Day Of Wreckoning 2026 Preview

Day Of Wreckoning 2026 Preview By Matt Bladen

Day Of Wreckoning is upon us once again and this time it's bigger than ever before? On the past two editions it's emanated from the Patti Pavilion in Swansea but for the 2026 edition the team have moved to the East Side of Wales basing themselves at Corn Exchange Newport.

However then they all did something silly and roped in Le Pub and The Pit as venues as well to do a One Day, Three Venue salute to the the South Wales metal scene, M2TM and Bloodstock Festival.

Of course the crux of it all is the Bloodstock Metal To The Masses South Wales Final where six bands will play the best they can to earn themselves a place at Bloodstock Festival and we've been keeping you updated with all of that from the front lines but ICYMI the six bands looking to get to the UK's best metal festival are:

Disrupt The Continuum - where metalcore meets melodeath, expect some massive riffs, growled vocals and technically impressive lead guitars, from this veteran outfit who have had a major revival this year.

Excursia - modern deathcore crush with grooves for days, these lads have kept coming back year after year and their ultra modern take on heavy will rattle the walls and cause frequent running man pits.

Grindhorse83 - surf horror punk that tries to answer the question is surf music just black metal without distortion? Expect the weird and wonderful from these veteran musicians of the South Wales Scene.

House Of Hosts - more modernity but with anthemic choruses and a hard rock swagger unashamedly influenced by the American New School of the 2010's. Emotive and riff friendly you'll be singing along to these guys.

Inscape - comeback kids who more than made up for their call back, intensity, technically and brutality as math metal meets all manner of other styles, thrown at you in a hail of noise, they'll get the room bouncing.

Risperidrone - brooding, bludgeoning heavy doom with skull rattling riffs, slow sludge dirges turn into bouncing stoner rampages, fuzzy and furious in equal measure, they may not get pits going but they'll make sure you ears bleed.

All six of these bands will be taking the stage at Corn Exchange, many of them playing to the largest crowd they have before, make sure you get down the front early to support all of them as the outside judges will want to see you supporting your scene and your bands.

After all the stressful bit comes the fun, previously we've had four guest acts take the stage after the finals but this year we have a grand total of 12 guest acts across three venues to get you excited.

The Pit

Starting out with the The Pit, which is downstairs in McCann's Rock & Ale Bar, we have the heaviest sets of the day, black, death, doom metal all coming from the primordial ooze in a basement venue where the walls will pour with blood, or more likely sweat!

Kicking things off here are former M2TM Winners Democratus who will make sure to get things going loudly, if you've been around the scene for a while you will know what to expect here as Democratus can command a crowd easily even if they are on first.

Following them are Tumanduumband, making their Welsh debut. The two piece (bass/drums) will don their cloaks and proceed to make the loudest style of doom they can, glacially slow and punishing they won't be for the faint of heart.

Making their return this year after a lengthy hiatus are Welsh black metal troupe Agrona. Former winners of M2TM, they've played Bloodstock a few times previously, but with a renewed line up they will be looking to make a statement in The Pit, proudly taking the special guest slot here as a reminder of their place in South Wales metal scene.

Finally the headliner for The Pit will be the disgusting sounds of Sodomized Cadaver, death metal done brutally, this trio will be cracking out their gore soaked death and encouraginyas much movement as possible. Let's make the foundations of The Pit shift when these Welsh death metal veterans explode onto the stage.

Le Pub

Next on to Le Pub which features an eclectic line up for the day getting started with the chorus driven prog/power of Awake By Design, big melodies and plenty of virtuosity on offer here, for those that like to bounce into the day, this Bristol band will be perfect.

After that though there's a lot of riffage heading your way as Syncolima come down to South Wales to crank out the psych stoner sounds, the trio will be turning up the volume in Le Pub so get ready to bang your heads.

Keep them banging, though a bit slower for Lifer, South East Wales' answer to Down, these legends played Bloodstock many moons ago but in front of a home town crowd you'll definitely want to make sure you get down the front as Scriv and the boys will be on fire.

As the headliner of Le Pub it's another local(ish) act as the mighty Black Lakes will be closing out the day here with their dark, melodic mixture of alternative metal/hard rock which promises to draw you into their melancholic musical world. Having cultivated a strong following across the UK, seeing them in Le Pub will be an intimate and enthralling experience.

Corn Exchange

On the Corn Exchange stage we have your big hitters, getting the day off to a rabid start will be Swansea thrashers Helldown, having played Bloodstock recently, they stormed the stage with their throwback sound and will.be shredding up a storm when they reach Newport.

Get ready to get on your dancing shoes after that with Scots, Tiberius who bring modern metal meets prog meets goblin energy. Sing along choruses, big anthems, Dungeons & Dragons and spending most of the set in amongst the crowd, the energy will be pumping when they take to the stage.

Keeping that energy and turning it to one of the most frenzied performances you will ever see Mother Vulture are welcomed back to the Day Of Wreckoning stage, higher up the bill, more experienced, louder and better than before, they're one of the best live bands in the UK and you will be able to see that close up on 20th June.

With all the other stages finished and the day coming to a close Day Of Wreckoning will proudly welcome a true rock n roll survivor. The legendary Ginger Wildheart and The Wildhearts will close the day with a full loaded set of heavy rockers new and old guaranteed to close out the day with the mother of all parties.

There are few bands still around that enoby rock n roll like The Wildhearts and with Ginger's recent announcement, this will be a perfect way to celebrate one of the UK's most enduring bands and I can't think of a better way to finish Day Of Wreckoning than by raising a glass (or three) to good old rock n roll!

So that's your full day run down of Day Of Wreckoning, it's going to be an amazing day of music where one of our six finalists will secure a place at Bloodstock Festival while you get enjoy 18 Bands across 3 stages!

Head over to Tickets 24/7 or Corn Exchange for tickets:

https://ticket247.co.uk/Event/517805

https://cornexchangenewport.gigantic.com/day-of-wreckoning-mmxxvi-ft-the-wildhearts-tickets/newport-the-corn-exchange/2026-06-20-12-00

Reviews: Khemmis, Lex Legion, Defiled, Fleshcrawl (Matt Bladen & Mark Young)

Khemmis - Khemmis (Nuclear Blast) [Matt Bladen]

In the music world self titled albums are either a birth or a rebirth of a band, so when Khemmis announced that their fifth album would carry their band name I braced myself for these heavy riff veterans to embrace K-Pop with their new record but thankfully they haven't.

What the Colorado four piece have done though is define what Khemmis is, the band themselves say that they have "rediscovered something unexpected and powerful–the joy of making heavy music together."

So Khemmis by Khemmis is an album inspired by the band Khemmis, the four individuals that make the music here and how these friendships have endured the trials, tribulations and the music industry at large, driven by the love of making music together.

Though this version of the band is not the same as the one that started out, though 3/4 are as vocalist/guitarists Ben Hutcherson and Phil Pendergast alongside drummer Zach Coleman are still the driving force of Khemmis with only bassist David Small being a new addition, although he joined officially in 2022 and brings a meaty, bottom end to this new music.

Despite being a key part of the Denver metal community, two members now live in different states but reconvening to record this record has inspired them to create the most expressive music of their career. Locked in an in a flow state the separation was a benefit to the process as they really gelled together in the studio to pump out riffs like it was 2012 all over again.

So this self titled album is something of a return, the return of fun, it's their heavy metal album, the worship of the classic sound more prominent than on any previous releases, it's what the kids call Epic Metal, doom merged with traditional sounds as rock solid rhythm section gallops and grooves ready for the twin axe attack to do it's thing on tracks such as Tomb Of Roses.

With influences from Manilla Road, Cirith Ungol, Candlemass as well as Mastodon, Baroness and The Sword, Khemmis leaning into anthemic epic metal, but there are still homages to all the styles of heavy metal from death growls on the Opeth-like Corpsebloom Garden, prog/classical/thrash on Invocation Of The Dreamer, some sludge riffs on the psychedelic Beneath The Scythe and old school death doom comes on Carrion King.

To truly finish off the trifecta, this concept album needed a song called Khemmis, but as it stands Khemmis by Khemmis, is a brilliant record from a band who have fallen in love with making heavy metal all over again. 9/10

Lex Legion - Lex Legion (MNRK) [Matt Bladen]

It's funny that way people look at things. I'm sure everyone else's will be absolutely enamoured that Lex Legion contains four-fifths of the King Diamond line up from the late 80's.

