, but in the context of an EP its about right. 

We run from that razor sharp hardcore into some sumptuous Latin grooves on Last Time I’ve Seen The Sun, well up until they decide that big dirty riff is required. It changes tack from Things I Want; this is more of that hardcore/punk vibe to it than the metallic edge shown before. Of course they don’t forget that a massive breakdown is always required and drop it in, just for fun.

Ran Out Of Options is like a chainsaw, a persistent cutting motion that see’s a more muscular build to things. It’s one of the issues I have with ‘core’ music is that it sometimes feels like a chest beating exercise of who is harder, who is tough etc and it can get a bit samey. 

Poison The Preacher fall into that trap with this one, probably because the song itself doesn’t hold up to those before or after it. Chicken Out attempts to arrest any slide in interest by upping its game and expending the energy required to keep the listener onboard by giving it kick, pushing what is a relentless closer on our ears. This one has some cracking metallized touches to it, with a guitar tone that could split rock. 

Again, enjoyment of this and of the EP itself will depend on how you take your metal. If It ends in ‘core’ then you should be on this like the plague. Its heavy, it moves and on the whole the songs here will no doubt cause utter mayhem once they are deployed live. 7/10

No Cure – It Is Going To Get Dark (SharpTone Records) [Spike]

No Cure from Birmingham, Alabama have spent the last few years earning a reputation as one of the meanest, most relentless live bands in the current hardcore scene. 

I’ve seen my share of bands trying to make metallic hardcore sound dangerous, but these guys actually back up the threat. Their debut full-length, It Is Going To Get Dark, is a brutal, bone-breaking record that hits you with the weight of a stone press to the chest.

The band apparently wrote and recorded this deep in the Alabama woods in a remote cabin between gruelling tour cycles. You can feel that isolation and exhaustion in the music. The production is incredibly thick, with a heavy, low-end tuning that makes the guitars sound massive without losing their sharp, cutting edge.

The record kicks off with When The Spasms Cease, opening with the desperate scream of "How did we get here?" before launching into a flurry of frantic guitars and heavy call-and-response vocals. It leads straight into Oblivion Crusade, which is just pure, ugly groove metal built for the pit.

What makes this record work so well is how they integrate different styles without looking like they’re trying too hard. On Brain Matter Displacement, they bring in Jayway from NJ's Bayway for a guest verse. Putting a rap feature on a death-metal-tinged hardcore track is a high-wire act that usually ends in disaster, but here the transition is seamless because the beat drops so hard.

There's a real emotional weight behind the violence here, too. Slowly Turning Blue takes a hard, painful look at watching someone go through addiction, and the despair in Blaythe Steuer’s voice is genuinely uncomfortable. It’s immediately followed by Ironclad, an absolute standout straight-edge anthem featuring Tyler Short of Inclination that boasts some massive pinch harmonics and a heavy, rhythmic stomp.

The death metal influence is all over this thing, but it’s most obvious on Convulsing In The Dark. Steuer has openly talked about his love for bands like Death and Carcass, and you can hear that DNA in the fast tremolo picking and the relentless blast beats that drive the track.

For a band that proudly calls themselves "the world's most evil straight-edge band," they make sure their message is loud and clear. I Am Still Fucking Straight Edge is a 50-second punch to the jaw with no poetry, just raw vocals and pure conviction.

By the time the album closer Everything I Love Is Dead Or Dying hits its final, skin-splitting breakdown, you’re left feeling completely spent. This is one hell of a full length debut, this is a bleak, menacing masterpiece that doesn't offer any cheap comfort. It's easily one of the most honest and punishing albums to drop this year. Given we can’t give half marks this is a full on, flat out. 9/10

Reviews: Motionless In White, Psycroptic, Red Method, If These Trees Could Talk (Matt Bladen)

Motionless In White - Decades (Roadrunner Records)

Every generation of metal fan gets a few characters in the scene that they can identify with and latch onto. Usually they're in the goth, nu-metal, metalcore scenes and for a long while now, since 2005 but their debut only came out in 2010, Chris Motionless of Motionless In White has been one of the people that scores of fans idolise.

His gothic looks, general spooky, almost vampiric vibe, harsh features, links to WWE's Rhea Ripley and mainly skill for writing songs that their fans can identify with has ingratiated him to a whole generation of music lovers.

This kind of popularity does also means non fans will scorn, ridicule and more, however this sort of petty criticism never really stands up when a band like Motionless In White are playing huge arenas, selling out tours and releasing platinum records. For all the make up and general gothic aura Motionless In White are band and should really be judged on the music they play.

With that said then it's I pressed play on MIW's seventh the studio record Decades, their first since their 20th Anniversary as a band last year (cue the title), and in Chris' words "is definitely heavier than some of our past albums. Our current world bred more aggressive energy, anger, and resistance."

Aggression comes immediately on the Title Track, industrial and nu-metal colliding for some massive grooves, pulled from that golden age of backwards caps and baggy jeans, it's a high energy opener which defines MIW in their second decade, heavier but still with a melodic edge.

