A View From The Back Of The Room: Tygers Of Pan Tang (Debby Myatt & Tony Gaskin)

Tygers Of Pan Tang, Demon and Voltstorm, The Asylum Birmingham, 29.04.26



Heavy metal was was the order of the day at The Asylum in Brum as the iconic venue celebrated it’s 25th anniversary with a triple header of nostalgia and modern grit. Owners Roy and Jacqui are long time friends of the Tygers and were pleased to be able to get them to come and raise the roof.

Openers were Voltstorm (8), a London based heavy metal band forged in 2019 by established singer John D. Prasec. They encapsulate the ethos of the NWOBHM with a modern grit and swagger. The songs are fast and high energy mostly taken from their 2024 album Breaking The Silence heavily influenced by the likes of Maiden and Priest. 

They have a decent following in the crowd judging by the amount of singing along there was, the songs are typically anthemic and epic as you would expect from a classic heavy metal band with their European flair. I think they probably gained a few more fans as well tonight, good start to the evening.

Hailing from the Potteries, Demon (9) are one of those bands that have a cult following. One of those bands that “should have been bigger” you might say. Fronted by the cheeky and indomitable Dave Hill (not Noddy’s mate) the band have existed for 45 years and today sees them in sprightly form. Their brand of heavy metal leans on their style of dark gothic story telling like Night Of The Demon but can get serious with soaring melodic tunes such as Hurricane. 

It’s obvious that they’re having loads of fun but keep it technical with fast precision on The Unexpected Guest, but they get serious with Nowhere To Run a track that Hill tells us that was written many years ago about Middle Eastern conflicts and unfortunately still relevant today. A wonderfully nostalgic set though and a band we’d never expected to see in 2026!

Closing the night, Tygers Of Pan Tang (10) proved that they can still roar with the best, their style is as sharp as their claws and they still have a bite to their heavy rock. Sorry, that’s all the puns out of the way! 

Seriously though, guitarist Robb Weir can still shred with the best, and he is sharply turned out tonight with slick quiff and Hawaiian style shirt belying his 68 years and his interaction with singer Jack Meille is the cornerstone of the band and key to its longevity.

Meille has been at the forefront of the Tygers during their latest incarnation and his style and flair fit perfectly with the bands melodic rock, and the being a Florentine, he’s spearheaded the renaissance of the band who are as busy as ever with the resurgence of classic rock thanks to all us Gen X folk who still love to rock out!

Tonight they were on top form with classics like Slave To Freedom and Gangland whilst bringing us up to date with 2019’s White Lines. We even got a taster of the upcoming album Bloodlines with the first single that’s just dropped, “Electrifyed” proving that they can still bang out cracking tunes.

They kept us waiting till the end though for the cheesy but great fun Love Potion No.9 and closing out with the fans favourite Hellbound the packed room loved it, and to be fair it wasn’t all Gen X in the room there were a lot of other generations represented, testament to the timeless attraction that this much loved British rock band has, and a fantastic way to celebrate the 25th birthday of a much loved venue and rehearsal rooms. 

So a huge congratulations to Roy and Jacqui and a massive thank you to the Tygers for making a Gen X girl very happy!

Reviews: Restless Spirit, Frozen Soul, Sace6, The Family Men (Rich Piva, Matt Bladen, Cherie Curtis, Joe Guatieri)

Restless Spirit - Restless Spirit (Magnetic Eye Records) [Rich Piva]

We are inundated with genres and sub genres and sub sub genres in the music we listen to. Especially in heavy underground rock. There is no debate where Long Island band Restless Spirit falls. Restless Spirit is Heavy Metal in every sense of the term. True Heavy Metal. Restless Spirit is also one of the best, if not the best, Heavy Metal band out there today. There is something to be said about self-titling your fifth album, eleven or so years into a career as a band. 

On the surface, it could just be one of those decisions a band makes about a new record and moves on. In the case of the eight tracks on Restless Spirit, there is so much more. A return to form, a new beginning, their true sound found…it could be one or all of those things, but the songs on this record are the most personal, deep, and raw we have heard from the band, all while leveraging the musical influences they love and, as usual, ripping up the place.

So why is this Restless Spirit record so special? Well first off, just to level set, all the stuff RS has released has been excellent. This record, however, focuses on shorter songs, leveraging the band’s sense of melody with their killer heaviness, in a more focused manner. One of the band’s secret weapons is how catchy-as-hell their songs are. The bridges and choruses stick with you more than ever on Restless Spirit. Of course, Paul Aloisio brings so many awesome riffs and solos, but the confidence in his singing voice has really grown as well.

 All of this is evident in the opening banger, The Burning Need. I love the layered vocals on this one. The recording of Restless Spirit captures the band in their rawest glory, with the drums of Jon Gusman sounding particularly awesome, showing why he is one of the best and most unique drummers in metal. The rawness comes across even stronger on Hallowed, and so does Gusman’s drumming, which is just next level. One of the charms of RS is that in 2026 they sound like a band I wound stay up until 2:45 AM to see on the third Hour Of Headbanger’s Ball. 

The mid tempo Red In Tooth And Claw has a bit of a Mastodon feel to it, but with less studio magic. The rhythm section of Marc Morello and Gusman put in the work on this one, while Aloisio takes his vocals to another level. I mentioned hour three of Headbanger’s Ball earlier, but Desire Lines could have opened the show. The quieter opening, the loud transition, the chugging guitars, the catchy chorus. Killer, next level stuff. Keeping with the theme, remember how a video on The Ball would eventually find its way to, say, dial MTV? Desolations Wake is the Restless Spirit track that would break through. Three and a half minutes that rips it up and burrows an ear worm into your brain and soul.

The acoustic interlude Embers leads to the one-two closing punch of Time And Distance and Phantom Pain. The former opens with a complex riff and brings all sorts of different progressions; this one is the most complex composition on the record while still managing to rip the place up while also get kind of doomy. The latter returns to some of their earlier work from a length standpoint, but takes all of it to the next level. Aloisio’s guitar work is so raw and real. The quiet parts are even more impactful because of the sound he gets from it. I love the almost haunting vocals on this one and the closing synths are such a perfect touch.

The definition of Heavy Metal can be debated, but to me exhibit A is Restless Spirit, and their new, self-titled record is all I need as the evidence. Filled with raw riffs and rippers that are some of the most real songs you will hear all year and beyond, Restless Spirit have created something special with their new record that will make you bang your head and maybe even shed a tear at the same time, if you are paying attention. You really should, because this is true heavy metal, and some of the best of it that you will hear in the foreseeable future. 10/10

Frozen Soul - No Place Of Warmth (Century Media Records) [Matt Bladen]

Some bands transcend their genre, rapidly rising above it to become leaders of it, it's usually because they draw just enough from the originators to win over the veteran crowd but also bring their own edge which wins them a whole set of new fans. 

Frozen Soul are just this sort of band, bringing more Texas Death than Hangman Adam Page, they've been rapidly ascending through the death metal scene with their glacial take on death metal that takes from the US legends such as Obituary and Mortician as well as the UK bruisers like Bolt Thrower and Carcass. 

They're a band that have serious muscle in their music, driven by the full force battery of Matt Dennard's non-stop blasts, this is death metal dynamism where the pacing is where the power lies. One minute there is blistering speed assault, the next a steamrolling chug, as Absolute Zero moves into Dreadnought that's exactly what you get, guitarists Michael Munday and Chris Bonner bring riffs that are always distorted and syrupy, breaking into flash bang leads and solos that would make Jeff Hanneman excited. 

Dragging these riffs down to the depths Samantha Mobley's bass fuzzes with disgusting reverb, giving the bottom end punching grunt. Along with producer Josh Schroeder, they settled down to write the record from the bottom up, entering the sessions with basically nothing, No Place For Warmth sees Frozen Soul hitting the basement to just crank out cavernous death metal, attempting some thing they haven't before but never overcomplicating what they do. It means that No Place For Warmth is a a record with a mechanised heaviness, the instrumental meat grinder crushing all as Chad Green's hellish shouts create visions of hellscapes and blood soaked battlefields as he takes the role storyteller for these deranged tales of death metal. 

Frozen Soul's ascent can be measured by the guests they have on this record as Devin Swank from Sanguisugabogg jumps in for Dreadnought, Rob Flynn adds his shouts to Invoke War while Gerard Way shows off his chops on the title track. They're a welcome addition but not needed though as Frozen Soul just do death metal right, and while it may be No Place For Warmth it's definitely a place for fans of death metal. 9/10

Sace6 – Brutalist (Sumerian Records) [Cherie Curtis]

Brutalist is Sace6’s shiny new 11track album, and much like their visual style (see the music video for their track Covet) it’s heavy on the contrast and it’s captivating.

