Reviews: Testament, Bound In Fear, Dark Millennium, BEAR (Simon Black, Adz Redpath, Mark Young & Spike)

Testament - Practice What You Preach Remastered (Nuclear Blast) [Simon Black]

There’s a saying that you can’t improve on perfection, but there’s certainly no harm in trying. It’s worrying how old I now feel considering I first bought this album when it was originally released in 1989 at the tender age of Nineteen. 

Thirty-seven years later and still their best record in my ageing opinion, in fact it’s probably still my favourite Thrash album, nay probably one of my top albums of all time, so many spins has it had over the intervening decades. The band themselves have never taken their foot off the gas, recording and touring with a relentlessly consistent quality of both studio and stage output that at least makes me still feel the touches of youth when we meet, arthritis notwithstanding. But you never forget your first time…

The challenge with Practice What You Preach always however was that although the material remains amongst their best, the original recording suffered from the same challenge many Thrash acts of the time had – having to record rapidly and cheaply, as despite being on a major label at the time, they would not have been treated as lavishly with production budget than some of their label mates. 

That said it was always well mixed, allowing clarity of all the players across the mix, but some of the actual recording suffered from the analogue blues back in 1989. Louie Clemente’s drums in particular suffer harshly in the original. The crisp punchy sound they have, bass included comes across as tinny and overly sharp, and you couldn’t hear Greg Christian’s bass is getting much the same treatment as poor old Jason Newstead was elsewhere in the Bay area.

So how does this version stand up?

Well in many ways there’s only so much that can be done, given that they are still using the original source master tapes. What hit the tape from the mikes and cables is what they have to work with given they’ve not attempted to redub or change a note or performance, but the end results overall is a far fatter and richer sound, closer to what you get live. The drums still come across sharply, although much more rounded this time round, but at least I can not only hear the bass, but feel it to. 

So can my neighbours, because this version can be played loud without sounding too trebly. Chuck Billy’s vocals however really come to the fore here in a way they did not first-time round, allowing us to hear what a rich and subtle performance was going on back then, whereas in the past the power and charisma were what had dominated. It’s as big a jump as finding out that for the last three decades you had been playing their albums with only one speaker plugged in.

Musically this remains their high-water mark, and hearing this fattened-up version really takes me back in time and finally means that I’m getting a nice sound out of the ridiculous amount of money I’ve spent on sound systems for what remains one of my absolute favourite records. 10/10

Bound In Fear - A Mind Too Sick To Heal (Unique Leader Records ) [Adz Redpath]

Formed in 2016 Bound In Fear hail from Farnham, Surrey in England and clearly have a hunger and drive that is to be commended within the UK scene right now, garnering them a support slot with the mighty Tony Danza Tap Dance Extravaganza this coming august and an Australian tour prior to that . 

Leaving behind the more tech based roots from their earlier work they are clearly hitting the current trend of Deathcore/Slam with a vengeance on this their debut release through Unique Leader Records, getting signed to such a prestigious label is no mean feat these days and shows just how driven and talented they are as a group and that a huge potential is shining through here.

Vocalist Ben Mason's work here is up front and captures the ear primarily within a hard hitting mix that lends itself to the scene with an undeniable brutality that I personally love. The album flows well with tracks like Chasm and Scum hitting the way a slam crowd will truly devour live with stank face to the fore, the guitars and drums hammer and have the impact you would expect although there are caveats here, the production is compressed to a high level and feels like the master volume was turned too high up and the gain staging was ignored.

This results in a sound that unfortunately is lacking in separation and at high volume turns into a bit of a muddied noise which is surprising given the clear talent on display here, whether this was due to band involvement in the mixing process I'm unsure but it is consistent throughout and absolutely undeniable when the usual slam sub drops hit and everything else is washed out. 

Also an album cover that genuinely seems out of place when hearing the potential on offer here, the first thing many see is a cover and it shouldn't be overlooked especially as it is hung on the screen throughout most streaming platforms, this looks a little underwhelming to say the least especially when put alongside such a high standard of music.

For any negatives this is too strong a release to deny it your time and puts the band as a clear frontrunner in the UK Deathcore and Slam scene and with the potential to push them all the way. There are definite high points here which are easily heard in tracks like Soul Casket with its brutal and unrelenting attitude and killer riffage and Lurking which in particular has a clear voice of its own and feels like a breath of fresh air at the end of a very strong album overall. 

The production is the only part that really lets this release down here and hampers the listener a touch but shouldn't detract from a band that has an incredibly promising future, if they can lean harder into their own sound they may be a name you hear a lot more of in future. 

The musicianship is high and the future for a band like this is bright in my eyes scattering interludes and intros throughout giving a personality and character that I truly hope flourishes and does deserve a good listen especially to fans of everything from Spite to Peeling Flesh, Loathe and Snuffed On Sight, this album fits alongside these names comfortably and I hope gives a foundation that they can build on and allows them to keep growing more and more, given their foothold in the industry the only way is up and I personally will be keeping a close eye on these guys and see a bright future ahead. 6/10

Dark Millennium - Come (Massacre Records) [Mark Young]

So what is avant garde metal, specifically avant garde death metal? No idea, but from my perspective it boils down to a simple question of:

Does it rock? Is it exciting, a visceral representative of the reason why you got into this music in the first place? If so, then that is a good place to start. Dark Millennium are known as being avant-garde pioneers and Come is their 6th full length release. After a couple of listens, I’m not convinced of how I feel about it, which places me in an odd position in trying to get a review done on it. Initially, it’s a cold affair, the album not going out of its way to welcome you in and make yourself comfy. 

It starts with the woolly guitar lines of Here, a song that has decides it wants to jump between forms, using discord amongst the more traditional black metal vocals whilst what you would say is a light, or pared back sound does its thing. I’m assuming that the avant-garde tag comes from this unwillingness to stay on one course and avoid the normal sounds. 

The way it changes around mid-way through, a building rhythm that you expect to take off doesn’t, instead it occupies a more restrained tempo in an attempt to subvert your expectation of where it should go next. I can appreciate what they are doing, and the way they are doing it without It setting fire to my soul. What it can’t be accused of is being one-dimensional.

Amber is all ethereal, echoes abounding until its time for it to go dark. You can see why they have the reputation that they do; There is no rhyme or reason for the steps they follow or why they do so. They just set off and run with it.

Fear Forest is different again, unfolding in its own way that sounds like them but not like the two that preceded it. I can see where their labels have come from, it’s a mix of progressive and generally just weird movements that can drop the hammer when they want to. From my perspective it doesn't excite me because it doesn't adhere to heavy metal norms. Its literally me, not them. 

The songs come and go in the same manner, some with frenzied openings that tease with the promise of heads down metal, Winter Of Wizards step forward please. It jumps in front of you and takes flight with some serious top level riffing whilst Pieces Of Midnight is gentle, until jagged shards of noise come cutting in. I can see why it appeals; that constant flux and change of approach is intoxicating for some, especially those who love to tell you about bands that are more than just heavy metal. The problem is that us knuckle draggers, we want more than just the hint of heaviness. Well, at least I do, and I’m not afraid to say this. Sometime simple is good.

The album closes out on a more aggressive trifecta, which follow the now established rule book of anything goes, each of them moving lanes as easily as you or I find drawing breath. Again they are great examples of possessing a unique approach in how their music should sound. There is no doubting that they stick to their ideals and write to suit themselves. Within each song there are supreme moments of metal goodness, which are often supplanted by pulled back melodies or subtle arrangements. 

I appreciate its art, but I go back to my original question – does it rock?

Not always, and not enough. 7/10

BEAR– Anhedonia (Pelagic Records) [Spike]

Most bands treat a live recording as a "greatest hits" stopgap or a way to pad out a tour cycle. For Antwerp’s BEAR, recording Anhedonia live seems less like a choice and more like a necessity. They are a band that thrives on the physical friction of a room, and capturing these five tracks in a single, unvarnished take was the only way to do justice to their specific brand of mathematical chaos. At 57, I’ve seen enough "polished" live albums to know when a band is hiding behind the desk; BEAR are doing the exact opposite. They are standing in the middle of the room, inviting the ceiling to come down.

The EP ignites with Empty Markers, and the first thing that hits you is the rhythmic instability. This is high-velocity, tech-heavy hardcore that owes as much to the "chaos-theory" of The Dillinger Escape Plan as it does to the blunt-force trauma of Meshuggah. Because it’s recorded live, there is a "red-lining" quality to the production, the guitars scrape against each other with a jagged intensity, and the drums possess a snapping, physical presence that you just can’t replicate in a controlled studio environment.

