Airbourne - Airbourne (Spinefarm Records)
A self titled album, especially one that's a band's sixth record usually indicates a change of membership or a reinvention, so I was interested to see that Warrnambool's favourite sons Airbourne new album is called Airbourne and I braced myself for some trad jazz. It never came. Obviously. Airbourne will never, ever do away with their blue collar rock n roll sound inspired by AC/DC, Rose Tattoo, Motorhead and any band that party's hard and rocks harder.
They even say as much on album closer Send Me To Rock N Roll Heaven, where they pay tribute to those rock heroes we've lost, shouting that heaven will have "one hell of a band" (Ain't that the truth!), as they carry the flame from that generation to this. They showcase some of their other influences on Bogotá which features Joel O'Keefe using Eddie Van Halen's Frankenstein guitar to hail Colombia and it's frankly scary love of rock n roll.
It's all part of Joel, drummer brother Ryan and brothers in arms Justin Street and Brett Tyrrell wider plan for this record which was to play rock n roll the way it should be played with vintage instruments, recorded onto tape at some legendary locations in Aussie rock history by Mike Fraser, produced by Brian Howes, mixed by Zack Cervini and mastered by Ted Jensen, to make sure it's dirty and loud but also polished and powerful.
Airbourne, is like a runaway freight train, no ballads, no slow songs, just four on the floor rocking from the opening riff of Gutsy and we're in familiar territory, through Alive After Death (Last Plane Out), Kid In A Candy Store, Last Man Standing that history of pub rock takes priority, even on the the filthy Christmas Bonus (in September?), there's that wink wink nudge nudge of Bon Scott, the brothers Young and Die Hard too.
Airbourne have shown they can also embrace the slicker side of rock with two songs on this record, Here She Comes and Who Put The Rhythm In You? which are co-written by Robert 'Mutt' Lange and Bryan Adams, the former famously helmed Back In Black making it a smash hit. So on album number six Airbourne, there's no massive reinvention, no sonic overhaul, just good ol' honest rock n roll, as Airbourne carry the torch. 8/10
Bleeker - Elephant (Known Accomplice)
That's Bleeker. Not the tube headed guy that meeps from The Muppets. Bleeker are an Ontario based rock band who play massive fuzzy riffs, bugger choruses and meld together emotional moments and songs about resilience with fun rockers and some tongue-in-cheek lyricism.
The alt rock four piece have had quite a glittering start to their career in the lead up to this third full length, with songs featured in NFL and UEFA coverage along with tours alongside Airbourne, Dinosaur Jr and Papa Roach. With album number three, called Elephant, they aren't looking to give up the sound they have established, taking it to a more experienced place where they have the heaviest riffs yet along with the most emotionally intelligent songwriting, that runs the whole emotional spectrum, inspired by the majestic creature the album gets it's name from.
Musically Bleeker take from The Black Keys on the thundering Boom Boom, great use of "whole enchilada", Royal Blood and even Queens Of The Stone Age on the angular title track and the groovy Boring. Bleeker play loud as hell alt rock that never sacrifices it's volume for accessibility, but can bother radio play with tracks such as the Kings Of Leon-esque More.
Equally Elephant has a vulnerability of fellow Ontario band The Trews on Laundry and an anthemic side that reminds me of The Struts on the glammy Outside, Bleeker switching between their different sides with ease, putting throbbing basslines beneath the acoustics and stadium ready choruses against walls of fuzz riffs, this Elephant stampedes in as a glammy, boisterous, alt rock treat from Bleeker that you should pay attention to. 8/10
Mad Max - Stories Of Destiny (ROAR - A Division of Reigning Phoenix Music)
Misinformation is a terrible thing as we all know and somewhere down the line I was convinced that Mad Max were a power metal band. So when I listened to Stories Of Destiny their new album I was a little distracted by the fact it was melodic rock/AOR.
However it turns out I was wrong and it seems Mad Max have always been a melodic rock band, stretching all the way back to when guitarists Jürgen Breforth founded the band in 1981. He's been the driving force behind the band for over four decades and with their 45th anniversary this year Breforth has taken a retrospective look at his career while redefining a new chapter of it.
It means that Mad Max now features the vocals of British singer Alan Clark, from Dark Heart but their album also has two contributions from Andreas Baesler the original Mad Max vocalist for the first time in 45 years on Piece Of Candy, one of their earliest songs and a Spanish version, Dulces Falsos, which is a tribute to their South American fandom.
Having Baesler on the album is just one way that Breforth celebrates his band, the other being filling this record with songs that Jürgen has co-written with some high profile Germany based musicians such as Sascha Gerstner (Helloween), David Readman (Pink Cream 69), Andreas Broon and Micheal Voss, as the album also features two unreleased songs written in 1991.
Stories Of Destiny sees another Mad Max record that's packed with guitar driven melodic rock, nothing too dissimilar from what they've been doing for 45 years but these songs have some special significance and celebrate the lasting legacy of the band. 7/10
Stormbringer - Transcendence (Attic Records)
We've been following and covering Stormbringer for a long time now, their mix of classic rock and heavy metal has seen them release four albums and take to some high profile stages, always bringing an anthemic sound that often means they can fit into any kind of festival be it as heavy as anything or full of radio friendly rock.
It's this adaptability that's so obvious on their fifth release Transcendence as they bring some Alice In Chains grunge to the soaring Dirt & Bone and Cut The Vein, while Grow lets loose with driving rock and some Scott Weiland-esque vocal sneers.
This record continues the outward looking perspective from their previous album, while MMXIII was deeply personal and introspective, AIIV saw them looking at the problems of the world at large. Ones that affect everyone and this approach is continued, with vocalist Mike Stockley calling Transcendence an album about "growth through adversity", something which tracks such as All Along and Whole Again highlight.
Produced by Russ Russell he brings his veteran ear to this record, looking back to their earlier style of classic rocking but with the grittier/heavier sound they've developed over the years, album number five is the most complete package from Stormbringer. 8/10
Thursday, 10 September 2026
Wednesday, 9 September 2026
Reviews: Kamelot, Exumer, Audrey Horne, Static Abyss (Matt Bladen)
Kamelot - Dark Asylum (Napalm Records)
Kamelot are a band not aversed to a concept record, they released a fair few in their time, the storytelling and thematic aspects suiting the dramatic and theatrical and cinematic sound the American symphonic metal band have been the forefathers of for thirty years now.
Their new album is set within the walls of Ravenhill Asylum, during the Victorian-era, the former cathedral is now a place where these dark, compelling stories unfold. The long time line up of founder Thomas Youngblood (guitars), Oliver Palotai (keys), Sean Tibbetts (bass), Alex Landenburg (drums) and Tommy Karevik (vocals) are well gelled now, each virtuosos in their own right.
They give Kamelot their signature style of melodic, progressive, power and symphonic metal, that is crafted into the anthemic tracks you hear here and across their discography, all made to sound huge by producer Sascha Paeth (alongside additional guitars) and mix/master extraordinare Jacob Hansen, bringing the full force of this record to your ears.
The title track is massive, euro metal gallops and colossal choruses, these returning on The Sleeping Mind (Orphic Paradigm), while on the other side of the Kamelot songbook there's drama on Kaleidescope, balladry on Cassandra’s Disease while there's Celtic tones on Ivy, My Dear and Enigma (Think Of Me).
Dark Asylum features a host of guests, as many Kamelot records have in the last, it's become something if a calling card for the band, usually giving harsh vocals or as duets between different characters and that doesn't change in Dark Asylum as they have some old and new joining them.
These include the current Miss World Chile, Ignacia Fernández of Decessus, Visions Of Atlantis singer Clémentine Delauney, both featuring on the anthemic Sanctuary, however on the dramatic One Last Masquerade the unmistakable tones of Avantasia/Edgy genius Tobias Sammet.
There's also violin from Lea-Sophie Fischer of Eluveitie and evocative additions from Rannveig Sif Sigurðardóttir and Sólveig Sara Leupold on the Icelandic folk of Beneath The Moon (Tunglið), all these guests bringing their own unique sounds to the record adding positively to the overarching story.
Kamelot bring so much experience that the chances of any weakness are very low, and yet again they create another exemplary symphonic metal record. 8/10
Kamelot are a band not aversed to a concept record, they released a fair few in their time, the storytelling and thematic aspects suiting the dramatic and theatrical and cinematic sound the American symphonic metal band have been the forefathers of for thirty years now.
Their new album is set within the walls of Ravenhill Asylum, during the Victorian-era, the former cathedral is now a place where these dark, compelling stories unfold. The long time line up of founder Thomas Youngblood (guitars), Oliver Palotai (keys), Sean Tibbetts (bass), Alex Landenburg (drums) and Tommy Karevik (vocals) are well gelled now, each virtuosos in their own right.
They give Kamelot their signature style of melodic, progressive, power and symphonic metal, that is crafted into the anthemic tracks you hear here and across their discography, all made to sound huge by producer Sascha Paeth (alongside additional guitars) and mix/master extraordinare Jacob Hansen, bringing the full force of this record to your ears.
The title track is massive, euro metal gallops and colossal choruses, these returning on The Sleeping Mind (Orphic Paradigm), while on the other side of the Kamelot songbook there's drama on Kaleidescope, balladry on Cassandra’s Disease while there's Celtic tones on Ivy, My Dear and Enigma (Think Of Me).
Dark Asylum features a host of guests, as many Kamelot records have in the last, it's become something if a calling card for the band, usually giving harsh vocals or as duets between different characters and that doesn't change in Dark Asylum as they have some old and new joining them.
These include the current Miss World Chile, Ignacia Fernández of Decessus, Visions Of Atlantis singer Clémentine Delauney, both featuring on the anthemic Sanctuary, however on the dramatic One Last Masquerade the unmistakable tones of Avantasia/Edgy genius Tobias Sammet.
There's also violin from Lea-Sophie Fischer of Eluveitie and evocative additions from Rannveig Sif Sigurðardóttir and Sólveig Sara Leupold on the Icelandic folk of Beneath The Moon (Tunglið), all these guests bringing their own unique sounds to the record adding positively to the overarching story.
Kamelot bring so much experience that the chances of any weakness are very low, and yet again they create another exemplary symphonic metal record. 8/10
Exumer - Death Mask Messiah (Metal Blade Records)
When we talk about the US thrash scene we often mention the 'Big Four' but Germany too has it's own 'Big Four' usually Kreator, Sodom, Destruction, and Tankard are the bands peirll include but I would say there's a very strong argument to replace one of them with Exumer.
They are a German thrash band that formed in 1984 however perhaps their excluding factor was that they broke up in 1991, however after reforming in 2009 they released their third record in 2012 and now in 2026 they bring us Death Mask Messiah their fourth full length since reforming.
Produced by Dominic Paraskevopoulos (Kreator, Caliban) and mixed/mastered by Arthur Rizk (Soulfly, King Diamond), Death Mask Messiah is a record with aggression flowing through it, while their albums post reforming have seen them attempting to sound like a modern band with original thrash roots, this new record steios back some of the modernity, opting for head banging thrashing.
It's definitely their most 80's sounding material, although with modern production, it still has a rawness that comes from the new rhythm section of Alex Voss (bass) and Jerome Reil (drums) who set a youthful pace for guitarists Marc B and Ray Mensh to try and match on Serpents, Frozen Ground and Fratricide.
With this muscle behind him, Mem V. Stein's vocals are still strong as ever, probably more versatile now than they were in the 80's, as he sings of misinformation, the Waco Siege and all manner of ideological, political and environmental (Ravishing Waste) ideas. He's joined by Nasty Ronnie of Nasty Savage on a cover of that bands song Unchained Angel.
Death Mask Messiah is the sound of thrash band who are resolutely in their second life and proving that they should no doubt have the same reverence as their fellow Teutonic Thrashers. 8/10
Audrey Horne - Achilles (Napalm Records)
Norwegian heavy rockers Audrey Horne are band and all is right with the world, myself and a former contributor to this publication have been big fans of the band for a number rof years now, always excited when a new record of there's drops. One hasn't dropped once 2022's Devil's Bell, due to guitarist Ice Dale being needed in Enslaved is assume but now they launch their eighth record, Achilles but like there titular inspiration will it have a fatal flaw?
Well we're into a good thing with the Title Track as Dale and Thomas Tofthagen let the retro rock riffs do the work as they bring some Zeppelin inspiration (you can probably guess the track from the riff) to start the album strongly.
We take a journey into the strutting twin harmonies of the 80's with In The Eye Of The Hurricane, the choppy guitars that remind me of Rudolf and Matthias, the rhythm section of bassist Espen Lien and drummer Kjetil Greve, bring the groove, pace and power to Vampires, which has to be a lost Maiden song right?
Lipen also takes lead vocals for Lizzy-like strut of God Damn Beautiful, giving the triumphant tonsils of Toschie a rest, though he again shines like always, perfecting a balance between some of the best heavy rock singers from the 70's and 80's, (with a lot of Glenn Hughes) and it's this understanding and love of these classic bands that make Audrey Horne such a fun listen.
It's never a copycat, it's a jukebox of rocks best bands but on original songs that could have come off their definitive albums, each captured the way they sounded at their very best. Even their balladry on tracks such as Pretty Little Lies feels authentic and never saccharine, as they storm through tracks such as Running Through The Night which puts Deep Purple with The Sopranos in glorious union.
Audrey Horne never fail to make me smile and always make me bang my head, probably the best classic hard rock band out there today. Fatal flaw? Not on this Achilles, just rock n roll that could launch a thousand ships. 9/10
Static Abyss - The Dying Hunt (Peaceville)
Autopsy offshoot Static Abyss are now on their third studio album and thereby dispel any notion of this being just another vanity project outside of Greg Wilkinson and Chris Refert's "day job" in the US death metal legends.
Static Abyss are not a death metal band, not a death metal band in the traditional sense anyway. If you've heard their previous two record the you'll know they're a doom band that adopts the evil, unnerving sound of death metal.
On third record The Dying Heat, which is the first not to have a rapid release. Their previous two albums had a year between them, this one has has a bit more of gap but still has urgency, they've enlisted Necrot's Chad Gailey on the drums, keeping up their tradition of having death metal musicians as part of the band.
With the doom tag stretched by the opening track Skull Blasted, it's with Lobotomized At Last that they slow at the end finally adding the doom to death which continues on the ominous title track. Static Abyss though never get too far away from their history as even when they slow things down it's not for too long.
No 20 minutes funeral dirges here, just some glacial frost and chilling grooves such as Bleeding In The Fog and Nowhere Forever that joins the blizzards such as Wall Of Delusion and Once A Corpse (Always A Corpse), none of the cuts going longer than five minutes but packing in riff after riff.