Formed by guitarist Pete Blakk, he's recruited bassist Hal Patino, guitarist Andy La Rocque (ex Death) and drummer Mikkey Dee (Motorhead/Scorpions) to create a band heavily inspired by the King/Mercyful Fate/Judas Priest and any heavy rock band where the guitars are razor sharp, the rhythm section is let loose and the vocals shriek high enough to break glass.

It's in the latter that I get excited about this record as they've brought in Nils K. Rue of Pagan's Mind to take the mic, in an inspired step as he has the same ear piercing power as the King himself but with a broader tone too. Pagan's Mind have long been a favourite with me so, the majority will love the idea of these four instrumentalists making music together again, I'm excited by hearing Rue belt out some classic metal.

It's an album written in between the various other projects the members are part of, an album of leisure with an almost 25 year gestation period, the fact that most of these performers have more than forty years of experience behind them only means that this debut record is free of ego and of any reservations.

They're not trying to deliver box office smashes or platinum selling records, just honest, straightforward heavy metal with big choruses and plenty of fist-in-the-air riffs. For instance Gypsy Tears will have you thinking of what would happen if King Diamond and Uriah Heep wrote a song together while opener Sleep Eternally just sets the right tone for the whole record/band a metallic stormer with big chorus.

From here it's non-stop ride through leather clad heavy metal, the gallops of Patino controlling the changes of pace, to bring some progressive tones. The interplay between La Rocque and Blakk as crisp and harmonious as it was all those years ago, be it the distorted horror-tinged riffs of (I Am) The Resurrected or the countless solo sections.

Dee still hits with more force and ferocity than drummers more than half his age, even when they settle into the mid-pace chugs on When The Stars Align he's all double kicks while Rue's vocals are just right for the muscular rocking of Lost Inside and theatrical moments such as Saviours.

Lex Legion bring the Heavy Metal Thunder, have their Balls To The Wall, they're Screaming For Vengeance and they're here to Welcome Home heavy metal with their debut album. So if you're savvy enough to know these, thinly veiled song titles you'll love this album. 8/10

Defiled - Altered State (Season Of Mist) [Mark Young]

There are difficult reviews, those that should on paper be right up your street in terms of the core music you listen to. I’m not too shallow to admit that sitting down with a chunk of death metal is probably more preferable to shoe gaze or maybe tech metal. I’m comfortable with it and I still get excited by releases by bands new and old. 

Defiled unfortunately fall into the either/or position with their latest opus, Altered State. There are positives and negatives here, I think that my problem is that it feels like it is the same song repeated 14 times. I know that bands are often set in a particular style of how they go about writing and recording new material, which can sometimes work against them.

I’d never come across them prior to this and reading their accompanying press it promised that it would satisfy a lot of things I associate with this genre. My main takeaway was that it suggested something new, which I found to be not quite correct. The songs come and go with varying degrees of speed and intensity without leaving any real mark on you. 

Repeated listens which often unlock something you miss revealed nothing more for me, other than its death metal. Sitting down to write this I realised that I had more negative things to say, which serve no purpose other than to make me look witty and I hate that in reviews. Simply put it’s a dull album.

There are jagged shards present, like I said there are positives but they are swallowed by an overwhelming cloak of grey. The opener starts like you would hope, Dazed In Blindness has a frenzy to it but it feels off, like they have purposefully leaned into making it off-centre. Its feeling that continues right through, because you have the music side flying along but the vocal delivery doesn’t match it. Its harsh which is fine in itself but it’s just delivered in one way that flattens the songs. 

In any respect, I want to move on from taking shots at them because for someone this will be a cracker. The fact it doesn’t work for me shouldn’t put anyone else off from trying it. Obsession, as an example does a good job of being heavy, as does Genocidal Stage but there is little variance between them. Still, there are some good moments here, it’s just a bit of chore to sit through the 14 tracks to discover where those moments are. 6/10

Fleshcrawl - Epitome Of Carnage (Reigning Phoenix Music) [Mark Young]

And so onto the second album of the weekend, with Fleshcrawl, the veterans who bring you their latest full length release. I think that when a band suggests that this is going to be old school brutality or its going to do this or do that, it feels like they are setting a bar too high before they start. So, let me help you make a decision here using the Death Metal Ready Reckoner:

Do you like Death Metal – yes or no.

If its yes, please proceed and take a seat. If its no, then maybe you will find something in the easy listening section. Fleshcrawl basically promise an album of uncompromising, violent metal. Epitome Of Carnage should at least give you some kind of clue as to what they are all about and where their heads were at during the making of this record. 

Starting with the negatives first so we can get them out of the way, as an album it has one way of doing things, and it hopes that you are onboard with them doing things this way. All of the core ingredients are here – harsh vocals, speedy riffing, double bass doing that machine gun thing, everything that you associate with this genre of music. 

They make good on that promise and there are definitely no lies detected from them with this, it’s just that I press play with Blood Dominion kicking things off and, I look again its Committed To Suffer with no apparent breaks in between. My point is that in an effort to make this as brutal, as old school and feel free to add your own labels here, its punched them into a corner. 

There is nothing ostensibly wrong with any of the songs on here as I’ve said above, they do what they need to do and do what you expect them to. Its just that there is very little difference on display here. I’m of the opinion that they could have trimmed a couple of songs from this too without affecting the way it lands.

It all goes back to what you want from your death metal, or extreme metal in general. If its just pummelling brutality, then pitch your tent here. If you are looking for something more than that, you may be disappointed with it because there is nothing more here. It exists just to be heavy, that’s it. 6/10

Reviews: Gozu, Requiem In White, Iron Kingdom, Your Spirit Dies (Rich Piva, Spike, Adz Redpath & GC)

Gozu - Gozu VI (Metal Blade Records / Blacklight Media Record) [Rich Piva]

Yes, Gozu gets thrown into stoner rock band categorization, and for good reason. But no band swings like Gozu swings, and no band sounds like Gozu does, even with the seemingly thousands of stoner bands out there today. 

This is very evident on their new record, Gozu VI, which shows some of their metal side too, but keeps their trademarked Gozu sound that you know and love and ratchets up the harmonies and catchiness that help make this band so special.

Marc Gaffney’s unique vocals are at the top of his game while Doug Sherman brings out his shredder for the eight tracks on VI. Banacek kicks all sorts of ass, with Sherman doing his best early 80s metal impression on the solo, simply ripping it up. Killer Khan is another favourite, and the band really layers in the background vocals and the harmonies to really make this group of songs stand out. 

Of course you get the great titles that have no meaning to the lyrics, but with those lyrics you get some of the deepest, personal, and best songs in the band’s career. That is really saying something, given how much I love Gozu. Plus they have a song called Corinthian Leatherface which is great on multiple levels.

Gozu never disappoints, and they don’t here either with VI. They may have even exceeded expectations with these songs. Don’t let the 80s wrestling and old TV titles fool you. Gozu is not screwing around on Gozu VI, an album of the year contender. 9/10

Requiem In White – The Visible Heaven (The Circle Music) [Spike]

Back in 1985, if you wanted to play dark, romantic music in Boston, you were fending for yourself. There was no organized gothic scene to coddle you. Requiem In White built their own fortress out of classical operatic drama and jagged, raw post-punk friction. 

By the time they took over New York in the late 80s, headlining over the likes of Christian Death and Type O Negative, they had become a myth, partly because their music was exceptional, and partly because they flat-out refused to play the media game. 

After 32 years of silence following their painful 1994 split, The Visible Heaven is a resurrection that shouldn't work on paper, yet it stands as one of the most vital, majestic things I’ve heard in a very long time.

This isn't a band trying to copy modern "darkwave" trends or hide behind cheap drum machines. The record opens with the title track, The Visible Heaven, and the hair on your arms immediately stands up. 

Lisa Stockton’s vocal range remains an absolute force of nature; she doesn't just sing, she commands the frequency with a classical, theatrical gravity that most of the modern goth circuit can only dream of. Doc Hammer’s guitar work is right where it needs to be, thick, ominous, and shifting seamlessly from jagged metallic riffs to sprawling, gothic soundscapes.

The rhythmic spine of the record is incredibly bitter-sweet. While we deeply feel the absence of the late Chris Walsh on bass, the foundation provided on tracks like Ursuline Sister and True Lovers and Whores is remarkably heavy and physical. Javier Madariaga’s drumming retains that urgent, street-level pulse, a reminder of his roots in Reagan Youth which keeps the "gothic opera" tag firmly anchored in a raw, unvarnished punk reality.