Sace6 brings passionate, emotional vocals which draws you in then saturates it a landscape of ice-y metal instrumentals with prominent heavy drums and Trip-Hop / Pop fusion style backing tracks for an odd collision of energy and sophistication that creates a feeling of perpetual suspense. It is jarring but with clear intention of a confrontational overlap.

Brutalist is a fine example of modern-day metal with a technologically driven and trendy mismatch of genres and vocal styles to satisfy the hungriest of crowds and it makes for a interesting way to expand your palate if you tend to stick to a rigid diet of whatever metal niche and predictable breakdowns you tend to gravitate towards and transcend into a more contemporary sound which evolves beyond the standard metal formula without losing intensity.

The album as a whole, carries the devotion and high stakes desperation while avoiding the cliches of a traditional ballad or sing in the shower anthem. Instead, each track feels like a lament that's anchored by an inventive and dynamic production that feels raw and grounded rather than performative.

Overall, Brutalist is very well made. Sace6 has been around for a couple of years now and has managed to lock in a signature sound, the production is huge and the mixing is tight and professional even with the creative chaos this album feels clean and very precise. I admit that It took me a few listens to get Sace6 at first as i found the contrast and mix of genre and atmosphere distracting as I wasn’t sure what to expect but after giving this album the space it deserves it manged to wedge its way into my brain to stick with me and i can safely say that I really enjoyed listening to this one. 9/10.

The Family Men - Co/de/termination (Welfare Sounds & Records) [Joe Guatieri]

The Family Men are a four-piece Industrial band, hailing from Gothenburg, Sweden. Forming back in 2017, their debut No Sound Forever only came out a few years ago back in 2024 and since then they have gone from strength to strength, challenging both the listener and themselves in their wild experimentation. Now in 2026 they bring us their second full-length, Co/de/termination, how will this effort fair?

The record opens with Calamity, a song that will turn you down and inside out and make all the blood from your body rush to your head. It’s aggressive, rapid and in your face with shouted vocals that remind me a lot of Henry Rollins.

Calamity and most of the tracks going forwards combine both live drums and a drum machine, seeing both of these worlds colliding. Let me tell you, it’s a technique that I’ve seen far too many bands fail at as it’s such a pain to pull off. One element cancelling out another due to sheer volume is very commonplace but The Family Man has pulled off what I can only dream of as they not only make it work but kick my ass doing it. It’s an astonishing achievement which I loudly applaud, it brings such a big smile to my face!

Moving through the album we have track three with Skull Theft. For me it’s like a deranged hellish take on Fire by Jimi Hendrix with its use of call and response within the instrumentation. It’s the most upbeat song on the album, a great one to bang your head wildly too and it has a few surprises up its sleeve. The squealing feedback used in the choruses are very irritated, coming off as stretching with all your might for something in your vision which is just out of reach.

Skull Theft plays around with the genres that the band tackles, Jungle strikes out to me immediately with the booming drums in the verses, displaying both precision and power. As the song closes, anxious power chords make their presence known in their attack, it comes across to me as Nirvana worship and I’m always here for that.

Next we go into track four with Solving The Light Issue. I want to dive into the pool that is this song, soaking up every last mineral of it. The layering shown is magical from heavenly synthesisers that rise and full in the background, to the wave of the out of control robotic guitars and even good old-fashioned beat boxing.

Towards the end of the song you get these ear-piercing guitar bends which scream louder than the vocals, very Shellac. I can see Solving The Light Issue being played in a sweaty underground Industrial club which only 15 people know about. It’s no doubt my favourite song on the album!

Crawling further into the tunnel that is Co/de/termination, we get track seven with Scanner. It stands in my head as the most unique song that this LP has to offer, from the get-go it has a damaged hum as if your desktop speakers have broken. This motif morphs into a glitched out beat from hell.

To put the image in your head of what I envisioned upon hearing this, it’s as if you’re a bedroom DIY Industrial artist in the 2000s and you’re trying to sample The Prodigy in the most rudimentary and caveman way possible. You are at the stage of placing the speaker of your half-broken cassette player up to a tiny FM Radio and recording it on full blast getting a tinny effect as a result of dubbing it. Then removing that said tape that you just made and then driving over it with your Mum’s car, only to duplicate it again. What I mean by all of that is that I really enjoy how fucked up it sounds!

Scanner has the best bass playing on the album, it’s so jarring as it rumbles, bouncing off of every surface. To my surprise there is even rapping on this track and it really fits the vibe of what the song is pertaining to. It makes me laugh as I thought to myself while listening to this, “This is like Limp Bizkit if they were good”!

This record isn’t without its faults, songs like New Clear and Noumena have a few kinks in them where they don’t have the danger that the other songs possess. Instead they are going for a more atmospheric direction and unfortunately they lose their way with their sense of direction, more settled instead of trying to break through the glass ceiling of conventions.

Saying that, the bright spots shine wholeheartedly for the world to see, displaying great versatility. It has so many different strings on its bow, taking influence from all sorts of different genres such as Noise Rock, Hip Hop, Industrial, Nu Metal, Grunge, Rave, Noise and even Electronic Body Music.

Overall with Co/de/termination, The Family Men have made a fun, consistent and loud full-length that loses its mind in Y2K paranoia, it's so internet in every sense of the word. I’m not forgetting this in a hurry, The Family Men have made a new fan out of me, this album is excellent! 8/10

A View From The Back Of The Room: Internal Bleeding & Party Cannon (Alice Doyle)

Internal Bleeding, Party Cannon & Guttural Slug, Clwb Ifor Bach, 29.04.26



Ahoy! 

It’s your foreign correspondent returning back with riveting totally unbiased reviews.

I came across an opportunity to broaden my horizons, and travelled to Clwb Ifor Bach in Cardiff for a - what I thought was - a double bill of brutal death/party slam; Internal Bleeding and Party Cannon, and there was in fact a third band on the roster; Guttural Slug (6). 

The latter started the night off with a kind of slam set, and although I think their involvement came as a surprise to many it didn’t take long for the party to get started. Though not something I’d generally pick up and listen to, their live performance was engaging and entertaining. 

The most stand out thing for me personally was the drummer, but otherwise the set seemed to lack variety. Songs would bleed into one another and nothing stood out and made me go ‘there we go’. Regardless, the pits were established and they got what they came for. An extemporaneous live experience.

Next up - after picking up my double sized pint cup (!) - was Internal Bleeding (7). Although otherwise outside of my usual tastes I had listened to an album of theirs earlier in the year through some coincidence, and had somewhat of an idea what to expect. 

Ultimately they took over from what Guttural Slug had started, and amped it up with a more death metal shebang. The tone was more mature, the vocalist seemed to genuinely enjoy doing what he was doing and I was once again impressed by the control displayed by their drummer in particular. Involving the crowd and showing genuine respect for their fans whilst delivering a thrilling live listen.

It was then time for the ‘fun’ to begin, as Party Cannon (8) took the stage and immediately seized control of the audience by administering… humour? Despite their comical stage quips their actual execution musically was nothing to laugh at. I had no prior knowledge of the band, and took it in as I would any other new media; instrument by instrument picking out what would elate me and what would irk me. 

Their performance wasn’t anything too out of the ordinary in itself - though all clearly talented musicians - however it was the image and the almost self deprecating presence that made this band stand out. The pit was strong from start to finish, with everything from beach balls, Barbara's and whales flying about. I summarised they are definitely a band best enjoyed by placing your brain on a shelf and just going with the flow. I would see them again perhaps better prepared for their madness. 

Until next time, musipediacs!

M2TM South Wales Quarter Rundown (Matt Bladen)

Bloodstock Metal To The Masses 2026 Semi Finals are now set but in the words of David Byrne, "How did we get here?"

Well we've got a round up of the quarters to get you execute for what to expect at the semi finals. Don't say we don't keep you informed!

Not long after the heats had finished it was the first Quarter over on the West Side at The Bunkhouse Swansea. Unfortunately heat winners Clarity As Arson had to withdraw due to some (happy) personal reasons so the judges were recalled, the votes recounted and re-joining the initiative as the number one draft pick were electro metal crew Inscape.