Static Abyss' third album isn't a huge step in any evolutionary direction, it's just more death doom from these scene veterans. 7/10
Tuesday, 8 September 2026
A View From The Trinity Centre: Bristol Extreme Fest (Matt Bladen)
Bristol Extreme Festival, Trinity Centre, Bristol, 29.08.26
The return of Bristol Extreme Fest was long awaited around these parts ever since the team behind Blastonbree and South West Heavy Fest announced that they would be bringing Greek Black Metal legends Rotting Christ to Bristol for first time in 22 years!
To get everyone ready for that though, a full day of extreme treats was organised inside and outside Bristol's Trinity Centre with the former church itself serving as the indoor stage sponsored by Black City Records while the outdoor stage was pitched up under a tent near the expansive gardens and had The Gryphon as stage sponsor, speaking to the strong links the festival has with the Bristol Metal Quarter and overall alternative scene. (South Wales promoters take note)
With excellent food options, plenty of merch available, a well stocked bar both inside and out and lot of room to relax if it all got too much, the entire day ran smoothly, was well organised and an absolute joy to experience. They even looked after those of us in the 'press core' even though we're sub human scum.
So already filled with a sense of excitement and in a good mood, we did have the bad news that outside stage headliners Benighted wouldn't be able to play due to some health issues, which was a major blow to the festival and the fans however they Bristol Extreme Fest promised a secret band which we'll get to later, but let say as a veteran of the South Wales/South West scene I had my ideas which proved to be correct.
Anyway all is to be revealed so it was a beverage that myself, my photographer/wife and colleagues from other publications moved to the outside stage, where things began with the grindcore assault of Public Execution (7).
The Didcot foursome play aggressive hardcore that takes from the underground scene, this meant there was a lot of start stop across the set every song ending quickly and into relative silence while these moments were full of banter as they called out politicians and those that oppress, it meant it was a a little disjoined. However when the loud and abrasive band let loose with the flurries of grindcore intensity, the pits and hardcore dancing was unstoppable.
As they finished up, we shuffled back inside for local act Oskaria (8) who bring Lovecraftian influenced heavy sludge/death doom, much like Conan, this three piece are crushing, trading off shouted vocals across their massive grooves. It was the first showcase of how varied 'extreme' metal can be as while the first band brought short and violent extremity. Oskaria are slower, more deliberate, with atmospheric passages that move into horror inspired ear drum rattling riffs.
As these rattled around our brain it was outside again for another local act, disgusting death metal crew Embodiment (7). Veterans of the local scene they pulled a big crowd and as soon as their tech death began you could instantly see why they are held in high regard locally. Intense and full of virtuosity, the beats were blasted, riffs whipped up the pits and vocals growled, playing mostly their new EP Cryptomorph, it reminded me why watching Embodiment has always been such a disgusting pleasure.
Far away from local though, next it was a Scottish death metal assault from Scordatura (7). Inspired by Vader and Suffocation, along with Cannibal Corpse and Dying Fetus, there's a myriad of classic death metal influences in their sound, which are all blended together through a tornado of blasts, growls and string abuse. A few modern touches creep in from the tech scene but mostly Scordatura are a homage to the best of death metal, channeled in their own impressive way.
Shifting back outside for the Manchester slam of Visions Of Disfigurement (7) and you know it's slam, you know what you're going to get but if you love to throw down in the pit while a band play songs with horrific titles then they'll definitely be the band for you. I don't know what else I can say about it, slam on stage is always more exciting than it is on record but there's certainly a 'sound' in the genre and VOD bring it completely.
Speaking of complete, it finally seems that Welsh atmospheric black metal crew Ofnus (9) are the complete unit they have always promised to be, on stage. With their new vocalist they have been given an injection of intensity and intimidation, Brendan stalking the stage, wide eyed and aloof.
As is usually the case with a band who have, sprawling songs that features numerous shifts in tone and pace, they only managed to play four tracks, but two of those were new tracks from their upcoming third album. Now I've heard these before but they come refined again in Bristol, with more potency, power, atmosphere and ferocity, the room held captivated by Ofnus as they moved towards the closer of Zenith Dolor which, as it normally does, brought even the most hardened metal fan to tears.
With cheeks wiped and protestations that it was foam from the beer, you can't help but be cheered up by Foetal Juice (8) who bring songs of gore, murder and perversion all delivered with and old school death metal aggression.
The return of Bristol Extreme Fest was long awaited around these parts ever since the team behind Blastonbree and South West Heavy Fest announced that they would be bringing Greek Black Metal legends Rotting Christ to Bristol for first time in 22 years!
To get everyone ready for that though, a full day of extreme treats was organised inside and outside Bristol's Trinity Centre with the former church itself serving as the indoor stage sponsored by Black City Records while the outdoor stage was pitched up under a tent near the expansive gardens and had The Gryphon as stage sponsor, speaking to the strong links the festival has with the Bristol Metal Quarter and overall alternative scene. (South Wales promoters take note)
With excellent food options, plenty of merch available, a well stocked bar both inside and out and lot of room to relax if it all got too much, the entire day ran smoothly, was well organised and an absolute joy to experience. They even looked after those of us in the 'press core' even though we're sub human scum.
So already filled with a sense of excitement and in a good mood, we did have the bad news that outside stage headliners Benighted wouldn't be able to play due to some health issues, which was a major blow to the festival and the fans however they Bristol Extreme Fest promised a secret band which we'll get to later, but let say as a veteran of the South Wales/South West scene I had my ideas which proved to be correct.
Anyway all is to be revealed so it was a beverage that myself, my photographer/wife and colleagues from other publications moved to the outside stage, where things began with the grindcore assault of Public Execution (7).
The Didcot foursome play aggressive hardcore that takes from the underground scene, this meant there was a lot of start stop across the set every song ending quickly and into relative silence while these moments were full of banter as they called out politicians and those that oppress, it meant it was a a little disjoined. However when the loud and abrasive band let loose with the flurries of grindcore intensity, the pits and hardcore dancing was unstoppable.
As they finished up, we shuffled back inside for local act Oskaria (8) who bring Lovecraftian influenced heavy sludge/death doom, much like Conan, this three piece are crushing, trading off shouted vocals across their massive grooves. It was the first showcase of how varied 'extreme' metal can be as while the first band brought short and violent extremity. Oskaria are slower, more deliberate, with atmospheric passages that move into horror inspired ear drum rattling riffs.
As these rattled around our brain it was outside again for another local act, disgusting death metal crew Embodiment (7). Veterans of the local scene they pulled a big crowd and as soon as their tech death began you could instantly see why they are held in high regard locally. Intense and full of virtuosity, the beats were blasted, riffs whipped up the pits and vocals growled, playing mostly their new EP Cryptomorph, it reminded me why watching Embodiment has always been such a disgusting pleasure.
Far away from local though, next it was a Scottish death metal assault from Scordatura (7). Inspired by Vader and Suffocation, along with Cannibal Corpse and Dying Fetus, there's a myriad of classic death metal influences in their sound, which are all blended together through a tornado of blasts, growls and string abuse. A few modern touches creep in from the tech scene but mostly Scordatura are a homage to the best of death metal, channeled in their own impressive way.
Shifting back outside for the Manchester slam of Visions Of Disfigurement (7) and you know it's slam, you know what you're going to get but if you love to throw down in the pit while a band play songs with horrific titles then they'll definitely be the band for you. I don't know what else I can say about it, slam on stage is always more exciting than it is on record but there's certainly a 'sound' in the genre and VOD bring it completely.
Speaking of complete, it finally seems that Welsh atmospheric black metal crew Ofnus (9) are the complete unit they have always promised to be, on stage. With their new vocalist they have been given an injection of intensity and intimidation, Brendan stalking the stage, wide eyed and aloof.
As is usually the case with a band who have, sprawling songs that features numerous shifts in tone and pace, they only managed to play four tracks, but two of those were new tracks from their upcoming third album. Now I've heard these before but they come refined again in Bristol, with more potency, power, atmosphere and ferocity, the room held captivated by Ofnus as they moved towards the closer of Zenith Dolor which, as it normally does, brought even the most hardened metal fan to tears.
With cheeks wiped and protestations that it was foam from the beer, you can't help but be cheered up by Foetal Juice (8) who bring songs of gore, murder and perversion all delivered with and old school death metal aggression.
The Manchester unit tip their hat to Cannibal Corpse and to Deicide, unleashing disgusting death metal that cries out for Hawaiian shirts and going absolutely mental in the dust of the outside stage. Again the titles are something to behold and while your gran may be shocked there's definitely a lot of filthy fun to be had.
A more serious tone to follow though as The Infernal Sea (8) returned from a hiatus and long term fans of the band may have been shocked when they stepped on to the stage without the plague doctor masks that have become so engrained with their image.
This is deliberate choice as after the festival they explained that there are now too many masked bands today and that they didn't want to be considered amongst these gimmick acts so they want to let their music say everything rather than their visual image.
A noble thing to do and as if to continue the idea of rebirth this was a special show celebrating 10 years since their second album The Great Mortality was released, choosing to play the record in full, perhaps may alienate newer fans but for a lot this is where the journey started.
So to my eyes and ears it was only right to christen this new era by revisiting who they were a decade ago but stripped of the visual distractions. I will say it worked as I've not seen them sound this ferocious.
With The Infernal Sea in their new iteration, welcomed back warmly we rode a wave of excitement for another exclusive set, this time from international brutal slam crew Kraanium (8) who were playing a UK exclusive show (probably due to the geographical differences between the band).
You know how I said slam was slam? Yeah maybe not this time as with a crowd full of inflatable hammers, Kraanium are certainly fun visually but their music is more than just disgusting grooves and gutter dwelling vocals, there's a technicality beneath the brutality, a constant volatility that kept the circle pits coming and the riffs as battering as a sledgehammer (non inflatable).
I'm never normally a fan of the whole slam genre but Kraanium are an exception to the rule, they're just too fun to ignore but it was back inside for a band who trade off on fun for mysticism and atmospheric intensity, as Scottish black metal apparition Fuath (8) made their way to Bristol.
Led by Andy Marshall who also spends his time with folk driven black metal act Saor, Fuath are a heavier, more uncomfortable prospect. Still drawing inspiration from bleak winters and mysticism, they are an atmospheric black metal band who bring melancholy to the evening, filtered through intense black metal work outs.
The perfect soundtrack to the setting sun, Fuath set a glacial tone ready for the indoor stage headliners, however first a secret needed to be revealed and it didn't stay a secret for long that it was the mighty South Wales death metal maniacs in Desecration (8) that stepped into Benighted's place at extremely short notice.
Almost two months before their scheduled return gig, this 'warm up' reminded me just how much I'd missed watching them live. Formed by Ollie Jones (vocals/guitars) in 1993, the Newport death crew have been through countless members over the years, resulting in long periods of in activity, mainly because Ollie and drummer Mike Hourihan are both part of Extreme Noise Terror.
Their most recent live hiatus has led to the recruitment of Charlie Rogers on bass and the trio took the outdoor stage by storm with their snarling, feral death metal now given some lead bass for added potency, this is death born from the 90's scene full of grind and gutturals, it's about as old school as it comes.
Always good to see Desecration and while some may have been disappointed about Benighted not playing you cannot argue with the calibre (and geographical closeness) of their replacement, more Desecration shows please!
Finally the entire mass of Bristol's (and beyond) metal community made their way onto the once consecrated ground of the Trinity Centre to witness the first live ritual in Bristol for 22 years from arguably the most important Greek metal band in history. Co-Founders of the Hellenic Black Metal scene they have transcended it to become a band who appeal to broad selection of the extreme metal crowd, adapting their early black metal rawness into the symphonic, cinematic blackned death metal band they are today.
Usually performing on stages much bigger than this seeing Rotting Christ (10) in such an intimate space was absolutely magnificent, surrounded by long time fans, newer converts, members of the other band who revere them as well as one or two Greeks who were absolutely losing their shit, Rotting Christ commanded the stage as soon as they stepped foot on it.
Brothers Sakis (vocals/guitar) and Themis (drums) Tolis still lead the band to this day, the living embodiment of the cry of "Non Serviam" that Rotting Christ have been living for 37 years! The irony of them performing in a former church was not lost on anyone but they were all about business, Sakis and Themis flanked by the two Kostas', lead guitarist Foukarakis and bassist Heliotis as they kicked off the set with Dies Irae.
Drawing mainly from their newer, I mean from 2010's Aealo onwards, material it was the perfect set for anyone who hasn't seen them in those 22 years since they last played Bristol but has watched them ascend to the lofty position they are at today, which has off the back of that album. Being so close to the band meant that you could see every emotion on the bands face, Sakis especially was having the time of his life, playing up to the crowd both at the front and at the side of stage.
For the long time fans there was of course older material including the ever present Non Serviam along with King Of The Stellar War but every song was greeted as if it was an old friend and while they've been away from Bristol for a long time, Rotting Christ came roaring back like they have something to prove and remind us what we've been missing.
An imperious headline set to top of a stellar day of music. Bristol Extreme Fest was a perfectly curated day of the best extreme music the UK and beyond has to offer, with special sets, returns and a headline set that will be difficult to top, we'll be keeping a close eye on the plans for 2027, but you should definitely be there!
A more serious tone to follow though as The Infernal Sea (8) returned from a hiatus and long term fans of the band may have been shocked when they stepped on to the stage without the plague doctor masks that have become so engrained with their image.
This is deliberate choice as after the festival they explained that there are now too many masked bands today and that they didn't want to be considered amongst these gimmick acts so they want to let their music say everything rather than their visual image.
A noble thing to do and as if to continue the idea of rebirth this was a special show celebrating 10 years since their second album The Great Mortality was released, choosing to play the record in full, perhaps may alienate newer fans but for a lot this is where the journey started.
So to my eyes and ears it was only right to christen this new era by revisiting who they were a decade ago but stripped of the visual distractions. I will say it worked as I've not seen them sound this ferocious.
With The Infernal Sea in their new iteration, welcomed back warmly we rode a wave of excitement for another exclusive set, this time from international brutal slam crew Kraanium (8) who were playing a UK exclusive show (probably due to the geographical differences between the band).
You know how I said slam was slam? Yeah maybe not this time as with a crowd full of inflatable hammers, Kraanium are certainly fun visually but their music is more than just disgusting grooves and gutter dwelling vocals, there's a technicality beneath the brutality, a constant volatility that kept the circle pits coming and the riffs as battering as a sledgehammer (non inflatable).
I'm never normally a fan of the whole slam genre but Kraanium are an exception to the rule, they're just too fun to ignore but it was back inside for a band who trade off on fun for mysticism and atmospheric intensity, as Scottish black metal apparition Fuath (8) made their way to Bristol.
Led by Andy Marshall who also spends his time with folk driven black metal act Saor, Fuath are a heavier, more uncomfortable prospect. Still drawing inspiration from bleak winters and mysticism, they are an atmospheric black metal band who bring melancholy to the evening, filtered through intense black metal work outs.