Missa Brevis for the despised king in D minor is the absolute centrepiece of the record. It’s a track that highlights their unique ability to weave classical mass structures into a rock framework without ever feeling pretentious or silly. It’s dense, atmospheric, and has a cold-blooded elegance that reminds me of early Paul Chain or Sex Gang Children at their most creative. The guitars don't just play riffs; they build a grey, towering cathedral in your living room.

The back half Solus Sum, Suffer And Sleep, and Reckless In Misery doubles down on the melancholy. I’ve been listening to Cold Or Divine in the car, and the way the vocals layer over that crawling, feedback-laden groove is pure, late-night catharsis and could be the reason for the odd speeding ticket late at night too. It’s honest, pained, and entirely unmasked music for people who understand that goth isn't about the hair dye; it’s about the soul of the noise. 

The Visible Heaven is a heavy, shimmering triumph of composition and intent, proving that some myths are entirely real. For those of us who still remember goth from the 80s, this isn't just a record, it’s a home. 9/10

Iron Kingdom - Shadows And Dust (Steel Shark Records) [Adz Redpath]

Forming in 2011 in Vancouver, Canada This is Iron Kingdom's 6th full length studio album and coincides with their 15th anniversary as a band, having had quite the illustrious career to date with support slots with everyone from Anvil, HammerFall, Angra, Metal Church and Jag Panzer to the mighty Flotsam and Jetsam, and with many festival and tour shows under their belt this group have a definite calibre and track record to be respected.

A self proclaimed self produced and mainly DIY group in most every aspect of what they do is not so common at this level and especially within the traditional, classic and prog metal genres. At this stage a band would usually hit big studios and big production to give the huge sound that is so iconic within these styles but to their credit they as a band have taken a different route. 

Unfortunately this does show in the overall sound, whilst this is their first release in their own self constructed studio I feel it is underwhelming on the production front, lacking both definition and separation overall and in particular with the drums which are lacking a punch that is sorely missed, both the cymbals and guitars feel washed out and almost hark back to the mp3 era, the bass guitar is almost non existent sonically and missing the frequencies that fill the low end of the mix which even falls flat when the bass is alone such as on the intro of the track Blood And Steel and for majority of the record.

There is a sound here that speaks to everything being mastered at too low a hz level with samples sounding like they were low rez ripped from Youtube and a lack of space within the mix that even programmed music ad's these days, this is missed greatly given the scope of the songs on display here and has more of a production sound that is reminiscent of the first Iron Maiden album before the remasters, not bad but not up to modern standards.

The musicianship here is very strong and undeniably adept as the band puts a strong foot forward in these areas most of all, and whilst being masterful in every instrumental aspect of their craft this release however simply lacks the songs to carry it to any massive heights in what is a very strong scene. 

Mashing the more classic thrash metal and NWOBHM with soaring vocals and shredding solo's mixed with the anthemic gang vocal sections and almost symphonic parts there is a clear calibre here but lacks its own distinct voice. Hopefully the next album will find them more at ease with their new studio and more able to elevate what they have as despite my criticisms this is clearly a band that knows what they want.

Worth a listen but not a head turner. 6/10

Your Spirit Dies - It Is Well (MNRK Heavy) [GC]

Lots to like about EP’s, if you like it you can dive into the rest o the bands catalogue or look forward to what is coming in the future, if its god awful you can be pleased that its short and you have wasted much time on it and move on quickly! So, with all that in mind, I have the new EP from Your Spirit Dies, It Is Well is it bin or get in???

They literally blast out of the blocks on Starless and it is full of the anger and brutality you want but the drums kind of drown everything out at first, when anything else does come through you get a familiar modern sounding metalcore sound that is overtly electronic and this takes something away from the overall sound, like it decent but it sounds to clean and produced, I know that sounds mental but you need a bit of dirtiness to really do this justice, I honestly have no idea why they have decided to put When Peace, Like A River on this as its just 56 seconds of ambient background filler? 

This is really not needed and almost slightly insulting to include on this release, put it on an album to break up the flow of as an intro/outro on this? 100% pointless and annoying! So, Whispers In Omen is the next and final track, once again it has all the huff and puff but is just so overproduced that you miss certain things and have to go back to really pick them up and when you’re not actually that bothered about the sound it grates massively, the breakdown in this song saves it from falling into total mediocrity but only just the rest has all been done before and much better.

So, for me this falls directly into the move on quickly category, 2 songs are not enough for me to really form a strong opinion on a band and what I heard made me just think they are ok but I won’t be going out of my way to listen to anything in the future and that’s a shame. 4/10

Reviews: Fireball Ministry, Xenosis, Harboured, Dutch Elm (Rich Piva, GC, Spike & Adz Redpath)

Fireball Ministry - Beneath The Desert Floor: Chapter 10: The Second Great Awakening (Ripple Music) [Rich Piva]

Fireball Ministry is one of my favourite bands of all time, and one of many that never got the love from a larger public that they deserved. Yes, there was a video game soundtrack, MTV show appearances, and some big tours, but the true genius of this band was never fully realized in mass. 

One guy who does get it, of course, is Todd from Ripple Music, who, for his Beneath The Desert Floor project, is putting out all of the back catalogue of the band. We are at the second of the Ripple rerelease set, this time with my favourite FB record and one of my favourite records of all time by any band, The Second Great Awakening.

Album two from FB, originally released in 2003, is perfect heavy rock and roll. The vocals and melodies from the good Reverend James Rota paired with the never-ending riffs of Fireball Emily could not have been more effective for a listener to both bang their head and have an earworm attached simultaneously. 

Fireball Ministry is catchy as hell, and the choruses and bridges stick with you, as they have for me for over two decades, as this record has never been out of rotation for me. Zero skips and end to end perfect, King, The Simmer, Master Of None…it is really no use listing them off because all the songs on this record rule. The production and sound is exactly what it should be, perfectly balanced and capturing what this band is supposed to sound like. A desert island record for this reviewer, and one that everyone needs to hear if you have ever liked any band I have reviewed.

I am so happy Ripple Music is doing the rerelease and new vinyl pressings of the Fireball Ministry discography. All of their records are great, but The Second Great Awakening is special and pretty much perfect. Still sounds just as fresh now as it did in 2003. 10/10

Xenosis - Hermetic Transmutation (Transcending Obscurity) [GC]

It feels like it has been a long time since a new death metal record has excited me, I truly love the genre and it was my first foray into extreme metal back in the day but sometimes it’s just so tiresome and lacks imagination to really get the blood flowing, saying this I can usually rely on Transcending Obscurity to put out interesting and challenging records, hopefully with Hermetic Transmutations Xenosis can keep the good name of T.O going and drop a killer record.

If the first minute or so of Sentient Shapes is anything to go by, I could be in for an interesting ride, its technically excellent and still punishingly heavy with time changes a plenty and new directions taken at the drop of a hat, the guitars are crisp but still have that dirty edge needed, the drumming is insane the only thing that gets slightly lost in the chaos are the vocals that feel slightly too low in the mix but overall a great start! 

Prolapsed Twin Entombment is a quality title and the track itself is also quality, blasting drums take over everything and the guitars squeal and crush in equal measure, the bass shines through here as well to create a sound backbone for the craziness of everything else and the vocals do come though better on this track, wonderfully insane sounding music.

Spore Whore is just unrelenting brutality from the very second it starts to the end, it also has a jazz element in the mix of everything and the nature of the timing is truly brilliant, it jostles and shakes you from pillar to post without ever giving you a minute to gather yourself before the next onslaught is thrown at you.

It’s an utterly beautiful wave of noise that just keeps coming and coming and when its over your almost pleased because you can re-group, but then unfortunately Engravings For Dyslexic Clairvoyants is just a mid-album noting track, 1 minute of utter pointlessness and for an album with 8 tracks seems completely unnecessary!! 

Thankfully, Rapid Metamorphosis is more of exactly the same bat-shit crazy technical death metal that the rest of the album has been, the way the song flows here feels slightly different to everything else, it seems to have a bit more of a mathcore tone, that death metal sounds are all there but the way the song goes just has that different feel.

It’s all done tremendously well though and continues the triumphant technical excellence that is the hallmark of any good tech-death band. The only slight gripe is some tracks can seem to go on slightly longer than is needed, like they always need just one more bit? 

Sea Of Teeth is not one of those tracks however! It feels like they have just gone directly back to just full-on death metal, its not nearly as technical as the rest of the album and feels like a throwback to a simpler time, when death metal was just heavy and menacing, a glorious homage to days gone. 