What’s fascinating about this release is the title itself. Anhedonia, meaning the inability to feel pleasure is a grim concept to anchor such a high-energy performance. You can hear that struggle in Lacerate and The Smile. Maarten Beckers’ vocals aren't just "shouting"; they are a documented account of someone trying to find a pulse in a numb world. It’s a clever bit of songwriting that uses the technical complexity of the riffs to mirror the internal noise of the lyrics. It’s pained, honest, and properly loud.

Then we get to the title track, Anhedonia, it’s a mid-paced monolith that allows the band to stretch into some of the darker, more "cinematic" corners of their sound. The groove here is wider than a North Sea ferry, providing a thick, fuzzy foundation for the guitars to lose their minds over. It leads directly into the finale, Metastatic, a four-minute race to the finish line that effectively sums up the band’s ethos: unwavering, mechanical intensity.

This EP is a total adrenaline jolt. It doesn't sound like a "pro" laptop exercise; it sounds like four blokes who have spent enough time in the van to know exactly how to weaponize a room. This is a masterclass in the beauty of the collision, and proof that even when the world feels numb, a well-placed riff and a drummer who actually sounds like they’re hitting something can still make you feel alive. I’m off to listen to this again. Despite the name of the EP this makes me happy. 9/10

Reviews: Valor, Krushya, Aeons In Solitude, Blossom Death (Matt Bladen)

Valor - Ark Of Time (Self Released)

Valor have 20 years of creating conceptual story driven heavy metal from their base in Athens.

They released their third album in 2017 so there's been almost a 10 year wait for this fourth release. However after much anticipation Valor are ready to take us on journey to the stars with Ark Of Time. European power/heavy metal is the name of the game here, inspired by the theatrical sound of Ayreon, Blind Guardian, Manowar, Iron Maiden and Blaze Bayley in the vocals. 

It's a cinematic record build around sing along choruses, twin axe attack and just exciting heavy metal. Keys dance in the background on epics such as The Stars Are Our Destiny while tracks like Secrecy get a hefty gallop to them. The sci-fi storytelling concerns the last survivors of Earth on massive vessel where all of trials that faced them on Earth like "authoritarian power, manufactured religion, doomed ambition" rear their ugly heads again as the last remnants of the human race try to find somewhere better amongst the stars.

The whole tale is told though eleven tracks and struggle and emotion of the lyrics are delivered brilliantly and with power by Vaggelis Krouskas as the complex arrangements of keys and orchestrations are deftly delivered by Thanasis Lois on Warship, Our God and Unveiling The Truth. Of course without a muscular bottom end, then these songs wouldn't have the impact they do so the Thodoris' (Karageorgos - bass and Andritsos - drums) solidify the grooves and pace of these tracks from the thrashy We Shall Rise to the classic metal of Last Of One Race.

There's also plenty of riffs and solos from Spyros Soldatos and Vasilis Kourkoutas, the guitars sticking to the Euro Power Metal style, weaving harmonies and thundering riffs on Wings Of Steel. Kourkoutas also produces the record to make sure it sounds as vast and dense as the concept behind it, giving it this sci-fi story it's epic feel.

Though it may have been nearly a decade in the making it's been worth the wait as Ark Of Time is the most accomplished record from Valor have made yet. 9/10

Krushya - DooMinion (Self Released)

I mean...some bands names are a dead give away. Krushya, they're called Krush-Ya for goodness sake, it's pretty apparent that this Patra based trio will bludgeoning you with some explosive death metal.

Founded all the way back in 2000, Krushya bring death, grind and groove, from the underground as they take a D.I.Y ethos in releasing and recording music, they've been very industrious releasing albums, live records, EP's and singles all leading up to DooMinion.

A record driven by pure aggression and veteran instincts, combining their twenty years plus of playing with their most vicious material yet, it's unrelenting with tracks such as Beauty Of Suffering just destroying you with it's speed and ferocity, the double kicks of Giorgos "Hellgrinder" Tsafos feeling inhuman.

They know when to shift pace though as Abomination brings some Lamb Of God groove as Blindfolded and Animus are brimming with grindcore rage the guitars of Christos Kalogeropoulos like a chainsaw ripping at flesh as Vagellis "Gator Dust" Papadopoulos barks and growls with his bass/guitar the rhythm abuse.

How you feel about DooMinion and by extent Krushya, is dependent on how you feel about death metal that simply gives no fucks, dynamics and complexity aren't really the name of the game here, though the songs like A Liar's Sect aren't simple, this record is about audio violence, death metal at its meanest. Brace yourself! 7/10

Aeons In Solitude - Black Lumina (Soman Records)

Aeons In Solitude is a two man act from Athens Greece, beginning as a solo project for Alex Roussos in 2016, it evolved into a band later and they released their debut in 2020.

Taking from doom and gothic rock it's was well received however soundscapes evolve and with their follow up Alex is joined by drummer Nepheli Sofra and as a two piece they move more towards the goth tones of darkwave.

Utilising drums, both real and programmed alongside synths and electronics as the major instruments to sit against Alex's introspective vocals, though he is also the major player on this record handling the programming, synths, guitars and bass.

Again the record was recorded, mixed and mastered at Fragile Studio in Athens, by Vangelis Yalamas, the influences of Cocteau Twins, Dead Can Dance, The Sisters Of Mercy and even Depeche Mode can all be heard in this atmospheric record, the latter on Fragments and Colours.

Black Lumina shifts Aeons In Solitude away from doom to a different type of heavy where dark ambience envelopes you. 7/10

Blossom Death - Spirit (The Circle Music)

Blossom Death play heavy gothic rock and Spirit is their debut album. The creative outlet for former Sorrowful Angels frontman Kostas “Corax” Katoikos (guitar/vocals), Marita Makaronidi (vocals) and Argy Deligianopoulos (drums), they released an EP in 2019 and a split with In Burial in 2023.

Their journey as a band so far has culminated with Spirit, where they are joined by Johny Litinakis (bass), Vassilis Koronas (lead guitar) and Evmara Katoikou (vocals). It's heavy goth rock with moments of Draconian, My Dying Bride and Paradise Lost, romantic female and harsh male vocals in unison over music that avoids overly technical complexity but leans into atmosphere.

Unfortunately the vocals for me are lacking a bit and that's quite distracting. However there's a dark atmosphere and introspection throughout these six songs are driven by sweeping instrumentals, heavy riffs, keys and the emotional power of the songs makes it decent goth rock. 6/10

Reviews: Armored Saint, Acid Reign, Rival Cults, Opensight (Simon Black & Matt Bladen)

Armored Saint - Emotion Factory Reset (Metal Blade Records) [Simon Black]

A new Armored Saint album is always something I look forwards to. Since I came across probably their magnum opus Symbol Of Salvation in the early 90’s they’ve always been a band that meant something to me, being my first exposure to the American branch of the Power Metal family (although in reality that’s a label that struggles to fit a band as distinctively in a sub-genre of their own as the Saint find themselves). 

They never really broke big time out of the USA in their original incarnation, and ironically by the time that final album from their first run landed on my platter, they had already scattered to the winds. At their time their back catalogue on Chrysalis was a mystery here in the UK, so Salvation served as both, err a symbol, and a tombstone to an act that I was unlikely to ever see any more of with vocalist John Bush then ensconced in Anthrax, and the band seemingly gone forever, and their back catalogue with them.

Their reunion in the late 90’s passed me by as well, but when I discovered that the Salvation line-up was not only back but recording I dived back in with delight. The release that coincided with this was 2015’s Win Hands Down and suddenly ‘delight’ seemed too small a word. I’m well versed with the discography now, but for me those two aforementioned releases remain the high-water mark to beat.

Enter Emotion Factory Reset.

It takes me by surprise from the first song. Saw raw and aggressive are John Bush’s vocals on opener Close To The Bone, that I find myself wondering if there’s actually someone else behind the mike stand. The material jumps around a bit too, stylistically nodding to all eight of its studio predecessors, not least in the production values, which really do scale up and down a lot. 

Given the effort that went into recently revamping the 3 Chrysalis holy grail albums of my lost 20’s, it’s a surprise that such a rough and ready style has been adopted in places, but that I suspect is a consequence of the fact that the material here has been a long while coming, and was cut in five different studios.

The other gut instinct I have about is because of its fragmented production; the album suffers a little from lack of consistency. When bands usually get together they assemble a bunch of tracks as a pre-production exercise, which collates whatever’s been bubbling on the back burners and to consolidate maybe an album and a half’s worth of material which they can then hone refine and cull in the more expensive production facilities to get a thematically consistent rounded end product. 