The perfect soundtrack to the setting sun, Fuath set a glacial tone ready for the indoor stage headliners, however first a secret needed to be revealed and it didn't stay a secret for long that it was the mighty South Wales death metal maniacs in Desecration (8) that stepped into Benighted's place at extremely short notice.
Almost two months before their scheduled return gig, this 'warm up' reminded me just how much I'd missed watching them live. Formed by Ollie Jones (vocals/guitars) in 1993, the Newport death crew have been through countless members over the years, resulting in long periods of in activity, mainly because Ollie and drummer Mike Hourihan are both part of Extreme Noise Terror.
Their most recent live hiatus has led to the recruitment of Charlie Rogers on bass and the trio took the outdoor stage by storm with their snarling, feral death metal now given some lead bass for added potency, this is death born from the 90's scene full of grind and gutturals, it's about as old school as it comes.
Always good to see Desecration and while some may have been disappointed about Benighted not playing you cannot argue with the calibre (and geographical closeness) of their replacement, more Desecration shows please!
Finally the entire mass of Bristol's (and beyond) metal community made their way onto the once consecrated ground of the Trinity Centre to witness the first live ritual in Bristol for 22 years from arguably the most important Greek metal band in history. Co-Founders of the Hellenic Black Metal scene they have transcended it to become a band who appeal to broad selection of the extreme metal crowd, adapting their early black metal rawness into the symphonic, cinematic blackned death metal band they are today.
Usually performing on stages much bigger than this seeing Rotting Christ (10) in such an intimate space was absolutely magnificent, surrounded by long time fans, newer converts, members of the other band who revere them as well as one or two Greeks who were absolutely losing their shit, Rotting Christ commanded the stage as soon as they stepped foot on it.
Brothers Sakis (vocals/guitar) and Themis (drums) Tolis still lead the band to this day, the living embodiment of the cry of "Non Serviam" that Rotting Christ have been living for 37 years! The irony of them performing in a former church was not lost on anyone but they were all about business, Sakis and Themis flanked by the two Kostas', lead guitarist Foukarakis and bassist Heliotis as they kicked off the set with Dies Irae.
Drawing mainly from their newer, I mean from 2010's Aealo onwards, material it was the perfect set for anyone who hasn't seen them in those 22 years since they last played Bristol but has watched them ascend to the lofty position they are at today, which has off the back of that album. Being so close to the band meant that you could see every emotion on the bands face, Sakis especially was having the time of his life, playing up to the crowd both at the front and at the side of stage.
For the long time fans there was of course older material including the ever present Non Serviam along with King Of The Stellar War but every song was greeted as if it was an old friend and while they've been away from Bristol for a long time, Rotting Christ came roaring back like they have something to prove and remind us what we've been missing.
An imperious headline set to top of a stellar day of music. Bristol Extreme Fest was a perfectly curated day of the best extreme music the UK and beyond has to offer, with special sets, returns and a headline set that will be difficult to top, we'll be keeping a close eye on the plans for 2027, but you should definitely be there!
Reviews: Mastodon, Flotsam & Jetsam, Those Made Broken, Devil Master (Mark Young & Matt Bladen)
Mastodon - Marrow Deep (Loma Vista) [Mark Young]
It's Mastodon with their first post Brent LP.
So – lets get something out of the way now; I’ve seen comments like No Brent = No Mastodon. This is fine, it’s an opinion that you should hold to if its actually what you feel, instead of another way of saying you don’t like the band.
The lead work is very good, Golden Spires being a wonderful example of this, nestled in amongst a superb riff set that channels tasteful delivery and pure skill and its something that repeats across the album on the whole.
It's Mastodon with their first post Brent LP.
So – lets get something out of the way now; I’ve seen comments like No Brent = No Mastodon. This is fine, it’s an opinion that you should hold to if its actually what you feel, instead of another way of saying you don’t like the band.
Whilst Brent was considered by many to be the heart and soul of the band, personally I felt that his influence and involvement had diminished over time.
There has been that falling out, and he left them behind. I’m not interested in the whys or wherefores of that, I like others weren’t going to be able change that status so you got on with it.
That separation became permanent following his untimely death which may just have served as the catalyst for a rebirth for the band. I suppose this is a long winded way of saying that if the lack of Brent will stop you from even trying a song from this, then you should leave and listen to something else.
Ok, now to the album.
So as you follow their progression from battering ram with a mad smile through to the more complex progressions and dense storytelling, we land at the modern version of the band, where they had moved beyond just heavy metal, and just played heavy music that went wherever it needed to.
Ok, now to the album.
So as you follow their progression from battering ram with a mad smile through to the more complex progressions and dense storytelling, we land at the modern version of the band, where they had moved beyond just heavy metal, and just played heavy music that went wherever it needed to.
The death of Hinds as well as Brann’s mother played a massive part in tone here, and the opening of Barbarians Blood is straight into that measure; its lush, built off a scale that is constantly moving. Its them, unmistakeably so. Guitar lines that fold in on themselves, the dual vocals of Troy and Brann are present and an arrangement that goes everywhere.
It doesn’t sound that far removed from Hushed And Grim but possesses a greater urgency to it. Subconsciously needing to write the best material they could weighed heavily on them, and for me this is a much more accessible album.
There is a section on Poisonous Weapons with Brann singing over one of those mint progressions that they just throw up on a whim. Do the lead breaks have the Brent Stamp? Of course not, how could they and it would be insensitive to try to do that.
Your Ghost Again is a cracker, one that you assume would have had Brent’s singing on it but without they are pushing as hard as they can to excise any negative feeling remaining. One thing that is clear is that there is no scraping of barrels from albums past; They are still creative, still writing music that you want to play yourself.
Snakes For Dinner with Josh Homme making an appearance is another strong effort which solidifies their approach – its heavy when it needs to be, but not if it doesn’t fit the song itself.
There are softer moments on here such as In The Ruins where the everything is dialled back but you know it won’t stay like that for long and it doesn’t. The fact that it went the way you thought it would does not make it a lesser song because having that dynamic to it makes it a better song than if it had stayed in its meek form.
The lead work is very good, Golden Spires being a wonderful example of this, nestled in amongst a superb riff set that channels tasteful delivery and pure skill and its something that repeats across the album on the whole.
They wrap up an hour or so with The Three Fates. In the past they have left a jewel at the end and with this one, I’m not quite sure. Of all the tracks this one could have been trimmed a little and it would have been better received.
It’s the sound of a band that has recaptured a feeling that was previously lost to them. The fact that Brent left has allowed them to move into their next phase, like marriage sometimes they fail and the separate parties have to move and evolve or risk repeating the same mistakes.
It’s the sound of a band that has recaptured a feeling that was previously lost to them. The fact that Brent left has allowed them to move into their next phase, like marriage sometimes they fail and the separate parties have to move and evolve or risk repeating the same mistakes.
Its recorded as a 5 piece now, with a keyboardist in tow to further fill that sound out. They do this in the right way, its not in your face and changing the sound dramatically, rather you just notice it and approve.
It is a song or two heavy; I will say that but if you consider that they had a lot to say I’m not going to penalise them for it.
It is a song or two heavy; I will say that but if you consider that they had a lot to say I’m not going to penalise them for it.
Each song has its own uniqueness to it, from a vocal delivery to a progression to a lead break, its so rich in what it offers the listener that even with a run time that could have been trimmed it is still one of the albums of the year for me. 9/10
Flotsam & Jetsam - Rats In The Temple (Napalm Records) [Matt Bladen]
RATS! RATS IN THE TEMPLE! I can almost see the face of the horrified priest as he screams, running from the pulpit as the mutated creatures gnaw their way through the walls. It's the kind of B-Movie silliness that has been closely associated with thrash metal.
However Flotsam & Jetsam are more than just your typical thrash metal band, yes they came out of the late 80's and even featured a bassist who would go on to be in Metallica, but since their 2019 album The End Of Chaos they have adopted a sound that sits them closer to the American power metal style.
Think Metal Church, Jag Panzer and you'll be in the right ballpark. Aggressive riffs, blast beats and tough vocals that come from the thrash side but with melodic lead guitars and choruses that are made to be shouted out loud as they deliver more dark tales of death, abuse, betrayal, and war, subjects that just fit the Flotsam & Jetsam aesthetic.
Eric AK Knutson's vocals are excellent, he snarls, shouts, wails, a powerhouse who has been leading the band since 1982, sounding as good now as he did then, better even.
Guitarists Michael Gilbert and Steve Conley share the rapid fire riffs on the blistering The Ghost Behind My Door and the widdly trade offs on The Edge Of Nowhere aland Last Rites, where Ken Mary (drums) keep the pace breakneck as William Bodily (bass) brings a tough groove to A Taste For War, locking in with Mary.
There are Rats In The Temple but Flotsam & Jetsam are ready to exterminate them with their sixteenth studio album and Napalm Records debut. 8/10
Those Made Broken - A Door You Can Never Close (Self Released) [Matt Bladen]
I had to do some research when I started listening to A Door You Can Never Close, as over a decade ago there was a post grunge band from Glasgow called Logan, they sounded a lot like Creed and Nickelback but also managed to creep their way into classic grunge bands like Alice In Chains.
The research I did was to see if fellow Glasgow band Those Made Broken shared any members from that band as they also have a grunge/post-grunge sound, but there's brings the likes of Karnivool and Soen to mind with an emotional alt rock sound, perhaps a more refined version of what they were doing before.
It's turns out this was not the case as singer John Murray and guitarist Scott Wood met at Glasgow music college and formed a band, joined by bassist Paul Robertson (ex-Dirt) and drummer Martin John 'Hutch' Hutchison (ex-Vega).
A Door You Can Never Close is their sophomore record and refines their alt rock to its most melodic and atmospheric, hooked on huge choruses such as Monsters.
Those Made Broken make sure that the songs speak for themselves, little messing around, just hard hitting tracks that are made for the stage, performed with conviction by musicians that all excel at their individual roles.
From the spacious drumming of Martin John, through the sprawling bass of Paul on the grooving These City Walls, Scott's guitar playing has the technicality and feel of Mark Tremonti on These City Walls and Have Everything as John Murray has one of the clearest, emotive and refined voices I've heard in a long time..
Beneath all the songs there's a vein of synths/keys that run through the whole record just creating atmospheric expression, taking over completely on final track Rest. These electronics take the band to a more accomplished place than many would be on their second album in my opinion.
So while there's no link to Logan, much like I loved them, I love Those Made Broken, I just how that they manage to break out of being an underground sensation into being the the next big thing, as on this evidence they deserve it. 9/10
Devil Master - Bloody Dreams (Relapse Records) [Mark Young]
I don’t think it happens often that I don’t like something from the off. Bloody Dreams is one of those occasions where I just found it a massive waste of time.
Flotsam & Jetsam - Rats In The Temple (Napalm Records) [Matt Bladen]
RATS! RATS IN THE TEMPLE! I can almost see the face of the horrified priest as he screams, running from the pulpit as the mutated creatures gnaw their way through the walls. It's the kind of B-Movie silliness that has been closely associated with thrash metal.
However Flotsam & Jetsam are more than just your typical thrash metal band, yes they came out of the late 80's and even featured a bassist who would go on to be in Metallica, but since their 2019 album The End Of Chaos they have adopted a sound that sits them closer to the American power metal style.
Think Metal Church, Jag Panzer and you'll be in the right ballpark. Aggressive riffs, blast beats and tough vocals that come from the thrash side but with melodic lead guitars and choruses that are made to be shouted out loud as they deliver more dark tales of death, abuse, betrayal, and war, subjects that just fit the Flotsam & Jetsam aesthetic.
Eric AK Knutson's vocals are excellent, he snarls, shouts, wails, a powerhouse who has been leading the band since 1982, sounding as good now as he did then, better even.
Guitarists Michael Gilbert and Steve Conley share the rapid fire riffs on the blistering The Ghost Behind My Door and the widdly trade offs on The Edge Of Nowhere aland Last Rites, where Ken Mary (drums) keep the pace breakneck as William Bodily (bass) brings a tough groove to A Taste For War, locking in with Mary.
There are Rats In The Temple but Flotsam & Jetsam are ready to exterminate them with their sixteenth studio album and Napalm Records debut. 8/10
Those Made Broken - A Door You Can Never Close (Self Released) [Matt Bladen]
I had to do some research when I started listening to A Door You Can Never Close, as over a decade ago there was a post grunge band from Glasgow called Logan, they sounded a lot like Creed and Nickelback but also managed to creep their way into classic grunge bands like Alice In Chains.
The research I did was to see if fellow Glasgow band Those Made Broken shared any members from that band as they also have a grunge/post-grunge sound, but there's brings the likes of Karnivool and Soen to mind with an emotional alt rock sound, perhaps a more refined version of what they were doing before.
It's turns out this was not the case as singer John Murray and guitarist Scott Wood met at Glasgow music college and formed a band, joined by bassist Paul Robertson (ex-Dirt) and drummer Martin John 'Hutch' Hutchison (ex-Vega).
A Door You Can Never Close is their sophomore record and refines their alt rock to its most melodic and atmospheric, hooked on huge choruses such as Monsters.
Those Made Broken make sure that the songs speak for themselves, little messing around, just hard hitting tracks that are made for the stage, performed with conviction by musicians that all excel at their individual roles.
From the spacious drumming of Martin John, through the sprawling bass of Paul on the grooving These City Walls, Scott's guitar playing has the technicality and feel of Mark Tremonti on These City Walls and Have Everything as John Murray has one of the clearest, emotive and refined voices I've heard in a long time..
Beneath all the songs there's a vein of synths/keys that run through the whole record just creating atmospheric expression, taking over completely on final track Rest. These electronics take the band to a more accomplished place than many would be on their second album in my opinion.
So while there's no link to Logan, much like I loved them, I love Those Made Broken, I just how that they manage to break out of being an underground sensation into being the the next big thing, as on this evidence they deserve it. 9/10
Devil Master - Bloody Dreams (Relapse Records) [Mark Young]
I don’t think it happens often that I don’t like something from the off. Bloody Dreams is one of those occasions where I just found it a massive waste of time.
Is it me? Maybe, but let’s blame them instead. Its 6 songs that bounce between metal and punk, with a lo-fi sound that sits within the just about recorded state to give it a touch of authenticity.
I couldn’t find anything here that I liked, and it’s not that I haven’t sat with this and give it a fair go. The songs just pass by without leaving a mark on me, and while I appreciate that they have a following and that the punk/crust approach works for some, I just couldn’t get onboard with it.
So, to try and avoid a hatchet job where I write some snarky words in an effort to make myself look better, lets settle on the fact that I didn’t like it.
So, to try and avoid a hatchet job where I write some snarky words in an effort to make myself look better, lets settle on the fact that I didn’t like it.