Alter Of The Hound dials the tech back up to maybe 9 here, its not as intense as the rest of the album and the way the bass leads everything is really well done, the track has the more old school sound mixed in but still manages to sound fresh and challenging all the way through and you almost wonder if the drummer is actually human because the pace is always relentless all the way.

Even the slower more jazzy bits are still technical and demanding, I take my hat off to him, mega drummer! No Longer Human has the task of finishing the album and its done so in a wonderfully executed blast of madness, it squeaks, thuds and pummels in equal measure and never really eases up and is just another example of technical excellence in death metal form.

Well, well, well! That was a ride! I wasn’t familiar with Xenosis before this, but I certainly am now! A completely batshit crazy album with musical excellence dripping from every note on every track, if you like technical death metal then trust me Hermetic Transmutation will tick every box and leave you wanting more!! 9/10

Harboured – We’re Only The Love That We Lead (Lost Future Records) [Spike]

Michael Stancel’s idea of a lyric sheet is basically a civil engineering disaster report. Instead of the usual whiny, post-breakup oversharing, the Denver guitarist uses structural collapses, failing infrastructure, and moral decay as metaphors to anchor his sophomore album with Harboured, We’re Only The Love That We Lead. 

On paper, a trio consisting of Allegaeon’s tech-death shredders (Stancel and bassist Brandon Michael) and Oak, Ash & Thorn’s folk-black metal drummer (Cierra White) should be an over-technical mess. But what they’ve actually built here is a massive, moody collision of blackgaze, post-metal, and alternative rock that refuses to stay in any of the boxes the internet tries to put it in.

The album creeps out of the traps with W.O.T.L.T.W.L, a slow-building, menacing crawl that quickly switches into a heavy, pounding dirge. It sets the stage for Dead Ringer, where White’s thunderous, piston-like drums and Michael’s throbbing, heavy bass lay down a raucous riot, with Stancel’s fizzy guitars and atmospheric synths giving the aggression a glossy but dangerous sheen.

What’s most impressive about this record is the band’s willingness to let their actual musical loves bleed through. Stancel has mentioned wanting to hear "what Phoebe Bridgers would sound like if she listened to Failure and Alcest," and you can hear that creative friction everywhere. There's a slippery, hip-hop-inflected groove and a high-pitched whirr on Sevin that sounds like Public Enemy trying their hand at black metal. You know that shouldn’t work but it really does.

The transition into Guardrail pulls the volume back, ushering in delicate, plucked guitar tones that feel like pure, fragile silk. Stancel's clean vocals are sweet and yearning, before the track opens up into a swirling, heavy-set pool of chugging guitars and throat-shredding roars. They navigate these high-contrast dynamics with a level of veteran focus that carries over into New Year's Day, which starts with futuristic, droning synths before veering headlong into a furious blizzard of drums and scorching post-metal ferocity.

Even when they lean into familiar tricks like using that distinct, scraping "cat-screech" guitar lick on Debts that you usually find in Gojira tracks, they make it their own, alternating between a moody, quiet verse and a raging chorus. The true highlight of the record, however, is Halifax. It begins almost like an acoustic, campfire ballad. This made me think of R.E.M. at their most reflective before a swift, thunderous rumble of the drums kicks the song into the blackgaze ether, screeching and roaring to an epic finish. You can practically smell the pine trees before the smoke takes over.

There are still surprises in the trunk. End Credits is a complete red herring. This is a straight-up indie-rock banger with driving guitars, a shimmering piano hook, and an earworm melody that sounds like a lost Snow Patrol anthem (in a good way). They close the book with a piledriver cover of The Faint's Agenda Suicide. It’s a choppy, thrusting, and aggressive finale, even if it pales slightly in comparison to the sheer brilliance of their own songwriting.

I love the sheer unpredictability of this album and it is what keeps me hooked. It’s a record that works because they let their actual influences, not just their technical pedigree, drive the vehicle. When you've spent forty years listening to the same four metal formulas, a record like We’re Only The Love That We Lead is exactly the kind of unexpected, left-field shock to the system that makes you glad you're still looking and also it underlines the opportunity that writing for Musipedia Of Metal gives us. 

You get given diamonds like this to listen to and in this case run off and buy the physical album. 9/10

Dutch Elm - Dutch Elm (Ripcord Records) [Adz Redpath]

Dutch Elm are an intriguing instrumental band hailing from Newcastle in the U.K. and having built their own prog rock sensibilities since 2016 this is their first full length release after several establishing singles. 

This is technically an album although does feel more like a stretched out E.P in both concept and musical variation. However that being said this doesn't get boring or feel like it lulls at any point, it has strong musicianship and themes throughout.

The production here is very solid although a touch overzealous with the top end where the guitars and cymbals are concerned a slight shrillness does hit home on certain sections in particular when I took it to A/B on my studio monitors but this genuinely doesn't detract from a very strong release here in most every aspect otherwise.

I will state what many will expect and feel, this with the right vocals would be a release that could have massive traction in particular with the likes of Muse fans, which strikes even more home when you hear the final track Soledad Brother, if these vocals ran throughout then it would open a lot of doors for this band, with huge commercial viability from a group of young guys who have massive potential on show here. 

That being said this release is an enjoyable and easy listen, whilst not feeling hugely original in sound or concept it stands tall with a bright and captivating feel throughout, my personal favourite being You're Not Invited To That Riff with its groove ridden bass guitar from Callum Bell and some great guitar work on show from Matthew McKenna and Lewis Ticket with simple and iconic melodies that truly lend themselves to a repeat listen, supported throughout by the creative and solid drums from Liam Bird.

I would personally be very intrigued to catch these guys live as I've a sneaking suspicion that if they can keep as tight as this release and given the right amount of energy then they could well turn heads across the country and further afield as they are on a clear upward trajectory. Keep expanding the vision and maybe add some more of the excellent vocals and expect to be heard far and wide in the near future. 7/10

Reviews: Divided By Design, Slakter, Bayonet Dismemberment, Vow (Matt Bladen)

Divided By Design - Stages To Osiris: Rebirth (Self Released)

Instrumental prog trio Divided By Design have decided to follow up their previous album A Canvas For The Universe by reimagining their 202 debut record.

Stages To Osiris: Rebirth is technically their fourth studio full length, but it seems them going back to their first record with the skill and experience they have now having released a lot more music, cultivated a huge online following and even winning M2TM and going on to play Bloodstock.

The original album was conceptually driven by the grief cycle and this one follows the same inspiration but delivers it in a different way, with a much broader musical résumé and advanced production skills from band founders Tom Chambers (drums) and Liam Stephenson (guitar).

They're joined by Sam Young on bass and the trio run the full spectrum of progressive metal and rock. Denial begins with a heartbeat and then shifts towards Dream Theater-like riffs and organ tones, weaving it's way through riff driven flurries and virtuosos solo sections as the guitar takes the form of the melodies.

The bass and undulating rhythm for it to build on as the drums often play at counterpoint to the rhythm with fills inspired by jazz playing, taking the band into the Djent heaviness of Reactionary. Now the main riff of The Negotiation rips off Schism by Tool, the rest of it goes full jazz fusion meets organ led doom, but that riff is exactly the same as Maynard & co.

Thankfully Collapsing Reality brings back originality as The Fatalist pairs orchestrations with twitchy atmospherics as it closes this re-envisioned chapter in Divided By Designs story. Some bands take a risk by messing with material that they've already released but this instrumental trio have made a good record even better, with the experience they've gained since then. 7/10

Slakter – Infernal Exekution Reign (Witches Brew)

Infernal Exekution Reign is a throwback to the early days of the thrash scene, when it was volatile, violent and evil, informed by satanic rituals, horror and war, the riffs bit hard, the vocals shouted and the production made it sound like they recorded it in their bathroom. 40 years later Slakter from Indonesia have captured those early days brilliantly with their debut full length. 

Produced as if it’s been tape traded over and over again, audiophiles need not apply as this comes straight from the underground where style shouldn’t get in the way of substance and production is overrated anyway. You can feel the energy and excitement of the band, they rip through the eleven songs with a sense of reckless abandon that’s dangerous and defiant. 

They raise their steel to Venom, Slayer, Sodom and Kreator as the bass is super high in the mix, the drumming takes one blasting route and sticks with it and the guitars are buzzsaws and the vocals sandpaper. 