Emotion Factory Reset by its very nature is a more eclectic mix stylistically, and I get the feeling that the whole point of the exercise was not to create a thematically rounded statement of intent, but to nod to the past, hint to the future and most importantly produce a bunch of songs that they simply just like. And it’s that honest intent that saves this from being a dilettanteish mess, and more like the missing Greatest Hits that I would probably have chewed my own arm off to get hold of in 1995. 

By the time I’m through the first time, I’m circling back again with any sense of wariness and consistency buried by the knowledge, that this too is probably going to turn out to be yet another high-water mark, even if it does take a few spins to get deeply in. 8/10

Acid Reign – Daze Of the Week (Back On Black) [Simon Black]

Being old enough to have lived through the time of the so-called Big 4 of British Thrash, Acid Reign were an act I always had a soft spot for. 

Unlike their US equivalents, longevity and global success wasn’t for most of these acts. The early 90’s wiped most of them out and whilst Onslaught and Xentrix have rebooted and recovered to an extent, Sabbat were never coming back as a recording outfit, and Acid Reign came late to the revival party. But the key word here is ‘party’, which is something that they’ve more than made up for since. 

Having seen them live last year, I was blown away by how energetic and thoroughly entertaining they are live, mostly because frontman H (the only original member still standing) is like ADHD in a bottle when he gets an audience to work, which he will to within an inch of their lives.

The reality is this is only their fourth studio album across as many decades, and seven years since they last hit the studio. The line up, guitars excepted is the same that came together for the 2015 reboot, and they’ve clearly gelled in the studio as well as on the boards. Daze Of The Week wastes no time ripping holes in your eardrums, with a brutally precise, catchy and insanely energetic splatter of tracks that sounds as on the nose and in your testicles as The Fear was way back when I were a lad.

I missed out on 2019’s The Age Of Entitlement, but the key difference today is in production and song-crafting. The youthful enthusiasm of the 80’s saw them being a bit more naïve in their arrangements, but all ten of the tracks here are well crafted, with any padding well and truly sifted away. If you are going to spend a long-time gestating material between releases, it allows you to selectively hone, and clearly a lot of time has been spent crafting these beauties as precisely as possible.

Yet at the same time they achieve the magic juice of maximum scarcity, which is to make the recording sounds as crisply immediate and spontaneous as they are on stage. Loads of bands try and capture that zeitgeist, incorrectly thinking that aping old school analogue is the way to achieve it, whereas Acid Reign have clearly spent a lot of time rehearsing, pre-producing and nailing things to within a gnat’s whisker, and probably banged them out in the studio very fast. 

Old school Thrash done properly is still a joy to listen to, and that, dear reader is all you can ask for. 9/10

Rival Cults - Our Gods Need Blood (Seeing Red Records) [Matt Bladen]

I'm a big fan of gothic rock, especially that post-punk style of goth that came out of the late 80's, romantic baritone vocals, jangling guitars and songs that ooze with dark machismo and sexuality.

Bands like The Cult, The Mission, Sisters of Mercy and Type O Negative are the acts that have been the blueprints. In recent years Unto Others, Creeper or anything involving Mat McNerney seem to be the bands that are bringing this style of rock back, but you can add the name of Santa Barbara band Rival Cults to that list.

Formed by guitarists Adj Tejada (rhythm), Casey Shropshire (lead) and vocalist Cole Tyler Barrington, they quickly started writing and brought in bassist Cane Fletcher and drummer Richard Rhiger and drew from dark subject matter such as alcoholism to form their style as a band.

Leading to their debut full length in 2023 which cemented their gothic rock identity and penchant for personal lyricism as it was inspired by Barrington's path out of addiction but doing so they wanted to put "more rock in our goth" by dialling up the volume with bigger and badder, riffs and solos to move towards a more grandiose musical offering.

The lyrics have evolved from personal rebirth into songs about "love, faith, desire, and mortality" these more hedonistic ideals fitting their dirtier and heavier rock n roll. Rival Cults are not a band who live in the past, this is gorgeous goth rock for the 21st Century, worshipping those statuesque gods of old but a bringing their own vampiric swagger and maudlin mystery to the genre.

Come quickly as Our Gods Need Blood and it has to be yours! 8/10

Opensight - The Outfit (Inertial Music) [Matt Bladen]

There probably aren't too many rock/metal albums that start off with the Morricone-esque trumpets you'd find in a Spaghetti Western, but then Opensight are not your typical rock/metal band. 

They're one the UK's biggest purveyors of 'cinematic rock' all their albums build around a storyline, like a movie, telling a story from beginning to end through evolving musical dynamics but always staying within the soundscapes of film genres rather than musical ones, the funkadelic riff on Final Cut for instance. With The Outfit they throwback to the glory days of 70's grindhouse, where gritty crime capers, westerns, bloody horrors we all there to grab your imagination and offer cheap thrills and spills. 

There's nothing cheap about Opensight though, they're a talented crop of musicians who probably just as much musical education as they do media. After the Procesión De La Muerte's brass subsides it's straight into Killer Outfit where the bad guys in the black hats ride into town, segueing into the spooky and surreal world of In Plain Sight which has that customary Theremin used in all horror/sci fi movies. 

What I do find about Opensight is that they don't let the conceptual stuff get in the way of the songwriting, everything on the record is quite immediate and pulls you in quickly, there aren't too many instances where the style is more important than the substance. 

In regards to the substance, Opensight hook their sound to classic heavy rock and metal from the same period of their movie period though with a few modern touches with Muse and Faith No More being two due to the Western themeing and experimental style, while there's also some Jeff Wayne influences of course. The Outfit reasserts that's Opensight's cinematic rock style is here to stay, another story driven record from this innovative act. 7/10

Reviews: Jungle Rot, Roman Candle, Arroganz, Seum (Mark Young, Spike, Joe Guatieri & Rich Piva)

Jungle Rot - Cruel Face Of War (Unique Leader Records) [Mark Young]

Amazingly, this is the 12th studio release from Jungle Rot, a band that is 30 years into a journey that (hopefully) shows no signs of stopping. And what’s more, there is a vigour to it, a drive that shows that they are not in any mood to slow down. 

There is an unnecessary intro track, replete with jungle sounds that slowly devolves into a guitar suffering and then we are into Apocalyptic Dawn. This song will define your enjoyment from the off; it wears its death metal credentials for all to see and its straight ahead with no unwarranted or additional measures. It’s simply fast guitar, drums that batter and vocals that occupy that lower register. It has a positive momentum running through it, one that is constantly built on from song to song. 

Cruel Face Of War starts off with some razor sharp riffing before they settle back into that groove once more. It is the very definition of ‘meat and potato’ metal, something that isn’t going to set the world on fire but then doesn’t want to. It satisfies its objectives; it takes what comes before it and improves it. 

This opening triple threat is concluded with Maniacal, and its here that those groove roots come on strong. Slower, more crushing in its execution you can see these three opening their shows with this one providing a slim amount of respite to the crowd. Suffer In Silence brings the temperature back up and is similar to Apocalyptic Dawn in the way it unspools. 

There is nothing wrong with it by any means, they just continue ploughing their furrow the way they like to do, moving tempos to suit whilst never forgetting the most important part: The Riff. The album is fashioned from rock hard riffs, be it the duh-duh-duh-DEH start of Radicalized (you will know exactly what I mean when you hear it) that tears into a gut-stomper of a thing across to the fleet fingering of Blade of Betrayal which does a neat 180 to slow and get your head nodding. That ability to get you to do that is not something that every band has, especially if the listener is sober.

Entering the final act, I don’t think I’m surprising anyone by stating that they don’t pull back from keeping their intent at the same level that they kicked off with. Horrors Vile (ft Dave Ingram of Benediction) is classic, just classic. Death metal done in that way that everyone loves. Well, as long as you love death metal. And if you don’t? Leave the hall. 

Hollow Husk brings proceedings to a close and doesn’t miss a beat. There is a level of consistency that runs through the album; Once the intro wraps, they just turn on and then motor through to the end. Having that constant level means that it could take you a couple of listens to pick out what could be your album high points. 

Holding them against other bands with this kind of longevity, the fact they still can give us music like this where instead of maybe two or three bangers and then a lot of filler, each song is worthy of our time. This could be the right jumping on point for new listeners, and for long time followers this shouldn’t disappoint. 8/10

Roman Candle – Unadulterated (Independent) [Spike]

Las Vegas has a habit of spitting out bands that sound like they were raised in a high-speed blender, and Roman Candle are currently the most dangerous thing on the desert floor. 

I’ll be honest: I went into this one with a bit of a grudge. The name "Roman Candle" suggested something polite, perhaps a bit indie-pop, or the kind of band that plays mid-afternoon sets at a boutique festival. I was wrong. Within thirty seconds of the opener, Blasphemous Act, it becomes clear that this is a record of jagged edges, mathcore-inflected chaos, and a level of vitriol that makes the band name feel like a calculated bit of irony.