One positive is that the songs are by and large short affairs, and where they do stray into longer territory, they try to keep the speed up to ensure that you don’t get bored by them. Its likely that watching them live will be a different beast altogether, which is true for a lot of bands who excel on stage but struggle to capture it in the studio.
It is certain that there will be more receptive people out there than me and this will appeal to fans of that blackened/crust/punk mix, delivered with a horror edge to it. I wish I could be more positive, but I can’t. I’m sure that they won’t lose any sleep over it. 5/10
Monday, 7 September 2026
Reviews: Nephila, Fen, Miscreance, Korpse (Rick Eaglestone, Matt Bladen, Mark Young & Spike)
Nephila - Huldra (Majestic Mountain Records) [Rick Eaglestone]
Nephila are a band that treats the 1970s not as a museum piece but as a doorway.
Formed in Arvika, deep in the Värmland forests, back in 2017, the masked seven-piece made their name on a heady brew of vintage heavy rock, psych and space-rock strut – two women trading vocal lines over a pair of guitars and a churning organ.
Their self-titled 2021 debut did well enough to land a P3 Guld nomination and now Five years on, Huldra arrives as the follow-up, and it is a markedly darker, stranger beast.
Huldra is a concept album, and a genuinely ambitious one. It takes its cue from the skogsrå – the Hulda of Nordic folklore, the forest spirit who lures wanderers off the path with a lovely face and, depending on which telling you believe, a hollow back or a cow's tail hidden under her skirts.
Huldra is a concept album, and a genuinely ambitious one. It takes its cue from the skogsrå – the Hulda of Nordic folklore, the forest spirit who lures wanderers off the path with a lovely face and, depending on which telling you believe, a hollow back or a cow's tail hidden under her skirts.
Nephila run each of the record's nine tracks as another chapter in her story, but the clever move is what they make her stand for.
In the band's reading she is less a monster than a mirror: a figure for every woman ever feared or hounded for the sin of belonging to only herself, for wanting independence, or power, or simply the freedom of the treeline over the tidy expectations of the village.
It is folklore pressed into service as something pointedly modern, myth as a way of talking about autonomy and about our nervous fascination with everything that lives beyond the fence.
The grooves that made the debut so moreish are still present and correct, but they have been dragged somewhere colder and heavier, the vintage warmth traded for something that broods.
The grooves that made the debut so moreish are still present and correct, but they have been dragged somewhere colder and heavier, the vintage warmth traded for something that broods.
It helps that Nephila are, frankly, a lot of band: two vocalists in Josephine Asker and newest recruit Linn Edlund, two guitarists in Hellenrud and Anton Athley, Charlie Andersson Vistbacka on bass, Johan Larsson's organ fattening the middle and Johan Lööf driving the lot from the kit.
When they lean in, the result is a proper wall of sound; when they pull back, those two voices do genuinely eerie things in the gaps.
Anyone raised on Graveyard, Lucifer or Blues Pills will find plenty to grab hold of, though Huldra is a grimmer prospect than any of them. They spring from the same fertile Swedish retro-heavy seam as Graveyard and Witchcraft before them, but where a good deal of that scene is content to bask in warm analogue nostalgia, Nephila are actively trying to escape its gravity, and this, for the most part, is the sound of them managing it.
Mother Of The Woods opens the record, and reads as the album's invocation, the summoning of the spirit before the story proper gets going. but a concept record this considered is unlikely to squander its first move on anything less than scene-setting, and I would expect it to lay out the ground rules: the groove, the gloom, and those two voices calling into the dark.
Mother Of The Woods opens the record, and reads as the album's invocation, the summoning of the spirit before the story proper gets going. but a concept record this considered is unlikely to squander its first move on anything less than scene-setting, and I would expect it to lay out the ground rules: the groove, the gloom, and those two voices calling into the dark.
The title alone – mother, woods, the source from which the rest of the story flows – suggests an origin point, the record handing you its mythology before it starts complicating it.
In Her Hands is one of the more immediate things on offer, a rolling, insistent groove that wears its hooks on the outside. It's the sort of track that lets you into the record before it starts asking the harder questions, and that parenthetical subtitle tells you plenty about where the album's head is at: seduction and captivity, the Huldra's two faces, folded straight into the chorus.
The Hidden Folk is where the folklore really takes hold, all creeping menace and close harmony, the two singers circling one another like something half-glimpsed between the trunks. It is a fine advert for what this incarnation of Nephila does that the old one didn't – the retro swagger survives, but it has been iced over, and the effect is a good deal more unsettling for it.
Ash Their Bones promises the record's nastiest turn – a bonfire of a track, if there's any justice, and shrewdly placed at the album's quarter mark to stop the mood settling into mere prettiness. On a record about what the forest does to those who wander in, a song named for burning bones is unlikely to be a lullaby.
Capercailles Hymn borrows its name from the capercaillie, the great booming forest grouse whose dawn courtship is one of the eeriest sounds in the Scandinavian woods, a nice bit of folklore-nerdery that suggests the band have done their reading.
In Her Hands is one of the more immediate things on offer, a rolling, insistent groove that wears its hooks on the outside. It's the sort of track that lets you into the record before it starts asking the harder questions, and that parenthetical subtitle tells you plenty about where the album's head is at: seduction and captivity, the Huldra's two faces, folded straight into the chorus.
The Hidden Folk is where the folklore really takes hold, all creeping menace and close harmony, the two singers circling one another like something half-glimpsed between the trunks. It is a fine advert for what this incarnation of Nephila does that the old one didn't – the retro swagger survives, but it has been iced over, and the effect is a good deal more unsettling for it.
Ash Their Bones promises the record's nastiest turn – a bonfire of a track, if there's any justice, and shrewdly placed at the album's quarter mark to stop the mood settling into mere prettiness. On a record about what the forest does to those who wander in, a song named for burning bones is unlikely to be a lullaby.
Capercailles Hymn borrows its name from the capercaillie, the great booming forest grouse whose dawn courtship is one of the eeriest sounds in the Scandinavian woods, a nice bit of folklore-nerdery that suggests the band have done their reading.
Sight unheard, I would wager it for one of the album's quieter, more ritual moments: the hush in the clearing before the back half turns dark again.
Huldra, the title track and lead video, is the thesis in miniature and the best possible shop window for the new sound. It sets the band's old rolling groove against a guitar tone with real teeth and an atmosphere that slides from mystical to menacing and back, the two vocalists selling the spirit's double nature – alluring one moment, predatory the next with impressive control.
Huldra, the title track and lead video, is the thesis in miniature and the best possible shop window for the new sound. It sets the band's old rolling groove against a guitar tone with real teeth and an atmosphere that slides from mystical to menacing and back, the two vocalists selling the spirit's double nature – alluring one moment, predatory the next with impressive control.
If you want to know in four minutes whether this darker Nephila is for you, start here. It's also, tellingly, the track they chose to lead with visually. The accompanying video leaning hard into the band's mask-and-shadow theatre and doing a neat job of selling the album's world before you've heard a second of the rest of it.
Solar Eclipse brings a wider, more cosmic sweep, the space-rock end of Nephila's palette given room to drift before the pull of the earth (and the forest) hauls it back down. It's a useful reminder that, for all the Nordic-folk framing, this is still a band with one boot planted firmly in the psychedelic cosmos.
Living Grave is the album's psychological gut-punch and, for my money. Built on a lurching, dissociative groove, it dramatises the moment you catch your own reflection and find something else looking back – the self-coming quietly apart as the forest closes in around it.
Solar Eclipse brings a wider, more cosmic sweep, the space-rock end of Nephila's palette given room to drift before the pull of the earth (and the forest) hauls it back down. It's a useful reminder that, for all the Nordic-folk framing, this is still a band with one boot planted firmly in the psychedelic cosmos.
Living Grave is the album's psychological gut-punch and, for my money. Built on a lurching, dissociative groove, it dramatises the moment you catch your own reflection and find something else looking back – the self-coming quietly apart as the forest closes in around it.
The dual vocals are put to genuinely disquieting use here, one voice the person and the other the thing wearing their face, and the heavier, brooding direction pays off completely. If the rest of the record hits like this, Huldra is a triumph.
F.I.N.N closes the album, and it delivers a great ending to what have been overall some great storytelling.
Trading the easy warmth of retro heavy rock for something colder, weirder, and considerably more demanding has been gamble that appears to have paid off handsomely. There is a related danger in the atmosphere itself: lean too hard on gloom and cinematic sweep and you can end up admiring a record rather than loving it.
F.I.N.N closes the album, and it delivers a great ending to what have been overall some great storytelling.
Trading the easy warmth of retro heavy rock for something colder, weirder, and considerably more demanding has been gamble that appears to have paid off handsomely. There is a related danger in the atmosphere itself: lean too hard on gloom and cinematic sweep and you can end up admiring a record rather than loving it.
But the folklore-as-feminism reading hands Huldra a spine that a lesser concept album would lack, and a seven-piece with two voices this strong has more tools than most for keeping the thing alive across its full running time.
Coming from a band who could have played it safe and pointedly didn't, Huldra shapes up as one of the more intriguing releases of the year a record that walks willingly into the dark and, on the strength of what I’ve heard, seems in no great hurry to come back out. 8/10
Fen - Elemental Part One: Mourning Earth (Prophecy Productions) [Matt Bladen]
Atmospheric black metal, post black metal, there's a whole list of genre tags you could use for East Anglian band Fen but they've always been a band who are unafraid to shift their creative boundaries.
With seven previous albums behind them, the founding duo of The Watcher (vocals/guitar/synth) and Grungyn (bass/vocals) have been guiding the ever shifting extreme fringe metal of Fen since its creating in 2006. Since 2020 they've been joined by drummer JG and with Elemental Part One: Mourning Earth they seek to follow up the fantastic 2023 release Monuments To Absence.
It's a record that sees them return to their roots, to the fens that they take their name from, mystical and mythical, they move away from the metallic intensity that was their last album allowing this one to breathe a lot more as they step back into the style they first emerged with, though with the knowledge of 20 years of what Fen should be.
Recorded live to allow it to undulate and evolve naturally, Mourninal Earth feels elemental, as if drawn from the world around it and conducted through this trio of creatives, it means that when things need to breathe they can as lucid atmospherics and clean moments of wonder taking in the sheer beauty of the landscape while benath it lies danger and a sense of dread created by the destructive black metal assault.
It's a record where you can't focus on individual phases, you have to take it all in as a whole joint the band on this sonic journey as they have intended, through nearly 47 minutes of magnificence. If you're still hungry for more then the special edition features two more original tracks along with covers of W.A.S.P, The Cure and Crosby, Stills And Nash.
If the varied nature of the artist covered doesn't tell you how versatile Fen are as a band then I don't know what to say, just let Elemental Part One: Mourning Earth wash over you with it's excellence, here's hoping the next part isn't too far away. 9/10
Miscreance - Reminiscence (Season Of Mist) [Mark Young]
Coming from a band who could have played it safe and pointedly didn't, Huldra shapes up as one of the more intriguing releases of the year a record that walks willingly into the dark and, on the strength of what I’ve heard, seems in no great hurry to come back out. 8/10
Fen - Elemental Part One: Mourning Earth (Prophecy Productions) [Matt Bladen]
Atmospheric black metal, post black metal, there's a whole list of genre tags you could use for East Anglian band Fen but they've always been a band who are unafraid to shift their creative boundaries.
With seven previous albums behind them, the founding duo of The Watcher (vocals/guitar/synth) and Grungyn (bass/vocals) have been guiding the ever shifting extreme fringe metal of Fen since its creating in 2006. Since 2020 they've been joined by drummer JG and with Elemental Part One: Mourning Earth they seek to follow up the fantastic 2023 release Monuments To Absence.
It's a record that sees them return to their roots, to the fens that they take their name from, mystical and mythical, they move away from the metallic intensity that was their last album allowing this one to breathe a lot more as they step back into the style they first emerged with, though with the knowledge of 20 years of what Fen should be.
Recorded live to allow it to undulate and evolve naturally, Mourninal Earth feels elemental, as if drawn from the world around it and conducted through this trio of creatives, it means that when things need to breathe they can as lucid atmospherics and clean moments of wonder taking in the sheer beauty of the landscape while benath it lies danger and a sense of dread created by the destructive black metal assault.
It's a record where you can't focus on individual phases, you have to take it all in as a whole joint the band on this sonic journey as they have intended, through nearly 47 minutes of magnificence. If you're still hungry for more then the special edition features two more original tracks along with covers of W.A.S.P, The Cure and Crosby, Stills And Nash.
If the varied nature of the artist covered doesn't tell you how versatile Fen are as a band then I don't know what to say, just let Elemental Part One: Mourning Earth wash over you with it's excellence, here's hoping the next part isn't too far away. 9/10
Miscreance - Reminiscence (Season Of Mist) [Mark Young]
Despite their protestations in the accompanying bio, there is a large debt to death amongst others within Miscreance’s sound, and I think its important to get that out of the way first. Protestations is probably too strong, but I liked it and have managed to shoehorn it into this review twice.
Their nod to the ‘classics’ is clear but that doesn’t mean that they just copy and approximate with no talent of their own. Trait d’Union starts in their own fashion, an introduction that is ill-fitting to an album of death metal until they remember what they should be doing and break out the technical rhythms in a way that confirms that there is so much more to them than just technical death metal.
There is a section here that owes more to Mastodon than anyone else, a mesmeric guitar line that comes in like a spider weaving an oversized web. It’s all familiar yet new, and personally if they are looking at amping up the classics then I’m all for it.
As the opener fades Vision drops in and they display more of that technical aggression. It follows a classic arrangement – fast riffs, then faster before they decide to turn things back on itself. Its not that they are playing fast and loose, its more that they just happen to know what works and what doesn’t.
Midway there’s a switch in vocal styles which adds a manic edge to proceedings instead of pole-axing any momentum built. Two tracks in and we are looking at a band that is on top of their game in terms of picking the right riff, the right drum pattern.
I appreciate that basing a review off the first two songs is a risky gambit, but there’s nothing to worry about with the songs that follow; Scalp Ceremony is a tight three minutes of focused bottom end riffs and melodic flourishes that concentrates on squeezing as much into this time as possible.
The lead break on Synaptic Cortex Dissection that flows into a riff break that reduces in bodily substance is something else. You expect them to wrap that break up by dropping into the heavy attack but nope, they go the other way. It’s that commitment to making these songs theirs that shines through.
For those who want to decry them as being a sound-a-like, knock yourself out. On the other hand if you want some top class technical death metal with a beating heart, then step on up. What they do is to skilfully mix hard edged guitar parts with melodic lines that spin around you.
Check the end of Oracle’s Rift for an example of this; a simple repetitive riff that allows them to break out the leads over the top of it. And bring bongos too.