They joined sludge/doomsters Mould, classic rockers White Leather, modern metallers House Of Hosts to bid for a place at the semis and by jove they did it! On a hotly contested night Inscape took the fan vote while House Of Hosts grabbed the judge vote

This takes them both through to the semis, as both Mould and White Leather leave a lasting impression and should be watched if you get a chance as like I said it was pretty tight.

Then it was weekend of Quarters as the East had their first, on a Friday at Green Rooms and again there was a withdrawal due to personnel issues in Daytura, so once again late night phone calls and counting took place so Convoy would be the ones called up to take their place alongside trio Virtue In Vain, beatdown experts Excursia and vampires Blood Red Lips.

An eclectic night with lots of riffs, shouting and some excellent hat wearing but it was Virtue In Vain and Convoy who would end their journey here as the fan vote went to Excursia while the judges went for Blood Red Lips. All four bands delivering the goods so you owe it to yourself to watch them.

Quickly it was back to The Bunkhouse for West Quarter 2, the only one with a line up that stayed in tact! With four big guns in a shoot out for the Semis.

It was Manumit that grabbed the judges vote here while Grindhorse83 scuttled to the fan vote. So this meant out West Semi was now complete, unfortunately for Hateful Dread and Soul Fracture who would be stopping the ride at this juncture.

Finally then ther was a tinge of disappointment on the East Side as Exaust pulled out on the morning of the quarter final leaving just three bands to vie for thos last two Semi Final places.

This meant it was tight as anything as metalcore veterans Disrupt The Continuum, doomers Risperidrone and alt metal act Avicide all played their asses off. Unfortunately for Avicide, it was Disrupt The Continuum who took the judges vote while Risperidrone took the fan vote admittedly just!

All of the bands who didn't get to the semis should be on your viewing list as they're the cream of the South Wales crop. However we have eight bands who have risen to the top and six of them will make their way to the stacked Day Of Wreckoning to play for a chance at Bloodstock Festival.

Day Of Wreckoning Tickets: https://ticket247.co.uk/Event/517805

West Semi Final - 16.05.26 - The Bunkhouse, Swansea

Grindhorse83

House Of Hosts

Inscape

Manumit

Tickets: https://ticket247.co.uk/Event/m2tm-south-wales-semi-finals-west-swansea-at-the-bunkhouse-swansea-529192

East Semi Final - 23.05.26 - Green Rooms

Blood Red Lips

Disrupt The Continuum

Excursia

Risperidrone

Tickets: https://ticket247.co.uk/Event/m2tm-south-wales-semi-final-east-treforest-at-the-green-rooms-treforest-ind-estate-530083

Reviews: Lord Of The Lost, Long Distance Calling, Hokka, Riverflame (Matt Bladen)

Lord Of The Lost - Opvs Noir Vol. 3 (Napalm Records)

The final part of Lord Of The Lost's trilogy of albums comes with Opvs Noir Vol. 3, following the first two in 2025, in 2026 there's a sense of finality and they're definitely looking to go out with a bang. Another 11 tracks of varied, gothic, cinematic and theatrical industrial metal, full of Blood And Glitter as you'd expect from these Germans.

The start is auspicious, cello leads into modern heavy grooves on Kill The Lights, the beginning of the end, the stage set for one last glorious blast through this part of their recording career. It's also their most diverse in the trio, from anthemic numbers like The Shadows Within, Square One has throbbing electronic pop sensibilities while Your Love Is Colder Than Death dials up the gothic stomps.

As with the two previous parts they have brought in more special guests, with Alea of Saltatio Mortis adding vocals, the Duke Of Spook Wednesday 13 duets with Chris Harms on I Hate People, making it an industrial banger that both artists could easily put into their set tomorrow. Elsewhere they have Hannes Braun of Kissin' Dynamite on the dramatic La Vie Est Hell, Ambre Vourvahis adding her spectral voice to the ballad When Did The Love Break while the final guest on the album is Damien Edwards of Cats In Space, on a song that is decidedly un-glam. 

Opvs Noir Vol. 3, closes with The Days Of Our Lives, not a Queen cover, though they could pull it off, it's them laying to rest this trilogy, a eulogy for this black opus. 8/10

Long Distance Calling - The Phantom Void (earMusic)

Instrumental rock is an acquired taste though it has a very rabid following, you only have to go to Arctangent or similar to see the countless prog and post bands that perform without vocals and enrapture the audience.

It's music that doesn't necessarily have to work harder to win over a crowd but definitely has to have a dynamic quality to counter the lack of voice while having a similar emotional depth. Long Distance Calling have been one of the names press folks like me have been touting as leaders in this scene for a long time now.

The German band have eight records and three EPs behind them and over a 20 year career they have emerged as one of the most impressive bands in the instrumental rock sphere. Their new album The Phantom Void is described by the band as their “the shortest, hardest and strongest" it's an album where they turned up the dark and created a heavier, moodier atmosphere than on their previous albums.

A narrative thread runs through it, The Phantom Void acting as a soundtrack to stories that relate to unseen, inescapable threats from the subconscious that awaken in dreamstate. This is a soundtrack joined by a visual side that will be played out with their music videos, a full multimedia event to tell this story properly.

The spoken word parts carry the story between the music along but it's with the music that Long Distance Calling are masters at, dynamic and dark, The Spiral blazing a trail at the beginning, shimmering guitars in perpetual motion.

Meanwhile tracks like A Secret Place are driven by rumbling bass and drums, that dictate the speed as repeating guitar phases move into tremolo flashes. You can definitely hear that the band have tried to cultivate a darker atmosphere with this record.

Much of it is down-tuned features grooves galore as Nocturnal bringing Floydian shimmers over thrashing, while the title track is saturated in synthwave, Long Distance Calling inviting the cinematic in on The Phantom Void, so they can become more experimental than before while wielding a theatrical flair too. 8/10

Hokka - Via Miseria IV (Nuclear Blast Records)

Hokka are Finnish band with a very Japanese aesthetic, but they are still very Finnish so we'll have no cultural appropriation here.

It's the story of a warrior and a sensei. The warrior being Joel Hokka who used to front Eurovision metal crew Blind Channe while the Sensei is guitarist/producer Pauli Rantasalmi who was long time guitarist and writer of The Rasmus along with stints in Tarja Turunen, they're joined by drummer Jimi Aslak and have formed Hokka.

Now if there was any doubt where they hail from, Via Miseria IV is probably the most Finnish record I've heard since Dark Light in 2005, it's pulsating with dark, romantic, goth metal that comes from the songbook of H.I.M (Heart Said No) and The Rasmus (In The Darkness) of course, brought bang up to date with electronically tweaked production.

Setting out their stall early with Death By Cupid's Arrow, a pumping bass line and guitar riff paired with massive chorus and underlying synths, it's prime 2000's Finnish rock explosion, Twenty years later. At the core it's a blend of rock and pop, full of introspective lyrics and plenty of synthy danceable European beats behind it.

A record of tracks ready to grace and Euro goth disco, but they don't stick to it rigidly to it as Bon Appetit feels like Muse, Blackbird carries a big riff, while they also a pretty good version of Kiss From A Rose, a song that maybe has always been a goth rock classic.

Hokka revamps a style that has perhaps fallen a little out of favour (it's still around don't write letters), but with a new disciple and an old hand, it's all your Finnish love metal dreams come true. 8/10

Riverflame - Lunar Crusades (Code666/Aural Music)

"Stormkeep meets Blind Guardian" is a pretty epic description for a band and if there's a one that aptly describes new international project Riverflame it's definitely that.

Formed by members of Hail Spirit Noir, Ponte Del Diavolo and Owls, they move away from their day jobs to create a record of epic, symphonic, black metal infused with Medieval folk that is ideal for your next D&D game. I mean the first of these five monster tracks begins with a harpsichord so you can't get much more Medieval than that right? Quickly though the huge synth orchestrations and tremolo guitars from Haris come in and we're off on this journey into shadowy mountains in the distance. 

Romain Nobileau's vocals move from menacing whispers to evil snarls, aggressive growls to spoken word, carrying these tales of long forgotten lands and fantasy world like a possessed bard. The pacing of these labyrinthine cuts guided by drummer Hakon Freyr Gustafsson and bassist Abro.

The bottoms end is at its best in Where Dragons Once Ruled, a full on black metal assault, blast beats, trem picking and no quarter given, however we're back with the familiar as those folk moments return for the title track, the lute and harpsichords evoking those sword and sorcery stories of yore. It acts as a intermission for the power to return on Through Mistlands Of Unearthly Worlds, the intensity of Dimitris Douvras's (Rotting Christ, Hail Spirit Noir) mix & master felt across these two for sure.