For a debut album, Unadulterated is a cracking starting point. It occupies that frantic, high-IQ space where the rhythmic instability of The Chariot meets the melodic-yet-bruised-rib honesty of Gouge Away. Piper Ferrari is the undisputed heart of the operation; her vocal delivery has an intensity that sounds like a woman trying to claw her way out of a room that’s slowly filling with smoke. It’s a clever bit of aggression that never feels like it’s just shouting for the sake of it.

The track-list is a masterclass in the "soft punch" dynamic. You’ve got titles like This Band Has Lead Me To Places I Wouldn't Go With A Gun and On Second Thought Maybe Gaslighting Is Real, which carry a sharp, observational wit that reminds me of the Mclusky school of lyrical combat. Musically, tracks like Can We Watch Something Happy? and Bite Harder Than You Bleed move with a heart-attack pulse, utilizing dissonance and needle-fine guitar work to keep the listener permanently off-balance.

What stands out most is the production's refusal to be "polite." There’s a dirty, honest grit to the sound, captured perfectly on Nothing Is Original and My Silence Costs More Than You Can Afford where you can hear the gear groaning under the pressure. It avoids the high-gloss traps of modern metalcore, opting instead for a sound that feels like it’s vibrating in your very being. It’s the sound of a band playing in a space where the ceiling is too low and the lights are far too bright.

The back half of the record, from For Once My Hands Are Still to the finality of How To Be Considered When You're Not In The Room, doubles down on the exploration of power and self-discovery. It’s an exhausting, brilliant listen, the kind of record that truly leaves a mark.

Roman Candle haven't just delivered a debut; they’ve documented a state of total, unadulterated urgency. My initial dislike of the name was a complete misfire; this is a heavy, shimmering reminder that whilst you shouldn’t judge a book by the cover you really shouldn’t judge a band by assumptions from their name. I’m definitely adding this one to my playlist, will find it on vinyl and I'm already looking forward to seeing how this riot translates to a live stage. 9/10

Arroganz - Death Doom Punks (Testimony Records) [Joe Guatieri]

Arroganz are a long-running Death Metal band from Germany, forming back in 2008. They have a big fruitful discography and have been putting out releases consistently over the years with short breaks and a tremendous work ethic. Their last effort came out in 2024 with Quintessenz and since then last year they said goodbye to their old guitarist Patrick and added his replacement, Goath’s Bastian Silberkhul to the lineup the following year. Now with their new family portrait, Arroganz present their seventh studio album, 2026s Death Doom Punks.

We go into the LP with track two, Under Scarred Skin. Immediately within the first few seconds we are introduced to a funky bass line which to me calls out to the likes of Tool and Rage Against Machine, its bouncy yet is played with precision. That’s what this entire song achieves as the guitar bumps into every wall possible. With the animalistic blast beats and great dynamics shown within the Death Doom sections, this song will capture you in its tornado and throw you places that you’ve never been too before. It’s no doubt my favourite song on the record.

Next we’ve got track five with Anti-Ideology. The main riff in the song is sludgy and full of grit, however when it interacts with the fast passages, it doesn’t connect too well, feeling disjointed. It isn’t until later on in the song where the band starts messing around with the guitar line in a way that makes sense with it, amping up the weirdness factor considerably. A song with a great riff like this deserves to have more focus and respect, it could have been something very intense but instead comes off as meandering.

Following on from that we’ve got track six, Arsenic Breath. The song shows Arroganz at their most inventive as this rager is like if Melvins were a Death Metal band. With its walking bass line and guitar fuckery, the band shows a sense of humour as it comes across as them playing catch up with themselves, not knowing whether to start or stop. You can tell that the trio loved playing this in the studio together.

Overall, Arroganz have created a direct, bass heavy at times pulverising record. Whenever they start swimming in familiar territory, at risk of sounding the same as before, they’ve always got a few tricks up their sleeve to pull anyone out from the muck and keep the listener engaged and in a good mood. All these years later Death Doom Punks shows that Arroganz can live up to the album title, showing that they still have plenty of gas left in the tank and are here to have fun. 7/10

Seum - Parking Life (Black Throne Productions/Falling Apart Records) [Rich Piva]

Seum doesn't need any of your stinking guitars. This bass driven trio from Montreal, Québec, Canada are back with a new record, Parking Life, that rips up the place from 26 minutes with the low end destroying you as you look for a space close to the entrance, but instead have to part your 1995 Corolla in the dirty auxiliary lot a half a mile away.

Filled with heavy low end thunder, a hardcore punk energy, and some excellent film clips, Parking Life is a quick blast of crazy road rage energy. The title track shakes the room and blows out the windshield. What you will notice if you have heard the band’s earlier stuff, we now have some clean vocals to go along with the growls, and it is an excellent addition to their brand of guitarless heavy. 

Parking Life reminds me of The Melvins, Big Business, Steel Pole Bathtub, and has some 90s Chicago Noise Rock vibes too, which is obviously a huge complement. Employee Of The Month has all sorts of heavy and interesting tempo changes. The clean and not so clean vocal combo works excellent on this one. Vince Houde from Dopethrone guests on 666 Problems and of course it rips and somehow is also the catchiest track on the record in all of its black and roll glory. 

Labrador is as straight ahead of a song that is on Parking Life, but this is all relative, because it is Seum. Right Swipe Blues is about what you may think it is, in all of its gloriously sarcastic and glib way. The clean vocals are a great addition to this one as well. Sad Labbath rips it up as well, with the bass partnering with the screamy vocals perfectly. The closer is a cover of Always On My Mind. I will leave that there.

I really dig Parking Life, and the next step forward Seum has taken with Parking Life. This record rips with zero need for guitars. I love the addition to the clean vocals and it is as accessible as a Seum record could be. Great stuff, even if someone steals your spot as you are pulling in to the sweet one right in front while listening. 8/10

Reviews: Reliquia, The Flatliners, IATT, Abuser (Matt Bladen & Spike)

Reliquia - In Theory And Practice (Self Released) [Matt Bladen]

A relatively new face on the UK metal scene Reliquia bring gloomy gothic metal out of Manchester. They've been slowly building a following around the UK with melancholic singles that found their way on to a collection on 2025 and numerous shows with some of the saddest and maudlin bands around on the UK scene.

These rituals of misery have sculpted the songs on their debut album In Theory And Practice, a record of dark atmospheres, flashes of unbridled rage and philosophical musings that collide into six musical journeys, telling their own stories as they unfurl their gothic majesty. They're a band with a number of comparisons to the big boys and girls in their field but they embrace these comparisons with very strong material.

From the growled death doom of Caesar Bejewelled, we move to the cleaner tones of Temple Terrace, both have the hefty chug of Paradise Lost balancing clean/harsh vocals intertwined with some mournful keys, Gregg Neville the architect of both, the synths adding some My Dying Bride ambience over the intricate guitar playing of Tobias Gray and George Kal, distorted riffs combined with melodic leads.

In the engine room Karim Nahser's drumming has a surgical bite to it, in the snare especially while the bass too plays a big role in the overall mood, played on the record by Andy Lindley. The production of Joe Clayton (Ba’al, Conjurer) and Ben McEwan, giving the album a crystalline dissonance where the mood is dark and dreary but the resonance of the instrumentals and vocals is affecting.

Away from the marching chug, they spread their broken wings into goth/post rock moodiness as Crestfallen and the grooving Bone And Shale both shout about the influences of goth icons Fields Of The Nephilim and Sisters Of Mercy, the latter creeping like a Andrew Eldritch night terror.

An Interlude leads to the climax, Give combining all the dark, tragic lyricism of Reliquia with their dark and light of their melodic maladies. In Theory And Practice is a strong first effort from Reliquia. 8/10

The Flatliners – Cold World (Dine Alone Records/Rise Records) [Spike]

The Flatliners have finally stopped running. For a band that built its reputation on the high-velocity, heart-attack pulse of the Ontario punk scene, Cold World represents a total atmospheric reset. It’s the sound of the lights being dimmed and the humidity being sucked out of the room. As someone who has spent decades watching genres mutate from the front row, I find this kind of evolution far more interesting than a band trying to recreate their 2007 velocity. This is a record of mid-tempo grit and dark-edged melodies that understands that you don't need a hundred miles per hour to be heavy.

Things start with Stolen Valour, and the shift in reality is total. There is a "cold," mechanical precision to the guitars that sits right in the pocket of 80s post-punk, draped over a rhythm section that feels more like a heartbeat than a drum kit. Chris Cresswell’s vocals have aged into a pained, articulate rasp, there’s a narrative weight to his delivery that reminds me of the more literate end of the shoegaze spectrum. It’s not "shouting"; it’s a documented account of survival in a world that’s becoming increasingly distant.