Abrasive but with moments of melody Infernal Exekution Reign doesn’t redefine anything, rather it just pays as much deference to the early thrash scene as possible without copying. They even bring some nuance to their retro worship on Hammer Of Blasphemy, Benediction and the two part closer Acts Of Depravity. 

Whether the production is your thing or not, Infernal Exekution Reign does a great job of emulating the sound of early 80’s thrash extremity. Slakter come from the South East Asian underground bearing riffs. 7/10

Bayonet Dismemberment – Skull Crushed By A Tank (Iron Fortress Records)

You’ve got to give it to Iron Fortress Records, they known their audience! The record label that brought you Tombseeker, Emaciated and Infinite Misery now bring you some more disgusting death metal, featuring a snare that sounds like a church bell! 

Vancouver band Bayonet Dismemberment bring the horrors of mechanised warfare right to your earholes with new EP Skull Crushed By A Tank, this isn’t the WWI or WWII inspired noise though, Bayonet Dismemberment stick with 21st Century and the wars in the Middle East perpetrated by Bush and Blair. 

The title track is about as obvious as you can get, a slow, punishing dirge through muddy fields as Ricky Myers from Suffocation joins in with some sick gutturals, it’s not subtle, this is death metal to bludgeon. Mutilated presses on the gas as Alex Sason of Unearth joins the frenzy, the riffs slice into each other with technical brutality. 

Razorwire Laceration has blasts obliterating your skull as it evolves into a grunting chug. Mixed just enough to sound raw and nasty, Skull Crushed By A Tank closes with Decapitation and you’re neck will surely be hanging by a thread at the end of this brutal EP if you choose to bang along to it. A cavalry charge of the mechanical kind as these Canadians deliver yet more brutal death on this third EP. 7/10

Vow – Death Will Be My Bridge (Iron Fortress Records)

Another Iron Fortress Records release now but this time it’s not skull fracturing brutal death but some melodeath from Chicago. Inspired by the European sound of melodeath meeting the stomping style of NWOAHM from the early 2000’s, Vow dwell in dark atmosphere, introspective ideas and frenzied aural assaults with plenty of lead guitar brilliance, unstoppable blast beats and ferocious growls. 

At just six tracks they manage to grab you by the throat with the opening duo Name Not The Fallen and New Patterns In The Blood, the former built on pinched harmonics and breakdowns while the latter has harmony guitars and technical rhythms. 

After a brief acoustic Interlude Vow dive deep into the NWOAHM on Bells Made From Bullets, adding a bit of blackened battery for good measure. Vow have the chops definitely, their playing is highly skilled, but they can use them to make some well composed, anthemic melodeath, shown on the double hit finale of aggro stomp Still Breathing and the blistering title track. 

Death Will Be My Bridge brings extremity and melody from Chicago's Vow, melodeath fans get on it. 7/10

Reviews: Geoff Tate, Cyhra, Erik Grönwall, Leatherwitch (Matt Bladen)

Geoff Tate - Operation: Mindcrime Part III (Self Released)

20 years since Part 2 and 38 years since the influential Part 1, Geoff Tate returns with the third part of his conceptual magnum opus Operation: Mindcrime. In case you didn't know Operation: Mindcrime, by Queensryche is seen as one of the most important concept records in progressive music history up there with The Wall it's a dystopian tale of "political manipulation, revolution, and identity."

It features tracks that are considered classics and much the same way Roger Waters did with The Wall, when he left Pink Floyd, Geoff Tate has made it his mission to adopt Operation: Mindcrime as being the foundation of his solo career. This means that both Queensryche and Tate perform songs from this album right and as we speak Tate is on a tour playing the album in full for the last time.

In 2006 just before he left the band they released a second chapter of the record but it didn't quite hit the heady heights of the first record, inspired by The Bush era, it reshaped some of the lore while adding more.

So what about Part III, the first released under Tate's name alone? Well he returns to the world of Mindcrime with a record that has the spirit of the first one. The advancement of technology and current American culture all influencing the story this time round as it takes the perspective of Dr X, the originals main antagonist, perhaps making you re-evaluate the character after all these years.

While he may not quite have the highs he did then, Tate is still a great vocalist, embodying the characters fully to tell these stories with drama and pathos of a thespian, his biggest influence being Tom Jones when delivering power in the lows and mids. He's joined by the excellent vocals of Clodagh McCarthy as Sister Mary. 

The band are also highly skilled; Kieran Robertson, Dario Parente, and Amaury Altmayer sharing the guitars, as Robertson and Tate take keys and bulk of the writing too, Rich Baur is a star behind the kit while bass and production comes from Disturbed's John Moyer, his groove powering Set You Free.

The music is the right mix of progressive metal, on I'll Eat Your Heart Out and You Know My Fu*king Name, introspective balladry from Do You Still Believe, tinged with electronics, and anthemic choruses on The Answer and Power.

Operation: Mindcrime III then. It was never going to surpass I, but it is better than II, so if you're a Tate fan, or even a Queensryche loyalist, you'll get a lot out of it too. 8/10

Cyhra - Requiem For A Pipe Dream (Reigning Phoenix Music)

It's been 10 years since Swedish supergroup Cyhra formed, an alliance between, vocalist Jake E (ex-Amaranthe) and guitarist Jesper Strömblad (The Halo Effect/ex-In Flames), they were joined by drummer Alex Landenburg (Kamelot), guitarist Euge Valovirta (Suburban Tribe) and bassist Peter Iwers (The Halo Effect/ex-In Flames).

They've released three records but the line up today sees Iwers having departed as Valovirta and Strömblad playing bass in the studio, adding Marcus Sunesson (Ronnie Atkins) as another guitarist. Valovirta also plays the keys and co-produces alongside Jake E.

So album four seems Cyhra as a well honed veteran unit, on this record, they're looking to cement who they are, more ferocious, bigger, bolder but more vulnerable and melodic, there's no room for compromise or slavish following of what's hot and what's not, Requiem For A Pipe Dream is an album more collaborative than any previously, each member bringing influence from their previous alliances into Cyhra.

This chemistry can be heard on track such as Ghostbound where the anthems of Amaranthe merge with the double blast of In Flames, the electronic creepiness comes in on Miss Me When I Gone, it's melodic metal with a harder edge and some shifts that may take you by surprise. In The Centre Of A Miracle is an emotive Euro-ballad while Skin From Bones takes breakdowns and puts them with some rap vocals.

Though for many the style they'd want from Cyhra is bonus track Hold Your Fire which features Samy Elbanna from Lost Society. Requiem For A Pipe Dream has Cyhra roaring back with their most cohesive and diverse record yet. 8/10

Erik Grönwall - Bad Bones (Greenwall Entertainment)

Erik Grönwall is a bit of melodic rock superstar, he's been the voice of H.E.A.T, Skid Row and Michael Schenker, so a set of pipes that's in demand and he's finally doing something for himself with the release of Bad Bones.

A solo record where he can put wrote the songs he wants bringing his brilliant vocals to what is fully his own music rather than stepping into the shoes of someone else. He describes it like so "it’s time to tell my own story", Bad Bones a personal and honest record that follows it's own path.

So what kind of performer does Erik want to be outside of other people's bands? Well he seems to stick to the melodic rock style, from the bouncy title track, the stomp-clap of Save Me, through the Scorpions strut of Twisted Lullaby, to emotional balladry of Praying For A Miracle and Written In The Scars.

However there's even forays into Queen/Broadway on Who's The Winner Now and blues on the hip shaking How High, all slickly produced, performed well and sung with that skill that sees him as a go to voice for so many classic bands, Bad Bones shows what Erik Grönwall can do when left to his own devices. 7/10

Leatherwitch - First Spell (Listenable Records)

Heavy metal lives in the heart of Marta Gabriel, the ex-frontwoman of Crystal Viper, she's a very in demand session musician and has turned these skills into her new project Leathewitch.

A solo record, Marta writes/sings/plays/produces everything on First Spell, with Giuseppe Taormina adding guitar solo. It's very much the creation of Marta, paying homage to her influences through her keenly trained heavy metal instincts.

Erupting with metallic power, Heroes And The Dice, is inspired by D&D with classic metal melodies, while Beast Inside is precision speed metal, Bound By The Night and Silver Stallions both have Maiden gallops.

It's not all full speed ahead as The New Beginning slows it down for some metal balladry as the 80's metal sound returns for Two Tons Of Steel, continuing right through to a very true cover to Walls Of Jericho/Ride The Sky by Helloween.