If you consider that at some point, they have to have a lull, a point where a song doesn’t hit the relative heights of others on here, I mean you’d think that it’s a given. And you would be wrong.
If you consider that at some point, they have to have a lull, a point where a song doesn’t hit the relative heights of others on here, I mean you’d think that it’s a given. And you would be wrong.
The later songs do follow a certain template, and I suggest that this cannot be avoided due to the music they play; the urge to be able to throw those spidery rhythm lines so they can break out the leads must be undeniable.
The difference is that the material is strong, Zenith Of A Dying Sun shares that common DNA with Vision but is not a carbon copy of it. It’s a band where its component parts are firing in equal measures giving you a balanced and incredibly satisfying 37 minutes of technical freak out.
Of course, the final song has the ability to make or break things so obviously Mirage starts like it is on a mission, one that is devoted to a song that seems to wrap in on itself until its replaced by acoustic guitars playing a repeating measure.
And that is that. 9 songs that represent a high standard of technical death metal that have enough of an eye to the classics to know what very good sounds like whilst stamping their own manic energy on them. They are certainly one to look out for. 8/10
Korpse – Forbid (Unique Leader Records) [Spike]
Sometimes you don't need a sprawling, hour-long concept record to get the point across. You just need three tracks of pure, concentrated hostility.
Dutch slam and brutal death metal veterans Korpse have had a rough ride over the past couple of years, weathering plenty of personal and band turmoil.
But instead of letting circumstances derail them, they’ve channelled every ounce of that frustration straight into the amplifiers. The result is Forbid, a short, merciless three-track EP released via Unique Leader that hits with genuine, weapons-grade anger.
The title track, Forbid, kicks down the door and sets the tone immediately with a spoken sample: "Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity." That Martin Luther King Jr. quote nails the ethos of this release right to the wall.
It gives the track an immediate, sharp bite before Floor van Kuijk’s guitars and Marten van Kruijssen’s battering drums drop like an anvil. Sven van Dijk’s vocals remain utterly inhuman, a cavernous, guttural roar that doesn't mask the lyrics behind studio tricks, but hurls them right into your face.
They keep the pressure relentless on Imminent Immolation. There’s no easing off the gas here; it’s a tight, suffocating display of slamming death metal that balances sheer velocity with bone-breaking half-time grooves.
Ante Zorić’s bass tone has a filthy, clattering presence in the bottom end that gives every slam section a physical, stomach-turning punch. It’s brutal, ugly, and played with the kind of laser focus that only comes from seasoned players who genuinely live and breathe this sound.
Then comes the curveball to close the EP: a cover of Lamb Of God’s Now You've Got Something To Die For. Taking an iconic, arena-sized modern groove metal anthem and running it through a death metal meat grinder is always a risky move, but Korpse completely make it their own.
They strip away any lingering radio sheen, slowing the main riff down into a sickening, concrete-heavy stomp and replacing Blythe’s rasp with Sven’s subterranean growl. It shouldn't work as well as it does, but it ends up sounding like a natural extension of their own scorched-earth catalogue.
Clocking in at just under ten minutes, Forbid doesn't give you time to get comfortable. It’s a furious, cathartic purge from a band refusing to stay down, and it feels absolutely awesome to listen to.
Korpse – Forbid (Unique Leader Records) [Spike]
Sometimes you don't need a sprawling, hour-long concept record to get the point across. You just need three tracks of pure, concentrated hostility.
Dutch slam and brutal death metal veterans Korpse have had a rough ride over the past couple of years, weathering plenty of personal and band turmoil.
But instead of letting circumstances derail them, they’ve channelled every ounce of that frustration straight into the amplifiers. The result is Forbid, a short, merciless three-track EP released via Unique Leader that hits with genuine, weapons-grade anger.
The title track, Forbid, kicks down the door and sets the tone immediately with a spoken sample: "Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity." That Martin Luther King Jr. quote nails the ethos of this release right to the wall.
It gives the track an immediate, sharp bite before Floor van Kuijk’s guitars and Marten van Kruijssen’s battering drums drop like an anvil. Sven van Dijk’s vocals remain utterly inhuman, a cavernous, guttural roar that doesn't mask the lyrics behind studio tricks, but hurls them right into your face.
They keep the pressure relentless on Imminent Immolation. There’s no easing off the gas here; it’s a tight, suffocating display of slamming death metal that balances sheer velocity with bone-breaking half-time grooves.
Ante Zorić’s bass tone has a filthy, clattering presence in the bottom end that gives every slam section a physical, stomach-turning punch. It’s brutal, ugly, and played with the kind of laser focus that only comes from seasoned players who genuinely live and breathe this sound.
Then comes the curveball to close the EP: a cover of Lamb Of God’s Now You've Got Something To Die For. Taking an iconic, arena-sized modern groove metal anthem and running it through a death metal meat grinder is always a risky move, but Korpse completely make it their own.
They strip away any lingering radio sheen, slowing the main riff down into a sickening, concrete-heavy stomp and replacing Blythe’s rasp with Sven’s subterranean growl. It shouldn't work as well as it does, but it ends up sounding like a natural extension of their own scorched-earth catalogue.
Clocking in at just under ten minutes, Forbid doesn't give you time to get comfortable. It’s a furious, cathartic purge from a band refusing to stay down, and it feels absolutely awesome to listen to.
If this is where Korpse are heading after surviving their recent hurdles, the next full-length is going to be terrifying. 9/10
Saturday, 5 September 2026
A View From The Field: Stonedead Festival (Misfit Jax)
Stonedead Festival, Newark Showgrounds, 29.08.26
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The cliche rainy festival weather finally caught up to Newark Showgrounds for Stonedead Festival, but that didn't dampen the spirits of the festival goers. The parking for both campers and non campers is perfect as the event is easy just to walk in and walk out.
Due to lateness, Armoured Saint's (7) set time was cut a bit short. Still to great to have John Bush (who most of us we remember from his time in Anthrax as well) with his original band, playing on a stage that wasn't one of the larger festivals in the UK. Probably a discovery for some, a long wait for nostalgia for others. Enjoyable to see Armored Saint do their thing despite their shorter set.
Power metal graces the grounds of Stonedead with Battlebeast (9), who again had a few technical issues, but managed to get over them. Now fronted by Marina La Torraca (Phantom Elite/Exit Eden) they got the crowd very hyped for their full force power metal.Like many power metal bands they brought fire to the Stonedead stage though or in the case of the weather perhaps brought the storm.
Midlands rock legends Magnum (7) followed but again some more techicnal issues meant the vocals of Bob Catley were a bit off but this veteran band played on. With the audience of Stonedead full of longtime fans, they were warmly appreciated anyway, no matter what happened. So there was plenty of effort that thankfully got picked up later performance, lettinn longtime fans enjoying the nostalgia of this band and pay tribute to the departed Tony Clarkin.
German metal legends Accept (9) made their Stonedead debut and the Teutonic metal crew, brought the pyro, the smoke, the aura with them and some confetti cannons too but they bring it with twin axe attack. With the band celebrating being Half a Century old, this was a celebration. They brought John Bush on stage for a song and while doing their final number Balls To The Wall, halfway through the second chorus,the tech blew out.
lThe cliche rainy festival weather finally caught up to Newark Showgrounds for Stonedead Festival, but that didn't dampen the spirits of the festival goers. The parking for both campers and non campers is perfect as the event is easy just to walk in and walk out.
So if you need to put some band merch or goodies from the stalls away in your car or to go and have a nap in your tent, it's not a long trudge. Held once a year, it was muddy, wet, thankfully not too cold, so still fairly temperate, never the less people sat in their chairs, stood in their spots watching, drinking, eating, enjoying the weekend merriment.
Stalls and food sets are more like a circular layout than this over here or that over there, whether you're shopping or hungry easy to find for what you fancy being band merch, maybe some patches, a curry, sandwiches or some nice jewellery.
The Stonedead volunteer crew is more like a family than a unit like everyone is familiar with each other than just strangers looking for festival work put together, no egos, no cliques, everyone steps in, Krusher Joule of course was Krusher, being who he's always been but makes it work as an MC of the festival with anecdotes and unapologetic humour.
Aethoria (7) were up first, energetic, moving between fast and slow parts easily, while also bringing the melodic a mixed blend musical flow. A good opening for the festival, and I'll also mention that they were very elegant and polite when addressing the crowd not even swearing. (What nice boys - Ed)
Next it got louder with Asomvel (8). All leather jackets, snarling vocals, double kick bass drums, a bassist that plays lead as the band put their sound through a huge stacks of Marshall amps (Remind you of anyone?) Never the less they are their own band and play the mix of rock n roll and speed metal, encouraging audience participation with I Was Born To Rock N Roll and Asomvel want them to shout and be passionate about it. They even gave a sneak peak of new material from Set Your World On Fire as Stonedead was lucky to hear that.
Pennsylvania based band Crobot (6) were following that. Not to be confused with Crowbar, this is very much groove metal/rock that gets your toes tapping, as well as head banging, for those that can of course. They have an element of the American blues still remains in their music which gives you a feeling as if you're driving and taking road trips or racking up for a game of billards in your local, easygoing an groovy, Crobot were a step toward the calmer tunes.
As soon as The Damn Truth (7) step on stage you've been sent back in time. Their look, the music has that late 60s early, 70s rock nostalgia feel while also keeping it present. Despite some minor technical errors, they made it work and giving it everything they got for the festival. They wer also the first band to get the beach ball going, while giving the Stonedead crowd first dibs on their album vinyl before release on Sept 11th this year.
Stalls and food sets are more like a circular layout than this over here or that over there, whether you're shopping or hungry easy to find for what you fancy being band merch, maybe some patches, a curry, sandwiches or some nice jewellery.
The Stonedead volunteer crew is more like a family than a unit like everyone is familiar with each other than just strangers looking for festival work put together, no egos, no cliques, everyone steps in, Krusher Joule of course was Krusher, being who he's always been but makes it work as an MC of the festival with anecdotes and unapologetic humour.
Aethoria (7) were up first, energetic, moving between fast and slow parts easily, while also bringing the melodic a mixed blend musical flow. A good opening for the festival, and I'll also mention that they were very elegant and polite when addressing the crowd not even swearing. (What nice boys - Ed)
Next it got louder with Asomvel (8). All leather jackets, snarling vocals, double kick bass drums, a bassist that plays lead as the band put their sound through a huge stacks of Marshall amps (Remind you of anyone?) Never the less they are their own band and play the mix of rock n roll and speed metal, encouraging audience participation with I Was Born To Rock N Roll and Asomvel want them to shout and be passionate about it. They even gave a sneak peak of new material from Set Your World On Fire as Stonedead was lucky to hear that.
Pennsylvania based band Crobot (6) were following that. Not to be confused with Crowbar, this is very much groove metal/rock that gets your toes tapping, as well as head banging, for those that can of course. They have an element of the American blues still remains in their music which gives you a feeling as if you're driving and taking road trips or racking up for a game of billards in your local, easygoing an groovy, Crobot were a step toward the calmer tunes.
As soon as The Damn Truth (7) step on stage you've been sent back in time. Their look, the music has that late 60s early, 70s rock nostalgia feel while also keeping it present. Despite some minor technical errors, they made it work and giving it everything they got for the festival. They wer also the first band to get the beach ball going, while giving the Stonedead crowd first dibs on their album vinyl before release on Sept 11th this year.
Due to lateness, Armoured Saint's (7) set time was cut a bit short. Still to great to have John Bush (who most of us we remember from his time in Anthrax as well) with his original band, playing on a stage that wasn't one of the larger festivals in the UK. Probably a discovery for some, a long wait for nostalgia for others. Enjoyable to see Armored Saint do their thing despite their shorter set.
Power metal graces the grounds of Stonedead with Battlebeast (9), who again had a few technical issues, but managed to get over them. Now fronted by Marina La Torraca (Phantom Elite/Exit Eden) they got the crowd very hyped for their full force power metal.Like many power metal bands they brought fire to the Stonedead stage though or in the case of the weather perhaps brought the storm.
Midlands rock legends Magnum (7) followed but again some more techicnal issues meant the vocals of Bob Catley were a bit off but this veteran band played on. With the audience of Stonedead full of longtime fans, they were warmly appreciated anyway, no matter what happened. So there was plenty of effort that thankfully got picked up later performance, lettinn longtime fans enjoying the nostalgia of this band and pay tribute to the departed Tony Clarkin.
German metal legends Accept (9) made their Stonedead debut and the Teutonic metal crew, brought the pyro, the smoke, the aura with them and some confetti cannons too but they bring it with twin axe attack. With the band celebrating being Half a Century old, this was a celebration. They brought John Bush on stage for a song and while doing their final number Balls To The Wall, halfway through the second chorus,the tech blew out.
There came a chuckle, the band and audience seeing the funny side to it. We all sang along till the tech was fixed and so it was and away they all went back to the song. Accept play heavy metal classics but you must give to the band props for their choreography making it a whole a performance together rather than just playing in their spots, true heavy metal legends.
Mainly known to the world and mainstream listeners as the band who sang the Final Countdown, Europe (9) have many moresongs than that, in recent years releasing some of their best work as they have moved toward a bluesier hard rock sound. Thankfully the Stonedead crowd are discerning and are familiar with the majority of their songs. Europe's presence now is as just entertaining as it was in the 80s even though the wardrobe, and the hair has changed.
Mainly known to the world and mainstream listeners as the band who sang the Final Countdown, Europe (9) have many moresongs than that, in recent years releasing some of their best work as they have moved toward a bluesier hard rock sound. Thankfully the Stonedead crowd are discerning and are familiar with the majority of their songs. Europe's presence now is as just entertaining as it was in the 80s even though the wardrobe, and the hair has changed.
Playing older and newer material the fans were cheering every moment of the experience, which due to the rules of Stonedead will be their one and only time seeing them at the festival so they had to make it count since if you wanna catch them again it will be at a different gig or festival. Closing the festival with 'that song' will always make sure you bring the house down and that's excatly what Europe did.
In closing whether you wish to camp and stay over or just want a one and done festival experience while enjoying bands of both then and now, classic and upcoming, then pop or should I say rock to the Midlands for this soon to be almost a decade well established event from to the fans to the fans.
In closing whether you wish to camp and stay over or just want a one and done festival experience while enjoying bands of both then and now, classic and upcoming, then pop or should I say rock to the Midlands for this soon to be almost a decade well established event from to the fans to the fans.
It's value for your tickets and wallet plus as said before you have to make the memories count when bands you enjoy or get familiar with for future enjoyment only play here once. So you really make it count big time that's their choice, not mine unlike other festivals that bring back bands.
So Stonedead festival is worthy of being up there like the steelhouse festival, need I say more.