What makes Cold World such a compelling listen is the layering. Tracks like Good, You? and Inner Peace possess a shimmering, reverb-drenched quality that rewards a decent set of speakers. The production avoids the high-gloss traps of modern pop-punk, opting instead for a dirty, honest sound where the strings groan and the feedback feels like it’s actually in the room with you. It’s a sophisticated bit of engineering that allows the melody to survive the distortion.

The heart of the record is found in the middle stretch. Whyte Light and Into Annihilation are sprawling, cinematic monuments to the band’s current state of mind. Into Annihilation, in particular, is a four-minute masterclass in sustained tension, moving through movements of brooding restraint before eventually snapping into a cathartic, melodic roar. It’s an honest, unvarnished bit of songwriting that suggests the band has finally stopped trying to be the "next big thing" and started defining their own landscape.

The back half, Pulpit, Gush And Burn doubles down on the attrition. There is a "North Atlantic" grit to the rhythm section here, a jagged, resilient energy that refuses to sound like a polite radio export. By the time we reach the final, melodic sigh of United In Spite, the lore of Cold World is complete. It isn't a "fun" punk record, but it’s a vital one.

The Flatliners haven't just made another album; they’ve created a climate. It’s a heavy, shimmering triumph of tone over trend, proving that sometimes the most powerful noise is the one that forces you to face the cold. I’ll be listening to this a lot in the future. It is a record for when the world feels just a bit too much. 8/10

IATT - Etheric Realms Of The Night (Black Lion Records) [Matt Bladen]

Fan of disgustingly complex extreme metal where the standard black/death offerings are shaken up with Latin, jazz fusion, folk music, blues and classical making for a sound that is about as progressive as you can get? Great then put down that Wintersun record and dive into some IATT an American band who have been doing this since 2008.

This music features big concepts and dense narratives, letting them do what they want with their music, experimenting with as many genres and styles as they want. More so on this new album which deal with dream realms and the subconscious, these explorations of worlds confined to a heavy sleep, mean that they can evolve their style again with this new record.

The whole album backed by cinematic orchestrations as if a metal band has fallen into a soundtrack for a Chris Nolan film. In fact IATT have leaned into filmmaking themselves for this album with a series of music videos with a linked narrative that tell the story of the record, giving you a full audio/visual experience, and lifting IATT's commitment to their craft that little bit higher than some of their contemporaries.

Etheric Realms Of The Night is a massively cinematic album from these American veterans, binding their intense extreme metal with virtuoso musicianship and multiple colliding ideas. 8/10

Abuser – Blood Marks (Xtreem Music) [Spike]

If you’re going to name your band Abuser and title the debut Blood Marks, you aren't exactly planning a quiet night in. Hailing from Wroclaw, Poland, this lot have spent the last few years sharpening a very specific kind of blade, one that owes its edge to the Teutonic thrash royalty of the 80s. I’ve lived through the original rise of Kreator, Sodom, and Destruction, and I’ve seen countless bands try to replicate that frantic, borderline-out-of-control energy. Most fail because they try to make it too tidy. Abuser succeeds because they let the gears grind.

What’s most impressive here is the persistence. Abuser formed back in 2018 and dropped a well-received demo in 2019, but a debut album didn't just appear overnight. It’s taken years of lineup changes and presumably a fair amount of grit to get this project to the finish line in 2026. That seven-year gap since their first recording has clearly been spent wisely; this isn't the sound of a band rushing to meet a trend, but rather a unit that has spent over half a decade internalizing the "shock and awe" of the early pioneers.

The record opens with Cry Of The Innocent, and within thirty seconds, the intent is unmistakable. This is high-velocity, teeth-grinding thrash that refuses to offer a single moment of "experimental" reprieve. Paweł Dominiak’s vocals carry that raw, snarled vitriol that reminded me immediately of Mille Petrozza in the mid-80s, a voice that sounds like it’s being forced through a throat full of rusted wire.

The rhythmic weight is what keeps Blood Marks from becoming a blur. Tracks like Suspended In Torture and Painbringer possess a primal fire, with guitar solos from Dominiak and Albert Matuszny that feel like flailing barbed wire, chaotic, sharp, and genuinely dangerous. I’ve been listening to this in the car over the last few days, and Lethal Obsession and the title track have a way of making you realize you’re doing ninety in a sixty without noticing. The production, handled with a solid "no-frills" honesty by Xtreem Music, allows Jakub Klimkiewicz’s domineering drum work to act as a physical heartbeat for the record.

The closer, Witnessing Madness, provides a breathless race to the finish line that sums up the band’s ethos. It’s a jagged, uncompromising bit of survivalism that proves the old school of thrash still has a hell of a lot of life left in it. It took them a while to get here, but Abuser have finally bottled that original lightning. It’s a masterstroke of mayhem that was well worth the wait. 8/10

Review: Theme From Alex - Thirsty Broken Magic & Part Ghost Reissued (Matt Bladen)

Theme From Alex - Thirsty Broken Magic & Part Ghost (Self Released)
Matthew Alexander Powell continues his reissue campaign with the two albums from his previous band Theme From Alex. Thirsty Broken Magic dropped in 2003 and and Part Ghost in 2016, both are similar but different in their own ways.

Thirsty Broken Magic is more of a solo album with Matt performing vocals/guitars/bass joined by Rob Reed (Magenta/Sanctuary/Chimpan A) on keys/programming and Ryan Ashton on drums.

Part Ghost is more of band project with Matt on vocals/guitar, Blare on drums and lead vocals on Comfort The Ride, Edd Sprague on guitars/vocals and Jamie Roberts on bass/vocals, who is now in Puzzle Tree with Powell.

Production wise Thirsty Broken Magic is handheld by Powell and Reed while Part Ghost is Powell and Lee Howells who also adds backing vocals alongside Beth-Anne Matthews and Dylan Thompson (ex-The Reasoning) whom Powell was in Shadow Of The Sun with.

Guests on Thirsty Broken Music are High Griffiths on lead guitar for Silver Lining and Edward Sprague on lead guitar for Refrain (who clearly made an impact as he joined the band for the next album).

So with all that preamble and who's who out of the way we can actually get down to the music on these albums. Starting with Thirsty Broken Magic and Soul Tired kicks off with some early 2000's alt rock riffs that were bang up to date then, Powell's vocals perhaps not as refined as they are now but there's a passion behind it for mixing grooving riffs with prog acumen.

She comes next and you can hear the Jeff Buckley influence strongly in the voice and acoustic guitar, the acoustics are very important to the whole album, creating the main rhythm of these songs as Light And Shade adds Creed/Staind style emotive balladry and the first of three Mantra's splits the album up into chapters, the first two short interludes while the third is the outro of the record but features a hidden song (remember those) after some silence

Before I Know brings back the heavy, a slithering bass groove adding grunge to the alt metal as Breathe dreamily invokes some radio pop shifting to a short rockers Fra Diavalo. You can hear that Thirsty Broken Magic is very of it's time but a lot of the styles visited here continue into Powell's work after this and beyond.

I mentioned the vocals and they aren't bad mind you, just still a bit raw which suits the style of the album as the woozy Silver Lining is followed by the soulful Sunburn, again highlighting the acoustic guitar. Carrying this through to Refrain which makes me think of Stone Temple Pilots and is the last 'proper' song here.

Thirsty Broken Magic is an album of potential, there's a lot of things here that will be revisited over Powell's career and on the follow up of course.

Part Ghost then is a record with a bit more time and experience behind it, the prog influences creeping in a bit more in terms of experimentation with styles, rhythms, and atmospheres. Big riffs swagger in on Broken Man the alt/grunge style still central to the music but as I said much more rounded.

Lyrically too things take a step up as they do vocally, the harmonies in particular work really well to make the album feel 'big'. Brittlewing is spectral and dynamic, it sounds like a band playing these songs over a collection of musicians, we move into the riffy metallic world of Canute and it's powerful Alice In Chains vibe.

Galaxy returns to acoustic balladry, ripe with emotion and some 90's angst meeting a bit of prog rock scrubbing, Mad Season continuing the psychedelic/acoustic themes with repeating melodies, transitioning to Comfort The Ride, the albums longest song and it's most affecting, hooked on a big bass line it's got a flavour of Dream Theater's balladry.

Into the back end of the record and the maturity is obvious with the brooding Play Dead and the propulsive Crashing Around You, the drumming here needs to be highlighted as it does on the on the Soundgarden-like Holy Water, a track which brings the woozy riffs of Cornell and co.