Anyone who has heard anything that Marta Gabriel has been involved in, will find no surprises on First Spell, but a whole load of heavy metal worship from one of the genres most loyal warriors! 7/10

Review: Urzah - A Tranquil Void (Matt Bladen)

Urzah – A Tranquil Void (APF Records)

We’ve been following the career of Bristol based noisemakers Urzah since their inception in early 2020, battling through a pandemic, they released two EP’s which honed them as a studio acts before they even got on a stage together. On stage they’re a primeval force of heaviness, progressive sludge that dwells at the fringes of both, drawing in hardcore, post metal, punk, classic metal and more like a sonic black hole. 

They finally released their debut album The Scorching Gaze on APF records in 2024 and this was the first ‘proper’ chapter of their story, the self-actualisation that Urzah could become the next mega force in this genre the same way as bands such as Urne and DVNE have exploded in recent years.

Sharing similar influences such as Neurosis, Mastodon and any band that blends sludge with more atmospheric and progressive tones, their debut album was rumination on the human experience, the cycles of life death and more. It took them to bigger stages and higher profile shows, with the momentum not slowing even in the face of replacing their bassist. 

Dan Bradley took up the low end in November 2024 and they decamped to Josh Gallop’s Stage 2 Studios in Bath again to record the follow up to The Scorching Gaze, as Josh has very solid, sonic acumen for music of this style. 

That follow up is A Tranquil Void, another conceptually and philosophically driven record that joins its predecessor and a thematic diptych, the debut burning red with fire and rage while this one a calmer, reflective blue where the aftermath is examined, so keeping the same producer is a must if both albums are two sides of sonic coin. Though you shouldn’t expect Urzah to have mellowed, there’s little in the way of happy-clappy realisation, flashes of introspection and ambience yes but Urzah are still a band who reach catharsis and closure through heavy riffs, they’re still a progressive sludge band. 

However with A Tranquil Void they broaden their sonic display through folk influences, broader spatial exploration, wider complexity in the songwriting and collaborations with guest vocalists of the Bristol music scene including, Dave Cook (Empire Of Dust), Chris Wilson (Row of Ashes) and Victoria Bourne (The Spark’s Desire), reinforcing their place and their pride as prominent members of the Bristol/South West scene. 

Beginning with the insistent an ominous At The Mouth Of The Cave, they immediately break new ground as acoustics fluidly play the melodies over concrete stabs of heaviness, as if approaching a terrifying new phase of living. It does a lot to build up the dissonance and rage, which is unleashed on second track The Call Beneath. A tech metal showpiece that, really gets the record started in the way you’d want from Urzah. It’s a track about overcoming grief, it does so with gifted guitar interplay between Ed Fairman and Tom McElveen, set against and industrial dirge, and it’s a song which starts and stops like a mechanism for rage. Their vocals are just as intertwined as their guitar playing is, sharing riffs, melodies and leads, the density is just as potent as the complexity. 

From here the pace increases on Infernal Star I, those Mastodon influences that are mentioned, are here if you’ve been looking for them. Though they are more pronounced on Infernal Star II, which continues this two part sludge suite by dialling up the heaviness, driven by the impressive drum work of James Brown and the guttural bass of Dan Bradley, as the last moments erupting into solo section, which will see many air guitar heroes following along. This is the fantastic sound of Urzah at its most refined. 

Four tracks through and you can hear that Urzah are reaching for something much more intense and emotionally expressive than on their debut. It’s on the last four tracks though where the band push the experimental personality of their work. 

Side B begins with the woozy tribal beat of Bark & Branches, folksy and meditative, you may think it’s Heilung, but as In The Mouth Of The Wolf hits, this short rest bite is destroyed by more fierce technical aggression, again the guitar playing features plenty of thunderous brutality, the riffs contradicting and conjoining as it shifts towards the longest solo section on the record, taking the track and the band into classic heavy metal anthemia. Beneath all of these movements the rhythm section stays thick and crushing.

Getting heavier and louder as we move into another massive sludge beating on Hunter In The Veil. It’s here that the Neurosis sound comparison hits home, deafening drones of guitar and cello from Luke Clemenger, anchored around the, off time drumming, sprawling lead bass and raging vocal. 

A Tranquil Void is an opus, no mistake about that, any notion of a “difficult second album” blown away in the first half of the record, while on side two they settle into a new soundscapes, framing themselves as not just a riff heavy beast but a band who can play with nuance and intelligence. 

A Tranquil Void culminates in the 11 minute closer; Entwined, Twisted Roots Of Chaos, beginning with a dissonant slow burn and ghostly female vocals, it’s a track that builds, as if signalling the final chapter of this dual album journey, the constant increase of volume, emotion and atmosphere, never fully bursts like you may want it too, but it does just enough to give the felling of acceptance and appeasement that this album is trying to epitomize. 

It just caps off what is an incredible album number two from Urzah. The Scorching Gaze lit the fire, but A Tranquil Void has turned Urzah into an inferno of creative brilliance. You need this album! 10/10

Reviews: Evergrey, Ditheist, Kid Feral, Sleepbomb (Simon Black, Mark Young, GC & Adz Redpath)

Evergrey - Architects Of A New Weave (Napalm Records) [Simon Black]

Evergrey are another act absolutely in my sweet spot but to whom I only came upon fairly late in the day a couple of albums back. Architects Of A New Weave is, believe it or not, their fifteenth studio recording. The line-up may have ebbed and flowed a lot in that time (and indeed quite a lot recently), but the consistency and quality have not, and I remain surprised that this unique and prolific act have not achieved more success than they have, because it’s surely deserved.

This new opus does not buck the trend.

A conceptual piece thematically (something Evergrey are no strangers to) the album starts a little clunkily with a narrative opening, which frankly serves little purpose other than to give the band 90 seconds to get on stage when playing live. At first I’m a little disorientated by the slightly jumbled opening bars of the opener proper - The Shadow Self, although once it gets going it delivers exactly the kind of catchy, mood and haunting vocal chorus hook that makes this band so distinctive.

The title track then proceeds to knock things out of the park, along with any of my concerns. Whilst clearly the strongest track of the crop, it’s also probably one of their best songs to date, and one I suspect is going to be in the set live for some time.

The record continues mostly in the darkly melodic, progressive-tinged vein that they are such masters at, but the pitch and tone do head into faster and more upbeat terrify from time to time, varying the pace at just the moment when things could get repetitive. There’s a slightly different and edgy vibe to this disk as well, and perhaps the line up fluctuations have been therapeutic as well, because at this stage in their careers it would be easy to just stick to what you know, but overall this feel like a positive step in a slightly different direction without losing the key sound which makes them so recognisably unique. 9/10

Ditheist - Cosmic Liar (Heathen Tribes) [Mark Young]

Ditheist, hailing from Chicago come in and drop what is essentially a decent bit of Death/Grind for their second full length release, Cosmic Liar. What you get is 8 songs that stick to a plan with little deviation in how each of the tracks deploy. There are moments where they spread their approach wider, such as the middle eastern tinge to Nyarlathotep but I’m getting ahead of myself by not starting at the beginning. 

It’s an odd one as the opening trio of Cosmic Liar, Evil To Live and Kill The Priest are relatively ok and represent a fairly strong start. Each of these take the core requirements for extreme music and apply generously like they are spending someone else’s money. For me, they don’t do enough to grab and to be honest I thought that this would be the general theme running through it. 

When we get to Nyarlathotep suddenly you sit up and take notice. This is a grand moment, carrying an epic feel to it where everything clicks into place. Riffs are huge with a cracking pace to them that drops in and out to suit. Throw in a lead break that does a lot in quick time and we are off with renewed interest. 

Apoplectic Delirium follows and keeps that intent steady, the band returning to a more traditional death metal sound which for me is a shame but this is still a strong track. One of the things that does punch through is the feeling that they are consciously being a little loose instead of being rigidly fixed to time. As a result of this you have a more organic touch to it. In any event its two for two. This upward swing continues with Covenant Ov Torture, a furious stab at old school goodness that Vader would be happy with.

The closing act consists of Mouth Of Hell and Singularity and its great to hear and acknowledge that they don’t drop the ball at the end. Mouth Of Hell is rapid, full of razor sharp riffs and that unswerving looseness. Its like a cart trying to come off the rails, tipping to one side before they manage to pull it back to relatively safety. It’s a strict combination of speed and brutality, a straightforward kick to the skull that is sure to scratch the itch of anyone looking for new death metal. 