Friday, 4 September 2026
Reviews: Triosphere, Pyroclast, Xenith, Lifeswallower (Matt Bladen)
Triosphere - Oceans Above, Stars Below (Frontiers Music Srl)
Christ this is a blast from the past! The last Triosphere album, The Heart Of The Matter was released in 2014 (!) so there's been some expectation surrounding a fourth album, as they seemed to go into an extended hiatus which was extended by life circumstances, the pandemic and more.
They originally announced that they had started writing the record in 2016 but ten years later we finally get to hear Oceans Above, Stars Below as the Norwegian band sign to Frontiers Music and again recruit Jens Borgen to mix the record as they recorded with engineer/producer Alexander Backlund.
So with such a long gestation period what is Oceans Above, Stars Below actually like? Well it's definitely Triosphere at their most varied, still rooted in their muscular prog power, the foursome spread their wings with shifts into fast paced thrash metal, anthemic hard rock on Shorelines and soaring balladry on Encore.
Ida Haukland reaffirms how incredibly powerful her vocals are for anyone who may have forgotten after all this time in both Encore and Through The Phantom Wall as her bass gives the rhythmic grunt alongside drummer Kenneth Tårneby on killer cuts such as Orpheus' Bane.
Guitarists Marius Bergesen and Tor Ole Byberg take every opportunity to trade off solos and riffs, through the prog power of Cadence Of Chaos, the hard rock of Monster's Ball and Lightning In A Bottle as well as the blistering Of Tyrants.
Oceans Above, Stars Below sees Triosphere returning after a lengthy absence with an album that goes further into rock and balladry than they have before, but it means that this is their most varied and for my money best record. A supreme return for Triosphere. 9/10
Christ this is a blast from the past! The last Triosphere album, The Heart Of The Matter was released in 2014 (!) so there's been some expectation surrounding a fourth album, as they seemed to go into an extended hiatus which was extended by life circumstances, the pandemic and more.
They originally announced that they had started writing the record in 2016 but ten years later we finally get to hear Oceans Above, Stars Below as the Norwegian band sign to Frontiers Music and again recruit Jens Borgen to mix the record as they recorded with engineer/producer Alexander Backlund.
So with such a long gestation period what is Oceans Above, Stars Below actually like? Well it's definitely Triosphere at their most varied, still rooted in their muscular prog power, the foursome spread their wings with shifts into fast paced thrash metal, anthemic hard rock on Shorelines and soaring balladry on Encore.
Ida Haukland reaffirms how incredibly powerful her vocals are for anyone who may have forgotten after all this time in both Encore and Through The Phantom Wall as her bass gives the rhythmic grunt alongside drummer Kenneth Tårneby on killer cuts such as Orpheus' Bane.
Guitarists Marius Bergesen and Tor Ole Byberg take every opportunity to trade off solos and riffs, through the prog power of Cadence Of Chaos, the hard rock of Monster's Ball and Lightning In A Bottle as well as the blistering Of Tyrants.
Oceans Above, Stars Below sees Triosphere returning after a lengthy absence with an album that goes further into rock and balladry than they have before, but it means that this is their most varied and for my money best record. A supreme return for Triosphere. 9/10
Pyroclast - Fractured State (Furious Music)
Heavy metal band Pyroclast are both tectonic and Teutonic as their name and the first song from that album all share the same title, which is an actual tectonic event that causes devastation.
However they are also Teutonic in the musical sense with a style of heavy metal that comes from the German traditional/speed metal sound of Accept, Helloween, Blind Guardian and of course as they're Scottish they also draw heavily from the NWOBHM with the likes of Iron Maiden on Brought By The Flame and Beneath The Beyond, where the bass gallops alongside a twin axe attack.
Fractured State is their second studio album and it sees them exploring many different themes with their lyrics, upping their progressive influence due to the changes in time and pace that many of these songs contain especially the epic final number Erebus & Terror which was inspired by the 1845 Franklin Expedition, known as the 'Lost Expedition'.
Formerly known as Tantrum, as their music evolved they switched to the more incendiary Pyroclast and this new moniker reflects their molten mass of classic heavy metal sound much better. With riffs on the heavier end, a vocalist who has a Blaze Bayley-like holler and just anthemic trad metal throughout, Fractured State is a powerful follow up from Scots Pyroclast. 8/10
However they are also Teutonic in the musical sense with a style of heavy metal that comes from the German traditional/speed metal sound of Accept, Helloween, Blind Guardian and of course as they're Scottish they also draw heavily from the NWOBHM with the likes of Iron Maiden on Brought By The Flame and Beneath The Beyond, where the bass gallops alongside a twin axe attack.
Fractured State is their second studio album and it sees them exploring many different themes with their lyrics, upping their progressive influence due to the changes in time and pace that many of these songs contain especially the epic final number Erebus & Terror which was inspired by the 1845 Franklin Expedition, known as the 'Lost Expedition'.
Formerly known as Tantrum, as their music evolved they switched to the more incendiary Pyroclast and this new moniker reflects their molten mass of classic heavy metal sound much better. With riffs on the heavier end, a vocalist who has a Blaze Bayley-like holler and just anthemic trad metal throughout, Fractured State is a powerful follow up from Scots Pyroclast. 8/10
Xenith - To No Avail (Self Released)
Manchester band Xenith debuted in 2024 with and EP but in 2026 they deliver the first full length To No Avail, a ten track exercise in melodeath that borrows from the Scandinavian/Nordic sound heavily.
Bands like At The Gates, Children Of Bodom and Dark Tranquility can be heard in this record but also channel a band like Opeth when they use acoustic passages on Take Me Back Where I Belong as well as the New American school of bands like Trivium on Alone, which thrashes with dual guitar intensity and throat shredding vocals.
The whole record is tight and focused, the four piece in a rabid synchronicity that needs to be there for melodeath, guitars solos and twin leads galore are strewn through the technical thrash riffs as the band widen their scope from the EP, exploring with their songwriting to bring some progressive and introspective textures, making their overall impact much stronger than just outright speed and precision.
It's a strong full length debut for Xenith as they combine the Scandi-Nordic sound with some Anglo-American grunt. 7/10
Lifeswallower - Lifeswallower (Prog On! Recordings)
In the PR for this EP there's plenty of bands mentioned that Lifeswallower think they sound like, there's Gojira, Morbid Angel and Sikth but on Defy My Word I would say the majority influence is Strapping Young Lad. The music is extreme, had breakneck switches in style, fluid guitar solos, clean moments, death metal riffs and crazy vocals that go from harsh growls to black metal screams, then from shouts to operatic cleans.
Lifeswallower are band formed by four veteran members of the English extreme metal scene, initally dedicated to playing 1990's death metal covers but these rehearsals led to the creation of their own songs which combine all of the bands they were covering together adding some of the more progressive and Avant garde artists from the UK metal scene.
It's like sub-genre bingo this record feeling like it was written by a team of mathematicians with an metal addiction rather than a band as Compound Fears puts angular heaviness, ever changing riffs with Nevermore aspiring vocals, it's all very complex but I did find myself not fully blown away as it feels like style is most is at the forefront over substance. 6/10
Manchester band Xenith debuted in 2024 with and EP but in 2026 they deliver the first full length To No Avail, a ten track exercise in melodeath that borrows from the Scandinavian/Nordic sound heavily.
Bands like At The Gates, Children Of Bodom and Dark Tranquility can be heard in this record but also channel a band like Opeth when they use acoustic passages on Take Me Back Where I Belong as well as the New American school of bands like Trivium on Alone, which thrashes with dual guitar intensity and throat shredding vocals.
The whole record is tight and focused, the four piece in a rabid synchronicity that needs to be there for melodeath, guitars solos and twin leads galore are strewn through the technical thrash riffs as the band widen their scope from the EP, exploring with their songwriting to bring some progressive and introspective textures, making their overall impact much stronger than just outright speed and precision.
It's a strong full length debut for Xenith as they combine the Scandi-Nordic sound with some Anglo-American grunt. 7/10
Lifeswallower - Lifeswallower (Prog On! Recordings)
In the PR for this EP there's plenty of bands mentioned that Lifeswallower think they sound like, there's Gojira, Morbid Angel and Sikth but on Defy My Word I would say the majority influence is Strapping Young Lad. The music is extreme, had breakneck switches in style, fluid guitar solos, clean moments, death metal riffs and crazy vocals that go from harsh growls to black metal screams, then from shouts to operatic cleans.
Lifeswallower are band formed by four veteran members of the English extreme metal scene, initally dedicated to playing 1990's death metal covers but these rehearsals led to the creation of their own songs which combine all of the bands they were covering together adding some of the more progressive and Avant garde artists from the UK metal scene.
It's like sub-genre bingo this record feeling like it was written by a team of mathematicians with an metal addiction rather than a band as Compound Fears puts angular heaviness, ever changing riffs with Nevermore aspiring vocals, it's all very complex but I did find myself not fully blown away as it feels like style is most is at the forefront over substance. 6/10
Reviews: Chat Pile, Sleep, Polymoon, Sworn (Joe Guatieri, Rich Piva, Spike & Mark Young)
Chat Pile - Who Loves The Sun (The Flenser) [Joe Guatieri]
Next up we go into track three, titled Same Rules and it immediately offers up new territory for Chat Pile from the get-go with use of a drum machine and lo-fi production. I get visions of a lonesome desert landscape that stretches out for eternity and with the lack of supplies, you start to see things that aren’t really there.
Same Rules then sweeps the rug out from underneath your feet from 2:28 as it goes from mystery into being chased by an unknown entity as a gigantic other-worldly guitar curtesy of Luther Manhole hits your ears like a tone of fucking bricks! In many ways this song is like a much darker and primal version of Ween.
We then dive deeper into Who Loves The Sun with track six, Intruder. One of the most unique songs on the entire album, it’s energy is simply stunning as at any time, the band has got three or four ideas going on which all miraculously fit together, showing maximum creativity.
Intruder also has Stin’s best bass playing on the entire record as it just sings above everything else, I just want to drown in it, it’s so smooth and the song is topped off by a beautiful anti-guitar solo which I welcome with a gigantic smile on my face. Throughout its runtime, Intruder sounds like its scared of itself.
Later on we have track nine with Family Funeral, a song that is haunting, tragic and beautiful all at the same time. Both Raygun’s words and the band's sound echo the dread of heartbreak as the world that you once knew is being destroyed around you. The lyrics detail isolation and not being uncomfortable in where you live and who you’re with.
It’s overwhelming in every single sense of the word and I can’t help but cry to it, it’s a panic attack that takes the form of a song. It’s not only my favourite song from the LP but I think that it is among one of the best songs that Chat Pile has ever made!
Chat Pile has made another stunning record here. It defines what the band is all about to me, they make beautiful art about the most terrible things in life. Although it doesn’t quite hit those perfect teeth-grinding highs of God’s Country for me, Who Loves The Sun gets pretty damn close! I shall leave you with a snippet of lyrics from Family Funeral as it defines what the record is all about to me.
I never wanted to be in love. Awful thing, dreadful thing. It felt like it came from nowhere, ok? And it frightened me how all consuming it was and I gave you everything. I gave you everything, I gave you everything to help you achieve your dreams. 9/10
Sleep - Hempispheres (Third Man Records) [Rich Piva]
I am going into this review with zero emotions, mostly because I have none left to give, but also because I have not seen this must discourse created about the mere existence of a set of songs since The Deftones made the Doom Charts.
Chat Pile are a band that I feel like need no introduction at this point.
Not even a decade since the Oklahoma Sludge Metal band formed back in 2019 and they’ve already erected a brilliant and varied discography consisting of three studio albums, two killer EPs and plenty more for someone to sink their teeth into.
Their debut full-length God’s Country is art of the highest degree to me, a listen that is both anxiety-inducing and monstrous. Chat Pile knows how to scratch that itch for people who enjoy extremity within their music.
I’ve seen the band live twice now, the first time was when they headlined The Fleece back in June of 2024 where they played with meth and Modern Technology and the second occasion was seeing them play the main stage at ArcTanGent Festival this year. They install a passion and grit within me that envelops my entire person, making me feel feral and rarely does a live band do that to me quite like them.
I have no shame in calling them my favourite band today and with their latest release that I am reviewing now, Who Loves The Sun, I had sky high expectations for it, let’s see how I found it shall we?
The record opens with a track called Creature. The riff is nasty, having both a grating and mechanical feel to it, alongside Cap’n Ron’s signature shotgun drums. It carries heavy influence from Nirvana’s Bleach with a Shellac instinct for space within the instrumentation.
I’ve seen the band live twice now, the first time was when they headlined The Fleece back in June of 2024 where they played with meth and Modern Technology and the second occasion was seeing them play the main stage at ArcTanGent Festival this year. They install a passion and grit within me that envelops my entire person, making me feel feral and rarely does a live band do that to me quite like them.
I have no shame in calling them my favourite band today and with their latest release that I am reviewing now, Who Loves The Sun, I had sky high expectations for it, let’s see how I found it shall we?
The record opens with a track called Creature. The riff is nasty, having both a grating and mechanical feel to it, alongside Cap’n Ron’s signature shotgun drums. It carries heavy influence from Nirvana’s Bleach with a Shellac instinct for space within the instrumentation.
Vocalist Raygun Busch beats up his throat in his own classic style, straining every word like it’s his last. At the end of the piece there is a Hardcore type of breakdown which reminds me of Korn, it sends rumbles throughout my body as Creature is beaten out of existence.
Next up we go into track three, titled Same Rules and it immediately offers up new territory for Chat Pile from the get-go with use of a drum machine and lo-fi production. I get visions of a lonesome desert landscape that stretches out for eternity and with the lack of supplies, you start to see things that aren’t really there.
Same Rules then sweeps the rug out from underneath your feet from 2:28 as it goes from mystery into being chased by an unknown entity as a gigantic other-worldly guitar curtesy of Luther Manhole hits your ears like a tone of fucking bricks! In many ways this song is like a much darker and primal version of Ween.
We then dive deeper into Who Loves The Sun with track six, Intruder. One of the most unique songs on the entire album, it’s energy is simply stunning as at any time, the band has got three or four ideas going on which all miraculously fit together, showing maximum creativity.
The song is oddly bouncy having a surprising Surf Rock feel, then having striking a mood change into something way more aggressive as by the chorus, the instruments lock in and volume is cranked all the way up within seconds.
Intruder also has Stin’s best bass playing on the entire record as it just sings above everything else, I just want to drown in it, it’s so smooth and the song is topped off by a beautiful anti-guitar solo which I welcome with a gigantic smile on my face. Throughout its runtime, Intruder sounds like its scared of itself.
Later on we have track nine with Family Funeral, a song that is haunting, tragic and beautiful all at the same time. Both Raygun’s words and the band's sound echo the dread of heartbreak as the world that you once knew is being destroyed around you. The lyrics detail isolation and not being uncomfortable in where you live and who you’re with.