Before The Eternal Night closes Lunar Crusades with the biggest song on the record. Near 10 minutes of brilliance that takes as much from classic metal as it does black metal, melodic leads and solos, shift into galloping power metal rhythms, as the influence of Hansi and co can be felt on this one.

Comprised of some of black metals most inventive players, Riverflame is a cinematic, extreme metal masterclass, gather the horses and prepare for an epic quest. 9/10

Reviews: Venom, Foo Fighters, Internal Bleeding, Eihwar (Spike, Rich Piva, Mark Young & Matt Bladen)

Venom - Into Oblivion (Spinefarm Records) [Spike]

Right, I’m old enough to remember when the very first Venom album hit and remember thinking at the time, this is changing things. Venom are the genesis. They are ground zero, the definitive starting point, and the creators of a language that didn't exist until Cronos decided to scream it into a microphone. Decades later, as the black metal genre has split, expanded, and mutated into a thousand different sub-genres, they all ultimately lead back to this singular source. 

On Into Oblivion, Venom proves that they aren't just sitting on a throne of nostalgia; they are still at the absolute top of their game, delivering a slab of raw-boned, high-velocity filth that reminds the "next big thing" crowd exactly who built the foundations they’re standing on.

The album hits the ground at a full sprint with the title track, Into Oblivion. Immediately, you’re hit with that signature Venom sound that sits right in the pocket where early thrash meets the unpolished aggression of UK punk. The production avoids the clinical, "laptop-metal" traps of the modern era, opting instead for a punchy, mid-range thud that allows Cronos’s unmistakable bark to sit front and centre. It leads directly into Lay Down Your Soul, a track that leans into the theatrical, occult swagger the band has mastered over the last forty years.

What stands out on this release is the sheer, bloody-minded consistency of the songwriting. Tracks like Nevermore and Death The Leveller move with a mechanical energy, providing a rigid framework for those jagged, saw-blade riffs. There’s a sophisticated level of restraint here; they know exactly when to let a groove settle and when to kick the floorboards out from under the listener. As Above So Below is a particular highlight, a mid-paced monolith that captures that specific, ominous atmosphere of a world slowly drowning in its own noise.

The back half of the record, Kicked Outta Hell, Metal Bloody Metal, and Dogs Of War is an unapologetic salute to the band’s own legacy. Metal Bloody Metal is a glorious bit of fan service, an anthem for the long nights in the dive bars where the amps are cranked and the beer is cheap. It’s honest, unvarnished music for people who understand that the point of a riff isn't to show off, but to start a riot.

When the final feedback of Unholy Mother eventually dissipates, the realization is total: Venom continues to exist because the world still needs this specific kind of danger. They haven't just filed another report from the abyss; they’ve reminded us that they are the ones who dug the hole in the first place. 

Into Oblivion is a heavy, shimmering bit of survivalism that proves Cronos is still playing for much higher stakes than the average veteran. It’s a reminder that while genres may change, the original recipe is still the one that leaves the deepest mark. 9/10

Foo Fighters - Your Favorite Toy (Roswell Records/RCA Records) [Rich Piva]

The Foo Fighters have failed to be interesting since 1995. That first one man band record was raw, emotional, had grit, and contains what is still the best FF song (Alone + Easy Target). I got to see them play a show with Shudder To Think on their first tour, and even though STT blew them off the stage it was a super fun, heavy and energetic show. He hired Pat Smear and stole the rhythm section from Sunny Day Real Estate, which was pretty cool, too. 

 The Colour And The Shape had its moments but it was over-bloated, overrated, and did not invent Emo, even though two of the guys in the band may have. Yeah, they had a whole bunch of hits since then, stadium tours, big records, etc; all of it has been a huge snore fest. The most interesting things recently have happened outside of the music. Taylor died, which was super sad and terrible as he was, by all accounts, an amazing drummer and an even better human. 

Dave got caught not being Mr. All American Rockstar and has a toddler (not with his wife) to prove it, and the band unceremoniously dumped Josh Freeze as their drummer in a seemingly very cold and corporate way. Regardless of any of the TMZ drama, the music is still super boring, and trust me I have tried. Now, the Foos are back with album twelve (!) and also back to boring the hell out of me, with Your Favorite Toy.

Most of this record is formulaic drivel. Songs like Unconditional and If You Only Knew had to be Foo Fighters songs before, right? If not, could have fooled me. The production is so slick it gives me the ick. Dave tries to show he is still a “punk rocker” with songs like the opener, Caught In The Echo, but we are on to you sir, no matter how much you tell us you love Husker Du. 

Child Actor is a painful listen, and not in a raw, emotional way but more of an “I’m cringing so hard my face hurts” way. I assume Asking For A Friend is about Taylor, so I will give it a pass, but it really is the best song on the record, which is not saying much, but if I had to pick one it would be this one. The good news, Your Favorite Toy is only about 36 minutes, so it is kind of short. Run with that as the headline.

I don’t like dunking on the Foo Fighters. Dave has been an important part of my musical life. I just wish the band was in the least bit interesting, rather than trying to fill stadiums. Those two things do not need to be mutually exclusive, but for the Foo Fighters and Your Favorite Toy, they still seem to be. 3/10

Internal Bleeding - Settle All Scores (Maggot Stomp) [Mark Young]

Representing the last episode of ‘Metal slipping through the cracks’, the death metal on offer running through Settle All Scores is what I would call comforting noise. I’ll expand on that in a moment, but first a little on Internal Bleeding. With 30 years in the game punctuated with brief gaps they have consistently delivered brutal, tightly wound metal that has that ‘chunk’ to its sound. I’m sorry I can’t describe it better than that, except that when you listen to this with decent headphones on you will hear it. 

I think it’s the way that guitar and bass is layered, it’s like a warm, full sound instead of the brittle dynamics you sometimes hear. It’s this sound that ties into that comforting noise I mentioned earlier. At this point in their career they haven’t reinvented or tried to chase trends. They have stayed close to what they know and it shows, with each track having that authentic feel to it.

As soon as Intangible Pact starts, you know exactly what is coming at you. There are no airs or graces, moments of melancholy here, just pure in your face aggression, pounding drums, riffs on the attack and low vocal register. Its like stepping back in time (in a good way) to a time when all songs started like this. Its crisp, tight and heavy. It picks up the baton, bar, whatever works as a barometer for you and then hammers it into place as if to say nothing shall fall below this line. 

The title track follows on and delights in achieving those same aim. It has this vicious groove to it, nestled in amongst the blasts. Settle All Scores doesn’t hang about, the album, like the song has somewhere to be and can’t afford to be late. The two set out the template here, and for me that is a good thing. It doesn’t promise you anything other than death metal, old school in approach, new school in how it sounds. 

Whether it’s the lurching crunch of Prophet Of Deceit or the royal riffery of Crown Of Insignificance each sounds mint, and because of this the songs achieve an impetus that would be missing if it sounded like it was recorded in a tunnel. I’m not suggesting that this a world beater or anything like that, I think that would be facetious on my part. I think that you can hear a lot of modern metal in the songs here, and I would say that it is a testament to bands like them, those that have put the long years in and can still come up with music that is as intense as their debut.

Remember that bar that was set? Yep, it stays in place right through. But you knew that, Glorify The Oppressor rips, bouncing along at that classic death metal mid pace, and the closer, Deliberate Desecration burns with a different vibe, and still keeps that level of intent in place. You can put this on and know that for half an hour you can switch off and delight in the pure riffola on display. 7/10

Eihwar - Hugrheim (Season Of Mist) [Matt Bladen]

French 'Viking War Trance' anyone? If your answer was yes then Hugrheim will be the album for you, though you probably already own their debut record so maybe I should be talking to the people who asked what the hell is 'Viking War Trance'?

Signed to the label that is at the pointy end of the Viking/Nordic folk sword, Eihwar join the likes of Heilung to appeal to anyone that loves to braid their beard and put on armour, although unlike many of the Nordic bands, Eihwar bring the tribal drumming and traditional instruments to the dancefloor as they build these songs into rhythmic frenzies of drum powered music and vocals chants.

Hugrheim is the 10th hidden world of Yggdrasil in Eihwar's fantasy mythology, where the two musicians Asrunn (vocals/shamanic drums) and Mark (vocals/war drums/lute/everything else) have been embodies by the spirit of two Viking warriors and use them to create hypnotic war chants and with tracks such as Skuggaríki create their own brand of Viking industrial music or maybe Viking EDM?