Of course it has to come to an end and Singularity holds that position. This takes another turn, mixing in a wicked groove to the head kicking arrangements they have been dropping here. I go on about how the last song can really make or break an album and be the reason for future listens. Singularity builds on the good work that started with Nyarlathotep and provides a strong finish that I really wasn’t expecting earlier.

It is a literal album of two halves, one that starts slowly and finishes on a high. In terms of extreme music, its certainly worth a listen and I would have loved to have heard more like Nyarlathotep because they did it so well. It certainly represents the moment where things picked up but ultimately you have a decent bit of death metal. 7/10

Kid, Feral - 2019 (Backpack Records) [GC]

When you see the writing process for this record began all the way back in 2018, you wonder what has taken them so long to get it released, apparently parts of the songs have been re-written several time and they wanted to really take time to make sur everything was on point!? 8 years is a long time to spend on an album by anyone’s standards, so is 2019 worth the wait?

It gets going with Funeral In A Grocery Store which is a bit of a whirlwind it has the essence of a great screamo track but the way it dips in then mixes the jagged Dillinger Escape Plan style guitars in there but it feels a little short, maybe I’m missing something but the build-up feels like it needs to be more dramatic to have the full affect they are aiming for? 

Stop ‘N Go is a blur of noise over it 54 second run time and it feel like there is something there and I appreciate a short track more than most people but here the drama just seems to get lost, Substance is a bit more what I am looking for, the song has a bit more body to it and allows for a build-up and the emotion gets to really take the lead and the chaotic-ness of it all really takes it up to another level. 

Medieval Poetry again has the same sort of stylistic vibe and carries the emotion forward on a seething wave of anger, which grabs the attention and makes you really invest into the sound a bit more its melds the unpredictable and the heartfelt nature that is needed and you can really feel the energy through the whole track and it ends in a gloriously batshit way as well which is always a bonus.

Pothead Archaeologist is a blink and you will miss it 51 second blast of unhinged noise that arrives, kick you in the teeth and then just leaves, no nuanced soft sections or emotional tug, just pure unbridled savagery which is nicely done and mixed in after a couple or more though provoking tracks.

With Memories From A Stamp Collection you can just picture a shitty practice room somewhere in the mid 00’s with 4 guys with t-shirts that are 3 sizes too small, skinny jeans, Converse and black Romulan haircuts just chucking their instruments about and diving all over each other and hoping a song comes out of it and it sort of does in a way, again the main word that comes back to me is chaotic and honestly I’m not sure if that’s in a good or bad way? 

I Want To Be Your Canopy then of course just veers off in a totally new direction and throw in some black metal, just because, you know why not they have tried everything else so they may as well give this a bit of a go and honestly? It works it adds more drama to the overall sound of the song and gives it an interesting backdrop against the more emo-y sections an unexpected and savage mix of styles that compliment each other well. 

Puddle Jumper is the last track to give us one last weird pummelling, it smashes together the emo soft bits with more unwillingly bonkers mathcore which is the basis of screamo and they absolutely nail it here.

Reading over the PR for this I wasn’t 100% sure what I was expecting really, what I got was lots of chaos and emotion, sometimes mixed together really well, sometimes they allowed their intrusive thoughts take over and let them get too involved and the sound got a bit too much and didn’t make much sense but overall, I enjoyed what I heard and would be interested to see where they go from here in the future. 7/10

Sleepbomb - Songs In The Key Of Conan (Koolarrow records) [Adz Redpath]

After over a decade of fluctuating lineups with a stable core of 3 members this San Francisco Horror/Doom metal band provides here their interpretation of what the original Conan movie from 1982 should have had as a soundtrack. This is an intriguing and attractive concept to a movie buff such as myself and seeing their prior influences on past releases including the mighty George Romero I was excited to broach this and hear what vision this band was going to put forth. as a whole.

The production work on show is very solid here and undulates with atmosphere throughout, balanced and well mixed with a great use of instrumentation on show here although nothing of any particular prowess or technicality and with a lot of repetitive themes and time signatures. At times it does feel like a click was never used although that only serves to give the album a more organic feel and does not detract from what's on show here. Musically the tracks flow well although it's hard to find any stand outs amongst this release as it truly does feel more akin to a movie soundtrack than an album of songs that you will want to repeatedly listen to.

This could be epitomised as great background music with truly solid production and some really spacious undertones and musical soundscapes, but feels like an overly contrived concept that in all honesty I will be unlikely to check again unfortunately and was quite a slog for a newcomer to the group to get through. They fulfil what is a very niche vision that within the movie industry may do well but for the average fan of doom or metal is unlikely to garner much interest .

I don't like to go full Dave Portnoy but it does seem to be my way with reviews and this although well constructed fails to deliver more than a conceptual idea. 5/10

Reviews: Pro-Pain, Monolord, Shooting Daggers, Gurt (GC, Matt Bladen. Mark Young & Cherie Curtis)

Pro-Pain - Stone Cold Anger (Napalm Records) [GC]

When it comes to names that stick out in a scene, Pro-Pain are one of those in the hardcore world, one that has been around forever and are seemingly still fighting the good cause for the hardcore scene. 

From what I can se this is their SIXTEENTH album!! Now that is an incredible number of releases for anyone, so, where does Stone Cold Anger fit into today’s scene?

It is as expected on opener Oceans Of Blood with some fast paced hardcore that has the unashamed punk element threaded into the sound the comparisons to other bands is a bit pointless as these guys were there at the beginning with them all anyway so are bound to mix in other sounds but its clear that 35 years of experience has let them form a solid sound that will not be changing anytime soon! 

Stone Cold Anger has a bit more of the metal-ness sprinkled across the song and is more beatdown in nature but not the stupidness of today’s beatdown bands, it’s the more nuanced sound of the early NYC hardcore and it’s a glorious and violent throwback to a sound that never gets old or tired.

March Of The Giants then finds a bit of a middle ground, as again its more on the metal side of things but has a stomp and swagger that comes with the years or writing and touring, it allows them to cater to what they know is going to hit well with existing fans but also will bring new fans in, it has old school charm with a new school cutting edge. 

Uncle Sam Wants You! throws back into the punk element and is a riotous and snotty fuck you to the corrupt system in the US and how they treat their armed forces, its direct and angry and sums up how it must feel to be a part of that whole unpleasant situation when it arises.

Demonic Intervention opens up the sound to the groove-metal world, its stomps and pounds around well enough and its all nicely done but it just feels a little too mid-paced and it never really picks up the pace and just sort of meanders all the way through, it’s not boring as such just lacking that killer edge needed to really make it shine and stand out. 

Luckily on Rinse & Repeat they sort of pick up the pace again, but also don’t at the same time which if this sounds weird to read it sounds weirder to actually hear! It has gone back to the more standard hardcore sound, but it feels again like something is being held back and the song never really seems to get going enough.

It’s all decent enough but just missing something, thankfully Hell Or High Water kicks back into gear and really shows what they are capable of when they just let go of the reigns, metal clashes with hardcore and punk dips it toes in as well. 

It’s an adrenaline rush of a song that just makes you want to get up and start a mosh pit wherever you are, rousing, reinvigorating and sorely needed to pick the mod back up! Scorched Earth then mixes a bit of the holding everything back style with some more hardcore punk parts and the mix is good but that’s about it, you’re never entirely sure what style you should expect, and it affects the flow of the track massively! 

After this Jonestown Punch sounds immense, they again just throw off all the shackles and go straight for the kill, sharp and precise riffing mixes everything together and the groove elements is huge all the way through.

You just wish more of this had been on the record this continues into Sky’s The Limit which is probably the most anthemic song on the album and a savvy closer as it will get people moshing and singing along in the live setting and leaves you with an energetic rush to finish things.

It’s clear to see that Pro-Pain are here to stay and they don’t care if you like that or not, 35 years of writing, recording and releasing records is no mean feat and Stone Cold Anger will slip into their huge back catalogue and not get lost or forgotten, its bold, brash and angry as only hardcore can be and is well worth a listen. 7/10

Monolord - Neverending (Relapse Records) [Matt Bladen]

After an enforced break due to mental health struggles, during which their frontman released some ambient records, the the trio of guitarist/vocalist Thomas Jäger, drummer Esben Willems and bassist Mika Häkki reconvene under the Monolord banner, for their first full length since 2021.

On Neverending they reach further into the a galaxy of riffs than ever before, inviting the ambient movements of Jäger's solo work to further deepen the sonic hypnosis of Monolord. The colossal riffs of Inside A Collider are just what Monolord fans will want slipping into Crystal Bridge where that massive heaviness moves into psychadelic atmospheres.