The influences are a lot broader on Part Ghost, more realised than on the debut. Bloodlines for instance is some introspective radio fodder segueing into album closer Torch which again features a big set of chorus riffs countered by stripped back verses.

So Part Ghost feels much more like a band project, the style of Thirsty Broken Magic doesn't disappear it's just reappraised with experience and performed by more musicians which adds to the definition of everything.

Revisiting these albums in preparation for his new solo album Matthew Alexander Powell is giving the audience gained through Puzzle Tree a look at how he got here. Theme From Alex is where volume met the singer/songwriter and both are worth exploring to chart the evolution. 9/10

Reviews: Crown Lands, Crematory, Port Noir, Savage Mania (Simon Black, Cherie Curtis, Matt Bladen & Mark Young)

Crown Lands – Apocalypse (InsideOut Music) [Simon Black]

Crown Lands hail from Canada and are a remarkably impressive sounding Prog Rock outfit, made more pertinent by the fact that there are only the two of them (vocalist / drummer Cody Bowles, and guitarist / bassist / keyboardist / everything bloody else Kevin Comeau).

To be fair this is less and less noteworthy nowadays given the leaps and bounds in technology which enable one or more multi-instrumental virtuosos to write, record and master without ever leaving the comfort of their homes (which is quite useful in a part of the world that can disappear under a blanket of snow for half the year). I am frequently cautious of these studio projects though, many of which never go anywhere, despite all the resources spent making them.

At least they meet in person to record, which rapidly moves my cynicism dial in their favour and that’s probably why this sounds like a real band rather than a remote recording project. All too often, no matter how good the artists, technology or production the end product often lacks the certain frisson of chemistry you inevitably get when players who know each other backwards musically really gel in a room, and here it absolutely does. It’s a strong and energetic chemistry too, and with this their fourth release, it’s got a bucket load of confidence too.

And before you make the assumption that this is just a studio project, these boys do play shows and if you take the nineteen minutes of your life necessary to partake of the video release for the title track of the album on YouTube, a pro-shot live version is what you will get, with the band dressed like they fell off the set of a Game Of Thrones spin off and the line up expanded to a four piece. They also opened for Kiss on their 2023 tour. Cynicism dial now in full retreat…

Then you get to the music.

Wow. With the exception of the epic titular closer, the rest of the album displays remarkable focus and brevity for a piece of prog. Artistes in the genre often feel the need to overextend run times just for the sake of it, leaving the listener after five minutes the option of leaving the room, visiting the bathroom, brewing a cuppa, letting it cool, drinking it and returning with still a good ten minutes left to run. Too often, it’s gratuitous, and Crown Lands don’t fall into that trap. 

When they do go epic, it’s because the song wouldn’t work any other way, with Apocalypse culminating as it does an album which has built energy and urgency for the six preceding tracks, and at only forty-two odd minutes in total the end result is a sharp, concise and rather effective conceptual piece that actually keeps you hooked in throughout. That razor precision on arrangements shows real skill and my cynicism dial has now fucked off completely…

However, it’s the performances these boys deliver that really nails it for me. Bowles is in the same register as early Geddy Lee, but apart from them having a major streak of prog running through them, there’s little in common with their globally known countrymen. And what a voice… It’s powerful, distinctive, charismatic and hauntingly pulls you into their music and does not let go.

Comeau in addition, simply does not sound like one man wearing three hats. Frequently in such instances, one of the instruments (more often than not the bass) is just there to deliver a technical function and follows one of the others, but he plays each and every one almost with a different character, which is why I am truly surprised when I discovered it’s all the work of one person (albeit one with multiple musical personalities). 

However, the all-important net effect is one of a band with a huge richness and versatility who effortlessly weave music that is really rather addictive and has left me wanting much, much more, which the back catalogue is going to have to attempt to fill. 9/10

Crematory – Greatest Hits: English Hymns & Deutche Hymnen (ROAR) [Cherie Curtis]

To celebrate their 35th Anniversary, Crematory brings us a compilation of their greatest hits with some brand-new tracks. 15 tracks in English and 15 tracks in German all of which are incredibly well textured in versatile ambience and thunderous instrumentals which are laced with pure energy. This dual language split partway through is a genius move for their anniversary release showcases their evolution spanning from the early 90s gothic metal to high production, pioneering gothic Industrial style heavy metal fusion, they have as of today's date as well as staying true to their roots.

Whether it’s the English tracks or the German tracks, every single one has extensively rich layering to build tension which will keep you hooked until the inevitable explosion of raw and ferocious chorus. A personal favourite is Kommt Naher, which features high tech industrial backing tracks with a dynamic blend of low-end gritty metal vocals and a nicer more traditional shouted harmonies which is the perfect storm of heaviness without it being a pure face-melter. Their track Virus is absolutely bone shaking, and just straight up cool, there’s exertion coming through just a hard hitting and high energy beats and technical and searing hot instrumentals which gives this one a metal club classic feel.

Crematory has a uniquely defined structure and signature sound, which after 35 years on the scene is expected, however it’s worth noting that sometimes this isn’t always the case as it’s common for bands to lose or switch up their sound after some years. The high level of skill and dedication still shines through, however, this one is a compilation album so you may have heard these before but if you’re anything like me, you’d think it’s nice to have to have a remastered version of a favorite.

There’s an overwhelming amount to love with this one. As someone who hasn’t come across Crematory before, each track is new and impressive to me. I can understand that if you are a longtime fan of these guys, it can only peak your interest so much for the few minutes it takes to listen to the 4 new singles they’ve added; Blind, Born, Wrong Side Of The Mirror and Flammenmeer.

Overall, this one is substantial and a pure masterclass of skill and atmosphere. It’s a real feast for the ears and I'm sure you can appreciate their Greatest Hits on the 100th listen and enjoy them just as much as you did the first time round and let their lyricism, atmospheric grandeur and delivery take you on an ass kicking heavy meets catchy journey once again. 10/10

Port Noir - The Dark We Keep (InsideOut Music) [Matt Bladen]

I wasn't expecting this from Swedish band Port Noir.

On their fifth album The Dark We Keep they've let out all their innermost darkness with the heaviest, most aggressive music they've recorded. Their previous albums, offered prog that was entwined with alt rock and hip-hop, interesting, inventive but ultimately perhaps lacking in the current prog metal scene.

Well not any more as they really push towards the likes of Leprous where ambient, emotional passages change shaped into massive downtuned riffs and grooves. The experimental era they've been navigating has led them to this much louder place and it means that The Dark We Keep feels more immediate and definitive than anything previously, though Reverie does feature some similarities to Tyla's 2023 track Water.

That being said their alt metal beginnings haven't been cut loose, they're blended into the more aggressive tones used often in opposition to the intensity as grooves build into caverns. At their core they're a trio but with drummer Andreas Wiberg anchoring the songs, guitarist Andreas Hollstrand and vocalist/bassist Love Anderson share the piano/keys amongst other things.

With two multi-instrumentalists in the band, they play songs bigger then the sum of their parts and while Port Noir have always been a band about layers and non-linear composition, here they're about volume and impact as well. Pushing musical complexity alongside melodic sensibility much like Leprous, Caligula's Horse and Vola.

Port Noir have been brooding on their dark side for a while now and with their fifth album they have unleashed it. 8/10

Savage Mania - Demonic Assault (Fireflash Records) [Mark Young]

The first thing that strikes you about this album is its abundance of energy that bursts forth the moment you press play. Its immediate, it really is and you have to applaud Savage Mania for being able to capture that for their debut release. 

This Swedish band, formed in 2019 have gone back to that golden era of thrash for inspiration, but instead of looking to the USA they set their sights within Europe; Kreator, Sodom amongst others setting the baselines in place. This isn’t to say you can’t hear Slayer in there, to these ears they are there but imagine a Slayer where they didn’t cross paths with Rick Rubin and released Reign In Blood that sounded like Hell Awaits. I’m kind of getting away from the point I wanted to make, which was this:

If you were brought up on those bands, around that time, when thrash was new, exciting, dangerous and made everything else feel like it was moving in slow motion and still listen to those early, primitive records then this is right up your Strasse. The music here, its structure, sound and execution is exactly like those records from 84-85. 

Am I suggesting that it can hold its own with those releases? To an extent, yes. There are those that believe that metal stopped around that time, that nothing of note has been released since. Demonic Assault can step right into that conversation and say, ‘Hello There’. On the flip side is that it isn’t original or new. Of course it isn’t, but if you know what you are getting into i.e. pure thrash then you cannot go wrong.