I think 'Viking War Trance' is the best name for it, if Heilung, Wardruna, Danheim, Nytt Land, and Forndom are your thing but you've always wanted to throw shapes to it then, Eihwar maybe your new favourite experience of Norse history. 7/10

Reviews: Bodysnatcher, Elegant Weapons, Bronco Forte, Kissing Kaos (Spike, Simon Black, Rich Piva & Cherie Curtis)

Bodysnatcher – Hell Is Here, Hell Is Home (MNRK Heavy) [Spike]

Melbourne, Florida, isn't exactly the first place you’d go looking for a gateway to the inferno, but Bodysnatcher have spent the last few years proving that the "Sunshine State" is just a marketing lie for something much more claustrophobic. 

On Hell Is Here, Hell Is Home, they’ve stopped flirting with the boundaries of deathcore and hardcore and just decided to build a permanent residence in the middle of the friction. It’s a record that understands the most effective way to convey misery isn't through complex metaphors, but through a rhythmic, low-end thud that feels like a boot to the ribs.

The needle drops on The Maker, and you’re immediately hit with that signature "beatdown" velocity. There’s a blood-on-the-mic honesty to Kyle Medina’s vocal delivery, it doesn't sound like a performance; it sounds like a man trying to exorcise a decade of urban exhaust in a single breath. 

It leads directly into Writhe and Coil and Plague Of Flies, where the "gristle" of the production really starts to show. It’s thick, unpolished, and avoids the high-gloss traps of the modern circuit in favour of a sound that feels like it was recorded in a room where the amps are vibrating the floorboards loose.

What really anchors this record in the "essential" category for me is Survive Or Die, featuring Scott Vogel of Terror. Having the godfather of modern hardcore show up for a guest spot is a total masterstroke; it bridges the gap between the band’s deathcore foundations and the street-level grit of the old guard. It’s a high-velocity, three-minute rampage that targets the struggle of the grind with a level of anger that feels entirely earned. The guitars don't just cycle through riffs; they construct a vast, shifting architecture of noise that feels like it’s vibrating your teeth loose.

The back half, Two Empty Caskets, Blade Between the Teeth, and the finality of the title track doubles down on the attrition. Hell Is Home is a sprawling, atmospheric descent that finally allows the band to stretch into some of the darker, more cinematic corners of their sound without losing the pugnacious energy that got them here. It’s a pained, honest jolt of reality that proves veterans don't have to play it safe to stay relevant.

Honestly, as much as I’m enjoying the record on my headphones, I can't stop thinking about how this is going to translate to the stage. By the time Day 4 of Welcome To Rockville rolls around next week, the Florida sun is going to be punishing, but I suspect Bodysnatcher are going to be a lot more abrasive than the weather. There is something uniquely masochistic about wanting to experience this level of "blunt-force trauma" in that midday humidity, but Hell Is Here, Hell Is Home feels like the perfect survival guide for the pit. I’m packing the high-factor sunscreen and getting ready for the collision. 

Melbourne’s finest are about to make that Daytona asphalt feel very, very small. 9/10

Elegant Weapons – Evolution (Exciter Records) [Matt Bladen]

A few years back the first Elegant Weapons album crossed my platter and somewhat blew me away, to the point where tracks therein still pop up on my most used playlist. 

There’s no shortage of these supergroup projects out there, but most of them don’t go anywhere on the grounds that either the artists involved only just found the time to squeeze the recording in between whatever their main source of income is contractually committed to, and therefore had no plans to tour (which is the only real way to let an audience know you are out there) or because the whole thing is funded by vanity or the need to write off cash through an apparently legitimate business posing as a record label.

Elegant Weapons fit neither of these caustic motes from this old hack, however. 2023 saw them play an impressive set of festival dates in Europe, and no shortage of critical acclaim and Rock Radio airplay for the still impressive debut Horns For A Halo - proving that this really wasn’t just a stopgap for Richie Faulkner whilst Priest were idling or a rare window in Ronnie Romera’s back to back schedule which is making his increasingly successful solo career mean he’s doing nowhere near as many of these projects any more. This second record runs with this.

The line-up is slightly different, with Scott Travis and Rex Brown not involved in the recording this time out, but with their drum and bass slots now filled by Christopher Williams and Dave Rimmer respectively. The key point is that this is the touring line-up from three years back, so I think it’s safe to say that this is the line-up moving forwards. They’ve set themselves a high benchmark to follow however… Also returning is studio maestro Andy Sneap, who’s Priest commitments also mean he’s a lot more picky about what production work he takes on nowadays. The message here is that is no longer a one-off project, but a proper going concern of a band.

This record feels a little different. It’s more experimental for a start. Whereas the debut was pretty straight ahead Metal throughout, there’s both bluesier and heavier pieces mixed in here, as well as the odd eyebrow raising bursts of Synthwave. This makes it a more subtle offering than the 10-track banger-fest we got first time around, but that also makes it slightly less immediately accessible and fragmented… …Which to an extent mirrors how it was produced, as remote production was the order of the day this time out. In places this shows through, but when you have experienced pros like this in the mix, the songwriting and performance more than pull the bootstraps up when something unexpected happens.

The running order is a bit eclectic too, as there are some good, solid belters for sure (The Devil Calls is catchy as hell and Thrown To The Wolves is a drinking horns aloft festival singalong waiting to happen), but we don’t get to them until halfway through the album, which in an age where hooking short attention spans in early is prudent seems odd, but conversely it forces us to listen to the more varied stylistic content first. That material needs a little more gestation to grab you, but grab you it unrelentingly does, and by my second spin through I can tell that once again this record is going to be getting a lot of repeat plays in the car. 9/10

Bronco Forte - Lightning Scars (Self Released) [Rich Piva]

On what is considered L.A. band Bronco Forte’s first full length (they put out an excellent EP in 2023), the band settles into this wonderful dark 90s vibe that resonates across all the tracks on Lightning Scars. 90s sounding? Yes. Derivative? Definitely not. This record is all their own, leveraging bits of their many influences to bring us one front to back banger of a record.

The opening track, Emberwalker, has the riffs you look for in heavy rock but also has this dark swagger about it that just connects. The doomy riff on the next one, Cultist Canyon, continues that darker vibe the band brings on album number one, both musically and lyrically. Chris Klepec is an excellent writer and guitar player who really shows off his skillset across the ten tracks. 

Goat Church is as gloomy as you want a song called Goat Church to be and brings the riffs you want in a song with that title too. I love the interesting changes and the layered vocals that make Bronco Forte really stand out on this one and many of the other tracks, leveraging their secret weapon of Jen Glomboski on bass and backing vocals. 

Tower shows off both the drumming of Geoff Summers as well as how great the whole record sounds, with a shout out to how the drums were recorded and mixed, as they sound excellent. I love the dual guitar work of Klepec and Sako Injaian who sound super tight on the record. Pair that with Jen Glomboski’s back up vocals and you have a winner with the track Hellascope. 

My favourite track on the record, Scuffed Up, gives me Failure vibes all over, which could not be a bigger complement. The darkness across Lightning Scars continues on Dusk Jacket, which has my favourite riff on the record and reminds me of when Soundgarden used to turn the tempo down, but not the heavy. This song has the most space to breathe and some killer guitar and drum work. I love it. 

Lightning Scar shows how melodic the band is and how much, when they choose to, their pop sensibilities show. The background vocals once again shine, making Obvious Alias another killer track in an album full of them. You can tell the band is from L.A. because traffic is a repeated topic lyrically, as the closer, Sixteen Lanes, covers that but also doubles down on the melodic side of the band while always staying a bit dark and a bit more heavy.

There is a lot to love on the debut full length record from Bronco Forte; excellent playing and song writing, killer riffs, the right balance of dark and heavy to let their melodic side shine though, and amazing lead and harmonized vocals that pairs perfectly with the excellent production. You can tell the band comes from all sorts of angles influence-wise, and they manage to tap all of the best parts in creating the ten tracks on Lightning Scars. 9/10

Kissing Kaos – To Your Limit (Mighty Music) [Cherie Curtis]

To Your Limit is Kissing Kaos’ 9 track debut album and it’s a thrill. To Your Limit is a masterful attempt on making the modern-day music nostalgic, it’s sleazy, heavy and somewhat glamourous with the fine tuning of today's technology. 

The tracks are incredibly catchy and feel – good, and the overall composition is tight and well thought out with the illusion of ease; it feels like a 4k remaster of an 80s action film which ultimately makes this one feel like the perfect summer album. There’s a definite classic feel; it has an open-air quality that is perfect for cold beers at a summer festival or a long drive.