Behind the producer chair Sylvia Massy (Tool/SOAD) gives Neverending a more contemporary slicker sound than some fans may be used to, the fuzzy repeating riffs are getting their edges sanded, to create an album that defines the band they have become after 13 years.

Fear not though as it doesn't mean Monolord have gone soft they've still got the volume and repetition to lock you into steady head nodding groove but with their most personal lyrics coming from recent history, Neverending has a taste to the maudlin, or the introspective which allows them play more with their identity.

No track highlights that more than the steamrolling doom dirge of It's Neverending which features Jörgen Sandström (formerly of Entombed) delivering snarling death vocals, the first time Thomas hasn't sung in a Monolord song.

The band and hopefully, it's audience, are more comfortable with each other after this time, as if there's and expectation to shake things up a little as you near big milestone years, Neverending is loud return for for Monolord but with a refined attitude to who they are. 9/10

Shooting Daggers - The Real Life Thing (New Heavy Sounds) [Mark Young]

Sometimes we just need simple things. Something that is unfettered with having to squeeze a million notes in and just wants you to dance. 

The Real Life Thing is in their own words a ‘mini album’ and is 7 tracks of punk/hardcore/melodic infused guitar driven music that makes no attempt to stay in one lane. 

And why should they? Adrenaline is a cracker, one of those songs which could make anyone dance (even me). With that sub three minute run time it’s a perfect example of what an opening track should be about.

It’s when they launch into My Oh My which changes their sound completely, going from the bounce to a more restrained and thoughtful approach its plain to see that they can make great music and still contain a message of hope. 

They know how to build songs and how to deploy them to great effect. That positive undercurrent runs through this, underscoring it. T.R.L.T. picks up the pace once again, providing that bouncing momentum that Adrenaline started with. Its purpose built for an audience that wants to move, to just enjoy a night out.

After the 28 second We Just Wanna Play, they roll out Loud Mouths (ft The Menstrual Cramps) and it’s a blast. If someone asked me to describe what Punk sounded like I’d probably point them in this direction. 

It feels that with this, a lot of the posturing that I associate with Punk/Hardcore and generally puts me off is missing and I love it. 

As mentioned, they don’t sit still going from that classic punk sound to the beauty of Le Soleil. This variety makes this release such a great one as they move effortlessly between these different lanes. 

GLOW (ft Dennis Lyxzén) wraps things up for the three piece. The guest vocals fits in so well without overshadowing Sal. Taking the release as a whole, there is a lot to appreciate here, and if I had to pick any one song as a jumping on point, I would be hard pressed to do so. 

They don’t do the same thing every time, they just do what they think is right and you either like it or you don’t . What you can’t escape is how good these songs are, and I hope that they make their way north for a gig or two. Give them a go, they could be your new favourite band. 7/10

Gurt – Survival Of The Shittest EP (Self Released) [Cherie Curtis]

Survival Of The Shittest is definitely a fun one. Gurt brings three ruthless and hellraising floor fillers. This EP consists of two original tracks, Live Nation, Dead Scene and the title track Survival Of The Shittest which are both punchy and ruthless with an Imposing atmosphere. 

The vocals are scathing and unruly in the best way, complimented by repetitive and sludgy riffs that may have gotten boring if they weren’t executed with effortless and raw intensity; simple composition but very effective in building tension and maintaining it for an entire track that’s all buzz and no chill. 

These tracks are great energizers and it’s easy to listen to, but the obvious star of the show here is their cover of 2 Unlimited’s 90’s club classic, No Limit.

Gurt’s cover of No Limit has what it says on the tin, no limit. It starts out burning hot and like the other two tracks on the album, it just stays there (which I'm starting to gather is one of Gurt’s main attributes). 

This cover is bouncy with classic prickly riffs to mock the Synths from the original which amps us up and knocks us down with the signature beat we all know and love. 

It’s exactly what you need after a couple drinks on a night out but it can be a little off putting at first if you're a fan original, but after the dust settles you do realize (if your anything like me) it's a good song made better because its aligned with your taste. 

Gurt adds what the original couldn’t provide; what we all didn't know we needed - blood pumping metal. 

I can safely say i would pay good money to have this played in a club and to hear this played live would be so unexpected it would have me losing my mind, it's almost a shame i heard it here first and not for the first time at a gig.

On the whole this one is solid; it's a well-rounded riot and listening to it was a breeze. It’s mixed well and the band clearly have a knack for their art and more importantly, especially to me, it was fun. Listening to this one was an immediate mood booster, but it didn’t give a lot to think about, but it doesn’t need to. 

The EP was over and done with before i finished my coffee which works and makes you want to revisit it a few more times and every time you do it hits even harder. 7/10.

Review: Converge - Hum Of Hurt (GC)

Converge - Hum Of Hurt (Epitaph Records/Death wish Inc) 

At the beginning of this year, we got a new Converge record, the phenomenal Love Is Not Enough and everything felt right in the world, then seemingly out of nowhere they went and announced there would be another album released in June THIS YEAR!! What the fuck?? 

How does this happen? Are these all new songs or just cast offs from previous sessions that didn’t make the album? And the main question will it be able to equal the impact of L.I.N.E, or just dull it down with a sub-par release?

As we get going with Slip The Noose, I need to be 100% honest and say it’s exactly what I wanted for an opening track, it has got all the hallmarks of Converge, savage vocals and an unholy racket that musically backs it all up! 

After this, following that could be difficult but on Doom In Bloom there is a different style with the way it slowly builds and creeps and manages to shows another side of Converge that many people probably wouldn’t associate with them, it’s slower and more measured than people may expect but still a great track.

It Only Gets Worse then explodes into life with a cacophony of jagged noise, the guitars cut and jab, the bass flows and carries the beat of the drums and its all cloaked in a vocal display that brings a tear to the eye, wonderfully brutal but it still feels like there is more coming! 

Then the curve ball is thrown and Detonator feels like a bit of an odd one, with a title like this you expect it explode out of the blocks but it really doesn’t, it’s a bass lead, slow drag of a track with sections that do of course come alive and grab hold of you but this may take a couple more listens to really land properly for me.

I Won’t Let You Go kicks everything back into gear, once again its not a full throttle attack, it starts off slowly and then just drops into an all out attack on the senses, the music weaves in and out and keeps you on your toes. 

It never drops from the unrelenting barrage that you want and enjoy and the way Jacob Bannon throws his vocals around always make everything sound 1000 times heavier than is should.

On Its Not Up to Us you get a real pattern of the flow of the album, its not trying to sound like L.I.N.E in anyway, that was just straight up heavy and brutal whereas here its still heavy but it has a more measured approach, the songs are slower and attach more atmosphere and have a lot more uneasy moments, which is a great juxtaposition from what you may have wanted to hear.

Dream Debris is the perfect example of the slower approach there is nothing but bass for the first minute or so and then when the drums come in it all stays at one steady pace.

The guitars add layers in places but never fully take control and the vocals just gently lay on top of it all until they unleash everything for short sharp blats of contrast before then dropping back into the slower pace again, its uncomfortable and expertly done. 

It Used To Matter is just 2 minutes of ambient guitar noise that sort of floats about and doesn’t really do very much at all and in all honestly, I’m not really sure of the point of this? 

Anyway, Hum Of Hurt then feels like the most familiar track on the record, it has a huge sound to it that is full of off kilter guitars that track with a big meaty riff throughout and they crash and clash with each other from start to end. 

The thud and throb of the bass and drums coats the track and really gives it a massive feel and of course once again the vocals just deliver the emotional gut punch you need. A really good choice of song for the title track.

Nothing Is Over sound like 2001 Mastodon have highjacked the recording studio, it’s a wonderfully executed piece of music that is always stabbing at you but keeps managing to drag its heels at the same time but not in a way that you don’t enjoy.

In a way that you almost want it to end because it feels so painful to listen to but when it does end you aren’t happy about it your just left on a heap in the floor, majestic.

6 months into the year and 2 Converge records, does the 2nd one match up to the first, well no because it is a completely different approach so doesn’t really need to be compared and I feel stupid for thinking they would release a cut and paste of Love Is Not Enough as they have never been a band that rest on there laurels and play it safe.

They are always evolving and changing as they please, not to make you or me happy but to stay true to their beliefs of how there music should sound, don’t like it? 

I don’t think Converge give one flying fuck and that is what makes them the outstanding band they are and it’s what makes them constantly release albums as good as Hum Of Hurt and long may this continue. 9/10