Still with us? Good. As I’ve said, this is a ball of energy. The songs are, crucially less than 4 minutes long and follow that maxim that short thrash is generally better, a short sharp shock that stabs each time. The Intro is what you expected and is followed by what I believe classic thrash is all about – harmonies, slow entry and then its time for departure. Undead Rebirth absolutely rages. Its unsubtle, relentless and brutal. It’s like the audio version of a rollercoaster where it feels like it’s about to leave the tracks. The Face Of Death follows, keeping the same approach whilst mixing a touch of high speed punk to it (thinking of Kill Yourself by SOD). 

Master Of Hell completes the opening trio (ignoring The Intro) and drops like a bomb. Any promises made have been surpassed here, three songs that tapped into that glorious violence of early thrash. Any concerns that they would lose their way prove unfounded. They keep their aggressive intent in place right through, although they adjust tempos like the best do. Remorse is a keen example here, lead break into a more Maiden-like speed. Its fine, you know why its here, a continued pummelling with songs occupying that same rate of knots means that it loses its impact. 

But not for long – Storm Of Steel breaks in, and that straight into high speed attack is unleashed once more. Death And Decay comes next, and this is the bastard son of Slayer and Sepultura, circa Schizophrenia. Its just furious, raging forward with no backward glance. Its probably my favourite track here, landing just at the right moment. 

Fasttrack is pretty disposable, and I think its due to Death And Decay being such a blinder of a track. Some well-intentioned whammy abuse brings Demonic Assault to our ears and to brilliant close. If you imagine that the last song should go all out, then this is what they attempt here and it has to be said that it does the job. Closing things out in the same way that Undead Rebirth started them, it provides a satisfying bookend.

So, what about the score? Well, if I had to say who it’s for, then straight away its definitely for those who just dine on thrash metal, maybe those who like death metal but not the super detuned stuff, or the ‘super-brutal’ gear where it sounds like you are driving over the rumble strip on a motorway. Its for those who want to be transported back to that period in time (like me) and the memories that spring from it. 

Is it original? No, we know it isn’t. Is it technical, possessing crazy time signatures and a ‘modern’ guitar sound, nope. These are riffs that play out like razor blades, sharp and focused on the task in hand. This is the sound of band that aren’t playing lip service to a genre, it’s the sound of a band who have somehow tapped into how these songs should sound, and in doing so have taken me back in time. 9/10

Reviews: Darkthrone, Draconian, Rexoria, Infected Dead (Matt Bladen)

Darkthrone - Pre-Historic Metal (Peaceville Records)

You could probably write a thesis on the eras of Darkthrone, some journalist much better than me probably has but as far as I can see it the duo of Fenriz and Nocturno Culto have long transcended their Transylvanian Thunder through various genres additions.

Their most recent form sees the double act obsessed with old-school heavy metal, the raw, genre defining blasts of early Venom, Celtic Frost/Hellhammer, Mercyful Fate and Sabbat. We're in leather and studs territory here, not the kind that means you pour petrol on religious building but the ones where counterculture and encasing you with riffs to go crazy too is what the endgame is.

Fenriz and Nocturno Culto have an innate love for this music and they utilise the style to create their own version of it. Histrionic vocals coming on the title track, edging into low end King Diamond as Siberian Thaw chugs into the glacial doom crush of Sabbath and Pentagram.

Continuing where they left off with It Beckons Us All, Pre-Historic Metal is a record all about the riff, dirty, distorted riffs with very little effects, just in your face savagery. However with the years of skill between the two, it's more r fined than just raw attack, there's synths that linger, shifting atmospheres and a retro modern production.

It's an explicitly tight record, eight songs and put, their most collaborative yet with both playing everything, letting brevity be their guide to just get the riffs out and get on with it, witnessed by Eat Eat Eat Your Pride which has the snarling rock n roll of Motorhead.

Can we call Darkthrone black metal any more? Does it matter, this is Pre-Historic Metal, get me a mammoth and get nasty. 9/10

Draconian - In Somnolent Ruin (Napalm Records)

Sometimes you have to go back to go forward.

Swedish band Draconian have had a few line up changes since their last album Under A Godless Veil which was their first without their longtime bassist and was also their final record with Heike Langhans on vocals. They've added Niklas Nord on guitar for this new era with Daniel Johansson taking up the drum stool permenantly and Daniel Arvidsson on bass. Vocally Lisa Johansson rejoins Draconian, having been the co-vocalist on their first five albums before leaving in 2011.

So there's very much a mix of new and old in the Draconian of 2026, though at the heart of it all is still lead guitarist Johan Ericson and band-leader/vocalist Anders Jacobsson and that means that Draconian won't be straying too far off the introspective gothic doom path with In Somnolent Ruin. 

I Welcome Thy Arrow welcomes Draconian's dreamstate, the beautiful and haunting vocals of Lisa countered by the growls of Anders, that vocals duality such an important part of the band's identity and the symbiotic relationship of those first five albums reaffirmed on this first atmospheric track. As they wrote the album they started to explore Plato's therapy of the soul, completely organically but this philosophical discourse fits the existentialist style of Draconian, it's thoughtful, melancholic and poetic. The spectral clean passages colliding with the heavy death/doom chugs and symphonic backing on tracks such as The Monochrome Blade.

The maudlin goth of Anima which features Daniel Ånghede unfolds into more death brutalism towards the end while Misanthrope River begins with narration/instrumental from Simon Bibby (Thy Listless Heart/My Silent Wake), but it's with tracks like Face Of God where Draconian really deliver, seven and bit minutes of organ drenched gothic death doom that's dark and emotional.

The more things change the more they stay the same for Draconian who seamlessly debut their current line up on record with another brilliant record of philosophical death doom. 8/10

Rexoria - Fallen Dimension (Black Lodge)

We've had Battle Metal, Pirate Metal, Lycan Metal, History Metal and now we have Royal Metal from Swedish band Rexoria. So yeah Swedish, expect big power metal marches, symphonic flourishes, triumphal keys and choruses for for shouting back.

They've performed with the likes of Battle Beast, Bloodbound and Dynazty and if you love those bands then you'll want to join Rexoria's royal crusade. For you Latin fans Rex means king, Oria means golden so this the Royal Metal tag but there is something regal about the music on Fallen Dimension.

The mix of power metal bounce (Running With The Stars) and electronic thump (Awakening), sends most of the songs on this fourth album into either a storming gallop (Wasted Land) or a stomping mid-pace march (Dancing On The Ruins), as the powerhouse vocals of Frida Ohlin take centre stage.

She's joined here for two duets by Mike Anderssom of Tungsten on the cinematic Dominion and Johnny Gioeli of Hardline on the closing ballad Heart Of Sorrow, perhaps a positive consequence of Rexoria's growing presence in the scene.

Album four sees growth all round, their confidence stronger, their music slicker and more defined. Fallen Dimension brings royal metal to the populace of the power metal kingdom. 7/10

Infected Dead - Invicta (Self-Released)

Returning from the grave in 2025 with a new line up tech death brutalists Infected Dead return with a 4-track EP of bludgeoning, virtuoso, metal crush straight out of Kent.

Invicta is an EP that thematically draws from Lovecraftian Horrors, the distrust of the unknown and the existential fear that we face in modern times are just as terrifying as any tangible monsters. Beginning with the tremolo picked Astral Divination, Infected Dead pull their rotting corpse out of slumber with a blackened nightmare to start.

There's a dystopian mindset that is always present on this EP, as the band set about battering you with breakneck riffs, time changes, ferocious vocal growls, a barrage of blast beats and widdly basslines. Realm Of Ichor shows off all this very well, bass is a lead instrument, the riffs shift from explosive blasts to stomping crushes and breakdowns on Organic Monolith.

Bands like Obscura and Job For A Cowboy are the main influences of this band, but really if you like your music, chunky, chuggy and full of technical skill then you'll be rejoicing the return of Infected Dead. 7/10

Reviews: Cognizance, Philip Sayce, Scarab, The Order (Mark Young & Matt Bladen)

Cognizance - In Light, No Shape (Willowtip Records) [Mark Young]

This is an accomplished release that overall charts a high path as it moves from start to finish. First listen and you think, yes, this ok but on a repeat listen there was a click with me. There are numerous tags associated with it, and with the band themselves, noting that they sit within that technical/progressive sphere where prowess sometimes overshadows songcraft.

So lets get into it, as they get into Transient Fixations, a reasonably short blast of brutality and technical metal. So far, so good. As openers go, it does what it needs to do in getting you engaged. The production is quality, vocals are harsh and guitars are heavy but with a clarity to them. Its when we get into Inflection Chants then they start striking through those tags associated with them – the progressive nature of their material starts to make itself known. 