The atmosphere around this one is soaring and anthemic with energetic and outstanding vocals which boarder on 80s Glam Metal with triumphant, heavy and dirtier riffs and low-end drums; it’s an album to dance too rather than throwing down in a mosh pit but it’s a kicker all the same. Each track hits you with deja vu, you get a strong nagging sensation that you’ve heard these melodies before, but you just can’t place it.

Ultimately, it’s very well done. By bridging the gap between raw nostalgia and pristine modern-day production, Kissing Chaos has gifted us the ultimate summer soundtrack. It’s fun and down to earth and gears you up for the festival season approaching, I would love to see them on the bill for Download festival one day as I feel these guys would put on a hell of a show. Though, To Your Limit may not be complicated or revolutionary, it is a great album that offers everyone an invitation to get moving and to feel alive again. 9/10

Reviews: Sevendust, Cage Fight, Spell, (16) (Matt Bladen)

Sevendust - One (Napalm Records)

One is the 15th album from Grammy nominated American heavy rock band Sevendust. A band who may, make you think of a certain era, emerging in the nu-metal/alt-metal scene of the late 90's Sevendust are often compared to bands like Nonpoint, Mudvayne and Godsmack.

However I'd say that like Godsmack, they've managed to carve their own journey through the US metal scene, evolving alongside the changing music industry to keep themselves relevant musically but also releasing records that their devoted 7D army will love.

This balance of what's popular and what's true to them means that they have kept their popularity in their native country without falling into many of the traps these American metal radio staples have done. They've clearly got longevity, 15 albums and 30 years as a band is no small thing, especially now that nu-metal sound is having a resurgence and young bands are wearing their JNCO jeans and getting their breakdowns just right, so Sevendust are releasing record at a time when what they play has become the go to sound for many new bands, meaning their veteran status will definitely get people excited.

Once again Sevendust team up with Michael “Elvis” Baskette (Alter Bridge) for another record of grooving heavy metal tracks that are there to bang your head, the twin guitars of Clint Lowery and John Connolly, switching between chunky riffs and solos on Is This The Real You, as a rock solid bottom end of Vince Hornsby (bass), and Morgan Rose (drums) lock in like it's still 1999. We Won and Construct have those angular Nu-Metal riffs that inspired djent bands to do weird stuff with their guitars.

Sevendust are also masters of emotive lyrics that will make you feel. This emotional quotient comes from the brilliantly soulful voice of Lajon Witherspoon who croons over the melodic riffs of Unbreakable, with a song of resilience, brings and aching power to Bright Side but can also still snarl when the aggression must be dialled up on Blood Price, his balance of melody and aggression has been so important to Sevendust over the years and continues to be a main component of their sound.

30 years later and Sevendust are not just nu-metal survivors, they’re alive and thriving with a sound that is driven by huge riffs but has a tenderness to it, 15 albums to their name and no sign of slowing down, Sevendust are One standout in a packed genre pool. 8/10

Cage Fight – Exuvia (Spinefarm)

“With the knowledge of who we all are, we’ve managed to hone in on a sound that we really want – it feels like a rebirth of the band” says James Monteith about Cage Fight on their second album Exuvia. If anything it’s a benefit of having time, their debut was whirlwind, coming out of the pandemic with a maelstrom of hardcore/thrash riffs ready for stages, musicians from across the genre divide ripping out fast and furious songs as a way of letting lose and having fun.

Monteith especially happy to just shred and riff without the normal focus on technique he needs in Tesseract. Cage Fight stormed stages too piling as many shows into gaps with their other bands as they could as they gained confidence and gelled as an incendiary live act.

Since the debut Cage Fight refined their venomous heavy metal, this more honed and deadly version of the band now poised to unleash a follow up album that has a much deeper bag of tricks and more resonant songwriting.

Rachel Aspe’s disgustingly vicious vocals are still front and centre, snarling, gargling with brutal cuts like Pig (a song about misogyny Rachel has had to deal with online) as Julien Truchan from Benighted adds brees to Pick Your Fighter, but Rachel shows clean vocals on the dynamic Un Bon Souvenir.

The drumming of Nick Plews is ferocious, inhuman double kicks and stomps for those beatdowns, he does a lot more in the backroom than a normal ‘extreme’ metal drummer would, keeping the pace blistering but able to slow for when deftness is favoured over destruction.

Exuvia is the first album to feature new bassist Will Horsman, not only strengthening their thick grooves but also adding to the writing/lyrics, though the majority were written by Rachel who dove deep into her own personal experiences and life adding an emotional aspect to the extremity, whether it’s the death of her grandfather, online trolls, or her journaling to deal with a traumatic event, there’s a lot of resilience and defiance in this record

Heightened by the more expansive sound they’ve experimented with as James’ guitars are still anchored to hardcore heaviness but also add thrash, tech death, groove classic metal and there’s acoustics on interlude Le Déni, where they build into the tech death inspired title track that rips your throat out as Élégie is a fragile, introspective end to the record, full of atmosphere.

Exuvia “refers to the outer skin that’s shed by creatures like arachnids, crustaceans and insects” and for Cage Fight it’s the beginning of a new chapter, they’re now in their final form, prepare your ears for a heavy metal noise that’s as uncompromising as it is inventive. 9/10

Spell - Wretched Heart (Bad Omen Records)

There are few bands around today that exemplify heavy metal as much as Spell.

The Canadian band are now on their fifth album and they have been constantly expanding their sound since their debut, moving from their NWOBHM beginnings, a place where band leader Cam Mesmer (vocals, bass, rhythm guitar & synthesizers) has always been a devotee of, his inspirations being Priest, Maiden etc.

However this is heavy metal and heavy metal has always evolved, it gets bigger, bolder, more theatrical and Spell have embraced all theses aspects as they've moved through their career. Mesmer is of course is joined by comrade in arms Al Lester (vocals, lead guitar, rhythm guitar & drums) both guiding Spell through every manifestation.

With their previous effort they went a bit more gothic with their sound on Wretched Heart they maintain this joining the classic metal stylings while also adding some glam, psych and doom flourishes with an abundance of lead guitars due to new additions Jeff Black and Gabriel Tenebrae (also synthesizers), who simply love to show off at every opportunity.

Their recent tours with Green Lung, Wytch Hazel and Angel Witch have reinforced this line up and you can hear it on Wretched Heart, this is band who are in a special kind of harmonic unison, guided by producer Felix Fung to make it their most boisterous and excited selection of tracks to date but set against their melancholy and most personal set of lyrics so far.

Spell also have tapped a couple of guests for the record too, as former Spirit Adrift and axeman for hire Tom Draper gives a solo on Lilac, there's also some big female backing vocals from Alison Black, Kalen Baker and Stephanie House, adding to the pomp that's all over this record, while Nicole "Trish" McDonal has screams on Iron Teeth, which sounds like Pantera meets symphonic metal.

From the synthy drive of Dark Inertia, to the gothic first single Lilac and Exquisite Corpse, there's a dark strut to Unquiet Graves and Savage Scourge, while there's also 80's post punk on Oubilette and the title track takes it right back to some Maiden gallops, Spell finishing where they started.

Wretched Heart features a revamped version of Spell playing their most impressive material yet, the alchemy they've been toying with over the last records has led to the their most complete effort yet. 10/10

(16)- Forgeries Vol. 1, 1972 - 1984 (Heavy Psych Sounds)

SoCal sludge band (16) have been bringing the noise since 1991 and quickly established the sludge sound to a wider audience. They split and then reformed in 2007, releasing six albums since then the most recent in 2025, all on Relapse records, however they are now signed to Heavy Psych Sounds.

Their debut is not an album of new material but one that pays homage to their influences, specifically music from 1972 to 1984, this mean it draws from both the riff heavy classic rock and aggro punk/hardcore scenes, both side of which have always been so strong in the music of (16).

Kicking off with a rougher, sludgy version of Can't Get Enough by Scorpions, Bobby Ferry's rough rhythm guitar and rougher vocals lead the charge while Alex Shuster's lead guitar gets to bring some solos to Cities On Flame With Rock And Roll by Blue Öyster Cult and Mother Mary by UFO, where bassist Barney Firks and drummer Dion Thurman give it some thick grooves.