It’s overwhelming in every single sense of the word and I can’t help but cry to it, it’s a panic attack that takes the form of a song. It’s not only my favourite song from the LP but I think that it is among one of the best songs that Chat Pile has ever made!
Chat Pile has made another stunning record here. It defines what the band is all about to me, they make beautiful art about the most terrible things in life. Although it doesn’t quite hit those perfect teeth-grinding highs of God’s Country for me, Who Loves The Sun gets pretty damn close! I shall leave you with a snippet of lyrics from Family Funeral as it defines what the record is all about to me.
I never wanted to be in love. Awful thing, dreadful thing. It felt like it came from nowhere, ok? And it frightened me how all consuming it was and I gave you everything. I gave you everything, I gave you everything to help you achieve your dreams. 9/10
I am going into this review with zero emotions, mostly because I have none left to give, but also because I have not seen this must discourse created about the mere existence of a set of songs since The Deftones made the Doom Charts.
I would not have bet a new record by Sleep would elicit as much gatekeeping over the last few weeks, especially for a scene where people love to say there is not as much going on as other scenes today (this is for a different write up), but here we are, a new album from “Sleep”.
Let’s get this out of the way first: Should Al Cicneros have called this band Sleep? That is his cross (spliff?) to bear. Is the band who wrote and played the five songs on the record, Hempispheres, really Sleep? Again, Al’s problem, not mine.
Can there be a Sleep without Matt Pike? Debatable, but Al replacing him with Bubba Dupree to me shows that Al wasn’t looking to replace, he was looking to take the band to a different plane of existence.
Bubba is an amazing and unique player, definitely not Matt Pike, and I have to believe that is what Al was going for. Dale Crover rules, so no need for discussion there. So, now that all of that is out of the way, what about the songs?
For some of you this will not matter if the songs are good or not because there is no Sleep without Pike.
For some of you this will not matter if the songs are good or not because there is no Sleep without Pike.
For those of you who judge things based on the actual music and care what I think, I really dig Hempispheres when I listen to it based on nothing except the songs. It is smooth and chill, filled with Cicneros’s trademarked playing and delivery.
Bubba Dupree’s playing is top notch, just different. There is this level of precision that is off the charts, but that at any point can go off the rails with his approach, which creates this kind of explosion anticipation throughout the journey though space.
Yes, his tone is not like Pike’s and would be a reason why you may hear this record and not think Sleep, but you should think that it is great, because it is.
Crover is Crover, and his playing fits perfectly with the other two thirds of the trio and keeps the ship in flight. I love the production on the record, as I can hear every single note perfectly, which I assure would be amplified even more if one decided to check this out with some enhancement, if you get my drift.
So basically I really, really dig the new Sleep record. Should it be a Sleep record? Not for me to say. Al has his reasons and the Sleep name means a lot. I am not going to judge those decisions. What I will say is that I think listeners would be falling over each other on how good this record is if it was not named Sleep.
So basically I really, really dig the new Sleep record. Should it be a Sleep record? Not for me to say. Al has his reasons and the Sleep name means a lot. I am not going to judge those decisions. What I will say is that I think listeners would be falling over each other on how good this record is if it was not named Sleep.
Take that for what it is, but these five songs are really great, no matter what the band’s name is. 8/10
Polymoon – Mariposa Magic! (Vesperian) [Spike]
Anyone who knows my musical sweet tooth knows that if you lay down thick walls of fuzz, saturated distortion, and ethereal, disembodied vocals that sound like they’re floating in from another galaxy, you’ve basically got me hooked before the needle even clears the run-in groove. It is absolute catnip to my ears.
Polymoon – Mariposa Magic! (Vesperian) [Spike]
Anyone who knows my musical sweet tooth knows that if you lay down thick walls of fuzz, saturated distortion, and ethereal, disembodied vocals that sound like they’re floating in from another galaxy, you’ve basically got me hooked before the needle even clears the run-in groove. It is absolute catnip to my ears.
Finnish outfit Polymoon call their peculiar corner of heavy music "psychedelic post-gaze," and on their third full-length Mariposa Magic!, they deliver on that premise in spades.
Following on from Caterpillars Of Creation and Chrysalis, this record takes everything that worked previously and stretches it out into a glorious, mind-bending kaleidoscope.
The opening moments of Ultra Bloom grab you instantly. The chords ring out with a massive, warm distortion that lands somewhere between the space-rock majesty of Hum and the towering, cosmic heft of Elder or Torche. Yet Polymoon are never just a tribute act.
The opening moments of Ultra Bloom grab you instantly. The chords ring out with a massive, warm distortion that lands somewhere between the space-rock majesty of Hum and the towering, cosmic heft of Elder or Torche. Yet Polymoon are never just a tribute act.
Produced once again by Juho Vanhanen (frontman of Oranssi Pazuzu), the record possesses that strange, hypnotic undercurrent that Finnish psych bands do better than anyone else. It sounds expansive and unhurried, but there’s a real, physical muscle beneath all that shimmering reverb.
They follow the opener with I End, You Begin, a razor-sharp four-minute blast where Kalle-Erik Kosonen’s dreamlike vocals cut through waves of synthesizers and heavy guitar crunch.
They follow the opener with I End, You Begin, a razor-sharp four-minute blast where Kalle-Erik Kosonen’s dreamlike vocals cut through waves of synthesizers and heavy guitar crunch.
It’s got a buoyant post-punk bounce that wouldn't feel out of place on an 80s alternative playlist, except it’s been injected with a ton of fuzz and low-end drive.
What elevates the record into something truly special is how naturally it breathes across the longer compositions. Velvet Rain and Lost In Sound, Found In Color layer atmospheric synths over rolling rhythm sections, balancing ethereal quiet with sudden, eruptive walls of noise.
What elevates the record into something truly special is how naturally it breathes across the longer compositions. Velvet Rain and Lost In Sound, Found In Color layer atmospheric synths over rolling rhythm sections, balancing ethereal quiet with sudden, eruptive walls of noise.
It pulls from shoegaze, classic prog, and heavy doom-pop without ever losing its melodic compass.
The seven-minute centrepiece Glass House, Mortal Rooms is easily one of the finest things the band has ever put to tape. It builds slowly, stacking delay pedals and synth textures until the whole track surges into a towering, emotional crescendo that feels designed to swallow you whole.
The seven-minute centrepiece Glass House, Mortal Rooms is easily one of the finest things the band has ever put to tape. It builds slowly, stacking delay pedals and synth textures until the whole track surges into a towering, emotional crescendo that feels designed to swallow you whole.
It moves effortlessly into the cosmic crawl of Welcome To Another Dimension and the soaring finale Harvest Of Stars, bringing the journey to an utterly satisfying close.
Sure, you can pick out the touchstones if you dig around; a dash of space rock here, a nod to vintage psych there but there is so much more going on beneath the surface. Polymoon have crafted an immersive, beautifully produced album that rewards multiple spins and demands to be played loud on decent speakers.
Sure, you can pick out the touchstones if you dig around; a dash of space rock here, a nod to vintage psych there but there is so much more going on beneath the surface. Polymoon have crafted an immersive, beautifully produced album that rewards multiple spins and demands to be played loud on decent speakers.
If you love your heavy music drenched in fuzz, melody, and otherworldly atmospheres, Mariposa Magic! is an essential listen. 9/10
Sworn - Null Crowned The Infinite (The Circle Music) [Mark Young]
And the last one for this week is Sworn, with their newest offering of black metal that is simply more than just ‘black metal’. Active since 2005 or so, Null is their 5th full length album so I’m coming to their party slightly late. The Starless Origin is quite the opus, a 12 minute ice cold blast that leaves nothing to chance in getting you locked in for the songs that follow.
Sworn - Null Crowned The Infinite (The Circle Music) [Mark Young]
And the last one for this week is Sworn, with their newest offering of black metal that is simply more than just ‘black metal’. Active since 2005 or so, Null is their 5th full length album so I’m coming to their party slightly late. The Starless Origin is quite the opus, a 12 minute ice cold blast that leaves nothing to chance in getting you locked in for the songs that follow.
If I had to describe this, its tempo sits in the middle, content to almost amble along. Don’t mistake this for being dull in any way as the pace is set to suit its arrangement. Its full, with an expansive sound. There is an upshift in speed, the racing drums and guitars that are a trademark of black metal the world over coming in.
This is where Sworn show their other side, bringing a cold brutality to play. Not a lot of albums start with a 12 minute song, and certainly without the scope it contains. It just seems to grow in stature and there is a mint outro that is just royal. It sets an impossibly high bar, just for how expansive it is. Null Crowned The Infinite sees a return to ‘normal’ service, playing out with a more standard runtime.
If The Starless Origin represents throwing everything at you (in a controlled manner) then this one plays out with a super keen focus. Its traditional black metal in the respect of the tempo changes but that is what you expect from them.
What you should concentrate on is how they put their songs together; there is an energy running through it even in the slower stripped back melodic moments. The lead break just fits like it has been machined to suit.
At this point they are on a roll; A Cosmic Storm is next up and slots into place, simply maintaining the very good work that has been set in place. It also represents a prime example of not taking their eye off the ball which it would have been so easy to do.
Fracture Of Aeons is possibly a better example of that, this one scorches its own path from the start, with a stunning lead that comes in around the 2 minute 30 mark that is cracking. And this is the thing; at first, I thought that the opener was like their best offering, something that suggests that it was the purest output from them in one place and that whatever came next would sit within its shadow.
I’ve changed my mind in that The Starless Origin is definitely one of the songs of the year, the ones that follow on here are not poor imitations or afterthoughts. They are fully fleshed out, with a complete identity and a build that is unique to them. Yes, they are rooted in black metal norms but they have more about them so to call them that is wrong.
Circle Of The Eternal finishes off what is a very good album, one that sets the watermark incredibly high from the off. This is a set of songs from a band I would consider to be one of the true exponents of this kind. Yes, that opener could have ruined the rest of the songs by being better than everything else but it didn’t.
Circle Of The Eternal finishes off what is a very good album, one that sets the watermark incredibly high from the off. This is a set of songs from a band I would consider to be one of the true exponents of this kind. Yes, that opener could have ruined the rest of the songs by being better than everything else but it didn’t.
The rest complimented the opener in such a way that they built off the foundations laid at the start. This end track coasts its way to a triumphant end, and I mean that in a sincere way.
All in all, this is a superb album of well crafted, superbly put together metal that should appeal to more than just fans of black metal. 9/10
Thursday, 3 September 2026
Reviews: Crumbling Ghost, Oddland, Grand, Nova Riot (Spike & Matt Bladen)
Crumbling Ghost – Four (New Heavy Sounds) [Spike]
There's an old saying that if you dig deep enough into traditional British folk, you'll find murder, betrayals, and dark ritual long before metal ever invented them. Crumbling Ghost understand this better than almost anyone. They’ve been operating under the radar for a while now, earning quiet nods of respect from the likes of Stuart Maconie and Stewart Lee while sharing stages with Hawkwind and Damo Suzuki. Their fourth release, simply titled Four, takes ancient songs and drenches them in heavy, fuzzy stoner rock and doom.
The record kicks off with Bows Of London, and for the first two minutes, it plays like a sweet, delicate folk song. Then out of nowhere, the band steps on the fuzz pedals and a wall of crushing, thick guitar riffs rips right through the acoustic haze. It’s an incredible moment that sets the tone for the rest of the album. Think Fairport Convention playing through vintage Sunn amps, or a pastoral version of Sonic Youth set loose on English folklore.
What sets Crumbling Ghost apart from a band like Green Lung is how they handle the "folk horror" element. Green Lung lean heavily into theatrics and hammer-horror visuals, which is great fun, but Crumbling Ghost take a very different path. Here, the dark atmosphere comes directly from the songs themselves. Tracks like Bill Norrie and The Unquiet Grave don't need gimmicks; the original lyrics are already terrifying enough, and wrapping them in slow, heavy doom riffs only brings that weight out into the light.
The album has a fantastic flow to it. Instrumental pieces like Valtz Efter Tor Lohne provide a moody breather, while Lovely Joan and Gower Wassail demonstrate how naturally acoustic melodies can bend into heavy psych jams. Last Of All Sleep pulls everything back down into an atmospheric, sombre lull before The Unquiet Grave brings the curtain down.
It’s rare to hear a band blend two distinct genres so effortlessly without it feeling like a trick. Crumbling Ghost have created something genuinely special here, a heavy, beautiful, and deeply eerie record that deserves far more attention than it's had. 9/10
Oddland - Unilluminate To Illuminate (Frontiers Music Srl) [Matt Bladen]
This is definitely an odd land as this Finnish progressive metal band put all matter of influences into their music beginning the record with saxophone that is met by the chunky modern prog metal of Vola, Haken or tour mates Soen.
Unilluminate To Illuminate is a record about innovation, polarity and that we need "darkness in order to find joy in light". The complexities of these ideas are explored by a band that are at their creative peak, honed on stage, they have created a record that is conceptual as dynamic, layered progressive metal meets a strong melodic sense.
The stage for experimentation is set with the tribal meets jazz rhythms of Amokinus an intro that gets the album off to a flying start and shifts into the palm muted riffs of Eternal Erode as Oddland define their modern prog metal credentials. For a four piece they play music with layers, even in the vocals the lower and higher ends combine with dramatic, numbers like Soar where string arrangements are used well.
The strings are just the start though as Oddland have multiple instruments you may not associate with metal throughout this record, on Illuminate especially but it is a very metal record as Freefall reminds me a lot of Vola while Act Of Solace and Red Canvas draw from Soen or Katatonia, making it perfect for fans of these bands but never blatant copies.
Unilluminate To Illuminate works with both the dark and light to create it's prog metal magic, a dynamic record for fans of heavy prog that takes risks but has strong melodic moment. 9/10
Grand - Guilty Pleasure (Frontiers Music Srl) [Matt Bladen]
Swedish melodic rockers Grand bring some Guilty Pleasure with their new album of the same name.
Chorus driven AOR with more hooks than a pirate convention as they set the tone of the record on Wild Heart with some modern AOR balladry, that has been monopolised by Sweden but was born in the 80's through FM radio.
It's music that comes from the point where rock and pop collide in some high energy tracks built on a solid rhythm section who along with the melodic keys all come from new members injecting some fresh blood into Grand. As they join the strutting guitar lines and big vocals of the men that founded the group.
With the adding a few new wrinkles since this debut in 2022 as they lean into the likes of Foreigner, Toto and Mr Big, given lush production that sounds great on the swaggering title track, the pop infected Have A Little Faith, as Party Galore brings the blue collar sound of Rick Springfield.