What shone for me was that they combined that technical approach whilst keeping it interesting for those who may find it slightly less exciting than ‘normal’ death metal. And this pays dividends later, the machine gun opening of A Game Of Proliferation satisfies on a primal level before it takes that melodic turn. I have to shout out David Diepold on drums here, at times playing with deft touches and manic ferocity, providing the base from which the trio of Alex Baillie (G&V), Apostolis Karydis (G) and Chris Binns (Bass) can build from. Without that steadying anchor, I feel that the songs would flounder.

They don’t attempt to plough one furrow on repeat, Vertical Illusion drops the velocity in part, bringing an almost melancholic feel until it becomes too much and the tempo is increased once more. It’s the choice of arrangements that impress, bounding into A Reconfiguration which from a player’s perspective would be quality to jam to. I’ve said this many times, that if a song or album can inspire you then they are doing something right. 

The material on here is light years beyond my ability, but I can appreciate for what it is. What else works in their favour is knowing when their songs should end, they don’t try to extend song lengths out without it being necessary. For me, this Is massive as the songs come in, do what they need to and go. They don’t attempt to shoehorn as many super-difficult melody lines as possible, everything you hear is to suit the song.

They close up with The Zone, a stylish exercise in speed and touch; it ensures that they achieve their aims in making sure that the album wraps in the same way it started, always looking forward and constantly moving. It’s a strong album, and if anything you could argue that the songs suffer from sharing a similarity in sound which I think is unavoidable. 

However, that is being overly picky. If you come at this from a fan perspective, it’s quality right through, no interludes or overlong songs to puncture its momentum. For lovers of technical metal, this is something that is right up your street. 8/10

Phillip Sayce - Scorched Earth: Volume 2 Live in LA / London (Atomic Gemini Records) [Matt Bladen]

Blues and blues rock is at its best when it's live and raw, usually virtuosos, playing incendiary guitar riffs and filling the room with electric energy. So it's because of that why blues players nearly always have as many live albums as they do studio.

The latest on for veteran blues rocker Philip Sayce is Volume 2 of his Scorched Earth live series, with cuts drawn from his sold out Baked Potato L.A and The Garage London shows, it captures Sayce showing off his skills in front of packed full houses who hang on every riff and soulful vocals of this performance.

If you've not heard anything by Philip Sayce before then you could say there's some Gallagher, a bit of Vaughan and a lot of Hendrix in the way he plays, psychedelic rocker One Foot In The Grave and plenty of soul on Once, will tell you exactly what you need to know. Sayce even gives us his version of Hendrix's Spanish Castle Magic.

A live trio with Sam Bolle (bass) and Bryan Head (drums) behind him, there's no frills here, as other blues rock players have moved into orchestras and brass, Sayce keeps it simple as just there musicians delivering raucous blues and roll.

Soul and emotion coming in on the grooving Peace Machine which closes with a killer solos section shifting into as some bouncy country on Lady Love Divine and jamming with Morning Star where's there a little bit of Norwegian Wood in the solo section.

Scorched Earth: Volume 2 is Philip Sayce setting the stage on fire, expertly mixed and mastered by Mark Rains and Brian Lucey for full sonic power, it's blues rock in the best place for it, on stage cranked out of the amps by a white hot band of veteran players. 8/10

Scarab - Transmutation Of Fate (Brutal Records) [Mark Young]

Anyone up for slice of Death Metal with an Egyptian twist? Of course you are!! Its another new band for me, one that suggests that there is a high level of Eastern promise heading my way. I’ve mentioned before that EP’s are a great way of providing a stepping on point to a new band, and its no exception here.

Now, I suppose we need to address other exponents of Egyptian style/themed death metal (looking at you, Nile). I’m not sure if there is a real comparison to be made between them, other than they both play death metal and both focus on a specific area but there is room for both.

In the case of Transmutation Of Fate, it plays out like a cinematic experience, the run times of each song whilst initially long don’t feel like it as they unspool. Yes, they each possess the core death metal ingredients – guttural vocals, blast beats, velocity of approach but there is a definite emphasis on making each song a living statement. My worry was that they would be a little cringe, but no, each is delivered from a place of authenticity, and steeped in atmosphere.

From the opener Vow Of The Sphinx (Abo El-Houl) through to Monarch Of Violence (Oriasirius) the effect is the same; the melding of traditional instruments, the use of keys and that overall drive to make this a complete experience whilst not losing sight that this is heavy metal and needs to be exciting and as visceral as possible. It’s an expansive and some cases epic listen, but what Scarab do is make sure that the core requirements are observed. 

All the atmosphere in the world is for naught unless there are whacking great riffs to back it up, and this is what they have. I’m assuming that having a specific focus won’t be for everyone, and that is one of the wondrous things about metal, we don’t all have to like the same things. I would say that you should give this a go, because at its heart is quality death metal. 8/10

The Order - Empires (Massacre Records) [Matt Bladen]

Empires goes from one extreme to another, and I say that as final song Bonehead's Back - Promises And Illusions is a dramatic funk metal rife that closes the record with all the sounds of Cherone and Bettencourt. There is a menagerie of styles here as Swiss band The Order show off the skills they have harnessed over a 20 year career.

The Order have always had a political edge to them, this record for instance deal with political manipulation and the inevitable collapse of oppressive regimes. They kick off with thrash, getting the adrenaline pumping from the title track as they lean on heavy metal beginnings when things get more aggressive as they rage at the establishment though some modern sounding heavy rock.

One of their killer weapons, are the vocals of Gianni Pontillo, he has gritty style with some massive choruses on Warriors, in the vein of Udo/Accept, the grooving The Last Call, then he has a sleazy snarl on Living For The Nightlife and melodic balladry on Wherever I Go, which is probably why he's recently become the vocalist of Nazareth, as he can carry off the gruff and bluesy delivery of Dan McCafferty, adding a his own European charm.

I read that Gianni joining Nazareth will not be limiting The Order's recording and touring, which is a good thing as The Order are a great heavy rock band which can turn their hand to many things. 7/10

A View From The Back Of The Room: Intrepid (Alice Doyle)

Intrepid, Thel & Archemori, The Gryphon Bristol, 08.05.26



On another one of my extemporaneous trips out of town I landed myself in Bristol, and upon my arrival heard of a group of bands performing at The Gryphon that evening. The bands in question were Archemori, THEL and Intrepid - all somewhat falling on the death metal spectrum, and sure to be a treat. No further convincing was necessary, and I was off to the Gryphon!

The venue was quirky and separated into little segments, where the actual ‘stage’ was on the next level. A fairly small room, but compellingly good for acoustics and spacious enough to fit a reasonably large herd of headbangers in.

Archemori (7) were doing their first ever opening set, and with a technical fusion of different extremes they established the mood. The vocalist, Heather, immediately displayed an incredible control over her growl and the crowd responded with nodding to the tune. She would take the time between tracks to engage with the audience and would acknowledge us even during songs, which always adds value to a performance in my opinion. As the set went on we would see Heather touch on some clean vocals, but although the transition was smooth the clean vocals were a little lacklustre. In general each of the members performed with confidence and in near perfect synchronicity, but particularly the drummer and guitarist seemed to harmonise extremely well.

An excellent start to a night of live music!

I quickly caught up with the cats & kittens of Archemori by the bar, and was pleasantly surprised by the amount of support they gave each other. Very friendly and down to earth bunch, whom then returned with me upstairs to witness the next band,

THEL (8) are a Bristol based group here to debut their melodic death jams live for the first time. In the background played a kind of electronic synth tune, which stood out for me. I wrote “f*cking sick control” twice, and I think the singer’s vocal performance was absolutely stellar and his reverb was being much accommodated by the layout of the room. 

We had the guitar solos, synth boogaloo and a drummer with eight arms and a cowbell - really what else do you need? As we reached the final song of their set (my personal favourite) the crowd had already established the world’s smallest pit in this narrow room, and everyone was thoroughly having a good time and I bought a t-shirt because yes.

Next up were the headliners - Intrepid (8), whom hailed from the cool, calm and collected climates of Estonia. Regardless of their young age, they immediately took control of the stage with an intense and aggressive sound. The vocalist was impressive, driven and his growl went deep, but furthermore I took notice how the backup vocalist seamlessly blended in his own voice into support and add depth. 

It was also the first of the three bands, where bassist was the first to catch my attention as I dissected the ensemble, showing strong skill whilst trying to pluck above the pitch of the drums - which I later found were affected by my positioning in the room. Though the lead had started with almost cocky confidence, towards the end he seemed to visibly relax and show some playfulness in his performance. These guys definitely deserve a bigger audience, but it shows welcome humility that they are willing to play to a smaller crowd despite playing to much bigger reception in the past.

Definitely a worthwhile experience, extra points for potentially offending the singer with my joke about Finland vs Estonia, which was received with visible discomfort. (Will she ever learn?)

Brilliant night with much talent and enthusiasm. Alice over and out out out!