Speaking of thick grooves a guarantee you've never heard a psychedelic doom version of Tragedy by the Bee Gees, well you have now, and it's probably the best song on the record. There's also some Black Sabbath, of course, and the punk covers of the likes of Black Flag, Agent Orange and X are all pretty close to the originals, though Bloodstains is slowed down significantly, but given the reverence for sure.

For long time fans, Forgeries Vol. 1, 1972 - 1984, will be an interesting little curio, a band they know, playing the songs of bands they know more. However it's clever way to introduce themselves to a new label as it sets out what to expect from (16)'s own material to a potential new audience in preparation of what they do next with Heavy Psych Sounds. 7/10

Reviews: Man Band, Gnod, Evil Warriors, Bleak (Spike & Mark Young)

Man Band – Strong Man (Faith Healer Records) [Spike]

Refusing to pick a lane usually ends in a pile-up, but for Man Band, it’s a masterstroke of survival. We live in an era where every new project is desperate to be the face of a hyper-specific sub-genre, yet this lot have emerged with a debut that proudly claims "genre fluidity" as its primary architecture. 

Strong Man is a record that treats pigeonholing like a terminal illness, opting instead to experiment with the very boundaries of what we consider "heavy." It’s a bold move for a debut, but it’s one that pays off by making the listener feel like they’re part of a creative discovery rather than just another target audience.

The first thing that grabs you about this record isn't just the songwriting, but the sheer, in-your-face audacity of the production. It’s an odd thing to say about a studio recording, but the vocals are right there, front and centre with a level of physical proximity that feels almost confrontational. 

It doesn't sound like a band performing through a PA; it feels like they are performing directly in front of you in a room that’s just a bit too small for the ambition of the noise.

The track list moves with a restless energy, from the opening grit of Dane Valley to the brilliantly titled My Dad's Bigger Than Your Dad. Musically, it’s a sound that understands the "shove" of post-hardcore but isn't afraid to let a bit of melodic air into the mix. 

There’s a sophisticated level of restraint on tracks like The Nutter and Men Don't Cry, where the band lets the tension build. It’s honest, unpolished, and possesses a level of grit that makes most high-gloss debuts look like they were manufactured in a lab.

What’s particularly impressive here is the transition into the more expansive moments. Ian's Song (ok, I have a built in affinity to anything using my given name) acts as a near-ten-minute anchor for the record, proving that the band has the focus to handle long-form storytelling without losing that gritty, immediate pulse. 

The guitars scrape against each other with a surgical precision, providing a dense, rhythmic framework for those intimate vocals to inhabit.

Man Band have created a manifesto for their own unpredictability. Strong Man is a record of sharp edges and uncomfortable honesty, and I’m genuinely curious to see how this specific, "in-your-face" energy translates to a live stage. It’s an essential addition to the rotation, a heavy, shimmering reminder that sometimes the most powerful noise is the one that refuses to play by the rules. 

I’ll be hunting down a tour date the moment the ink is dry on this review. 8/10

Gnod - Chronicles Of Gnowt Vol 1 (Rocket Recordings) [Mark Young]

This is a difficult album to review; I’ll be honest with you. It represents an audio journey that doesn’t sit in my particular wheelhouse and at times it felt that I was reacting against it because its not death metal, it isn’t thrash, or 60s psychedelia. Its none of those, its purely them. 

Now, I have a particular affinity for Gnod, for no other good reason than they are from Salford and so I am I. I love the fact that (in their own words) they have entered their 20th anniversary with a burst of creative energy, writing music that fits them and if it resonates with you, ace.

Three Tree’s (Part 1) is our starting point. A gentle introduction that has a stark beauty to it and in a change to every other album it doesn’t give you any clues as to how the rest of the album unfolds. 

Shadow Mirror blimps along, a steady pace and composition that stays consistent In its execution. In doing so, it immediately sets itself apart from everyone else in that they don’t feel the need to change much, barring embellishments that drop in without altering the sound. 

Neptune is different again, a stream of consciousness soundscape whilst Three Trees (Part 2) builds and expands without really going anywhere with it. From the acoustic ‘quiet’ of the trees, we enter All Tunnel No Light with a tempo that could out-doom anyone. It develops around a simple idea, which is then built on without ever changing that glacial pace. 

It’s a hard listen, 9 minutes that rumbles and rumbles that somehow entrances you to stay with it that is then offset by Ekstasis, which I can only describe as being ‘bouncy’. I realise that as an accurate description, which is pretty poor but as a piece of art, its something else. It’s a living, breathing thing that comes at you from a completely different angle, and I applaud them for it.

What intrigues me is how these songs will translate in that live setting. They don’t strike me as the sort of band that will settle for playing a song the same way, rather that they would take every opportunity to do something new. In any respect, it’s not for everyone and why would it be but it is for those who love the unexpected. 

Is it something I would come back to? That’s a tough call because it doesn't sit within my normal range of music. But it interests me and the fact that they have the guts to do what they want to do makes it a vital release. 8/10

Evil Warriors - Evil Warriors (Into Endless Chaos Records) [Mark Young]

Ok, so Evil Warriors have been around since 2007, haling from Leipzig and have dropped an unabashed, some might say primitive exercise in heavy metal. That is in no way a slight on them, it just a fact. If you add into that mix some heavy run times and this becomes a war of attrition. One that involves sax.

Zweifel is a prime example of this, an opening statement of discord and fury, and some filthy riffing. It’s what I think Black Metal should sound like – raw, unprocessed, harsh and uncompromising. Its 12 minutes long and there is absolutely no reason it should be this long. 

Except that it is, and this is the way they wrote it and if it’s not for you, well don’t let the door hit you on the way out. It hits a particular speed and then just maintains it, running forward without taking a breath. Being honest, it wasn’t for me, but I can appreciate it as the monster it is. 

Luckily, Suche is only 9 minutes long and takes its cues from the opening track. Again, it takes its time in unfolding and then its bang and away, hammering away at you with a more frozen style of execution. The end result is the same though, it is a harsh listen that is not for everyone. 

Having two tracks that weight in at 20 plus minutes is a bold move, and you have to be able to back that up with music that is engaging. This is my problem, for me it isn’t, and as a result of that I’m fighting the urge to throw the towel in.

Possessed steams in, all blasts and that filthy riffing again. This is as old school as you can get and with it being hewn from a more traditional path which makes it more of an accessible listen. 

It doesn’t quite stay in that traditional vein though, as that sax makes its appearance again, taking a more prominent place here but I’m hanging on for dear life to stay the course, because frankly I’m knackered from listening to it.

Entäußerung starts up like Possessed, except this time I’m not getting my hopes up, I just want them to play through it without doing anything too leftfield with it, I want them to show me some traditional extreme metal and they do. Fieber is their closer and closely echoes Suche in its set up and execution. 

You can’t fault their approach; they are consistent here in doing whatever they want to suit them, I'm just not sure how attractive it is. 6/10

Bleak – It’s All Bleak (Independent) [Spike]

Side projects are the experimental kitchens of the music world, places where an artist can mess with the recipe without the pressure of burning down the main restaurant. 

They offer a necessary outlet for restlessness, and with It's All Bleak, the project known simply as Bleak has stepped into a territory that feels more like a clinical study in tone than a standard metal release. It’s an exercise in exploring the darker, more electronic-tinged edges of the sound spectrum, and while the technical execution is as sharp as a scalpel, the emotional anchor never quite feels like it’s hooked into the floorboards.

The EP opens with Bleach, and the first thing you notice is the transition in texture. This is a far cry from the raw grit we usually look for in the basement scene. There’s a high-velocity, mechanical precision here, a sound that is clearly produced with a massive amount of skill, but it feels strangely detached. 

It’s followed by Leech and Dig Deep, which continue this trend of "skilled misdirection." The riffs are heavy and the rhythmic engine is impressive, yet the "joins" between the electronic elements and the metalcore foundations feel a bit too visible, creating a friction that hinders the flow rather than helping it.

What’s interesting about this release is how it’s being received in the wider circuit. A quick look at the Danish press shows a lot of love for the "uncompromising" nature of the sound, and you can see why. 

Tracks like Burned Out showcase a level of talent that many bands would kill for. The issue for me, however, is the "mark" itself. Sometimes, a record can tick every box for quality and still leave you cold. It’s an honest account of a creative detour, but one that seems to prioritize the "how" of the music over the "why."

The finale, It's All Bleak, features Gradience and attempts to synthesize the various forces at play into a cohesive ending. It’s a dense, sprawling bit of songwriting that moves through movements of industrial-tinged aggression and atmospheric drifting. 