This is very much a Guilty Pleasure from Grand, AOR that is at its shiniest and most radio friendly. 7/10
Nova Riot – Blood, Lies and Lullabies (Eclipse Records) [Spike]
Lipstick-red sigils, heavy low-tuned chugs, and high-gloss pop melodies—Oklahoma’s Nova Riot aren't trying to hide behind a veil of garage obscurity. They describe their sound as "bubblegum alternative metal," and while a phrase like that might make traditional purists wince, it’s an accurate tag for what this trio is doing.
There's an old saying that if you dig deep enough into traditional British folk, you'll find murder, betrayals, and dark ritual long before metal ever invented them. Crumbling Ghost understand this better than almost anyone. They’ve been operating under the radar for a while now, earning quiet nods of respect from the likes of Stuart Maconie and Stewart Lee while sharing stages with Hawkwind and Damo Suzuki. Their fourth release, simply titled Four, takes ancient songs and drenches them in heavy, fuzzy stoner rock and doom.
The record kicks off with Bows Of London, and for the first two minutes, it plays like a sweet, delicate folk song. Then out of nowhere, the band steps on the fuzz pedals and a wall of crushing, thick guitar riffs rips right through the acoustic haze. It’s an incredible moment that sets the tone for the rest of the album. Think Fairport Convention playing through vintage Sunn amps, or a pastoral version of Sonic Youth set loose on English folklore.
What sets Crumbling Ghost apart from a band like Green Lung is how they handle the "folk horror" element. Green Lung lean heavily into theatrics and hammer-horror visuals, which is great fun, but Crumbling Ghost take a very different path. Here, the dark atmosphere comes directly from the songs themselves. Tracks like Bill Norrie and The Unquiet Grave don't need gimmicks; the original lyrics are already terrifying enough, and wrapping them in slow, heavy doom riffs only brings that weight out into the light.
The album has a fantastic flow to it. Instrumental pieces like Valtz Efter Tor Lohne provide a moody breather, while Lovely Joan and Gower Wassail demonstrate how naturally acoustic melodies can bend into heavy psych jams. Last Of All Sleep pulls everything back down into an atmospheric, sombre lull before The Unquiet Grave brings the curtain down.
It’s rare to hear a band blend two distinct genres so effortlessly without it feeling like a trick. Crumbling Ghost have created something genuinely special here, a heavy, beautiful, and deeply eerie record that deserves far more attention than it's had. 9/10
Oddland - Unilluminate To Illuminate (Frontiers Music Srl) [Matt Bladen]
This is definitely an odd land as this Finnish progressive metal band put all matter of influences into their music beginning the record with saxophone that is met by the chunky modern prog metal of Vola, Haken or tour mates Soen.
Unilluminate To Illuminate is a record about innovation, polarity and that we need "darkness in order to find joy in light". The complexities of these ideas are explored by a band that are at their creative peak, honed on stage, they have created a record that is conceptual as dynamic, layered progressive metal meets a strong melodic sense.
The stage for experimentation is set with the tribal meets jazz rhythms of Amokinus an intro that gets the album off to a flying start and shifts into the palm muted riffs of Eternal Erode as Oddland define their modern prog metal credentials. For a four piece they play music with layers, even in the vocals the lower and higher ends combine with dramatic, numbers like Soar where string arrangements are used well.
The strings are just the start though as Oddland have multiple instruments you may not associate with metal throughout this record, on Illuminate especially but it is a very metal record as Freefall reminds me a lot of Vola while Act Of Solace and Red Canvas draw from Soen or Katatonia, making it perfect for fans of these bands but never blatant copies.
Unilluminate To Illuminate works with both the dark and light to create it's prog metal magic, a dynamic record for fans of heavy prog that takes risks but has strong melodic moment. 9/10
Grand - Guilty Pleasure (Frontiers Music Srl) [Matt Bladen]
Swedish melodic rockers Grand bring some Guilty Pleasure with their new album of the same name.
Chorus driven AOR with more hooks than a pirate convention as they set the tone of the record on Wild Heart with some modern AOR balladry, that has been monopolised by Sweden but was born in the 80's through FM radio.
It's music that comes from the point where rock and pop collide in some high energy tracks built on a solid rhythm section who along with the melodic keys all come from new members injecting some fresh blood into Grand. As they join the strutting guitar lines and big vocals of the men that founded the group.
With the adding a few new wrinkles since this debut in 2022 as they lean into the likes of Foreigner, Toto and Mr Big, given lush production that sounds great on the swaggering title track, the pop infected Have A Little Faith, as Party Galore brings the blue collar sound of Rick Springfield.
This is very much a Guilty Pleasure from Grand, AOR that is at its shiniest and most radio friendly. 7/10
Nova Riot – Blood, Lies and Lullabies (Eclipse Records) [Spike]
Lipstick-red sigils, heavy low-tuned chugs, and high-gloss pop melodies—Oklahoma’s Nova Riot aren't trying to hide behind a veil of garage obscurity. They describe their sound as "bubblegum alternative metal," and while a phrase like that might make traditional purists wince, it’s an accurate tag for what this trio is doing.
On their debut, Blood, Lies And Lullabies, they mix the heavy, cinematic bounce of Spiritbox and Bad Omens with the dark, theatrical pop melodrama of Violent Vira and Poppy. It’s slick, stylized, and unapologetically modern.
Formed in 2024 by vocalist Nova Ray, bassist Orion, and lead guitarist Ares, the band bypassed the usual local dive bar circuit entirely, choosing instead to launch as a polished, studio-ready package. Bringing in veteran King Diamond drummer Matt Thompson to handle the kit behind the boards gives these seven tracks a muscular, relentless backbone that keeps the pop hooks grounded in real, heavy metal weight.
The record opens with Haunting Me, dropping you straight into a mix of pulsing electronic atmosphere and low-tuned guitar riffs before Nova Ray’s vocals take over. She moves easily between polished, soaring melodies and raw, edge-of-breakdown grit. It leads right into Midnight Coven Crush, which is easily the catchiest track on the release. It’s pure witchy pop-metal, built around a thumping rhythm, lipstick sigils, and a chant-along hook that’s bound to stay stuck in your head for days.
The middle section keeps the momentum high with Casket and The Altar, the latter featuring a guest spot from post-hardcore outfit The Bunny The Bear. The electronic layers and dark synths give the heavy breakdowns room to breathe without making the production feel crowded. Like I Meant It brings a venomous alternative rock punch to a breakup narrative, balancing sharp, observational lyrics with driving guitars.
Where the record takes a stark pivot is the final track, Sorry Mom. After six tracks of slick aesthetic and heavy anthems, the band strips away the neon sheen for a painfully direct, uncomfortable look at mental health, addiction, and despair. It’s a heavy emotional crash after the high-energy rush of Through The Storm, showing that beneath all the visual polish, there’s genuine vulnerability driving the songwriting.
At seven tracks, Blood, Lies And Lullabies doesn't overstay its welcome. It’s a tight, confident, and incredibly well-produced debut from a young band that knows exactly who they are and where they want to fit in the modern alternative metal landscape. If you like your heavy music with big melodies, dark atmosphere, and zero apology, this is well worth taking for a spin. 8/10
Formed in 2024 by vocalist Nova Ray, bassist Orion, and lead guitarist Ares, the band bypassed the usual local dive bar circuit entirely, choosing instead to launch as a polished, studio-ready package. Bringing in veteran King Diamond drummer Matt Thompson to handle the kit behind the boards gives these seven tracks a muscular, relentless backbone that keeps the pop hooks grounded in real, heavy metal weight.
The record opens with Haunting Me, dropping you straight into a mix of pulsing electronic atmosphere and low-tuned guitar riffs before Nova Ray’s vocals take over. She moves easily between polished, soaring melodies and raw, edge-of-breakdown grit. It leads right into Midnight Coven Crush, which is easily the catchiest track on the release. It’s pure witchy pop-metal, built around a thumping rhythm, lipstick sigils, and a chant-along hook that’s bound to stay stuck in your head for days.
The middle section keeps the momentum high with Casket and The Altar, the latter featuring a guest spot from post-hardcore outfit The Bunny The Bear. The electronic layers and dark synths give the heavy breakdowns room to breathe without making the production feel crowded. Like I Meant It brings a venomous alternative rock punch to a breakup narrative, balancing sharp, observational lyrics with driving guitars.
Where the record takes a stark pivot is the final track, Sorry Mom. After six tracks of slick aesthetic and heavy anthems, the band strips away the neon sheen for a painfully direct, uncomfortable look at mental health, addiction, and despair. It’s a heavy emotional crash after the high-energy rush of Through The Storm, showing that beneath all the visual polish, there’s genuine vulnerability driving the songwriting.
At seven tracks, Blood, Lies And Lullabies doesn't overstay its welcome. It’s a tight, confident, and incredibly well-produced debut from a young band that knows exactly who they are and where they want to fit in the modern alternative metal landscape. If you like your heavy music with big melodies, dark atmosphere, and zero apology, this is well worth taking for a spin. 8/10
Wednesday, 2 September 2026
A View From The Middle-Left Of The Industrial Warehouse: AFI (Dean Palmer)
AFI & TR/ST – Prospect Building, Bristol, 27.08.26
Over the last few years Bristol has had a complete upheaval in live music venues.
The sad loss of Motion and Marble Factory left many of us concerned that this would give the O2 Academy (which remains the worst venue in the UK, one I will not buy tickets for no matter who is playing) a total monopoly on larger gigs.
Electric remains a strong contender with an incredible sound system, but once a band has need for a capacity above 1000, the natural draw was, for a while, the Academy.
Thankfully The Prospect Building was wished into existence and has absolutely smashed it in terms of both being an incredible large venue for live music, and it only takes a quick peek at their “what’s on” page to realise which venue bands prefer.
Which brings us to a drizzly but warm Thursday when Hardcore/Punk/Horrorpunk/Emo/Post Hardcore/Anthemic Rock/Goth/New Wave (they’ve cycled through a lot of styles in their time) legends AFI finally rolled back into the UK as headliners for the first time in over 16 years, and the first time in Bristol for 20 (when they played the above mentioned Academy).
First up, support act TR/ST (7) take to the stage. Robert Alfons being the only official member of the band, he is joined by Robin Hatch who provides most of the keyboards and controls the drum samples (I am informed they usually tour with a drummer, which fits with a remark I made after their set which I felt they would definitely benefit from some live drums).
Thankfully The Prospect Building was wished into existence and has absolutely smashed it in terms of both being an incredible large venue for live music, and it only takes a quick peek at their “what’s on” page to realise which venue bands prefer.
Which brings us to a drizzly but warm Thursday when Hardcore/Punk/Horrorpunk/Emo/Post Hardcore/Anthemic Rock/Goth/New Wave (they’ve cycled through a lot of styles in their time) legends AFI finally rolled back into the UK as headliners for the first time in over 16 years, and the first time in Bristol for 20 (when they played the above mentioned Academy).
First up, support act TR/ST (7) take to the stage. Robert Alfons being the only official member of the band, he is joined by Robin Hatch who provides most of the keyboards and controls the drum samples (I am informed they usually tour with a drummer, which fits with a remark I made after their set which I felt they would definitely benefit from some live drums).
TR/ST are coldwave electronica in its purest form and I could very easily imagine myself dancing to them at 4am in a warehouse in Berlin on any given night.
Tonight they perform well, but the crowd are in the most part disinterested which is a shame (and does say a lot as to which material from the headliners will be best received right from the outset).
Even so, if you get the chance to see them in a dark and dingy club – do so.
Which brings us to the headliners.
Which brings us to the headliners.
The crowd are positively fizzing it to get dark, and as the lights drop we start the night with the earliest cut from the AFI (10) catalogue we will hear tonight (disappointment for those fans of the Hardcore punk era of the band, but they don’t go that far back these days) as they open with Strength Through Wounding, the intro track from 2000s Black Sails In The Sunset.
Once intro duties are disposed of, it is banger time, as the band launch into lead single from 2003’s Sing The Sorrow with Girls Not Grey, quickly segued into DECEMBERUNDERGROUND’s Love Like Winter. It is clear we’re getting the hits and then some tonight, and the crowd are very, very happy this is the case.
That’s not to say Davey and co are resting on times of yonder tonight, as they’ve got a recent album to promote in last years’ Behind The Clock and we get four cuts from it in Behind The Clock, Marguerite, Voidward, I Bend Back and Holy Visions throughout the evening.
Once intro duties are disposed of, it is banger time, as the band launch into lead single from 2003’s Sing The Sorrow with Girls Not Grey, quickly segued into DECEMBERUNDERGROUND’s Love Like Winter. It is clear we’re getting the hits and then some tonight, and the crowd are very, very happy this is the case.
That’s not to say Davey and co are resting on times of yonder tonight, as they’ve got a recent album to promote in last years’ Behind The Clock and we get four cuts from it in Behind The Clock, Marguerite, Voidward, I Bend Back and Holy Visions throughout the evening.
These songs are played utterly beautifully, with the band showing that for every post-hardcore banger they deliver, they can match it with some beautiful synth-tinged gothic rock, however it is noticeable that portions of the crowd present tonight are perhaps not as well versed with the newer material as the golden oldies.
This doesn’t stop the band in any sense though, and with a back catalogue as deep as AFI has there is plenty on the menu to appease almost every attendee. I Hope You Suffer from Burials is belted out with absolute fury, and follows a surprise addition of 37mm as a pretty deep cut from the DECEMBERUNDERGROUND days.
We get two songs from the ultra polished 2009 anthemic Crash Love – Beautiful Thieves and End Transmission mid-set. Both of which really do showcase how well Davey Havok has looked after his voice during his 50 years on the planet, as he hits every note perfectly and still finds the energy to be a charismatic frontman whirling his way around the stage.
This doesn’t stop the band in any sense though, and with a back catalogue as deep as AFI has there is plenty on the menu to appease almost every attendee. I Hope You Suffer from Burials is belted out with absolute fury, and follows a surprise addition of 37mm as a pretty deep cut from the DECEMBERUNDERGROUND days.
We get two songs from the ultra polished 2009 anthemic Crash Love – Beautiful Thieves and End Transmission mid-set. Both of which really do showcase how well Davey Havok has looked after his voice during his 50 years on the planet, as he hits every note perfectly and still finds the energy to be a charismatic frontman whirling his way around the stage.
He is a man who has changed image more than underpants (maybe), but the man under that huge moustache and considerable barnet of hair is still as slick as he ever has been.
Having closed out the main set with The Days Of The Phoenix, the band are quickly back on stage for a two-song encore of Silver And Cold and a big singalong to Miss Murder before the lights go up, and everybody in the room hopes it isn’t another 20 years before AFI return to Bristol.
Having closed out the main set with The Days Of The Phoenix, the band are quickly back on stage for a two-song encore of Silver And Cold and a big singalong to Miss Murder before the lights go up, and everybody in the room hopes it isn’t another 20 years before AFI return to Bristol.
Outstanding entertainment from true underground veterans of the game.
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