There's no stop, the breakdown ends and the pulsating Log_in//crash_out begins, electronics bristling as they lean more on their more emotive earlier days, cleaner choruses and plenty of existential angst about the online era. The band's impact can be measured in their guests for Decades as Skylar Grey, Anthony Martinez (Dark Divine) and Corey Taylor all bring extra vocals.

Skylar on the first ballad, R.I.P, a theatrical duet, while Playing God has a Taylor and the frenzied percussion battery of the nine man masked mentalists Slipknot, but keeps the big MIW clean chorus to sing along to and Blood Rave is just that, a song from that club in Blade with Chris and Martinez trading vocals.

Love At First Bite, keeps the vampiric inspiration, with more industrial beats, a killer chorus and enough gothic overtones to have played in every metal/goth club across the world, definitely a Goth Baddie Banger! (Or something to that effect).

Blood Pact ramps up the heavy and the danger while Fight Like Hell has that familiar (to WWE fans) call of "This Is My Brutality", as the influence of Limp Bizkit is obvious on this Rhea Ripley influenced cut.

Decades successfully touches on every part of Motionless In White's career so far, from the gothic theatricality, the electronic pulses, the metalcore angst and a shift to heavier territory on Afraid Of The Dark, Decades is an album that proves the resilience of Motionless In White and that they rightly deserve their devoted fanbase and crossover appeal. 8/10

Psycroptic - The Pulse Of Annihilation (Metal Blade Records)

Dual vocal, Aussie tech death machine Psycroptic have been steamrolling across stages worldwide for over two decades now, from their humble beginnings on Tasmania they've become one of the most talked about extreme metal acts on the planet, with an experimental streak and a a refusal to release the same record twice.

Psycroptic have signed to prestigious label Metal Blade for their new record The Pulse Of Annihilation, with the backing of this label so instrumental in the popularity of death metal and it's sub-genres, there's a sense of vindication on this record which comes from Joe Haley, guitarist and main writer being able to keep the incredible virtuosity that the band have always been about while being able to branch out the dynamic structure of their music.

Allowing the music the flow where it needs to never trying to force anything, from tracks that pack 50 different riffs into one section to others that rely on one crushing groove throughout, these are the compositions a band with a lot of history, blood, sweat and tears behind them, the ever changing face of the metal scene captured on their albums culminating on The Pulse Of Annihilation.

The guitars of Joe enter several sides of the metal sphere, from full bore aggression to progressive melodies, pit staring bounce to stripped back introspection, no matter where the journey goes the bass of Todd Stern is solid and sinewy, creating a thick as treacle bottom end as Joe's brother David brings more inhuman drumming.

Formed in 1999, Psycroptic are veterans of the scene which can hear from the first note of this record. Having Jason Peppiatt and Jason Keyser share vocals has been a revelation for the band as it makes their music denser and ultimately more formidable. Tech death with a lot of "core" influences, Psycroptic have their finger on The Pulse Of Annihilation. 8/10

Red Method - As In Life (Depraved Records)

London industrial metal force Red Method come roaring back with their new EP, As In Life which blows open the doors with the frantic aggression of Counting Corpses.

They bring together the percussive battery of Slipknot, the groove metal violence of American Head Charge, the Nu-Metal/industrial thump of Mudvayne and mechanised brutality of Fear Factory with all of their songs, the former coming on Dispose Of Me, and the latter on Becoming The Sickness.

Inspired by the darker side of the psyche, they fill these songs with downbeat lyrics from vocals that take on multiple personalities, as the musical style gets louder and more vicious, embracing a progressive way of writing that has come from their very recent history of being on an absolute tear, the band have played as part of Download, Bloodstock and more.

This experience means they can throw together all of their styles and come out the other side with multi-faceted, multi-limbed, musical assault that's smashing your face one minute, record scratching the next, blast beating with huge breakdowns and then blowing up into melodic guitar solos, like they do on the impressive Detonate.

Red Method delve into the darkness with their new EP, their journey to here has seen them on the upward trajectory, against some serious adversity but on As In Life they have prove why they're one of the UK's most sought after and vehement acts. 8/10

If These Trees Could Talk - The Hidden Hand (Metal Blade Records)

If Trees Could Talk last released and album in 2016 so to say that The Hidden Hand is highly anticipated would be an understatement. Since they formed in 2005, they've released four albums of instrumental prog rock that has gained more layers and a cinematic scope with every release.

Hailing from the USA they were inspired to finished this new record after visiting the UK for Portals festival in 2024. This reminded them that there is a love of experimental music across the pond and in their own country, so filled with a renewed creativity they fired up the delay pedal and got ready to bring more musical synergy of a band who speaks without words.

Like a film soundtrack, ITTCT are about creating epic soundscapes, using traditional rock instrumentation in the way an orchestra would building from lighter tones into heavier ones as they use the same kind of looping Mike Oldfield would where one motif shifts into another, the inspiration of classic progressive rock and 90's post rock both very strong throughout the output of ITTCT.

The trio of guitars creating wide-screen melodies that swell and crash like the sea, while the percussion side is absolutely massive like the rumbling of a untamed environment. A decade wait sees If These Trees Could Talk return with new shoots of innovation on their new album. 7/10