It’s arguably the most "in focus" moment on the record, yet even here, I find myself looking for that visceral, human ache that defines the most vital bits of the underground. It’s polished, it’s professional, and it’s perfectly executed, but it lacks the cracks in the wall that usually make the music feel alive.

Ultimately, It’s All Bleak is a record that I respect more than I actually enjoy. It’s an essential part of an artist’s growth, the kind of detour that allows for a new perspective but as a listening experience, it feels like a transmission from a frequency that I’m just not tuned into. 

It’s proof that skill and talent can only take you so far if the soul of the noise doesn’t quite align with the listener. I'm glad it exists as a document of exploration, but for now, personally I need something that feels a bit less bleak. 6/10

Reviews: Atreyu, Since The Fire, Hiraki & Meejah, Norna/Legbiter (Spike & Matt Bladen)

Atreyu – The End Is Not The End (Spinefarm Records) [Spike]

Atreyu have spent the last few years performing a high-wire act that would have broken a lesser band. By deconstructing their sound through the Front Room and Season Of The Witch phases, they’ve essentially been live-streaming their own evolution. 

With The End Is Not The End, the trilogy reaches its conclusion, and it’s a record that proves that "growing up" doesn't have to mean "slowing down." It’s an expansive, cinematic bit of work that understands that a massive, arena-sized chorus only works if the foundations are still built on iron and grit.

The album hits the floor with the title track, The End Is Not The End, and the production is immediately striking. It’s polished, certainly, but it possesses a heavy-set muscularity that prevents it from feeling sanitized. Brandon Saller’s vocals have never sounded more confident, there’s a narrative weight to his delivery that feels properly earned after two decades in the van. 

It leads into Immortal and The Way You Sound, tracks that showcase the band’s ability to weave electronic textures into their metallic core without losing the "shove" of the rhythm section.

What stands out on this release is the pacing. Tracks like The Forevermore and Drowning move with a restless energy, balancing a white-hot aggression with the kind of soaring, cathartic hooks that have become the band's hallmark. 

There’s a sophisticated level of songwriting here; they aren't just chasing a radio hit, they are building an atmosphere. It reminds me of that specific, mid-career pivot Avenged Sevenfold performed, a sound that is as much about the cinematic scale as it is about the riff.

The middle stretch, featuring Deathless and Saviour, highlights the collaborative friction within the band. Dan Jacobs and Travis Miguel’s guitar work remains needle-fine, cutting through the symphonic swells with a surgical precision. 

This is watching a band that has finally stopped trying to replicate their past and started defining their future. By the time we hit the sprawling ambition of Siren Song, the trilogy feels complete.

Instead of offering a tidy resolution, the record concludes with The Hope Of A New Day, a track that feels like a final act of defiance. Atreyu haven't just finished a trilogy; they’ve created a roadmap for how a veteran band can remain vital without sacrificing their soul.

It’s been a fascinating journey through these three phases, and The End Is Not The End is the heavy, shimmering proof that the destination was well worth the transit. I’m walking away from this one with the realization that Atreyu are currently playing for much higher stakes than the "next big thing" crowd.

It’s a reminder that the best stories are the ones that refuse to finish where you expect them to. 8/10

Since The Fire – Remains Embraced (Independent) [Spike]

Northeast Pennsylvania has a long-standing reputation for being a primary breeding ground for some of the most stubborn, hard-working metal acts in the tri-state area. Since The Fire are the latest standard-bearers of that legacy. 

Formed back in 2010, they’ve spent the better part of fifteen years refining a sound that refuses to settle into a single comfortable frequency. Their latest EP, Remains Embraced, is a four-track exercise in balance, an auditory landscape that understands the "whisper-clean" quiet just as well as it understands the high-velocity "raging mayhem."

The EP hits the pavement with Cuntrol, a track that makes its intent clear through sheer rhythmic bullying. The riffs possess a "saw-blade" quality, cutting through the mix with a surgical precision that highlights their technical death metal influences without losing the groove. 

It’s followed by Noose, which pulls back just enough to let a bit of atmospheric gloom leak through the cracks. The vocal delivery here is particularly impressive, moving from a earth-moving roar to a pained strain that feels entirely earned, reflecting a sophistication likely born from their interest in classical structures.

What’s most striking about this release is the band's refusal to keep things short and tidy. While tracks like Brutaful (a title that perfectly captures their "brutal-yet-beautiful" ethos) provide the high-velocity jolt, the record’s true weight is found in the closer, Whispers. 

Clocking in at nearly nine minutes, it’s a sprawling, cinematic descent into the band’s more progressive tendencies. It moves through movements of sustained tension and feedback-laden lulls, proving that Since The Fire have the focus to handle long-form storytelling without losing the physical impact of the riff.

Since The Fire aren’t just offering a few heavy riffs to fill a gap; they’ve delivered a manifesto for their own survival after a decade and a half on the circuit. Remains Embraced is a record of sharp edges and uncomfortable honesty, and by the time Whispers finally snaps into silence, you’re left with the realization that this lot are playing for much higher stakes than the average "next big thing." 

It’s a vital, properly noisy release suggests the Pennsylvania underground is still an excellent place worth looking for noise with this much soul. 8/10

Hiraki & Meejah - Interwoven (Pelagic Records) [Matt Bladen]

A collaboration between two Danish acts that met at a The Ocean concert in Rosklide. Mai Soon Young Øvlisen of Meejah was asked by Loïc Rossetti of the band if she was ok as floods of memories came to her during the incredibly affecting set.

After that faithful meeting Meejah and Hiraki collaborated with many other artists separately, but the industrial synth-punk trio and experimental artist were still drawn to ideas conjured during that faithful The Ocean set meeting lighting designer Pierre Roi Des Forêts, leading to bring them closer to this collaboration, as Loic Rossetti appears on first track Redirect Revenge as if completing the journey.

They set about exchanging musical backgrounds, skills combining aggression, introspection, existentialism while also shifting and both of their styles to complete and contradict each other. The four tracks here are split as two are Meejah featuring Hiraki then the others are Hiraki featuring Meejah, it's forced Meejah to be a heavier version of herself while Hiraki have had to dial back the noise for a more expressive palette.

That's not to say you can't tell the difference because you obviously can, when it's Hiraki driving the bus, this are louder and more volatile as Meejah becomes unfettered and angry, while on the other side Hiraki bring a fuzzy drive to Meejah's complex patterns of hope.

It's not a straightforward release, but with so much creative inspiration behind it, these two artists of the Danish scene have created a collective much like The Ocean, where various genres merge at an apex of emotion, no one force dictating, rather combining as one unit. 8/10

Norna/Legbiter - Norna/Legbiter (Pelagic Records) [Matt Bladen]

A more traditional split album now with each band giving three tracks to show you what they do. Both Norna and Legbiter are from Sweden and come have been plugging their heavy across the country for a while now.

All veterans of the underground but with two distinct styles that are rooted in the uncompromising 90's styles of Quicksand, Helmet, Superheaven and more. This distinction means you can pick out who is who but the transition isn't jarring, both are very heavy, aggressive and want to make your ears ring, just from different sides of the wide genre pool.

Legbiter get the first trio, this foursome are very clearly inspired by hardcore and 90's alt metal, jarring harsh riffs and woozy vocals, it's got a lot of Deftones to it, the percussion insistent on Worms, as they shift into some rawness on Speedball.

Hardcore beginnings are strong on the first two but with Major Motion they build rapidly into more incendiary immediacy, though as it's their longest song they branch out into shoegaze shimmers, climaxing in a heap of angst and emotions. These three tracks are the whole tone of what Legbiter do. Short sparks of loudness that catch you off guard but leave you wanting more, as they strategically add some nuance.

Norna are a different beast, this is building demolishing post-metal/doom, lumbering, dissonant but restrained flashes of horror from our own world rather than far off galaxies. This is music that is based on thought over Legbiters feeling, they want disquiet, moments of silence that linger just before the cavernous riff comes back, vocals that are barely human (from ex-Breach man Tomas Lijedahl).

This is Caveman noises from Einstein brains, sequenced so the run times increase as we go, transitioning between the lighting of their spilt buddies into their sonic thunder. Eyes Of God moves them towards Neurosis and early Mastodon as sludge is poured into you ear drums.

The closing Serpents Of Gold is another doom mongering track but tells of Norna's want to reduce their sonic destruction to truncated movements for this EP, which works well to not totally isolate either band. This split is great introduction to both bands, whether you like it aggressive and emotional or slow and sinister, or maybe both, this split is Venn Diagram of heavy music. 8/10